Statins Are Not To Blame For Most Muscle Pain, Scientists Conclude
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
This is the first two paragraphs, that outlines the study.
Fears over statin side effects are unfounded as they only lead to muscle pain in 1 per cent of patients, a comprehensive study has shown.
University of Oxford scientists say they have “definitively” proven wrong the widespread belief that statins are a common cause of muscle symptoms.
Can my experience, add anything to the argument?
- I am seventy-five years, 170 cms. in height and weigh just over sixty-two kilograms.
- I have been taking statins, at least since I had my stroke ten years ago.
- I have been diagnosed with arthritis in my left knee. I put this down to the fact, that my wife and I had three small children fifty years ago and lived in a fifth-floor flat with no lift. All the carrying up the stairs damaged the knee and it flares up every ten years or so!
- I have constant minor pain in my left humerus, which was broken by the school bully, when I was fourteen.
- When I was diagnosed as a coeliac and went gluten-free, a lot of my muscle and joint pains were reduced.
- The pain levels seem to have risen again since going on statins.
This page on the NHS web site is an overview of Coeliac Disease.
In a section, which is called Who’s Affected?, this is said.
Coeliac disease is a condition that affects at least 1 in every 100 people in the UK.
But some experts think this may be underestimated because milder cases may go undiagnosed or be misdiagnosed as other digestive conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Reported cases of coeliac disease are around 3 times higher in women than men.
I also believe that the number of diagnosed coeliacs, is also affected by the fact that there was no test for coeliac disease in children until 1960 and that a reliable genetic test wasn’t available until the 1990s. This will lead to numbers of undiagnosed coeliacs in the older population.
Coincidence Or Just Facts?
Note that statin side effects only lead to muscle pain in one per cent of patients according to the report in The Times and one per cent of the population are coeliac.
Conclusion
I’m no medic, but I am a coeliac and an analyser of data. I believe that better analysis of the data may add some new insight.
For instance, as coeliac disease is three times higher in women, then if it is involved, then it would mean that the muscle pain ratios will have a sex component.
I also believe, that all medical research databases, should record, whether the participants are coeliacs.
Cummins Fuel Cell Technology Powers Coradia iLint Fleet In Germany
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Green Car Congress.
This is the first paragraph.
Cummins is powering the world’s first fleet of hydrogen trains in Bremervörde, Lower Saxony, Germany. The Alstom Coradia iLint trains (earlier post) are outfitted with Cummins fuel cell systems and will run on the world’s first 100%-hydrogen train route in passenger operation. The first zero-emissions passenger trains in the 14-train fleet arrived in mid-summer.
I rode the prototype in March 2019 and wrote My First Ride In An Alstom Coradia iLint.
I took this picture at the time.
Note.
- The new fleet seem to have a slightly different front end with a snow plough, and a new colour scheme.
- According to the article, the Cummins fuel cell systems were assembled in Germany.
I have a few thoughts.
Cummins Fuel Cells
I must admit, I was a bit surprised to see that Cummins fuel cells are being used, as most other companies seem to be using Ballard.
But, having worked with Cummins on diesel engine testing and seen their thoroughness, I’m sure that their fuel cells will do a good job.
Is The Cummins Choice About Marketing?
Consider.
- Alstom has manufactured or assembled trains for the US market at Hornell, New York.
- Cummins is a large United States company.
- United States and Canadian railways are standard gauge, like most of Europe.
- United States and Canadian railways have a lot of track mileage without electrification.
- United States and Canadian railways use right hand running as does Germany.
- The Coradia iLint doesn’t need any electrification.
- The Coradia iLint has a range of 600–800 kilometres (370–500 mi) on a full tank of hydrogen.
I suspect that a German-specification, Coradia iLint might be possible to run in the United States and Canada, with only a different interior and signage.
If you are an Alstom train salesman in the United States, selling a commuter train to American cities and transit authorities, must be easier if the train has a substantial United States content.
I don’t think Cummins will be worried that the smart new train has their fuel cells, as it might help convert truck, van and car drivers to Cummins hydrogen technology.
I wouldn’t be surprised to learn, that Alstom got a premium deal from Cummins.
Are Hydrogen-Powered Trains Suited To North America?
Consider.
- There is a lot of track without electrification.
- Distances are long, which makes electrification expensive.
- Providing hydrogen for trains should be no more difficult than in Europe.
- In my experience hydrogen trains are a better passenger experience than diesel, in terms of noise and vibration.
