Decarbonising Auxiliary Load In Freight Today
This project was one of the winners in the First Of A Kind 2022 competition run by Innovate UK.
In this document, this is said about the project.
Project No: 10039629
Project title: Decarbonising Auxiliary Load In Freight Today
Lead organisation: G-VOLUTION LTD
Project grant: £378,514
Public description: Freight locomotives have auxiliary electric power requirements which account for up to 10-15% of the total power demand, covering engine and traction motor cooling, safety and signalling systems and locomotive control systems.
These loads are currently serviced by an alternator on ubiquitous diesel ICE powertrains. This demand is persistent, requiring the diesel ICEs to remain powered up/idling during the significant periods of dwell time faced by freight services. Up to 20% of freight locomotive fuel consumption and emissions, from CO2 and particulates, therefore arise from non-traction aspects.
Whilst extreme traction requirements for freight operations restricts adoption of full decarbonised powertrains – unless compromises for traction power or range are made – no existing rail technology targets the significant auxiliary power requirements.
In response, G-volution have engaged a team cutting across the full UK supply chain to realise and integrate a first-of-a-kind system for on-board auxiliary power on freight locomotives, based on high energy-density fuel cells and a carbon neutral bio-LPG fuel system.
Whilst initially representing the lowest cost/technical barrier route to catalyse significant CO2, exhaust emission and diesel fuel savings in freight, this approach has potential to also substitute traction power in the long term, and supports the transition to green hydrogen as a rail transport fuel.
Through a live demonstration with a UK freight operator, the project will therefore prove that high efficiency fuel cells, which are able to use a range of cleaner, greener, cheaper zero net carbon renewable fuels, can work in the rail environment and also stimulate significant commercial benefits for all operators, via reduced fuel costs and future environmental levies.
My Thoughts And Conclusions
Note that another G-volution project is described in Grand Central DMU To Be Used For Dual-Fuel Trial.
I also suspect, this auxiliary power unit could have other applications.
First Of A Kind 2022 Winners Announced
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Innovate UK.
This paragraph explains the competition.
The Department for Transport and Innovate UK are delighted to announce the first set of winners for the First of Kind (FOAK) 2022 competition. Winners will receive funding to help develop novel technology which improves rail freight services and lowers carbon emissions from trains.
I shall cover some of the winning ideas in future posts, which I will link to this post.
10039629 – Decarbonising Auxiliary Load In Freight Today
10037240 – Levelling Up Freight
10038447 – Transforming High-Speed Rail Logistics
10039606 – “Freight Skate” A Self-Powered Freight Bogie And Platform
10039559 – A Rapidly Deployable Rail Stress Sensor For Next Generation Freight Monitoring
10037294 – EventGo – Intelligent Rail Service Demand Forecasting for Event-Based Travel
10037862 – NextGen Data-Driven Timetable Performance Optimisation Tool
10039201- Protection and Resilience for OLE using ComputerVision Techniques (PROLECT)
10038989 – FEIDS – FOAS Enabled Intruder Detection System
10038342 – Rail Flood Defender
10039258 – Optimal Prediction of Sand For Adhesion
10038790 – Unauthorised Cable Removal And Fault Triage
10036632 – Trains With Brains(R)
10038228 – SBRI: FOAK 2022 Optimising Railway Possessions
10037542 – Portable Track Geometry Measurement System
10038973 – State Of The Railway Compiler Data Solution (SORClite): Open Access Real-Time Signalling Data
10036245 – ECML Net Zero Traction Decarbonisation
10039100 – UBER – Ultra-High Power Battery For Low Emission Rail
10037562 – ZERRCI – Zero Emissions Repowering Of Railway Construction Infrastructure
10038683 – Axle Mounted Motor For Retrofit To DMU’s To Enable Zero Emissions In Stations
10038972 – Zero Emission Powering of Auxiliary Loads In Stations
10038627 – ERiCS – Emissions Reductions in Closed Stations
10037158 – 25kV Battery Train Charging Station Demonstration
An Analysis Of UK Offshore Wind Farms
This analysis is based on this Wikipedia entry which is entitled A List Of Offshore Wind Farms In The United Kingdom.
The page has these sections.
