The Anonymous Widower

Crown Estate Details Round 5 Plans

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

The Crown Estate has revealed details of a new leasing round, known as Round 5, for three commercial-scale floating wind projects in the Celtic Sea.

These are the first two paragraphs, which outline the three initial projects.

Located off the coast of South Wales and South West England, the sites will have a combined capacity of up to 4.5 GW, enough to supply four million homes with renewable energy.

The new wind farms are expected to be the first phase of commercial development in the region, with the UK Government confirming as part of its Autumn Statement in November its intention to unlock space for up to a further 12 GW of capacity in the Celtic Sea.

It looks like there could be another 7.5 GW available.

These four paragraphs indicate that the Crown Estate. expect the developers to to develop the local infratructure.

New details about the Round 5 auction include upfront investment in important workstreams to de-risk the process for developers and accelerate the deployment of projects.

This includes a multi-million-pound programme of marine surveys to better understand the physical and environmental properties around the locations of the new wind farms, as well as carrying out a Plan-Level Habitats Regulations Assessment early on in the process.

An Information Memorandum published today, on 7th December, also includes details of a series of contractual commitments for developers to create positive social and environmental impacts, focused on skills and training, tackling inequalities in employment, environmental benefits, and working with local communities.

In addition, bidders will be required to demonstrate commitments for the timely access to the port infrastructure needed to develop their projects, the Crown Estate said.

But it also appears that the Crown Estate are doing their bit by carrying out marine surveys.

Conclusion

It looks like the Crown Estate are making thing easier for developers, so that they increase the interest in Celtic Sea wind farms.

We’ll see if the strategy is successful, when contracts are awarded.

December 7, 2023 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Vertical Farming Consortium Secures UK Government Funding To Advance Low-Emission Food Production Using Energy Storage

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Renewable Energy Magazine.

This is the sub-heading.

A consortium of four British companies, comprising UK Urban AgriTech (UKUAT), Intelligent Growth Solutions Ltd, RheEnergise and James Hutton Institute has received a grant from the UK Government to advance the development of low-carbon and low-cost food production by co-locating renewable energy with vertical farms.

These paragraphs outline the project.

The V-FAST consortium’s £488,000 project will explore how co-locating RheEnergise’s HD Hydro Energy Storage system with vertical farms can support a low-emission route to growing protein-rich crops in a controlled environment.

Last year, V-FAST – Vertical Farming And Storage Technologies – started investigating sites in Scotland’s Central Belt for the location of Scotland’s next generation of hectare+ scale vertical farms, powered by 100 percent renewables and using RheEnergise’s High-Density Hydro energy storage system. These farms would provide locally produced fresh foods (salads and fruits) to over 60 percent of the Scottish population and help meet the Scottish Government’s ambitions to produce more homegrown fruit and vegetables. These site investigations in Scotland continue.

Now, with the Innovate UK and BBSRC funding as part of the Novel Low Emission Food Production Systems competition, V-FAST will broaden the area for its site feasibility studies to across the UK, using GIS to identify and rate suitable locations for vertical farms that are co-located with renewables and High-Density Hydro energy storage. As part of the project, V-FAST will also undertake crop trials to establish optimal climate recipes in terms of their energy efficiency relative to produce metrics (e.g. protein per kWh or kg of CO2e).

It certainly sounds unusual to pair vertical farming with energy storage, but if it works, why knock it?

RheEnergise’s HD Hydro Energy Storage system is effectively pumped storage hydroelectricity using a fluid with a specific gravity of 2.5.

So instead of needing mountains to store energy, it can use medium-sized hills.

The Wikipedia entry for vertical farming, introduces the concept like this.

Vertical farming is the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers. It often incorporates controlled-environment agriculture, which aims to optimize plant growth, and soilless farming techniques such as hydroponics, aquaponics, and aeroponics. Some common choices of structures to house vertical farming systems include buildings, shipping containers, tunnels, and abandoned mine shafts.

As both HD Hydro Energy Storage system and vertical farming seem to need some form of vertical space, can colocation be advantageous in terms of cost?

Wikipedia also says that vertical farms also face large energy demands due to the use of supplementary light like LEDs.

So could V-FAST be an unusal marriage made in heaven of plant science and energy storage?

 

 

 

December 7, 2023 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage, Food | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fashion Companies Pledge To Invest In Bangladesh First Offshore Wind Project

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

Fashion companies, BESTSELLER and H&M Group have pledged to invest in the first utility-scale offshore wind project off the coast of Bangladesh, which is being developed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) together with local partner Summit Power.