I suspect that Alstom/Cummins could sell a lot of hydrogen-powered trains in the North America.
Where Are The Magnificent Eighteen?
In the two classic Japanese and American films of the fifties, there were seven saviours, who worked together.
This page on the Highview Power web site talks about their proposed CRYOBattery in Yorkshire, where this is said.
Highview Power’s second commercial renewable energy power station in the UK is a 200MW/2.5GWh facility in Yorkshire. This is the first of 18 sites for UK wide deployment strategically located to benefit from the existing transmission infrastructure.
As the UK’s energy problem is much worse than the problems in the films, perhaps we need more saviours.
In this article on the Telegraph, which is entitled Britain Will Soon Have A Glut Of Cheap Power, And World-Leading Batteries To Store It, Rupert Pearce, who is Highview’s chief executive, is quoted as saying the following.
Highview is well beyond the pilot phase and is developing its first large UK plant in Humberside, today Britain’s top hub for North Sea wind. It will offer 2.5GW for over 12 hours, or 0.5GW for over 60 hours, and so forth, and should be up and running by late 2024.
Further projects will be built at a breakneck speed of two to three a year during the 2020s, with a target of 20 sites able to provide almost 6GW of back-up electricity for four days at a time, or whatever time/power mix is optimal.
Is this Humberside CRYOBattery, the one on the web site described as in Yorkshire? It’s certainly in the old East Riding.
In Highview Power’s Plan To Add Energy Storage To The UK Power Network, I came to the conclusion, that the Humberside CRYOBattery will most likely be built near Creyke Beck substation, which is close to Cottingham.
- Dogger Bank A, Dogger Bank B and Hornsea 4 offshore wind farms will all be connected to the Creyke Beck substation.
- These wind farms have a total capacity of 3.4 GW.
- The Humberside CRYOBattery, now looks to have a maximum output of 2.5 GW.
- It looks like the Humberside CRYOBattery would be a well-matched backup to the three planned wind farms and perhaps even a few more turbines.
Building the Humberside CRYOBattery at Creyke Beck substation would appear to be a sensible decision.
We Only Have Half A Story
It looks like we’ve only got half a story, with a lot of detail missing.
- Will there be eighteen or twenty of Highview Power’s CRYOBatteries?
- Will they have a power output of 400 MW or nearly 6 GW for four hours?
- Will they have a storage capacity of 2.5 GWh or 30 GWh?
- Is the web site or the CEO correct?
- Have Highview Power and National Grid signed a deal for the next few CRYOBatteries?
I am expecting to see a big press statement at some time, perhaps even in the next few days, that will clear everything up.
If it was me, I would invite the new Prime Minister to the opening of the Carrington CRYOBattery and make the statement there.
The joint publicity could be equally valuable to both the Prime Minister and Highview Power.
Leading Transport Experts To Explore Innovative Options For The Watford To Croxley Link
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item on the Watford Borough Council web site.
The news item starts with this sub-title.
A wide range of proposals to bring a long disused stretch of railway back to life as a key transport link between Watford and Croxley Green are to be explored…
These four paragraphs then outline what is to be done.
A wide range of proposals to bring a long disused stretch of railway back to life as a key transport link between Watford and Croxley Green are to be explored by three leading travel and transport consultancies.
Atkins, SYSTRA UK and Wood Group will work in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council, Watford Borough Council, Three Rivers District Council and Network Rail to provide innovative solutions to improve connectivity within the area.
The transport link will connect important areas of Watford like the town centre, hospital, Watford FC and Croxley Park with Croxley Green and Watford Junction and the travel network beyond.
Securing the right solution is an important part of the overall plans of the partnership and Network Rail for future cleaner, healthier and greener travel in the area for the benefit of residents, visitors and commuters.
Note.
SYSTRA UK and the Wood Group are respected consultancies.
The main railway station, town centre, football ground and the hospital should be connected together by decent public transport. In Watford, as in many towns, they currently are a long walk or a taxi.
Watford Junction and Croxley stations will be connected together.
These are my thoughts.
The Abbey Line
I believe that the Abbey Line, which links Watford Junction and St. Albans Abbey stations should be included in any proposals.
- It has a rather unusual timetable with trains running every forty-five minutes.
- Proposals exist for a passing loop, which would allow two trains per hour (tph)
- All stations only have a single platform.
If it were updated to a modern railway, it would be a valuable asset with charm.
Connecting St. Albans Abbey And St. Albans City Stations
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the two stations.
Note.
