UK coastal power station at serious risk from floods, says report
20 Jun 2018
Coastal power plants in the UK will be at increased risk of flooding from rising sea levels and flash floods, claims a new report.
Research by environmental consultants C40 Cities warns that climate change could seriously threaten millions of pounds worth of assets and hit power supplies to industry and consumers within 30 years.
Worldwide, the report claims, damage will affect the lives of 800 million people in cities and hit power supplies for an estimated 450 million.
Mark Watts, executive director of the organisation which was formed by an association of leading international cities, said the research must act as “a wake-up call” for governments to take action.
The assessment relied on data extracted from a NASA study that pinpointed those areas most at risk from rising water levels in the period to 2050.
The report notes efforts being made by London to tackle potential flooding in the Thames estuary; the first major project, the Thames Barrier, was opened more than 30 years ago in 1984.
However, more would need to be done to ensure the Thames floodplain would cope with climate changes.
An earlier study by Newcastle University in February suggested many other industrial and urban areas are also likely to be affected on the mainland including Leeds, South Wales, Exeter and Glasgow. In Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the cities of Derry, Cork and Waterford were deemed similarly vulnerable.
