Britain’s Biggest Clean Power Projects Among 2.4GW Of Transmission Connections National Grid Delivers In 2025
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from National Grid.
This is the sub-heading.
Record-breaking renewable power projects are among the 2.4GW of new generation connections we plugged into our transmission network during 2025, in another key step in the UK’s clean energy transition.
This first paragraph adds some detail to the headlines.
This year’s works build on the 3GW of connections we delivered in 2024 – which included a new interconnector between Wales and Ireland – and is part of 12.6GW of generation capacity we’ve connected in England and Wales over the past five years.
The rate of connections appear to have been fairly steady over the last five years, at about 2.5 GW/year.
Three projects are highlighted.
- In April the 373MW Cleve Hill Solar Park, Britain’s largest solar array, began exporting power across the network following work to connect it at our Cleve Hill substation in Kent.
- Over summer Statera Energy’s Thurrock Storage project, the country’s biggest battery energy storage system (BESS), connected at our Tilbury substation in Essex to add 300MW of flexible capacity across London and the south east.
- And in September we completed upgrades and commissioning activity at our Lackenby substation in North Yorkshire in readiness for RWE’s Sofia offshore wind farm – one of the world’s biggest – to complete construction.
They also completed works for more than 400MW of additional BESS connections during the year, including a 150MW scheme connecting at Ferrybridge substation in West Yorkshire, a 100MW facility plugging in at Thornton substation in North Yorkshire, and further projects at our substations in Enderby (Leicestershire), Rainhill (Merseyside) and Bredbury (Greater Manchester).
I think that adds up to ten projects in total.
It looks like National Grid had a good year.
Direct London Trains ‘Could Start In 2026’
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
A new train company is hoping its proposals for new daily services from Shropshire to London Euston could begin towards the end of 2026.
Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway (WSMR), which is led by international rail firm Alstom, submitted a new bid at the end of last year to provide four daily trains.
These two paragraphs add detail to the story.
The county has not had a direct train link to the capital since Avanti West Coast stopped its single daily service in 2024 because of low passenger numbers.
The move has been welcomed by regular commuter Charlotte Foster, who lives on the Welsh border. She said a direct service would save her the stress of missing a connection or catching a train elsewhere.
These are my thoughts on this proposal.
I wonder If Alstom Will Be Using This route To Trial Hydrogen-Powered Trains?
Consider.
- The route was a failure for Virgin Trains.
- Perhaps the curiosity value of hydrogen-trains will generate sufficient traffic.
- Hydrogen-electric trains will be very quiet. Those in Germany are hydrogen-electro-mechanical and very noisy.
- The trains will be based on the proven Aventra platform.
- I reported on Alstom’s hydrogen trains for the UK in Alstom Plans To Operate Its Own Passenger Train Service In The UK For The First Time.
- Perhaps Alstom feel that an extended test will convince passengers that the trains are a good idea.
- An extended test would give proper costings for Great British Railways and prospective open access operators.
The map downloaded from the BBC article shows the route.
Note.
- There are eight intermediate stops.
- Euston and Wolverhampton is 124.9 miles and fully electrified.
- Wolverhampton and Wrexham General is 59.9 miles and is not electrified.
- The section of the route without electrification at 120 miles return might need some new electrification for battery-electric trains, but from their experience in Germany, I suspect that Alstom, will know how to cover the route using hydrogen-hybrid trains, which would use the existing electrification between Euston and Wolverhampton.
This picture shows a visualisation of a possible Alston hydrogen train, which would probably be built in Derby on an Aventra platform.
Note.
- It could be up to five-cars long.
- I suspect Alstom could give the train a 125 mph cruising speed, so it could mix it with all the express trains between Euston and Wolverhampton.
- The trains would have a very long range on hydrogen.
- Hydrogen trains could certainly handle a round trip between Wolverhampton and Holyhead on a single fuelling.
- Hydrogen fuelling is likely to be setup at Cemex at Wrexham and the Port of Holyhead.
I think it could be an ideal trial route for hydrogen trains.
But also it could bring growth to the towns and cities between Wolverhampton and Holyhead.
Would Alstom’s Hydrogen-Hybrid Trains Be Suitable For Other Routes?
Most Certainly!
In the first place, the route could be extended to Holyhead, which would surely bring growth to the towns and cities between Wolverhampton and Holyhead.
