Is There A Working HiiROC Electrolyser in The United States?
I don’t know, but Google AI gave me this answer.
As of late 2026, there is no working or operational HiiROC electrolyser (Thermal Plasma Electrolysis plant) in the United States.
While the UK-based company has expanded its focus to the U.S. market—incorporating HiiROC USA in Delaware and working with the U.S. Department of Energy’s GREET model to calculate its carbon intensity—its active and pilot deployments remain concentrated in Europe and the United Kingdom.
Current HiiROC Projects & Status
Instead of U.S. facilities, HiiROC’s current physical footprint and major milestones include:
The Brigg Pilot Plant (UK): A demonstration facility built in partnership with Centrica at a gas-peaking plant in Lincolnshire, England, which represents their primary working test site.
Industrial Scale Deployments (UK): Scaled industrial rollouts, such as a major project at Cemex’s Rugby cement plant and a pilot facility at Saltend Chemicals Park in Hull.
Future Pipelines: The company has targeted commercial unit deployments starting in 2026, alongside feasibility studies for massive clean methanol and hydrogen plants in Scotland.
The U.S. hydrogen market currently relies heavily on other local producers (such as Monolith Materials for methane pyrolysis or Plug Power and Electric Hydrogen for water electrolysis), though HiiROC is actively building its in-country team to service future pipeline demand from U.S. customers.
You do wonder, if because of Trump, no American companies decided to get involved with HiiROC.
Is There A Working HiiROC Electrolyser in Japan?
I don’t know, but Google AI gave me this answer.
No, there is no working HiiROC electrolyser (Thermal Plasma Electrolysis unit) in Japan.
HiiROC and Tokyo Gas signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in January 2025 to jointly assess and explore the potential deployment of HiiROC’s technology across Japan, rather than an operational installation.
It looks to me that the Japanese are taken a careful route.
Is There A Working HiiROC Electrolyser in Korea?
I don’t know, but Google AI gave me this answer.
No, there is currently no working HiiROC electrolyser operational in South Korea.
While the UK-based clean technology company HiiROC has established deep ties to South Korea through major corporate investments, its active deployments and pilot projects remain focused primarily in Europe and the United Kingdom.
The South Korean Connection
Although a physical unit is not yet running in the country, South Korea plays a vital role in HiiROC’s growth:
Strategic Backing: Major South Korean automotive and industrial giants, including Hyundai Motor Group, Kia, and HD Hyundai, are key strategic investors. They backed HiiROC during its major £26 million funding rounds to support the scaling of its Thermal Plasma Electrolysis (TPE) technology.
Future Intentions: Financial and sustainability reports indicate an explicit intent to manufacture and deploy products in South Korea in collaboration with these local partners as part of the country’s broader push toward a hydrogen economy.
Where HiiROC Electrolysers Are Working
HiiROC’s initial real-world demonstrations and operational commercial pilots are located closer to its home base:
Germany: A 400 kg/day hydrogen production facility in Thierbach, developed alongside energy companies Wintershall Dea and VNG.
United Kingdom: Active projects injecting hydrogen into gas-fired peak power plants with Centrica at Brigg Energy Park, a biohydrogen pilot with EPi in Chelmsford, and industrial decarbonization efforts with the building materials company Cemex at their Rugby cement plant.
South Korea is aggressively building out its own domestic hydrogen capabilities, including a planned 320MW water electrolysis facility at Saemangeum and a 20 MW byproduct hydrogen plant in Ulsan, but these currently utilize different technologies rather than HiiROC’s proprietary plasma torches.
I can see Korea eventually being a large market for HiiROC.
Is There A Working HiiROC Electrolyser in Germany?
I don’t know, but Google AI gave me this answer.
Yes, there are active initiatives and facilities utilizing HiiROC’s technology in Germany, backed heavily by German energy giants.
HiiROC’s proprietary technology is fundamentally different from traditional water electrolysis; it uses Thermal Plasma Electrolysis (TPE) (a type of methane pyrolysis) to split natural gas or biomethane into clean “turquoise” hydrogen and solid carbon black.