- The yellow line in the South-West corner is the Abbey Line that terminates in St. Albans Abbey station.
- The orange line is the Midland Main Line passes through St. Albans City station.
- The dotted line crossing the Midland Main Line and linking to the Abbey Line is a disused railway that has been converted into the St, Albans Way.
Tram-trains with a tight turning circle might be able to use the Abbey Line and with selected use of street running be able visit the City Centre and terminate at St. Albans City station.
Connecting The Abbey Line And The London Overground
This map from OpenRailwayMap, shows the track layout at Watford Junction station.
Note.
- The orange tracks are the West Coast Main Line.
- The yellow track to the North of the West Coast Main Line is the Abbey Line.
- The yellow track to the South of the West Coast Main Line is the Watford DC Line of the London Overground.
If you were using tram-trains, like the Class 399 tram-trains on the Abbey Line, I suspect a single-track dive-under could connect the Abbey Line with the Overground tracks to Watford High Street station.
Why Tram-Trains?
Tram-Trains have advantages in a scheme like this.
- They can run as trams on the streets.
- They can run as trains on railway tracks.
- They can use lightweight catenary, which is quicker and more affordable to erect.
- They are narrower and lighter than trains.
- They have a tighter turning circle than trains.
But most importantly, tram-trains have been running successfully in Sheffield for several years.
The Eastern Section Of The Croxley Rail Link
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the Eastern section of the Croxley Rail Link.
Note.
- The yellow track is the Watford DC Line, which goes through Watford High Street station.
- A disused line runs via the Croxley Green Chord to the disused stations of Croxley Green, Watford Stadium and Watford West.
- Vicarage Road and Watford General Hospital are to the North of the disused line.
The original plan for the Croxley Rail Link would have seen a double-track along the line of the old railway with stations at Vicarage Road and Watford General Hospital.
I don’t see why tram-trains could join the Watford DC Line to the South of Watford Junction station, go through Watford High Street station and then continue along the reinstated track.
The Western Section Of The Croxley Rail Link
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the Western section of the Croxley Rail Link.
Note.
- The blue track is the Metropolitan Line, which runs to Watford station.
- The disused line runs West from the former Watford West station to the roundabout at Croxley Green on the A 412.
The original plan involved a large double-track viaduct, which is shown in this visualisation from the Watford Observer.
Note that the roundabout is the Croxley Green roundabout.
This Google Map shows the Croxley Green roundabout.
Note.
- The Metropolitan Line to Watford station runs across the North-West corner of the map.
- The Croxley Green roundabout is the roundabout in the West of the map.
- The disused railway runs from South of the roundabout to the South-East corner of the map.
- The proposed Cassiobridge station would be in the South-East corner of the map.
I wonder, if it would be possible to build a Croxley Green station to the South of the roundabout.
This would be an interim solution until it is worked out how to connect the Croxley Link to the Metropolitan Line.
Solutions could be.
- The original solution of a massive flyover, which would be very expensive and disruptive to build.
- Street-run the tram-train, which I feel are needed on the Croxley Link to Croxley station.
- Build a Croxley Green station on the Metropolitan Line to the North of the roundabout.
I think that experienced transport planners can find an acceptable solution.
Putin Burns $10m Of Gas A Day In Energy War With The West
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in The Times.
This is the first paragraph.
Russia is burning off an estimated $10 million of natural gas a day from a single plant, leading to accusations that President Putin is deploying his country’s vast energy reserves as a weapon against Europe.
It just showed the sort of idiot we’re dealing with!
- He doesn’t care about the planet.
- He’s effectively burning his country’s cash reserves.
- He’s spurring Western engineers on, to on the one hand find ways to beat him and on the other to find ways to make our gas go further, so we don’t need to buy his bloodstained gas.
- If he thinks, that he might provoke a war with Finland, I suspect the Finns are too bright for that.
They’ll be waiting and if the Russian Army should invade, they’ll get the kicking of a lifetime, just like Stalin’s thugs did in the Winter War of 1939-1940.
I
Would A Lower Cost Rail Link To Skelmersdale Be Possible?
In the Wikipedia entry for Skelmersdale railway station, there is a section called Reopening Proposals, where this is said.
Skelmersdale has been described as the largest town in North-West England that doesn’t have a railway station, although Leigh, Greater Manchester, which also has no station is larger.
This section called 2022, gives the latest status of the proposals to connect Skelmersdale to the UK rail network.