This would create a zero-carbon route between London and the Island of Ireland.
But around the UK, there would be other routes.
I can envisage these routes being run by hydrogen-hybrid trains.
- London Waterloo and Exeter – Third-rail operation
- London Bridge and Uckfield – Third-rail operation
- London Bridge and Hoo – Third-rail operation
- East Coastway and Marshlink Lines – Third-rail operation
- Scotland – Replacement of Inter7City trains and filling in the gaps in electrification.
Note.
- Some areas already have or have plans for hydrogen supply networks.
- With the exception of supplying hydrogen, very little infrastructure would be needed.
- Hydrogen trains should be fairly quiet.
- Hydrogen trains don’t create much disruption, when they are installed.
Aventras have been fairly well received and can be between three and nine cars.
Consultation On Offshore Wind Reform: Hydrogen Sector Calls For Hybrid Connection Concepts And Warns Of Compensation Risks
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the AquaVentus web site.
There is this statement on the home page.
Berlin, January 02 2026. In the context of the consultation launched by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) on the reform of the Wind Energy at Sea Act (WindSeeG), the hydrogen initiative AquaVentus is calling for clear legislative action to enable a cost-efficient and system-friendly development of offshore wind energy. At the heart of its position is the timely legal establishment of hybrid connection concepts, allowing offshore wind farms to be connected via both electricity cables and hydrogen pipelines.
Note.
- I’ve always felt that copying proven technologies from the offshore oil and gas industry is good practice.
- It may be easier to recycle infrastructure like pipelines, platforms and storage by creating the hydrogen offshore.
- In the UK, Centrica and SSE are already re-purposing natural gas storage for hydrogen.
It may feel safer to some for the hydrogen to be produced a distance offshore.
If President Maduro Is Found Guilty Of The United States Charges Will He Face The Death Penalty?
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this post and received this answer.
Nicolás Maduro has been indicted on several charges in a U.S. federal court, primarily in the Southern District of New York. The potential penalties for these charges are:
- Narco-terrorism conspiracy: This charge has a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 20 years and a maximum of life in prison.
- Cocaine importation conspiracy: This charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison.
- Weapons charges (using and possessing machine guns and destructive devices in furtherance of the conspiracies): These charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years and a maximum of life in prison.
The maximum penalty for all charges combined is life imprisonment in a U.S. federal prison, a sentence that has been described as a “de facto life sentence” in the media. The U.S. Attorney General has stated that the goal is for him to face justice in a U.S. court and, if convicted, he could spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Will this be enough for Trump?
Who knows?
But The Lady On The Train may have a say.
Could Artificial Intelligent Judge Cases Without A Jury?
I just had to ask Google AI this question and received this answer.
Artificial intelligence is not currently used to judge cases or issue final verdicts without human oversight in any major legal system, and legal experts believe a full replacement is unlikely in the foreseeable future. The complex nature of law requires human qualities like empathy, moral judgment, and the ability to assess nuance and credibility, which AI currently lacks.
The current role of AI in the judiciary is primarily used as a tool to assist human judges and lawyers, not replace them.
Could Artificial Intelligent Perform Sentencing In Cases?
I just had to ask Google AI this second question and received this answer.
While artificial intelligence (AI) is already used in various legal processes, it cannot perform actual sentencing in legal cases in a legally binding capacity. Legal systems currently maintain that judicial discretion and the final decision-making authority must rest with a human judge to ensure accountability, due process, and fairness.
Does Artificial Intelligence Support A Reduced Role For Juries In Legal Cases?
I just had to ask Google AI this third question and received this answer.
Artificial intelligence is currently being used to support, not replace, human decision-makers in the legal system, with experts highlighting the need for human judgment, empathy, and accountability in jury trials. The debate over AI’s potential to reduce the role of juries is ongoing, with arguments both for and against.
Conclusion
In all these questions, artificial intelligent didn’t appear to act above its station.
Could Doncaster Sheffield Airport Become A Hydrogen Airport?
I asked Google AI, what is the current status of Doncaster Sheffield Airport and received this reply.
Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) is currently in a state of active, public-funded redevelopment after closing in late 2022 due to financial issues, with plans to reopen for passenger flights by late 2027 or 2028, following significant funding (around £160m) secured by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) for the City of Doncaster Council to take over operations and rebuild commercial viability, with freight and general aviation potentially returning sooner.
This Google Map shows the location of the airport.
Note.
- The distinctive mouth of the River Humber can be picked out towards the North-East corner of the map.
- Hull and Grimsby sit in the mouth of the Humber.
- The red arrow indicates Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
- Leeds is in the North-West corner of the map.
- The towns and city of Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield can be picked out to the West of the airport.
This second Google Map shows a close-up of the airport.
On my visit to NASA in the 1980s, where an Artemis system was used to project manage the turnround of the Space Shuttle, I was asked questions by one of NASA’s support people about RAF Finningley. Nothing too technical, but things like what is Doncaster like.
When I asked why, they said there’s a high chance that a Space Shuttle could land at RAF Finningley, as it has one of the best runways for a very heavy aircraft in Europe.
Looking at the runway, it is a long and wide runway that was built for heavy RAF nuclear bombers like Valiants, Victors and Vulcans.
I believe that we will eventually see hydrogen- and/or nuclear-powered airliners flying very long routes across the globe, just as a nuclear-powered example, attempted to do in the first episode of the TV series Thunderbirds, which was called Trapped in the Sky and has this Wikipedia entry.
Just as the Space Shuttle did, these airliners and their air-cargo siblings will need a large runway.
Doncaster Sheffield Airport already has such a runway.
These hydrogen- and nuclear-powered aircraft will make Airbus A 380s look small and will need runways like the one at Finningley.
But I don’t think we’ll ever see nuclear-powered aircraft in the near future, so the aircraft will likely be hydrogen.
Other things in favour of making Doncaster Sheffield Airport, an airport for long range hydrogen aircraft include.
- The airport is close to the massive hydrogen production and storage facilities being developed on Humberside at Aldbrough and Rough.
- The airport could be connected to the Sheffield Supertram.
- The airport could be connected to the trains at Doncaster station, which has 173 express trains per day to all over the country.
- The airport would fit well with my thoughts on hydrogen-powered coaches, that I wrote about inFirstGroup Adds Leeds-based J&B Travel To Growing Coach Portfolio
- The airport might even be able to accept the next generation of supersonic aircraft.
- The airport could certainly accept the largest hydrogen-powered cargo aircraft.
- The Airport isn’t far from Doncaster iPort railfreight terminal.
Did I read too much science fiction?
I have some further thoughts.
Do Electric Aircraft Have A Future?
I asked Google AI this question and received this answer.
Yes, electric aircraft absolutely have a future, especially for short-haul, regional, and urban air mobility (UAM), promising quieter, zero-emission flights, but battery limitations mean long-haul flights will rely more on hydrogen-electric or Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) for the foreseeable future. Expect to see battery-electric planes for shorter trips by the late 2020s, while hybrid or hydrogen solutions tackle longer distances, with a significant shift towards alternative propulsion by 2050.
That doesn’t seem very promising, so I asked Google AI what range can be elected from electric aircraft by 2035 and received this answer.
By 2035, fully electric aircraft ranges are expected to be around 200-400 km (125-250 miles) for small commuter planes, while hybrid-electric models could reach 800-1,000 km (500-620 miles), focusing on short-haul routes due to battery limitations; larger, long-range electric flight remains decades away, with hydrogen propulsion targeting 1,000-2,000 km ranges for that timeframe.
Note.
- I doubt that many prospective passengers would want to use small commuter planes for up to 250 miles from Doncaster Sheffield airport with hundreds of express trains per day going all over the UK mainland from Doncaster station.
- But Belfast City (212 miles), Dublin (215 miles) and Ostend (227 miles), Ronaldsway on the Isle of Man (154 miles) and Rotterdam(251 miles) and Schipol 340 miles) may be another matter, as there is water to cross.
It looks like it will be after 2035 before zero-carbon aircraft will be travelling further than 620 miles.
My bets would be on these aircraft being hydrogen hybrid aircraft.
What Will The Range Of Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft In 2040?
I asked Google AI this question and received this answer.
By 2040, hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft are projected to have a range that covers short- to medium-haul flights, likely up to 7,000 kilometers (approximately 3,780 nautical miles), with some models potentially achieving longer ranges as technology and infrastructure mature.
