Preferred bidder named for £200m Swansea Bay tidal lagoon work

Developers hope the tidal lagoon could be operating by 2018

The preferred bidder for the contract to build part of the £850m Swansea Bay tidal lagoon has been named.

Laing O'Rourke, based in Kent, has been chosen for the £200m deal to deliver the lagoon's 1,345ft (410m) turbine house and water flow sluice.

The contract will require up to 500 workers at its peak - the entire project is expected to create 1,850 construction jobs.

The firm says concrete and other materials will be sourced locally.

Laing O'Rourke has named London-based Arup as its lead design and engineering partner for the contract.

Tidal Lagoon Power's director of construction Andrew McNaughton said this announcement is "a major step forward for the project".

Following advanced works and engineering, a fixed price contract will be signed later this year for the main build.

Swansea Bay tidal lagoon facts

A six-mile long seawall would house underwater turbines

• It will be the world's first tidal lagoon power plant

• A design life of 120 years

• When fully operational, it is expected to generate 500GWH of electricity every year - enough to power more than 155,000 homes