The German Pilot Plant (Wintershall Dea & VNG)
The primary deployment in Germany is a pilot facility developed through a strategic partnership with German energy companies Wintershall Dea and VNG AG, both of whom are also direct stakeholders in HiiROC.
Location & Purpose: Built at a site in eastern Germany, this facility was designed as the first of its kind in the country to produce turquoise hydrogen on a commercial pilot scale.
Capacity: The plant has a nominal capacity of 400 kg of hydrogen per day (equivalent to an annual energy output of nearly 5 GWh).
Operation: The facility utilizes HiiROC’s modular plasma units to extract hydrogen directly from the gas grid at the point of use, capturing the carbon as solid carbon black—which is then routed for industrial use (such as in tire manufacturing and construction materials)
International Scaling & Automation Support
To transition these modular systems into wider industrial operation across Germany and the rest of Europe, HiiROC maintains a research lab in mainland Europe and signed a major partnership with German engineering giant Siemens. Siemens provides the advanced control technology, safety automation, and factory scaling expertise necessary to mass-produce and safely operate these high-pressure plasma electrolysers in demanding industrial environments.
Germany is certainly onboard and helping, with this exciting development from Hull.
Is HiiROC Involved In The Manufacture Of Carbon Black?
The HiiROC process for creating green hydrogen, also creates carbon black.
So I asked this question of Google AI, to see how and if, it is affecting the market for carbon black.
This is the reply I received.
Yes, HiiROC is directly involved in manufacturing carbon black, but as a valuable, high-purity by-product of their primary focus: clean hydrogen production.
Based in Hull, England, HiiROC utilizes a proprietary process called Thermal Plasma Electrolysis (TPE). This technology uses an electric field generated by patented plasma torches to split hydrocarbons (such as natural gas, flare gas, or biomethane).
Instead of creating carbon dioxide, like traditional hydrogen manufacturing, the process splits the molecules into two clean, solid outputs:
1. Affordable Clean Hydrogen
2. Solid, Clean Carbon Black
Impact on the Carbon Black Market
Replacing High-Emission Processes: Conventional carbon black is traditionally manufactured via high-pollution, fossil-fuel oil furnace methods. HiiROC’s TPE process yields a zero-emission, sustainable alternative.
Commercial Applications: HiiROC is actively commercializing its solid carbon black for traditional applications—such as tires, rubbers, plastics, inks, and toners—while collaborating with institutions like the University of Hull to research newer applications like soil enhancers, construction materials, and environmental filters.
Global Footprint: Demonstrating its scalable manufacturing capability, HiiROC signed an agreement with Tokyo Gas to deploy its plasma technology in Japan, exploring the commercial use of its “plasma carbon black” for decarbonizing lower-carbon industrial materials. They are also running a first-of-a-kind trial at the Cemex cement plant in Rugby, UK.
You might consider that HiiROC is producing zero-carbon or green carbon black.
Hydrogen-Powered Toy Train Planned For Kalka-Shimla Seritage Route
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the New Indian Express.
This is the sub-heading.
The Railways has since completed a survey of the route and identified a site at Barog railway station for setting up a hydrogen fuel plant
These paragraphs gives a few more details.
The Ministry of Railways is planning to introduce a hydrogen-powered toy train on the Kalka-Shimla railway line, a UNESCO World Heritage route, to reduce pollution and promote cleaner transport.
The initiative is part of the Centre’s ‘Hydrogen for Heritage’ programme, which aims to introduce hydrogen-powered trains on selected heritage routes. Unlike conventional diesel trains, hydrogen trains use fuel-cell technology to generate electricity, with water as the principal by-product.
In 2023, the Union Government announced plans to operate 35 hydrogen trains under the programme, including one on the Kalka-Shimla route. The following year, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu wrote to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging the Centre to explore the possibility of introducing hydrogen-powered trains on the historic route.
