Centrica Energy And Whitecap Enter Long-Term Natural Gas Supply Agreement
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Centrica.
This is the sub-heading.
Centrica Energy is pleased to announce signing of a long-term natural gas purchase agreement with Whitecap Resources Inc., a leading Canadian producer dedicated to the responsible development of oil and gas resources across the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.
These first three paragraphs add more detail to the story.
Starting in April 2028, Whitecap will deliver 50,000 MMBtu of natural gas per day to Centrica Energy for a period of ten years – equivalent to roughly five LNG cargoes each year. The supply will be priced against the Title Transfer Facility (TTF), the benchmark for European gas markets.
This agreement advances Centrica’s strategy of managing market price exposure across its LNG portfolio by linking feed gas costs to European price signals. For Whitecap, the agreement provides access to international LNG-linked pricing, supporting the company’s natural gas price diversification strategy.
“Entering into this innovative agreement with Whitecap underlines our focus on building a balanced LNG portfolio through strategic partnerships across the globe allowing us to deliver reliable energy solutions to global markets” said Chris O’Shea, Group Chief Executive at Centrica.
I have some thoughts.
This Is The Seventh Deal Of This Type By Centrica In A Few Months
Note.
- All are marked with a tag of Natural Gas Trading.
- None of the deals appear to be in the Middle East.
- All appear to be fairly long term deals, with three stretching until 2037.
Hopefully, with luck we’ll have enough gas for the next few years.
Grain LNG Terminal Is Very Flexible
Consider.
- It is Europe’s largest LNG Terminal
- It can import, export and store gas.
- It has plenty of space for expansion, which could include new technologies.
- Centrica have said bunkering facilities will be added, which will be able to handle the latest low-carbon fuels.
I can certainly see, why Centrica acquired the terminal.
Cornish Plant Produces Geothermal Power
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Ground Engineering.
This is the sub-heading.
Hot water from a granite fault zone in Cornwall is being used to create electricity after a pioneering plant was switched on last week.
These two paragraphs add a few more details.
Geothermal Energy Lithium (GEL) started generating power from its United Downs facility near Redruth in late February.
The company drilled down more than 5km to reach hot water sitting in natural fractures in the rock deep below Cornwall.
This excellent video, shows the wide significance of what is happening in Cornwall.
How Much Electricity Do You Need To Charge A Garage Full Of Electric Buses?
Consider.
- A couple of years ago, I had a long discussion and a few beers with three managers of bus garages.
- In First Bus To Launch 1MW BESS Unit In Hampshire, Aberdeen To Follow, I talk about a specialist battery to charge buses.
- In Is Sumitomo Heavy Industries Highview Power Energy Storage System On line At Hiroshima?, I talk about an efficient, renewable power supply for an LNG Terminal.
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this post and received this comprehensive answer.
Charging a full garage of electric buses requires massive amounts of electricity, with typical, non-optimized charging for a 100-bus depot capable of drawing nearly 10 megawatts (MW) of power. To put this into perspective, a 100-bus depot might require roughly 150 Megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy to recharge over an eight-hour night.
Key Factors and Energy Requirements
Energy Consumption per Bus: A typical electric bus has a battery capacity between 300-500 kWh. Energy consumption averages around 1.11 to 1.35 kWh/km, with higher consumption in winter or with heavy A/C use.
Total Depot Power: For a 100-bus depot, power requirements can reach 10 MW, equivalent to the power output of a small hydroelectric dam.
Optimal Charging: Using smart charging, a 100-bus depot can reduce its peak demand to around 4 MW.
Daily Usage: A single, large electric bus can consume up to 500 kWh per day, with daily demand ranging from 189 to 231 kWh for typical operations.
Infrastructure and Grid Considerations
Charging Infrastructure: Depots often use 40 kW to 250 kW chargers, with 100 kW common for overnight charging.
Grid Capacity: A 34-bus depot might require a new 1000kVA transformer to handle the load.
Voltage: 11,000 volts may be required to power new substations, which are then stepped down to 400 volts for charging.
Operational Factors Affecting Energy Need
Heating and Cooling: Cold weather can increase energy consumption by up to 45% (due to electric heating).
