Dogger Bank – The Joke That Is Growing Up To Be A Wind Powerhouse
The Wikipedia entry for the Dogger Bank, describes it like this.
Dogger Bank is a large sandbank in a shallow area of the North Sea about 100 kilometres (62 mi) off the east coast of England.
But many of my generation remember it from its use in the Shipping Forecast and as a joke place like the Balls Pond Road, Knotty Ash and East Cheam, in radio and TV comedy from the 1950s and 1960s.
But now it is being turned into one of the largest wind powerhouses!
According to Wikipedia’s list of the UK’s offshore wind farms, these wind farms are being developed on the Dogger Bank.
- Sofia Offshore Wind Farm – 1400 MW – Under Construction – Commissioning in 2023/26 – £39.65/MWh – RWE
- Dogger Bank A – 1235 MW – Under Construction – Commissioning in 2023/24 – £39.65/MWh – SSE/Equinor
- Dogger Bank B – 1235 MW – Pre-Construction – Commissioning in 2024/25 – £41.61/MWh – SSE/Equinor
- Dogger Bank C – 1218 MW – Pre-Construction – Commissioning in 2024/25 – £41.61/MWh – SSE/Equinor
- Dogger Bank D – 1320 MW – Early Planning – SSE/Equinor
- Dogger Bank South – 3000 MW – Early Planning – RWE
Note.
- These total up to 9408 MW.
- The Dogger Bank wind farms have their own web site.
- The Sofia offshore wind farm has its own web site.
- The Dogger Bank South wind farms have their own web site.
- Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B will connect to the National Grid at Creyke Beck to the North of Hull.
- Sofia and Dogger Bank C will connect to the National Grid at Lazenby on Teesside.
But this is only the start on the British section of the Dogger Bank.
This map, which comes courtesy of Energy Network Magazine and 4C Offshore is entitled 2001 UK Offshore Windfarm Map shows all UK offshore wind farms and their status. It looks to my naive mind, that there could be space for more wind farms to the North and West of the cluster of Digger Bank wind farms.
The North Sea Wind Power Hub
The UK doesn’t have full territorial rights to the Dogger Bank we share the bank with the Danes, Dutch and Germans.
In the Wikipedia entry for the Dogger Bank wind farm, this is said about the North Sea Wind Power Hub.
Dutch, German, and Danish electrical grid operators are cooperating in a project to build a North Sea Wind Power Hub complex on one or more artificial islands to be constructed on Dogger Bank as part of a European system for sustainable electricity. The power hub would interconnect the three national power grids with each other and with the Dogger Bank Wind Farm.
A study commissioned by Dutch electrical grid operator TenneT reported in February 2017 that as much as 110 gigawatts of wind energy generating capacity could ultimately be developed at the Dogger Bank location.
Note.
- 110 GW shared equally would be 27.5 GW.
- As we already have 9.4 GW of wind power, under construction or in planning around the Dogger Bank, could we find space for the other 18.1 GW?
- I suspect we could squeeze it in.
If we can and the Danes, Dutch and Germans can generate their share, the four countries would each have a 27.5 GW wind farm.
What would put the icing on the cake, would be if there could be a massive battery on the Dogger Bank. It wouldn’t be possible now and many would consider it a joke. But who knows what the capacity of an underwater battery based on concrete, steel, seawater and masses of ingenuity will be in a few years time.
Where Does Norway Fit In To The North Sea Wind Power Hub?
It could be argued that Norway could also connect to the North Sea Wind Power Hub.
- 110 GW shared equally would be 22 GW.
- Norway can build massive pumped storage hydroelectric power stations close to the landfall of an interconnector to the North Sea Wind Power Hub.
- the British, Danes, Dutch and Germans can’t do that, as they don’t have any handy mountains.
- Norway is a richer country the others involved in the project.
I can see Norway signing up to the North Sea Wind Power Hub.
The North Sea Link
The Wikipedia entry for the North Sea Link, introduces it like this.
