Permission Granted For Ayrshire Renewables Hub
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Scottish Construction Now.
This is the sub-heading.
Planning consent has been granted for a £150 million upgrade to an Ayrshire marine yard, paving the way for increased offshore wind power off the UK’s west coast.
These are the first three paragraphs.
Peel Ports Clydeport has secured permission for the complete redevelopment of the Hunterston marine yard as it prepares the site for major renewables infrastructure. The redevelopment works – which are expected to start in early 2025 and last for around two years – will include substantial upgrades to the marine yard, including infilling the current dry-dock basin and the creation of a new quay wall.
Highview Power recently announced it is to construct the world’s largest Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) facility at Hunterston, the latest in a string of renewables projects that are either underway, or in the pipeline, at the site.
The overall redevelopment of Hunterston is expected to attract £3.5 billion in inward investment and create over 5,000 jobs.
Note.
- The Highview Power battery will be 200 MW/3.25 GWh.
- There is also a 400 MW/400 MWh BESS being built at Hunterston.
- The 2 GW MacHairWind project is planned off the coast of Islay.
- According to their web site, MacHairWind will export its first power in the early 2030s.
More renewable infrastructure will surely follow.
Thousands Of Lobsters Settle At Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
RWE and the Whitby Lobster Hatchery have released 2,500 juvenile lobsters at the Triton Knoll offshore wind farm in the UK in what the wind farm developer says is an industry-first project, through which more than 15,000 lobsters are planned to be released at Triton Knoll.
These are the first two paragraphs.
The first batch of 2,500 juvenile lobsters was settled at the offshore wind farm in November and a further 2,500 are expected to arrive at the site early next year.
According to RWE, which said last month that the project’s goal was to help increase biodiversity in the North Sea, there is the potential for a further 10,000 lobsters to be released over the next two years, in 2025 and 2026.
The objective seems to be to introduce 100,00 juvenile lobsters into the sea.
Invinity’s New Flow Battery Aimed At Enabling ’24/7 Solar’ For The Grid
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Solar Power Portal.
These three paragraphs outline the story.
New vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) technology from Invinity Energy Systems makes it possible for renewables to replace conventional generation on the grid 24/7, the company has claimed.
Anglo-American flow battery company Invinity launched its new product, Endurium, today. It follows around three years of R&D, testing, and prototyping, during which Invinity has partnered with Siemens Gamesa on technology development.
Designed for high energy throughput with unlimited cycling and with at least a 50% reduction in the footprint required for installation at project sites, the company said it could cost-competitively tackle present-day energy storage markets and emerging long-duration energy storage (LDES) opportunities alike.
This looks like it could be a bit of a breakthrough.
After reading this article, it would appear that traditional lithium-ion battery energy storage systems (BESS) now have another competitor along with Highview Power’s liquid air battery.
New Bid To Connect Heritage Railway To Mainline
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
The is the sub-heading.
A bid to connect one of the longest heritage railways in Britain with mainline services has taken a step forward.
These are the first two paragraphs.
West Somerset Railway (WSR) and Somerset Council have now submitted a business plan to the government to restore the mainline from Taunton to the final WSR stop at Bishop’s Lydeard.
The proposal suggests Bishop’s Lydeard could become a commuter and tourist hub.
There has been several attempts to connect the branch to Taunton station.
These are my thoughts.
Minehead, Bishop’s Lydeard And Hinckley Point C
This Google Map shows the area.
Note.
- Minehead is in the North-West corner of the map.
- Hinckley Point power station is indicated by the red arrow.
- Bishop’s Lydeard is in the middle of the map.
- The M5 motorway curves diagonally between the North-East and South-West corners of the map.
- There are motorway services at Taunton Deane, which is to the South of Taunton and Cullompton, which is a few miles South-West of Wellington.
- The large town of Taunton is the junction of the London and Exeter and the Bristol and Exeter railway lines.
- The town of Wellington will be getting a new railway station.
It is a very busy area and it will only get busier, as the availability of power will only attract industry, like the battery factory pencilled in for Bridgewater.
The Major Effect Of Hinckley Point C
Hinckley Point C will generate 3.26 GW of electricity and to operate the power station will need around nine hundred workers.
