Is Sumitomo Heavy Industries Highview Power Energy Storage System On line At Hiroshima?
From some work I did at ICI in the 1970s, I believe that Highview Power may have an extremely promising way of storing energy.
The Highview Power web site talks of Sumitomo Heavy Industries, who are building one of Highview’s batteries at Hiroshima in Japan.
So I asked Google AI the question in the title of this post and received this comprehensive answer.
Yes, the Sumitomo Heavy Industries (SHI) Highview Power liquid air energy storage (LAES) commercial demonstration plant in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima, is operational, having commenced operations on December 1, 2025.
- It looks like the battery has a capacity of 4 MW/20 MWh.
- As it talks about using waste cold, this looks to be a very professionally-designed specialist application.
- But surely, that would be expected from a company like Sumitomo Heavy Industries.
Polanski And Farage Don’t Agree. But They Have More In Common Than You Might Think
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC, by Laura Kuenssberg.
It is very much a must read article comparing two of the most controversial party leaders in the UK.
This is the sub-heading.
One is a former stockbroker from the south who, by his own proud admission, loves smoking, drinking and women. The other’s a proud vegan, gay, northern former actor, who told me he’d never drunk a drop.
These first three paragraphs add detail to the story.
But the jubilant Zack Polanski and Nigel Farage have rather a lot in common.
Before you scream, burst out laughing, or think I have lost my marbles, of course, there are very big differences between them.
The Greens talk about a climate emergency. Reform UK calls the government green plans, “net stupid zero”.
This is Laura’s summing up of the Terrible Twins.
Their views on the cause of Britain’s pain vary wildly.
The Greens might point the finger at the super-rich, the “donor billionaires” they often cite. Reform often blames immigration, which they controversially characterise as an “invasion” of people arriving in the UK without permission.
But both parties feed off and stir up sentiment that’s felt by lots of the public: that Britain doesn’t work any more.
Whether it’s the new Green MP saying “working hard used to get you something” in her victory speech, or Nigel Farage repeatedly telling us “Britain is broken”, the same argument flows from both: that the country is in such a dreadful state that only new political saviours can fix it.
And both Reform and the Greens are willing to push the conventions of what traditional UK politicians would find acceptable – or what they believe would make them electable.
That’s not just about their image or the unstuffy ways they court publicity – Nigel Farage willingly going into the I’m A Celebrity jungle, or Zack Polanski being seen on a dance floor in campaign videos – but how they choose to focus on sensitive issues, where others might not choose to tread.
I would disagree that Britain is broken, but that it needs someone with sensible policies that everybody can get behind.
The Greens policies on the super-rich would drive anybody with ambition and money from this country and already countries like Canada are advertising for migrants.
With two immigrant lines, Farage is everything my father thought was bad about Oswald Mosley and his fascists in the 1930s. If a Reform UK Government started rounding up illegal immigrants on the streets, the violence would probable be enormous.
How Much Renewable Energy Will The UK Be Generating By 2030?
I have to admit, that whether you like the Tories or not, they have developed an energy generation policy and an energy relationship with Germany, that appears to be working and is allowing the current Government to do a bit of spending on defence and other needs.
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this reply.
The UK government has set an ambitious target to reach 95% low-carbon electricity generation by 2030, aiming for a system driven by 43-50 GW of offshore wind, 27-29 GW of onshore wind, and 45-47 GW of solar power. This plan aims to dramatically reduce fossil fuel reliance, supported by 23-27 GW of battery capacity.
Key 2030 Renewable Energy Projections & Targets:
Total Clean Power Goal: The goal is 95% of electricity from low-carbon sources (renewables and nuclear) by 2030, up from roughly 74% in 2024.
Offshore Wind: Target of 43-50 GW, deemed crucial to powering the grid.
Onshore Wind: Target of 27-29 GW, with recent policy changes lifting bans to accelerate development.
Solar Power: Target of 45-47 GW, aiming to triple current capacity.
Flexibility: 23-27 GW of battery capacity and 4-6 GW of long-duration storage are needed to manage intermittency.
