Centrica’s Rough Storage Facility Pumps Gas Into Grid To Meet Increased Demand
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Centrica.
This is the sub-heading.
The UK’s largest gas storage facility, Rough, has released stored gas into the grid to help the UK both manage higher heating demand during the current cold weather and keep prices down. This is the first time Rough has released gas this winter.
These three paragraphs describe how Centrica are using Rough and how they will use it in the future.
This year, Centrica has filled Rough with the equivalent of 18 LNG tankers. Rough provides enough energy to heat over 3 million homes, every day, all winter, keeping families warm and bills down.
Rough is the UK’s largest gas storage facility. It stopped storing gas in 2017 but was re-opened for gas storage in October 2022, and its capacity was doubled in the summer of 2023. The facility, which is 18 miles off the coast of East Yorkshire, now provides half of the UK’s total gas storage.
Centrica’s long-term ambition is to turn the Rough gas field into the largest long duration low carbon energy storage facility in the world, capable of storing both natural gas and hydrogen.
It does seem that Centrica have handled the Rough facility well.
But I do feel that Centrica are playing a bigger game.
- In Lhyfe And Centrica To Develop Offshore Renewable Green Hydrogen In The UK, I talk about how Centrica will produce hydrogen offshore.
- Would this hydrogen be conveniently produced near to Rough?
- Rough allow Centrica to buy gas at a low price and sell high. Rough could be a neat little profit centre?
- I suspect lessons learned at Rough, could be applied to other gas storage facilities?
- Centrica have taken a substantial stke in HiiROC, who are developing a new way of producing green hydrogen.
- In Centrica Partners With Hull-Based HiiRoc For Hydrogen Fuel Switch Trial At Humber Power Plant, I talk about how Centrica are helping HiiROC with full scale trials.
I certainly like what they’re doing.
First Digitally Signalled Passenger Train Comes To Northern City Line
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Advent.
These two paragraphs introduce the article.
The Northern City Line experienced its first taste of digital signalling, as a passenger train controlled by the in-cab technology ran between Finsbury Park and Moorgate on Monday the 27th of November.
The introduction of this type of signalling – known as the European Train Control System, or ETCS – is a first step towards wider adoption across the rail network and represents an important milestone in the government-backed £1.4bn East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP). The programme is designed to improve journeys between London and north of Peterborough, with reliability and environmental outcomes at the forefront of the project’s deliverables.
I hope that one of the benefits will be more trains between Moorgate and Hertford North, Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City.
German Company To Build XXL Monopile Factory in Denmark
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
German-based Baltic Structures Company (BSC) has revealed that it will build an XXL monopile production factory in Esbjerg, Denmark
These are the first three paragraphs that outline the project.
BSC will build “Europe’s biggest” foundation fabrication site in the Esbjerg Port where it will be able to offer various foundations structures with a more than 100,000-square-metre production area under the roof and an output of up to 200 XXL monopiles per year.
The German company said that the focus of the plant is on structures with dimensions of up to 15 metres in diameter, up to 130 metres in length, and single unit weights of up to 4,000 tonnes.
In addition to monopiles, transition pieces, pin piles, and components for jackets, floating foundations will also be offered, said BSC.
These last three paragraphs sum up, where we are at the moment with European wind turbine foundation manufacture.
In September 2022, Esbjerg Port (Denmark), Oostende Port (Belgium), Groningen Seaports/Eemshaven (the Netherlands), Niedersachsen Port/Cuxhaven (Germany), Nantes-Saint Nazaire Port (France), and Humber (the UK) signed a partnership agreement with an aim to minimise capacity issues.
At the beginning of this year, the six largest European wind ports also signed a mutual declaration to collaborate on an operational and practical level to help bring the new offshore wind capacities across Europe as smoothly as possible.
In January, the Port of Esbjerg, together with US-based Moffatt & Nichol, deployed digital twin technology which could triple the port’s offshore wind capacity.
I also wrote UK And South Korea Help Secure Millions For World’s Largest Monopile Factory, this morning about a new monopole factory on Teesside.
- The Teesside factory is described as the world’s largest.
- On the other hand the Esbjerg Port facility is described as Europe’s biggest foundation fabrication site.
I suspect the Germans and the Koreans are using different engineering dictionaries.