The range of these aircraft will vary depending on the specific technology used (hydrogen fuel cells versus hydrogen combustion in modified gas turbines) and aircraft size.
It looks like we’ll be getting there.
This Wikipedia entry is a list of large aircraft and there are some very large aircraft, like the Antonov An-225, which was destroyed in the Ukraine War.
A future long-range hydrogen-powered airline must be able to match the range of current aircraft that will need to be replaced.
I asked Google AI what airliner has the longest range and received this reply.
The longest-range airliner in service is the Airbus A350-900ULR (Ultra Long Range), specifically configured for airlines like Singapore Airlines to fly extremely long distances, reaching around 9,700 nautical miles (18,000 km) for routes like Singapore to New York. While the A350-900ULR holds records for current operations, the upcoming Boeing 777-8X aims to compete, and the Boeing 777-200LR was previously known for its exceptional range.
I believe that based on the technology of current successful aircraft, that an aircraft could be built, that would be able to have the required range and payload to be economic, with the first version probably being a high-capacity cargo version.
What Would An Ultra Long Range Hydrogen-Powered Airliner Look Like?
Whatever the aircraft looks like it will need to be powered. Rolls-Royce, appear to be destining a future turbofan for aircraft called the Ultrafan, which has this Wikipedia entry.
I asked Google AI, if Rolls-Royce will produce an Ultrafan for hydrogen and received this answer.
Rolls-Royce is actively developing the UltraFan architecture to be compatible with hydrogen fuel in the future, but the current UltraFan demonstrator runs on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The company has a research program dedicated to developing hydrogen-powered engines for future aircraft, aiming for entry into service in the mid-2030s.
I asked Google AI, if Rolls-Royce have had major difficulties converting engines to hydrogen and received this answer.
Rolls-Royce has not encountered insurmountable difficulties but faces significant engineering and logistical challenges in converting engines to run on hydrogen. The company has made substantial progress in testing both stationary and aero engines using pure hydrogen, confirming its technical feasibility.
Given the company’s success in developing engines in the past, like the R Type, Merlin, RB 211, Pegasus, Trent, mtu 4000 and others, I suspect there’s a high chance of a successful hydrogen-powered Ultrafan.
If you look at a history of large passenger and cargo aircraft over the last sixty years, there has been a lot of the following.
- Conversion of one type of aircraft to a totally different type.
- Fitting new engines to a particular type.
- Fitting new avionics to a particular type.
Examples include.
- Fitting new CFM-56 engines to DC-8s.
- The first two Nimrods were converted from unsold Comet 4Cs.
- Converting Victor bombers to RAF tanker aircraft.
- Converting BA Tristars to RAF tanker aircraft.
- Converting DC-8s to cargo aircraft.
- Airbus converted five Airbus A 300-600 into Belugas, which have this Wikipedia entry.
- Airbus converted six Airbus A 330-200F into BelugaXLs, which have this Wikipedia entry.
- Converting two Boeing-747s to carry Space Shuttles ; one from American Airlines and one from Japan Airlines, which have this Wikipedia entry.
Note.
- Most of these examples have been successful.
- The last three examples have been very successful.
- Most of these applications do not have a human cargo.
This picture shows an Emirates Air Lines’s Airbus A 380 on finals at Heathrow.
Note.
- The aircraft was landing on Runway 27 L.
- The four engines and the vertical oval cross-section of the fuselage are clearly visible.
- The Wikipedia entry for the Airbus A 380 shows two floors across the fuselage; the upper floor with eight seats in 2-4-2 and the lower floor with ten seats in 3-4-3, and a pair of LD3 cargo containers in the basement.
I’d be interested to know, how much hydrogen could be put in the basement and how far it could take the plane with a full load of passengers!
This link to the Wikipedia entry, shows the cross section in detail.
Note
I wouldn’t be surprised that the first application of large hydrogen aircraft will be for cargo and it could be an Airbus Beluga or perhaps an Airbus A 380 freighter?
Rail Operator Crosses Line For First Time In Years
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
An operator’s first passenger train has crossed a historical and scenic route for the first time in more than a decade.
These three paragraphs give more details about the reason for the trip.
Avanti West Coast’s 07:54 GMT from Wigan was the first to run on the Settle to Carlisle route earlier.
