Northumberland Line: Railway ‘Could Create Economic Powerhouse’
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the first paragraph.
An “east coast economic powerhouse” stretching from Edinburgh to Leeds could be created if the Northumberland Line rail scheme goes ahead, a public inquiry has been told.
The article also explains why a public inquiry is needed.
The article also says that about thirty objections have been raised.
Wright Electric Announces Plans For 100-Seater Electric Aircraft
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Electrive.
It is an article well worth a read about Wright’s plans to convert BAe 146 airliners into electric airlines.
Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft Offer Fresh Perspective For Sustainable Travel
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Engineer.
The article puts forward the view of Jenny Kavanagh, Chief Strategy Officer, Cranfield Aerospace Solutions.
They are developing Project Fresson, which appears to have switched from electric to hydrogen propulsion. In the article Jenny Kavanagh says it is showing more promise and in the Wikipedia entry for Project Fresson, there is a section on hydrogen power, which details the switch.
As the article in The Engineer and the Wikipedia entry for Project Fresson seem to agree, I would assume that that the Wikipedia entry is being updated.
Fortescue Unveils Green Investment Framework
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Mining Weekly.
This is the first paragraph.
Iron-ore major Fortescue Metals this week launched its Sustainability Financing Framework, enabling the future issuance of green and social debt instruments that will support investments in eligible green and social projects.
I have to admit, that I thought something like this might happen, after seeing all the Fortescue Future Industries publicity on a bus, which I wrote about in Green Hydrogen Can Save Us. But Waiting For It Won’t.
I did say this in that post.
Andrew Forrest is intending to get his message across to the City.
But I didn’t take any action.
I can see other companies and investment trusts following Andrew Forrest’s lead.
Public Inquiry Into Northumberland Line Due To Open This Week
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the News Post Leader.
It is also a good summary of where the various councils are with the reopening of the Northumberland Line.
The article says that work should start next summer and trains will run in 2024.
London Gets A New Bus Route
During the Bank Station Upgrade in the New Year, London will gain a new bus route.
It is described like this on New Civil Engineer.
A temporary new bus route, the 733 from Oval into the City (Finsbury Square), will also be introduced on weekdays. It will run every 7-8 minutes to help affected customers reach their destinations.
I use the to-be-closed section of the Northern Line regularly and not just on weekdays.
Yet again, the good citizens of East London have been ignored or short-changed by transport planners in City Hall.
We have endured no Waterloo and City Line for months. Although, that does seem to be opening, as I wrote in Waterloo & City line To Operate All Day By The End Of November.
Shocks Away! RAF To Fly Electric Planes
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on The Times.
The RAF is evaluating the Slovenian-built Pipistrel Velis Electro for use as a training aircraft. I learned to fly in a Cessna 150 and the Pipistrel Velis Electro seems to be a modern reincanation of that and similar classic designs.
- It seats two normal people side-by-side.
- It has a high wing.
- It has a fixed tricycle undercarriage.
- It is built from composites, whereas the Cessna was aluminium.
- It seems to have been carefully designed.
- It has full certification.
I would love to have a flight in one.
As the Danish Air Force are already using the aircraft for pilot training, I suspect that it might suit the RAF.
But then there are quite a lot of battery-electric under development and there may be a better one.
But there is no denying that the Pipistrel Velis Electro is a good aircraft to start the procurement process.
Is Thermify The Ultimate Zero-Carbon Boiler?
In The Sunday Times today, there is an article, which is entitled Tech Is Putting Net Zero Within Reach, which lists several ideas to help us achieve net zero.
The first is the best idea, that I’ve seen this year.
When you talk using a phone, tablet or computer to your family, preferred social network, bank or company, you are probably talking to or through a server somewhere on the Internet.
These servers are often a bank of computers and they use a lot of electricity and give out a lot of heat. So they are often located in unusual places like Iceland. Someone has even suggested putting them deep under the sea.
Under a section entitled Computer Power, the article in The Times introduces Thermify.
The Welsh company has combined a computer server with a heat exchanger to replace your gas-fired boiler.
I suspect all of these servers fit together just like data centres do all over the world.
It would be ideal for my house, as I only use gas for heating and hot water and I have solar panels on the roof and under-floor heating using hot water.
I shall be contacting the company next week.
Fortescue Future Industries As A First Mover In Global Green Hydrogen And Next Generation Mining Equipment
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on International Mining.
This is the most significant sentence in the article.
Fortescue has set an industry leading target to be carbon neutral by 2030.
The article details how Andrew Forrest’s company intends to do it.
I found the article a fascinating read.
Port Of Açu And Fortescue To Explore 300MW Hydrogen Plant In Brazil
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on H2Bulletin.
This is the first paragraph.
Brazilian ports have been attracting foreign investors to benefit from its abundant renewable resources. Porto do Açu Operações SA has recently started exploring opportunities to become a hydrogen production hub in Brazil, which H2Bulletin exclusively covered in its recent article.
The location of the Superport of Açu is shown on this Google Map.
Açu is marked by the red arrow and is about 300 km. from Rio de Janeiro.
Over the last year or so, I’ve noticed several ports declare the intention of becoming hydrogen hubs.
- Hydrogen can be used to power dock vehicles, tugs, work-boats and ships.
- Hydrogen can be used to support local businesses with high energy needs.
- In the future hydrogen may power freight trains to and from the port.
Do ports feel hydrogen is a good way to decarbonise?
Do Ports Make Good Hydrogen Hubs?
Consider.
- Ports and their staff are used to handling cargoes of all types including gases, chemicals, liquids and liquified gases.
- They generally have space for the tanks to store hydrogen.
- They have a good electrical connection for an electrolyser to create green hydrogen.
- They have lots of uses for hydrogen.
Any excess hydrogen can be exported to someone who needs it.
It seems to me, that a port is a good place for a hydrogen hub.
The Anonymous Widower 