Government reinforces that the station proposals are being considered. Rosie Cooper calls for the new Rail Minister to visit Skelmersdale, in order to aid the DfT’s decision. However, the Department for Transport announced in July 2022 that it was rejecting the Strategic Outline Business Case, throwing the scheme into doubt. The DfT instead suggested that better bus links with the Kirkby–Wigan rail line would be a cheaper way of improving connectivity for Skelmersdale.
This Google Map shows the town of Skelmersdale.
Skelmersdale is a town with an extensive road network, with good links to the M58 motorway.
I would suspect, that those who don’t have access to a car or some other form of personal transport, are second-class citizens.
According to Wikipedia, in the latest statement from the DfT, this was said.
The DfT instead suggested that better bus links with the Kirkby–Wigan rail line would be a cheaper way of improving connectivity for Skelmersdale.
I would simplify the DfT statement by removing the word bus. All transport links should be improved.
Consider.
- By the end of 2023, there will be five stations between Kirkby and Wigan; Headbolt Lane, Rainford, Upholland, Orrell and Pemberton.
- Upholland station is the nearest to Skelmersdale.
- Headbolt Lane station is being built with approximately 300 car parking spaces.
- Rainford station has ten car parking spaces.
- Upholland station has no car parking.
- Orrell station has no car parking.
- Pemberton station has no car parking.
- From Google Maps it doesn’t look promising to add parking at Rainford, Upholland, Orrell and Pemberton stations.
- Only Headbolt Lane station will have bicycle parking.
- Headbolt Lane station will have direct rail access to Liverpool.
- Headbolt Lane, Rainford, Upholland, Orrell and Pemberton stations will have direct rail access to Wigan and Manchester.
- Headbolt Lane station will be built with provision for buses.
- Skelmersdale bus station is at the main shopping centre in the centre of the town.
After Headbolt station opens in 2023, I would do the following.
- Provide a high-capacity bus service between Headbolt Lane station and Skelmersdale.
- Provide secure bicycle parking at Rainford, Upholland, Orrell and Pemberton stations.
- Investigate a bus service between Upholland station and Skelmersdale.
- Monitor all passenger movements in the area, to see whether a rail link is needed.
Once Headbolt Lane station and the new services settle down, it should be possible to make a good estimate of the number of passengers who would use the rail link.
These are my thoughts on a lower-cost service to a new Skelmersdale station.
The Current Plan For A Branch To Skelmersdale
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the proposed future railway between Skelmersdale and the Wigan and Kirkby Line.
Note.
- The new branch to Skelmersdale is shown dotted.
- The Northern end of the branch is in the Concourse shopping centre in Skelmersdale.
- The branch goes under the M 58 Motorway.
- The branch joins the Wigan and Kirkby Line in a triangular junction.
- Rainford station is to the West of the junction.
- Upholland station is to the East of the junction.
It could be a complete solution.
Will There Be A Direct Service Between Skelmersdale And Liverpool?
I feel the design of Headbolt Lane station precludes this, as there doesn’t appear to be a line through Headbolt Lane station, as all three platforms are terminal platforms, with two serving Liverpool and one serving Wigan and Manchester.
Passengers would need to change at Headbolt Lane station, if travelling between Skelmersdale And Liverpool.
Will There Be A Direct Service Between Skelmersdale And Manchester?
This would appear to be possible.
Could The Original Route Be Used?
The original Skelmersdale Branch ran between Rainford and Ormskirk, with a station on the West side of Skelmersdale.
This Google Map shows the route.
Note.
- Skelmersdale town centre and the Concourse shopping centre are in the North-East corner of the map.
- The M 58 motoway runs across the top of the map.
- The dark green scar of the Skelmersdale branch runs down the West side of the map.
- Just below, where the motorway and the old railway cross, there is a large landfill.
- Rainford station on the Wigan and Kirkby Line is towards the bottom of the map.
I wonder, if a lower-cost track layout could be slotted in partially using the route of the old railway.
- It would be mainly single track.
- The branch would only connect to Headbolt Lane station.
- A passing loop would be needed to run two trains per hour (tph).
- It might be possible to slot a single-track through to the centre of Skelmersdale.
Would it be an alternative, if a Park-And-Ride station were built near or on top of the landfill?
What Would Be The Train Service?
Southport station has the following services.
- Four tph to and from Liverpool
- Two tph to and from Wigan Wallgate and Manchester
I think reasons of fairness would dictate that Skelmersdale has a two tph service to both Liverpool and Manchester.
