Is This The Television Program Of The Year?
I’m just watching The Mayfair Hotel Megabuild in BBC2.
It’s fascinating and a must watch, as builders and miners expand Claridge’s Hotel up and down!
- More rooms and a penthouse on top.
- A spa and two swimming pools in the basement.
- A large number of rooms are also being refurbished.
And all while the hotel is nearly fully occupied.
I suspect that a lot of the techniques shown in the documentary have been used on the construction of the Elizabeth Line and the execution of the Bank Station Upgrade.
Portishead Reopening Finally Approved
The title of this post, is the same as that of a small article in the January 2023 Edition of Modern Railways.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper has approved a Development Consent Order to reopen the railway to Portishead as part of the West of England Combined Authority’s MetroWest Phase 1B project.
Under the £152 million scheme, the disused railway between Portishead and Pill will be rebuilt, with the Pill to Ashton Junction freight line upgraded. It joins the Bristol & Exeter route at Parson Street Junction.
Note.
- MetroWest is going to be Bristol’s Metro.
- Portishead station is going to be one of its termini.
- It appears that a new station is going to be built at Portishead.
- There used to be other stations on the branch.
I have these thoughts.
Portishead Station
In the Wikipedia entry for Portishead station, there is a section called Future, where this is said.
In April 2019 the Department for Transport committed £31.9m to cover the shortfall in finance for MetroWest Phase 1, meaning that funding for the new station and reopened line has now been secured. In November 2019 North Somerset Council submitted a Development Consent Order (DCO) application to the Planning Inspectorate, which seeks powers to build and operate the disused section of railway from Portishead to Pill, gain environmental consent to undertake works to the existing freight railway through the Avon Gorge and obtain powers for the compulsory acquisition of land. The Secretary of State for Transport is expected to make a decision within 18 months. Subject to final business case approval, construction work is expected to start on the line in December 2021 and then take around two years to complete.
The Secretary of State for Transport gave his decision in December 2022, but I would expect two year construction time to hold.
Stations On The Branch
The original branch had five stations; Ashton Gate, Clifton Bridge, Pill, Portbury and Portishead.
How many will be reopened?
In the Wikipedia entry for Ashton Gate station, there is a section called Future, where this is said.
The line through Ashton Gate would be increased to double track. Network Rail stated that it was not feasible to reopen Ashton Gate during the initial stage of the project, but that the scheme will be future-proofed to allow the construction of a station at a later date.
The section also mentions a reopened station at Pill.
The Wikipedia entry for Pill station, there is a section called Future, where this is said.
As part of the works, Pill station will be reopened. Trains both to and from Portishead will use the southern platform, which will be resurfaced and provided with a waiting shelter, lighting, passenger information displays and audible announcements. The northern platform, adjacent to the current single track line to Royal Portbury Dock, will not be reinstated, however the track will be retained for freight trains. The two tracks will have a junction east of the station.
It is expected that reopening the station will result in reduced car usage to and from Pill and the surrounding villages. Most station users will walk to the station, with the next largest share being car drivers and car passengers being dropped off, followed by cyclists and bus users. Some parking restrictions are proposed to prevent rail users parking on the local streets, which are narrow and not suitable for widening.
Note.
- The station design appears to not need a bridge.
- There would be disabled parking and a pick up/drop off point adjacent to the entrance.
I think this station design could be able to handle two trains per hour (tph).
What Will Be The Service?
This paragraph outlines the service.
An hourly service is proposed, with journey times from Portishead to the centre of Bristol expected to be around 22 minutes, which is said to be competitive with roads in the area.
Twenty-two minutes is an interesting time, as it will mean that it should be possible to do the following in an hour.
- Go from Bristol Temple Meads to Portishead.
- The driver changes ends and gets ready to return.
- Go from Portishead to Bristol Temple Meads
- The driver changes ends and gets ready to go to Portishead again.
If the train can do the full return journey in an hour, it will be able to run the service with a single train.
The Wikipedia entry for Pill station, there is a section called Future, where this is said.
Trains along the reopened line will operate between Portishead and Bristol Temple Meads, with two trains per hour in each direction. Services would call at Pill and Parson Street, with aspirations to also call at Bedminster and a reopened Ashton Gate. Trains could also be extended on to the Severn Beach Line. The trains used will be diesel multiple units, likely three carriages long.
Note.
- Wikipedia and Modern Railways are giving different frequencies.
- Two tph could probably be run by using two trains.