Challenges and Forecasts:
Shortfall Risks: While the government target is high, some projections suggest wind and solar may only account for 44% of generation by 2030, requiring significant acceleration to reach the 95% clean goal.
Investment Needs: Achieving these goals requires an estimated £48 billion in additional investment, on top of planned projects.
Progress: In 2024, renewable sources already hit a record of over 50% in certain quarters, with low-carbon sources overall (including nuclear) providing nearly 70% of generation.
My Thoughts
I will add some of my thoughts.
Electricity Demand: As I write, according to National Grid: Live it is 33.3 GW, which is met by with Production of 27.1 GW and Transfers of 6.2 GW.
Electricity Production: In 2030, I believe that if the UK has long-term battery capacity of something like 4 GW/40 GWh, that total UK electricity production could be upwards of 125 GW.
Hinckley Point C Power Station: This should add 1.6 GW in 2030 and 2031 to further boost UK electricity production.
Pumped Storage Hydro: In How Much Pumped Storage Hydro Will Be Operational In The UK By 2030?, I estimate that the Bank of England standard of energy storage, will add 5 GW of electricity production.
Highview Power: Highview Power are developing long duration liquid-air energy storage and have identified locations for sixteen 300 MW/3.2 GWh monsters.
Excess Electricity Production: This will be exported, either as electricity or after conversion to hydrogen. It will be a Magic Money Forest for the victor of the General Election in 2029.
If Hinckley Point C, the pumped storage hydro and Highview Power’s batteries work as their engineers hope, then the result of the next General Election will be predictable.
It is certainly, Kier Starmer’s to win, by getting the energy right!
Highview Power And The 2029 General Election
Every extra GWh added to energy storage has the following affect.
It will mean that more wind farms will not have to be switched in times of high wind and over production, as the electricity can be stored.
At the present time, there are four ways of storing energy.
- Turn it into hydrogen. But the Hindenberg did a good PR job for not using hydrogen.
- Store it in a pumped storage hydro system, but these have problems with their large land use.
- Store it in a large lithium battery, but these have problems with fire risks and need a large amount of expensive lithium.
- Store it in one of Highview Power’s liquid air batteries.
I believe that Highview Power’s liquid-air long duration batteries, have several advantages.
- They are built from readily available components.
- They can be scaled to the need at the location, where they are installed.
- A small one is 50 MW/300 MWh and a large one is 300 MW/3.2 GWh.
- The batteries come with grid stabilisation and other features.
- The batteries have a lifespan of greater than 50 years
- The energy storage fluid, is captured from the air.
- They are a product, that would be easy to finance in quantity.
- Goldman Sachs is an investor.
- A village with a power problem could fund a Highview Power battery and have a nice little earner, with perhaps a wind turbine on a nearby hill.
- Centrica is an investor.
If a politician were to understand it, it could wind them the next General Election.
How Much Pumped Storage Hydro Will Be Operational In The UK By 2030?
Pumped Storage Hydro is the Bank of England-standard for energy storage.
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this post and received this answer.
The UK currently has approximately 3 GW (roughly 26-28 GWh) of operational pumped storage hydro (PSH) capacity. By 2030, this capacity is expected to increase, driven by new projects in the pipeline that aim to meet a government goal of up to 8 GW of long-duration energy storage by that year.
Key Projects Expected Online by 2030-2031:
Coire Glas (SSE): A major project in Scotland with a planned capacity of 1.3 GW / 30 GWh, expected to be operational around 2030–31.
Cruachan Expansion (Drax): A 600MW plant in Scotland that has received approval, with construction expected to contribute to the 2030 goal.
Glenmuckloch: Projected to be operational by 2029. In
Other Developments:
Total Pipeline: Developers have identified up to 10 GW of potential projects in the Scottish Highlands and Wales, though not all will be operational by 2030.
Future Growth: The total installed capacity of PSH is expected to grow significantly, with one projection suggesting a rise from 26.7 GWh currently to over 122 GWh by 2034.
To support these projects, the UK government has confirmed a “cap and floor” investment framework to stimulate development of long-duration energy storage (LDES).
For a relatively small island we do seem to be an ideal place to develop pumped storage hydro!