The North Sea Link is a 1,400 MW high-voltage direct current submarine power cable between Norway and the United Kingdom.
At 720 km (450 mi) it is the longest subsea interconnector in the world. The cable became operational on 1 October 2021.
It runs between Kvilldal in Norway and Blyth in Northumberland.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see that the North Sea Link is modified, so that it has a connection to the North Sea Wind Power Hub.
Cryogenic Energy Plan Could Bring Jobs Boost To Largs
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Largs and Millport Weekly News.
These paragraphs outline the project.
Proposals for a ground-breaking cryogenic energy storage system at Hunterston Marine Construction Yard have been unveiled..
The proposed development will generate 49.9MW of electricity – and is expected to create around ten jobs.
The cryogenic energy storage system comprises three main processes: a charging system, an energy store, and power recovery.
It turns ambient air into liquid, stores the liquid air in tanks and, when needed, expands the liquid air into a gas which generates electricity.
Highview Power are mentioned as behind the project.
As the report is dated the 21st if August 2021, is this another of Highview Power’s might-have-been projects?
UK Group Plans First Large-Scale Liquid Air Energy Storage Plant
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the FT.
This is the first paragraph.
Highview Power is attempting to raise £400mn to fund project with capacity to supply 600,000 homes.
Note.
- This battery will have an output of 30 MW and a storage capacity of 300 MWh.
- The battery will be built at Carrington, near Manchester.
- Highview Power hope it will be opened by the end of 2024.
- It appears that the £400 million will also be used to start the engineering for another four batteries.
The article gives a detailed history of the company.
How Is The XLinks Project Progressing?
The Wikipedia entry for the XLinks project has this introductory paragraph.
The Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project is a proposal to create 10.5 GW of renewable generation, 20 GWh of battery storage and a 3.6 GW high-voltage direct current interconnector to carry solar and wind-generated electricity from Morocco to the United Kingdom. Morocco has far more consistent weather, and so should provide consistent solar power even in midwinter.
I ask the question in the title of this post, as there are two articles about the XLinks project in The Times today.
This article is optimistic and is entitled Xlinks Morocco Project Could Throw Britain A Renewable Energy Lifeline.
On the other hand this article is more pessimistic and is entitled Britain ‘Risks Losing Out’ On Green Energy From The Sahara.
This is the first paragraph of the second article.
Sir Dave Lewis has complained of “frustratingly slow” talks with the government over an £18 billion plan to generate power in the Sahara and cable it to Britain. The former Tesco chief executive has warned that the energy could be routed elsewhere unless ministers commit to the scheme.
It appears there have been little agreement on the price.
I have some thoughts.
Will XLinks Get Funding?
Xlinks is going to be privately funded, but I have doubts about whether the funding will be made available.
As an engineer, who was involved in many of the major offshore projects of the last forty years of the last century, I believe that the XLinks project is feasible, but it is only 3.6 GW.
These wind farm projects are also likely to be privately funded.
- SSE’s Berwick Bank project opposite Berwick is 4.1 GW
- Aker’s Northern Horizon off Shetland is 10 GW.
- The Scotwind Leasing Round is 25 GW.
- There is talk of 10 GW being possible off East Anglia.
- 50 GW may be being possible in the Celtic Sea.
- BP is planning 3 GW in Morecambe Bay.
Many of these enormous wind power projects are looking for completion on or before 2030, which is the date given for the Morocco cable.
I do wonder, if those financing these energy projects will find these and other projects better value than a link to Morocco.
Is the Project Bold Enough?
Consider.
- Spain has high levels of solar, wind and hydro power.
- France is developing wind to go with their nuclear.
- Both countries and Portugal, also have mountains for sensibly-sized pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations.
- France, Spain, Portugal and Ireland also have the Atlantic for wind, tidal and wave power.
Perhaps, the solution, is an Atlantic interconnector linking the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar to West Africa.
Any excess power would be stored in the pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations and withdrawn as required.
