Torvex Energy
Hydrogen And Chlorine Production At ICI Mond Division in The 1960s.
In my time in the late 1960s, when I worked For ICI Mond Division, I spent time in the Castner-Kellner works trying fairly unsuccessfully to develop an analyser to detect mercury-in-air in the Castner-Kellner process, that created chlorine and hydrogen from brine.
The process is not a nice one as it uses a mercury cathode and Wikipedia says this about safety.
The mercury cell process continues in use to this day. Current-day mercury cell plant operations are criticized for environmental release of mercury leading in some cases to severe mercury poisoning (as occurred in Japan). Due to these concerns, mercury cell plants are being phased out, and a sustained effort is being made to reduce mercury emissions from existing plants.
ICI felt that a mercury-in-air analyser would help to make the plant safer.
But ICI did have an alternative way to produce the chlorine they needed for selling as a gas or liquid or using as a base chemical for products like disinfectants, bleaches and dry cleaning fluids, without the use of mercury.
It was only a small plant and I was taken there once.
As with the Castner-Kellner process, it used a series of electrolyser cells.
- These were smaller and had a tub, with a concrete lid.
- The anode and cathode and the pipes collecting the hydrogen and the chlorine went through the lid.
- They were rebuilt regularly.
- As with the Castner-Kellner process, brine is electrolysed.
- The process was old and probably dated from before the Castner-Kellner process.
But of course as there was no mercury, the hydrogen and chlorine were pure and could be used for certain types of manufacture like pharmaceuticals.
Torvex Energy
This article on Hydrogen Fuel News is entitled Stockton R&D Firm Unveils New Hydrogen From Seawater Production Process.
These are some points from the article.
- Torvex Energy, a Stockton research and development company, recently unveiled a new technique for producing hydrogen from seawater.
- This unique method of producing hydrogen from seawater does not result in oxygen gas emissions.
- As such, it is clearly quite different from more traditional water electrolysis methods used for producing green H2.
- The team behind the production method call it an environmentally friendly technique.
- There is no desalination process.
- The firm has patents pending on this unique form of electrochemical process.
- It worked with the Material Processing Institute to establish proof of concept for this purpose.
I originally felt that Torvex Energy may have updated the ancient ICI process, that I saw over forty years ago, but when I asked the company, they said it was different.
It now appears that they haven’t, which means they must have found a totally new process.
There is certainly an ongoing patent application with a number of gb1900680.8.
How Efficient Is The Torvex Energy Process?
This will be key and there is nothing on their web site or on the Internet to indicate, if the Torvex Energy process is more or less efficient than traditional electrolysis.
Offshore Hydrogen Production
The main application for the Torvex Energy process must surely be in the production of hydrogen offshore.
- A fleet of floating wind turbines could surround a mother platform with a Torvex Energy process.
- The hydrogen could then be sent ashore in a pipeline.
- If there to be a handy depleted gas field, this possibly could be used to store the gas.
Depending on the efficiency of the Torvex Energy process, this could be a more cost-effective way to bring energy ashore, as gas pipelines can be more affordable, than HVDC electrical links. Especially, if the pipeline already exists.
Conclusion
Torvex Energy would have appeared to have made a major breakthrough in the production of hydrogen.
Shell To Develop Blue Hydrogen Plant
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in The Times.
The article is based on this press release from Shell, which is entitled Shell And Uniper To Work Together On Blue Hydrogen Production Facility In The UK.
These are the three bullet points of the press release.
- Shell and Uniper sign co-operation agreement to progress plans for low-carbon hydrogen production at Uniper’s Killingholme site in North Lincolnshire
- Hydrogen produced could be used to decarbonise heavy industry, transport, heating and power across Humber and beyond.
- Project recently passed eligibility phase for UK Government’s Phase-2 carbon capture, usage and storage Cluster Sequencing Process.
Note.
- The Killingholme site is currently occupied by the 900 MW gas-fired Killingholme power station.
- Heavy industry on Humberside includes chemicals and oil refineries and the Scunthorpe steelworks.
This Google Map shows the location of Killingholme power station.
Note.
- Killingholme power station is marked by the red arrow.
- The river is the Humber.
- The Port of Immingham is on the power station side of the river.
- Cleethorpes Beach is marked by the green dot in the bottom-right hand corner.
- Grimsby is to the North of Cleethorpes.
- Between Grimsby and Killingworth power station is a mass of chemical works.
This second Google Map shows the area to the South-East of the power station.
