Canary Wharf Boosts Its Science Ambitions
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
This are the introductory paragraphs.
Genomics England is to move its headquarters to Canary Wharf in east London this year as the financial quarter aims to become a life sciences hub.
The government-run DNA sequencing group will move in the autumn into One Canada Place, where its neighbours will include Brookfield, a Canadian property fund, and Reach, publisher of the Daily Express and OK! magazine.
Owned by the Department of Health and Social Care, Genomics England sequences the genomes of people with rare diseases and cancers to help doctors to treat them more effectively. With consent, some of that data is passed to researchers trying to develop new drugs and treatments.
If you type “Canary Wharf Science Hub into Google”, you find some serious articles.
This article in the FT is entitled Canary Wharf Proposes £500mn Lab Project To Reinvent Financial Hub.
This is a good idea, as scientist friends are always complaining about a lack of lab space in Cambridge and Oxford. Because of the Elizabeth Line, both these cities are not much more than an hour from Canary Wharf.
It should also fill the cafes and shops with scientists and engineers, who would replace some of those working from home because of the pandemic.
I wonder whether this model will work elsewhere?
Vast Australian Renewable Energy Site Powers BP’s Ambitions
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
These are the first two paragraphs.
BP is to lead the development of a $36 billion wind, solar and hydrogen project in Western Australia in its latest foray into green energy.
The oil company has bought a 40.5 per cent stake in the Asian Renewable Energy Hub in the eastern Pilbara region and will become operator of the project, one of the biggest such developments globally.
The Wikipedia entry for the Asian Renewable Energy Hub, starts like this.
The Asian Renewable Energy Hub (AREH) is a proposal to create one of the world’s largest renewable energy plant in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It was first proposed in 2014, with plans for the project concept changing several times since then. As of November 2020, the project developers Intercontinental Energy, CWP Global, Vestas and Pathway Investments were planning to build a mixture of wind power and solar energy power generators which would generate up to 26 gigawatts of power.
Up to 1,743 wind turbines of 290 metres (950 ft) in height would be accommodated in 668,100 hectares (1,651,000 acres) of land, and 18 arrays of solar panels each generating 600 megawatts would cover 1,418 hectares (3,500 acres). It is to be located in the Shire of East Pilbara, about 30 km (19 mi) inland from 80 Mile Beach, with the nearest settlement on the map being Mandora Station. The total size of the scheme would be about 666,030 ha (1,645,800 acres).
It is a gigantic project and this Google Map of Western Australia shows its location.
It is no more than a pimple on the huge area of Western Australia.
I have my thoughts about BP getting involved with this project.
The Power Of Research
Around 1970, I spent four years in ICI applying mathematical methods to some of their processes, that were in research or development. I also worked for a time on their hydrogen plants. Some of the projects I heard about, were pretty wacky and some of these appear to have never been commercialised.
When I left ICI, I built a few mathematical models for other research organisations.
So I do wonder, if BP have found something, that will enable the process of making hydrogen from water a lot more efficient. There is an American startup called Bloom Energy, who have teamed up with Westinghouse to use steam from the nuclear reactor to do electrolysis more efficiently at a high temperature.
I wrote about this partnership in Westinghouse And Bloom Energy To Team Up For Pink Hydrogen, where Bloom Energy Vice President of Hydrogen Business Rick Beuttel, is quoted as saying this.
We are proud Westinghouse has turned to Bloom and our solid oxide technology to supercharge the clean hydrogen economy. Solid oxide technology is well suited for nuclear applications, efficiently harnessing steam to further improve the economics of hydrogen production. High temperature electrolysis is already garnering attention and accolades as a cost-effective and viable solution to create low-cost, clean hydrogen, which is critical to meeting aggressive decarbonization goals.
It sounds that by integrating the nuclear power station and the electrolyser, there are cost savings to be made.
Why not use solar power to create steam, which is called solar thermal energy and is used in various hot places in the world and then use high temperature electrolysis?
I suspect that BP are up to something, that is very similar to Fortescue Future Industries in the Australian company’s back yard.
So will they be selling the hydrogen to FFI, so they can market it together all over the world?
This BP deal is one to watch.
Using The Elizabeth Line Between London City And Heathrow Airports
Today, I went from London City Airport to Heathrow using the Docklands Light Railway, the underground section of the Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Express.
London City Airport And Poplar Stations
I took these pictures on this section of the route using the Docklands Light Railway.
Note.
- I started my journey at 13:15.
- I arrived at Poplar at 13:27.
- The journey took twelve minutes, which agrees with the timetable.
This is a route, that gives a view of London’s rebuilding in the East.
Poplar And Canary Wharf Stations
I walked this section.
Note.
- I started my walk from Poplar station at 13:27.
- I was on the platform at Canary Wharf station at 13:39.
- I used a lift at Poplar station and the escalators at Canary Wharf station.
- The walk took twelve minutes, but it was a roundabout route.
- It looks like a level walkway is to be built between the two stations.
This Google Map shows the are between the two stations.
Note.
- Poplar station in the North-East of the map.
- The bridge at Poplar station, that provides the route I took over Aspen Way.
- After crossing the bridge and using the lift, I walked along the South side of Aspen Way.
- I then walked South down the path at the East side of the site, where it appears from the hoardings, flats will be built.
- Finally, I turned left to walk along the dock and then right to cross into Canary Wharf station.
