{"id":20444,"date":"2026-02-10T09:02:30","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T09:02:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=20444"},"modified":"2026-02-10T09:02:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T09:02:30","slug":"700m-fish-disco-plan-could-save-90-of-marine-life-says-hinkley-point-c-study-hinkley-point-c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=20444","title":{"rendered":"\u00a3700m \u2018fish disco\u2019 plan could save 90% of marine life, says Hinkley Point C study | Hinkley Point C"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Scientists have found that plans to use a \u201cfish disco\u201d to deter migratory marine life from the nearby Hinkley Point C<\/a> nuclear reactor could help save 90% of fish from the power plant\u2019s water intake pipes \u2013 but the solution is set to cost its developer \u00a3700m.<\/p>\n

EDF Energy, which is building the Hinkley Point C<\/a> nuclear plant in Somerset, said research it commissioned from scientists at Swansea University had found that using an acoustic deterrent system helped to ward off the \u201cvast majority\u201d of fish it tagged for the experiment.<\/p>\n

The costly system, informally referred to as a \u201cfish disco\u201d, is designed to use more than 300 underwater speakers to emit sound pulses to repel fish from the water intake pipes, which will suck in water from the River Severn to help cool Hinkley\u2019s reactors.<\/p>\n

EDF said it expected to spend about \u00a3700m on the solution, or 1.5% of the total cost of building the \u00a346bn project, which would give Britain\u2019s first new nuclear power plant in a generation \u201cmore fish protection than any other power station in the world\u201d.<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>Hinkley Point C will extract water from the River Severn to cool down its nuclear reactors.<\/span> Photograph: robertharding\/Alamy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This should help to save about 44 tonnes of fish a year \u2013 equivalent to the annual catch of a small fishing vessel. The company declined to speculate on the total cost per fish saved over the 25-year life of the reactor\u2019s subsidy contract.<\/p>\n

EDF has argued against<\/a> the requirement to fit an acoustic deterrent in the past, instead suggesting that it could construct salt marshes to help protect marine life.<\/p>\n

Under EDF\u2019s subsidy contract it will earn a set return for the electricity generated by Hinkley, meaning it will need to absorb the extra cost of the fish disco rather than add it on to household bills<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The system is expected to include special mouths fitted to the intake pipes to slow the water suction and allow fish to escape from as close as 2 metres away, and a fish recovery system which returns fish sucked into the pipes.<\/p>\n

The scientists found that only one of its tagged twaite shad fish came within 30 metres of the test intake pipes when the speakers were turned on, compared with the 14 seen in the same area without the system turned on.<\/p>\n

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In good news for the salmon population, the research found that those migrating to the Atlantic generally use the main channel of the Severn, which is well away from Hinkley Point C\u2019s water intake pipes. In two years, only two tagged salmon were detected within 1km of the intakes, the scientists said.<\/p>\n

Dr David Clarke, a fisheries scientist and marine ecologist at Swansea University, said: \u201cThese early results are very encouraging with the system clearly working. Our results show that a large majority of the tagged shad avoid an area extending some 60 metres from the intake heads protected by the acoustic fish deterrent system.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chris Fayers, the head of environment at Hinkley Point C, said: \u201cBecause the system works even better than we had hoped, it means we can meet all of our planning obligations and should not need to create 900 acres of salt marsh as environmental compensation. And it\u2019s good news for a power station that will generate the reliable, low carbon electricity that the country needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

The results of the research will be submitted for regulatory consideration and approval by the Marine Management Organisation later this year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

#700m #fish #disco #plan #save #marine #life #Hinkley #Point #study #Hinkley #Point<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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