Note.
- Killingholme power station is marked by the red arrow.
- The Hornsea 02 substation to the North of the power station.
- The large Uniper site to the South of the power station.
- The large number of tanks inland from the port and the chemical works.
I have some thoughts.
A Full Description Of The Project
This paragraph from the press release described the project.
Uniper has signed an agreement with Shell to progress plans to produce blue hydrogen at Uniper’s Killingholme power station site in the East of England. The hydrogen produced could be used to decarbonise industry, transport and power throughout the Humber region.
The Humber Hub Blue project includes plans for a blue hydrogen production facility with a capacity of up to 720 megawatts, using gas reformation technology with carbon capture and storage (CCS).
The captured carbon would be fed through the proposed Zero Carbon Humber onshore pipeline, part of the East Coast Cluster, recently selected as one of two CCS clusters to receive initial government support under the government’s cluster sequencing process.
I suspect that a lot of the plant from the existing Killingholme power station will be repurposed.
This is the specification of the power station.
The Uniper (Formerly E.ON UK) plant consists of two 450 MW Siemens V94.2 gas turbine modules each connected to a heat recovery steam generator using only a single steam turbine in a 2 into 1 configuration. Gas is supplied from a 26-mile pipeline from Theddlethorpe.
When it was built by Powergen (now called Uniper) and opened in April 1993 it was only the second gas-fired power station built in the UK. It was taken out of service in 2002 due to the lower price of electricity and was then restored to full service in August 2005, with one of the 450 MW units returning to service in April 2005.
It was announced that the power station will be closed in 2015.
Will The Project Use The Shell Blue Hydrogen Process?
Will the plant use the Shell Blue Hydrogen Process, that I described in Shell Process To Make Blue Hydrogen Production Affordable?
It appears the Shell Blue Hydrogen Process offers advantages.
- Shell are claiming, that with carbon dioxide costing $25-35/tonne, that their process is more economic than grey or green hydrogen.
- Steam reforming also needs steam, but this new process actually generates steam as a by-product, which further improves the economics, as integrated chemical plants use a lot of steam. Killingholme’s neighbours would probably welcome the steam.
- Shell are reporting capturing 99% of the carbon.
- It looks like savings of between 10 and 25 % are possible.
The most-fervent greens, may claim blue hydrogen is totally wrong.
But if it is more affordable than both grey and green hydrogen and all but one percent of the carbon dioxide is captured, I believe that this should be an option, that is fully investigated.
This appears to be a victory for top-class chemical engineering.
Northern Endurance Partnership
The Northern Endurance Partnership is described on this page of the Equinor web site, where this is said.
BP, Eni, Equinor, National Grid, Shell and Total today confirmed they have formed a new partnership, the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP), to develop offshore carbon dioxide (CO2) transport and storage infrastructure in the UK North Sea, with bp as operator.
This infrastructure will serve the proposed Net Zero Teesside (NZT) and Zero Carbon Humber (ZCH) projects that aim to establish decarbonised industrial clusters in Teesside and Humberside.
There is also a map.
Note.
- One facility would appear to serve the Tees and the Humber.
It looks like the depleted gas fields could hold a lot of carbon dioxide.
Carbon Capture
Some points from the Equinor press release about carbon capture.
- Blue hydrogen production at Killingholme could see the capture of around 1.6 million metric tonnes (Mt) of carbon a year through CCS.
- The UK Government has set a target to capture 10 Mt of carbon a year by 2030.
- NEP has submitted a bid for funding through Phase 2 of the UK Government’s Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge, aiming to accelerate the development of an offshore pipeline network to transport captured CO2 emissions from both NZT and ZCH to offshore geological storage beneath the UK North Sea.
These projects could could decarbonise a lot of businesses on Teesside and the Humber.
Carbon Capture And Use
The Equinor press release says this about carbon capture and use.
The Northern Endurance Partnership will channel the extensive experience of its members to develop and deliver the offshore transport and storage infrastructure we need to unlock the enormous benefits of deploying CCUS across the Humber and Teesside. We’re delighted to start working together with five really world class energy companies to deliver a solution that will play a critical role in decarbonising the UK’s largest industrial heartland and protecting tens of thousands of jobs in the process.”
Uses include.
- Feeding to salad vegetables, tomatoes, soft fruit and flowers in giant greenhouses.
- Creating sustainable aviation fuel.
- Creating building products like blocks and plaster board.
- Making better concrete.