Driving Style: Inefficient driving can increase energy consumption by 0.24 kWh/km above average.
Regenerative Braking: This can recover 37–40% of energy for 40-60 ft buses.
Cost Implications
Energy Bills: A 100-bus depot can incur monthly energy bills between $112,000 and $515,000 without optimization.
Cost Savings: Electric buses are generally cheaper to fuel, costing ~£0.21/mile compared to £0.49/mile for diesel.
Could A System Based On The Sumitomo/Highview Power System At Hiroshima Charge Electric Buses?
The optimal charging figure for a 100-bus garage would appear to be in the region of 4-5 MW.
In Is Sumitomo Heavy Industries Highview Power Energy Storage System On line At Hiroshima?, I state, that it looks like Highview Power’s CRYOBattery™ at the heart of the system has a capacity of 5 MW/20 MWh.
I also state in the post, that the Hiroshima facility is designed to support grid stability and enhance renewable energy integration.
Does this all mean that if you can install enough solar panels on the roof of the garage or perhaps a wind turbine nearby, that you can have buses substantially powered by the sun and wind.
Chicago would just love wind-powered buses!
Is Sumitomo Heavy Industries Highview Power Energy Storage System On Line At Hiroshima?
From some work I did at ICI in the 1970s on a PACE231R analog computer, I believe that Highview Power may have an extremely promising way of storing energy.
The Highview Power web site talks of Sumitomo Heavy Industries, who are building one of Highview’s batteries at Hiroshima in Japan.
So I asked Google AI the question in the title of this post and received this comprehensive answer.
Yes, the Sumitomo Heavy Industries (SHI) Highview Power liquid air energy storage (LAES) commercial demonstration plant in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima, is operational, having commenced operations on December 1, 2025.
Key details about the plant:Location: Within the Hiroshima Gas Hatsukaichi LNG Terminal.Capacity: 5 MW output with 4-hour storage (4 MW charging).Technology: Uses Highview Power’s CRYOBattery™ technology, specifically utilizing waste cold from the adjacent LNG terminal to improve efficiency.Role: The facility is designed to support grid stability and enhance renewable energy integration.A completion ceremony for the project was held on December 9, 2025. This news item from Sumitomo Heavy Industries gives more details.This paragraph describes Liquid Air Energy Storage or (LAES).
- It looks like the battery has a capacity of 5 MW/20 MWh.
- As it talks about using waste cold, this looks to be a very professionally-designed specialist application.
- But surely, that would be expected from a company like Sumitomo Heavy Industries.
There are hundreds of LNG terminals globally, with significant growth driven by over 300 projects (roughly 177 import/regasification and 124 export/liquefaction) expected between 2025 and 2030. In 2023, there were 22 countries with active liquefaction (export) capacity, while Europe alone operates roughly 28 large-scale terminals, supplemented by a rapidly expanding fleet of FSRUs.Export Capacity: In 2023, global liquefaction capacity was 472 million tonnes per annum (mtpa), with top exporters being Australia, the U.S., and Qatar.Expansion: By 2027, 52 new liquefaction terminals are expected to commence operations.Import Growth: European regasification capacity is expanding, with major terminals in Spain, France, Italy, and new additions in Germany and other nations.U.S. Infrastructure: The U.S. alone has more than 170 LNG facilities performing various services.
- They are listed in this Wikipedia entry.
- There are around thirty in Japan alone.
- Will Centrica add a 5 MW /20 MWh Highview Power battery to their Grain LNG Terminal?
- Each facility installed is claimed to be designed to support grid stability and enhance renewable energy integration, so the last part must cut carbon emissions.
Yes, several major chemical engineering and industrial processes generate significant amounts of “waste cold” (low-grade thermal energy or cryogenic energy) that is often discarded. While the chemical industry conventionally focuses on recovering waste heat, recovering waste cold is becoming increasingly popular for improving energy efficiency, particularly in cryogenic processes.
- Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Regasification
- Cryogenic Air Separation Units (ASUs)
- Dry Ice and CO2 Liquefaction
-
Liquid Nitrogen Vaporization
-
Emerging: Cryogenic Carbon Capture
- Creation of this page was not difficult, but you have to get the tricks right.