European Offshore Wind Power Targets
Out of curiosity, I looked up the offshore wind capacity, the UK and neighbouring countries are planning before 2030.
- UK – 50 GW
- Germany – 30 GW
- Norway – 30 GW
- The Netherlands – 21 GW
- France – 18 GW
- Denmark – 13 GW
- Italy – 10 GW
- Portugal – 10 GW
- Belgium – 5.4-5.8 GW
- Republic of Ireland – 5 GW
- Spain – 3 GW
Note.
- Norway’s figure relates to 2040.
- Northern Ireland have a target of 1 GW, which I assume is included in the UK total.
- The total is between 195.4 and 195.8 GW.
Given that we could be producing over a quarter of Western Europe’s offshore wind power, the Gods of the Winds must have been British.
Climbing The Valley Lines In The South Wales Metro
There are five terminal stations on the Cardiff Valley Lines, of which four will be served by battery-electric trains or tram-trains from Cardiff.
In this post, I will show how they will achieve this feat.
Consider.
- To get to Aberdare, Merthyr Tydfil or Treherbert, a tram-train must first get to Pontypridd.
- To get to Rhymney, a train must first get to Caerphilly.
I will now deal with the seven stations in alphabetic order.
Aberdare
This OpenRailwayMap shows the three branches of the Cardiff Valley Lines, that go through Pontypridd.
Note.
- Electrified lines are shown in red and unelectrified lines are shown in black.
- The branch to Aberdare is the middle of the three branches.
- It is planned that the service on the Aberdare branch will be provided using Class 398 tram-trains, that will be fitted with batteries.
- Electrification will be complete between Aberdare and Pontypridd.
It would appear that a tram-train could run between Aberdare and Pontypridd using the complete electrification.
Caerphilly
These two OpenRailwayMaps show the tracks through Caerphilly.
Note.
- The map on the left shows infrastructure, with the Rhymney Line shown in yellow.
- Caerphilly station is in the top third of the map.
- The white section of the Rhymney Line is the Caerphilly tunnel.
- The map on the right shows electrification, with the sections of the Rhymney Line that will be electrified are shown in red.
- Black sections will not be electrified.
- North of Caerphilly, the Rhymney Line is electrified, but through the station and the Caerphilly tunnel, there will be no electrification.
Trains will use battery power, where there is no electrification.
Ebbw Vale Town
This OpenRailwayMap shows the Ebbw Valley Railway.
Note.
- Electrified lines are shown in red and unelectrified lines are shown in black.
- Lines where electrification will be installed are shown in red and black.
- Newport is marked by the blue arrow.
- The North-South Line at the left is the Rhymney Line.
- The North-South Line in the middle is the Ebbw Valley Railway.
- The North-South Line at the right is the Marches Line to Hereford and Shrewsbury.
Trains will use diesel power on the Ebbw Valley Railway, as there is no electrification and no means of charging battery-electric trains.
It does seem strange that no electrified solution has been proposed for the Ebbw Valley Railway.
Consider.
- An Abertillery branch has been proposed.
- A Newport and Ebbw Vale Town service has been proposed and will be implemented.
- Perhaps the line is difficult to electrify.
It could just be, the electrifying the Ebbw Valley Railway, was a step too far.
Merthyr Tydfil
This OpenRailwayMap shows the three branches of the Cardiff Valley Lines, that go through Pontypridd.
Note.
- Electrified lines are shown in red and unelectrified lines are shown in black.
- The branch to Merthyr Tydfil is the rightmost of the three branches.
- It is planned that the service on the Merthyr Tydfil branch will be provided using Class 398 tram-trains, that will be fitted with batteries.
- Electrification will be complete between Merthyr Tydfil and Pontypridd, except for two short sections.
- I would assume that the short unelectrified sections can be handled using the tram-trains battery power.
It would appear that a tram-train could run between Merthyr Tydfil and Pontypridd using the electrification and the tram-trains batteries.
This shows the track layout at Quaker’s Yard station.
Note.
- Electrified lines are shown in red and unelectrified lines are shown in black.
- There are only two short length of electrification shown in the corners the map.
- Quaker’s Yard station has two platforms.
- The track layout appears to have single- and double-track sections.
