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Centre Port: New £2b Tidal Barrage and Shipping Terminal

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Port Evo has revealed plans for a £2 billion renewable energy and flood infrastructure project across The Wash estuary.  

centre port tidal barrage
Credit: Port Evo, Centre Port
by Rory ButlerNovember 24, 2022

Centre Port is a nearly 18 km structure connecting Gibraltar Point in Lincolnshire and Hunstanton in Norfolk. 

In a world first, the developer would create a tidal-powered – and renewable energy driven – container port, a terminal capable of processing many thousands of vessels using QUAD Lift cranes, creating up to 1,700 new jobs and raising the UK’s international trade position.  

When complete, Centre Port could process 1.5 million shipping containers a year from 2028.  

Beneath the barrage, a hydro-electric dam with turbines harnesses tidal energy from The Wash, potentially powering 600,000 homes and businesses when operational. 

Port Evo said the super structure, deemed a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and backed by Centrica, could provide flood defences for vulnerable areas in The Fens of Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, many of which are just 1 to 2 metres above sea level, potentially protecting more than a million people. 

Centre Port Holdings CEO, James Sutcliffe said The Wash is an “ideal” location for a deep-water port. 

Infrastructure: 

  • New dual carriageway (from Lincolnshire)  
  • New single carriageway (from Norfolk) 
  • Four rail terminals linked to the East Coast Main Line 

The scheme, whose next phase is a two-year feasibility study, will be determined by the Planning Inspectorate. 

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