I suspect that the Modern Railways figure is correct, as it is the most recent.
Strategic Outline Business Case Submitted For Reopening Tavistock To Plymouth Rail Line
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news topic on the Devon County Council web site.
This is the sub-heading for the news item.
The Strategic Outline Business Case for the reopening of the Tavistock to Plymouth rail line has been submitted.
These three paragraphs outline the proposal.
Our submission to the Government’s Restoring Your Railway programme sets out the rationale for reopening the line between Bere Alston and Tavistock.
The scheme would reinstate approximately five miles of track and deliver a new single platform station at Tavistock, which would serve around 21,000 residents of Tavistock, Horrabridge, Lamerton, and Mary Tavy.
An hourly Tavistock-Plymouth service would stop at Bere Alston, Bere Ferrers and the west Plymouth stations, while maintaining the existing two-hourly service between Plymouth and Gunnislake.
I have a few thoughts.
The Connection At Bere Alston Station
This OpenRailwayMap shows the track layout at Bere Alston station.
Note.
- Bere Alston station is indicated by the blue arrow.
- The line between Bere Alston and Tavistock goes East from Bere Alston station and is shown as a black dotted line.
- The single-track Tamar Valley Line between Plymouth and Gunnislake stations, is shown in yellow.
- Tamar Line trains reverse in Bere Alston stations.
- Plymouth is to the South.
- Gunnislake is to the North.
It would appear to be a simple connection.
The Route Between Bere Alston Station And Tavistock
This OpenRailwayMap shows the route between Bere Alston Station And Tavistock.
Note.
- Bere Alston station is indicated by the blue arrow.
- The single-track Tamar Valley Line between Plymouth and Gunnislake stations, is shown in yellow.
- Tavistock is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The dotted line between Bere Alston and Tavistock shows the route of the proposed reopened railway.
The new railway follows the route of a railway that closed in 1968.
These two paragraphs from the Wikipedia entry for Tavistock North station, describe the state of the railway between Tavistock North and Bere Alston stations.
The station building has been restored and converted into three self-catering cottages. The stationmaster’s house is being restored as a private dwelling, while the goods yard, now known as Kilworthy Park, houses the offices of West Devon Borough Council. The track bed for about one mile (1.6 km) south of Tavistock North station is open to the public as a footpath and nature reserve, and it is possible to walk across the viaducts that overlook the town.
The rest of the track bed south of Tavistock is almost intact to Bere Alston, where it joins the present-day Tamar Valley Line. There has been discussion regarding the re-opening of a rail link for a number of years. Engineering assessment has shown that the track bed, and structures such as bridges and tunnels, are in sound condition.
It doesn’t appear that restoring the track will be the most challenging of tasks.
But it does appear that extending the railway to the former Tavistock North station, would be a very challenging task indeed.
The Proposed Station At Tavistock
This OpenRailwayMap shows the track as it runs through Tavistock to the former Tavistock North station.
Note.
- The former railway is shown as a dotted line running diagonally SW-NE across the map.
- The former Tavistock North station is shown in the North-East corner of the map.
- This railway turns South as it leaves the town.
- The single-platform station will be built, where the railway crosses the A390.
- Another former railway passes through the town to the South-East, that passes through the former Tavistock South. station.
Between the former Tavistock North station and the A390 is now the Tavistock Viaduct Walk, which is about a mile long.
This Google Map shows where the track-bed of the old railway approaches the A390.
Note.
- The green scar of the former railway approaching from the South.
- The A390 running diagonally across the map.
- The plans only include a one-platform station, which I suspect is all that will fit.
Could this be a station without car-parking?
There’s not much space to put it!
Will It Be Possible To Extend From Tavistock To Okehampton?
The Line between Bere Alston and Tavistock North stations used to extend to Okehampton and train operators and Local Authorities are keen to provide a new link, in case the railway gets washed away again at Dawlish.
It’s not so much for passengers, as coaches can be used between Okehampton and Bodmin Parkway stations along the A30.
But an alternative route for freight is needed.
I would hope that the new Tavistock station will be capable of being modified, so that trains can run between Plymouth and Okehampton stations.
What Class Of Train Will Be Used Between Plymouth And Tavistock?
As a Class 150 train is used from Plymouth to Gunnislake, I suspect a Class 150 train will be used.
But the station will probably be long enough for a five-car Class 802 train.
