Could A Highview Power CRYOBattery Be Mounted On An Offshore Platform?
In the early days of North Sea Oil and Gas, I was asked to help two Cambridge University engineering professors, with the mathematics and some of the problems, they were having with a revolutionary design of oil or gas platform.
I was convinced it would have worked, but sadly they were unable to sell the design to even a single customer and the company folded.
I have been following a company called Highview power and their CRYOBatteries, which store electricity as liquid air.
I just wonder, if the Cambridge design could be adapted to hold say a 50MW/300 MWh CRYOBattery, which could then be erected alongside the wind turbines in a wind farm.
This battery would then smooth the output of the wind farm.
Could Centrica Build An Alternative Grid For The UK?
Andy Burnham’s Speech In Liverpool Introduced The Great British Grid
This extract is what he said on energy and the grid.
One of the biggest barriers to growth in the UK is the cost of energy. British businesses and billpayers pay some of the highest energy costs in Europe.
Within 10 years, I want those costs to be in line with our neighbours.
This means reforming a broken energy market so it better serves the public interest.
We are already taking more control of our electricity prices with a massive expansion of home-grown renewables and nuclear. I have asked Miatta to speed up the breaking of the link between what we pay for power at home and the international gas market, to get bills down.
And we will be pragmatic in relation to the North Sea as we build a bridge to a clean energy future and face the climate crisis.
But it’s not just the price. The system needs to work better too. You would not believe how many businesses complain to me they can’t get going because they can’t get connected to the grid.
It pushes costs up. It drags growth down. And it holds Britain back. We won’t get the growth and inward investment we need if we don’t fix it.
So, for the first time, we will have a national energy plan and we will bring back local democratic control through a stronger role for mayors and local leaders.
But we must go further. Today I can announce our plan for Great British Grid. A new branch of Great British Energy. A publicly-owned company that will challenge the private sector operators.
But is Andy Burnham’s plan realisable?
The Great Grid Upgrade From Norwich To Tilbury
National Grid are aiming to replace the grid between Norwich and Tilbury to add extra capacity and the details of the project are on this web site.
This is a map of the route.
To ascertain the level of objections, I asked Google AI “Norwich to Tilbury grid objections” and received this reply.
Local councils, residents, and organizations object to National Grid’s Norwich to Tilbury Project primarily due to the visual and ecological damage of using 50-meter overhead pylons instead of offshore or underground alternatives.
Key Objections and Concerns
Overhead Pylons vs. Alternatives: Opposition to roughly 100 miles (159–183 km) of towering onshore overground lines. Objectors demand fully costed offshore high-voltage direct current (HVDC) or underground cabling options.
Environmental & Landscape Harm: Severe impact on protected and valued landscapes, including the Dedham Vale national landscape and Waveney Valley, alongside extensive tree loss and disruption to local wildlife habitats.
Heritage & Property Impacts: Damage to the settings of historic buildings and significant property or land devaluation, including negative impacts on planned developments like the Dunton Hills Garden Village in Brentwood.
Unrealistic Delivery Timeline: Concern that the targeted 2030/2031 completion deadline is overly ambitious, forcing rushed implementation without proper scrutiny of cumulative effects from multiple East Anglian energy projects.
Community Disruption: Strain on local highways, disruptive weekend and bank holiday working hours, agricultural disruption, and a lack of adequate community compensation or tangible social value.
The Nimbys don’t seem very keen on more and bigger overhead power lines.
Conclusion
I believe building a second set of power lines across the country will be very difficult, if not impossible.
The Investment Of Centrica And Others In innovative Energy Technology
I think we’ll see innovation from the likes of Centrica, Octopus, National Grid and others, as to how we get our energy delivered.
Centrica and others, who include the UK Government, have backed four British companies, that I’m sure will be used in the grid of 2030.
- Ceres have developed a fuel cell that runs on hydrogen, biomethane or natural gas. It was thought it would be used to power data centres, but it could be used to provide power anywhere there is a gas supply, like a big factory or a new housing estate.
- Heata was developed by British Gas Research and is part of a data centre, which sits in a domestic hot water tank and the waste heat gives you affordable hot water.
