Major Revamp Of Wales’ Busiest Station Gets Go-Ahead
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Plans for a major revamp of Wales’ busiest railway station have received final approval.
These three paragraphs add more details.
The £140m upgrades to Cardiff Central – including a new brick arch rear entrance, larger concourse and improved waiting areas – aim to support passenger growth and reduce overcrowding.
Better accessibility for people with reduced mobility and additional retail and cycle facilities are also among the changes.
Work is due to start in the middle of next year with the aim of completing most of it within three years.
Note.
- The new entrance on the south side of the station, was opened in September 2015.
- A new Platform 8 was added in 2017, which allows sixteen local trains per hour to run between Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street stations, to serve the twenty railway stations in the city.
- All platforms are bi-directional, which surely improves the flexibility of the rail network in Cardiff City centre.
- Access from the station to the Principality Stadium has improved greatly in recent years.
- The station will remain open during the works.
Cardiff’s railways are a comprehensive mix of local and inter-city trains.
I have some thoughts on Cardiff Station.
The Cardiff & Valleys Day Ranger
This very useful ticket, is the ideal way to explore the Cardiff and Valleys area and I’ve used it several times.
- I usually buy it from one of the two ticket offices in Cardiff Central station, but in one case, I did buy it in Paddington to save time.
- According to Transport for Wales, you can buy it on a local train from the conductor.
- It costs about £16 for an adult, but railcard apply.
I actually find taking a train up the valleys, is a good way to clean out my lungs.
Sights To See On The Cardiff & Valleys Lines
Google AI makes these suggestions.
The Cardiff & Valleys Lines offer historic castles (Cardiff, Caerphilly, Castell Coch), world-class museums (St Fagans, National Museum Cardiff, Big Pit), industrial heritage (Rhondda Heritage Park, Royal Mint Experience), and stunning nature in Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, with scenic railway journeys connecting these sites for history, culture, and outdoor adventure.
Hopefully, when the new Stadler trains and tram-trains are fully operational on the Cardiff & Valleys Lines, someone will write a full guide.
SeaTwirl AB Signs Agreement To Explore Ehe Feasibility Of Electrification Of Aquaculture In Chile
The title of this post, is the same, as that of this press release from SeaTwirl.
This is the sub-heading.
SeaTwirl AB has entered into an agreement to carry out a feasibility study for electrification of fish farms together with a global industrial supplier. The intention of the collaboration is to assess the use of SeaTwirl’s floating vertical-axis wind turbines to provide renewable electricity to offshore-based equipment at aquaculture assets in Chile.
These three paragraphs add more details.
The feasibility study will cover a comprehensive scope, including energy demand and power system requirements, environmental site conditions, cost assessments, supply chain opportunities, and logistics in Chilean waters with the intention to reduce dependence on diesel. The study is expected to be completed during 2026, and the results will help determine next steps.
Chile is home to one of the largest aquaculture industries in the world, and the sector is pursuing ambitious sustainability goals including lower emissions, increased use of renewable power and reduced risk of spills. While the contractual value of the agreement is limited, at approximately SEK 0,8 million, the engagement will generate revenue and represent an important step in SeaTwirl’s commercialization effort.
“This collaboration marks an exciting step towards our purpose to enable floating wind power wherever it is needed, and to expand the use of floating wind technology beyond traditional grid-connected applications. The aquaculture industry has a clear need for offshore renewable energy, and we believe our technology can deliver a robust and cost-effective solution. It is also a major milestone to become involved in the southern hemisphere where many of the challenges we try to address, such as limited availability of cranes, vessels, and yard infrastructure, may be more challenging than in the north. We see significant potential in the aquaculture segment and look forward to beginning this journey in South America”, says Johan Sandberg, CEO of SeaTwirl.
I do find it strange, that the two vertical wind turbines, that both seem to be more than prototypes are both Scandinavian.
The Ventum Dynamics turbine, that I talked about in Are These Turbines An Alternative To Solar Panels? is Norwegian and this one is installed on Skegness Pier.
IKEA could sell these for DIY-enthusiasts to assemble and erect. On my stud, I used to have a barn, that could certainly have taken two of these 1.5 KW VX175 turbines.
This link is video of a dancing and swimming SeaTwirl.
If you follow, the SeaTwirl video to its conclusion, you’ll see one being erected in the sea. I can assure you that in the 1970s, my 25-year-old self, did the calculations for a reusable oil production platform called a Balaena, which erected on the same principle. So, I’m fairly certain, that SeaTwirls can be an alternative to traditional wind turbines.