These four paragraphs give a lot more detail.

The announcement was made Tuesday at the ongoing COP28 in Dubai.

The 500 MW offshore wind project, which is in early-stage development, could significantly increase the availability of renewable energy in one of the fashion industry’s most important manufacturing countries, said the non-profit organisation Global Fashion Agenda (GFA).

More than 70 per cent of the fashion industry’s GHG emissions come from upstream activities and current operations predominantly rely on non-renewable energy sources, such as petroleum, gas, oil, and coal, said GFA.

To ensure and accelerate decarbonisation, GFA is advocating collective investments by fashion brands in new renewable energy generation.

This would appear to be one of those circular stories, where a lot of parties benefit.

  • There will be less greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing in Bangladesh.
  • Jobs will be created in the renewable energy industry in Bangladesh.
  • The fashion industry gets product with a smaller carbon footprint.
  • The fashion industry gets a safe investment for its spare cash, that improves their product.

It might also create an industry in Bangladesh, that makes steel structures for the world’s offshore wind industry.

But consider.

  • As of June 2022, Bangladesh had 25.7 GW of electricity generation.
  • Much of Bangladesh’s electricity is generated by gas.
  • Bangladesh is aiming for a 7 % growth rate so will need a lot more electricity.

500 MW is literally a drop in the ocean.

This Goggle Map shows most of Bangladesh and the location of the wind farm, by Cox’s Bazar, which is marked by a red arrow.

I shall be interesting to see how this and other similar projects develop.

December 6, 2023 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

RWE’s Welsh Offshore Wind Project Powers Ahead

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

Natural Resources Wales has awarded marine licences for RWE’s Awel y Môr offshore wind project off the North Wales Coast.

These two paragraphs outline the project.

The offshore wind farm, which could power more than half of Wales’ homes, has secured all of its necessary planning approvals with the award of its marine licences from Natural Resources Wales, RWE said.

The marine licences have been awarded on behalf of Welsh Government ministers following the granting of a Development Consent Order in September.

With all the wind action in the East, we tend to forget that the Liverpool Bay area has a lot of wind.

  • Awel y Môr – 500 MW – Before 2030
  • Barrow – 90 MW – 2006
  • Burbo Bank – 90 MW – 2007
  • Burbo Bank Extension – 258 MW – 2017
  • Gwynt y Môr – 576 MW – 2015
  • Mona – 1500 MW – 2029
  • Morecambe – 480 MW – 2028
  • Morgan – 1500 MW – 2029
  • North Hoyle – 60 MW – 2003
  • Ormonde – 150 MW – 2012
  • Rhyl Flats – 90 MW – 2009
  • Walney – 367 MW – 2010
  • Walney Extension – 659 MW – 2018
  • West Of Duddon Sands – 389 MW – 2014

Note.

  1. This is a total of 6709 MW to be delivered before 2030.
  2. All the wind farms have fixed foundations.
  3. RWE have an interest in three of the Welsh wind farms.

The Times today has this article which is entitled Energy Minnow Sees Pathway To Irish Sea Gasfield Via London IPO, where these are the first three paragraphs.

An energy minnow that is seeking to develop a gasfield in the Irish Sea is planning to list on Aim, the junior London stock exchange, in an attempt to buck the downturn in initial public offerings.

EnergyPathways has announced its intention to float, seeking to raise at least £2 million.

It owns the rights to Marram, a small gasfield discovered in 1993 about 20 miles offshore from Blackpool. It is seeking permission from the government for its plan to develop the field in the Irish Sea quickly by connecting it with existing infrastructure that serves the already-producing gasfields in Morecambe Bay. It aims to be producing gas as soon as 2025.

This gasfield should produce enough gas until the large Liverpool Bay wind farms come on stream at the end of the decade.

December 5, 2023 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Masdar To Invest In Iberdrola’s 1.4 GW East Anglia Offshore Wind Project

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

Iberdrola and Masdar have signed a strategic partnership agreement to evaluate the joint development of offshore wind and green hydrogen projects in Germany, the UK, and the US, which also includes an investment in Iberdrola’s 1.4 GW East Anglia 3 offshore wind project in the UK.

These first two paragraphs outline the del.