- Highview Power make liquid-air batteries up to 300 MW/3.2 GWh. Significantly, Andy Burnham performed the groundbreaking for a 50 MW/300 MWh battery in Manchester, when he was Mayor of Greater Manchester.
- HiiROC from Hull University have a way to make hydrogen that uses only a fifth of the electricity. Cemex are using HiiROC to make low-carbon cement at Rugby. I also think Jim Ratcliffe has plans for HiiROC, as he is an investor with Centrica and others.
Could Centrica build an innovative Great British Grid from their investments?
I don’t think so because of the problem I indicated earlier with Norwich to Tilbury of putting up more overhead cables.
But all of these four companies can provide support and enhancement to the existing grid.
- Ceres could be used to provide extra power, where it is needed, if there is a suitable gas supply.
- Heata could be used to give a large proportion of houses and flats affordable hot water.
- Highview Power could be used to provide energy storage where too much energy is being generated at times and needs to be stored for a number of hours.
- I believe that many large wind farms will be connected to the grid, with a Highview Power battery at the sub-station.
- I also believe that we could see Highview Power batteries installed offshore to smooth wind farm output.
- HiiROC could produce hydrogen when and where it is needed.
The big problem will be that the grid will get more complicated and will be more difficult to control.
In Centrica And Return Partner To Scale Battery Flexibility In Germany, I ask Google AI if Centrica are good at optimising batteries and received this reply.
Yes, Centrica is considered a strong and established player in grid battery (BESS) optimisation.
Centrica Energy leverages over 15 years of flexible asset trading experience and has actively optimised battery energy storage systems since 2018. They currently manage over 950 MW of grid-scale batteries on contract across the UK and Europe.
It may be difficult to manage all these assets, but it does appear that Centrica have the mathematicians and engineers, who are up to the task.
The Future Of Nuclear
Consider.
- The four nuclear stations at Hartlepool, Heysham 1, Heysham 2 and Torness are to be shut down by March 2030, which will lose approximately 5 GW of zero-carbon electricity.
- Hinckley Point C will deliver 3.2 GW from the early 2030s.
- Sizewell C will deliver 3.2 GW at some time in the future.
Can we rely on solar and wind power to power the UK?
It is not a question of can, but we have to.
But Centrica have made a bold move to link up with X-energy of the US to build a fleet of small modular reactors called an Xe-100.
- I wrote about the initial deal in Centrica And X-energy Agree To Deploy UK’s First Advanced Modular Reactors.
- In Hartlepool Nuclear Reactor Moves To UK Regulatory Assessment, I talk about how the first reactor will be built at Hartlepool.
- In Centrica, X-energy Advance Nuclear Plans As UK Regulators To Begin Design Review For Xe-100, I say more about the design and the parners in the Xe-100.
- In With Federal Funding Windfall, X-energy Advances Small Nuclear Reactor, I talk about US Federal funding for X-energy.
- In TRISO-X Completes Vertical Construction Of TX-1 Fuel Fabrication Facility, I describe how they are cracking on with the fuel facility in the US.
It certainly, seems to be a project that has started with a certain degree of momentum, which says to me, they have got the project management right.
But believe that these 80 MW Xe-100 reactors, if strategically placed around the country will keep us going as older nuclear and gas power stations are retired.
The Relationship Between Andy Burnham And Chris O’Shea
I wrote about this in Have Chris O’Shea And Andy Burnham Met?
I will assume its a good relationship, until proven otherwise.
Conclusion
I wonder whether in the end, the Great British Grid is a series of extensions to the current grid we have.
Councillors Urged To Raise No Objection To Hydro Scheme Near Loch Ness
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Highland Council planning officials have recommended councillors raise no objection to a hydro-electric project that would use water from Loch Ness
These initial four paragraphs give more details.
Under the proposals, Glen Earrach Pumped Storage Hydro scheme would use Loch nam Breac Dearga in hills above Drumnadrochit as an upper reservoir and Loch Ness as a lower one.
Glen Earrach Energy said its 2GW project would be one of the UK’s largest and most water efficient energy storage schemes.
Highland Council’s south planning applications committee is due to debate the proposals next week.