The 73-mile line is renowned for its picturesque views across the Yorkshire Dales and the North Pennines via the Ribblehead viaduct.
The route is usually only used by Northern trains operating between Leeds and Carlisle, but Avanti is using it as a diversion while work to replace the Clifton Bridge take place over the M6 near Penrith.
I’ve only ridden the Route once and that was on a day in 2014, when the weather wasn’t at its best.
Afterwards I wrote Long Live The Settle And Carlisle, so the trip couldn’t have been that bad!
These paragraphs give the reason for and details of the diversion.
The Settle to Carlisle line does not have overhead power lines, meaning Avanti is using bi-mode Class 805 Evero trains which operate on diesel.
Several timetable changes have been made during the engineering works, with disruption expected until 15 January.
Until 5 January, the railway will also be blocked south of Preston, meaning on these days the diverted services are running between Wigan North Western and Carlisle.
But if Great British Railways could get their act together and convert a sufficient number of their Hitachi diesel bi-modes to battery-electric bi-modes and do some testing and a few calculations, the problem would be solved.
In 2021, I wrote Through Settle And Carlisle Service Under Consideration, after Modern Railways wrote an article of the same name.
Could Lumo Run A Lincoln And Glasgow Service Via Doncaster, Leeds And Settle?
In South Yorkshire Now Has Better North-South Connections, I calculated that Doncaster station now has 173 express trains per day, that stop at the station.
So why not add five or six express trains per day to Doncaster, Lincoln, Leeds, Settle, Carlisle and Glasgow?
And why not ask Lumo to run it, as they’d know how to run such a service?
Offshore Wind Turbines In 2025: China Continues Leading In Single-Unit Capacity, Vestas’s 15 MW Turbine Installed At Offshore Wind Farms
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
In offshoreWIND.biz‘s 2024 annual wind turbine overview, you could have read about the first 16 MW floating wind platform installed offshore and a 26 MW prototype under construction, both in China, and a 21 MW prototype being assembled in Europe. Wind turbine generator (WTG) technology did not stop progressing in 2025, with Chinese OEMs still leading capacity-wise, while in Europe, first offshore wind farms are now featuring 15 MW turbines and a 21+ MW model was installed onshore for testing.
The article is very much a must-read and there is a lot of innovation going on.
As a comparison, between 2020 and 2026 we commissioned or are building these offshore wind farms in the UK.
- East Anglia One – 2000 – 714 MW – 102 x 7 MW
- Hornsea One – 2020 – 1218 MW – 174 x 7 MW
- Kincardine – 2021 – 49.5 MW – 6 x floating
- Hornsea Two – 2022 – 1386 MW – 165 x 8 MW
- Moray East – 2022 – 950 MW – 100 x 9.5 MW
- Triton Knoll – 2022 – 857 MW – 90 x 9.5 MW
- Seagreen Phase 1 – 2023 – 1400 MW – 114 x 10 MW
- Dogger Bank A – 2025 – 1235 MW – 95 x 13 MW
- Moray West – 2025 – 882 MW – 60 x 14 MW
- Neart Na Gaoithe – 2025 – 450 MW – 54 x 8 MW
- Dogger Bank B – 2026 – 1235 MW – 95 x 13 MW
- East Anglia 3 – 2026 – 1372 – 95 x 14 MW
- Sofia – 2026 – 1400 MW – 100 x 14 MW
Average sizes for the various years are as follows.
- 2020 – 7 MW
- 2021 – floating
- 2022 – 8-9.5 MW
- 2023 – 10 MW
- 2025 – 8-14 MW
- 2026 – 13-14 MW
It can clearly be seen that in the last few years, turbines have been getting bigger.
I have some thoughts on the article.
2025 Saw Some Plans For And Installations Of Some Very Large Turbines
These four monsters were mentioned at the start of the article.
- 26 MW – Prototype installed for testing (China)
- 21.5 MW – Prototype installed for testing (Europe)
- 15 MW Installed at offshore wind farms (Europe)
- 50 MW Twin-turbine platform; Announced (China)
- MingYang Turbines to Spin on Hexicon’s Floating Offshore Wind Project
- World’s First Offshore Wind Farm Using 16 MW Turbines Enters Construction In China
- The Secret Of The TwinHub
- Hexicon Wins UK’s First Ever CfD Auction For Floating Offshore Wind
- The Chinese seem to be providing turbines for both manufacturers.