The Coire Glas Pumped Storage Scheme
In The Coire Glas Pumped Storage Scheme, I give more details of this scheme.
The Glenmuckloch Pumped Storage Scheme
In The Glenmuckloch Pumped Storage Scheme, I give more details of this scheme, which is based on a disused open cast coal mine.
Addition Of Pumped Storage Hydro By 2030
This looks to be around 5 GW, but it is just a foretaste of the shape of things to come!
Could The Settle And Carlisle Be Used As A More Formal Route?
In June 2021, I wrote Through Settle And Carlisle Service Under Consideration, which starts like this.
The title of this post, is the same as that of an article in the June 2021 Edition of Modern Railways.
This is the first paragraph.
Plans for a new Leeds to Glasgow through service via the Settle and Carlisle line are being developed, with CrossCountry and the Department for Transport starting to look at the possible scheme.
It sounds like a sensible idea to me.
The article also suggests the following.
- CrossCountry is a possible operator.
- CrossCountry are keen to improve services between Leeds and Glasgow
- The trains could be InterCity 125s, freed up, by a the arrival of Class 221 trains from Avanti West Coast, when they receive their new Class 805 trains.
- Maintenance of the trains wouldn’t be a problem, as this could be done at Neville Hill in Leeds or Craigentinny in Edinburgh.
- Services could start in December 2023.
But nothing more has been heard.
However some things have happened.
The Settle And Carlisle Has Become A Popular Charter Route
Google AI gave me this paragraph.
The Settle and Carlisle line is an extremely popular, premier route for heritage rail charters, steam excursions, and luxury rail tours in the UK, often operating at full capacity. Renowned for its scenic 72-mile journey through the Yorkshire Dales and Pennines, it features iconic structures like the Ribblehead Viaduct.
I have also written these posts about charters on the Settle and Carlisle Line.
Scheduled Steam-Hauled Services For the Settle And Carlisle Railway
Rail Operator Crosses Line For First Time In Years
‘Staycation Express’ To Return Along Full Length of S & C
It doesn’t appear that the numbers of charter trains are showing any sign of decrease.
LNER Has Ordered Class 897 Trains
When LNER took over the East Coast Main Line services, they had six main classes of trains.
- Five-car Class 800/1 bi-mode trains
- Nine-car Class 800/2 bi-mode trains
- Five-car Class 801/1 electric trains
- Nine-car Class 801/2 electric trains
- Seven-car InterCity225 trains
- Nine-car InterCity225 trains
Note.
- The five-car trains can run in pairs as ten-car trains.
- The Class 800 and Class 801 trains can run to destinations, that lack full electrification using diesel power where needed.
- Hitachi are developing battery-power for rail routes without electrification.
In 2023 to replace the InterCity225 trains ten ten-car Class 897 tri-mode trains were ordered from CAF, which will soon be in service, over all LNER’s network.
LNER Has Fully Electrified And Unelectrified Destinations
LNER’s current destinations, that are fully electrified to King’s Cross include.
- Bradford Forster Square
- Berwick on Tweed
- Darlington
- Doncaster
- Durham
- Edinburgh Haymarket
- Edinburgh Waverley
- Grantham
- Keithly
- Leeds
- Newark Northgate
- Newcastle
- Peterborough
- Retford
- Shipley
- Skipton
- Stevenage
- Wakefield Westgate
- York
Whilst those are not fully electrified include.
- Aberdeen
- Cleethorpes
- Dundee
- Grimsby Town
- Harrogate
- Huddersfield
- Horsforth
- Hull
- Inverness
- Lincoln
- Middlesbrough
- Sheffield
- Sunderland
- Thornaby
- Worksop
Note.
- Other destinations can be added as required.
- I suspect, that Class 897 trains will be able to approach many stations without electrification on battery power alone.
- Staff and Passengers would probably like underground stations like Sunderland to be worked on batteries alone.
The Class 800 bi-mode, the Class 801 electric and the Class 897 tri-mode trains will give LNER a very flexible fleet.
Onward To Skipton, Carlisle and Glasgow Central And Edinburgh From Bradford Forster Square
I wonder is someone has realised that the Class 897 trains could use their tri-mode capabilities to invade Scotland.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the railways between the Scottish Lowlands and northern England.
