The Environment Protection Authority said a tidal energy plant in the Kimberley would destroy irreplaceable mangroves and create vast quantities of sediment. However, Tidal Energy Australia manager director, Peter Wood, said the EPA had got it wrong, and believed the mangroves destroyed in construction of the plant could be regrown elsewhere.

TEA is one of several consortiums bidding for the power supply contract after the present WA Government re-opened tenders in wake of the collapsed $500 million Woodside-Energy Equity Corp proposal.

While the State Government can overrule the EPA's advice, the chairman of the advisory body, Bernard Bowen, said the tidal project proponents need to provide more assurances about the mangroves.

"If the EPA is not confident the loss of mangroves can be compensated by at least a comparable area of new mangroves, it is unlikely the EPA's objectives can be met," Dr Bowen said.