- The TwinHub is the Swedish design, being built for trial in Cornwall.
- This new design is a 50 MW design, whereas these two are 32 MW.
FirstGroup Adds Leeds-based J&B Travel To Growing Coach Portfolio
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Route One.
These two paragraphs add more detail.
J&B Travel of Leeds is the latest coach business to be acquired by FirstGroup.
The operator, which has been established for more than 40 years, has a fleet of 15 vehicles, with work including home-to-school, private hire and FlixBus contracts.
But in some ways, the most significant thing not mentioned is that FirstGroup have now acquired seven coach firms.
- AndersonTravel in London
- EnsignBus in London
- J & B Travel in Leeds
- Matthews Coaches in County Monaghan, Ireland
- Tetley’s Coaches in Leeds
- York Pullman in Harrogate, Hull, Leeds and York
Note.
- MatthewsCoaches are about halfway between Dublin and Belfast.
- Three of the English acquisitions are in Yorkshire and two are in London.
- Leeds isn’t far off being halfway between London and Central Scotland.
This looks like the first part of a master plan.
- Leeds and County Monaghan could be ideal refuelling points for zero-carbon coaches.
- Ferrybridge, just South of Leeds is getting a hydrogen-fired power station.
- Ferrybridge is a big site with a motorway service station on the M1.
- Wrightbus are building an electrolyser at Ballymena, which is 81 miles from Matthews Coaches.
- Wrightbus have said that Dublin and Cork would be an ideal route for a hydrogen coach.
- Wrightbus have said that Heathrow and Gatwick would be an ideal route for a hydrogen coach.
This plan could be built-on with routes to various cities and attractions.
I have some further sorts and questions.
Could The First Obvious Routes Be Run By Hydrogen Coaches?
From what Wrightbus have indicated, I would rate the obvious routes as.
- Dublin and Belfast – 103 miles or 206 miles round trip
- Dublin and Cork – 107 miles or 340 miles round trip
- Leeds and Glasgow – 224 miles or 448 miles round trip
- Leeds and Edinburgh – 222 miles or 444 miles round trip
- Leeds and London – 197 miles or 396 miles round trip
- Heathrow and Gatwick – 40 miles or 80 miles round trip
Note.
The longest route is 714.5 km.
It would appear that, if the hydrogen-powered coach had a range of 1,000 km. all routes would be possible.
How Far Would A Hydrogen Coach Get On A Tankful From London?
A thousand kilometres is 621.4 miles.
These are the distances from Scottish cities to London.
- Aberdeen – 537 miles
- Dundee – 472 miles
- Dunfermline – 430 miles
- Edinburgh – 410 miles
- Glasgow – 404 miles
- Inverness – 561 miles
- John O ‘Groats – 678 miles
- Perth – 451 miles
- Stirling – 418 miles
I’ve added John O’Groats for completeness, but all cities would be reached.
How Far Would A Hydrogen Coach Get On A Tankful Going West From London?
These are the distances from Western towns and cities to London.
- Aberystwyth – 236 miles
- Fishguard – 255 miles
- Holyhead – 289 miles
- Lands End – 310 miles
- Penzance – 307 miles
I’ve added Lands End for completeness, but all towns and cities would be reached.
John O’Groats And Lands End In A Hydrogen Coach
I asked Google AI how far the journey was and received this answer.
The distance from Land’s End to John o’ Groats varies by transport: about 837-874 miles (1347-1407 km) by road, roughly 600 miles (970 km) as the crow flies, and around 1,200 miles (1900 km) for an off-road walking route, with cyclists typically taking 10-14 days and walkers 2-3 months.
So it looks, like there will be a need for a refuel, but that would give 2,000 kilometres, which is more than the 1,347-1,407 kilometres needed.
Ferrybridge Could Be An Ideal Refuelling Point
I suspect, even in fifty years you could name the places in the UK, where you will be certain of refuelling any hydrogen vehicle on the fingers of one hand.
The list would include.
- Ferrybridge in Yorkshire, where SSE are building a hydrogen-fired power station.
- Felixstowe Docks in Suffolk, where there will be a need to fuel hydrogen trucks.
