Plans to build saltmarsh around the Severn Estuary put on "pause" by Hinkley C

Plans to build 340 hectares of saltmarsh habitat around the River Severn have been put on pause by Hinkley C.

It follows months of campaigning from local communities who believed there was a better way to minimise environmental impact.

Originally, EDF believed building saltmarsh habitat was the safest way to offset the 44 tonnes of fish that would be sucked into the facility's cooling system.

But in a letter sent to local residents, the company said new and improved technology has put plans to build saltmarsh on hold.

"Now and innovative technology, not available when the consent was granted, means it's possible to deploy an acoustic fish deterrent without the need for divers," EDF said in a statement.

The deterrent would prevent much of the fish swimming into the cooling system at all.

"Pioneered in the South-West and used in fishing fleets around the world, the technology uses electronic transducers to target specific fish species with high-frequency sound.

"The efficiency of the system means it can be precisely tuned and installed and serviced from the surface."

The acoustic fish deterrent is now the preferred solution at Hinkley, but until scientific work on the technology is complete, EDF is unable to rule out saltmarsh creation completely.

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