After the parties’ successful co-investment in the Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm in Germany, the new milestone of this alliance will be to achieve a further co-investment concerning the 1.4 GW East Anglia 3 offshore wind project in the UK, said the companies.

According to the partners, the deal has been under negotiation for the last few months and could be signed by the end of the first quarter of 2024. Masdar’s stake in the wind farm could be 49 per cent.

This deal appears to be very similar to Masdar’s deal with RWE, that I wrote about in RWE Partners With Masdar For 3 GW Dogger Bank South Offshore Wind Projects.

  • The Iberdrola deal involves the 1.4 GW East Anglia 3 wind farm, which has a Contract for Difference at £37.35 £/MWh and is scheduled to be completed by 2026.
  • The RWE deal involves the 3 GW Dogger Bank South wind farm, which doesn’t have a Contract for Difference and is scheduled to be completed by 2031.
  • Both deals are done with wind farm developers, who have a long track record.
  • Both wind farms are the latest to be built in mature clusters of wind farms, so there is a lot of production and maintenance data available.

I suspect, that many capable engineers and accountants can give an accurate prediction of the cash flow from these wind farms.

I will expect that we’ll see more deals like this, where high quality wind farms are sold to foreign energy companies with lots of money.

Just over five years ago, I wrote World’s Largest Wind Farm Attracts Huge Backing From Insurance Giant, which described how and why Aviva were investing in the Hornsea 1 wind farm.

Conclusion

It appears that Masdar are doing the same as Aviva and usind wind farms as a safe investment for lots of money.

December 5, 2023 Posted by | Energy, Finance, Hydrogen | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

RWE Partners With Masdar For 3 GW Dogger Bank South Offshore Wind Projects

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

RWE has signed an agreement with UAE’s Masdar as a partner for its 3 GW Dogger Bank South (DBS) offshore wind projects in the UK.

These three paragraphs outline the deal.

The partners acknowledged the signing of the new partnership during a ceremony at COP28 in Dubai.

Masdar will acquire a 49 per cent stake in the landmark renewables projects while RWE, with a 51 per cent share, will remain in charge of development, construction, and operation throughout the life cycle of the projects.

RWE’s proposed DBS offshore wind project is made up of two offshore wind farms, Dogger Bank South East and Dogger Bank South West (DBS East and DBS West), each 1.5 GW, which are located over 100 kilometres offshore in the shallow area of the North Sea known as Dogger Bank.

Note.

  1. Masdar is an energy company headquartered in Abu Dubai.
  2. The Chairman of Masdar is President of COP28.

Does this deal indicate that wind farms are good investments for those individuals, companies and organisations with money?

December 4, 2023 Posted by | Energy, Finance | , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Plans for Hydrogen Development At Dogger Bank D Gain Ground

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

Dogger Bank D, the potential fourth phase of the world’s largest offshore wind farm under construction, Dogger Bank Wind Farm, has awarded contracts to engineering consultants to support the feasibility and optimization of a large-scale green hydrogen development option on the project

These three paragraphs outline the project.

SSE Renewables and Equinor, the developers of the Dogger Bank wind farm in the UK, awarded contracts for green hydrogen concept and engineering and optimization studies to Genesis, H2GO Power, and Fichtner.

If progressed for delivery, Dogger Bank D would be located in the North Sea around 210 kilometers off the northeast coast of England. Subject to the successful outcome of further technical studies, the project could be capable of generating up to around 2 GW of renewable power.

The 2 GW offshore wind farm is currently planned to comprise 128 wind turbines and up to six offshore platforms.

Note.

According to the article, this would be one of the UK’s largest green hydrogen production facilities.

The partners said, that the project could contribute to the UK Government’s electrolytic hydrogen ambitions for 5 GW by 2030.

This is said about the studies.

Using AI machine learning and robust modeling, these studies will investigate the multitude of interdependent variables required to optimize a potential green hydrogen production facility, such as offshore wind farm sizing, electrolysis capacity, transport and storage capacity, water availability, and offtake optionality.

I was using robust modelling on projects such as these fifty years ago, both with Artemis and bespoke software.

To my mind, SSE Renewables and Equinor are doing the right thing. If anybody has a similar project with lots of variables, I’d love to give my opinion.

I have some thoughts.

How Much Hydrogen Will Be Produced?

Ryze Hydrogen are building the Herne Bay electrolyser.

  • It will consume 23 MW of solar and wind power.
  • It will produce ten tonnes of hydrogen per day.