EDF Developing Offshore Wind-Powered Hydrogen Production Project In French EEZ
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
EDF Power Solutions has invited applications for a tender for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) services and hazard studies as part of a project to develop an offshore hydrogen production station in France’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
This is the first paragraph.
The project, dubbed HYODE (HYdrogen Offshore DunkerquE), will produce green hydrogen by coupling offshore wind farms with an offshore electrolyser near Dunkirk, France, and is planned to also include storage and transport by ship to port, forming what EDF describes as an “innovative solution” to help scale green hydrogen production.
I asked Google AI, if there are any operational offshore hydrogen electrolysers and received this answer.
Yes, there are operational offshore electrolyser projects, though large-scale, dedicated offshore hydrogen platforms are still in development. The first operational offshore production on an existing gas platform is planned for late 2024 with the PosHYdon project. Additionally, a pilot project in the UK is testing the full integration of a hydrogen electrolyser onto an existing offshore wind turbine, with another project in the Netherlands installing an offshore hydrogen production and storage platform.
But, I did get this page on page on the Ramboll web site, which is entitled The Rise Of Offshore Hydrogen Production At Scale, which has this introductory paragraph.
The stage is set for producing green hydrogen from offshore wind and desalinated seawater. Building on existing and proven technology, offshore wind farms have the potential to become future production hubs for green hydrogen production at scale to meet increasing demand.
That sounds very promising, especially, if proven technology is borrowed from the offshore oil and gas industry.
It’s
DeepForm
On Wednesday I went to the TDAP Wave 8 Demo Day, which was organised by the Advanced Propulsion Centre.
One of the cohort of companies there was DeepForm, who were described like this.
DeepForm is transforming sheet metal pressing with its patented cold-shear press design, which reduces blank sizes by up to 45 % and trimming waste by up to 85%. This drop-in technology lowers material costs and embodied CO2 in existing press lines without compromising performance, quality or speed. Spun out of the University of Cambridge in 2022, DeepForm enables OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to adopt the breakthrough through IP licensing, simulation and design support.
The company have an impressive web site, which deserves a very full read.
In their presentation, they showed two products, that could benefit from their innovation; a large steel component for Jaguar Land Rover and a humble aluminium drink can.
As I walked home ntoday, I saw this advert displayed on a bus stop.
The cans for BuzzBallz are also shown on the company’s web site.
But these products are are only the start.
For instance, I can see lots of small plastic items and components, that can’t be recycled, could be made from aluminium, which is easy to be recycle.
I also think companies like IKEA will love the design freedom, the technology will give.
Offshore Wind Developer Gets DNV Concept Certification for Floating Foundation Design
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
BayWa r.e. has received concept certification from DNV for its BayFloat floating wind semi-submersible concrete substructure and mooring system design. The design was validated using the 22 MW generic reference turbine “IEA-22-280-RWT”
These three introductory paragraphs give a few more details.
The certification process was conducted in accordance with DNV-SE-0422:2021-09 “Certification of floating wind turbines” scheme, including DNV-ST-0119:2021-06 “Floating wind turbine structures” as the governing standard, BayWa r.e. says.
The assessment concluded that the BayFloat concrete floating substructure, including the mooring system design, is feasible for further development and qualifies for DNV concept-level certification.
BayWa r.e. collaborated with the engineering company Ramboll on the design and certification process, with Ramboll providing design services, expert insights and engineering advice.
Note.
- Certification must be a good thing.
- If you are unfamiliar with DNV, then their Wikipedia entry, is a good place to start.
- As I was doing the calculations for a floating oil platform in the 1970s, I don’t see why floating wind turbines won’t work!
- Especially, as floating wind turbines, seem to have a higher capacity factor than fixed.
- Concrete also worked for oil and gas platforms, so why won’t it work for wind?
In fact I quite like this design.
These are some other thoughts and information.
The Buchan Wind Farm
Baywa r.e. are also developing the 960MW Buchan floating wind farm about 75 km North-East of Fraserburgh.
The Buchan Wind Farm web site says this about the technology to be used.
The project has identified BW Ideol’s patented Damping Pool® floating substructure as its preferred foundation option, with BW Ideol working actively to establish a manufacturing centre at the Ardersier Energy Transition Facility being developed at the former oil and gas fabrication yard on the Moray Firth.
Perhaps, Baywa r.e. are seeing if they can do better.
The Original Article
The original article also links to several designs of floating wind float design, so it is well worth a full read.
But then, each have their advantages in materials used, ease of construction, methods of assembly, ease of tow-out and erection and most importantly; cost!