This is a list that will grow.
Making Hydrogen With An Electrolyser
The Shell press release says this.
Uniper continues to develop a separate green hydrogen project, using electrolytic hydrogen production technology, as part of the overall Humber Hub development at Uniper’s Killingholme site. Uniper, along with its project partners, will shortly complete the Project Mayflower feasibility study, part funded by the Department for Transport’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, administered by InnovateUK, looking at the decarbonisation of port related activities at the Port of Immingham.
Note that the sub station for the 1.4 GW Hornsea 2 wind farm is close to both Killingholme power station and the Uniper web site.
What Will Happen To Shell’s Blue Hydrogen Plant?
I think there are two possible scenarios.
- It will be closed when Uniper’s electrolyser is fully on stream.
- It will become an emergency hydrogen source, when the wind is not blowing.
In both cases it will produce less carbon dioxide, thus leaving more space in the Northern Endurance Partnership.
Conclusion
It looks like there could be a comprehensive hydrogen production facility at Killingholme.
Highview Power Names Rupert Pearce Chief Executive Officer
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on business wire.
This is the first paragraph.
Highview Power, a global leader in providing long duration energy storage and essential grid services, has named Rupert Pearce as its new CEO. In this role, Pearce will leverage his expertise in guiding technology companies through significant transformation and globalisation to position Highview Power as a leader in accelerating the energy transition.
He certainly seems to be type of CEO, that Highview needs to succeed.
NeuConnect Awards Two Major Contracts
This page on the NeuConnect web site is entitled NeuConnect Awards Over £1.5 billion Of Major Contracts As First Ever UK-German Energy Link Moves An Important Step Closer.
NeuConnect is a proposed interconnector between England and Germany.
- It will have a capacity of 1.4 GW.
- The interconnector will be around 450 miles long.
- It will be HVDC, like many similar undersea power cables.
- As the title says, it will be the first-ever UK-German energy link.
Wikipedia describes the route like this.
The cable will run between the Greystones substation on the Isle of Grain, in Kent in England to the new Fedderwarden substation in Wilhelmshaven in the Lower Saxony region of Germany. Landfall will be next to Grain Coastal Park, in Kent, and at Hooksiel, near Wilhemshaven in Germany.
Two contracts have been awarded.
- The contract to design, manufacture, install, test and commission the 725km interconnector has been awarded to Prysmian Group.
- The contract to design and build two converter stations in the UK and Germany has been awarded to Siemens Energy.
This sounds like a very simple plan to add an important interconnector between the UK and Germany.
I have some observations and thoughts.
The Isle Of Grain
The Isle of Grain is described in Wikipedia like this.
Isle of Grain (Old English Greon, meaning gravel) is a village and the easternmost point of the Hoo Peninsula within the district of Medway in Kent, south-east England. No longer an island and now forming part of the peninsula, the area is almost all marshland and is a major habitat for diverse wetland birds. The village constitutes a civil parish, which at the 2011 census had a population of 1,648, a net decrease of 83 people in 10 years.
Apart for the birds, over the last few decades it has been home to the following.
- Until 1982, it was the location of a BP oil refinery.
- In the 1990s, the isle was used to make the segments for the lining of the Channel Tunnel.
- Following completion of the Channel Tunnel, the site is now part-occupied by Thamesport, the UK’s third largest container port.
- Next to the former BP site is Grain Power Station, built in the 1970s, which previously burnt oil.
- This power station was demolished in the 2015 and replaced with a 1.275 GW gas-fired power station.
- Another major installation is a new Grain Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) import facility, which takes heat from the gas-fired power station.
- The Isle of Grain is the landing point for the BritNed undersea power cable between The Netherlands and the UK.
The Google Map shows the Isle of Grain.
Note.
- Thamesport is in the South-West corner
- To its North is the LNG import facility.
- To the North-East of Thamesport is the 735 MW Medway power station.
- There is a rail connection to Hoo Junction on the North Kent Line.
This second Google Map shows the Eastern side of the Isle.
Note.
- Grain Coastal Park, where NeuConnect will make landfall, is marked by the green arrow at the top of the map.
- Towards the South-Eastern corner of the map is the 1.275 GW Grain gas-fired power station.
- To the East of the power station, there is more switchgear than you see in a bad Frankenstein film.
- The smaller square at the bottom with the two white squares could be the converter station for the BritNed interconnector.
I am sure there is space on the island for a connection for NeuConnect.