Operational Offshore Wind Farms
October 2022 – 13628 MW
October 2022 – 4160 MW
October 2022 – 2453 MW
Proposed Wind Farms – Contracts for Difference Round 3
October 2022 – 12 MW
Proposed Wind Farms – Contracts for Difference Round 4
October 2022 – 7614 MW
Proposed Wind Farms – Early Planning (England)
October 2022 – 15723 MW
Proposed Wind Farms – Early Planning (Wales)
October 2022 – 500 MW
Proposed Wind Farms – Early Planning (Scotland)
October 2022 – 30326 MW
Total of Operational, Under Construction And Proposed Wind Farms
October 2022 – 60788 MW
Possible Wind Farms
In addition, these wind farms have been talked about and could possibly be developed.
- Celtic Sea – Erebus – 100 MW Demonstration Project
- Celtic Sea – Valorus – 300 MW Early-Commercial Project
- Celtic Sea – Petroc – 300 MW Project
- Celtic Sea – Llywelyn – 300 MW Project
- Celtic Sea – Llŷr Wind – 100 MW Project
- Celtic Sea – Llŷr Wind – 100 MW Project
- Celtic Sea – Gwynt Glas – 1000 MW Project
- Scotland – Salamander – 100 MW Project
- Scotland – West of Orkney – 2000 MW Project
- East Of Shetland – Map Reference 18 – 500 MW Project
- East Of Shetland – Map Reference 19 – 1800 MW Project
- East Of Shetland – Map Reference 20 – 500 MW Project
- Shetland – Northern Horizon – 10000 MW Project
- INTOG – Cerulean Winds – 6000 MW Project
These figures total 8700 MW, so by the early 2030s, it would not be unreasonable to see an offshore wind capacity of nearly 9000 MW or 90 GW.
HyBRADFORD: One Of Largest Hydrogen Power Plants In The Country Could Open In Yorkshire
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Yorkshire Post.
This is the first paragraph.
Gas distributor Northern Gas Networks (NGN) has partnered with clean energy pioneers Hygen Energy Holdings and Ryze Hydrogen to work on a low carbon hydrogen production and dispensing facility in the heart of Bradford.
Good to see Bradford getting, its hydrogen act together, which is more than can be said for Sadiq Khan and London.
Cambridgeshire Company’s Self-Charging Trains Project Wins Government Funds
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
These four paragraphs outline what the company is developing and how they received government funding.
Echion Technologies, based in Sawston near Cambridge, is creating train batteries that can charge from overheard wires, the Department for Transport said.
The trains would be able to use the batteries on unelectrified track.
The project was among the winners of the government’s First of a Kind competition.
The competition aims to award funding to projects that could transform the future of transport.
I have a few thoughts.
The Description In The First Of A Kind 2022 Winners Document
In this document, this is said.
Project No: 10039100
Project title: UBER – Ultra-high power Battery for low Emission Rail
Lead organisation: ECHION TECHNOLOGIES LTD
Project grant: £59,917
Public description: Project UBER (Ultra-high power Battery for low Emission Rail), aims to demonstrate for the first time, Echion’s XNO(tm) battery chemistry as the preferred battery technology for certain classes of battery electric trains. It targets Theme 1 of this competition.
Specifically, UBER aims to demonstrate the suitability of XNO(tm) for passenger trains that can be powered by the AC overhead electrification and charge a battery from the overhead wire (or another form of ‘standard’ trackside power — e.g. 3rd rail), to then run in battery-only mode on unelectrified section of a route. An example of such a train is the Revolution Very Light Rail (Revolution VLR) developed by Transport Design International (TDI), who is a partner in UBER.
Applying The Echion Technologies Batteries To Electric Trains
Consider.
- The BBC article is accompanied by a picture of a Class 717 train, which like the Class 700 train is dual voltage.
- Southeastern have thirty similar Class 707 trains, which are third-rail, although according to Wikipedia, were tested as dual-voltage trains.
- Most modern trains, like these Desiro City units made by Siemens, have a mix of motored and trailer cars, with one or more pantograph cars between the two driver cars.
- Because power is needed in all cars, there will be an electrical bus from one end of the train to distribute power.
- All trains in the family appear to have at least one trailer car, which will also be connected to the electrical bus.
