RWE To Build Large-Scale Storage At Hambach Mine
The title of this post is the same as that of this press release from RWE.
These four bullet points act as sub-headings.
- 236 megawatts capacity and 470 megawatt-hours storage capacity
- First battery containers have been delivered; commissioning is planned for 2027
- Large-scale storage system balances fluctuations in the electricity grid in fractions of a second
- RWE currently constructing around 1.7 Gigawatts of battery storage capacity in Germany
This first paragraph gives some more details.
RWE is continuing to expand its battery storage portfolio and is constructing a new large-scale storage facility on the site of the Hambach opencast mine. The battery storage facility is being built near the village of Niederzier in the district of Düren. Preparatory work on a three-hectare site began at the end of 2025. The first of a total of 128 lithium-ion battery containers have already been delivered. The large-scale storage facility will have a capacity of 236 megawatts (MW) and a storage capacity of 470 megawatt-hours (MWh). The facility is scheduled to come on stream in 2027.
Note.
- According to the Wikipedia entry for the Hambach opencast mine, it was used to mine lignite or brown coal.
- The battery will be a two-hour battery.
- The site was originally the Hambach Forest, of which only ten percent remains, as the rest has been cut down because of the mining.
- The pit is 500 metres deep.
- Full cessation of lignite mining planned by 2030 as part of Germany’s coal phase-out.
The site is being gradually transformed into a reclaimed landscape, including the future Hambach lake.
It is well-worth reading the whole Wikipedia entry for the Hambach opencast mine.
Is The Testing Of All Babies In Italy For Coeliac Disease And Type 1 Diabetes Having Any Effects?
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this post and received this reply.
Italy’s law (Law 130/2023) targets children aged 1 to 17 rather than newborns. Pilot screening programs (like D1Ce Screen) show major positive effects: they successfully catch hidden cases early—finding coeliac antibodies in nearly 3% of children and type 1 diabetes markers in 0.8%—which dramatically cuts down dangerous emergency complications like severe diabetic ketoacidosis at diagnosis.
Key Findings and Effects
Early Detection: Finds silent or pre-symptomatic cases that standard symptom-based testing misses.
Reduced Complications: Lowers severe diabetic ketoacidosis rates by up to 50% when type 1 diabetes is caught early.
High Prevalence Insights: Pilot data show coeliac markers reach nearly 2.8–2.9% in children, higher than previous global estimates.
Healthcare Feasibility: Proves that capillary blood collection through primary care pediatricians is organized and practical on a national scale.
The testing appears to be successful in Italy.
Refurbished Routemasters Return To Service In London
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Wrightbus.
This is the sub-heading.
A fleet of iconic Routemaster buses is returning to London’s streets following a comprehensive mid-life refurbishment programme delivered by Wrightbus’s repair and refurbishment division.
These three paragraphs add more detail.
The latest vehicle to complete the programme – LT706 – has emerged from a full refit at RGI Bus & Coach Refurbishment Limited, which was acquired by Wrightbus two years ago, before returning to service from Transport UK London’s Walworth Garage.
It is the ninth of 40 Routemasters allocated to Walworth-based Routes 3 and 68 to complete the programme, with the remaining vehicles due to be refurbished over the next 12 months. Among those already refurbished is the LT1000 – the last ever production New Routemaster – which is now back at the theTransport UK Twickenham Depot.
Designed to extend the operational life of the fleet, the programme sees each vehicle undergo a comprehensive survey before key components are repaired or replaced, returning the buses to an ‘as new’ condition for the next phase of their service.
This afternoon, I went to Euston and took a 68 bus halfway across London.
These are some of the pictures I took of LT703.
Note.
- An image of LT703 after refurbishment appears in the Wrightbus news item.
- I was unable to take pictures inside the bus, as it was too crowded.
- To my untrained eyes, it looked to be a thorough refurbishment.
- From what I heard, it sounded like the bus still had the same diesel power unit from Cummins.
