The Anonymous Widower

Hotel Tycoon Reveals Heathrow Expansion Proposal

The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC.

This is the sub-heading.

Hotel tycoon Surinder Arora has announced he is submitting a Heathrow expansion plan which rivals a proposal from the airport’s owners.

These three paragraphs add more details.

The billionaire’s Arora Group said the “primary benefit” of the plan it submitted to the government was a shorter new runway which would avoid the costly and disruptive need to divert the M25 motorway.

Building a 2,800-metre (9,200 ft) third runway instead of the full-length 3,500-metre (11,500 ft) runway planned by the airport would result in “reduced risk” and avoid “spiralling cost”, the company said.

The airport declined to comment on the Arora Group’s proposal.

Note.

  1. In Heathrow Willing To Build Shorter Runway After Airline Outcry Over Cost, I proved to my satisfaction, that a shorter third runway would work.
  2. Any scheme that involves diverting the M25, is not fit to get to be on the short list, as construction will be too disruptive.
  3. I also remember the problems of the M 25, during the construction of Terminal 5.

The last paragraph is the most important, as it illustrates Heathrow’s attitude to outside ideas.

Perhaps, Heathrow’s management suffers from Not-Invented-Here Syndrome?

Conclusion

I suspect that Surinder Arora’s project will be a non-starter.

 

July 31, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

US Gov’t Withdraws All Offshore Wind Energy Areas

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has rescinded and de-designated all Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) on the US Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The WEAs are areas in the US federal waters that BOEM previously identified as suitable for wind energy development and, following a multi-stage process, designated Wind Energy Areas for which a lease sale may be proposed.

This first paragraph adds more details.

“By rescinding WEAs, BOEM is ending the federal practice of designating large areas of the OCS for speculative wind development, and is de-designating over 3.5 million acres of unleased federal waters previously targeted for offshore wind development across the Gulf of America, Gulf of Maine, the New York Bight, California, Oregon, and the Central Atlantic”, the US agency said on 30 July.

Trump may not be able to do anything about windmills in Scotland, but he has certainly killed them off in the seas around the United States.

The last paragraph of the article contains the words of Stephanie Francoeur, SVP of Communications & External Affairs at Oceantic Network, who are a US offshore renewable energy industry organisation.

“This will result in even higher energy costs, increased blackouts, job loss, and billions of dollars in stranded investments, further delaying shovel-ready projects supported by a domestic heavy manufacturing supply chain renaissance that spans 40 states. Crippling affordable and reliable wind energy makes no economic sense and undermines the administration’s “all-of-the-above” energy strategy. We urge the Department to adopt policies which put all sources of American energy on an even playing field.”

Donald! The lady has warned you! And she seems angry!

Could This Decision Be Beneficial To Other Wind Projects Around The World?

I wouldn’t be surprised, as there will now be a lot of quality resources and assets in the United States, that will be looking for work.

July 31, 2025 Posted by | Energy | , , , | Leave a comment