With a family of trains like the Desiro City, Alstom’s Aventra, CAF’s Civity, Hitachi’s AT-200 or AT-300 or Stadler’s FLIRTs, train manufacturers assemble various cars, interiors and electrical gubbins together, to get the train performance and capability.
I would expect that the battery would be placed, where there is space and the most likely place is under the trailer car.
In some ways, it would work like the battery in a laptop computer, where operation is as follows.
- If there is external power, the computer runs on that power and the battery is also charged, if it is not fully-charged.
- If there is no external power, the computer runs on battery power, until the battery goes flat.
With a battery-electric train, operation is similar, with an important addition.
- If there is external power, the train runs on that power and the battery is also charged, if it is not fully-charged.
- If there is no external power, the train runs on battery power, until the battery goes flat.
- Desiro City and many other electric trains have regenerative braking and under braking, the electricity generated is is stored in the battery, if it is not fully-charged.
It could be considered by some, that regenerative braking is self-charging. But unfortunately, regenerative braking doesn’t recover all energy during braking. But it can be up to 70-80 % efficient.
Connecting The Echion Technologies Battery To The Train
The battery will have to be connected to the electrical bus, that runs the full length of the train.
As a Control Engineer, I suspect there will be a sophisticated control system, that will switch the battery between various modes and control the pantograph and third-rail shoes.
Perhaps, Echion Technologies have developed an all-purpose controller that could fit all trains?
Cryogenic Energy Plan Could Bring Jobs Boost To Largs
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Largs and Millport Weekly News.
These paragraphs outline the project.
Proposals for a ground-breaking cryogenic energy storage system at Hunterston Marine Construction Yard have been unveiled..
The proposed development will generate 49.9MW of electricity – and is expected to create around ten jobs.
The cryogenic energy storage system comprises three main processes: a charging system, an energy store, and power recovery.
It turns ambient air into liquid, stores the liquid air in tanks and, when needed, expands the liquid air into a gas which generates electricity.
Highview Power are mentioned as behind the project.
As the report is dated the 21st if August 2021, is this another of Highview Power’s might-have-been projects?
UK Group Plans First Large-Scale Liquid Air Energy Storage Plant
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the FT.
This is the first paragraph.
Highview Power is attempting to raise £400mn to fund project with capacity to supply 600,000 homes.
Note.
- This battery will have an output of 30 MW and a storage capacity of 300 MWh.
- The battery will be built at Carrington, near Manchester.
- Highview Power hope it will be opened by the end of 2024.
- It appears that the £400 million will also be used to start the engineering for another four batteries.
The article gives a detailed history of the company.
How Is The XLinks Project Progressing?
The Wikipedia entry for the XLinks project has this introductory paragraph.
The Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project is a proposal to create 10.5 GW of renewable generation, 20 GWh of battery storage and a 3.6 GW high-voltage direct current interconnector to carry solar and wind-generated electricity from Morocco to the United Kingdom. Morocco has far more consistent weather, and so should provide consistent solar power even in midwinter.
I ask the question in the title of this post, as there are two articles about the XLinks project in The Times today.
This article is optimistic and is entitled Xlinks Morocco Project Could Throw Britain A Renewable Energy Lifeline.
On the other hand this article is more pessimistic and is entitled Britain ‘Risks Losing Out’ On Green Energy From The Sahara.
This is the first paragraph of the second article.
Sir Dave Lewis has complained of “frustratingly slow” talks with the government over an £18 billion plan to generate power in the Sahara and cable it to Britain. The former Tesco chief executive has warned that the energy could be routed elsewhere unless ministers commit to the scheme.
It appears there have been little agreement on the price.
I have some thoughts.
Will XLinks Get Funding?
Xlinks is going to be privately funded, but I have doubts about whether the funding will be made available.
As an engineer, who was involved in many of the major offshore projects of the last forty years of the last century, I believe that the XLinks project is feasible, but it is only 3.6 GW.
These wind farm projects are also likely to be privately funded.
- SSE’s Berwick Bank project opposite Berwick is 4.1 GW
- Aker’s Northern Horizon off Shetland is 10 GW.
- The Scotwind Leasing Round is 25 GW.