I’d picked up the 68 bus from stop E at Euston, which is at the Eastern end of the Euston bus station.
I have a few questions about the refurbishment.
Will All Thousand Buses Be Brought Up To This Standard?
Coming home this morning, I rode in LT833 on route 38, which had also been refurbished.
The refurbishment seems to have added extra internal signs.
Could New Routemasters Still Be Running In The 2050s?
When you look at the trains on UK railways, there are a few InterCity 225 trains still running in regular service between London Kings Cross and Leeds.
- They were built between 1988 and 1991.
- So some could be only a couple of years short of their fortieth birthdays.
- The New Routemasters were built between 2011 and 2017.
If the New Routemasters can last as long of the trains with the right tender loving care, then they could still be running in the 2050s.
Could New Routemasters Be Converted To Battery-Electric Operation?
Consider.
- The current refurbishment program could give London and its bus passengers, a thousand as-new buses.
- These buses would give a breathing space before new buses need to be delivered.
- Bus passengers I speak to prefer New Routemasters to some of the Chinese electric buses coming into service.
- Hitachi have told me, that batteries will deliver more power for the kilogram in future years.
- Metroline are testing LT11, which has been converted to battery-electric power.
This section in the Wikipedia entry for the New Routemaster is entitled Mid-Life Developments, where this is said about LT11.
At the Euro Bus Expo in November 2022, Norfolk-based electric vehicle manufacturer Equipmake unveiled the first electric vehicle conversion for the New Routemaster, with Metroline-operated vehicle LT11 on display at the event with its hybrid propulsion system having been removed and replaced by Equipmake fully-electric motors and a 400 kWh battery.[106] The Equipmake New Routemaster electrification programme may allow the New Routemaster fleet to have a longer service life in London, as conversion of these vehicles to fully-electric will provide a cheaper alternative to purchasing replacement brand new electric buses.
There is a YouTube video of the bus in Equipmake Hybrid To Battery Powered LT11.
The interior looked very much like the interiors of LT703 and LT833.
Could New Routemasters Be Converted To Hydrogen-Electric Operation?
New Routemasters are powered by an Cummins diesel engine, from the same family as those that power the Dodge RAM Pickup.
In Could London’s New Routemaster Buses Be Converted To Hydrogen Power?, I looked at converting New Routemasters to hydrogen power.
This was my conclusion.
I believe from my knowledge of Cummins and the way they work, that they will come up with a hydrogen-based solution, that will replace the Cummins diesel in these buses with a zero-carbon engine.
If Cummins don’t then someone else will.
Whoever solves the problem of converting London’s new Routemasters to hydrogen will have one of the best adverts for their product, there has ever been.
After converting London’s thousand Routemasters, the engineers could move on to anything powered by a Cummins engine.
That conclusion would also apply to an electric conversion.
Okehampton Interchange Station Opens
Okehampton Interchange station was officially opened yesterday.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the station.
Note.
- Okehampton is to the West.
- There is a single 100 metre long platform on the North side of the single-track Dartmoor Line.
- I suspect, that by using selective door opening, a five-car Class 800/1/2 train could serve the station.
- There is a bridge with lifts between the platform and the car-park.
- It appears there is a drop-off point on the North side of the station.
I have a few thoughts on the design.
Could A Second Track And Platform Be Added?
It would obviously depend on passenger numbers and how they used the station, but it does look as if the station has left space for a second track and platform.
The lifts, that would be needed to cross the tracks have already been installed.
It looks like the station has been designed with this possibility in mind.
Will Any Local Buses Serve Okehampton Interchange Station?
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this reply.
New timetables are due 30th August 2026.
118 Tavistock to Okehampton service will be the only bus to connect to the new station, all the other buses currently serving the old station will continue to do so.
That seems to be sensible.
Could Okehampton Interchange Station Be Used As The Eastern End Of An Alternative Route To Cornwall?
This paragraph has been taken from the Wikipedia entry for Dawlish station.