Work appears to have started at Canary Wharf on the Southern end of an extended walkway, that will link to the bridge over Aspen Way.
This direct route could be nearly two hundred metres shorter and would shorten the connection by several minutes.
Canary Wharf And Paddington Stations
This section of the journey took nineteen minutes and I arrived at Paddington at 13:58, as this picture shows.
It had taken forty-three minutes between London City Airport and Paddington stations.
Paddington And Heathrow Airport By Heathrow Express
I took the 14:10 Heathrow Express to the Airport and took these pictures.
Note.
- It took about six minutes to walk between the Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Express.
- This was my first ride on Heathrow Express, since the service has started using Class 387 trains.
- The trains are fine, but where are the tables, that I like so much in the other Class 387 trains?
- The train arrived at Heathrow Central at 14:29.
This meant my journey between the two airports had taken an hour and fourteen minutes.
Canary Wharf to Heathrow using Heathrow Express and the Elizabeth Line had taken thirty-four minutes.
Return To Paddington On The Elizabeth Line
I came back from Heathrow on an Elizabeth Line train, which took 29 minutes.
That would mean that today using the Elizabeth Line to Heathrow.
- Heathrow and Canary Wharf will take 48 minutes.
- Heathrow and London City Airport will take one hour and twenty-nine minutes.
The difference in time between the two trains is solely down to the times of the Heathrow Express and the Elizabeth Line trains between Paddington and Heathrow.
What Difference Will A Direct Elizabeth Line Connection Make?
Canary Wharf are giving a figure of thirty-nine minutes between Canary Wharf and Heathrow, when the Elizabeth Line fully opens.
This would appear to indicate that fully opening the Elizabeth Line connection at Paddington will save nine minutes and the Elizabeth Line will only be a few minutes slower than Heathrow Express, if you can cut out the change at Paddington.
This table compares times between Canary Wharf and Heathrow.
- Elizabeth Line with a change at Paddington – 48 minutes
- Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Express with a change at Paddington – 34 minutes
- Elizabeth Line direct – 39 minutes
How many passengers will swap from Heathrow Express to a complete Elizabeth Line?
Is There Going To Be A Pedestrian Bridge Between Poplar And Canary Wharf Stations?
This Google Map shows the bridge that leads South from Canary Wharf station.
Note how the bridge could have been designed to go through the station to the housing to the North and perhaps ultimately to Poplar DLR station.
These pictures show the complete bridge on the South side and what could be the start of construction on the North side.
Note.
- This pictures were taken on two dates.
- A full bridge would connect the new housing to the shopping centre and the Jubilee Line station.
- Between Poplar and Canary Wharf stations would be around 120 metres.
- There would be a straight and level walking route between Poplar DLR station and the two Canary Wharf Jubilee and Elizabeth Line stations.
- A short branch would lead to Canary Wharf DLR station.
- Stairs would lead to the buses that run through Canary Wharf.
It does appear that the North and South bridges will form a continuous straight route.
The bridge would create a comprehensive transport interchange for East London.
Thoughts On London City Airport And The Elizabeth Line
One of the reasons for going to Woolwich today, which I wrote about in A Walk Around Woolwich – 15th June 2022, was to get a feel on what is the best way to go between London City and Heathrow airports.
There are three routes, where only a single change is needed.
- DLR – Change at Stratford – Elizabeth Line – Will be available later in 2022.
- DLR – Change at Woolwich Arsenal – Elizabeth Line
- DLR – Change at Poplar/Canary Wharf – Elizabeth Line – Will be improved.
Note.
- All are easy step-free interchanges, with the change at Stratford probably the easiest.
- The change at Woolwich is probably the longest walk.
All trains from London City Airport station, have a single change for Heathrow.
- Bank – Change at Poplar/Canary Wharf
- Stratford – Change at Stratford
- Woolwich Arsenal – Change at Woolwich Arsenal
It would appear that those not afraid of a moderate walk, should take the first train from London City Airport, if they want to go to Heathrow.
This table shows routes to common destinations from London City Airport.
- Bank – DLR
- Battersea Power Station – DLR – Change at Bank – Northern Line
- Canary Wharf – DLR – Change at Poplar – DLR
- Clapham Junction – DLR – Change at Shadwell – East London Line
- Croydon – DLR – Change at Shadwell – East London Line
- Crystal Palace – DLR – Change at Shadwell – East London Line
- Euston – DLR – Change at Bank – Northern Line
- Heathrow – DLR – Change at Custom House – Elizabeth Line
- King’s Cross – DLR – Change at Bank – Northern Line
- Liverpool Street – DLR – Change at Bank – Central Line
- London Bridge – DLR – Change at Bank – Northern Line
- Moorgate – DLR – Change at Bank – Northern Line
- Paddington – DLR – Change at Custom House – Elizabeth Line
- St. Pancras – DLR – Change at Bank – Northern Line
- Victoria – DLR – Change at Bank – District/Circle Line
- Waterloo – DLR – Change at Bank – Waterloo and City Line
Note.
- The interchange improvements at Bank station, will open up new routes to and from London City Airport.
- If the walking route from Poplar and Canary Wharf station is improved, this will be a valuable upgrade.
- The Elizabeth Line will run at frequencies of at least twelve trains per hour (tph) on all sections, so you won’t have to wait more than five minutes for a train.
With these upgrades London City Airport will be a more accessible airport.
The Anonymous Widower 