I can also expect that the Hinckley Point site will get involved in other energy handling and use.
- The site would be an ideal place for a large electrolyser to produce hydrogen.
- Wind turbines in the Bristol Channel could use Hinckley’s grid connection.
- Energy could be stored on the site. It could be an ideal location for one of Highview Power’s 200 MW/3.25 GWh liquid air batteries.
- Hydrogen could be exported using coastal tankers.
- Interconnectors could take electricity to Cornwall, Devon, Wales and Ireland.
All of these activities would create needs for workers at all levels.
- A rail connection to Taunton and Bristol, will probably be needed to bring workers into Hinckley Point.
- A rail connection would be ideal for bringing construction materials, steel and other heavy goods into and out of the Hinckley Point site.
- Hydrogen could also be taken out in rail tankers.
- Nuclear waste could be taken out by train.
I think it is highly likely, that Hinckley Point will need a rail connection for efficient operation.
Sizewell C And Hydrogen
Hydrogen is so important to the philosophy of the design and construction of Sizewell C, that hydrogen has its own section on the Sizewell C web site.
Hydrogen produced by nuclear power stations like Hinckley Point C, is called pink hydrogen, but like green hydrogen it is zero-carbon and pollution-free.
Hinckley Point C And Hydrogen
I can envisage Hinckley Point C will create a lot of hydrogen both for use locally and distribution to remote users.
- Hydrogen could be delivered locally by truck, just as propane is today around the world.
- Coastal tankers could distribute the hydrogen from a jetty.
- Pipelines could connect the two nearby motorway service stations to the power station site.
Just as is happening at Sizewell, a local hydrogen network could be built.
Hydrogen Refuelling On The M5
Consider.
- In MAN Expands Its Zero-Emission Portfolio, I talked about MAN’s new hydrogen-powered hTGX truck, which has been designed with a 600 km. or 373 mile range.
- As Cullompton, which is the Southernmost of the two services on the M5 that are close to Hinckley Point C, is only 124.9 miles from Penzance, it should be possible for a truck, with a range similar to that of the MAN hTGX to do a round trip from the Southern end of the M5 to Penzance, without refuelling.
- As the total length of the M5 is only 163 miles, a hydrogen-powered truck with the range of the MAN hTGX would be able to do a delivery anywhere along the motorway and return to the hydrogen from Hinckley Point C, without refuelling.
- MAN are saying that the hTGX truck can be refuelled in less than fifteen minutes.
It looks to me, that a hydrogen electrolyser at Hinckley Point C would be ideally located to provide pink hydrogen for a zero-carbon hydrogen-powered route to and from the far South-West.
I believe that if there were a best-in-class hydrogen-refuelling facility close to Hinckley Point C, it would encourage those who regularly drove to Devon and Cornwall to look seriously at hydrogen-powered vehicles.
The Nature Of The Hinckley Point C Rail Link
Sizewell C are using a simple practical approach to connect the Sizewell C site to the nearby East Suffolk Line.
- The existing freight sidings are being expanded.
- Two Park-and-Ride sites are being created at stations in the East Suffolk Line.
- A link road will be built between the railway and the Sizewell C site.
- A fleet of hydrogen-powered double-deck buses has been ordered to take workers between the railway and the power station.
- The signalling on the East Suffolk Line is being improved.
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the Northern end of the West Somerset Railway and its relationship to Hinckley Point C power station.
Note.
- Hinckley Point C power station is in the North-East corner of the map.
- Crowcombe & Heathfield, Stogumber, Sampford Brett, Doniford Halt, Williton, Watchet, Washford and Blue Anchor are existing or former stations on the West Somerset Railway.
- Existing stations are shown in blue.
- West of Blue Anchor are the two existing stations of Dunster and Minehead.
This Google Map shows Williton station, which is the nearest station to Hinckley Point C.
Note.
- The station has a footbridge, which was erected in 2011, so is probably in good condition.
- There are several Listed buildings on the site.
- Going East on the A39 should lead to Hinckley Point C.
I suspect a quality bus company could build a small fleet of buses to shuttle workers, visitors and others to Hinckley Point C.
As I’m sure, hydrogen will be in plentiful supply, I’m certain hydrogen-powered buses could be used.