The Railways has since completed a survey of the route and identified a site at Barog railway station for setting up a hydrogen fuel plant.
Note.
It is using hydrogen fuel cell technology.
India is getting very serious about hydrogen-powered trains.
This railway could become a very important tourism site.
Shimla has an altitude of 2,276 metres.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the route of the Kalka-Shimla Railway.
Note.
- The Kalka-Shimla Railway is shown in yellow.
- Shimla is in the North-East corner of the map.
- Kalka is in the South-West corner of the map.
- Barog station is marked by the blue arrow.
- The Kalka-ShimlaRailway has a Wikipedia entry.
If I ever get back to India, I shall certainly visit.
EU Deal Means Return Of Pet Passports For Dogs, Cats And Ferrets
The title of this post is the same as that of this article in The Times!
This is the sub-heading.
New rules will be ratified at a summit on November 20 at which Britain must juggle trade-offs to gain access to Europe’s car and energy markets
I don’t care about dogs, cats and ferrets, provided everybody treats them right and allows me to say hello occasionally, but I do care about energy.
In my opinion the most important paragraph in the article is this one, which introduces, what it will mean for energy in the EU and the UK.
In a separate negotiation, the EU is calling on the UK to pay into European development funds if British energy companies are to gain the freedom to trade in the EU’s single market for electricity. Brussels would stipulate that British taxpayers’ money be funnelled into projects to build roads, airports and green energy facilities in the bloc’s poorer member states.
It might mean, that we have to pay some money in, but we are sitting on one of the largest green energy resources in Europe.
This map shows the The Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) around the UK.
Note.
- Undoubtedly, the rules by which EEZs were drawn, favoured the UK, and countries like Belgium and Germany didn’t do as well.
- The area of the UK’s European EEZ is twenty-three times that of Germany’s whole EEZ, which also includes an area of the Baltic Sea..
- Belgium doesn’t do well compared to The Netherlands.
- There is a substantial area between the UK and Ireland, which can deliver energy to where it is worth more.
- Great Britain and Ireland are surrounded by a large area, that must be worth developing.
- There is a convenient corridor, that runs North-West from the German EEZ to the UK EEZ, which could be used to deliver energy to Germany.
Didn’t the UK (and the Irish) do well!
Earlier in my opinion, I considered this paragraph to be the most important paragraph in the article.
In a separate negotiation, the EU is calling on the UK to pay into European development funds if British energy companies are to gain the freedom to trade in the EU’s single market for electricity. Brussels would stipulate that British taxpayers’ money be funnelled into projects to build roads, airports and green energy facilities in the bloc’s poorer member states.
I believe that if we joined the EU’s single market for electricity, this will open up joint UK/EU energy projects.
Energy Supply To The Island Of Ireland
This may be a bit parochial, but it’s important if you live in the Irish Republic or Northern Ireland.
I asked Google AI, the title of this section and received this reply.
The island of Ireland relies heavily on a mix of natural gas, wind power, and energy imports, operating through an all-island wholesale electricity market.
Key Energy Supply Facts
Fossil Fuel Reliance: Ireland remains a net energy importer, with fossil fuels accounting for roughly 79% to 83% of primary energy supply.
Electricity Generation Mix: In recent data, gross electricity supply is led by natural gas (~40%), wind energy (~32%), and net imports (~16%). Coal-fired generation at Moneypoint ended in 2025, and peat-fired generation has phased out or transitioned to biomass.
Single Electricity Market (SEM): The wholesale electricity market operates across the entire island of Ireland (Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland) as a single pool, managed via the Single Electricity Market Operator (SEMO).
Grid Operators: Transmission systems are operated by EirGrid in the Republic and ESB Networks handling distribution. Interconnections link the island to Great Britain and France.
Demand Drivers: Total electricity demand sits around 34.1 TWh, with commercial services and data centers making up a significant and growing portion of consumption.
Note.
- Energy on the island of Ireland is one of the oldest cross-border energy projects in Europe.
- Sixteen perecent of electricity is imported.