After a major storm in 2014 washed out the track bed and made an 80-metre (260 ft) breach in the sea wall north of the station, plans were developed to reinforce and replace the sea wall around the station area. This work, which was expected to cost £80 million, started in 2020[10] and was largely completed in late summer 2022. During this time, the sea wall walkway was raised to platform level and both platforms were resurfaced. The platform lighting was also improved. An accessible footbridge, built to replace the previous at-grade crossing for passengers who can’t use stairs, opened on 15 March 2024.
The seas along the coast can be ferocious and it would be unwise to say that another major storm will never wash the railway away again.
An in any case, the line to Cornwall will be occasionally closed for engineering works.
But given, that Okehampton Interchange, Launceston and Bodmin Parkway stations are all handy for the a30 road, which is a fast dual carriageway.
I believe that between Okehampton Interchange and Bodmin Parkway stations would be an ideal route for one of the new 10000 km. range hydrogen-powered coaches, that are being developed by Wrightbus and Mercedes among thers.
Eurostar And Deutsche Bahn Advance Plans For Direct London to Germany High-Speed Trains
The title of this post, is the same as that, of this article on Global Railway Review.
This is the sub-heading.
Eurostar and Deutsche Bahn have signed an MoU to pursue direct high-speed trains linking London with Cologne and Frankfurt from early 2030s
These three paragraph add some extra details.
Eurostar and Deutsche Bahn (DB) have formally begun work on establishing a direct high-speed train link between London and Germany after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in early December. The development aims to introduce non-stop long-distance passenger services between the UK and major German cities including Cologne and Frankfurt, potentially from the early 2030s.
The service would cut journey times to around four hours between London and Cologne and just over five hours to Frankfurt, delivering a direct city centre-to-city centre connection with no interchange. The routes would use Eurostar’s forthcoming Celestia fleet, a double-deck high-speed train offering 20% additional capacity and up to 50% energy savings.
This announcement comes just over a month after the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) approved Virgin Trains’ access to the Temple Mills International depot in East London, adding fresh momentum to plans for new cross-border services through the Channel Tunnel.
These are my further thoughts.
Is There A Brussels And Frankfurt High Speed Line?
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this reply.
Yes, direct high-speed trains run between Brussels and Frankfurt. The journey takes about 3 hours and 20 minutes, operated by Deutsche Bahn using ICE (Intercity Express) trains.
Route and Service Details
Train Type: German ICE high-speed trains.
Travel Time: Fastest trips take roughly 3 hours and 19 minutes.
Frequency: Around 7 direct trains run each day.
Key Stops: Liège-Guillemins, Aachen Hbf, and Cologne (Köln) Hbf.
Note.
- It looks like the London and Brussels service is being extended to Frankfurt.
- There doesn’t seem to be much new infrastructure.
- Eurostar currently takes seven minutes under two hours between London and Brussels.
Using the same Celestia trains by both Eurostar and Deutsche Bahn surely makes sense operationally.
Do German High Speed Trains Run Between Frankfurt And Berlin?
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this reply.
Yes, German high-speed ICE (Intercity Express) trains run direct routes between Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof and Berlin Hauptbahnhof. The fastest non-stop services take about 3 hours and 43 minutes, reaching speeds up to 300 km/h (186 mph) over a distance of roughly 262 miles (422 km).
Route and Schedule Details
Frequency: Direct trains run hourly or more during peak times, with dozens of daily departures.
Speed/Type: Operated by Deutsche Bahn, standard ICE trains and select high-speed ICE Sprinter services manage the corridor.
Stops: Many services run non-stop or make brief stops at major hubs like Erfurt or Halle depending on the specific schedule.
Note.
- A London and Berlin service would only require one change of train at Frankfurt.
- There doesn’t seem to be much new infrastructure.
With a good cross-platform interchange in Frankfurt, I estimate that the journey could be slightly less than nine hours.
Onward To Warsaw And Beyond
This is the first paragraph of the Wikipedia entry for Rail Baltica.