There is also a total of 2.01 GW of gas-fired power stations on the Isle of Grain.
Wind Power In The Thames Estuary
This Google Map shows the Thames Estuary.
Note that the red arrow indicates the Isle of Grain.
This map from Wikipedia shows the wind farms in the area.
These are the ones that are operational.
- 2 – East Anglia Array – 714 MW
- 8 – Greater Gabbard – 504 MW
- 9 – Gunfleet Sands – 184 MW
- 13 – Kentish Flats – 140 MW
- 15 – London Array – 630 MW
- 27 – Thanet – 300 MW
Note.
- The Isle of Grain is just above the second o in London.
- I have ignored the Ramplion wind farm (21!), as it is too far from the Isle of Grain.
- This is a total of nearly 2.5 GW.
Planned extensions in the area include.
- East Anglia Array – 3.1 GW – Completion date of 2026
But the Wikipedia entry for the East Anglia Array says this about the wind farm.
The target capacity for the entire East Anglia Zone is 7200 MW which could require up to 1200 turbines.
Could we see one of the following?
- A connector from the East Anglia Array to the Isle of Grain.
- One or more new wind farms in the Thames Estuary connected to the Isle of Grain.
- German investment in a wind farm or farms connected to the Isle of Grain.
The Isle of Grain could become an island of energy providing power for London, the South-East of England, Germany and The Netherlands.
An Electrolyser On The Isle Of Grain
Consider.
- There will be plenty of renewable electricity.
- As there is a liquified natural gas terminal, there is plenty of gas storage.
- One or both of the gas-fired power stations can be converted to run on hydrogen.
- As more and more trucks are converted to hydrogen, there will be a large demand for hydrogen for heavy transport.
This must surely make a large electrolyser on the Isle of Grain a possibility.
The BritNed Interconnector
The BritNed interconnector is described like this in Wikipedia.
BritNed is a 1,000 MW high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) submarine power cable between the Isle of Grain in Kent, the United Kingdom; and Maasvlakte in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
The BritNed interconnector would serve as a link for the foreseeable European super grid project.
Up to now, most of the electricity flow has been to the UK.
But surely, as more wind farms are developed power will flow the other way.
Wilhelmshaven Will Be A German Hub For Green Hydrogen
In Uniper To Make Wilhelmshaven German Hub For Green Hydrogen; Green Ammonia Import Terminal, I described plans by the Germans for a hydrogen hub at Wilhelmshaven.
The original story came from an article with the same name on Green Car Congress.
This is the first two paragraphs.
Under the name “Green Wilhelmshaven,” Germany-based international energy company Uniper plans to establish a German national hub for hydrogen in Wilhelmshaven and is working on a corresponding feasibility study.
Plans include an import terminal for green ammonia. The terminal will be equipped with an ammonia cracker for producing green hydrogen and will also be connected to the planned hydrogen network. A 410-megawatt electrolysis plant is also planned, which—in combination with the import terminal—would be capable of supplying around 295,000 metric tons or 10% of the demand expected for the whole of Germany in 2030.
As I said in the original post, I’m not happy about green ammonia, but the 1.4 GW NeuConnect interconnector has more than enough power to run a 410 MW electrolyser plant at full capacity.
It could even run three electrolysers of this size.
Hooksiel And Wilhelmshaven
NeuConnect will make landfall at Hooksiel.
This Google Map shows Hooksiel and Wilhelmshaven.
Note.
- Hooksiel is the village outlined in red.
- The water to the right of the map is the Jade Bight.
- The square block sticking out into the bight appears to be a container port.
- There appears to be chemical works or oil refineries North of the port.
- Wilhelmshaven is the town to the South of the port.
There would appear to be plenty of space for Uniper to construct Green Wilhelmshaven.
German And UK Wind Power Production
According to this page on Wikipedia, which is entitled Wind Power By Country, in 2020, these were installed wind power in various countries.
- Germany – 62,184 MW
- Spain – 27,089 MW
- UK – 24,665 MW
- France – 17,382 MW
- Italy – 10,389 MW
- Netherlands – 6,600 MW
In 2020 we were 37.5 GW behind Germany.
It looks like we’ll commission 3.3 GW this year and 6.1 in 2023, with Wikipedia saying that 12.9 GW is under development, which should close the gap to a certain extent.
In ScotWind Offshore Wind Leasing Delivers Major Boost To Scotland’s Net Zero Aspirations, I described how Scotland will add 15.1 GW of floating and 9.7 GW of fixed foundation offshore wind.