This Google Map shows a longer section of the West Somerset Line through Williton station.
Note.
- The West Somerset Line runs North-South down the map.
- Doniford Halt station is at the top of the map, where the coast road crosses the railway on a bridge.
- Williton station is in the middle of the map, where the A39 crosses the railway.
Looking at the railway, which runs mainly between fields, I wouldn’t be surprised that if Hinckley Point wanted a freight siding, they could fit one in.
Go-op
Go-op are an open access railway company, that wants to run services in Somerset.
I wrote about their successful application in Regulator Approves New Go-op Train Service Between Swindon, Taunton and Weston-super-Mare.
This is the first paragraph of their Wikipedia entry.
Go-op Cooperative Ltd.,[ branded as Go-op, is an open access train operating company, proposing to operate a service in south-west England between Taunton and Swindon, via Westbury. It aims to become the first cooperatively owned train operating company in the United Kingdom, to improve access to the public transport infrastructure through open access rail services linking main lines to smaller market towns, and by co-ordinating services with light rail, bus links and car pools.
If you read their Wikipedia entry and their web site, they seem to have ambition and be different.
According to Wikipedia, they have made no less than five different proposals, but it is the fourth that I find interesting.
In 2021, Go-op began discussions with Network Rail for services between Swindon and Bishops Lydeard (just beyond Taunton), which it hoped to begin in mid-2022. At first there could only be three services per day, due to congestion between Swindon and Westbury; a further three could be provided to Frome or Westbury, connecting with existing services to Swindon. These plans would also improve local services on the TransWilts Line, calling at Trowbridge and Melksham.
The plans for Bishops Lydeard would restore the link broken in 1971 between the national network and the preserved West Somerset Railway, which runs leisure services to Minehead.
This sounds very much like an extended and simplified version of the West Somerset Line proposal.
But it does look like two groups have looked at the infrastructure and what is needed and come to similar conclusions.
Perhaps, they have other things in common like train procurement and servicing.
Stadler Presents A World First In Berlin
The title of this section, is the same as that of this press release from Stadler.
These are the first two paragraphs.
With the RS ZERO, the rail vehicle manufacturer is presenting the successor to the successful Regio-Shuttle RS1 model. There is a choice of two modern and environmentally friendly drive technologies: Hydrogen and battery. Both will enable CO2 emission-free operation of secondary lines in the future.
Stadler today unveiled the prototype of the new RS ZERO, the innovative successor to the successful RS1 Regio-Shuttle. The Regio-Shuttle has been one of the most popular vehicles in German regional rail transport for 28 years, with around 500 RS1 vehicles currently in operation in Germany and the Czech Republic. Stadler is building on this proven technology and integrating state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly drive systems. The RS ZERO is optionally available with a hydrogen and/or battery drive and thus not only sets new standards for environmentally friendly rail transport, but also presents a world first.
These pictures from Chemnitz Trams And The Chemnitz Model, show the Regio-Shuttle RS1.
Note.
- The Regio-Shuttles can run as up to seven car trains.
- These Regio-Shuttles are electro-diesel.
- The distinctive diagonal windows.
- They can carry 170 passengers at 75 mph.
- They can run as train-trams using the Chemnitz model on compatible tram networks.
The Regio-Shuttle Wikipedia entry gives more details.
This image from the press release shows the prototype RS ZERO.
It looks very similar to my pictures from Chemnitz.
I have a few thoughts.
Comparison To A Class 150 Train
A Class 150 train can carry up to 149 seated passengers at 75 mph, which is similar to the RS ZERO.
As Stadler have built trains for Greater Anglia, Merseyrail and the Glasgow Subway, I believe that Stadler could build an RS ZERO, that would fit the UK loading gauge.
In What Train Is This?, I show the standard of interior, that can be achieved by refurbishing a Class 150 train, but unlike the RS ZERO, the train won’t be zero-carbon.
Does The RS ZERO Have A Toilet?
This is a paragraph from the press release.
The prototype of the RS ZERO presented today in Berlin is a one-car vehicle with hydrogen drive. Stadler is demonstrating the numerous design options with a multi-purpose area equipped for carrying bicycles, pushchairs and bulky luggage, lounge and comfort zones, standard and privacy seats, a wheelchair space, WC and a train office.