In the UK, the National Grid are already using the huge 7800 GWh Ulla-Førre pumped-storage hydroelectric power station to store excess wind-generated energy using the North Sea Link from Blyth.
To my mind XLinks is just a UK-Morocco project.
BP’s Project In Mauretania
In bp And Mauritania To Explore Green Hydrogen At Scale, I discussed BP’s deal to create green hydrogen in Mauretania.
Is this a better plan, as hydrogen can be taken by tanker to where it is needed And for the best price.
Conclusion
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the XLinks project change direction.
Centrica Re-Opens Rough Storage Facility
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Centrica.
It has this sub-heading.
Rough Operational For Winter And Increases UK’s Storage Capacity By 50%.
On the face of it, this sounds like good news and these two paragraphs give more details.
Centrica has announced the reopening of the Rough gas storage facility, having completed significant engineering upgrades over the summer and commissioning over early autumn.
The initial investment programme means the company has made its first injection of gas into the site in over 5 years and is in a position to store up to 30 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas for UK homes and businesses over winter 2022/23, boosting the UK’s energy resilience.
Note.
- The Rough gas storage facility has been able to hold up to 100 billion cubic feet of gas in the past.
- Rough is a complex field with two platforms and thirty wells transferring gas to and from the facility.
- Additionally, there is an onshore gas-processing terminal at the Easington Gas Terminal, where it connects to the UK gas network.
It appears to be a comprehensive gas storage facility, that should get us through the 2022/3 winter.
These two paragraphs from the press release, which are the thoughts of the Centrica Chief Executive are significant.
Centrica Group Chief Executive, Chris O’Shea, said “I’m delighted that we have managed to return Rough to storage operations for this winter following a substantial investment in engineering modifications. Our long-term aim remains to turn the Rough field into the world’s biggest methane and hydrogen storage facility, bolstering the UK’s energy security, delivering a net zero electricity system by 2035, decarbonising the UK’s industrial clusters, such as the Humber region by 2040, and helping the UK economy by returning to being a net exporter of energy.
“In the short term we think Rough can help our energy system by storing natural gas when there is a surplus and producing this gas when the country needs it during cold snaps and peak demand. Rough is not a silver bullet for energy security, but it is a key part of a range of steps which can be taken to help the UK this winter.”
Note.
- Effectively, in the short term, Rough is a store for gas to help us through the winter.
- In the long-term, Rough will be turned into the world’s largest gas storage facility.
- It will be able to store both methane (natural gas) and hydrogen.
Having worked with project managers on complex oil and gas platforms and chemical plants, I wouldn’t be surprised to find, that when the design of this facility is released, it will be something special.
Centrica certainly seem to have upgraded Rough to be able to play a significant short term role this winter and they also seem to have developed a plan to give it a significant long-term role in the storage of hydrogen.
Aldbrough Gas Storage
A few miles up the coast is SSE’s and Equinor’s Aldbrough Gas Storage, which is being developed in salt caverns to hold natural gas and hydrogen.
Blending Of Hydrogen And Natural Gas
I believe that we’ll see a lot of blending of hydrogen and natural gas.
- Up to 20 % of hydrogen can be blended, without the need to change appliances, boilers and processes.
- This cuts carbon dioxide emissions.
I wrote about this in a post called HyDeploy.
It might be convenient to store hydrogen in Aldbrough and natural gas in Rough, so that customers could have the blend of gas they needed.
With two large gas stores for hydrogen under development, the HumberZero cluster is on its way.
National Grid’s North Sea Link Strengthens Electricity Supply And Repays Its Carbon Cost In Just Six Months
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from National Grid.
These are three bullet points from the press release.
- World’s longest subsea electricity cable has been in operation since Oct 2021.
- 5.7 terawatt (TWh) hours of clean power have been shared between GB and Norway, strengthening security of supply for consumers in both countries.
- It has saved 800,000 tonnes of carbon in the first year, paying off its carbon cost after only six months of operation.
This must surely be considered a good start.
These two paragraphs describe the operation in the first year.