- There is talk of 10 GW being possible off East Anglia.
- 50 GW may be being possible in the Celtic Sea.
- BP is planning 3 GW in Morecambe Bay.
Many of these enormous wind power projects are looking for completion on or before 2030, which is the date given for the Morocco cable.
I do wonder, if those financing these energy projects will find these and other projects better value than a link to Morocco.
Is the Project Bold Enough?
Consider.
- Spain has high levels of solar, wind and hydro power.
- France is developing wind to go with their nuclear.
- Both countries and Portugal, also have mountains for sensibly-sized pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations.
- France, Spain, Portugal and Ireland also have the Atlantic for wind, tidal and wave power.
Perhaps, the solution, is an Atlantic interconnector linking the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar to West Africa.
Any excess power would be stored in the pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations and withdrawn as required.
In the UK, the National Grid are already using the huge 7800 GWh Ulla-Førre pumped-storage hydroelectric power station to store excess wind-generated energy using the North Sea Link from Blyth.
To my mind XLinks is just a UK-Morocco project.
BP’s Project In Mauretania
In bp And Mauritania To Explore Green Hydrogen At Scale, I discussed BP’s deal to create green hydrogen in Mauretania.
Is this a better plan, as hydrogen can be taken by tanker to where it is needed And for the best price.
Conclusion
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the XLinks project change direction.
Hywind Tampen
In Equinor Sets Sights On Gigawatt-Scale Floating Offshore Wind Projects In Celtic Sea, I said this about Hywind Tampen.
Equinor is also currently constructing the 88 MW Hywind Tampen project in Norway, which will be the largest floating offshore wind farm in the world when completed in 2023.
This page on the Equinor web site gives more details of Hywind Tampen.
- Hywind Tampen is a floating wind farm under construction that will provide electricity for the Snorre and Gullfaks oil and gas fields in the Norwegian North Sea.
- It will be the world’s first renewable power for offshore oil and gas.
- With a system capacity of 88 MW it will also be the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm.
- The wind farm will consist of eleven 8 MW turbines.
When Hywind Tampen is operational, Equinor will operate nearly half (47 percent) of the world’s floating wind capacity.
This paragraph from the Equinor web page is significant.
The wind farm is estimated to meet about 35% of the annual electricity power demand of the five Snorre A and B, and Gullfaks A, B and C platforms. In periods of higher wind speed this percentage will be significantly higher.
I take this to mean that the gas turbines that currently supply the five platforms will be left in place and that their output will be replaced by wind power, when it is available.
The INTOG Program
I described this in What Is INTOG?, and it is the UK’s program, that includes electrification of rigs and platforms.
The first leases under INTOG would appear to be expected in March 2023.
Decarbonisation Of Offshore Operations Around The World
I’m sure that if Hywind Tampen and/or INTOG is successful, that the technology will be used where possible around the world.
Equinor Sets Sights On Gigawatt-Scale Floating Offshore Wind Projects In Celtic Sea
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the opening paragraph of the article.
Equinor has disclosed its interest in developing gigawatt-scale floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea, with the upcoming Celtic Sea floating wind seabed leasing round in view.
These are some other points from the article.
- The Crown Estate is planning a seabed leasing round in the Celtic Sea in 2023.
- As the developer and soon-to-be operator of two of the world’s first floating offshore wind farms, Equinor said it views new floating opportunities in the Celtic Sea with great interest.
- Project development areas are being prepared by The Crown Estate for the development of gigawatt-scale floating offshore wind projects.
Equinor could move into the Celtic Sea in a big way.
On the Projects page of the Blue Gem website, this is said about floating wind in the Celtic Sea.
Floating wind is set to become a key technology in the fight against climate change with over 80% of the worlds wind resource in water deeper than 60 metres. Independent studies have suggested there could be as much as 50GW of electricity capacity available in the Celtic Sea waters of the UK and Ireland. This renewable energy resource could play a key role in the UK meeting the 2050 Net-Zero target required to mitigate climate change. Floating wind will provide new low carbon supply chain opportunities, support coastal communities and create long-term benefits for the region.
How much of this possible 50 GW of offshore wind in the Celtic Sea will be leased by the Crown Estate in 2023?
The Anonymous Widower 