It is also worth looking at the services through Wigan Wallgate station.
- 1 tph – between Southport and Alderley Edge via Westhoughton and Manchester Piccadilly
- 1 tph – between Southport and Stalybridge via Westhoughton and Manchester Victoria
- 1 tph – between Kirkby and Blackburn via Atherton and Manchester Victoria
The third service does not run on Sundays. This is surely an omission in the timetable, that should be rectified.
Wigan Wallgate And Skelmersdale Via Headbolt Lane
As I said earlier Headbolt Lane station is a station with three terminal platforms, two of which will have trains to and from Liverpool and the other will have trains to and from Wigan Wallgate and Manchester.
If Headbolt Lane and Skelmersdale stations are connected by a route using the original branch, it would be possible to run a service between Wigan Wallgate and Skelmersdale stations with a reverse at Headbolt Lane station.
Note.
- The Kirkby and Wigan Wallgate Line is double-track and all stations have two platforms.
- A passing loop on the Headbolt Lane and Skelmersdale section would probably be needed for two tph.
- Passengers between Skelmersdale and Liverpool would change at Headbolt Lane station.
- There would be no changes to services between Liverpool and Headbolt Lane stations and they would remain at 4 tph.
- Preferably, Wigan Wallgate and Skelmersdale would operate at two tph.
- All stations between Wigan Wallgate and Headbolt Lane would get two tph to Manchester.
- I estimate that Wigan Wallgate to Skelmersdale is less than twenty miles.
- In Bolton-Wigan £78m Rail Electrification Project Announced, I indicate that Wigan Wallgate station will be electrified.
The service to Manchester could either be direct or with a change at Wigan Wallgate to a Southport service.
A Shuttle Train Between Wigan Wallgate And Skelmersdale Via Headbolt Lane
This may be an alternative to running the Skelmersdale service all the way to Manchester.
- Services would terminate in the bay Platform 3 at Wigan Wallgate station.
- Passengers to and from Manchester would catch a Southport train.
- The frequency of the shuttle train would be two tph.
Using a shuttle would need less trains.
Rolling Stock
The Wikipedia entry for the Kirkby branch line, shows the service being run by a Class 150 train, which are diesel-powered.
Services on the Manchester and Southport Line are run by a variety of diesel multiple units and all Class 769 trains.
If the platforms at Headbolt Lane and Skelmersdale are built to handle four-car trains, then Northern have any number of diesel multiple units and the Class 769 trains, which could run the service.
But there is also the possibility of using battery-electric multiple units, like the Class 321 BEMU train, that I wrote about in Eversholt Rail And Vivarail To Develop Class 321 BEMU.
- The distance between Wigan Wallgate and Skelmersdale is probably about twenty miles.
- Charging would be needed at Skelmersdale station.
- Wigan Wallgate would need an electrified route to Manchester.
- It also appears that the Class 321 BEMU, which will have a 30 minute range could handle the Wigan Wallgate and Southport leg on batteries.
- If a battery-electric shuttle train is used between Wigan Wallgate and Skelmersdale, it would be charged at both ends of the route.
It appears to me, that if Network Rail electrify between Wigan Wallgate and Manchester, then services between Manchester and Kirkby, Skelmersdale and Southport could be run by Class 321 BEMU trains, which with their Renatus interiors will not be British Rail trains rescued from the scrapyard.
It will also mean passengers between Liverpool and Skelmersdale will be using two smart trains.
Conclusion
Consider.
- New track should be the minimum possible between Headbolt Lane and Skelmersdale stations.
- Network Rail must electrify between Manchester and Wigan Wallgate.
- Class 321 BEMU trains should be used between Manchester and Headbolt Lane, Skelmersdale and Southport.
I believe that there is an affordable solution to the provision of electric train services to Skelmersdale somewhere in my ramblings.
Prysmian Completes HVDC Submarine Cable Testing
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on renews.biz.
The article has this sub-heading.
The ‘first’ 525kV extruded wire can increase maximum transmission capacity up to more than 2.5GW.
This paragraph gives the implications of this new maximum transmission capacity.
This will enable a massive increase of the maximum transmission capacity of bi-pole systems up to more than 2.5GW, which is more than double the value achieved with 320kV DC systems currently in service, Prysmian said.
As in the future we will have many more large offshore wind farms in the UK, this surely must mean that we will find connecting them up a lot easier.
Should The World Call A Halt To Large Nuclear Power Stations?