Note.
- Red tracks are electrified.
- Black tracks are not.
- The blue arrow in the middle of the map indicates Carlisle.
- The red track going North-South through Carlisle is the West Coast Main Line.
- The black track going South from Carlisle is the Settle and Carlisle Line.
- Where it turns red is at Skipton station and the electrification can power the train to Bradford Foster Square, Leeds or Sheffield stations.
- The West Coast Main Line splits North of Carlisle and electrified trains can reach either Glasgow Central in the West or Edinburgh Haymarket or Waverley in the East.
It certainly makes Anglo-Scottish routes more robust and flexible when there is bad weather, engineering works or overhead wire or signalling failures.
Can The Settle And Carlisle Line Handle The Caledonian Sleeper?
I asked Google AI this question and it gave this answer.
The Settle-Carlisle line is not a standard route for the Caledonian Sleeper, which typically travels via the West Coast Main Line (WCML) to Edinburgh, Glasgow, and beyond. While the line is a scenic, double-track route with significant infrastructure, it is generally used for local services and freight, not long-distance, heavy sleeper trains.
Key Considerations:
Route: The Caledonian Sleeper operates on the West Coast Main Line, serving destinations like Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness, and Fort William.
Capacity & Infrastructure: While the Settle-Carlisle line has major structures like the Ribblehead Viaduct, it is not the primary route for high-speed or overnight sleeper services.
Operational Normal: The sleeper service splits into portions at Edinburgh, and does not regularly operate via the Settle-Carlisle line.
In short, the Settle-Carlisle line is not designed for or used by the Caledonian Sleeper, which operates via the West Coast Main Line.
But it does appear, that in the past some sleeper trains have used it.
How Many Freight Trains Use the Settle And Carlisle Line In A Typical Day?
This article on the BBC is entitled Settle To Carlisle line: Shortage of trains ‘Hampering Growth’, says this about the number of trains.
From only two trains a day in the 1980s the Settle and Carlisle line now sees 14 passenger and 18 freight services a day.
That is progress!
Does Lack Of B12 Cause Scurf In Your Hair?
I asked Google AI this question and received this answer.
Yes, a deficiency in Vitamin B12 can contribute to poor scalp and hair health, which may manifest as scurf (dandruff/dry skin flakes) or dry, brittle hair.
While B12 is best known for its role in preventing hair loss and thinning, it plays a critical role in maintaining scalp moisture and health.
Here is how a lack of B12 can affect your hair and scalp:
Dryness and Flaking (Scurf): A deficiency can cause your hair and scalp to become dry, brittle, and flaky.
Hair Shedding: A lack of B12 can cause diffuse hair shedding or thinning, particularly because hair follicles are starved of nutrients when red blood cell production is impaired.
Premature Graying: Low B12 levels are also linked to premature whitening or graying of hair
I’ve certainly suffered from scurf at periods in my life.
Bid To Create UK’s First Regional Hydrogen Network
The title of this post is the same as this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading
Four energy companies are working together to bid for government funding to develop the UK’s first regional hydrogen transport and storage network.
This two paragraphs add more details to the article.
National Gas, Centrica, Equinor and SSE Thermal aim to secure about £500m of funding to develop the network, which will connect sites across the Humber region.
“This is a competitive process that will determine where the UK’s first integrated hydrogen network is built,” a spokesperson for the four companies said.
Note.
- There are already several hydrogen projects in the area including Aldbrough Hydrogen Storage, H2H Saltend, and Ferrybridge and Keadby Next Generation Power Stations.
- The local MPs seem in favour.
- In Could Doncaster Sheffield Airport Become A Hydrogen Airport?, I laid out my reasons, why Doncaster Sheffield Airport could become a hydrogen airport.
I can see this hydrogen cluster having a big future.
A First Look At SEGRO Logistics Park Radlett – 26th February 2026
The site of SEGRO Logistics Park Radlett can really only be seen from a train on the Midland Main Line going between Radlett and St Albans City stations.
I took these pictures from a Thameslink train going North.
I took these pictures from a Thameslink train going South.