Rail Baltica is an under-construction rail infrastructure project that is intended to integrate the Baltic states in the European rail network. The project envisages a continuous rail link for passenger and freight services with stations from Tallinn (Estonia) to Warsaw (Poland), via Pärnu (Estonia), Riga (Latvia) and Kaunas (Lithuania), with two branches extending from the main line towards Riga International Airport and Vilnius (Lithuania). Its total length in the Baltic states is 870 kilometres (540 mi), with 213 kilometres (132 mi) in Estonia, 265 kilometres (165 mi) in Latvia, and 392 kilometres (244 mi) in Lithuania.
It is an ambitious project.
This map shows the routes.
Note.
- I believe that the map is in Latvian.
- Rail Baltica is shown as starting from Berlin in Germany.
- A possible extension to Helsinki is shown, which would require a tunnel.
- Ukraine is shown in the South-East corner of the map.
- Part of Belarus is above Ukraine, with part of Russia above it.
If Ukraine joins the EU, then I’m certain that there could be a Warsaw-Kiev branch.
When Will Rail Baltica Be Open Between Warsaw and Tallinn?
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this reply.
The Rail Baltica high-speed line between Warsaw and Tallinn is scheduled for an initial operational opening by 2030. According to the European Commission’s phased milestones, a functional single-track, electrified connection from Tallinn through Latvia and Lithuania down to the Polish border will be completed by 2030, enabling initial passenger services.
Project Timeline & Phasing
2030 Target: Completion of Phase 1, providing a continuous single-track operational line across the Baltic states connecting to Poland.
Full Buildout (Double-Track): Full expansion to a double-track network will continue past 2030, dependent on subsequent funding availability.
Public Sentiment: Opinions on the r/BalticStates subreddit are mixed, with some observers skeptical about meeting the tight 2030 deadline due to previous setbacks, while others note visible construction acceleration driven by EU oversight.
Expected Travel Benefits
Travel Time: Reduces the journey between Tallinn and Warsaw to just over 6 hours.
I would certainly love to be able to ride a train from London St. Pancras to Tallinn.
Putin Won’t Like It!
He probably believes that all railways East of Berlin should be Russian gauge.
But what are the odds, he has an untimely accident?
Conclusion
I believe that if Eurostar to Frankfurt can create a rail route between the UK and Finland and the Baltic States, it will create large amounts of growth in tourism all over Europe.
There are also two projects with similar completion dates.
- Eurostar to Germany aims to introduce non-stop long-distance passenger services between the UK and major German cities including Cologne and Frankfurt, potentially from the early 2030s.
- Completion of Phase 1 of Rail Baltica, providing a continuous single-track operational line across the Baltic states connecting to Poland has a 2030 target.
I believe competition between the two groups will mean both are on time.
WoT? Experimental Elongated Airbus Wings To Fly Next Year
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Future Flight.
I believe that this will improve efficiency.
The Tragic Sinking Of The ‘Titanic Of The 1950s’
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article from The Telegraph.
This is the sub-heading.
The wrecking of Italian liner SS Andrea Doria, 70 years ago on Sunday, bore eerie similarities to the most infamous maritime disaster ever
These two initial paragraphs add more details.
The sinking of the Titanic has entered folklore to such an extent that practically every other maritime disaster is measured against it. Equally, the dreadful loss of life on that bleak April night in 1912 – and the sequence of unfortunate events that precipitated it – was so awful that, on the face of it, nothing could ever really bear legitimate comparison.
And yet, Sunday marks the 70th anniversary of what has been referred to as “the Titanic of the 1950s” – a description that is far from inaccurate. True, the events of July 26 1956 did not come at a cost of 1,496 people. Nor have they been the subject of a major Hollywood movie. But in other ways – a luxury liner heading for New York; a sudden but avoidable collision; damage that, from the first moment, could only have one result; a manic race to save those in peril; a wreck site in the North Atlantic – there were significant similarities.
I remember the disaster well and I suspect, that was because, I was only a few days short of my ninth birthday and it was extensively covered on our new black-and-white television.