The Scottish government has consulted the local authority on the plans.
But has Nessy been consulted?
Seriously though, if you want to learn more the project has a web site.
This paragraph introduces the project.
Glen Earrach Energy is a 2GW, 34GWh pumped storage hydro project located on the Balmacaan Estate above Loch Ness. Using the site’s unique topography and a 480m head height, it will be one of the UK’s largest and most water efficient energy storage schemes.
It then gives these facts.
2GW of installed pumped capacity, 1.8GW of installed electrical generation capacity
34 GWh of clean energy output
10% reduction in the electricity grid’s post-2030 carbon footprint.
Over £2.9 billion in savings to electricity grid running costs
This really is a monster of a project!
Have Chris O’Shea And Andy Burnham Met?
I feel that this is a sensible question to ask Google AI.
I received this answer.
Yes, Centrica CEO Chris O’Shea and Prime Minister Andy Burnham have met.
They most recently crossed paths at the September 2026 Labour Party Conference in Liverpool.
During the event, Chris O’Shea was part of a slimmed-down delegation of top British business executives who attended a private meeting where Andy Burnham took questions and delivered a frank address regarding the “cost of business” and his future economic strategy.
They have also met previously during Burnham’s tenure as Mayor of Greater Manchester.
For instance, in April 2022, the banking group NatWest arranged a high-level meeting involving both Andy Burnham and Chris O’Shea to discuss green energy initiatives and policy incentives for sustainable housing.
It should also be noted, that Centrica, where Chris O’Shea is Chief Executive, have backed Highview Power’s 50 MW/300 MWh battery at Carrington in Greater Manchester. I wouldn’t be surprised that given the NatWest meetings, that Burnham and O’Shea met at Carrington at some point. In Andy Burnham and Highview Power, I investigated Burnham’s attitude to the Carrington battery and it appears to be positive.
I have just read this interview with Chris O’Shea in the Guardian.
Burnham and O’Shea have a lot of similarities in their lives.
- There is only a four years difference in their ages.
- Both are from Catholic families.
- Both may have had financial troubles in their families as children.
- Both went to good universities.
- Both are keen football supporters.
I can expect that on a lot of important issues, they are in agreement.
Centrica To Invest In Fund Backing The Technologies Driving The Energy Transition
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Centrica.
This is the sub-heading.
Centrica has made a $13.5 million anchor commitment to the first close of ERV Fund II, a new fund from London-based venture capital firm Energy Revolution. The fund is targeting US$50 million and invests at Seed and Series A in energy storage, grid technology and advanced materials.
These two paragraphs add more details.
The electrification of transport, heating and industry, alongside the rapid growth of data centres, is accelerating demand for electricity. That is putting greater pressure on the grids, storage systems, and materials needed to generate, move and deliver reliable power.
Founded in 2021, ERV Group backs early-stage energy technology companies through ERV Fund II and its venture builder, Prosemino. Its technical committee is led by three UK experts: Professor Paul Shearing, Director of the Zero Institute at Oxford University; Professor Chris Howard, Professor of Materials Physics at University College London; and Daniel Brett, CEO of Sention Technologies and formerly co-head of UCL’s Electrochemical Innovation Lab. The firm also has seven full-time PhDs across its technical team.
It looks to me, that this is a good long-term strategy from Centrica.
Jim Ratcliffe Mothballs UK Plants Over ‘Ridiculously High Gas Price’
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in The Times.
These three paragraphs give more details.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos is mothballing three chemical plants in Hull in response to Britain’s “ridiculously high gas price”.
The plants directly employ 245 people producing acetyls, which are used as raw materials for everything from pharmaceuticals to food and military explosives. Ineos said the sites support almost 4,000 jobs in the wider supply chain across Humberside.
Ineos’s Hull acetyls plants “just cannot compete” as gas prices are now 12 times higher in Britain than in the United States, Ratcliffe said. The plants use gas as a feedstock and also burn hydrogen derived from gas as an energy source to power chemical production.
I don’t think, that this story, is as simple as it seems.
Consider.
- Sir Jim Ratcliffe graduated from the University of Birmingham in 1974 with a degree in chemical engineering.