- I used Google Chrome and Google AI.
- My blog is hosted in WordPress.
- All pages on this blog, where I have had help in their creation from Google AI are tagged as such.
I would be happy to help anybody, who wanted to use Artificial Intelligence to create blog pages.
Polanski And Farage Don’t Agree. But They Have More In Common Than You Might Think
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC, by Laura Kuenssberg.
It is very much a must read article comparing two of the most controversial party leaders in the UK.
This is the sub-heading.
One is a former stockbroker from the south who, by his own proud admission, loves smoking, drinking and women. The other’s a proud vegan, gay, northern former actor, who told me he’d never drunk a drop.
These first three paragraphs add detail to the story.
But the jubilant Zack Polanski and Nigel Farage have rather a lot in common.
Before you scream, burst out laughing, or think I have lost my marbles, of course, there are very big differences between them.
The Greens talk about a climate emergency. Reform UK calls the government green plans, “net stupid zero”.
This is Laura’s summing up of the Terrible Twins.
Their views on the cause of Britain’s pain vary wildly.
The Greens might point the finger at the super-rich, the “donor billionaires” they often cite. Reform often blames immigration, which they controversially characterise as an “invasion” of people arriving in the UK without permission.
But both parties feed off and stir up sentiment that’s felt by lots of the public: that Britain doesn’t work any more.
Whether it’s the new Green MP saying “working hard used to get you something” in her victory speech, or Nigel Farage repeatedly telling us “Britain is broken”, the same argument flows from both: that the country is in such a dreadful state that only new political saviours can fix it.
And both Reform and the Greens are willing to push the conventions of what traditional UK politicians would find acceptable – or what they believe would make them electable.
That’s not just about their image or the unstuffy ways they court publicity – Nigel Farage willingly going into the I’m A Celebrity jungle, or Zack Polanski being seen on a dance floor in campaign videos – but how they choose to focus on sensitive issues, where others might not choose to tread.
I would disagree that Britain is broken, but that it needs someone with sensible policies that everybody can get behind.
The Greens policies on the super-rich would drive anybody with ambition and money from this country and already countries like Canada are advertising for migrants.
With two immigrant lines, Farage is everything my father thought was bad about Oswald Mosley and his fascists in the 1930s. If a Reform UK Government started rounding up illegal immigrants on the streets, the violence would probable be enormous.
How Much Renewable Energy Will The UK Be Generating By 2030?
I have to admit, that whether you like the Tories or not, they have developed an energy generation policy and an energy relationship with Germany, that appears to be working and is allowing the current Government to do a bit of spending on defence and other needs.
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this reply.
The UK government has set an ambitious target to reach 95% low-carbon electricity generation by 2030, aiming for a system driven by 43-50 GW of offshore wind, 27-29 GW of onshore wind, and 45-47 GW of solar power. This plan aims to dramatically reduce fossil fuel reliance, supported by 23-27 GW of battery capacity.
Key 2030 Renewable Energy Projections & Targets:
Total Clean Power Goal: The goal is 95% of electricity from low-carbon sources (renewables and nuclear) by 2030, up from roughly 74% in 2024.
Offshore Wind: Target of 43-50 GW, deemed crucial to powering the grid.
Onshore Wind: Target of 27-29 GW, with recent policy changes lifting bans to accelerate development.
Solar Power: Target of 45-47 GW, aiming to triple current capacity.
Flexibility: 23-27 GW of battery capacity and 4-6 GW of long-duration storage are needed to manage intermittency.
Challenges and Forecasts:
Shortfall Risks: While the government target is high, some projections suggest wind and solar may only account for 44% of generation by 2030, requiring significant acceleration to reach the 95% clean goal.
Investment Needs: Achieving these goals requires an estimated £48 billion in additional investment, on top of planned projects.
Progress: In 2024, renewable sources already hit a record of over 50% in certain quarters, with low-carbon sources overall (including nuclear) providing nearly 70% of generation.
My Thoughts
I will add some of my thoughts.
Electricity Demand: As I write, according to National Grid: Live it is 33.3 GW, which is met by with Production of 27.1 GW and Transfers of 6.2 GW.
