Lloyd’s Register Issues World’s First Rules For Hydrogen Fuel
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Hydrogen Central.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Lloyd’s Register issues world’s first rules for hydrogen fuel.
Liam Blackmore, Lead Specialist at Lloyd’s Register, is a busy man. He has led the technical policy writing of many of the class society’s decarbonisation rules. Horizons spoke to him in late April 2023, just a few weeks after LR had published the world’s first maritime rules covering hydrogen as a fuel.
This would appear to be a very sensible move by Lloyds Register, which sets down the rules for using hydrogen fuel on ships.
But surely, if you follow these rules, then you will able to get insurance for your ship.
Orkney Council To Look At Proposals To Become Territory Of Norway
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
The Orkney Islands could change their status in the UK or even become a self-governing territory of Norway under new proposals.
These paragraphs outline their possible strategy.
A motion will go before the council next week to investigate “alternative forms of governance”.
Council leader James Stockan said Orkney does not get fair funding with its current relationship within the UK.
He wants to look at Crown Dependencies like the Channel Islands and overseas territories like the Falkland Islands.
He suggested another possible future could be like the Faroe Islands – which is a self-governing territory of Denmark.
Councillor Stockan told BBC Radio Scotland there were many areas where Orkney was being “failed dreadfully” by both the UK and Scottish governments.
These are my thoughts.
Has Orkney Been Failed Dreadfully By The UK And Scottish Governments?
I wouldn’t be surprised, if the legal and economic framework between the Orkney, Scotland and the UK, dates back hundreds of years and didn’t really expect to see a more independent Scotland.
This is a quote from Council leader James Stockan.
And the funding we get from the Scottish government is significantly less per head than Shetland and the Western Isles to run the same services – we can’t go on as we are.
I could argue, they should be similar.
Orkney’s Income From Oil, Gas And Wind
Orkney doesn’t have Shetland’s oil, gas and wind infrastructure, so perhaps Scotland and the UK, think Orkney is the other’s problem.
Wind Development In Orkney, Shetland And The Western Isles
This map from Cross Estate Scotland shows all the wind contracts for Orkney, Shetland and The Western Isles.
These wind farms could send wind power to Orkney.
- 7 – Ayre – 1008 MW
- 13 – West of Orkney – 2000 MW
That is a total of 3008 MW.
These wind farms could send wind power to Shetland.
- 18 – Ocean Winds – 500 MW
- 19 – Arven – 1800 MW
- 20 – ESB Asset Development – 500 MW
That is a total of 2800 MW.
These wind farms could send wind power to the Western Isles.
- 14 – Havbredey – 1400 MW
- 15 – N3 Project – 495 MW
- 16 – Spiorad na Mara – 840 MW
That is a total of 2735 MW.
On this quick look, it does appear that there is a fair balance of investment in wind power between Orkney, Shetland and The Western Isles.
The Flotta Hydrogen Hub
The Flotta Hydrogen Hub is being planned and it has its own web site.
It looks like it will be linked to the West of Orkney wind farm.
The Ferries
CouncilStockan says this about the ferries.
We are really struggling at the moment, we have to replace the whole ferry fleet which is older than the CalMac fleet.
And it is well-known, that the Scottish Nationalist Party got into a muddle with ferries.
Conclusion
If you read the Wikipedia entry for Orkney, the islands would appear to have a sound future, based on hydrogen, tourism and wind.
I would hope that a discussion around some good local food and the local whisky could sort out Otkney’s worries.
Teen’s Killing Raises A French Policing Issue That Dare Not Be Named
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on France24.
This is the sub-heading.
The killing of 17-year-old Nahel M. during a police traffic stop this week was a depressingly familiar addition to France’s list of police brutality cases. But when the UN called on the government to address racial discrimination in its police force, the official reaction was just as familiar and depressing for France’s minorities.
These are the first five paragraphs.
On Friday, just a few days after a French police officer shot dead a teenager during a traffic stop in a Paris suburb, the UN Human Rights Office urged France to tackle racial discrimination.
“We are concerned by the killing of a 17-year-old of North African descent by police in France,” UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told a press briefing in Geneva.
“This is a moment for the country to seriously address the deep issues of racism and discrimination in law enforcement,” she added.
Shamdasani’s comments echoed innumerable statements released over the past few years by international rights groups, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, calling on the French state to address “systematic discrimination” particularly “the use of ethnic profiling” during identity checks.
If the UN human rights office believed the police killing of the teenager of Algerian descent, named Nahel M., could be the “moment” for an official French reckoning, it proved to be mistaken.