The train appears to be able to have what an operator might need.
What Will Be The Range Of An RS ZERO On Hydrogen?
I suspect, Stadler will provide a train, that will handle the route.
Would Stadler Be Able To Produce An RS ZERO That Could Satisfy The West Somerset/Go-op Requirement?
I obviously, can’t answer that.
But.
- The train is zero-carbon.
- It’s the right size.
- I suspect that the hydrogen fuel will be available from Hinckley Point C.
- The design has a proven track record.
- The train is not by any means vapourware!
- Stadler need a launch order.
- An experienced ROSCO would probably finance the trains.
One perk is that those involved in buying the train, could probably wangle a trip to Chemnitz to see several Regio-Shuttle RS1 trains at work.
Note that Chemnitz used to be Karl-Marx Stadt, so some of our Government will feel nostalgic.
But I do believe, this could be a very handy train to decarbonise branch and secondary lines in the UK.
Buccleuch Group Submits Plans For 39MW Solar, 10MW Storage Development
These are the two introductory paragraphs.
Solar and storage developer Buccleuch Group has submitted a planning application for a new solar plus storage development near Kettering, Northamptonshire.
The Oakley Bush solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) project is a proposed 39MW solar development, with a 10MW BESS proposed for the site. The application area, which covers 150 hectares of land on the Boughton Estate, could play host to as many as 130,000 ground-mounted solar modules, positioned around 3.5 metres above the ground.
The development is interesting for two reasons.
It Is Being Built With Both Solar Panels And A BESS
As a Control Engineer, I believe renewable power systems should have a battery, to even out the power.
The Batteries Could Be Vanadian Flow Batteries
The article says this about, the use of vanadium flow batteries.
According to the application documentation provided to Kettering District Council, two BESS technologies are being considered for use on-site: lithium-ion batteries or vanadium flow batteries. If vanadium flow batteries are used, the site could have an energy capacity of up to 50MWh, although this will be lower if lithium-ion batteries are used.
In a presentation given at a public information event for the project earlier this year, the developers noted that vanadium flow battery technology is being considered due to its significantly lower fire risk and longer lifespan than lithium-ion batteries. An operational lifespan of 40 years is expected for the site, with construction expected to take 18 months if planning consent is granted.
Note.
- Vanadium flow batteries appear to be larger.
- Vanadium flow batteries have a lower fire risk.
- Vanadium flow batteries have a longer life span, than lithium-ion.
With other batterers coming through, I wouldn’t be surprised to see costs, performance and reliability of batteries improve.
BP’s Morven Wind Farm At Risk Of Missing Start Date
The title of this post, is the same as that as this article in The Times.
This is the sub-heading.
A lengthening queue for grid connection could scupper plans to provide energy for three million homes from a development in the North Sea by the end of the decade
These two paragraphs introduce the article.
One of the largest wind farms in the UK risks missing its 2030 target to start generating power, due to lengthy grid connection queues and supply chain shortages.
The Morven Wind Farm being developed by BP, which is to be located 38 miles off the coast of Aberdeen, will have capacity of 2.9 gigawatts, which is expected to be capable of powering three million homes in Britain.
The delays in getting a grid connection and obtaining various electrical parts could derail BP’s plans.
The Morven wind farm is one of three being developed by a partnership of BP and a German company, which is outlined in this paragraph.
Morven is one of three UK wind farms being built by BP in a joint venture with Energie Baden-Württemberg AG (EnBW), the German energy company. The other two, Mona and Morgan, are being developed in the Irish Sea and have already secured grid connections.
These are my thoughts on the problems with the Morven Wind Farm.
Everybody is assuming that there will be a large cable to bring the 2.9 GW of electricity to the Scottish coast somewhere near Aberdeen.
Cables can be a problem as the article indicates, with connection to the grid and the erection of large numbers of pylons being major ones.
But the energy from Morven doesn’t necessarily need to go to Scotland.
It can be converted into hydrogen using an offshore electrolyser and sent to where it is needed by pipeline or a tanker ship.
I have also noted that BP’s partners are German and Germany has a massive need for zero-carbon energy to replace the large amount of coal they burn.