But because a transatlantic liner was involved, it may have been more relevant to my family, as my mother’s Aunt Beattie was a regular user of the great ocean liners of the era. She also flew the Atlantic in a BOAC Stratocruiser.
The article on The Telegraph is well worth a read.
ENGIE And La Caisse Select GE Vernova For The Next Phase Of The Modernization Of Dinorwig Pumped Storage Hydropower Plant In North Wales, UK
The title of this post is the same as this news item from Engie.
These are the three bullet points.
First Hydro Company – a 75:25 joint venture between ENGIE and La Caisse, has selected GE Vernova for the modernization/replanting of the first two units of the Dinorwig pumped storage hydropower plant in North Wales, UK.
GE Vernova is expected to replace two 315 Megawatt (MW) units to improve the plant’s reliability, availability and efficiency.
By the end of the decade, the two new units at Dinorwig will help ensure the continued delivery of the fast, flexible generation that plays a crucial role in supporting UK grid stability.
These three paragraphs add some more detail.
First Hydro Company (joint venture between ENGIE and La Caisse), and GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE: GEV), announce the next phase of the modernization/replanting of the Dinorwig pumped storage hydropower plant in North Wales, UK. Under the agreement, GE Vernova is expected to replace two pumped storage units as part of First Hydro’s long-term replanting programme at Dinorwig, to help extend the life of the plant for decades to come, while enhancing the plant’s reliability, availability and performance in support of UK grid stability.
Now over 40 years old, Dinorwig is Europe’s largest pumped storage hydropower plant and is renowned for its rapid response capability, delivering up to 1,320 MW of power within 12 seconds from standby, and up to 1,800 MW in under a minute. With such characteristics, this plant plays a vital role in grid resilience and frequency response, providing a capacity equivalent to power around one million homes in the UK.
As majority owner and operator of the plant through First Hydro Company, ENGIE is making a significant long-term investment to extend its operational life. The wider programme includes the replacement of key plant components across all six generating units, alongside significant infrastructure upgrades.
Note.
- According to the Wikipedia entry, Dinorwig power station has a storage capacity of around 9.1 GWh.
- It was commissioned in 1984.
- The plant was built by an Alfred McAlpine / Brand / Zschokke consortium.
As in 1984, Artemis was very busy, managing projects like this, I’d be very interested to know, if this was a project managed by Artemis.
UK’s Iconic Jodrell Bank Telescope Faces Axe In Science Cuts
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
The Jodrell Bank Observatory, which has housed the UK’s largest telescope for nearly 70 years, has lost its funding and could now close, the BBC understands.
These two paragraphs add more details.
The observatory and its network of telescopes have been pivotal to the country’s study of distant galaxies and training future astronomers. Scientists have described the decision as “heartbreaking” and “scientifically misguided”.
All scientific observations at Jodrell are expected to cease on the 1 April 2028 unless alternative funding can be found.
I consider the government decision to be vandalism of the highest order.
This Google Map shows the Jodrell Bank site.
Note.
- The radio telescope is indicated by a red arrow.
- Going across the North-West corner of the map is the West Coast Main Line between London and Manchester Piccadilly.
- The red dot, which is labelled SKAO indicates the SKA Observatory, which has this web site.
This is on the home page.
Building the two largest telescope arrays in the world, located in South Africa and Australia, made possible through a global collaboration.
Jodrell Bank is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I have some thoughts.
I Was A Keen Amateur Astronomer At School
I went to Minchenden Grammar School in North London, where the school had Prince Albert’s six-inch refracting telescope for observations.
I can also remember a smaller reflecting telescope being setup outside the cricket pavilion to observe a partial eclipse of the sun.
Google AI lists three partial solar eclipses in London in the 1960s.
February 15, 1961: A deep partial dawn eclipse showing 92% to 95% coverage of the Sun in Southern England. It featured early television coverage and coincided with the exact day the movie Barabbas filmed its crucifixion scene during totality in Southern Europe.