Can A Broken Humerus Affect Your Hand And Wrist Long Term?
Sixty-four years ago, my left humerus was broken at school and I don’t think the local hospital fixed it too well. I also don’t think I had the best of physiotherapy, after some of my experiences with physios since my stroke, which have been of a generally very high-quality, from both the NHS and private physiotherapists.
The wrist has not been misbehaving itself recently, so I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this post and received this reply.
Yes, a broken humerus can affect your hand and wrist long-term, especially if a nerve like the radial nerve is injured during the fracture or surgery. This can cause temporary issues like wrist drop, which is the inability to extend the wrist and fingers, often improving with therapy. In rare cases, if nerve recovery is incomplete, surgical procedures may be necessary to restore function, though most fractures have an excellent long-term outlook with proper rehabilitation.
Note.
- I certainly didn’t have proper rehabilitation in 1961 at Highlands Hospital in Winchmore Hill.
- I wonder if I have actually suffered from wrist drop in recent years.
- I suspect that now there are better treatments available.
Google seem to have scraped the article from the respectable Cleveland Clinic.
Why Has My Left Humerus Got Worse In The Last Few Months?
I wonder, if it is new BYD buses on route 141.
- I always sit or stand downstairs, as at 78, I don’t want too risk climbing the stairs.
- The buses are more pokey and the seats are narrower than say a Routemaster or other British bus.
- On Routemasters and other British buses, I usually sit on the far-right seat to protect the humerus.
- It is getting increasingly knocked if I sit in the left-hand seat of a right-sided pair, by peoples’ backpacks.
- The seats are narrow on the BYD buses, and if sitting in a left-hand seat of a left-sided pair, my left humerus rubs against the outside wall of the bus. This is worse with a large person in the right seat.
- If I sit in the right-hand seat of a left-sided pair, it’s usually better, but if there’s a large person in the left seat, because of the narrow seats, the arm get knocked.
- On the BYD buses, there are no forward facing seats downstairs on the right side.
- There are some forward facing seats at the right side at the back, but they are difficult for me to climb into.
- The corridor from the front to the back in the bus is narrow and I sometimes bump the left humerus.
- I met a lady with a pram, who finds the corridor narrow for her pram.
- The step-up and down into the bus is higher and puts strain on my knees, unless I get it right.
I do wonder if the BYD buses were designed around smaller oriental people.
I certainly never had these problems, when I was riding on on Routemasters and other British-designed buses.
For the next few works, I will avoid travelling on the BYD buses unless I can sit in the right-hand seat of a pair, by myself.
I can also stand, if the bus isn’t too full. Looking back, I feel, I don’t mind standing on the buses.
I will now be forwarding this post to those that know me well.
UK, French, And Irish Ports Join Hands In Global Floating Wind Collaboration
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The UK’s Associated British Ports (ABP) has teamed up with France’s BrestPort and Ireland’s Shannon Foynes Port to establish the Global Floating Offshore Wind Ports Alliance (FLOW Ports Alliance) to help bring together major floating offshore wind ports across the world and unlock the technology’s full potential.
These first two paragraphs add more detail.
The FLOW Ports Alliance aims to recruit ports in Europe to collaborate on FLOW port design, standardisation, and best operational practices.
It plans to strengthen and accelerate compliant knowledge and experience exchange between ports, share best practices as they emerge through demonstration projects, and share innovations to the benefit of the global FLOW network.
Surely, a global network of ports that can handle construction, operation and maintenance of a range of floating wind platforms, is an excellent idea.
What Happened To The Toyota Hydrogen-Powered HiLux?
I wrote about this vehicle in Toyota Unveils Prototype Hydrogen Fuel Cell Hilux, but I’ve not heard any more.
So I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this post and received this reply.
The Toyota hydrogen-powered Hilux is currently in the demonstration and evaluation phase and has not been officially confirmed for mass production. Ten prototypes were built in the UK and are undergoing testing, with some being used for customer and media demonstrations at events like the Paris Olympics. Toyota is using this project to gather data, refine its hydrogen technology, and prepare for a future European market that could see the vehicle go on sale around 2028.
A simple Google search produced this YouTube video and this article in the Toyota UK magazine.
I don’t want to drive one, as that would be illegal, but I have just added riding in one of these beasts to my bucket list.
Toyota Have Gone To The Advanced Propulsion Centre For Their Latest Project
In Toyota Leads Multi-Million-Pound Micromobility Research Project, I write about another project, where Toyota have approached the Advanced Propulsion Centre for funding and technical help. So the Advanced Propulsion Centre must be doing something right, to attract another project from Toyota.
