Billions of pounds could be ploughed into Cumbria if a barrage is built across the Solway Firth.

The Solway Estuary tidal gateway could connect Workington to south-west Scotland, create thousands of jobs and generate enough energy to power about 2.5 million homes a year. 

It is part of a £36bn project launched by Manchester-based company, North West Energy Squared (NWE2), to build a network of similar gateways and new roads stretching from North Wales to south west Scotland. 

The project is the first tidal power installation of this scale in the world and could take between 20 to 30 years to complete. 

If the plans do come together, by 2028 people could drive 20 miles from Workington to Dumfries and Galloway over the Solway Firth. while electricity is generated as the sea passes through the turbines with the tides. 

Alan Torevell, chairman of NWE2, thinks the Solway estuary tidal gateway has huge potential for West Cumbria. 

He said: “We think it’s very exciting and it’s beginning to develop some momentum, but we have got to be careful because we’re not talking about next week.” 

Mr Torevell said the gateway could create 6,000 jobs a year over eight years plus 100 jobs on the finished gateway; generate enough renewable, carbon-free electricity to power millions of homes a year; and speed up transport links between Cumbria, southern Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Public relations expert Chris Nelson, who has got involved with the project by helping to manage the stakeholders, said: “It’s a game changer. For me it should be regarded as a national priority to actively do this and see if it’s feasible.” 

NWE2 is gauging how much demand and interest there is in the project and is hoping it will be included in the Cumbria infrastructure plan being put together by the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership. 

The gateways NWE2 are proposing to build first are the ones across Morecambe Bay and the Duddon Estuary. 

The company thinks they should be used to carry power cables, which could connect proposed nuclear power station Moorside, near Sellafield, and the National Grid at Heysham. At the moment the National Grid is looking into connecting the two sites with large pylons. 

The Solway gateway would be next in line for construction. Building could start in 2022 and be complete by 2028. NWE2 is now looking for potential investors in the scheme.