The Dutch authorities have set up a market consultation for the development of the Brouwersdam as a tidal power plant, inviting commercial parties to show interest and make the project a reality.
In an effort to improve the quality of water in Lake Grevelingen – a closed off part of the estuary on the border of the Dutch provinces of South Holland and Zeeland – the local authorities plan to build a flood barrier that would allow for the limited reintroduction of tides to the lake.
Planned for construction at Brouwersdam, which currently forms a dam between Lake Grevelingen and the North Sea, the flood barrier could also be used as an alternative clean energy source by exploiting tidal energy for power production.
The partnership has, therefore, been established for the Tidal Grevelingen Project to investigate the feasibility and affordability of the reintroduction of the tide at Grevelingen in combination with tidal power plant.
The public partners have prepared a consultation document which outlines insights into a feasible variant of a flood barrier with tidal power plant, and sets out the design and the business case for this variant
However, market players are free to research, develop and install any other variant of such a tidal power plant, provided it meets defined objectives and requirements.
A special market consultation day is planned to take place on November 8, 2018 , to determine market interest for the project, according to the partnership.
As part of the Dutch Long-Term Infrastructure, Spatial Planning and Transport Programme (MIRT 2) decision, recommendations will be issued to public partners regarding which alternative(s) in the project scope are to be incorporated in the plan development phase.
Whether the tidal power plant alternative is included in this phase depends in part on market interest, according to the authorities.
The MIRT 2 decision is expected to be made at the start of 2019, while more information on the market consultation together with the associated documentation can be found on TenderNed site.