- The plants in Hull make acetyls.
- The acetyl group has a Wikipedia entry.
- From my own experience, the 1970s was an exciting time for chemical engineering.
- ICI were trying to use a process purchased from BASF to make acetylene, which failed miserably, as all the process did was coat Runcorn in soot.
- Did ICI use the acetylene to make acetyls?
- Google AI says you can make acetyl-containing compounds, such as acetic acid and vinyl acetate, starting from acetylene.
- For a time, I shared an office, with a fellow Liverpool University graduate, who was helping to get the ICI plant working.
In the end the ICI plant was dismantled.
Has Sir Jim Ratcliffe A Connection To HiiROC?
I asked Google AI this question and received this reply.
Yes, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has an indirect financial and strategic connection to HiiROC through his petrochemical company, INEOS.
The INEOS Connection: INEOS backed HydrogenOne Capital Growth—a hydrogen-focused investment fund—which made a £10 million equity investment in HiiROC to develop affordable “turquoise hydrogen” (clean hydrogen produced via thermal plasma electrolysis).
Shared Industrial Projects: HiiROC has collaborated on low-carbon hydrogen projects in the Humberside region close to major INEOS operational footprints, connecting clean-tech hydrogen initiatives with heavy UK industrial chemical hubs.
Note.
- The last paragraph, I clipped from The Times mentioned hydrogen.
- The HiiROC process can use any hydrocarbon gas as feedstock and is five times more energy efficient than traditional electrolysis.
- HiiROC is backed technically by the University of Hull.
- The ICI plant produced loads of soot and HiiROC produces carbon black, so I wonder, if the two processes are by any chance related?
It strikes me that some of the various interests have come up with a route to creating acetyls, that is more efficient.
I suspect Sir Jim Ratcliffe will disclose a clever plan at some time.
What Is The Connection Between The University Of Hull And HiiROC?
I asked Google AI this question and received this reply.
The University of Hull and HiiROC have a collaborative partnership focused on developing clean energy technology.
Nature of the ConnectionTechnology
Collaboration: HiiROC worked collaboratively with the University of Hull (leveraging regional programs like those from the university’s Aura Innovation Centre) to help develop and test Thermal Plasma Electrolysis (TPE).
Clean Energy Innovation: This proprietary TPE technology converts biomethane, flare gas, or natural gas into clean “emerald” hydrogen and valuable solid carbon black without greenhouse gas emissions.
By-Product Research: The partnership includes joint efforts to research potential commercial uses for carbon black, the solid carbon by-product created during HiiROC’s hydrogen-generation process.
Regional Growth: HiiROC established its development and testing facilities in Hull to advance this technology, working alongside local academic and business innovation networks tied to the university.
From my experience in the 1960s at ICI Mond Division in Cheshire, I believe that this could be one of the most important research projects in the UK.
Could INEOS Be Going To Collect All Their Flare Gas In Hull?
Consider.
- The HiiROC process can use any hydrocarbon gas as feedstock.
- This would include chemical plant flare gas, biomethane and natural gas.
- The HiiROC process extracts the hydrogen as hydrogen gas.
- The HiiROC process extracts the carbon as carbon black.
I have seven questions.
- Suppose INEOS collected all the flare gas from their chemical plants in Hull, could they use this as feedstock in a HiiROC process to create hydrogen efficiently?
- Could they collect biomethane from Humberside and mix this with the flare gas?
- Could they bring in extra flare gas from chemical plants elsewhere in the UK and Europe using coastal gas tankers or rail tankers?
- Could INEOS use natural gas, if they were short of flare gas and biomethane?
- Could any excess hydrogen be stored in Aldbrough or Rough gas storage?
- Could any excess hydrogen be sold on to other companies?
- Could hydrogen be used to make the acetyls?
I suspect that all questions have an answer in the affirmative.
Conclusion
I feel that Sir Jim Ratcliffe made a very shrewd investment in HiiROC.
