Highview Power Releases More Details Of The Hunterston LDES
In a long and detailed press release, these are the first two paragraphs.
London, 15 October 2024: The First Minister for Scotland, John Swinney MSP, welcomed Highview Power Executives to Scotland House in London today as the company announced its intention to develop its Hunterston project in Scotland as part of its multi-billion-pound LDES programme. Hunterston will deliver five times Scotland’s current operational battery storage capacity and is strategically placed in the grid transmission network to maximise the use of Scottish-produced renewable electricity. This follows Highview Power’s funding round in June where it secured a £300 million investment for its 300MWh proprietary Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) technology at Carrington, near Manchester.
Supported by the Scottish Government, Hunterston is the first project in Highview Power’s second phase, which comprises four projects across Scotland and Northern England. The 2.5GWh LAES plant at Hunterston will deliver an 8-fold increase in storage capacity on Carrington – to deliver enough power 650,000 homes for 12.5 hours.
Note these important points.
- The Hunterston battery will be the first of four 200 MW/2.5 GWh batteries.
- Together, these four batteries will have a distributed 1600 MW/10 GWh capability.
- For comparison, Dinorwig pumped storage hydroelectric power station, in Snowdonia, which opened in 1984, has a 1600 MW/9.1 GWh capability.
- The second battery will be in Aberdeenshire.
- The Hunterston project will support 1,000 jobs onsite during construction and 650 jobs in the supply chain.
John Swinney, who is First Minister for Scotland, summed the project up like this.
The creation of the largest liquid air energy facility in the world, in Ayrshire, demonstrates just how valuable Scotland is in delivering a low carbon future as well as supporting the global transition to net zero.
Highview Power Plans To Develop 2.5GWh LDES Project In Scotland
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Power Technology.
This is the sub-heading.
The liquid air energy storage plant at Hunterston is set to deliver a substantial increase in storage capacity
These first three paragraphs add a few more details.
Highview Power has announced plans to develop a long-duration energy storage (LDES) project in Ayrshire, Scotland, with a capacity of 2.5 gigawatt hours (GWh).
The project will be built at Peel Ports’ property at Hunterston, North Ayrshire and will provide five times the existing battery storage capacity of Scotland.
It is supported by the Scottish government and its strategic location optimises the use of renewable electricity produced in the country.
Note.
- Highview Power talks of 200MW/2.5GWh capacity batteries in Scotland on its web site, so I suspect this battery is one of those.
- This battery is as large as some pumped storage hydro systems.
- In UK Infrastructure Bank, Centrica & Partners Invest £300M in Highview Power Clean Energy Storage Programme To Boost UK’s Energy Security, I described the funding now behind Highview Power. The funding appears to be solid, as it includes the UK Infrastructure Bank, Centrica, Goldman Sachs and Rio Tinto.
This is a good start for Highview Power.
UK To Fund Hydro Energy Storage Projects
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
This is the sub-heading.
New infrastructure aims to help balance the electricity system after the rapid growth in renewables
These three paragraphs infrastructure the article.
Projects that use water to store and release energy are to be given government support, in an attempt to help manage the volatility in supply and demand as more green power enters the grid.
From next year, pumped hydro storage projects will be able to apply for government subsidies, which will be provided via a “cap and floor” mechanism. These would guarantee revenues if prices drop below a certain floor but prevent providers from charging above a ceiling when power prices are high.
Like other government support schemes, any cost will be levied on energy bills, while consumers will be paid back any money generated above the cap. It is yet to be decided precisely how the cap and floor will be set.
I feel it is reasonable to expect the system to be a success, as a similar system is used for interconnectors and this article on Offshore Energy is entitled Over $86 million To Be Split Between UK and Belgium Consumers As 1 GW Subsea Interconnector’s ‘Remarkable’ Revenues Exceed Ofgem’s Cap.
It looks like Ofgem played this right for interconnectors and the Nemo Link is making a substantial payment.
It will be interesting to see what happens when “cap and floor” contracts are assigned.
This move by Ofgem will probably have effects in two areas.
- SSE, Statera and Statkraft, who are typically developing systems at the high end with a size of about 1.5 GW/25 GWh could find money is easier to come by.
- At the lower end, companies like Highview Power, who have systems of 50 MW/300 MWh and 200 MW/2.5 GWh under development, will also benefit.
My Control Engineering thoughts are leaning towards the 200 MW/2.5 GWh systems being the popular ones. Especially as they would appear to be close to the right size to support a 1 GW wind farm for two hours.
A Highview Power Two-Hour Liquid Air Battery could fit nearly with a fleet of Two-Hour BESS.
It should be noted that CAF use a little-and-large approach to theit battery-electric trams in the West Midlands.
A large lithium-ion battery is the main storage device.
A supercapacitor handles the high-frequency response and keeps the power steady.
Pairing a Highview Power Two-Hour Liquid Air Battery and a Two-Hour BESS could achieve the same performance and possibly result in some cost savings.
15+ MW Floating Wind Turbines to Be Tested At Norway’s METCentre
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Three companies have signed contracts with Norway’s Marine Energy Test Centre (METCentre) to test new technology aimed at reducing the costs of floating offshore wind by demonstrating floaters equipped with 15+ MW turbines.
