A state-owned Chinese company has been chosen to build a six-mile wall for the world's first tidal lagoon power plant in Britain's Swansea Bay, the project developer announced on Wednesday.
China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC) is the company that won the 300-million-pound (460 million U.S. dollars) contract, announced by Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon Power.
CHEC will spend half of the contract's value on the British workforce, partners and supply chain, said the developer.
According to local media, the one-billion-pound Swansea Bay tidal project will deliver power to the national grid, potentially enough for 120,000 homes.
Besides, CHEC has established a British subsidiary company and has set out its vision to pursue a Britain infrastructure investment program over the next decade.
Lin Yi Chong, president and CEO at China Harbor Engineering Company, said: "CHEC has taken the strategic decision to enter the UK infrastructure investment and construction market, and we see the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon, a pioneering scheme that could bring the world a new energy option, as the cornerstone project in our business development strategy in the UK and wider Europe."
Mark Shorrock, chief executive of Tidal Lagoon Power, said: "Having encouraged CHEC to bid this job and invest in Western European infrastructure projects by creating a British base, I was delighted, following an intensive competition, when my engineering colleagues recommended CHEC for our seminal Swansea Bay project," said Shorrock.
"Further, I think China is taking a leadership position in tackling the threat of climate change and so a state-owned enterprise makes a good partner when you wish to deploy multiple tidal lagoons quickly and cost effectively," Shorrock added.
