It Looks Like London’s Mayoral Election Won’t Be Boring!
This article on the BBC is entitled London Mayoral Race 2021: The Candidates Who Say They Will Be Standing.
My first conclusion is that some of the candidates will be good entertainment, but others are a couple of bricks short of a full load.
What would be interesting, is if one of the free-thinkers ended up as Mayor!
It should be remembered that H’Angus the Monkey was elected Mayor of Hartlepool three times.
The country has gone through some tough times in the last year or so, so perhaps a less serious election will do us all a bit of good.
Energy Minister Angus Taylor Launches $50 million Fund For Carbon Capture Projects
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on ABC News.
This is the first three introductory paragraphs.
The federal government has launched a $50 million fund to support the growth of carbon capture projects, which will include projects that reuse carbon dioxide emissions to make new products.
The launch of the Carbon Capture, Use and Storage fund was in Newcastle at the pilot site for Mineral Carbonisation International (MCI).
The company is using carbon dioxide (CO2) captured from a nearby ammonia plant to make building products like plasterboard and cement.
This sounds like a good idea to me!
They have a web site, which contains this YouTube video.
This could be a novel solution to decarbonisation.
Green Hydrogen To Power First Zero Carbon Steel Plant
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on renews.biz.
This is the two introductory paragraphs.
A new industrial initiative, backed by EIT InnoEnergy, will build the world’s first large-scale steel production plant powered by green hydrogen, in north Sweden.
The H2 Green Steel industrial initiative, which will mobilise €2.5bn of investment, aims to deliver a project that will create a new green steel producer from inception.
These further points are made.
- There will be downstream steel products manufacture.
- The initiative will create 10,000 direct and indirect jobs.
- Production could start in 2024.
- Up to five million tonnes of steel could be produced by 2030.
The plant will be built in the Boden-Lulea area of Northern Sweden.
Note.
H2 Green Steel has a web site, which explains more.
What About Scunthorpe?
Surely, the obvious location for green steel production plant in the UK would be Scunthorpe.
- The HumberZero network can bring in hydrogen and take away any carbon dioxide.
- The steelworks makes world-class products like railway rails.
- It is a massive site.
- The site has good rail access.
But there don’t seem to be any plans for hydrogen steelmaking at Scunthorpe.
Conclusion
I hope we’ve not missed the boat for hydrogen steelmaking.
- We’ve certainly got the sites, the renewable energy and the hydrogen technology.
- On the other hand, I can remember sensible arguments for lots of much smaller steel plants from fifty years ago, as an alternative to nationalisation of the steel industry by the Wilson Government in 1967.
- I can also remember proposals for nuclear steelmaking.
I just wonder, if a design of hydrogen steelmaking plant could be developed, perhaps even using a small modular nuclear reactor to generate the hydrogen.
If we are going to have a steel industry in the future, we must do something radical.
There’s Gold In Them There Hills
And lots of other things too!
Since the 1950s, there has always been talk of a mining revival in the UK.
This article on Proactive Investors is entitled The Great British Mining Revival Is Needed Now More Than Ever.
Sixteen mining companies are listed.
Felixstowe And Harwich Ports Submit Bid For ‘Freeport’ Status
The title of this post is the same as this article on the BBC.
These are the first three paragraphs.
A bid for “freeport” status for two existing ports has been submitted after the project was approved by a council.
East Suffolk Council unanimously backed the bid for the Port of Felixstowe and Harwich International to become one of 10 freeport facilities across the UK.
Freeport East would see owners Hutchison operate a single custom zone covering both coastal ports.
I think, some will think this a bit cheeky, but I think it is a product of the characters of the counties of Essex and Suffolk.
I was conceived in Suffolk and have probably spent half my life in the county.
It’s a county that thinks big.
- Is there another woman, who as Boudica did, assembled an army of hundreds of thousands and attempted to throw an unwelcome invader out of her country?
- The history of her tribe; the Iceni is closely tied, according to some historians, to the development of the thoroughbred racehorse at New Horse Market or Newmarket as it is known today!
- Newmarket is to horse racing as St. Andrews is to golf.
- The town is home of about 3,500 horses and is a major centre for horse and animal health.
- Newmarket Heath is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is to be the largest area of mown grass in the world.
- Suffolk sheep are one of the most numerous sheep breeds in the world, having been exported all over the world.
- Suffolk is the only county in England with its own breed of sheep, cattle (Red Poll) and horse (Suffolk Horse)
- Bury St. Edmunds Abbey was one of the largest churches in England.
When I was about seven, the Port of Felixstowe was just a small dock exporting grain and now it the busiest container port in the UK and the eighth in Europe.
It is no surprise to me, that Felixstowe and Harwich want to be a Freeport, so they can expand further.
There have already been related news and media reports.
Freeport East Web Site
The Freeport East web site is at www.freeporteast.com.
Read these sections.
It is an ambitious vision. As someone, who believes we must innovate, this paragraph from the Innovation section strikes the right tone.
Beyond the energy sector, Freeport East will also contribute to wider innovation in the technology sector. Hutchison Ports is already working with Cambridge University and Three UK to develop innovative 5G applications. Hutchison Ports is also working with the New Anglia LEP, Tech East and BT’s research centre at Adastral Park on new telecommunications infrastructure. Freeport East will embed these technological innovations at its heart and help to make the UK a world leader in technological innovation
The web site, also talks about the ports becoming major centres for the development and servicing of renewable energy in the North Sea.
A Little Help From Their Friends
I notice that in some reports, they have joined forces with the University of Cambridge. As Cambridge colleges are big local landowners, this can only be to the benefit of the concept.
