Centrica And Equinor Agree Major New Deal To Bolster UK Energy Security
The title of this post, is the same as that as this news item from Centrica.
This is the sub-heading.
Centrica and Equinor have today announced a £20 billion plus agreement to deliver gas to the UK. The new deal will see Centrica take delivery of five billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas per year to 2035.
These three paragraphs add more detail to the deal.
The expansive ten-year deal continues a long-term relationship with Equinor that dates back to 2005 bringing gas from Norway to the UK.
In 2024, the UK imported almost two-thirds (66.2%) of its gas demand, with 50.2% of the total imports coming from Norway1. This is an increase from the UK importing around a third of its gas requirements from Norway in 20222 and underlines the strategic importance of the Norwegian relationship to UK energy and price security.
The contract also allows for natural gas sales to be replaced with hydrogen in the future, providing further support to the UK’s hydrogen economy.
I believe there is more to this deal than, is stated in the news item.
These are my thoughts.
Where Does AquaVentus Fit In?
The AquaVentus web site has a sub heading of Hydrogen Production In The North Sea.
This video on the web site shows the structure of the project.
I clipped this map from the video.
Note.
- The thick white line running North-West/South-East is the spine of AquaVentus, that will deliver hydrogen to Germany.
- There is a link to Esbjerg in Denmark, that is marked DK.
- There appears to be an undeveloped link to Norway, which goes North,
- There appears to be an undeveloped link to Peterhead in Scotland, that is marked UK.
- There appears to be a link to just North of the Humber in England, that is marked UK.
- There appears to be an extra link, that would create a hydrogen link between Norway and Humberside.
- Just North of the Humber are the two massive gas storage sites of Aldbrough owned by SSE and Brough owned by Centrica.
- Aldbrough and Rough gas storage sites are being converted into two of the largest hydrogen storage sites in the world!
- There appear to be small ships sailing up and down the East Coast of the UK. Are these small coastal tankers, that are distributing the hydrogen to where it is needed?
When it is completed, AquaVentus will be a very comprehensive hydrogen network.
RWE
I should add that AquaVentus is a project of German energy company; RWE.
It should be noted that RWE are the largest generator of electricity in the UK.
They will soon be even larger as they are developing these offshore wind farms in British waters.
- Dogger Bank South – 3 GW
- Norfolk Boreas – 1.4 GW
- Norfolk Vanguard East – 1.4 GW
- Norfolk Vanguard West – 1.4 GW
Note.
- This is 7.2 GW of electricity.
- The three Norfolk wind farms wwere possibly acquired at a bargain price from Vattenfall.
- None of these wind farms have Contracts for Difference.
- RWE are developing large offshore electrolysers.
- East Anglia is in revolt over pylons marching across the landscape.
I wonder, if RWE will convert the electricity to hydrogen and bring it ashore using AquaVentus, coastal tankers or pipelines to existing gas terminals like Bacton.
The revenue from all this hydrogen going to Germany could explain the rise in Government spending, as it could be a Magic Money Tree like no other.
HiiROC
HiiROC is a Hull-based start-up company backed by Centrica, that can turn any hydrocarbon gas, like chemical plant waste gas, biomethane or natural gas into turquoise hydrogen and carbon black.
I asked Google about the size of Norway’s chemical industry and got this reply.
Norway’s chemical industry, including oil refining and pharmaceuticals, is a significant part of the country’s economy. In 2023, this sector generated sales of NOK 175 billion (approximately €15.2 billion), with 83% of those sales being exports. The industry employed 13,800 full-time equivalents and added NOK 454 billion (approximately €3.9 billion) in value.
Isn’t AI wonderful!
So will Norway use HiiROC or something similar to convert their natural gas and chemical off-gas into valuable hydrogen?
If AquaVentus were to be extended to Norway, then the hydrogen could be sold to both the UK and Germany.
A scenario like this would explain the option to switch to hydrogen in the contract.
Aldbrough And Brough
Earlier, I said that just North of the Humber are the two massive gas storage sites of Aldbrough owned by SSE and Brough owned by Centrica.