During its first year of operation, the link has imported 4.6 TWh of clean electricity – enough to power 1.5 million British homes for a year.
North Sea Link has also exported 1.1 TWh to Norway, demonstrating the vital role that interconnectors play in strengthening energy security and maximising the benefits of clean energy sources for consumers across the UK and Europe.
In The Monster In The Mountains That Could Save Europe’s Winter, I describe what makes the North Sea Link so important.
It gives the UK access to the Norwegian Bank Of Electricity or Ulla-Førre, which is a complex of five hydroelectric power stations and a massive lake in the Norwegian mountains to the East of Stavanger.
- The power stations have a total generating capacity of 2.1 GW.
- Lake Blåsjø is able to hold enough water to generate 7800 GWh of electricity.
- Ulla-Førre can also supply electricity to Germany, through the 1.4 GW NordLink.
If Ulla-Førre has a problem, it is that if Norwegian weather is dry, the filling of Lake Blåsjø could be difficult, which is where the interconnector comes into its own, as excess UK wind power or the 1,185 MW Hartlepool nuclear power station, can be used to send electricity to Norway for storage.
In An Update To Will We Run Out Of Power This Winter?, I predicted we will add the following capacity to our renewable generation in the next three years.
- 2023 – 2925 MW
- 3024 – 3726 MW
- 2025 – 6476 MW
This is a total of 13,127 MW.
As a Control Engineer, I can see the following happening.
- Several of the UK’s gas-fired power stations will be mothballed.
- Some of the UK’s gas-fired power stations will be fitted with advanced control systems so they can supply more precise amounts of electricity.
- Some UK electricity is stored in Ulla-Førre for onward sale to Germany.
- Some UK electricity is stored in Ulla-Førre for withdrawal back to the UK, when needed.
One of Ulla-Førre’s main tasks could be to ensure that no UK electricity is wasted.
Conclusion
With all these wind generated electricity and electricity transfers, the Crown Estate, National Grid and the Treasury should be coining it.
The Germans are already building the 1.4 GW NeuConnect between the Isle of Grain and Wilhelmshaven to import more electricity.
But I do believe that another interconnector will be needed.
National Grid Installs LineVision Sensors To Expand The Capacity Of Existing Power Lines
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from National Grid.
These are four bullet points from the press release.
- LineVision’s Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) technology trialled for first time in Great Britain following successful deployment on National Grid’s electricity networks in the US.
- The sensors and data analytics platform will highlight spare capacity on overhead power lines allowing for the integration of more renewable power.
- Technology has the potential to unlock 0.6GW of additional capacity, enough to power more than 500,000 homes and save £1.4 million in network operating costs per year based on the results from the US networks.
- Combined with the construction of new infrastructure, the innovative technology forms part of National Grid’s work to upgrade and adapt the electricity network to meet increased demand and help deliver a net zero grid.
In some ways this seems like the sort of story, that could be filed under Too-Good-To-Be-True.
But as a Graduate Control Engineer, I’m willing to give National Grid and LineVision the benefit of the doubt.
- It appears to be technology proven in the United States.
- That experience should feed over, once the manuals are translated into the dual English-American form of English.
- I suspect that applying this technology to interconnectors could increase their capacity.
- I also think that as we add more storage, power sources or interconnectors to our electricity network, this will open up more savings.
- As the UK power network gets more complicated, the system should come into its own.
This is an excellent decision by National Grid.
Groundbreaking Green Energy Hub Planned For Former Thorpe Marsh Power Station Site
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from the Banks Group.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Outline plans are set to be revealed for the creation of a groundbreaking green energy hub at the former Thorpe Marsh power station site near Doncaster.
Other details include.
- The 1 GW Thorpe March coal-fired power station closed in 1994 and was demolished in 2012.
- The project would take advantage of the site’s existing 1,450MW connection to the National Grid.
- The storage capacity will be 2.8 GWh.
- The site is a a 65-hectare area of land to the west of the village of Barnby Dun.