In CoacH2 – The Next Generation Coach, I write about how the Advanced Propulsion Centre are helping to develop the powertrain for Wrightbus’s upcoming hydrogen-powered coach.
It certainly looks like the Advanced Propulsion Centre are in the middle of the net-zero transport revolution.
The New Clock At London Bridge Station
These pictures show the new clock at London Bridge station.
This story on the Network Rail web site, which is entitled A New Timepiece For The Railway, gives more details.
Mega Airport Costing £24billion In Europe To Rival Heathrow And Dubai
The title of this post is the same as that of this article in the Daily Express.
A new mega airport is being built in Europe, and it is set to rival the likes of Dubai and London Heathrow in terms of size and capacity for passengers and planes alike
These three paragraphs add more details.
A plush new airport could be touching down in Europe, set to rival London’s Heathrow and even the esteemed Dubai International, as it aims to link the entire continent in unprecedented ways.
The Centralny Port Komunikacyjny, a proposed $32.5 billion project, is a fresh aviation gateway in Warsaw that carries the burden of Poland’s ambitious mega airport aspirations. However, the concept is swiftly progressing, with the official approval and handover of the passenger terminal design marking a significant leap forward.
This suggests the colossal airport is officially moving into its next phase of development. The question remains, will this new progression challenge the supremacy of the Middle East, home to both the world’s largest airport, King Fahd International Airport in Saudi Arabia, and the busiest, Dubai International Airport?
Note.
- In English, Centralny Port Komunikacyjny means Central Communications Port.
- CPK’s forecasted passenger capacity makes it a formidable contender as the new hub for Europe.
- Dubai is on course to handle 100 million passengers by the end of next year, thanks to its strategic geographical position with other continents, while the Polish project will eventually accommodate up to 44 million.
- n 2024, Heathrow Airport welcomed a record 83.9 million passengers, a 6% increase from the previous year.
Even the busiest airports in Europe handle far fewer passengers than Dubai.
Central Communications Port has a Wikipedia entry, which has this first paragraph.
The Central Transport Hub is a planned major infrastructure project in Poland aimed at the construction of a new international airport and the development of a nationwide integrated transport network. The airport is planned to be located approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) southwest of Warsaw, connected to a new high-speed rail network and controlled-access highway system linking it with much of the rest of the country.
Note.
- The airport will be designed by Foster + Partners in collaboration with Buro Happold.
- Initially the airport is planned to have two runways, but will eventually be expanded to four.
- The combined airport and railway station is planned to serve 40 million passengers per year, double the size of Berlin Brandenburg Airport.
- The long-term goal is about 100 million passengers per year.
These are my thoughts.
The Airport’s Location
The Wikipedia entry for the airport has a section called Location, which has this first paragraph.
The airport’s planned site is about 40 km west of Warsaw, next to the village Stanisławów which is part of Gmina Baranów in Grodzisk Mazowiecki County. The Baranow commune occupies a significant part of the Grodzisk County and, despite its rural character, has an extensive road infrastructure. The A2 autostrada and railway lines run in the immediate vicinity of the potential construction site, and Wrocław (Expressway S8) and Poznań (National road 92) is nearby.
It sounds to me, that a British equivalent airport, would be a four-runway airport at Birmingham Airport with connections to the M1, M6, HS2 and the West Coast Main Line.
Rail Connections
The Wikipedia entry says this about rail connections.
Planned train connections from the CPK will take 15 minutes to Warsaw Central railway station, 25 minutes to Łódź Fabryczna railway station, and 2 hours to most other major Polish cities, such as Kraków, Wrocław, Poznań and Gdańsk. The construction of a high-speed train to Frankfurt (Oder) is also planned, which is to shorten the travel time on the Berlin-CPK route to under 3.5 hours
I suspect that Rail Baltica’s trains between Berlin and Helsinki via Warsaw, Kaunus, Riga, Bialystok and Tallinn will also stop at the airport.
The Airport Will Become A Gateway To North-East Europe
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Central Communications Port become a low-cost gateway to the surrounding countries., like Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and hopefully Ukraine.
Polish Hospitality
Consider.
- Most Poles speak English better, than what I does!
- There are several large Polish cities that are worth a visit.
- The food is excellent, as the local basic ingredients are of high quality.
- I have spent about a month in Poland and I’ve stayed in all levels of accommodation from the lowest to the highest and have never felt need to complain.
- They handle my gluten-free diet with no problem.
My experience of Belarus was also similar.
The Anonymous Widower 