These are a few choice paragraphs.
Many Cases
Nahel’s killing in the western Paris suburb of Nanterre was the latest in a string of cases of police violence in France’s deprived, multi-ethnic banlieues, or suburbs. These include high-profile cases, such as the 2005 deaths of two young men in Clichy-sous-Bois, a Paris suburb, and the 2016 death of Adama Traoré in Val d’Oise, a banlieue further north. The victims were all non-white young males.
France And America
“Of course France and America are very different countries, but they have a common enemy: racism,” a demonstrator told FRANCE 24 at a June 2020 “Justice for Adama Traoré” protest. “Nothing will ever change until people are educated about racism. Starting with the police.”
One Bad Apple, Not The Orchard
Several French officials and security experts conceded that the video footage appeared to show the policeman acting in breach of procedures. But they insist it’s a case of one bad apple, not a rot in the orchard.
French Police And Military Voting
A July 2019 study by the left-leaning Fondation Jean-Jaurès found that more than 50% of French military and law enforcement personnel said they voted for far-right politician Marine Le Pen’s party in recent elections.
In the first round of the 2022 presidential election, 39% of police and military personnel voted for Le Pen while 25% voted for another far-right candidate, Éric Zemmour, according to polling institute Cluster17.
France Police Union Tweet
“Congratulations to the colleagues who opened fire on a young 17-year-old criminal. By neutralising his vehicle, they protected their lives and those of other drivers. The only ones responsible for this thug’s death are his parents, who were incapable of educating their son,” it read.
France’s “Licence To Shoot” Law
The law, which was passed following a spate of terror attacks in France, has been slammed as a “licence to shoot” legislation. In 2022 alone, 13 people were shot and killed by police in cases of non-compliance. While French authorities have not released the racial or ethnic identities of the victims, sociologist Sebastien Roche told a local French daily that there was an “overrepresentation of ethnic minorities among those killed during refusals to obey” police traffic stops.
The article is worth a full read.
Could East Midland Railway’s Leicester And Lincoln Service Be Extended To Burton On Trent?
After my trip to Lincoln and Cleethorpes earlier this week, I got to thinking about how train services could be improved in the area.
Cleethorpes As A Battery-Electric Train Hub Station
In Cleethorpes Station – 28th June 2023, this was my last sentence.
Cleethorpes station could be at the centre of its own battery-electric train network, with all trains powered by just 3.3 miles of single-track electrification.
Services running to Cleethorpes station could be.
- East Midlands Railway – Barton-on-Humber and Cleethorpes via Barrow Haven, New Holland, Goxhill, Thornton Abbey, Ulceby, Habrough, Stallingborough, Healing, Great Coates, Grimsby Town, Grimsby Docks and New Clee, which currently runs two-hourly, but probably should run hourly. Barton-on-Humber and Grimsby Town is not electrified and is 19.6 miles or 39.2 miles for a round trip.
- East Midlands Railway – Leicester and Cleethorpes via Syston, Sileby, Barrow-upon-Soar, Loughborough, East Midlands Parkway, Attenborough, Beeston, Nottingham, Newark Castle, Collingham, Swinderby, Hykeham, Lincoln, Market Rasen, Barnetby, Habrough and Grimsby Town which currently runs two-hourly, but probably should run hourly. Nottingham and Grimsby Town is not planned to be electrified and is 77.8 miles.
- LNER – London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes via Stevenage, Peterborough, Grantham, Newark Northgate, Lincoln, Market Rasen, Barnetby, Habrough and Grimsby Town, which would run at least two trains per day (tpd). Newark Northgate and Grimsby Town is not electrified and is 60.6 miles.
- TransPennine Express – Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes via Liverpool South Parkway, Warrington Central, Birchwood, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport, Sheffield, Meadowhall, Doncaster, Scunthorpe, Barnetby, Habrough and Grimsby Town, which runs hourly. Hazel Grove and Grimsby Town is not electrified and is 101.4 miles.
Note.
- All services to Cleethorpes could be run using a battery-electric train, with the range of a Stadler FLIRT Akku, which is 139 miles.
- Cleethorpes station will soon have four terminal platforms. Could it be one platform for each service?
- The 3.3 miles of single-track electrification would be between Cleethorpes and Grimsby stations.
- I am assuming that all services should be at least hourly, except London King’s Cross.
- If the frequency of services to London King’s Cross, were to be increased, the extra services would take-over paths of the East Midlands Railway services between Lincoln and Cleethorpes.
- I am also assuming that the Midland Main Line electrification has been completed through Leicester to Nottingham, as is currently planned.