When I left Liverpool University in the 1960s with an engineering degree, my fellow graduates and myself felt that nuclear power would be a sensible way to provide the electricity we need. Aberfan and other disasters had ruined coal’s reputation and not one of my colleagues joined the National Coal Board.
Over the intervening years, nuclear power has suffered a greater proportion of adverse events compared to other forms of electricity generation.
Large nuclear has also suffered some of the largest time and cost overruns of any energy projects.
My optimism for nuclear power has declined, although I do hope and feel, that small modular factory-built reactors, like those proposed by Rolls-Royce and others, might prove to be as reliable and economic as gas-fired, hydro-electric and tidal power stations, or solar and wind farms.
The smaller size of an SMR could be advantageous in itself.
- Smaller factory-built power stations are more likely to be built on time and budget.
- The amount pf nuclear material involved is only about twenty percent of that of a large nuclear station.
- A smaller site would be easier to protect from terrorists and Putinistas.
- Would the risk of a serious accident be reduced?
- SMRs would be less of a blot on the landscape.
- SMRs would not need such a high-capacity grid connection.
- An SMR integrated with a high temperature electrolyser could be the easiest way to generate hydrogen for a large customer like a steelworks.
Overall, I believe an SMR would be involve less risk and disruption.
Zaporizhzhya
Zaporizhzhya is probably the last straw for large nuclear, although the incident isorchestrated by an evil dictator, who is much worse, than any of James Bond’s cruel adversities.
I doubt Putin would get the same leverage, if Zaporizhzhya were a gas-fired or hydroelectric power station.
Conclusion
I feel, the world must seriously question building any more large nuclear power stations.
New Octopus Energy Makes First Investment To Develop UK’s Largest Battery
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Renewable Energy Magazine.
This is the first paragraph.
Octopus Energy Group has launched its new renewables fund Octopus Energy Development Partnership (OEDP) which has just made its debut investment in renewables developer Exagen to build new green energy and rapidly grow the UK’s energy storage capacity.
These three paragraphs outline the deal with Exagen.
This latest multi-million pound deal sees OEDP take a 24 percent stake in Exagen, which is working on large-scale solar and battery facilities, partnering with farmers, landowners and local communities to build projects that help bring energy security.
This deal includes the option to purchase one of the UK’s largest batteries at 500 MW/1 GWh located in the Midlands, England, scheduled to be operational by 2027. This standalone battery would be the UK’s largest, and with the capacity to export the equivalent electricity usage of 235,000 homes in a single day. Batteries provide grid-balancing services by storing cheap green energy when it is abundant, and releasing it when it is needed.
As part of the agreement, OEDP has also acquired three solar farms with batteries on-site in the Midlands and North East of England, which Exagen is currently developing. The solar farms have a combined capacity of approximately 400 MW. Exagen already has 2 GW of solar and battery storage projects in their pipeline, which Octopus will be able to invest in once they’re ready to build.
I am intrigued about the 500 MW/1 GWh battery!
Will it be lithium-ion?
The largest lithium-ion battery in the world is currently the 400 MW/1.6 GWh battery at Moss Landing Power Plant in California, which offers more storage capacity, but less output than Exagen’s proposed battery.
Exagen’s battery needs to be operational by 2027, which means that there is almost five years for an alternative technology to be thoroughly tested.
Highview Power say this about their proposed CRYOBattery in Yorkshire, on their web site.
Highview Power’s second commercial renewable energy power station in the UK is a 200MW/2.5GWh facility in Yorkshire. This is the first of 18 sites for UK wide deployment strategically located to benefit from the existing transmission infrastructure.
A battery similar to Highview’s proposed battery in Yorkshire, would surely be big enough.
Exagen’s battery could be one of the eighteen mentioned on Highview Power’s web site.
As Highview are currently building their first commercial system at Carrington in Manchester and hope to commission it this year, there should be enough time to debug the design.
But there are other companies, who may have the capability to build a large enough battery in the timescale.
On the other hand, lithium-ion would be the conservative choice.
Ryze Hydrogen – The Future of Motorsport Is Hydrogen; Will Consumers Follow It In Its Wake?
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Hydrogen Central.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Internal combustion engines running on hydrogen produce just as much torque as their petrol-powered cousins, with all the associated noise and excitement.
Toyota put this theory to the test this month in the ninth round of the 2022 World Rally Championship (WRC) where it debuted the Toyota GR Yaris H2 concept car outside of Japan.
This is a must-read article, which makes some interesting points about the future of motorsport.
The Anonymous Widower 