I have read somewhere, that Germany is short of hydrogen storage, but I’m sure Centrica and SSE will help them out for a suitable fee. Centrica are also thought to be experts at buying energy at one price and selling it later at a profit.
Conclusion
I have felt for some time, that selling hydrogen to the Germans was going to be the Conservative government’s Magic Money Tree.
Has this Labour government decided to bring it back to life?
Glen Earrach Energy (GEE) To Give £20m Per Year To Highland Communities
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Inverness Courier.
These two paragraphs introduce the article.
The announcement is underpinned by the publication of a new developer-led research report, the first of its kind in the UK energy sector, which brings together national polling, public consultation, and direct input from communities.
The report marks a major step in the development of the fund, setting out emerging priorities, design principles and governance themes that reflect what GEE has heard to date and will help guide the next phase of engagement.
Other points from the article include.
Size And Delivery
This is said about the size and delivery of the project.
Subject to planning, the project will provide up to 34GWh of long-duration energy storage in 2030.
All these projects seem to be on course for delivery by 2030. Mr. Ed. Milliband will be pleased.
The Community Wealth Fund
This is said about the Community Wealth Fund.
The fund will be rooted in the communities that share the key water resource underpinning the scheme, with scope to contribute to wider regional projects, including contributions to a Strategic Fund for the Highlands as a whole.
“The GEE Community Wealth Fund is about more than sharing the benefits of clean energy, it is about creating long-term value for the communities who make this project possible.
As the grandmother of all pumped storage hydro in the UK; Electric Mountain, started storing energy and producing power in 1984, the Community Wealth Fund should last a few years.
National Grid Starts Work On New Substation In Buckinghamshire To Power Data Centres
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from National Grid.
These three bullet points act as sub-headings.
-
New substation site at Uxbridge Moor in Buckinghamshire will power new data centres –delivering economic growth and enabling UK digitalization
-
Site to feature two SF6-free gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) substations to minimise environmental footprint
-
Work comes as National Grid is planning £35 billion investment in its transmission network between 2026 to 2031
This is the first paragraph.
National Grid is starting work on its new Uxbridge Moor substation in Buckinghamshire which will connect over a dozen new data centres to its network.
This Google Map shows the current Iver substation.
The road on the left is Western section of the M25, which gives an idea of the size of the substation.
These two paragraphs give more details of the new Uxbridge Moor substation.
The requests from data centres to connect at Uxbridge Moor will require around 1.8GW of new capacity, equivalent to adding a mid-sized city to the grid on the outskirts of London. When built, it will be the largest new substation on National Grid’s network by gigawatt capacity.
The new substation site borders National Grid’s existing Iver 400kV substation in Buckinghamshire, which has reached capacity and cannot be expanded to meet the demand from data centres and other customers for connections in the area.
Nothing about the new substation appears small!
The cost of the Uxbridge Moor substation does not appear to have been disclosed by National Grid, but they do say this about their projected total spend in the next few years.
National Grid is planning £35 billion of investment between 2026 to 2031 to connect both large sources of demand such as data centres and gigafactories, and new sources of electricity generation such as wind and solar.
But then it’s not their fault, that the UK is a superb place for renewable energy and we generally speak English.
UK To Launch Seventh CfD Auction In August, Offshore Wind Has Its Own AR7 Timeline
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The UK government has published an indicative timeline for the Contract for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round 7 (AR7), stating that it expects to open the auction in August and announce the results between late 2025 and early 2026. The timeline for offshore wind projects is now separate from that for other technologies, which will enable the confirmation of results as soon as possible, according to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).
These first two paragraphs give more details of the Contract for Difference Auction.
The planned AR7 timeline for offshore wind, including both fixed-bottom and floating wind, sets the auction opening date between 7 to 27 August 2025, with results expected to be in from the second half of December 2025 to the second half of February 2026, depending on non-qualifying applicants requesting a Tier 1 review and/or Tier 2 appeal.
Before the launch of the seventh CfD allocation round, the government will publish Clean Industry Bonus results. This is scheduled for June.
I think this is going to be a very different Contract for Difference Auction to those held under the previous Conservative government.