The electrolyser will consume 552 MWh to produce ten tonnes of hydrogen, so creating one tonne of hydrogen needs 55.2 MWh of electricity.

 

This would mean that if the Japanese built one Herne Bay-size electrolyser, then it would produce around three hundred tonnes of hydrogen in an average month.

Consider.

  • Dogger Bank D is likely to be a 2 GW wind farm.
  • This document on the OFGEM web site, says that the Dogger Bank wind farms will have a capacity factor of 45 %.
  • This means that Dogger Bank D wind farm will produce an average of 900 MW over a year.
  • This works out at 7,884 GWh of electricity in a year.

As each tonne of hydrogen needs 55.2 MWh to be produced, this means if all the electricity produced by Dogger Bank D, is used to create green hydrogen, then 142,826.1 tonnes will be produced.

How Will The Hydrogen Be Brought Ashore?

142,826.1 tonnes is a lot of green hydrogen and the easiest ways to transfer it to the shore would be by a pipeline  or a tanker.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the use of tankers, as this would give more flexibility and allow the export of hydrogen to countries in need of hydrogen.

Will There Be Hydrogen Storage In The Dogger Bank D Wind Farm?

This would surely be a possibility, but there are security considerations.

Cost would also be a factor!

The Location Of The Dogger Bank D Wind Farm

I clipped this map of Dogger Bank A, B, C and D wind farms from this page of the Dogger Bank D web site.

Note.

  1. RWE’s Dogger Bank South wind farm is not shown on the map.
  2. Dogger Bank D wind farm is the most Easterly of the four wind farms being developed by SSE Renewables and Equinor.
  3. Dogger Bank D wind farm must be the closest of the Dogger Bank wind farms to the Eastern border of the UK’s Exclusive Economic  Zone or EEZ.

Dogger Bank D wind farm would appear to be ideally placed to supply hydrogen to a number of places, by either pipeline or tanker.

Could Dogger Bank South Wind Farm Also Produce Hydrogen?

In RWE Partners With Masdar For 3 GW Dogger Bank South Offshore Wind Projects, I talked about the change of ownership of the Dogger Bank South wind farm.

I would assume that the Dogger Bank South wind farm will be located to the South of the Dogger Bank A,B, C and D wind farms.

Whether it will produce hydrogen will be a matter for the owners and market conditions.

I do believe though, that it could share some facilities with the those that might be built for Dogger Bank D wind farm.

Conclusion

After this brief look, Dogger Bank D could be an ideal place to build a large hydrogen production facility.

 

December 4, 2023 Posted by | Computing, Energy, Hydrogen | , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Highview Power, Ørsted Find Value In Integrating Offshore Wind With Liquid Air Energy Storage

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

Highview Power and Ørsted have completed their joint investigation into how combining the technologies of Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) and offshore wind could unlock greater value for investors and consumers.

These three paragraphs outline the findings.

The results show that there is value in combining offshore wind with LAES to support reducing wind curtailment, increasing productivity, and helping the move to a more flexible, resilient zero-carbon grid, according to Higher Power.

The two companies have carried out analysis of technical performance, route to planning approval, and route to market with a regulatory and economic assessment.

As a result of this study, the companies believe a project can be developed and built aligned with the timeline of an offshore wind farm.

I feel very strongly, that putting the two technologies together is a good idea.

In the simplest cases, the storage could be built into the offshore sub-station.

Could LAES Be Used With Hornsea 4 Wind Farm?

The Wikipedia entry for the Hornsea Wind Farm says this about Hornsea 4.

In July 2023, British government officials gave the final approval for Hornsea Four, the fourth phase of the wind project. Hornsea Four is expected to generate 2.6GW, have 180 giant wind turbines, and has the capability to generate enough renewable energy to power 1 million homes in Britain.

The Wikipedia entry also says this about Hornsea 3.

Project 3 will be to the east of Projects 1 and 2, with an estimated maximum capacity of 2.4 GW over 696 square kilometres (269 sq mi). DONG Energy (which in November 2017 changed its name to Ørsted) began consultation on the project’s development in May 2016. Ørsted submitted a Development consent application in 2018 and consent was granted on 31 December 2020.[69] In early 2023, consent was also given to a battery storage power station at Swardeston. The project is expected to begin construction in 2022, and be completed by 2025.