Electricity Production: In 2030, I believe that if the UK has long-term battery capacity of something like 4 GW/40 GWh, that total UK electricity production could be upwards of 125 GW.
Hinckley Point C Power Station: This should add 1.6 GW in 2030 and 2031 to further boost UK electricity production.
Pumped Storage Hydro: In How Much Pumped Storage Hydro Will Be Operational In The UK By 2030?, I estimate that the Bank of England standard of energy storage, will add 5 GW of electricity production.
Highview Power: Highview Power are developing long duration liquid-air energy storage and have identified locations for sixteen 300 MW/3.2 GWh monsters.
Excess Electricity Production: This will be exported, either as electricity or after conversion to hydrogen. It will be a Magic Money Forest for the victor of the General Election in 2029.
If Hinckley Point C, the pumped storage hydro and Highview Power’s batteries work as their engineers hope, then the result of the next General Election will be predictable.
It is certainly, Kier Starmer’s to win, by getting the energy right!
Highview Power And The 2029 General Election
Every extra GWh added to energy storage has the following affect.
It will mean that more wind farms will not have to be switched in times of high wind and over production, as the electricity can be stored.
At the present time, there are four ways of storing energy.
- Turn it into hydrogen. But the Hindenberg did a good PR job for not using hydrogen.
- Store it in a pumped storage hydro system, but these have problems with their large land use.
- Store it in a large lithium battery, but these have problems with fire risks and need a large amount of expensive lithium.
- Store it in one of Highview Power’s liquid air batteries.
I believe that Highview Power’s liquid-air long duration batteries, have several advantages.
- They are built from readily available components.
- They can be scaled to the need at the location, where they are installed.
- A small one is 50 MW/300 MWh and a large one is 300 MW/3.2 GWh.
- The batteries come with grid stabilisation and other features.
- The batteries have a lifespan of greater than 50 years
- The energy storage fluid, is captured from the air.
- They are a product, that would be easy to finance in quantity.
- Goldman Sachs is an investor.
- A village with a power problem could fund a Highview Power battery and have a nice little earner, with perhaps a wind turbine on a nearby hill.
- Centrica is an investor.
If a politician were to understand it, it could wind them the next General Election.
How Much Pumped Storage Hydro Will Be Operational In The UK By 2030?
Pumped Storage Hydro is the Bank of England-standard for energy storage.
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this post and received this answer.
The UK currently has approximately 3 GW (roughly 26-28 GWh) of operational pumped storage hydro (PSH) capacity. By 2030, this capacity is expected to increase, driven by new projects in the pipeline that aim to meet a government goal of up to 8 GW of long-duration energy storage by that year.
Key Projects Expected Online by 2030-2031:
Coire Glas (SSE): A major project in Scotland with a planned capacity of 1.3 GW / 30 GWh, expected to be operational around 2030–31.
Cruachan Expansion (Drax): A 600MW plant in Scotland that has received approval, with construction expected to contribute to the 2030 goal.
Glenmuckloch: Projected to be operational by 2029. In
Other Developments:
Total Pipeline: Developers have identified up to 10 GW of potential projects in the Scottish Highlands and Wales, though not all will be operational by 2030.
Future Growth: The total installed capacity of PSH is expected to grow significantly, with one projection suggesting a rise from 26.7 GWh currently to over 122 GWh by 2034.
To support these projects, the UK government has confirmed a “cap and floor” investment framework to stimulate development of long-duration energy storage (LDES).
For a relatively small island we do seem to be an ideal place to develop pumped storage hydro!
The Coire Glas Pumped Storage Scheme
In The Coire Glas Pumped Storage Scheme, I give more details of this scheme.
The Glenmuckloch Pumped Storage Scheme
In The Glenmuckloch Pumped Storage Scheme, I give more details of this scheme, which is based on a disused open cast coal mine.
Addition Of Pumped Storage Hydro By 2030
This looks to be around 5 GW, but it is just a foretaste of the shape of things to come!
Bid To Create UK’s First Regional Hydrogen Network
The title of this post is the same as this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading
Four energy companies are working together to bid for government funding to develop the UK’s first regional hydrogen transport and storage network.