Chinese Offshore Wind Foundation Manufacturer Inks MoU With Scotland’s Ardersier Port
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Dajin Heavy Industry and Haventus, the owner and developer of Ardersier Port in Scotland, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore combining Dajin’s manufacturing and transport capability with Ardersier’s port infrastructure to support both fixed-bottom and floating wind projects in the UK and across Europe.
These two paragraphs add more details.
Dajin and Haventus will also work together to identify potential new commercial opportunities and how Ardersier Port could provide a site for storage, marshalling, assembly and transportation of offshore wind components to the offshore wind foundation manufacturer.
According to Haventus, Ardersier Port’s extensive quayside land, deep-water access and a high-voltage power connection can support the manufacturing, fabrication, assembly and storage of large-scale structures for offshore wind and other energy-related projects.
These are my thoughts.
Where Is Ardesier?
This Google Map shows the location of the Port of Ardesier in relation to Inverness, the Orkneys and Shetlands, and Norway.
The Port of Ardesier would appear to be ideally placed to bring in business for the partnership.
This Google Map shows more detail around Haventus – Ardesier Port.
Note.
- Haventus appears to be located close to Inverness Airport, which has a railway station on the Inverness and Aberdeen Line.
- Inverness is on the Moray Firth.
Are Haventus A British Company?
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this section and received this answer.
Yes, Haventus is a British company.
It is registered in the UK with its corporate headquarters in London, and its primary operations focus on redeveloping the Ardersier Port in the Scottish Highlands to support offshore wind energy.
Company Details
Registration: Registered in England and Wales (Haventus Limited).Head Office: London, United Kingdom.
Project: Transforming the former fabrication yard at Ardersier Port near Inverness, Scotland, into an energy transition facility for offshore wind.
Key Backing: Funded by British institutions like the UK Infrastructure Bank and the Scottish National Investment Bank, alongside major private equity investment from US-based Quantum Capital Group.
Could The Port Of Ardersier Have A Rail Connection?
This OpenRailwayMap shows the Port of Ardersier, the Aberdeen and Inverness Line and Inverness Airport.
Note.
- The heavy black track is the Aberdeen and Inverness Line.
- The Port of Ardersier is above it in the middle of the map.
- Inverness Airport is marked by the blue arrow.
There seems to be a lot of space in the area.
Could A Steel Mini-Mill Be Built In The Area?
Consider.
- Dajin Heavy Industry could need a lot of steel.
- A steel mini-mill would need a lot of energy.
- The UK has a lot of scrap steel, that could be of good enough quality to make the steel gubbins needed for offshore wind components.
- Scrap could be brought in by sea or rail.
- That part of Scotland has lots of offshore wind power.
- Three pumped storage hydro systems are being built in the Scottish Highlands to store electricity.
- Workers could be brought in by train from as far as Aberdeen.
The Port of Ardersier could be an ideal place for a steel mini-mill.
How Many Acres Do You need for a Small Steel From Scrap Mill?
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this section and received this answer.
A small scrap-based steel mini-mill requires roughly 5 to 20 acres of land for basic production, casting, and rolling units.
If you include a dedicated on-site scrap yard and heavy inventory storage buffers, the requirement expands closer to 25 to 50+ acres.
Core Space Breakdown
Melt Shop & Electric Arc Furnace (EAF): 2 to 4 acres for the core melting furnace, ladle metallurgy furnace, and pollution control equipment.
Casting & Rolling Mill: 2 to 5 acres for continuous casting (billets or blooms) and the hot re-rolling lines.
Scrap Yard & Raw Materials: 5 to 20 acres depending on how much local scrap inventory you need to stockpile.
Finished Goods & Logistics: 3 to 10 acres for cooling beds, product staging, truck loading docks, and internal roadways.
From this crude analysis with Google AI, I believe that there is enough space to put a small steel mill in the area.
Ideas Borrowed From Failures During The Years Of North Sea Oil and Gas
I suspect there are a few of these, which might be possible to develop at Ardersier.
Conclusion
The Port of Ardersier has lots of possibilities,
Why Monopile Lowering Is Becoming A Critical Load Case For Jack-Ups
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
As offshore wind monopiles continue to increase in size, the installation phase is emerging as a key structural design consideration for jack-up vessels. According to a recent GustoMSC study, loads generated during monopile lowering can approach — and in some cases exceed — those associated with extreme survival conditions.