It looks like initially, we’ll be buying German wind-generated electricity, but in the future the direction could easily change around.
Boris And Olaf
There were mumblings from Boris, that energy was talked about in their meeting in Downing Street last week.
It does appear there is a lot of ways that the UK and Germany can co-operate in the future with respect to energy.
- German finance can be used to build wind farms in UK waters.
- German companies can build the turbines and the interconnectors we need to develop vast offshore wind farms.
- We can supply surplus energy to Germany through the NeuConnect interconnector.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Boris and Olaf had signed a very comprehensive energy co-operation agreement.
Velocys’s Waste-To-Fuel Project Moves Forward
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Let’s Recycle.
This is the first paragraph.
Velocys says it has completed works at its Altalto plant in Immingham, North East Lincolnshire, in preparation for a future connection to the East Coast Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) cluster.
In partnership with British Airways, Velocys is developing a facility that could convert up to 500,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste into fuel for planes and cars each year.
At last, this very interesting and important project is underway.
I believe that plants like this could be the way we keep flying until hydrogen-powered planes are developed.
Andrew Forrest Snaps Up Pilbara And Gascoyne Cattle Stations For Green Energy Production
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
This is the first paragraph.
Australian mining billionaire Andrew Forrest has continued his land acquisition in Western Australia, purchasing another three cattle stations in the state’s north-west to generate renewable energy.
These are some points for the article.
- Andrew Forrest’s Fortescue Future Industries has purchased three cattle stations in northern WA
- The stations will continue to run stock, and contribute to the production of green energy
- FFI says it is looking at other parts of WA to acquire land for similar projects
- The energy created will be used to decarbonise Andrew Forrest’s mining operations by 2030.
- A renewable hub of 340 wind turbines alongside solar panels will be created, which will generate 5 GW of energy.
- The possibility of offshore energy is mentioned.
- There is no mention of energy storage.
I have a few thoughts.
For A Reliable 5 GW Of Energy, Storage Is Surely Needed
I would think that this is probably understood by Fortescue Future Industries and given their ambitions for hydrogen, this must surely be part of an energy storage strategy.
Will Hydrogen Be Exported By Fortescue Future Industries From Australia?
I would expect this depends on three things.
- How much green energy is generated.
- The energy needs of Andrew Forrest’s mining companies.
- How much hydrogen can be sold in Australia.
Fortescue Future Industries will certainly have the market, if they have a surplus.
How Much Energy Will Fortescue Future Industries Generate Per Hectare?
This paragraph from the article gives useful information.
The hub would consist of 340 wind turbines alongside solar panels across Emu Creek and Uaroo Stations, in a development envelope of more than 65,000 hectares of land and a disturbance footprint of more than 10,000 hectares.
- If you look at the 65,000 hectares, as the area of the renewable energy hub, 0.77 MW is generated per hectare.
- If you look at the 10,000 hectares, as the area of the renewable energy hub, 0.5 MW is generated per hectare.
- If you look at Shell’s Scotwind E2 lease, that is 2 GW in 86,000 hectares, where 0.023 MW is generated per hectare.
So on a brief look Australia is a more efficient place for renewable energy, than the seas around the UK.
Conclusion
Andrew Forrest is developing a more detailed plan.
Enter The Dragon
Look at this map of UK offshore wind farms. clipped from Wikipedia.
It is only a crude map, but it does show the lack of offshore wind farms around the coasts of Wales and South-West England.
This article on the Engineer is entitled Unlocking The Renewables Potential Of The Celtic Sea.
The article starts with these two paragraphs.
Over the last decade, the UK has become a global leader in renewable marine energy, tapping into the vast resources its coastal geography offers. Offshore wind, in particular, has flourished, with gigawatt-scale projects being deployed off the east coast of England and Scotland, at Hornsea, Dogger Bank and Moray.
However, looking at a map of existing and proposed wind farms, what’s perhaps most striking is the complete absence of projects in the southwest of Britain, off the rugged shores of Wales, Devon and Cornwall, shaped by the fierce North Atlantic. The Celtic Sea – which extends south off Wales and Ireland down past Cornwall and Brittany to the edge of the continental shelf – is estimated to have around 50GW of wind generating capacity alone. What’s more, it also delivers some of the highest tidal ranges in the world, alongside some of the best waters in Europe for generating wave energy. In a country blessed with renewable resources, the Celtic Sea may well be its biggest prize.