- It appears that electricity in all of Ireland is highly integrated and operates as a single market.
- In What Is The Potential Capacity Of Wind Farms In The Atlantic To The West Of Ireland?, I showed that as much as 600 GW of green electricity could be developed to the West of the island of Ireland.
The island of Ireland has outstanding potential for the development of offshore wind.
How Much Electricity Is Transferred Between The UK And The Irish Republic?
I asked Google AI, the title of this section and received this reply.
The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland import approximately 16% of their combined electricity needs from Great Britain.
Interconnectors Between Britain and Ireland
The power exchange happens via subsea high-voltage direct current (HVDC) and AC interconnections:
East-West Interconnector (EWIC): Connects Portan (County Meath, Ireland) and Shotton (North Wales) with a capacity of 500 MW.
Greenlink Interconnector: Connects Great Island (County Wexford, Ireland) and Pembroke (Wales) with a capacity of 500 MW (operational since early 2025).
Moyle Interconnector: Connects Scotland and Northern Ireland with a capacity of 500 MW (Northern Ireland shares an all-island Single Electricity Market with the Republic of Ireland).
North-South Interconnector: Links the grids of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (capacity around 540 MW).
It would appear that the UK grid and the two grids on the island of Ireland are well-connected.
Would There Be Advantages If Both The UK And The Irish Republic Were In The Same EU Single Market For Electricity?
I asked Google AI, the title of this section and received this reply.
Re-aligning or fully coupling the UK and the Irish Republic within the EU single market for electricity (or the EU’s Internal Energy Market) offers several well-documented economic and operational advantages:
Lower Wholesale Electricity Prices: Post-Brexit decoupling between Great Britain and the island of Ireland’s Single Electricity Market (SEM) caused wholesale electricity prices in Northern Ireland to be up to 20% higher. Recoupling helps lower consumer bills by restoring efficient cross-border trade.
More Efficient Use of Interconnectors: Market coupling links electricity markets across interconnected regions so that prices and power flows are set simultaneously via shared algorithms, allowing electricity to move seamlessly from lower-cost areas to higher-cost ones.
Enhanced Security of Supply: Larger integrated electricity networks make local grid problems easier to manage by enabling immediate energy imports from neighboring systems when a plant trips or demand spikes.
Reduced Reserve Requirements: Operating across a larger, unified grid lowers the total amount of spinning or standby generation reserves needed to maintain stable system performance, since a single plant outage has a smaller relative impact.
Better Integration of Renewable Energy: Greater interconnection prevents the wasteful curtailment of wind and solar farms during high-generation periods, letting regions export surplus green power and maximize environmental and economic returns.
Wind farms could also be built between the two islands with the ability to send electricity where it was needed most.
Would A Combined EU/UK Single Market For Electricity Encourage Cross-Border Energy Projects?
I asked Google AI, the title of this section and received this reply.
A combined EU/UK single market for electricity would significantly encourage cross-border energy projects by removing administrative bottlenecks, optimizing physical infrastructure, and reducing system costs.
Key Ways Integration Encourages Cross-Border Projects
Day-Ahead Market Coupling: Reconnecting Great Britain to the EU’s day-ahead market-coupling system restores automated pan-European optimization for electricity flows. According to the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), integrated trading lets countries seamlessly share generation, storage, and demand-side flexibility, which directly supports investments in new interconnectors.
North Sea Hybrid and Offshore Projects: The UK and EU share massive ambitions for North Sea offshore wind (targeting up to 300 GW by 2050). A unified market framework creates the regulatory alignment, carbon pricing clarity (such as linking the UK and EU Emissions Trading Systems), and long-term investor confidence needed to finance multi-country grid links and hybrid wind projects.
Reduction of System Inefficiencies: Current post-Brexit trading arrangements lead to sub-optimal use of interconnector capacity (roughly 12–14 GW). Reintegration is estimated to eliminate annual system inefficiencies worth £120 million to £370 million, making cross-border commercial cases much stronger for developers.