Carbon Capture And Storage Projects Across Europe
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on rureporter,
Twenty separate projects are named in eleven different countries.
Some may believe carbon capture and storage is a waste of time and money, but there is a large amount of investment going into the technology.
Brown Seaweed Could Remove 550 Million Tons Of Carbon
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Carbon Herald.
This may seem like a story that has arrived a few months early.
But the report does come from the respect Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology.
The research is detailed on this page on their web site, which is entitled Slime For The Climate, Delivered By Brown Algae.
It is introduced by this sub-heading.
In form of fucoidan, brown algae could remove up to 550 million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year.
Which is followed by this paragraph.
Brown algae take up large amounts of carbon dioxide from the air and release parts of the carbon contained therein back into the environment in mucous form. This mucus is hard to break down for other ocean inhabitants, thus the carbon is removed from the atmosphere for a long time, as researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen now show. They reveal that the algal mucus called fucoidan is particularly responsible for this carbon removal and estimate that brown algae could thus remove up to 550 million tons of carbon dioxide from the air every year – almost the amount of Germany’s entire annual greenhouse gas emissions.
Note that fucoidan has a Wikipedia entry.
The page says this about brown algae.
Brown algae are true wonder plants when it comes to absorbing carbon dioxide from the air.
It does seem to me that the Germans are on to something.
Raven SR And Chart Industries To Work Together On Hydrogen And CO2 Capture
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Carbon Herald.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Renewable fuels company Raven SR and Chart Industries announced they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together on the liquefaction, storage, and transportation of hydrogen as well as pure CO2 produced from Raven SR’s non-combustion Steam/CO2 Reformation process that converts waste to renewable fuel.
Raven SR uses local waste as feedstock to produce transportation-grade H2 and synthetic fuels, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The carbon dioxide, which is a byproduct of the process, when liquefied is used for food and beverage production, fertilizer production, and other consumer needs and as a feedstock for concrete or alternative fuels.
Note.
- It appears like I do, that the companies feel it is better to use carbon dioxide, rather than store it.
- It also looks like they have improved the steam reforming process for making hydrogen.
- An advantage of the process is that it doesn’t need pure water.
There is a video in the article, which I suggest you watch.
It may be one of those processes that dies a premature and messy death, but my knowledge of catalysts and strange ways to produce gases like hydrogen and acetylene from working at ICI in the early 1970s, tells me that someone will develop a viable route to create hydrogen, that is better than the methods used today,
The Southern Entrance To London City Airport
I entered London City Airport by a different route today, taking these pictures as I walked.
Note.
- The route is level.
- It is on the Southern side of Hartmann Road, which is the main entrance road for the airport.
- There is a pedestrian tunnel under Hartmann Road into the airport.
- There are stairs and lifts into the Docklands Light Railway station at the airport.
- The lifts so all the way to the platforms of the DLR.
- The route is level from the lifts to the airport.
This Google Map shows the walk.
Note.
I walked along the path, that runs NW-SE on the Northern side of the various courts and playgrounds.
The entrance to the DLR station is at the South-East end of the path at the junction of Drew and Saville Roads.
This Google Map shows a 3D visualisation of the entrance.
Note.
- The path runs on the North side of the football pitch.
- The Southern entrance is to the right of blue play area.
- Drew Road runs across the entrance.
- It looks like there is a drop-off point for passengers, where the car is parked by the football pitch.
Would it be possible to create a waking route from this Southern entrance to a rebuilt Silvertown station on the Elizabeth Line?
This Google Map shows the area between the Southern entrance to the airport and the footbridge over the Elizabeth Line.
Note.
- The Southern entrance to the airport is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The footbridge over the Elizabeth Line is in the South-West corner of the map.
- The large building in the middle is Drew Primary School.
- Whytes Road, Saville Road and Leonard Street lead between the Southern entrance to the airport and the A112.
I took these pictures of the A112 and the footbridge a few days ago.
I think it would be possible to run a fleet of small electric shuttle buses on the route.
Elizabeth Line Trains From Silvertown Station
Currently, the following trains pass through the site of the original Silvertown station.
- Reading and Abbey Wood stopping at Twyford, Maidenhead, Taplow, Burnham, Slough, Langley, West Drayton, Hayes & Harlington, Southall, Ealing Broadway, Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel, Canary Wharf, Custom House and Woolwich.
- Maidenhead and Abbey Wood stopping at Taplow, Burnham, Slough, Langley, Iver, West Drayton, Hayes & Harlington, Southall, Ealing Broadway, Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel, Canary Wharf, Custom House and Woolwich.