This two paragraphs add more details to the article.
National Gas, Centrica, Equinor and SSE Thermal aim to secure about £500m of funding to develop the network, which will connect sites across the Humber region.
“This is a competitive process that will determine where the UK’s first integrated hydrogen network is built,” a spokesperson for the four companies said.
Note.
- There are already several hydrogen projects in the area including Aldbrough Hydrogen Storage, H2H Saltend, and Ferrybridge and Keadby Next Generation Power Stations.
- The local MPs seem in favour.
- In Could Doncaster Sheffield Airport Become A Hydrogen Airport?, I laid out my reasons, why Doncaster Sheffield Airport could become a hydrogen airport.
I can see this hydrogen cluster having a big future.
New Baltic Sea Interconnector On Horizon As Lithuania, Latvia, and Germany Plan Cross-Border Link
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Lithuania, Latvia, and Germany are planning a joint offshore interconnector that would enable electricity trading between the Baltic countries and Germany and allow for the integration of up to 2 GW of offshore wind capacity in Lithuania and Latvia
These first two paragraphs add more detail to the article.
The energy ministers of the three countries signed a joint declaration of intent on 18 February, paving the way for the development of the Baltic-German PowerLink interconnector, which would, in addition to electricity trading and offshore wind capacity integration, also enable the expansion of onshore renewable energy capacity.
The Lithuanian, Latvian, and German transmission system operators (TSOs) – Litgrid, Augstsprieguma tīkls and 50Hertz – agreed to assess the feasibility of the hybrid electricity interconnection.
As Germany, has the following connections under development in the West.
- AquaVentus to Aberdeen, Humberside, Denmark, Norway and The Netherlands.
- NeuConnect to the Isle of Grain In England.
- GriffinLink, which is an offshore link to England.
The Germans seem to be putting themselves at the centre of an energy distribution system, that has the capability to stabilise European and UK electricity for thousands of years. Especially, if the network grows to include more countries.
This paragraph says this about the Baltic-German PowerLink project.
The Baltic-German PowerLink project concept developed by Litgrid, Augstsprieguma tīkls, and 50Hertz includes a 2 GW, approximately 600 kilometres long hybrid offshore connection, with the connection point in the Baltic States planned to be on the border between Lithuania and Latvia. The exact location is to be determined after technical studies.
Note.
- The interconnectors may be long, but they are not longer than anything built successfully before in European waters.
- The UK and the Island of Ireland are well-linked.
- There would appear to be no need for challenging projects like the Morocco-UK Power Project
I suspect that Germany will get the energy it needs and the British Isles will get a nice little earner.
If Europe is generating large amounts of wind and solar energy with its variable output it will need lots of energy storage.
What Countries Have The Terrain For Pumped Storage Hydro In Europe?
I asked Google AI and received this answer.
Key countries with ideal, high-elevation terrain and significant existing or planned capacity include:
Alpine Region (The Heart of European Pumped Storage):
Switzerland: Extremely high capacity due to steep, mountainous landscapes and significant water sources, hosting the world’s oldest working pumped storage plant.
Austria: Heavily mountainous, it is a major player in PSH expansion and modernization.
France: Home to one of Europe’s largest, the Grand Maison hydroelectric power station.
Italy: Holds high capacity with numerous planned projects.
Germany: Strong existing infrastructure.
Southern Europe:
Spain: Features some of Europe’s largest plants (e.g., La Muela/Cortes-La Muela).
Portugal: Significant recent investment in large-scale projects like the Tâmega complex.
Other Potential Areas:
Norway: High potential due to its mountainous, water-rich terrain.
United Kingdom: High project volume currently under construction.
Balkans & Central Europe:
Countries like Bulgaria, Romania, and the Czech Republic have suitable terrain for further development.
These countries benefit from significant hydraulic head (steep drop) and natural or artificial reservoir potential, making them ideal for storing energy for peak consumption hours.
Note.
- As expected, the Alpine region is Top of the League.
- The UK is holding its own despite its small mountains.
- There is a lot of potential to be developed.
But then Electric Mountain in Snowdonia is certainly at the top table of pumped storage systems despite being built in the 1980s.