Note.
- Most of the work at present is site clearance and landscaping.
- The Midland Main Line crossed over the M25 and goes under A414.
- Veralum Golf Course is on your left as you approach St Albans.
The Logistics Park is going to cover a large area.
I shall be following this project regularly.
New Baltic Sea Interconnector On Horizon As Lithuania, Latvia, and Germany Plan Cross-Border Link
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Lithuania, Latvia, and Germany are planning a joint offshore interconnector that would enable electricity trading between the Baltic countries and Germany and allow for the integration of up to 2 GW of offshore wind capacity in Lithuania and Latvia
These first two paragraphs add more detail to the article.
The energy ministers of the three countries signed a joint declaration of intent on 18 February, paving the way for the development of the Baltic-German PowerLink interconnector, which would, in addition to electricity trading and offshore wind capacity integration, also enable the expansion of onshore renewable energy capacity.
The Lithuanian, Latvian, and German transmission system operators (TSOs) – Litgrid, Augstsprieguma tīkls and 50Hertz – agreed to assess the feasibility of the hybrid electricity interconnection.
As Germany, has the following connections under development in the West.
- AquaVentus to Aberdeen, Humberside, Denmark, Norway and The Netherlands.
- NeuConnect to the Isle of Grain In England.
- GriffinLink, which is an offshore link to England.
The Germans seem to be putting themselves at the centre of an energy distribution system, that has the capability to stabilise European and UK electricity for thousands of years. Especially, if the network grows to include more countries.
This paragraph says this about the Baltic-German PowerLink project.
The Baltic-German PowerLink project concept developed by Litgrid, Augstsprieguma tīkls, and 50Hertz includes a 2 GW, approximately 600 kilometres long hybrid offshore connection, with the connection point in the Baltic States planned to be on the border between Lithuania and Latvia. The exact location is to be determined after technical studies.
Note.
- The interconnectors may be long, but they are not longer than anything built successfully before in European waters.
- The UK and the Island of Ireland are well-linked.
- There would appear to be no need for challenging projects like the Morocco-UK Power Project
I suspect that Germany will get the energy it needs and the British Isles will get a nice little earner.
If Europe is generating large amounts of wind and solar energy with its variable output it will need lots of energy storage.
What Countries Have The Terrain For Pumped Storage Hydro In Europe?
I asked Google AI and received this answer.
Key countries with ideal, high-elevation terrain and significant existing or planned capacity include:
Alpine Region (The Heart of European Pumped Storage):
Switzerland: Extremely high capacity due to steep, mountainous landscapes and significant water sources, hosting the world’s oldest working pumped storage plant.
Austria: Heavily mountainous, it is a major player in PSH expansion and modernization.
France: Home to one of Europe’s largest, the Grand Maison hydroelectric power station.
Italy: Holds high capacity with numerous planned projects.
Germany: Strong existing infrastructure.
Southern Europe:
Spain: Features some of Europe’s largest plants (e.g., La Muela/Cortes-La Muela).
Portugal: Significant recent investment in large-scale projects like the Tâmega complex.
Other Potential Areas:
Norway: High potential due to its mountainous, water-rich terrain.
United Kingdom: High project volume currently under construction.
Balkans & Central Europe:
Countries like Bulgaria, Romania, and the Czech Republic have suitable terrain for further development.
These countries benefit from significant hydraulic head (steep drop) and natural or artificial reservoir potential, making them ideal for storing energy for peak consumption hours.
Note.
- As expected, the Alpine region is Top of the League.
- The UK is holding its own despite its small mountains.
- There is a lot of potential to be developed.
But then Electric Mountain in Snowdonia is certainly at the top table of pumped storage systems despite being built in the 1980s.
What Countries Have The Terrain For Hydrogen Storage In Europe?
I asked Google AI and received this answer.
Key European countries with suitable geological terrain—specifically salt caverns and depleted gas fields—for large-scale, underground hydrogen storage include Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and France. Other significant regions for storage potential include Spain, Hungary, and Austria, which are developing porous storage facilities.