- Heathrow Terminal 4 and Abbey Wood stopping at Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3, Hayes & Harlington, Southall, Hanwell, West Ealing, Ealing Broadway, Acton Main Line, Paddington. Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel, Canary Wharf, Custom House and Woolwich.
- Heathrow Terminal 5 and Abbey Wood stopping at Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3, Hayes & Harlington, Southall, Hanwell, West Ealing, Ealing Broadway, Acton Main Line, Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel, Canary Wharf, Custom House and Woolwich.
Note.
- All four services have a frequency of two trains per hour (tph).
- Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel, Canary Wharf, Custom House and Woolwich have a frequency of eight tph.
- Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 has a frequency of two tph and it has extra connections to Heathrow Terminal 4 and Heathrow Terminal 5.
The number of services will increase in May 2023.
Vestas 15 MW Prototype Turbine Produces First Power
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Vestas’ V236-15.0 MW prototype wind turbine has produced its first kWh after being fully assembled at the Østerild National test centre for large wind turbines in Western Jutland, Denmark.
The first of the four wind farms in the Hornsea wind farm complex to be developed is Hornsea One.
- It has a capacity of 1218 MW.
- It is comprised of 174 Siemens SWT-7.0-154, which each have a generating capacity of 7 MW.
If 15 MW turbines could have been used on Hornsea One, it would have more than doubled the generating capacity to 2625 MW.
But obviously, larger turbines have longer blades, so they may need to be placed further apart.
In Vattenfall Boosts Capacity For Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone, I write about how Vattenfall are increasing the size of their Norfolk wind farms, by proposing to use larger turbines.
Conclusion
Turbines will get larger and 15 MW turbines will be commonplace.
A possible advantage is that you only need sixty-seven turbines for a GW, as opposed to a hundred 10 MW turbines, so there are possibilities to optimise the most profitable way to build a wind farm.
Neptune Energy, Ørsted And Goal7 Explore Powering Integrated Energy Hubs With Offshore Wind
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Neptune Energy.
These four paragraphs outline the agreement.
Neptune Energy today announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ørsted and Goal7 to explore powering new integrated energy hubs in the UK North Sea with offshore wind-generated electricity.
Integrated energy hubs have the potential to combine multiple energy systems, including existing oil and gas production assets, carbon storage and hydrogen production facilities. They could extend the life of producing fields and support the economic case for electrification with renewable energy, to keep carbon emissions low.
The agreement will see the companies examine the potential to supply renewable electricity from Ørsted’s Hornsea offshore windfarm projects to power future Neptune-operated hubs in the UK North Sea.
Goal7 will provide project management support and technical input.
Note.
- Neptune Energy has three oil and gas fields in the UK North Sea; Cygnus (operational), Isabella (exploration) and Seagull (development)
- Gas from Cygnus comes ashore at the Bacton Gas Terminal.
- Ørsted owns the Hornsea wind farm, which when fully developed will have a capacity of around 6.5 GW.
- Cygnus and Hornsea could be not much further than 50 km apart.
- Seagull and Isabella are further to the North and East of Aberdeen.
- Ørsted has an interest in the Broadshore wind farm, which was numbered 8 in the ScotWind Leasing round.
These are my thoughts.
The Cygnus Gas Field And The Hornsea Wind Farm
This could be like one of those stories where boy meets the girl next door and they hit it off from the first day.
This page on the Neptune web site says this about the Cygnus gas field.
The biggest natural gas discovery in the southern North Sea in over 30 years is now the largest single producing gas field in the UK, typically exporting over 250 million standard cubic feet of gas daily. Cygnus contributes six per cent of UK gas demand, supplying energy to the equivalent of 1.5 million UK homes. It has a field life of over 20 years.
Two drilling centres target ten wells. Cygnus Alpha consists of three bridge-linked platforms: a wellhead drilling centre, a processing/utilities unit and living quarters/central control room. Cygnus Bravo, an unmanned satellite platform, is approximately seven kilometres northwest of Cygnus Alpha.
In 2022, we plan to drill two new production wells at Cygnus, with the first of these expected to come onstream in 4Q. The second well is due to be drilled in the fourth quarter and is expected onstream in the first quarter of 2023, with both wells helping to maintain production from the field and offset natural decline.