It is thought to be the largest battery energy storage system currently being planned in the UK, and one of the largest anywhere in the world.
T have a few thoughts.
The Site At Barnby Dun
This Google Map shows the site to the West of Barnby Dun.
Note.
- The power station site is indicated by the six cooling towers.
- The Doncaster and Hull railway line runs across the map to the North of the cooling towers.
- The cooling towers were demolished in 2012, according to Wikipedia.
- More recent images on the web show a cleared site, with six concrete circles, where the towers once stood.
- There is a sub-station to the South of the former power station.
- The River Don runs North-South on the map.
- Barnby Dun is the village to the East of the River Don.
Because of the towers, I’m unsure of the date of the map. Are Google’s maps ten years old?
The site certainly has the three most important things; location, location and location.
I suspect too, that large pieces of equipment could be floated in by barge.
The Type Of Storage
The press release just talks of a 2.8 GWh battery, but what type is it?
Lithium-Ion
This section in Wikipedia gives details of the world’s largest lithium-ion grid batteries.
- At 2.8 GWh the Thorpe Marsh battery would be bigger than any lithium-ion batteries, that are currently in operation, anywhere in the world.
- It would also be the third largest lithium-ion battery in the world, under development.
- It’s up there with a smaller-scale pumped storage hydro-electric power station like Ffestiniog power station.
I suspect that this battery might not be lithium-ion but one of the newer technologies.
Gravitricity
I suspect that a Gravitricity battery would be too small.
Highview Power
On the Projects page of the Highview Power web site, there is a list of their UK projects.
One project is headlined Yorkshire, UK and it is described like this.
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.
Could this 2.5 GWh project be the 2.8 GWh battery planned for Thorpe Marsh?
300 MWh is not a big difference between friends.
A Meeting About The Power Station
This article on the Doncaster Free Press is entitled Plans For Former Thorpe Marsh Power Station To Be Turned Into Green Energy Hub.
The article gives a lot of useful information and says this about the meeting.
The launch of the plan will take place with a surgery in Barnby Dun Parish Hall, Wednesday 2 November, 2pm-7:30pm.
I shall be going to have a look on the 2nd. Would anybody care to join me?
The article does have an artists’s impression of the battery, but it is a stock image of a series of lithium-ion batteries, that came from the Banks Group press release.
New South Wales Plans Three Batteries
This article on Energy Storage News is entitled Shell Battery Project In New South Wales Would Add 1GWh Energy Storage To Growing Market.
The three batteries are.
- Shell – 500MW/1,000MWh BESS project in Wellington, in Central West NSW.
- Waratah Super Battery 700MW/1,400MWh transmission system “shock absorber”
- A proposed 500MW/2,000 MWh BESS from energy generator-retailer EnergyAustralia.
Note.
- All batteries appear to be lithium ion.
- This gives a total output of 1.7 GW and a total storage capacity of 4.4 GWh.
- The NSW government is targeting 12GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030.
- 3 GW of utility-scale wind and solar in development, construction, or already in operation, in the state.
The state seems to be making a good start.
Should Hospitals Be The Power Backup Locations?
I was reading an article in The Times about how protestors were blocking roads in Central London and they’re inadvertently stopped an ambulance.
So this question occurred to me. Why I don’t know, but my mind has always jumped about and put thoughts together?
Consider.
- The latest generation of energy storage that could be used to back up the grid are coming down in physical size.
- Hospitals have complex power systems, as they use a lot of electricity.
- Hospitals need emergency power backup.
- Because of their high electrical use, hospitals will have a high capacity connection to the National Grid.
- Some modern treatments need a lot of electricity.
- Will ambulances be battery-powered and will need to be charged up, whilst delivering patients?
- Many bus routes terminate at the local hospital, so if the buses are battery-powered, these could be charged as well.
As an Electrical and Control Engineer, I feel that to put a town, city or are’s back-up battery at the hospital would be a sensible idea.
Hospitals should be designed to be health, energy and transport hubs for their communities.
The Anonymous Widower 