What Countries Have The Terrain For Hydrogen Storage In Europe?
I asked Google AI and received this answer.
Key European countries with suitable geological terrain—specifically salt caverns and depleted gas fields—for large-scale, underground hydrogen storage include Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and France. Other significant regions for storage potential include Spain, Hungary, and Austria, which are developing porous storage facilities.
Key Regions & Terrain Types:
Salt Caverns (North-Western Europe): Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, and the UK have substantial salt deposits suitable for creating caverns, identified as cost-efficient for large-scale storage.
Depleted Gas Fields (Porous Rock): The Netherlands, Germany, and parts of Central/Southern Europe (Spain, Hungary) have significant capacity in existing porous storage, particularly in the North Sea region.
Specific Projects: Germany (Uniper’s Krummhörn project), Netherlands (HyStock), and France (HYPSTER at Etrez) are active, with Spain and Denmark emerging as major hydrogen hubs.
Capacity Potential: The Netherlands, for instance, holds massive potential (35-60 TWh) due to its offshore and onshore depleted fields.
Salt cavern projects, which offer high-deliverability storage, are heavily concentrated in the North-Western European industrial corridor.
I was lucky enough have a tour of ICI’s salt mine in Cheshire, when I worked there in the 1960s and I remember these facts from those days.
- There was enough salt in the ground under Cheshire to last several thousand years.
- Most salt was extracted from boreholes, for making chlorine using electrolysis and the Castner-Kellner process.
- Hydrogen was a by-product and much of it was mixed with coal gas to raise steam for the works.
The same technique used to make boreholes to extract the salt, is used to hollow caverns in the salt to store gases like hydrogen.
Once, when they were digging salt out of the salt mine at Winsford, a worker broke into an unmarked borehole and ICI nearly lost the mine because of the water rushing in.
Two stories stand out from the rescue of the mine.
- There was a need for dry clothes for all the workers, so ICI took a truck to Marks & Spencer in Northwich and emptied it of anything they might need. I was told the story enriched with plagues of locusts.
- A Ford Transit was found to have travelled a few thousand miles underground in axle deep salt slurry. Rather, than scrap it and buy another, it was offered back to Ford, who were delighted to swap it for a new one. I heard that Ford said, that the accelerated corrosion research would have taken many years, if done on the roads.
Always think out of the box.
Global Investor Joining RWE On Two Norfolk Vanguard Offshore Wind Projects, FID Expected in Summer
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Global investment firm KKR and RWE have signed an agreement under which KKR acquire a 50 per cent stake in each of RWE’s Norfolk Vanguard East and Norfolk Vanguard West offshore wind projects, totalling 3.1 GW in installed capacity. The wind farms were just awarded Contracts for Difference (CfDs) in the UK’s seventh CfD allocation round (AR7).
These three paragraphs add a few more details.
The two Norfolk Vanguard projects, which RWE bought from Vattenfall in March 2024, have already secured seabed rights, grid connections, development consent orders (DCOs) and all other key permits.
On 14 January, RWE said it launched the process to raise non-recourse project finance debt for the projects and that it expects the closing of the partnership transaction and the project financing, as well as the final investment decision (FID), in the summer of 2026.
Located 50 to 80 kilometres off the coast of Norfolk, the two offshore wind farms are planned to be commissioned in 2029 (Norfolk Vanguard West) and 2030 (Norfolk Vanguard East).
RWE do seem to be lining up everything ready for that final investment decision in the summer of 2026.
- I suspect that with KKR on board, that they have got the money ready and I wouldn’t be surprised to see these two projects quickly progress to a completion.
- I also think it was significant that we have Goldman Sachs involved in Highview Power, who may have a solution to affordable energy storage and now we have KKR getting involved with one of the most professional offshore wind power developers in the world.
- Are Goldman Sachs and KKR placing bets against Trump’s anti wind power stance?
The Germans will certainly need a lot of energy and British offshore wind power, would appear the only place, where it is available easily in quantity to the Germans.
I await the next few months with a lot of interest.
Do British And German Offshore Wind Farm Generate Maximum Power At Different Times
In National Grid, TenneT Germany Launch GriffinLink, A First Of A Find Project To Maximise Offshore Wind, I discussed GriffinLink, which will be an offshore link between British and German offshore wind farms.