The article then discusses how the challenge of developing renewable energy around Wales is being met.
- It describes the relevance of Floating Offshore Wind (FLOW).
- It quotes someone who says. “Eighty per cent of the world’s wind resources are in waters deeper than you would traditionally go with fixed offshore wind.”
- It talks about Blue Gem Wind and their Erebus and Valorous wind farm projects, that I wrote about in Blue Gem Wind.
- It talks of how expertise from offshore oil and gas is being used to develop floating offshore wind.
The article then goes on to talk about tidal power.
The Welsh Government Tidal Lagoon Challenge is mentioned.
- The article notes “The IP for the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon has been purchased by a consortium led by Bridgend’s DST Innovations and has been reborn as Blue Eden.”
- Blue Eden is described on this page of the DST Innovations web site. The project is not in the least bit timid or small.
- The article also introduces to the Morlais Tidal Energy Scheme, which has its own web site.
The article then finishes with a few paragraphs about how wind, wave and tidal power can be combined in a single scheme.
Conclusion
The article finishes with this paragraph.
For now, Wales may be lagging slightly behind its Celtic cousin to the north, but if the true potential of the Celtic Sea can be unleashed – FLOW, tidal stream, lagoon and wave – it looks set to play an even more prominent role in the net zero pursuit.
The Red Dragon is entering the battle to replace Vlad the Mad’s tainted energy.
Boris Johnson Wants To Build ‘Colossal’ Irish Sea Wind Farm Within A Year
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in The Telegraph.
This is the sub-title.
Prime Minister tells industry leaders he has ‘a dream’ that giant floating wind farm could provide ‘gigawatts of energy’
These are the first three paragraphs of the article.
Boris Johnson is pushing energy firms to build a “colossal” offshore wind farm in the Irish Sea within 12 months.
The Prime Minister told industry leaders he has “a dream” that a giant floating wind farm could provide “gigawatts of energy and do it within a year”, according to a government source.
He was addressing wind energy firms at a round table discussion in Downing Street as the Government finalised its energy security strategy.
It is said in the article, that industry leaders smiled at the suggestion.
My feelings though are different and I wonder if Boris has been briefed by an offshore wind expert, who knows what they’re doing.
Quietly and unobtrusively, a new technology has been developed, that allows Boris the luxury to dream.
The World’s Largest Floating Wind Farm
In the UK, we are getting used to superlatives being applied to our offshore wind farms.
- According to Wikipedia at the current time, nine of the fifteenth largest offshore wind farms in the world are in the United Kingdom.
- The Hornsea wind farm, comprises the 1.4 GW Hornsea Two wind farm, which is the largest offshore wind farm in the world.
- Previously, the 1.2 GW Hornsea One wind farm was the largest offshore wind farm in the world.
In this article on offshoreWIND.biz, which is entitled World’s Largest Floating Offshore Wind Farm Fully Operational, this is said.
Located 15 kilometres off the coast of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in water depths ranging from 60 metres to 80 metres, Kincardine is the largest operating floating wind farm.
The project consists of five Vestas V164-9.5 MW and one V80-2 MW turbine, each installed on WindFloat® semi-submersible platforms designed by Principle Power.
This picture from Cobra Group shows one of the turbines being towed into position at Kincardine.
There are more pictures on this web page.
WindFloats would appear to be proven technology, as there are now two commercial wind farms using the technology and several others under development.
Erebus And Valorous
But Kincardine Wind Farm won’t be the world’s largest floating wind farm for long!
The next two wind farms, using the technology are Erebus and Valorous, who will provide a total of 400 MW from a company called Blue Gem Wind, which will use larger 14 MW turbines.
They will be installed to the South-West of the Pembrokeshire Coast.
Blue Gem Wind
Blue Gem Wind are based in Pembroke Dock and are a partnership of Simply Blue Energy, a pioneering Celtic Sea energy developer, and TotalEnergies.
Simply Blue Group are an Irish company, who are also working with Shell on the development of 1.35 GW of wind power to the West of Ireland.
50 GW Of Wind In The Celtic Sea
On the Projects page of the Blue Gem website, this is said about floating wind in the Celtic Sea.
Floating wind is set to become a key technology in the fight against climate change with over 80% of the worlds wind resource in water deeper than 60 metres. Independent studies have suggested there could be as much as 50GW of electricity capacity available in the Celtic Sea waters of the UK and Ireland. This renewable energy resource could play a key role in the UK meeting the 2050 Net-Zero target required to mitigate climate change. Floating wind will provide new low carbon supply chain opportunities, support coastal communities and create long-term benefits for the region.