The Germans are building a massive pipeline called AquaVentus, from their North-West coast to the Dogger Bank, to collect hydrogen created by up to 10 GW of offshore wind farms in the German Ocean or their part of the North Sea to the shore.
I introduced AquaVentus in this post called AquaVentus.
This video shows the structure of AquaVentus.
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.
- 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.
- Pipelines from Denmark, Norway, The Netherlands and the UK will feed directly into AquaVentus.
- Will enBW and BP build a giant offshore electrolyser at Morven and send the hydrogen to Germany via the spine of AquaVentus?
- Will AquaVentus use the vast hydrogen storage North of Hull to store excess hydrogen?
- Will connections be built between AquaVentus and the UK’s Northern gas terminals at St Fergus and Easington?
If AquaVentus works as intended, Germany’s Russian gas will be replaced by zero-carbon hydrogen, a large proportion of which will come from the UK’s waters.
Where Will We Get Our Electricity From?
If the energy from Morven is sold to the Germans as hydrogen, where will we get the energy we need?
Morven is just one of several large wind farms and being developed around the North of Scotland and we’ll probably use the energy from another wind farm.
- Wind farms that can best send their energy to the grid, will do so.
- Wind farms that can best send their energy to one or more of the large Scottish pumped storage hydro-electric power-stations, will do so.
- Wind farms that can best send their energy to Germany as hydrogen, will do so.
- Wind farms that can best send their energy to Scotland or another country as hydrogen, will do so.
The hydrogen will get distributed to those who need it and can pay the appropriate price.
Where Will The Turbines And the Electrical Gubbins Come From?
I’m sure that if Morven was sending a couple of GW of hydrogen to Germany, Siemens could build the turbines and the associated electrical gubbins needed at a favourable price, with an acceptable delivery date.
Conclusion
Germany will likely be pleased, in that they will be able to close a lot of very dirty coal-fired power stations, by replacing coal with green hydrogen.
The UK should be pleased, as the Germans will pay us for the hydrogen.
As for Putin, who knows, what the mad Russian will do?
Large Scale Hydrogen Storage Sites Could Reduce Customer Energy Costs By £1bn Per Year
The title of this post, is the same as this press release from Centrica.
These four paragraphs summarise the report.
Centrica and FTI report finds that hydrogen storage would help balance the UK’s energy system and reduce bills.
A net zero scenario including large scale hydrogen storage – specifically, a redeveloped Rough gas storage facility – would reduce energy costs by an additional £1bn per year by 2050.
Report also finds that a UK energy system focused on renewable generation risks high levels of intermittency without an established hydrogen market. By 2050, electricity generation from renewables could exceed total demand around 15% of the time.
Electricity generation from renewables could also rise or fall by as much as 100GW over the course of a single day. More than twice current levels of peak demand on winter evenings and the equivalent energy output from over 30 Hinkley Point C nuclear power stations.
Note.
- Hydrogen Central entitles their article about the Centrica press release Centrica Says Hydrogen Can Reduce Household Bills by £35 a Year. That’s almost a bottle of my favourite Adnams beer a week!
- I talked about the redevelopment of the Rough facility into hydrogen storage in Aberdeen’s Exceed Secures Centrica Rough Contract.
- Generating hydrogen from excess electricity and storing it until it is needed, must be an efficient way of storing electricity or powering industrial processes that need a lot of energy, if storing hydrogen makes £1bn per year!
- It should be noted that Centrica have a large interest in HiiROC, who are developing an efficient way to generate hydrogen from any hydrocarbon gas from chemical plant off-gas through biomethane to natural gas. In a perfect world a HiiROC system in a sewage works could capture the biomethane and split it into hydrogen and carbon black. The hydrogen could be used to refuel vehicles and the carbon black would be taken away to someone, who has need of it.
In some ways, it is surely sensible to have enough energy in a store, if the renewables fail. As Rough is already there and functioning, it is surely one of the easiest routes to redevelop Rough, so that it is in top-quality condition.
It should also be noted, that Rough is not far from the Aldbrough Gas Storage, which SSE are converting to a second massive hydrogen store.