Somebody has asked me if wind farms are in phase with each other, as obviously this would effect how they perform and are are controlled.
So I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this post and received this reply.
Yes, British and German offshore wind farms often generate their maximum power at different times, although they are both located in the North Sea and share similar peak seasons. The variations in generation are driven by localized weather patterns, specifically the movement of low-pressure systems.
Key Differences in Generation Times:
Regional Weather Patterns: While North Sea wind farms are often closely correlated, significant differences arise when weather systems move from west to east. Wind often hits the UK’s North Sea sites first, meaning they may hit maximum generation capacity hours before German or Danish sites, which are further east.
Time of Day (Diurnal Differences): Because UK wind farms are located in the Irish Sea, the Scottish coast, and the North Sea, they can exhibit different diurnal (daily) peak times compared to German sites in the North Sea and Baltic Sea.
Seasonal Peaks: Both countries experience the highest output during winter months (e.g., December). However, during specific, localized, long-lasting high-pressure systems (“Dunkelflaute”), one country might experience a complete drop in wind while the other continues to produce, or vice versa.
Why They Differ:
Geography: The UK’s extensive, spread-out coastline (Irish Sea, Atlantic coast, North Sea) offers a different wind profile than the more concentrated German offshore projects in the North Sea and Baltic Sea.
Correlation Challenges: Research shows that while North Sea countries have similar wind profiles, there is not 100% correlation. Meteorological differences in how wind speeds behave across the North Sea allow for complementary production.
This difference is highly advantageous for European energy security, as it allows for the balancing of intermittent wind power across the region.
The conclusion from Google AI, is almost predicting that GriffinLink will be developed. From my experience of mathematical modelling the cost and financial benefits should be fairly easy to predict.
Will The UK And The Republic Of Ireland Link Their Offshore Wind Farms To Improve Efficiency?
This may seem an obvious idea, especially as UK and Republic of Ireland are heavily interconnected.
So I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this reply.
Yes, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland are taking significant, active steps to link their offshore wind farms and electricity grids to improve efficiency, increase renewable energy production, and enhance energy security. Following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in September 2023, the two countries are collaborating on developing subsea energy infrastructure in the Irish and Celtic Seas.
Here are the key details regarding this cooperation:
Deepened Collaboration: As of March 2025, the UK and Ireland are working on a new data-sharing arrangement to lay the groundwork for directly connecting offshore wind farms to each other’s national energy networks.
Offshore Hybrid Assets (OHAs): The plans include developing offshore hybrid assets, which are subsea cables that directly link offshore wind farms to both countries’ grids, reducing infrastructure costs and maximizing efficiency.
Subsea Mapping & Interconnection: Both nations are mapping the Celtic Sea to identify optimal locations for interconnectors and to improve the interoperability of their grids.
Existing & New Projects: While Ireland’s current interconnection to the UK is limited (approx. 500MW), capacity is planned to increase significantly. Specific projects like Mares Connect (linking North Wales and Ireland) are being developed to provide750MW of additional capacity.
Regional Cooperation: Ireland is also participating in the “Hamburg Declaration” (signed Jan 2026), joining the UK and other North Sea countries to commit to 300GW of offshore wind by 2050 through shared, regional infrastructure.
This cooperation aims to allow Ireland to export its surplus renewable energy during high generation, while benefiting from the UK’s robust grid during lower wind conditions.
Will The UK AndNorway Link Their Offshore Wind Farms To Improve Efficiency?
As we have interconnectors with Norway, I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this reply.
Yes, the UK and Norway are actively planning and implementing initiatives to link their offshore wind farms and electricity grids to improve efficiency, energy security, and grid balancing. Following a series of agreements, including a major pact in January 2026, the two countries are collaborating on “hybrid” projects that connect offshore wind sites directly to multiple countries.
It does look like that the co-operations between the UK and Germany, Norway and the Republic of Ireland are setting examples that should be copied all over the world.
But then, you should always follow the mathematics.
But somehow, I can’t see President Trump signing any windmill co-operation with his neighbours.
The Anonymous Widower 