Context and Trade-Offs
Financial and Political Conditions: Discussions and draft proposals (including reports around potential UK contributions to EU development or regional funds in exchange for access) highlight that market re-entry involves political and financial trade-offs for both sides.
Broader Alignment: Analysts note that while full market coupling lowers wholesale power costs and improves grid balancing, its ultimate success depends on avoiding new non-tariff or carbon-border friction (like unaligned Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms) that could offset green export gains.
It would appear that on balance a combined EU/UK single market for electricity would encourage cross-border projects and would.be beneficial.
Could A Combined EU/UK Single Market For Hydrogen Work?
I asked Google AI, the title of this section and received this reply.
A combined EU/UK single market for hydrogen could work economically and technically, driven by shared resources in the North Sea and complementary supply-and-demand needs, but faces major political and doctrinal hurdles.
Economic and Technical Potential
Shared Infrastructure: Collaborating on North Sea renewable power generation, hydrogen pipelines, and carbon capture and storage (CCUS) can significantly cut project costs and improve financial backing.
Regulatory Alignment: Both the UK and the EU are implementing Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAM) that cover hydrogen imports by 2027 to prevent carbon-leakage. Harmonizing standards avoids expensive compliance duplication.
Supply and Demand at Scale: The EU has set massive renewable hydrogen targets through REPowerEU, while the UK aims to scale its own domestic capacity (though facing domestic policy and delivery delays).
Political and Institutional Obstacles
The “Indivisibility” Doctrine: The European Commission has previously assessed that deep energy market linkages of this nature run counter to the EU’s core doctrine of the indivisibility of the single market.
Red Lines on Bureaucracy: UK policymakers remain cautious about accepting EU oversight or rejoining Brussels regulatory bodies, while EU officials resist allowing the UK to “pick and choose” cherry-picked single-market access outside of full membership.
Current Frameworks: Post-Brexit trade relies on the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which lacks deep, permanent integration for emerging clean-energy sectors, though both sides have signaled intent to hold technical and regulatory exchanges on hydrogen and clean tech.
I feel that if the single market can be made to work for electricity, it can be made to work for hydrogen.
Coire Glas Pumped Storage Hydro Could Support 3,000 UK Jobs And £2bn Of Spending
The title of this this post, is the same as that of this news item from SSE.
These first four paragraphs introduce and summarise the news item.
A new independent economic impact study has found that SSE’s proposed Coire Glas Pumped Storage Hydro project in the Scottish Highlands could support almost 3,000 UK construction jobs at peak, deliver a near £2 billion spending boost with UK businesses, and generate £1.5 billion in UK economic value for the UK, if approved for delivery.
The research, undertaken by BiGGAR Economics, highlights the scale of the jobs and economic opportunity presented by the 1.44GW project, one of Britain’s most advanced pumped storage hydro projects.
BiGGAR Economics estimates Coire Glas would require private capital investment of around £3 billion, equivalent to around two Queensferry Crossings.
Realising the projected benefits for UK businesses, workers and communities now depends on Coire Glas securing an investible outcome through Ofgem’s Long Duration Electricity Storage (LDES) framework.
Note.
- Later the news item refines the construction benefit as 2880 UK construction jobs at peak, deliver a near £1.94 billion spending boost with UK businesses.
- Coire Glas will have an energy storage of at least 45 GWh.
- BiGGAR Economics say that the £3 billion needed to build Coire Glas should be possible to raise privately.
- The last paragraph almost reads like a plea to the government and Ofgem to get a move on, so that the UK can start to feel the benefits of this project.
- There is also no mention on how much Coire Glas will save in avoiding the need to switch off wind farms, when there is too much electricity.
- The avioiding of switching off wind farm and a near £1.94 billion spending boost with UK businesses, must surely add a small percentage to UK economic growth, but it doesn’t seem to be included.
I have a few thoughts.
Could Three Billion Pounds Be Raised Privately To Build Coire Glas Pumped Storage Hydro?