These are the first two paragraphs.
According to Norwegian Offshore Wind, this is the turbine size that will be relevant for future floating offshore wind farms.
The test area is located just a few kilometres away from the Utsira Nord zone, where Norway’s first commercial floating offshore wind farm will be located.
This sounds like the sort of sensible test philosophy, that you’d expect from the Norwegians.
Equinor Acquires Minority Stake In Ørsted, Becomes Second-Largest Shareholder
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Norway-headquartered Equinor has acquired a 9.8 per cent minority stake in Denmark’s Ørsted, making it the second-largest shareholder behind the Danish state, which holds a controlling stake in the company.
These are the first two paragraphs.
According to Equinor, the company is supportive of Ørsted’s strategy and management and is not seeking board representation.
“Equinor has a long-term perspective and will be a supportive owner in Ørsted. This is a counter-cyclical investment in a leading developer, and a premium portfolio of operating offshore wind assets”, said Anders Opedal, CEO of Equinor.
Could it also be two Scandinavian companies getting together to put up a stronger front to outside interests?
Are they frightened of the actions that might be taken by Great British Energy and by the Germans with their massive thirst for hydrogen?
Norway Plans EUR 3 Billion Subsidy For Floating Offshore Wind
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The Norwegian government has proposed NOK 35 billion (approximately EUR 3 billion) for a support scheme dedicated towards the first commercial floating offshore wind tender within the Vestavind F and Vestavind B areas.
These are the first two paragraphs.
According to the press release, the government is making progress in following up on its ambitious plan to allocate project areas for 30 GW of offshore wind by 2040.
Norway plans to conduct the next tendering round for offshore wind in 2025. After that, the government intends to hold regularly scheduled tendering rounds and state aid competitions leading up to 2040.
The original press release is called A Responsible Approach To Floating Offshore Wind.
Some politicians and green sceptics might not call three billion euros responsible.
I do suspect that Great British Energy will have to deal in this size of numbers to be able to compete with the Norwegians.
We’ll have to work hard to meet our target of 100 GW by 2040.
But at least as the UK’s target is higher, does that mean that the target should be easier. Or do we have more suitable sea?
Public Views Sought Over Mersey Tidal Barrier Plan
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
More details have been revealed about plans to build the world’s largest tidal barrier in the River Mersey.
These two paragraphs outline the project.
A dam-like structure would be constructed between Wirral and Liverpool, with the possibility of cyclists and pedestrians being able to walk across it.
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority believes the project could generate enough clean, predictable energy to power hundreds of thousands of homes for 120 years.
Note.
- A six-week public consultation on the scheme will begin on 1 October, offering local people and organisations the chance to comment on the plans.
- Steve Rotherham, who is the Mayor, has said it will be within ten years.
As Rotherham has called in the Korean experts, he could likely be right.
This is a flythrough of the barrage.
Nuclear Deal Gives Rolls-Royce £2.5bn Boost
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
This is the sub-heading.
UK engineers selected to build a fleet of mini-nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic
These are the first two introductory paragraphs.
Almost £2.5 billion was added to the market value of Rolls-Royce after it was selected to build a fleet of mini-nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic, the first deal of its kind in Europe.
Rolls was selected as the preferred supplier for the development and construction of a number of small modular reactors by the Czech government from a shortlist of seven companies. The exact number of SMRs due to be delivered will be announced in the next few weeks.
Strangely, despite the announcement having a positive movement on the company’s share price, there was no corporate press release. but the Rolls-Royce subsidiary; Rolls Royce SMR did publish this press release, which is entitled Rolls-Royce SMR Named As Preferred Supplier To Build In Czechia.
These four paragraphs are the complete release.
Rolls-Royce SMR CEO, Chris Cholerton, said: “We welcome today’s landmark announcement by the Government of the Czech Republic and the Czech State utility, ČEZ Group, naming Rolls-Royce SMR as their preferred supplier for the development and construction of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
“This decision, to select Rolls-Royce SMR from a list of seven potential SMR technology providers, follows a rigorous evaluation process by ČEZ Group. Discussions are ongoing to finalise contract terms and the final agreements are subject to customary regulatory clearances. Details of the agreement will be published at signing.
“This important strategic partnership further strengthens Rolls-Royce SMR’s position as Europe’s leading SMR technology, and will put CEZ, Rolls-Royce SMR and its existing shareholders at the forefront of SMR deployment.
“Rolls-Royce SMRs will be a source of clean, affordable, reliable electricity for Czechia – creating jobs, enabling decarbonisation, reducing the reliance on imported energy and supporting the global effort to reach net zero.”
These are my thoughts.
Rolls-Royce And Small Nuclear Reactors
The Wikipedia entry for Rolls-Royce Submarines, who build the nuclear engines for submarines, indicates that the subsidiary was formed in 1954.
The first nuclear submarine with a Rolls-Royce engine was HMS Valiant, which was commissioned in 1966, according to its Wikipedia entry.
Valiant was powered, until it was decommissioned in 1994, by a Rolls-Royce PWR or Pressurised Water Reactor, that is described in this Wikipedia entry.