So Humberside will have two of the largest hydrogen stores in the world, which Centrica and SSE will use to maxise energy security in the wider Humberside and East Yorkshire area, and I suspect to maximise their profits as well.
This video shows the structure of AquaVentus, which is a pipeline system, that the Germans are building to bring much-needed hydrogen to German industry from electrolysers in the North Sea and other countries like Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and the UK.
I clipped this map from the video.
Note how a branch of AquaVentus makes landfall around the Humber estuary at a UK label.
Will Centrica and SSE be trading hydrogen from Rough and Aldbrough with the Germans through AquaVentus? You bet they will, as the Germans are short of both hydrogen and hydrogen storage.
DOE Funds Research Into Long-Duration Energy Storage Using Lead-Acid Batteries
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Best Magazine.
This is the sub-heading
US federal cash is on its way to fund research into long-duration energy storage using lead-acid batteries.
These two paragraphs give more details.
A consortium backed by industry bodies Battery Council International and the Consortium for Battery Innovation, will conduct pre-competitive research aimed at improving lead battery performance. Companies participating in the consortium include Advanced Battery Concepts, C&D/Trojan, Clarios, Crown Battery, East Penn Manufacturing, EnerSys, Gridtential and Stryten Energy. The collaborating national laboratories are Argonne, Oak Ridge and Pacific Northwest (PNNL).
The $5 million award from the US Department of Energy, announced on 27 September, will support work to develop lead batteries capable of 10+ hours of storage with a pathway to $0.05/kWh levelised cost of storage by 2030.
Note.
- The companies involved have names that indicate they could be battery makers.
- The collaborating national laboratories are world-class Premier League players.
- Over the nearly fifty years, that I drove cars, lead-acid batteries improved a lot and there might be more to come.
- The last paragraph is ambitious, unless they know more than I do about lead-acid batteries. Which is likely!
This is also said in one of Highview Power’s news items.
Highview Power, the global leader in long-duration energy storage solutions, is pleased to announce that it has developed a modular cryogenic energy storage system, the CRYOBattery, that is scalable up to multiple gigawatts of energy storage and can be located anywhere. This technology reaches a new benchmark for a levelized cost of storage (LCOS) of $140/MWh for a 10-hour, 200 MW/2 GWh system. Highview Power’s cryogenic energy storage system is equivalent in performance to, and could potentially replace, a fossil fuel power station. Highview Power’s systems can enable renewable energy baseload power at large scale, while also supporting electricity and distribution systems and providing energy security.
The battery researchers are saying $0.05/kWh levelised cost of storage by 2030 and Highview Power are saying $0.14/kWh for the same parameter.
Could Elon Musk’s Relationship With Donald Trump Be The Fly In The Ointment?
Would Musk want research to go on, that might weaken the use of his lithium-ion batteries for stationary applications?
Bord Gáis Energy Acquires Leading Irish Solar PV Installer Swyft Energy
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Centrica.
This is the sub-heading.
Bord Gáis Energy today announced the acquisition of Swyft Energy, a leading solar PV provider in Ireland for an undisclosed sum.
Note.
- Bord Gáis Energy is a subsidiary of Centrica.
- Swyft Energy has this web site.
These three paragraphs give more details of the acquisition.
Bord Gáis Energy already operates in the solar PV market: directly to residential customers, and through its partnership with Irish Farmer’s Association delivering solar PV to farms across Ireland, helping farmers transition to green energy. The acquisition of Swyft Energy now brings deeper solar PV capability to residential as well as business and farming customers of Bord Gáis Energy, as the company transitions to a green energy business.
Swyft Energy, a technology-led solar PV and boiler installation company, brings over six years of experience in delivering customer-focused solutions using a digital-first platform. This acquisition enhances Bord Gáis Energy’s highly skilled workforce and strengthens its customer proposition.
With a target of 10,000 installations over the next 5 years, this will allow Bord Gáis Energy to compete better for the growing demand for solar energy in residential, commercial and agricultural sectors. Customers can save an average of 50-70% on their electricity bills with the installation of rooftop solar panels.
The deal certainly looks a good fit between two ambitious companies, who are operating in similar areas of the Irish market.
I have my thoughts and observations.
Are Bord Gáis Energy And Swyft Energy Stronger Together?
