Former Balfour boss to head Swansea tidal lagoon project

Andrew McNaughton, Balfour Beatty’s former chief executive, is to join Tidal Lagoon Power as director of engineering and construction, overseeing the  technical development of the project. 

McNaughton left Balfour in May last year after the group issued a £30m profit warning in the UK for 2014. 

McNaughton will be responsible for getting the lagoon into operational service. 

The Swansea Bay scheme is set to be the world’s first tidal lagoon power plant. The 320MW facility is expected to provide around 16 hours of generation every day. 

McNaughton also served as a vice president of the Institution of Civil Engineers, and as a UK Business Ambassador for the Coalition government. 

He said: "Every so often, the UK infrastructure industry witnesses a major project with the ability to redefine the sector worldwide.   

"The Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon is one such project, with a team and tier-one supply chain that combines the best of British infrastructure with international expertise of the highest calibre. I am thrilled to return to the industry’s frontline to oversee its delivery." 

In August last year, Atkins was appointed client’s engineer on the scheme. 

Image: Artist’s impression of the 9.5km breakwater that would channel tides through turbines at the Swansea Bay Lagoon