- Keadby in Lincolnshire, where SSE are building a hydrogen-fired power station.
- Kintore in Aberdeenshire, where an electrolyser is being built.
- Runcorn in Cheshire, where there was an electrolyser in 1968, when I worked there.
This web site lists all the UK hydrogen projects.
This Google Map shows the location of the Ferrybridge hydrogen-powered power station site in relation to Barnsley, Doncaster, Leeds and other towns and cities of Yorkshire.
Note.
- The red arrow indicates the former coal-fired power station site.
- Leeds is in the North-West corner of the map.
- Barnsley and Stocksbridge are in the South-West corner of the map.
- The city of Sheffield is to the South-West of Stocksbridge.
- Doncaster is in the South-East corner of the map.
Last September I wrote Visiting The Consultation For Ferrybridge Next Generation Power Station At Knottingley.
In that post, I wrote about supplying both the power station and the motorway services with hydrogen and felt that it could use one of two methods.
- A pipeline from the hydrogen storage in East Yorkshire.
- Some form of train from a hydrogen production site.
Recently, Network Rail have been conducting tests on the movement of hydrogen by train, which I wrote about in Network Rail’s Test Track Take Centre Stage As Hydrogen Is Delivered By Rail For The First Time.
The Ferrybridge Site Has most things needed.
This map shows the site.
Note.
- The impressive motorway junction, where the North-South M1 crosses the East-West M62.
- Liverpool and Manchester are to the West.
- Leeds, Newcastle and Scotland is to the North.
- Hull is to the East.
- London is to the South.
- There is a Moto Services.
- There is a Premier Inn.
There is even two railway stations on the map.
This reply from Google AI gives the details of the distance between Ferrybridge and the South-West.
The driving distance from Ferrybridge, Yorkshire, to Land’s End is roughly 470 to 500 miles, taking about 8-9 hours, primarily via motorways like the M1, M5, and A30, though exact times and routes vary by real-time traffic and specific starting/ending points.
I am absolutely certain, that if you have a vehicle like a hydrogen coach and you want to go anywhere between A to B on the UK mainland, then if there is hydrogen-refuelling at Ferrybridge, you will be able too do the journey with a refuel at Ferrybridge.
US Offshore Wind Developer Sues Gov’t Over Stop-Work Order
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading
Dominion Energy has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s stop-work order issued on 22 December that directed all major US offshore wind projects under construction to pause while federal agencies review alleged national security risks, AP and US media report.
This paragraph adds more detail.
In its complaint filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on 23 December, Dominion argues the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) order is “arbitrary and capricious” and violates constitutional and statutory limits on executive action.
I’m no lawyer, but I did have some excellent executive active with my late lawyer wife, so I get the gist of what is hinted.
I would not be happy, if I was an American citizen, who had to pick u[ the costs of Trump’s misdemeanours.
The BYD Buses On Route 141 Appear To Be Dehydrating Me
I took these pictures on one of the new BYD electric buses on route 141 these morning, as it ran between the Moorfields Hospital and the Balls Pond Road stops.
Note.
- There appears to be something wrong with the display, which says “Bus Terminates Here. Please Take Your Belongings With You”
- But it didn’t terminate.
- I’ve noticed these displays have got stuck like this before on BYD buses.
- The display didn’t move during the whole journey.
- Although, the clock seemed to keep almost accurate time.
- I just wonder if the bus is running out of electricity, so the driver or the computer has switched off things like the air-conditioning and the display.
And then after I’d been home for about ten-fifteen minutes, I started to get terrible pins and needles in my right arm.
It was so bad, that I called 111. Luckily it looked like it was nothing serious.
I do have a very leaky skin and I felt I might be dehydrated.
So I asked Google AI if “dehydration causes pins and needles” and received this answer.
Yes, dehydration can cause pins and needles (tingling sensations) because it disrupts the body’s electrolyte balance (like sodium, potassium, calcium), which are crucial for proper nerve and muscle function, leading to impaired nerve signals and tingling, often in hands and feet, especially after weating or intense activity.
As a precaution, I drunk three bottles of low-alcohol Ghost Ship beer and felt a lot better.
I am certain in future, I will only go in a Chinese electric bus, if I’m sure is been fully charged.
The Anonymous Widower 