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this section and received this answer.
Raising the £3 billion privately to build the Coire Glas Pumped Storage Hydro project is not happening purely through unbacked private risk; it depends on securing a government-backed revenue guarantee.
Private Capital Requirement: An economic study by BiGGAR Economics for developer SSE Renewables estimates the 1.44GW project will require roughly £3 billion in private capital investment.
The Catch (Ofgem’s LDES Framework): Private investors will not commit this scale of capital on merchant power prices alone due to high upfront costs and long payback periods. Unlocking the private funds requires an investable outcome through Ofgem’s Long Duration Electricity Storage (LDES) cap and floor mechanism.
How the Cap and Floor Works: This government-backed framework guarantees a minimum revenue “floor” (underwritten by energy consumers) to de-risk the investment, while capping extreme upside profits.
Current Status: In June 2026, Ofgem placed Coire Glas on its “Minded-to-Decision” list for potential support, though key commercial and regulatory details are still being negotiated before a final investment decision can be made.
Google AI doesn’t seem very hopeful.
What Is The Cost Of The East Anglia THREE Wind Farm?
I am asking this question, as East Anglia THREE is an energy project of a few millions, that is nearing completion.
I asked Google AI and received this answer.
The total estimated cost of the East Anglia THREE offshore wind farm is €5.2 billion (approximately £4 billion to £4.4 billion, or around $4.8 billion).
Key Financial & Project Details:
Total Cost: €5.2 billion
Project Financing: Secured around £3.5 billion to £3.6 billion (€4.1 billion) in green project financing backed by a group of international banks and export credit agencies (such as Denmark’s EIFO).
Ownership: Co-owned 50/50 by Masdar and Iberdrola (through ScottishPower Renewables).
Capacity & Scale: 1,400 MW (1.4 GW) capacity featuring 95 turbines, designed to power roughly 1.3 million homes.
Timeline: Scheduled for full operation in late 2026.
Note.
- East Anglia THREE and Coire Glas are both projects of a few billions.
- Coire Glas is scheduled to be completed in 2033 according to Google AI.
- East Anglia THREE appears to have been successfully financed.
- Coire Glas is the first pumped storage hydro to be financed in the UK for some years.
- Have similar systems been financed in other countries?
What this financing needs is an innovative bank manager or a Sheikh with loadsamoney.
I used to know one of the former and he took a risk with us, when we were developing Artemis.
Sadly, he’s now helping God with his finances.
Is More Energy Storage Needed Urgently In The Highlands?
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this section and received this answer.
Yes, more energy storage is urgently needed at a national level to balance intermittent renewable generation like wind, though the pace, scale, and local impact of these developments are heavily contested by Highland communities.
The Need for Energy Storage
Grid Balancing: The UK needs massive increases in long-duration energy storage (LDES)—such as pumped storage hydro (PSH) and battery energy storage systems (BESS)—to store excess renewable power and release it during high demand.
National Targets: Expanding storage capacity is viewed as essential for meeting net-zero goals, cutting reliance on gas, and avoiding expensive grid upgrades. Major projects like SSE’s Coire Glas (1.44GW) and Glen Earrach have moved forward through planning and regulatory stages.
Local Concerns and Opposition
“Under Siege” Sentiment: More than 50 Highland community councils have demanded a pause on major energy infrastructure projects, arguing that the region is absorbing a disproportionate share of wind farms, transmission lines, and storage sites without a coherent overall strategy.
Fuel Poverty vs. Local Export: While the Highlands generate far more electricity than they consume, local residents face some of the highest fuel poverty rates and electricity costs in the UK.
Economic and Visual Impact: Local MPs and councils warn that large-scale construction projects often bring temporary workers housed in modular camps rather than permanent local jobs or legacy housing, while threatening the landscape central to the region’s tourism economy. Critics also push for stronger legally mandated community benefit packages rather than voluntary guidelines.
It seems to me, that there is a need for some intelligent management of the construction of energy projects in the Highlands.