A Hydrogen Freeport
This article on the Eadt Anglian Daily Times is entitled Top Ports Could Be Powered By Hydrogen In Major Project.
The project is well-described in the article with this infographic, that shows how nuclear power from Siewell and wind power from the North Sea can come together to decarbonise shipping and the port.
This paragraph sums up the hydrogen project.
At its peak, the power project, which will be delivered in partnership with Ryze-Hydrogen and EDF, developers of the proposed Sizewell C nuclear power station, will produce 1GW of hydrogen – 20% of the 5GW target in the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution.
Suffolk is thinking big again!
It certainly does appear, that several ports are following the hydrogen route. On this blog I have mentioned Antwerp, Holyhead and Portsmouth recently.
So what will the hydrogen be used for?
The East Anglian article says this.
The clean fuel would be used to power port equipment, ships, trucks and trains.
Port Equipment
I think the interesting one is port equipment.
- The chairman of JCB is Anthony Bamford.
- His son; Jo Bamford owns Ryze Hydrogen.
- JCB have recently released a hydrogen-powered digger.
- JCB is mentioned on the infographic.
Could we be seeing a range of hydrogen-powered port equipment, that has been developed by JCB?
Other companies like Hyster are certainly developing hydrogen-powered port equipment.
Ships
Decarbonisation of ships is difficult, as they need a lot of power and it usually comes from that most noxious of fuels; bunker oil.
The Wikipedia entry for bunker oil, has a section called Environmental Issues, where this is said.
Emissions from bunker fuel burning in ships contribute to air pollution levels in many port cities, especially where the emissions from industry and road traffic have been controlled. The switch of auxiliary engines from heavy fuel oil to diesel oil at berth can result in large emission reductions, especially for SO2 and PM. CO2 emissions from bunker fuels sold are not added to national GHG emissions. For small countries with large international ports, there is an important difference between the emissions in territorial waters and the total emissions of the fuel sold.
A lot of work is being done to power ships with hydrogen.
Provide refuelling for hydrogen-powered ships and you’ll get the business.
Trucks
Diesel trucks hauling goods to and from ports contribute to the pollution in the port, but if they are powered by hydrogen, the pollution for workers and neighbours is less.
I can see some freight terminals adopting a policy of No Hydrogen – No Load, with hauliers.
In Holyhead Hydrogen Hub Planned For Wales, I talked about a hydrogen hub at Holyhead. Will the ports of Dover, Felixstowe and Immingham need to have hydrogen refuelling facilities to handle hydrogen trucks hauling goods between the island of Ireland and Europe?
Trains
It is my belief, that hydrogen freight locomotives will be developed, so Felixstowe will need facilities to fuel the trains.
Imagine two highly-automated ports at Felixstowe and Holyhead, both with large supplies of hydrogen.
- A hydrogen-powered freight train would link the two ports.
- Hydrogen-powered handling equipment would load and unload the containers.
How many trucks would that take off the roads between Holyhead and Felixstowe?
Conclusion
The Port of Felixstowe is going to use hydrogen to become more efficient and zero-carbon, and make it more attractive to shippers wanting to pay more than lip-service to decarbonisation.
The EU have constantly accused Boris of turning the UK into Singapore-on-Thames!
But here we are creating Singaport-on-the-Haven.
The EU has freeports, so I guess it’s OK.
Walking Between Oxford Circus And Tottenham Court Road Stations – 19th February 2021
Today, I walked down Oxford Street from Oxford Circus station to Tottenham Court Road station.
Note the pictures in the middle of the walk of the new Western entrance to Tottenham Court Road station, which will be on Crossrail.
This article on Construction Enquirer is entitled Galliard To Start £55m London Soho Resi Job.
- 92 flats, a large store and smaller retail spaces.
- Look at the pictures in the Construction Enquirer article and it looks to be a building that is not out of scale.
- Ideal for Crossrail and the Northern and Central Line.
- A hundred metres from the flagship stores of Marks & Spencer and Primark on Oxford Street.
- All the colour and food of Soho at the back door.
- Buses outside the front door to Euston, Kings Cross, Paddington and St. Pancras.
Who was it said, that the three most important points about a property are location, location and location?
Artwork At Hackney Wick
I took these pictures as I walked from the 30 bus to Hackney Wick station to get to Stratford.
Hackney Wick station and the subway with its mural in concrete, appears to be complete.
Macron Rex: Interfuctus Est.
The title of this post, is a tagline in the big cartoon in today’s copy of The Times.
It is drawn in the style of the Bayeux Tapestry and has all the players in our spat with the EU.
Many have been shot by syringes.
Does President Macro have a sense of humour?
Try to see a copy and examine the detail!
Covid-19: Two £10,000 Fines For ‘150-Person’ Funeral
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the introductory paragraph.
A funeral director has been fined £10,000 after police were called to a funeral with close to 150 people in attendance.
This time, it appears that the covidiots were Roman Catholics.
Shell Withdraws From Waste To Jet Fuel Plant Project
The title of this post, is the same as that, of this article on Insider Media.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Oil giant Shell has withdrawn from the joint development agreement for a proposed facility for the conversion of waste into aviation fuel.
It would appear that the Altalto project will continue and has no likelihood of folding in the near future.
I like the idea behind Altalto, which will take household and industrial waste and turn it into sustainable aviation fuel and biodiesel.
But I also like Shell’s Blue Hydrogen Process, which takes methane and effectively removes the carbon to create carbon-neutral hydrogen.
Conclusion
I feel the world is a big enough place for both technologies.
The Anonymous Widower 