If Ørsted are adding a battery to the 2.4 GW Hornsea 3 wind farm, I would feel, that Ørsted would think about a battery on the 2.6 GW Hornsea 4 wind farm.

The Energy Storage The UK Needs

This is the last paragraph of the article.

The UK will need up to 100 GWh of energy storage by 2050 according to the estimates from National Grid ESO’s Future Energy Systems Scenario.

SSE Renewables are planning two large pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations in Scotland.

A quick calculation, says we’d need seven pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations, which need a lot of space and a handy mountain.

I don’t think pumped-storage hydroelectric would be feasible.

Highview Power say this about their next projects on this page of their web site.

Highview Power’s next projects will be located in Scotland and the North East and each will be 200MW/2.5GWh capacity. These will be located on the national transmission network where the wind is being generated and therefore will enable these regions to unleash their untapped renewable energy potential and store excess wind power at scale.

Note.

  1. This is more like the size.
  2. Work is now underway at Carrington – a 50MW / 300MWh plant at Trafford Energy Park near Manchester.
  3. Highview’s technology uses liquid air to store energy and well-proven turbo-machinery.

They are a definite possibility, as only eighteen 200MW/2.5GWh systems would be needed.

November 30, 2023 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage | , , , , , | 2 Comments

Centrica Energy, Bord Gáis Energy And Mitsubishi Power Announce Development Of Europe’s First Ammonia Fired Power Generation Facility

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Centrica.

This is the sub-heading.

Centrica plc and Mitsubishi Power Europe Limited “Mitsubishi Power Europe” have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore the development, construction, and operation of Europe’s first-ever ammonia-fired power generation facility at Bord Gáis Energy’s Whitegate Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) power station in Cork, Ireland.

These four paragraphs outline the project.

The project is being led by Centrica through its Bord Gáis Energy and Centrica Energy businesses and Mitsubishi Power Europe and would become Europe’s inaugural ammonia-fired power generation facility and one of only two such facilities in the world.

The utilisation of low carbon ammonia as a clean and sustainable fuel source for power generation has the potential to provide security of supply while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Low carbon ammonia has a higher volumetric density than hydrogen, enabling the utilisation of low carbon hydrogen in a form which is easy to transport and store, resulting in a fuel that can be combusted with no carbon emissions at point of use. Its use as a fuel is a promising long-term energy solution for the transition to a low-carbon energy value chain.

Bord Gáis Energy’s facility at Whitegate CCGT power station would serve as a global demonstration site for ammonia-fired power generation technology, providing insight into the feasibility and scalability of low carbon ammonia as a green fuel and shaping the future of power generation worldwide, with low carbon ammonia being sourced through Centrica Energy’s global trading network.

Following the signing of the MOU, the project team is being established to commence project feasibility assessments. Upon the successful outcome of this assessment, extensive local stakeholder engagement will commence.

Note.

  1. No mention of the size of the new power station is given in the press release.
  2. Whitegate power station is a 445 MW combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT), that was built in 2010.
  3. It can meet ten percent of Ireland’s electricity demand.

I have a few thoughts.

Will The Existing Power Station Be Converted To Ammonia Or Will A New Ammonia-Fired Power Station Be Built Alongside?

Consider.

  • If the second station doesn’t work, there’s no reduction in power.
  • If a replacement station doesn’t work, ten percent of Ireland will be in the dark.
  • Ireland will be needing more power in the next few years.
  • A second power station can be appropriately-sized.
  • Japanese don’t like to lose face!

Prudence probably says that building a second station alongside is the least risky route.

Wind Power In Ireland

This Wikipedia entry is entitled Wind Power In Ireland.

This is the first paragraph.

As of 2021 the island of Ireland has 5,585 megawatt and the Republic of Ireland has 4,309 MW of installed wind power nameplate capacity, the third highest per capita in the world. In 2020 wind turbines generated 36.3% of Ireland’s electrical demand, one of the highest wind power penetrations in the world.

There is also one 500 MW interconnector between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, with another similar-sized one under construction.

As the wind doesn’t blow all the time, the island of Ireland will need some low-carbon backup.

Why Ammonia?

This paragraph from the press release gives several reasons.

The utilisation of low carbon ammonia as a clean and sustainable fuel source for power generation has the potential to provide security of supply while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Low carbon ammonia has a higher volumetric density than hydrogen, enabling the utilisation of low carbon hydrogen in a form which is easy to transport and store, resulting in a fuel that can be combusted with no carbon emissions at point of use. Its use as a fuel is a promising long-term energy solution for the transition to a low-carbon energy value chain.