- Will prices be as high?
- Will some regular companies in the auctions not bother to bid?
- Will there be bids for onshore wind in England?
It will be quite, if not very interesting!
18 GW Of New Offshore Wind Could Be Developed Off Ireland’s Coast
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Ireland’s Department of Environment, Climate and Communications has released the Offshore Wind Technical Resource Assessment, providing detailed analysis and recommendations that estimate an additional 3.5 GW to 18 GW of fixed-bottom offshore wind could be developed around the country’s coast.
These paragraph adds more detail to the story.
The assessment concludes that there could be an additional 3.5-18 GW of fixed-bottom offshore wind that could be developed around the coast, in addition to the 8 GW of offshore wind already planned in Ireland between Phase One projects and the South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP).
Note.
- This expansion could give Ireland 26 GW of offshore wind.
- According to this page, 41.4 % of the electricity in the Republic of Ireland was produced by wind in December 2024, with a similar amount from non-renewables.
- The assessment also seems to want to wait for floating wind power, which could be prudent.
Ireland is going green.
Sport England Funds Leisure Centres Rooftop PV Installations
The tiitle of this post, is the same as that of this article on Solar Power Portal.
These two introductory paragraphs give a few more details and describe two installations.
Two local authority-owned leisure centres have received rooftop solar panel installations thanks to funding from Sport England.
Sport England’s Swimming Pool Support Scheme is a national scheme that has thus far distributed over £80 million to improve the energy efficiency of public swimming pools across the UK. Most recently, Workington Leisure Centre in Cumberland has installed a 160kW solar array, while Witham Leisure Centre near Braintree, Essex, has completed a 407kW solar panel installation.
After reading the whole article, it looks to me that leisure centres with their large areas and generous car parking, are a good application for solar panels, that can be of benefit to users, operators, solar panel installers and their financiers.
My experience of finance was mainly in providing funding for vehicles, but once a finance company finds a profitable niche, they are good at exploiting it.
Out of town retail premises and sports stadiums could be other profitable applications.
Bicester Village Station – 28th May 2025
I went to Bicester Village station today and took these pictures.
Note.
- The station is fully step-free, with lifts.
- There is a reasonable coffee-shop.
- There is a very large car-park.
There are two trains per hour (tph) in both directions between Marylebone and Oxford stations.
This Google Map shows the station.
Note.
- London is to the North.
- Oxford is to the South.
- The footbridge dates from October 2021 and is not shown on the map.
- The London Road level crossing is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The London Road level crossing is a problem, as I indicated in Bicester MP Calls On Chancellor To Fund London Road Crossing.
- To take the pictures of the level crossing, I crossed the footbridge to the North-West side of the station and walked through the car park to the station entrance on Station Approach. I then walked past the Bicester Bodyshop and Edmundson Electrical to the level crossing.
- The Shell garage can be clearly seen behind the level crossing.
During my walk of about thirty-five minutes three trains passed over the level crossing.
These are my thoughts.
The Long Platforms
The platforms are long.
- The Oxford-bound platform, which is Platform 1, is 240 metres long.
- The London-bound platform, which is Platform 2, is 230 metres long.
Both platforms will take a pair of five-car Hitachi Express Trains.
It looks to me, that East-West Rail are expecting a large number of passengers.
East-West Rail Plans For Powering Trains
I detailed these in Plans For Powering Trains And Details Of Our Upcoming Consultation.This post was based on an East-West Rail news item with the same title.
Distances include.
- London Marylebone and Oxford – 66.8 miles.
- Bletchley and Oxford – 47.2 miles.
Both distances are within range of five-car Hitachi Express Trains, that have been fitted with batteries.
I also suspect other manufacturers could supply suitable trains.
Thoughts On The London Road Level Crossing
This article on the BBC is entitled Level Crossing Petition Supported By Thousands.
This is the sub-heading.
A petition calling for a fully accessible underpass at a town’s level crossing has received more than 3,000 signatures.
These three paragraphs add more detail.