Since Valiant, the UK has built nearly forty nuclear submarines for the Royal Navy, and all have been or will be powered by that original Rolls-Royce PWR or derivatives of the design.
The next nuclear submarine project for Rolls-Royce Submarines, will be the nuclear power unit for the SSN-AUKUS, which is described in this Wikipedia entry, which describes the submarine like this in the first paragraph.
The SSN-AUKUS, also known as the SSN-A, is a planned class of nuclear-powered fleet submarine (SSN) intended to enter service with the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy in the late 2030s and Royal Australian Navy in the early 2040s. The class will replace the UK’s Astute-class and Australia’s Collins-class submarines.
The Wikipedia entry for the Rolls-Royce PWR, says this about the power unit for the SSN-AUKUS.
Rolls Royce is building the reactor for SSN-AUKUS, which may be the PWR3, or a derivative.
The PWR3 is the latest version of the original 1966 design.
If you fly on the latest Airbus A350, the aircraft is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, which are the most powerful engines in the Trent family of turbofan engines.
The Trent engine was developed from the RB-211 engine of the 1960s. The RB-211 may have bankrupted the company, but it later provided the cash-flow for the world-class company we see today.
I don’t think Rolls-Royce need have any fears about using sixty years of nuclear reactor technology to build the Rolls-Royce SMR.
Rolls-Royce And The US Department Of Defense Nuclear Microreactor Program
I discuss this in Rolls-Royce To Play Key Role In US Department Of Defense Nuclear Microreactor Program.
Surely to be involved in a key US program, Rolls-Royce’s offering must be tip-top.
Will The Czechs Play Any Part In The Manufacture?
This article in the Financial Times, is entitled Rolls-Royce Wins Pioneering Deal To Build Mini Nuclear pPlants In Czech Republic.
A paragraph sounds very much like active participation to me.
Between the Two World Wars, Skoda Works in Czechoslovakia, was according to its Wikipedia entry, was one of the largest European industrial conglomerates of the 20th century.
This paragraph from the Wikipedia entry describes their history after the First World War.
By World War I, Škoda Works had become the largest arms manufacturer in Austria-Hungary, supplying the Austro-Hungarian army with mountain guns, mortars and machine guns, including the Škoda M1909, and the ships of the Austro-Hungarian navy with heavy guns. After the end of the war and the creation of the First Czechoslovak Republic, the company, previously focused on manufacturing of armaments, diversified and became a major manufacturer of locomotives, aircraft, ships, machine tools, steam turbines, equipment for power utilities, among other industrial products.
The company sounded just like a Czechoslovakian version of Vickers.
I believe that as a teenager, I heard a story, that the armour plate for the British battleship; Duke of York, was smuggled out of Czechoslovakia, under the noses of the Nazis. I can’t find the story on the Internet, but Czech armour seemed to be of high quality, between the two wars.
This paragraph from the Wikipedia entry describes the history of Skoda Works after World War II.
After World War II, Škoda Works was nationalized and split into several companies by the newly communist government in Czechoslovakia. Important products during the Communist era include nuclear reactors and trolley buses.
I don’t think they made nuclear trolley buses, but they might have had the capability.
What happened to the knowledge about all the steelworking needed to make nuclear reactors?
This further paragraph gives an indication. that lack of modern designs killed the business.
The factory concentrated on markets in the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc. The company produced a wide range of heavy machinery such as nuclear reactors and locomotives. A lack of updates to its product designs and infrastructure considerably weakened the company’s competitive position and its brand.
Note.
- Can Rolls-Royce and their partner; The Welding Institute (TWI), provide modern designs and techniques to build the parts of reactors for modern SMRs in Czechia?
- The Welding Institute, which is based just outside of Cambridge, describes themselves as the leading engineering institution supporting welding and joining professionals with welding, joining and allied technologies.
- Czechia is also in the heart of Europe and components would be easily shipped by rail or road to European construction sites.
- Wikipedia also says that a lot of post-Soviet trams and trolley busses, were made by Skoda, so the same must count for something.
There will be much worse places to build components for SMRs than Czechia.
Will The Czechs Help With The Soviet Reactors?
If the Czechs built the reactors, they will have a lot of answers about things like.
- Where the Soviet reactors are?
- When will the Soviet reactors need replacing?
- How were they transported?
- How were they assembled?
- What will be the difficult parts to take apart?
Choosing the Czechs for their knowledge as partners seems a good idea.
Conclusion
The Czechs would appear to be good partners for Rolls-Royce.
The Potential For Floating Solar In The UK
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Solar Power Portal.
I like the concept and I have written a few posts on the topic, which can be viewed from this link.
The application, I particularly like, is the use of floating solar on reservoirs, which in addition to producing energy, can reduce water evapotation and reduce the forming of algal blooms.
This Google Map shows the farm in the Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir, near Walton-on-Thames.
There is also this article in the Guardian, which is entitled World’s Biggest Floating Solar Farm Powers Up Outside London. It gives a good description of the project.
Conclusion
The article is a must-read and we need more floating solar in the UK, especially on reservoirs.
The Anonymous Widower 