This paragraph adds more detail.
With monopile diameters now exceeding 10 metres and weights surpassing 2,000 tonnes, installation dynamics are becoming increasingly complex. The challenge is no longer simply about crane capacity. Instead, the interaction between the suspended monopile and the supporting jack-up is becoming a governing factor.
In the 1970s, I worked on a similar problem as a consultant to a Cambridge company called Balaena Structures.
I described the Balaena in The Balaena Lives, but I believe the design could be applied to a large monopole foundation for a large wind turbine.
- The idea came from two Cambridge University engineering professors, who were much older than me, so they’ve probably passed on.
- The design was patented.
- None were built, as no-one ordered one.
- The computer, that I ran the simulation on doesn’t exist anymore.
- But, I’m fairly certain, I could create a design of XXL Monopile for the world’s largest wind turbine.
- The Balaena was designed to be reuseable.
- I did all the calculations and I believe that the Balaena could be turned into an easier-to-handle XXL Monopole.
None of the details of this project are written down, but they are locked safely in my head.
Hornsea 3 Battery Energy Storage To Start Operations Next Year, Ørsted Selects Arenko’s Platform to Operate BESS
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Arenko has been selected by Ørsted to deploy its Nimbus optimisation, asset management and trading platform at the 300 MW/600 MWh Iceni battery energy storage system (BESS) that will be part of the 2.9 GW Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm in the UK. The BESS project is scheduled to enter operations in the first quarter of 2027.
These are the first three paragraphs.
Named Iceni, the battery storage project is being developed as one of the UK’s first large-scale co-location projects under the Offshore Transmission Network Review (OTNR).
Iceni is designed to share transmission infrastructure and an onshore grid connection with Hornsea 3, rather than securing a separate grid connection. According to Arenko, this makes it the world’s first utility-scale battery to be directly integrated into offshore transmission infrastructure.
Under the agreement with Ørsted, Arenko’s Nimbus software will be used to forecast market and asset conditions, determine how battery capacity should be allocated in real time and automate trading across power markets. The platform will also support the technical, data and controls integration required to operate the battery alongside the offshore wind farm through their shared connection.
Note.
The Offshore Transmission Network Review (OTNR) has a web site.
The Hornsea 3 wind farm has a capacity of about ten times that of the battery.
Centrica Energy And Zelestra Sign Battery Storage Tolling Agreement
The title of of this post, is the same as that as this press release from Centrica.
This is the sub-heading.
Centrica Energy and Zelestra have signed a physical tolling agreement for 99 MW / 297 MWh of battery storage capacity at Zelestra’s Hilgermissen BESS project, located in Lower Saxony, Germany.
These three paragraphs add some more details.
Under the agreement, Zelestra will develop, construct and own the battery storage project, building on their experience in delivering major projects in other markets and their extensive pipeline across Europe. Engineering and procurement activities will be completed this year leading to start of construction in 2027 and operations in 2028.
Under the tolling agreement, the battery will be optimised through Centrica Energy’s multi-market trading and optimisation services, enabling participation across Day-Ahead, Intraday and Ancillary Services in Germany.
Lower Saxony has a strong industrial base, from the automotive industry to agriculture and food production, as well as being a strong wind power and biomass energy producer. With a growing need for flexible capacity to support the stability and resilience of the power system, the BESS project will help accelerate renewable integration, strengthen grid flexibility and support Germany’s wider decarbonisation objectives.
In some ways, I find this press release a bit surprising.
Surely, a nation like Germany has the mathematicians, who are capable of doing this optimisation of a Battery Energy Storage System or BESS.
In New Optimisation Agreement For 70 MW / 160 MWh BESS In Sweden, I wrote about Centrica doing the same thing for the Swedes.
It strikes me, that somewhere in Centrica are one or more very bright mathematicians.
They have a web page, where they describe what they can do for your BESS.
I also believe, that underlying the management of the UK’s gas and the Grain LNG Terminal, which I talk about in Andy Burnham Set For Clash With MPs Over North Sea Oil And Gas, there is some very clever mathematics.