Cleethorpes will become a very well-connected station.
Collateral Benefits Of Cleethorpes As A Fossil Fuel-Free Station
If all services to Cleethorpes are run by battery-electric trains, then there will be collateral benefits.
- All passenger train services in North-East Lincolnshire will be zero-carbon.
- TransPennine Express’s Southern route between Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes via Manchester, Sheffield and Doncaster will be zero-carbon.
- LNER’s services to London King’s Cross from Lincolnshire will be zero carbon.
Manchester and Sheffield will be linked by an hourly electric service, just as it was between 1953 and 1981.
The Ivanhoe Line
I wrote about the Ivanhoe Line in Reinstatement Of The Ivanhoe Line.
- There is a proposed reinstatement of passenger services between Leicester and Burton-on-Trent stations.
- I estimate it’s a distance of around 37 miles.
- There would be some new stations on the route.
In the Wikipedia entry for the Ivanhoe Line, there is a section called Future, where this is said.
The intermediate stations are capable of taking only a two-coach train, which has led to overcrowding on some services, especially now that the service is extended to Nottingham and Lincoln. The latest Route Utilisation Strategy for the East Midlands makes recommendations for platform lengthening.
East Midlands Parkway railway station has now been built on the route. The Borough of Charnwood’s local plan of 2004 anticipates a station at Thurmaston.
In 2022 the closed section of the line was one of nine schemes chosen to undergo a feasibility scrutiny by Network Rail as part of the government’s Restoring Your Railway programme. If approved, work could start in 2024 and the line reopened in 2026
Note.
- The first paragraph refers to the existing section of the Ivanhoe Line, to the North of Leicester.
- I went to Burton once for the football and it’s a difficult place to get to from North London by train.
- Burton-on-Trent station was fully refurbished in 2011.
- Burton-on-Trent station has hourly services from CrossCountry trains.
It seems that a creditable plan is emerging.
Service Frequency Between Burton-on-Trent And Leicester
As Burton-on-Trent station has hourly services, I suspect that this will be the initial frequency between Burton-on-Trent and Leicester.
But I could see this frequency being increased, if there were long waits during interchange at Burton-on-Trent.
Average Speed Of The Service And Estimate For A Time Between Cleethorpes And Burton-on-Trent
The current Grimsby Town and Leicester service is over a route of 105.3 miles and a direct service takes two hours and thirty-seven minutes.
This is an average speed of 40.24 mph.
I can now give an estimate for a Cleethorpes and Burton-on-Trent service.
The distance will be 105.3+3.3+37, which is 145.6 miles.
An estimate of the time using a speed of 40.24 mph is three hours and thirty-seven minutes.
But seeing that a good proportion of the route has a 110 mph operating speed, I suspect that a 100 mph train could do the trip faster.
Could Cleethorpes And Burton-on-Trent Be Worked By A Battery-Electric Train?
The route could be effectively four sections.
- Cleethorpes and Grimsby Town – 3.3 miles – Electrified
- Grimsby Town and Nottingham – 77.8 miles – Not Electrified
- Nottingham and Leicester – 27.5 miles – Being Electrified
- Leicester and Burton-on-Trent – 37 miles – Not Electrified
Note.
- In a round trip, there are two sections of 77.8 miles and two consecutive sections of 37 miles.
- Battery-electric trains would be charged on the electrified section of the route.
I am sure that a battery-electric train with a range of greater than 77.8 miles would handle the service.
Brits Are Future Proofing Their Homes, Increasingly Valuing Sustainable Elements
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Centrica.
These are the first two paragraphs.
It may still be true that for many, their home is their ‘castle’ but if so, it better be a well-insulated castle, as new research shows that Brits increasingly value energy efficient and environmentally friendly houses.
A survey from Hive revealed that the top selling points on a dream home for modern Brits are related to sustainability, with solar panels (68 percent) and good roof insulation (67 percent) valued more than design features such as natural lighting (53 percent), wooden flooring (22 per cent) and reclaimed woodwork (21 percent). Smart home technology such as a smart heating system (62 percent), a smart energy meter (48 percent) and an EV charger on the driveway (39 percent) were also top considerations.
As I fitted solar panels and good roof insulation to my house, their research could fit me.
I haven’t fitted an EB charger as I don’t drive.
Centrica Bolsters UK’s Energy Security By Doubling Rough Storage Capacity
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Centrica.
These are the first three paragraphs.
Following further engineering work and investment, Centrica has announced increased gas storage capacity at Rough, the UK’s largest gas storage facility.