Is this Boris’s project?
These are my thoughts.
How Many Turbines Would You Need For 50 GW?
If you need 7 x 14 MW turbines for each 100 MW, that would mean you need 3500 turbines and WindFloats for 50 GW.
How Would Each Turbine Be Installed?
It appears from pictures on the Cobra Group web site, that the turbine is mounted on the WindFloat using a large crane on a dock, whilst the WindFloat is alongside.
- The WindFloat and the turbine are then towed out into the desired position.
- It would then be anchored to the sea-bed.
- Finally, it would be connected to the power network.
I would doubt, that one team could probably install more than one turbine per day.
But I suspect more than one team could work in and out of one port at a time.
How Many Ports Could Be Used For Turbine Assembly?
As Blue Gem Wind is based in Pembroke Dock, I would assume that one of the ports would be on Milford Haven Waterway.
But there are other ports on the Welsh and Irish coasts, where the turbine lift could be accomplished.
How Much Capacity Could Be Installed In Twelve Months?
Suppose you had two ports doing assembly, with two teams working at each port, which would mean four turbines could be installed in a day.
- In a month, that would be 4 x 14 x 30 MW per month.
- This is nearly 1.7 GW per month or 20 GW per year.
It does appear to me, that floating wind farms with the right project management could be very much quicker to install than traditional fixed foundation wind turbines.
I believe that if we get the manufacturing and the project management right, that a colossal 20 GW of floating wind can be installed in twelve months.
Conclusion
Most people won’t believe Boris’s claim, but I feel that there is a degree of reality behind it, if we can produce four WindFloats and four turbines per day and enough cables and electrical gubbins to link them all together.
Birds And Offshore Renewable Energy
I have worried about this for some time, as die-hard wind farm opponents use birds being scythed to pieces in wind farms as an emotional reason for not building wind farms.
I searched the Internet and found this academic report from the University of Rhode Island, which is entitled How Are Birds Affected by the Block Island Wind Farm and How Do They Interact With the Wind Turbines?.
Note.
- Block Island Wind Farm is a mildly controversial 30 MW wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island.
- Block Island wind farm is the first commercial offshore wind farm in the United States.
The report gives three ways about how birds interact with wind farms.
Birds Fly Out Of The Way
First, many birds do not experience any interaction with the turbines at all as they fly either at a higher altitude or closer to the shore than the turbines’ locations.
Wind Farms Become A Food Source
The second interaction between birds and offshore wind turbines is a positive one that has been documented throughout Europe; but, with only the Block Island Wind Farm, it is too early to document in the United States. Researchers have found that the base of a wind turbine can create artificial reefs that act as an attractive site to both fish and shellfish. These artificial reefs provide a feeding ground for certain species of birds as the turbines essentially become a central habitat for many bird species’ prey.
Displacement Of The Birds
The final interaction that birds have with offshore wind turbines is displacement. This primary negative effect is experienced when wind turbines are constructed in areas that birds would naturally like to be; but, due to the structures, no longer have access to. To put it simply, he says, “if you put the turbines where the birds want to be, you take away these areas from the birds”.
Conclusion
It appears to me, that if you are putting up wind farms, whether they are offshore or onshore, that it is essential you do your research.
As in this case, experts from the local university are often a good resource to call upon.
Blue Gem Wind
Principle Power are the designers of the WindFloat.
The Projects page of the Principle Power web site led me to a project called Erebus. This is Principle Power’s description of the project.
The Celtic Sea, located between the United Kingdom and Ireland, holds an estimated 50 GW of offshore wind resource. The 96 MW Erebus project, located offshore Pembrokeshire, Wales, is a flagship project planned by Blue Gem Wind, a joint venture between Total and Simply Blue Energy, to unlock the potential of this region.
The project will feature between 7 and 10 turbines on WindFloat® floating platforms located approximately 44 km southwest of the Pembrokeshire coastline.
The Erebus project will see the deployment of a fully industrialized WindFloat® and represents a stepping stone that will allow the local supply chain to build capabilities for the delivery of larger projects under development in the Celtic sea region.
Note.
- Developing 50 GW of offshore wind in the Celtic Sea is not a small amount of wind power.
- The 96 MW Erebus project would appear to be the first project in the Celtic Sea.
- The turbines would be between 9.5 and 14 MW.