September 22, 1968: A daytime partial eclipse where about one-third of the Sun was blocked. Skies over London cleared after 11:00 a.m., prompting the Junior Astronomical Society to set up projection telescopes in St. James’s Park.
May 20, 1966: Another visible partial solar event tracked across the UK, though with lighter public observation in the capital.
As the eclipse wasn’t 92 % to 95 % coverage and I would have been in Liverpool in 1968, I suspect it was the eclipse of May 20, 1966.
I Was Of The Generation That Grew Up With Jodrell Bank
The iconic Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope opened in 1957, which would be about the time, I started Minchenden Grammar School and was able to have access to their optical telescope.
So I grew up with Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope, although I’ve never visited.
I Feel Very Strongly That Jodrell Bank Needs A Convenient Rail Connection
This page on the Jodrell Bank web site, gives these instructions on how to get there by rail.
The most convenient station is at Macclesfield, which is on the West Coast Mainline from London Euston to Manchester. On arrival at Macclesfield you will then need to take a 20-minute taxi ride to the Jodrell Bank. The taxi rank is directly outside the main exit from Macclesfield station.
There is also a station in the nearby village of Goostrey, on the line between Manchester and Crewe. It is a 2.5 mile walk from there along narrow country lanes and so we advise booking a taxi for this part of the journey. Note, you’ll need to do this in advance as there is no taxi rank at the station.
The Wikipedia entry for Goostrey station says this about the train service at the station.
There is an hourly service between Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport and Crewe on Monday – Saturday, which is every two hours on Sunday.
I don’t know much about scheduling buses, but I don’t think it would be too difficult to have an electric shuttle bus, ferry visitors between Goostrey station and the telescope site.
If the rail route to the telescope proved popular, it might even be possible to arrange that the occasional express stopped at Goostrey station.
Could Jodrell Bank Be Developed Into An Astronomy Experience For The North?
Real Time Trains reveals that to and from Goostrey station, you can reach a range of stations including.
- Birmingham New Street
- Bournemouth
- Cardiff Central
- Crewe
- London Euston
- Manchester Airport
- Manchester Piccadilly
- Milford Haven
- Reading
- Shrewsbury
- Swansea
The hourly services to Manchester Piccadilly and Crewe add a lot more destinations with a single change.
I Suspect Jodrell Bank Creates Work For SMEs In The Area
It is my experience that universities, research organisations and scientific establishments create networks of SMEs around their location, to do specialist jobs, they feel are best done by specialist contractors.
Jodrell Bank is close to the three large cities of Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield and I suspect, that most sub-contracts can be handled in the area.
Conclusion
I believe that with input from the Mayors and University Vice-Chancellors of the North, Jodrell Bank could be developed into an engine of growth for the North of England.
1.5 GW Morgan Offshore Wind Site Up For Grabs Again As Crown Estate Launches Accelerated Tender
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The Crown Estate has launched an accelerated tender process to select a new developer for the up to 1.5 GW Morgan offshore wind project in the Irish Sea after the previous developer discontinued the project earlier this year.
These two paragraphs add more detail.
The Morgan site was originally awarded through Offshore Wind Leasing Round 4 in 2021 and was held by a joint venture between EnBW and JERA Nex BP. Its development was discontinued in January 2026 after EnBW decided to exit the Morgan and Mona offshore wind projects in the UK. JERA Nex BP then acquired EnBW’s stake in 1.5 GW Mona, while the joint venture discontinued the development of the Morgan project and returned the lease rights to the Crown Estate.
The Crown Estate announced in March 2026 that it would re-tender the site.
Given, that the article mentions an accelerated tender process, is the Crown Estate expecting the developer to put the hammer down.
Google AI says this about the original connection date.
Expected to be operational in 2028/2029 at the earliest, or by 2030 according to initial scheduling.
If it made 2030, that would mean a total offshore wind fleet of 55.15 GW and the Government’s 50 GW target of offshore wind power by 2030 would have been achieved.
That would do nicely.
The Anonymous Widower 