It looks like it has been decided not to electrify this section. Perhaps, it was just too complicated to electrify easily?
This 3D Google Map shows the terminal station at Merthyr Tydfil.
It looks like the railway runs through the town to the station. So perhaps leaving out the electrification made everything safer?
Pontypridd
This OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks through Pontypridd.
Note.
- Electrified lines are shown in red and unelectrified lines are shown in black.
- Lines where electrification will be installed are shown in red and black.
- The line leaving the map in the South-East corner is the line to Cardiff.
- The line leaving the map in the North-West corner is the Rhondda Line to Treherbert.
- The line leaving the map in the North-East corner is the Merthyr Line to Aberdare and Merthyr.
Pontypridd stations lies at the junction of the three lines.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms at Pontypridd.
Note.
- There are two long through platforms.
- There is a bay platform on the North side of the station for extra Cardiff services.
- The station is not electrified.
These pictures show Pontypridd station.
The station is Grade II Listed.
How will the tram-trains be powered through Pontypridd station?
Older Welsh railwaymen have told tales of how the coal trains from the mines in the valleys to Cardiff Docks were powered in part using gravity to propel the trains to the Docks. Steam locomotives then hauled the trains up the hills to get another load of coal.
Will Newton’s Friend be used to help the tram-trains return to Cardiff?
As the tram-trains descend, regenerative braking can be used to recharge the batteries.
A sophisticated computer control system, would choose the source of power from that which is available.
Descending from the terminal stations of Aberdare, Merthyr and Treherbert, and through Pontypridd would probably need a small amount of battery power to nudge the train to descend down the hill.
Fully-electrified stations like Aberdare and Treherbert will have the luxury of being able to use power from the electrification to start the descent.
Climbing the hills will be mainly on battery power, with the batteries being charged, where overhead electrification exists.
Rhymney
This OpenRailwayMap shows the Northern part of the Rhymney Line from Caerphilly to Rhymney.
Note.
- Electrified lines are shown in red and unelectrified lines are shown in black.
- Lines where electrification will be installed are shown in red and black.
- Caerphilly is marked by the blue arrow at the bottom of the map.
- Rhymney is at the Northern end of the rail line.
- Bargoed, Hengoed, Llanbradach and Caerphilly stations appear not to be electrified.
- It is planned that the service on the Rhymney Line will be provided using Class 756 trains, that will be fitted with batteries and diesel engines.
The Class 756 trains appear to have been designed to climb to Rhymney in all conditions, including a complete power cut. They will use batteries on the unelectrified sections of the climb.
Treherbert
This OpenRailwayMap shows the three branches of the Cardiff Valley Lines, that go through Pontypridd.
Note.
- Electrified lines are shown in red and unelectrified lines are shown in black.
- Lines where electrification will be installed are shown in red and black.
- The branch to Treherbert is the leftmost of the three branches.
- It is planned that the service on the Theherbert branch will be provided using Class 398 tram-trains, that will be fitted with batteries.
- Electrification will be complete between Treherbert and Pontypridd.
It would appear that a tram-train could run between Treherbert and Pontypridd when the electrification is complete.
Conclusion
Each of the five lines use their own methods of getting trains up the hills.
I suspect we’ll see some of the ideas used here on other stretches of electrification.
New Plan To Lay Out Path For UK Offshore Wind Growth Expected In Early 2024
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
RenewableUK, the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC), the Crown Estate, and Crown Estate Scotland are developing a new Industrial Growth Plan (IGP) to boost the long-term growth of the UK offshore wind sector.
These two paragraphs outline the plan.
The industry players have appointed KPMG to support the development of the IGP which is expected to be published early next year.
The IGP will build on the recent Supply Chain Capability Analysis which outlined a GBP 92 billion opportunity for the country if it can develop its capacity and expertise in a number of key areas, according to RenewableUK.
When plans like this are announced, I wish I was still involved in writing project management software.
UK And South Korea Help Secure Millions For World’s Largest Monopile Factory
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
UK Export Finance (UKEF) and South Korea’s export credit agency Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-Sure) have helped SeAH Wind to secure GBP 367 million in Standard Chartered Bank and HSBC UK financing to build the world’s largest wind monopile manufacturing facility.