Key Regions & Terrain Types:
Salt Caverns (North-Western Europe): Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, and the UK have substantial salt deposits suitable for creating caverns, identified as cost-efficient for large-scale storage.
Depleted Gas Fields (Porous Rock): The Netherlands, Germany, and parts of Central/Southern Europe (Spain, Hungary) have significant capacity in existing porous storage, particularly in the North Sea region.
Specific Projects: Germany (Uniper’s Krummhörn project), Netherlands (HyStock), and France (HYPSTER at Etrez) are active, with Spain and Denmark emerging as major hydrogen hubs.
Capacity Potential: The Netherlands, for instance, holds massive potential (35-60 TWh) due to its offshore and onshore depleted fields.
Salt cavern projects, which offer high-deliverability storage, are heavily concentrated in the North-Western European industrial corridor.
I was lucky enough have a tour of ICI’s salt mine in Cheshire, when I worked there in the 1960s and I remember these facts from those days.
- There was enough salt in the ground under Cheshire to last several thousand years.
- Most salt was extracted from boreholes, for making chlorine using electrolysis and the Castner-Kellner process.
- Hydrogen was a by-product and much of it was mixed with coal gas to raise steam for the works.
The same technique used to make boreholes to extract the salt, is used to hollow caverns in the salt to store gases like hydrogen.
Once, when they were digging salt out of the salt mine at Winsford, a worker broke into an unmarked borehole and ICI nearly lost the mine because of the water rushing in.
Two stories stand out from the rescue of the mine.
- There was a need for dry clothes for all the workers, so ICI took a truck to Marks & Spencer in Northwich and emptied it of anything they might need. I was told the story enriched with plagues of locusts.
- A Ford Transit was found to have travelled a few thousand miles underground in axle deep salt slurry. Rather, than scrap it and buy another, it was offered back to Ford, who were delighted to swap it for a new one. I heard that Ford said, that the accelerated corrosion research would have taken many years, if done on the roads.
Always think out of the box.
To Sheffield In An East Midlands Railway Class 810 Train
I took these pictures on the journey.
Note.
- Five-car Class 222 And Class 810 trains Have similar lengths, so they can share platforms at St. Pancras – Nice Thinking!
- The Trainspotters will be able to see East Midlands Railway, Eurostar and Southeastern Highspeed.
- The Wymington Deviation was a Victorian fix for a steep gradient. I suspect all trains like it.
- Leicester, Loughborough, East Midlands Parkway and Long Eaton stations are quite close together.
Global Investor Joining RWE On Two Norfolk Vanguard Offshore Wind Projects, FID Expected in Summer
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Global investment firm KKR and RWE have signed an agreement under which KKR acquire a 50 per cent stake in each of RWE’s Norfolk Vanguard East and Norfolk Vanguard West offshore wind projects, totalling 3.1 GW in installed capacity. The wind farms were just awarded Contracts for Difference (CfDs) in the UK’s seventh CfD allocation round (AR7).
These three paragraphs add a few more details.
The two Norfolk Vanguard projects, which RWE bought from Vattenfall in March 2024, have already secured seabed rights, grid connections, development consent orders (DCOs) and all other key permits.
On 14 January, RWE said it launched the process to raise non-recourse project finance debt for the projects and that it expects the closing of the partnership transaction and the project financing, as well as the final investment decision (FID), in the summer of 2026.
Located 50 to 80 kilometres off the coast of Norfolk, the two offshore wind farms are planned to be commissioned in 2029 (Norfolk Vanguard West) and 2030 (Norfolk Vanguard East).
RWE do seem to be lining up everything ready for that final investment decision in the summer of 2026.
- I suspect that with KKR on board, that they have got the money ready and I wouldn’t be surprised to see these two projects quickly progress to a completion.
- I also think it was significant that we have Goldman Sachs involved in Highview Power, who may have a solution to affordable energy storage and now we have KKR getting involved with one of the most professional offshore wind power developers in the world.
- Are Goldman Sachs and KKR placing bets against Trump’s anti wind power stance?
The Germans will certainly need a lot of energy and British offshore wind power, would appear the only place, where it is available easily in quantity to the Germans.
I await the next few months with a lot of interest.
The Anonymous Widower 