What Is The Potential Capacity Of Wind Farms In The Atlantic To The West Of Ireland?
In Is This Healey’s Magic Money Tree?, I published this map of the EEZ of the UK and those of neighbouring coastal states.
Note.
- The European part of the UK EEZ is shown in bright blue.
- Google AI gives its size as 766,309 square kilometres.
- The Irish EEZ is labelled IE, and surrounds the island of Ireland.
- Google AI gives its size as 880,000 square kilometres.
- Much of the European part of the UK and Irish EEZs stretch a full 200 nautical miles from the coast.
- The German EEZ is indicated by DE.
- Google AI gives its size as 32,982 square kilometres.
- The European part of the UK EEZ is 23 times the size of the whole of the German EEZ, which includes a small part in the Baltic Sea
- The Irish EEZ is 27 times the size of the whole of the German EEZ.
Just like the UK, the Irish seemed to have been very lucky, when the EEZs were drawn.
What Is Google AI’s Estimate Of The Potential Capacity In The Atlantic To The West Of Ireland?
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this post and received this answer.
The potential capacity of floating offshore wind (FLOW) farms in the Atlantic Ocean to the west of Ireland ranges from at least 30 gigawatts (GW) under official government long-term goals to roughly 197 GW to 600 GW in technical and scientific assessments.
Key Capacity Estimates for the Atlantic / West Coast:
Official Long-Term Policy Target: The Irish government’s Programme for Government aims to tap into at least 30 GW of offshore floating wind power off the Atlantic coast by 2050.
Scientific & Technical Potential (Regional): Studies examining floating offshore wind deployment in designated areas of Irish waters (spanning over 58,000 km²) estimate a total capacity of 197 GW, with about 80% concentrated in water depths of 60 to 200 meters.
Broader Atlantic / Exclusive Economic Zone Ceiling: Theoretical and high-ambition studies suggest the vast Atlantic marine area possesses an upper technical bound reaching up to 600 GW (with long-term high-ambition scenarios exploring around 150 GW by 2075).
Why the West Coast Has High Potential
Stronger Winds: Wind speeds of 9 to 11 meters per second at typical hub heights yield high capacity factors of 50% to 60%, significantly outperforming typical North Sea sites (35% to 45%).
Floating Technology (FLOW): Because waters off the Atlantic west coast are deep, development relies on floating wind platforms rather than fixed-bottom turbines.
Detailed analysis and context on these projections can be explored via the The Irish Atlantic Energy Vision Report and technical evaluations hosted by IEEE Xplore.
These really are capacities with extreme potentials.
Are There Any Personal Reasons, Why Meloni Started Testing All Children For Coeliac Disease And Type One Diabetes?
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this post and received this reply.
While Italy’s historic mass screening program was passed during Giorgia Meloni’s administration, there are no documented personal health reasons involving Meloni herself that triggered the initiative. Instead, the narrative surrounding the policy focuses on medical research, high hidden prevalence rates, and a different prominent politician.
The primary drivers behind the policy include:
The Actual Promoter: The landmark Law 130/2023 was championed and introduced by Giorgio Mulè, the Vice-President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies. While Meloni’s broader right-wing coalition government supported and enacted the legislation, Mulè was the core political force and promoter driving it through parliament.
Alarming Research Data: The law was heavily motivated by medical studies—specifically a trial led by Professor Elena Lionetti. It revealed that coeliac disease prevalence had doubled in Italy over 25 years, and an estimated 60% of cases in children were completely undiagnosed because they were asymptomatic or presented classic symptoms poorly.
Preventative Healthcare Goals: The government backed the program to reduce critical health complications. Early screening for type 1 diabetes is proven to cut severe cases of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) by 50%. Catching coeliac disease early protects children from long-term consequences like growth delays, iron deficiency, and osteoporosis.
Ultimately, the testing mandate stems from Italy’s status as a world leader in coeliac awareness and a calculated public health shift toward secondary disease prevention.
The law doesn’t seem to have been very controversial.