The facility, which is 18 miles off the coast of East Yorkshire, stopped storing gas in 2017 but was re-opened for gas storage in October 2022. Rough now provides half of the UK’s total gas storage.
At the time of reopening Rough for gas storage it was able to store approximately 30 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas for UK homes and businesses. Further investment in the facility means Rough will now be able to store up to 54 bcf of gas, boosting the UK’s energy resilience for the coming winter – this would provide the equivalent volume of gas to heat 2.4 million homes over winter.
This work and investment has increased the storage capacity by a massive eighty percent.
The news item finishes with this quote from Centrica Group Chief Executive, Chris O’Shea.
We stand ready to invest £2 billion to repurpose the Rough field into the world’s biggest methane and hydrogen storage facility, bolstering the UK’s energy security, delivering a net zero electricity system by 2035, creating 5,000 skilled jobs and decarbonising the UK’s industrial clusters by 2040. But to do this we need the right regulatory support framework. This world class North Sea asset has the potential to help the UK economy return to a position of being a net exporter of energy once again.
As East Yorkshire also boasts the Aldbrough Gas Storage in the salt formations under Hull, the area will have plenty of gas to keep them warm in the winter.
World’s First Offshore Hydrogen Production Project Yields First Kilograms Of Green Hydrogen
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The offshore hydrogen production platform that Lhyfe is testing in France, named Sealhyfe, began producing its first kilograms of hydrogen on 20 June after it was towed last month to the SEM-REV offshore test site which is connected to BW Ideol’s floating wind turbine Floatgen.
These two paragraphs introduce the article.
Sealhyfe is capable of producing up to 400 kilograms of hydrogen per day.
With the start-of-production milestone now reached, the platform has entered the second phase of testing, which focuses on producing hydrogen in offshore conditions, after eight months of being tested at a quay in the Port of Saint-Nazaire, starting in September 2022.
The setup features a 1 MW electrolyser.
This may only be a small start, but I do feel that we’ll see more offshore hydrogen production.
According to Lhyfe And Centrica To Develop Offshore Renewable Green Hydrogen In The UK, Centrica and Lhyfe seem to be co-operating.
It should be noted that this year, I’ve written seven posts involving Offshore Hydrogen Production.
Swan On The Tracks Halts Trains On London’s Elizabeth Line
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Guardian.
This is the sub-heading.
Passengers held on trains for up to hour as services suspended between Heathrow and Abbey Wood
These paragraphs outline the story.
Services on a major section of London’s new £19bn Elizabeth line have been suspended because of a swan blocking the tracks.
Transport for London (TfL) said there were no services between Heathrow airport in west London and Abbey Wood in south-east London – via the centre of the capital – due to “an obstruction on the track”. It said there were severe delays on the rest of the line.
I actually got delayed by this, as I was trying to get my shopping home from Moorgate.
The 141 bus, that I took as an alternative was also severely delayed. But not by swans, but by the policies of a Mayor who can’t do sums!
Freight Trains Through Lincoln Station
I must have spent nearly ninety minutes in total at Lincoln station yesterday and in that time, at least four long freight trains went through.
The reason is that Lincoln station lies on the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line, which is a major freight diversion between Doncaster and Peterborough.
- It appears to me, that more freight trains are now using this route since the opening of the Werrington Dive Under.
- All were hauled by a noisy and polluting diesel Class 66 locomotive.
- Some were hauling as many as forty containers.
Articles like this one on Lincolnshire Live, which is entitled Who Had The Crazy idea to Let Trains Run Right Through Lincoln City Centre?, which contains this paragraph.
Then, you’re left with a decision over whether you take your own life in your hands by scuttling over the crossing as fast as you can before being trapped by the barriers, climbing the stairs of one of the two footbridges, or simply waiting at the barrier for the trains to pass (and God help you if it’s one of those freight trains with a seemingly endless amount of carriages).
New footbridges have been installed over the railway, as I wrote about in The Footbridges Over The Railway At Lincoln. But is that enough?
Diesel locomotives are not the most friendly of neighbours and the sooner we start to replace them with quieter locomotives the better.
Lincoln is not the only place, that is plagued by Class 66 locomotives.
- Near me, the North London and Gospel Oak to Barking Lines are regularly used by freight trains hauled by diesel locomotives, despite being electrified.
- Diesel locomotives regularly use the Castlefield Corridor through Manchester.
There must be other places, which suffer from these beasts.
A Locomotive Named After A Cat
As I arrived in Cleethorpes station, there was a Class 68 locomotive in Platform 1.
It is named after Felix; the station cat at Huddersfield station.
The Anonymous Widower 