Launched by MP for Bicester and Woodstock Calum Miller, the petition calls on the government to ensure any replacement of the level crossing at London Road in Bicester includes access for cars, not just cyclists and pedestrians.
It is set to be closed on safety grounds when the East West Rail (EWR) line becomes fully operational, which many fear would cut off crucial access to thousands of residents.
Mr Miller will present the petition, which can only be signed in person, in Parliament on 3 June.
The argument is certainly hotting up.
But I believe, that a bridge that meets everybody’s requirements might be possible to be built.
- Suppose that all trains and locomotives passing through the level crossing had to be self-powered. Passenger trains could be battery-electric and freight locomotives could be either hydrogen or battery powered through the location of the level crossing.
- The track could also be lowered through the crossing.
- These actions would reduce the height of any bridge taking the road over the railway.
It looks to me that on the Northumberland Railway, which has recently opened, they had a similar problem, but they were able to squeeze a bridge into the space, as this 3D Google Map shows.
Note.
- The bridge looks like it carries a two-lane road and a pedestrian/cycle way.
- There is no electrification.
- I believe that the Northumberland Line could be run by battery-electric trains.
- The road bridge has been built to accept all traffic using the railway.
In Newsham Station – 30th March 2025, there are several pictures of the bridge. This one shows the bridge with a train.
In Trains: £34m For Revival Of 50-Year-Old North-East Railway Line, I said this about battery-electric trains for the Northumberland Line.
I’m drawn inextricably to the conclusion, that the trains should be 100 mph battery-electric trains.
Hitachi, who have a factory in the North-East, have announced their Regional Battery Train in July 2020, which is described in this Hitachi infographic.
These trains can be based on Class 385 trains.
- They are 100 mph trains.
- They come in three- and four-cars lengths.
- The three-car trains have 206 seats.
- They can work in pairs.
- They can use 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- They have a range of 90 kilometres or 56 miles on battery power.
- The batteries would be charged on the ECML between Benton North junction and Newcastle station.
- The battery packs will be designed and manufactured by Hyperdrive Innovation in Sunderland.
- They have big windows for the views.
I’m sure Hitachi and Hyperdrive would like a fleet in service, just up the road from their factories.
Could a similar or even thinner bridge be squeezed in at Bicester Village station to take London Road over the railway?
I think it can, if they use some of the latest 3D modelling.
Mountain Marvel: How One Of Biggest Batteries In Europe Uses Thousands Of Gallons Of Water To Stop Blackouts
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Guardian.
This is the sub-heading.
Much-loved’ Dinorwig hydroelectric energy storage site in Wales has a vital role to play in keeping the lights on
These are the first three paragraphs of the article.
Seconds after a catastrophic series of power outages struck across the UK in the summer of 2019, a phone rang in the control room of the Dinorwig hydropower plant in north Wales. It was Britain’s energy system operator requesting an immediate deluge of electricity to help prevent a wide-scale blackout crippling Britain’s power grids.
The response was swift, and in the end just under one million people were left without power for less than 45 minutes. While trains were stuck on lines for hours and hospitals had to revert to backup generators, that phone call prevented Britain’s worst blackout in a decade from being far more severe.
Almost six years later, the owners of Dinorwig, and its sister plant at Ffestiniog on the boundary of Eryri national park, formerly Snowdonia, are preparing to pump up to £1bn into a 10-year refurbishment of the hydropower plants that have quietly helped to keep the lights on for decades.
This is one of the best articles, I have read about pumped storage hydroelectricity.
It is very much a must read.
Trump’s Tax Bill To Cost 830,000 Jobs And Drive Up Bills And Pollution Emissions, Experts Warn
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Guardian.
This is the sub-heading.
Bill will unleash millions more tonnes of planet-heating pollution and couldn’t come at a worse time, say experts
This first paragraph adds a bit more detail.
A Republican push to dismantle clean energy incentives threatens to reverberate across the US by costing more than 830,000 jobs, raising energy bills for US households and threatening to unleash millions more tonnes of the planet-heating pollution that is causing the climate crisis, experts have warned.
After that the news gets worse for the planet and the sooner Tamworth retires or is retired, the better!
The Anonymous Widower 