There may also be secondary issues here.

If you read the Applications section in the Wikipedia entry for ammonia, you will realise, what a useful chemical ammonia is.

As Ireland has a lot of agriculture, a fertiliser plant could be located close to the power station.

If the ammonia was green ammonia, then this will help to decarbonise the island of Ireland.

Where Will The Green Ammonia Come From?

These posts deal with the production and distribution of green ammonia.

Note.

  1. A continent with a lot of renewable energy like Africa or Australia can create lots of green ammonia.
  2. As the press release says, ammonia is easier to transport and store compared to hydrogen.
  3. The press release says that low carbon ammonia will be sourced through Centrica Energy’s global trading network.
  4. Fortescue Future Industries is mentioned in several posts, as producers of green hydrogen and green ammonia.
  5. Centrica is big enough to stand up to Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest and Fortescue Future Industries.

As in a few years, we will have many GWs of renewable energy, could we be making green ammonia for the Irish?

This news story on the UK Research and Innovation web site is entitled Designs For Green Ammonia Plant Become Reality.

This is the sub-heading.

Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) researchers are building a small-scale plant to generate ammonia using only renewable energy sources.

These two paragraphs outline the story.

Ammonia is a promising carbon-free fuel source of the future and so if successful, the plant has the potential to considerably advance the UK’s net zero ambitions.

It marks the second phase of the Ammonia Synthesis Plant from Intermittent Renewable Energy (ASPIRE) initiative which will be led by STFC in conjunction with the University of Bath, Johnson Matthey, and Frazer-Nash Consultancy.

The UK Research and Innovation news story has this description of the ASPIRE technology.

Current commercial ammonia synthesis is optimised for near steady production requiring constant power.

The first phase of ASPIRE however saw the design of a patented modular reactor and thermal management system that should enable operation from an intermittent renewable power supply.

The new plant will have three core elements:

  • a pressure swing adsorption system which extracts nitrogen from air
  • a modular electrolyser which splits hydrogen from water
  • a synthesis loop that uses the modular reactor and a thermal management system to combine hydrogen and nitrogen to make ammonia

This will enable the entire production process to operate autonomously, powered by a small wind turbine and series of solar canopies with an ammonia generation rate proportional to the available renewable power.

There is even this quote from a Dr. Alan Partridge.

Thanks to the incredible work on this initiative by the team at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory as well as the University of Bath and private sector partners, we are closer than ever to producing industry-scale green ammonia for the UK and the world.

Perhaps, this technology will allow the island of Ireland to make all the green ammonia it needs.

Will Centrica Be Going Into The Green Ammonia Business?

The Centrica press release says they will be dealing in green ammonia for the benefit of Ireland. So Yes!

Conclusion

The news story on the UK Research and Innovation web site is a must-read.

As we have so much renewable energy in the UK, some company will build an ASPIRE-based green ammonia plant in the UK.

 

 

 

November 29, 2023 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Malaysian Fabrication Company Enters Offshore Wind Market With IJmuiden Ver Alpha Contract

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Holdings Berhad (MHB), through its wholly-owned subsidiary Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering (MMHE), has secured a subcontract for its first offshore substation high-voltage direct current (HVDC) platform required for TenneT’s 2 GW offshore wind project in the Netherlands

These two paragraphs outline the project.

The Malaysian contractor confirmed the award from Petrofac on 29 November and said the OSS HVDC platform consists of a topside and jacket for the IJmuiden Ver Alpha project.

The subcontract scope consists of construction engineering, fabrication, mechanical completion, load out and sea fastening, and architectual works on engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) basis.

A third paragraph, indicates, that this contract could be the first of a few.

In addition, the parties will also collaborate towards the possibility of fabrication works for two additional offshore substation units of similar size.

This story illustrates how wind farm developers are looking for more places to build their infrastructure.

In An Elegant Solution, I talked about an idea called a D-Floater. Five are shown being transported in this picture.

The idea is from a Swedish company; Bassoe Technology.

This would enable transport costs from faraway places to be reduced.

Nearer to Europe, the Black Sea ports of the Ukraine could be an ideal place to build infrastructure, as the country used to  have the required skills, ports and steel-making capabilities.

But first Putin must be put back in his box!

 

November 29, 2023 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , | Leave a comment