Do both companies feel, that by working together, they will be stronger from a financial point of view?
It wouldn’t be unusual for this to be a reason behind a deal like this.
Centrica Are Making Lots Of Deals At The Present Time
Centrica are also continuing, the tendency to expand, that they’ve shown in recent weeks.
These are some of the deals I have noted.
- Aberdeen’s Exceed Secures Centrica Rough Contract
- HiiROC Partners With Siemens To Boost Clean Hydrogen Production
- Centrica Strikes 200MW Lithuanian Green Power Deal
- Centrica And Coterra Energy Announce Natural Gas Sale And Purchase Agreements
- Centrica And European Energy Sign Agreement On Måde Green Hydrogen Facility
- Recurrent Energy’s Middle Road Project Sold To Centrica
- Team GB And ParalympicsGB Athletes Find New Career Pathway At Centrica
- UK Infrastructure Bank, Centrica & Partners Invest £300M in Highview Power Clean Energy Storage Programme To Boost UK’s Energy Security
Centrica certainly have been busy expanding.
Energy Storage In The Island Of Ireland
It is generally accepted, that if you have a lot of renewable energy, then you need a lot of energy storage, to bridge the gaps in wind and solar.
In the Wikipedia entry for Energy In Ireland, there is a section called Energy Storage.
It seems to me, that Ireland could be short on energy storage, so is it likely that the enlarged Bord Gáis Energy will look for possibilities for energy storage.
Recently, Centrica formed a business relationship with Highview Power, who are developing environmentally-friendly liquid-air batteries. These smaller and more affordable batteries might be suitable for the island of Ireland.
Conclusion
There’s more to this deal, than at first meets the eye.
First Commercial-Scale Seaweed Farm Between Wind Turbines Fully Operational In Netherlands
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The world’s first commercial-scale seaweed farm within the Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore wind farm in the Netherlands is fully operational.
These initial three paragraphs fill out the details.
According to the non-profit organisation North Sea Farmers (NSF), the final deployment step was completed one week ago by deploying the seeded substrate.
North Sea Farm 1, initiated by NSF with funding from Amazon’s Right Now Climate Fund, is a floating farm located in the open space between wind turbines where seaweed production can be tested and improved.
The seaweed farm is located within the Hollandse Kust Zuid wind farm, nearly 22 kilometres off the coast of Scheveningen. The 1.5 GW project is owned by Vattenfall, BASF, and Allianz.
I find this an interesting concept.
I can remember reading in the Meccano Magazine in the 1950s, about the production of alginates from seaweed in Scotland.
Surprisingly, Wikipedia has very little on alginates, except for this illuminating Wikipedia entry for alginic acid.
This is the opening paragraph.
Alginic acid, also called algin, is a naturally occurring, edible polysaccharide found in brown algae. It is hydrophilic and forms a viscous gum when hydrated. When the alginic acid binds with sodium and calcium ions, the resulting salts are known as alginates. Its colour ranges from white to yellowish-brown. It is sold in filamentous, granular, or powdered forms.
But it does appear that the Scottish production of alginates is very much of the past. Unless someone else can enlighten me!
Perhaps Scottish seaweed farming can be revived to produce alginates, which appear to have a surprising number of uses, as this section of the Wikipedia entry shows.
Alginates do appear to be remarkably useful.
These are a few uses.
- As of 2022 alginate had become one of the most preferred materials as an abundant natural biopolymer.
- Sodium alginate is mixed with soybean protein to make meat analogue.
- They are an ingredient of Gaviscon and other pharmaceuticals.
- Sodium alginate is used as an impression-making material in dentistry, prosthetics, lifecasting, and for creating positives for small-scale casting.
- Sodium alginate is used in reactive dye printing and as a thickener for reactive dyes in textile screen-printing.
- Calcium alginate is used in different types of medical products, including skin wound dressings to promote healing,
Alginates seem to have some rather useful properties.
Four years ago, I tripped over in my bedroom, which I wrote about in An Accident In My Bedroom. I wonder if the Royal London Hospital used calcium alginate skin dressings to restore my hand to its current condition.
Paul Daniels would have said, “It’s magic!”
In the future these dressings may be produced from UK-produced seaweed.
The Anonymous Widower 