These three paragraphs outline the story.
UKEF and K-Sure have secured support worth GBP 367 million for South Korean manufacturer SeAH Steel Holding’s construction of a wind tech factory near Redcar, in the Tees Valley.
Issuing its first-ever “Invest-to-Export” loan guarantee to secure overseas investment in British industry, UKEF together with K-Sure has ensured that SeAH Wind UK can fund the construction project – worth almost GBP 500 million – with GBP 367 million in financing from Standard Chartered Bank and HSBC UK.
SeAH Wind UK, a subsidiary of South Korean steel company SeAH Steel Holding, announced its decision to invest and broke ground at Teesworks Freeport last summer.
The article also says.
- This is SeAH Wind’s first such investment outside Korea.
- The factory will make between 100 and 150 monopiles a year.
- The factory will create 750 jobs when it opens in 2026.
- The factory is conveniently placed for transport to the North Sea.
Everybody seemed to have worked hard during the state visit of the Korean President and his wife.
Taff’s Well Station – 22nd November 2023
I took these pictures as I passed through.
Note.
- A depot for the tram-trains is being built.
- The depot looks rather small.
- Four Class 398 tram-trains are lined up in the sidings of the depot.
- The last picture was taken four years ago , before any work started.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the depot.
Note.
- Electrified tracks are shown in red.
- Unelectrified tracks are shown in black.
- There are nine electrified sidings, which from my picture appear to be able to hold two tram-trains each.
- From other pictures on the web four of the unelectrified lines are covered tracks in the depot.
- The final two tracks seem to allow tram-trains to enter and leave the depot and these tracks are partially covered, there could be a washer alongside the building.
- The unelectrified Merthyr Line runs across the South-West corner of the map.
- Tram-trains will always enter the depot from the North.
- Tram-trains will always leave the depot to the North.
It is a slightly unusual layout for a depot, but it seems to fit well into a small site.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the Merthyr Line as it passes Taff’s Well Station and Depot.
Note.
- The Merthyr Line runs roughly North-West and South-East across the map.
- The Northern and Southern sections of the Merthyr Line are electrified, but the central section is not.
- Taff’s Well Depot is the red and black wart on the unelectrified section of the Merthyr Line.
- Tram-trains going North go to Pontypridd and then on to the three branch terminals at Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil.
- Tram-trains going South go to Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street stations.
Tram-trains use a mixture of overhead electrisation, battery power and assistance from Newton’s friend for power.
How A Tram-Train Arrives At Taff’s Well Depot
Consider.
- Tram-trains must approach Taff’s Well Depot from the North to enter the depot.
- This shouldn’t be a problem, as there appear to be crossovers at Pontypridd to transfer a tram-train to the right line if needed.
- As they descend from Pontypridd, any braking can be used to charge the batteries on the tram-trains.
- The track layout in the depot appears to allow any entering train to go into any track in the depot.
So depending on the work needed before the next trip, the tram-train can be efficiently placed in the right section.
How A Tram-Train Leaves Taff’s Well Depot
Consider.
- Tram-trains must leave Taff’s Well Depot to the North.
- As the Merthyr Line is not electrified, where the tram-trains leave the depot, they need to leave with enough power in the battery to reach the electrified section of the Merthyr Line.
- Tram-trains can only be charged in the nine electrified sidings.
So do the tram-trains, wait in the electrified sidings until, they have enough power in the batteries to do a circuit of the depot, join the Merthyr Line and go up the hill to the electrification?
If as I suspect, there is a tram-wash behind the depot, they can even take a pass through, so they enter service after a wash.
Conclusion
This could be a very efficient depot.
Crafty Electrification On The Rhymney Line
I was puzzled on Wednesday, when I took the Class 231 train to Caerphilly on the Rhymney Line, when I saw no signs of electrification.
These are pictures I took at Caerphilly station.
These two OpenRailwayMaps show the tracks through Caerphilly.
Note.
- The map on the left shows infrastructure, with the Rhymney Line shown in yellow.
- Caerphilly station is in the top third of the map.
- The white section of the Rhymney Line is the Caerphilly tunnel.
- The map on the right shows electrification, with the sections of the Rhymney Line that will be electrified are shown in red.
- Black sections will not be electrified.