Gas is exported via a 55 km pipeline. Cygnus connects via the Esmond Transmission System (ETS) pipeline to the gas-treatment terminal at Bacton, Norfolk. Neptune Energy has a 25% minority interest in ETS.
Note.
- Cygnus with a twenty year life could be one of the ways that we bridge the gap until we have the two Cs (Hinckley Point and Sizewell) and a few tens of offshore wind gigawatts online.
- The two extra wells at Cygnus will help bridge the gap.
- The gas field has a pipeline to Bacton.
So what can the gas field and the wind farm, do for each other?
Hornsea Can Supply The Power Needs Of Cygnus
Typically, ten percent of the gas extracted from the wells connected to a gas platform, will be converted into electricity using one or more gas-turbine engines; which will then be used to power the platform.
So, if electricity from the Hornsea wind farm, is used to power the platform, there are two benefits.
- More gas will be sent through the pipeline to Bacton.
- Less carbon dioxide will be emitted in recovering the gas.
Effectively, electricity has been turned into gas.
Electricity Can Be Stored On The Sea-Bed
The Hornsea One wind farm has an area in the order of 150 square miles and it is only one wind farm of four, that make up the Hornsea wind farm.
I would argue that there is plenty of space between the turbines and the wells of the Cygnus gas field to install some form of zero-carbon underwater battery to store electricity.
But does this technology exist?
Not yet! But in UK Cleantech Consortium Awarded Funding For Energy Storage Technology Integrated With Floating Wind, I described a technique called Marine Pumped Hydro, which is being developed by the STORE Consortium.
- Energy is stored as pressurised water in 3D-printed hollow concrete spheres fitted with a hydraulic turbine and pump.
- The spheres sit on the sea-bed.
- This page on the STORE Consortium web site, describes the technology in detail.
- The technology is has all been used before, but not together.
I think it is excellent technology and the UK government has backed it with £150,000 of taxpayers’ money.
I also believe that Marine Pumped Hydro or something like it, could be the solution to the intermittency of wind farms.
Excess Electricity Can Be Converted Into Hydrogen
Any spare electricity from the wind farm can drive an electrolyser to convert it into hydrogen.
The electrolyser could be mounted on one of the Cygnus platforms, or it could even float.
The hydrogen produced would be blended with the gas and sent to Bacton.
Carbon Dioxide Can Be Stored In The Depleted Cygnus Gas Field
As the gas field empties of natural gas, the gas pipes to the Cygnus gas field can be reversed and used to bring carbon dioxide to the gas field to be stored.
The Cygnus gas field has gone full circle from providing gas to storing the same amount of carbon that the gas has produced in its use.
These are two paragraphs from the press release.
Neptune Energy’s Director of New Energy, Pierre Girard, said: “The development of integrated energy hubs is an important part of Neptune’s strategy to store more carbon than is emitted from our operations and the use of our sold products by 2030.
“Neptune has submitted three applications under the recent Carbon Dioxide Appraisal and Storage Licensing Round, and securing the licences would enable us to develop future proposals for integrated energy hubs in the UK North Sea.
I can envisage a large gas-fired power-station with carbon capture being built in Norfolk, which will do the following.
- Take a supply of natural gas from the Cygnus gas field via the Bacton gas terminal.
- Convert the hydrogen in the gas into electricity.
- Convert the carbon in the gas into carbon dioxide.
- Store the carbon dioxide in the Cygnus gas field via Bacton.
- I also suspect, that if a Norfolk farmer, manufacturer or entrepreneur has a use for thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide, they would be welcomed with open arms.
Would the ultra-greens of this world, accept this power station as zero-carbon?
The Isabella And Seagull Gas Fields And The Broadshore Wind Farm
Could a similar set of projects be applied to the Isabella and Seagull gas fields, using the Broadshore wind farm?
I don’t see why not and they could work with the Peterhead power stations.
Stadler Presents Mock-Up Of Tram-Trains For German And Austrian Operators
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the first paragraph.
A mock-up of the Citylink tram-trains that Stadler is to supply to operators in Karlsruhe, Saarbrücken, Neckar-Alb, Oberösterreich and Salzburg was unveiled at the Betriebshof West depot in Karlsruhe on December 13.
This is the most interesting paragraph.
‘Maximum standardisation and the fact that the order was shared between different operating companies reduces the costs by to up to €1m per vehicle’, said Karlsruhe Mayor Frank Mentrup at the unveiling ceremony.
It shows the value of standardisation and large orders.
The Anonymous Widower 