- The Principle Power website states that the water depth of the Erebus wind farm is seventy metres.
- The deployment of a fully industrialized WindFloat.
- The Erebus wind farm is being developed by Blue Gem Wind.
It would be larger than the current world’s largest floating wind farm, which is the Kincardine Wind Farm.
Who Are Blue Gem Wind?
Blue Gem Wind have a web site, with a picture of three turbines riding on WindFloats and a couple of support boats and this mission statement.
Floating Offshore Wind
A new generation of energy in the Celtic Sea
The Our Projects page shows a good picture and says this.
Floating wind is set to become a key technology in the fight against climate change with over 80% of the worlds wind resource in water deeper than 60 metres. Independent studies have suggested there could be as much as 50GW of electricity capacity available in the Celtic Sea waters of the UK and Ireland. This renewable energy resource could play a key role in the UK meeting the 2050 Net-Zero target required to mitigate climate change. Floating wind will provide new low carbon supply chain opportunities, support coastal communities and create long-term benefits for the region.
A header indicates a stepping-stones approach to assist the local supply chain and says this.
We believe that a stepping stone approach to the development of floating wind in the Celtic Sea brings a number of benefits. Starting with smaller demonstration and early-commercial projects, increasing in size, will help to capture the highest local supply chain content. It will also maximise knowledge transfer and facilitate a sustainable transfer to a low carbon economy.
Because of this focus on stepping stone projects we have proposed Erebus, a 96MW test and demonstration project followed by Valorous, a 300MW early-commercial project.
These links give more details of the two projects.
- Erebus – 100MW Test & Demonstration project in the Celtic Sea
- Valorous – A 300MW Early Commercial project in the Celtic Sea
It appears that the company is taking a sensible approach.
- They are starting small and building up deployment.
- They are using proven WindFloat technology.
- They are developing a local supply chain.
This Google Map shows the area of the two wind farms.
Note.
- Pembroke in the middle at the top of the map.
- Barnstaple and Bideford in Devon in the South-East corner of the map.
- Lundy Island off the Devon coast.
I estimate that the two wind farms will be about the Western edge of this map, with Erebus to the North of Valorous. They wouldn’t want to be too far to the West, as that would put them in the shipping lanes between Ireland and France.
Will The Turbines Be Assembled In The Milford Haven Waterway?
This Google Map shows the Milford Haven Waterway.
Note.
- Pembroke Dock, where Blue Gem Wind has its offices, is at the Eastern end of the map.
- The oil refineries and LNG terminals.
- Milford Haven on the North side of the waterway.
- The 2.2 GW gas-fired Pembroke power station on the South side of the waterway.
- The ferry route between Rosslare and Pembroke Dock.
But as the waterway is one of the deepest natural harbours in the world, I wouldn’t be surprised to find, that the turbines will be lifted on to the WindFloats in this waterway.
The turbines would be brought in by sea and the WindFloats would be towed in from their manufacturing site.
Where Will The WindFloats And Turbines Be Built?
There could be enough space to build the WindFloats in the Milford Haven Waterway, but I suspect they will be built in a shipyard, which is close to a supply of steel. South Wales is an obvious possibility.
I estimate that for the two wind farms between twenty-eight and forty turbines would be needed and these would probably be brought in by sea and then lifted onto the WindFloats somewhere in the Milford Haven Waterway.
It could be a very efficient process.
Will Pembroke Power Station Have A Future Role?
Consider.
- Pembroke power station is the largest gas-fired power station in Europe.
- It has a capacity of 2.2 GW.
- It was only completed in 2012, so it has many years of life yet!
- It is also probably young enough, to be able to be converted to run on hydrogen.
- It obviously will have a very good connection to the National Grid.
I would suspect that initially, the power cable from Erebus and Valorous, would use the same grid connection as the power station.
But in the future there must be some interesting ways that the wind farms and the power station can work together.
- A large electrolyser could be built to create hydrogen for heavy transport and industrial uses, from excess electricity.
- Could the oxygen from the electrolyser be used for steelmaking in South Wales?
- As natural gas is phased out the power station could be converted to hydrogen power.
- In times of low wind, the power station could make up the shortfall.
- The wind farms could be used as the primary electricity source, with the power station adding the extra power needed to meet demand.
There are certainly ways, the wind farms and the power station can work together.
Conclusion
These two related wind farms seems a good way to start wind developments between the UK and the island of Ireland.
The Anonymous Widower 