- North of Caerphilly, the Rhymney Line is electrified, but through the station and the Caerphilly tunnel, there will be no electrification.
Trains will use battery power, where there is no electrification.
This article on Modern Railways gives more information.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the electrification around Cardiff Central and Queen Street stations.
Note.
- Electrified lines are shown in red.
- Unelectrified lines are shown in black.
- The four-platform Cardiff Queen Street station is marked by the blue arrow in the North-East corner of the map.
- There appears to be no plans for electrification in Cardiff Queen Street station.
- The electrified line across the map is the South Wales Main Line.
- The nine-platform Cardiff Central station sits on the South Wales Main Line.
- The main line platforms at Cardiff Central station are electrified, but it appears that Platforms 6.7 and 8. that will serve the South Wales Metro, will not be electrified.
- The line going to the South-East is the branch to Cardiff Bay station.
- The Southern part of this branch appears to be planned to be electrified. so that it can charge the tram-trains before they return North.
This article on Modern Railways says this about catenary-free sections (CFS) in the electrification of the South Wales Metro.
Catenary-free sections are concentrated on areas where it is disproportionately expensive to erect overhead wires. These include the area around Cardiff Queen Street station and the adjacent junction, which has complicated switches and crossings. North of Queen Street, the Cathays area adjacent to Cardiff University and the hospital would present a significant electromagnetic compatibility challenge, so a CFS avoids this complication. Other catenary-free areas will include Pontypridd, where the station features listed canopies and the track is curved, and around the new depot at Taff’s Well, where there will be a significant number of new switches and crossings as well as challenges around highway bridges.
I am in touch with two major electrification companies and I am sure we’ll be seeing a lot more crafty electrification and the use of battery-electric trains.
My First Ride On Class 231 Trains – 22nd November 2023
I had several rides on Class 231 trains on a visit to Cardiff.
Note.
- The trans were running on the Rhymney Line.
- Like Greater Anglia’s Class 755 trains, they have pop-out steps and a PowerPack in the middle.
- The trains didn’t appear to be using their pantographs to run on electric, where it existed.
They were very similar to the Class 755 train.
Gatwick Airport – 23rd November 2023
I went to Gatwick Airport to see the new railway station.
Note.
- As at Reading and Leeds stations, space has been created by building a wide concourse over the tracks.
- The experience certainly seemed better.
- Most platforms have up and down escalators and lifts.
- There were still a few things that needed to be finished.
But for me, as a man with a Freedom Pass and a Senior Railcard, the ticketing to Gatwick is still a pain.
- If I go to Heathrow or London City, I use my Freedom Pass to get to the Airport.
- If I go to Eurostar, I use my Freedom Pass to get to St. Pancras station.
- If I go to Stansted, I use my Freedom Pass to get to Liverpool Street station and buy a ticket for Stanstead Express.
If I go to Gatwick, Luton or Southend airports, I use my Freedom Pass to get to a station with a Booking Office and then buy an extension ticket from the Zone 6 boundary to the airport.
I believe there are three solutions.
Make It Possible To Link A Bank Card To A Freedom Pass
It should be possible to do something like the following.
- Touch in at Moorgate.
- Take the Elizabeth Line to Farringdon.
- Take Thames to Gatwick Airport.
- Check out at Gatwick Airport.
The credit card associated with the Freedom Pass would then be charged the fee for between the Zone 6 boundary and Gatwick Airport.
The credit card would be entered through the Freedom Pass web site.
On a related matter I believe that the Freedom Pass web site could be a nice little earner for Transport for London, by doing the following.
- Selling rail tickets on a best-priced basis. Savings are to be had by selling tickets for Freedom Pass holders from the Zone 6 boundary.
- Managing Railcards.
- Selling Transport for London merchandise.
Nobody would pay more than they do now, but Transport for London would pick up some commission from selling tickets.
Develop A Flexible App That Works With A Freedom Pass And Phone Payments
Similar to the first option, but the app charges accordingly.
Put Gatwick Airport In Zone 6
The management of Gatwick Airport might like to attract more travellers, so they would pay from the Zone 6 boundary for Freedom Farm users.
Conclusion
I would find the first two options acceptable, providing the charges were no more than now!
The Anonymous Widower 