Cadent Launches Report Mapping Out Routes To Hydrogen Fuelled Vehicles On UK Roads
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Gasworld.
This is the first paragraph.
A roadmap using hydrogen to decarbonise transport, particularly commercial transport, in the North West of the UK, has been unveiled by the country’s leading gas distribution network Cadent.
The article makes some points about hydrogen-powered transport.
- Using Cadent’s network to deliver hydrogen, rather than tube trailers, massively reduces the cost and makes fuel cell electric cars (FCEVs) available to the general public for around the same price as a battery electric vehicle or a conventional diesel car.
- FCEVs can travel further than battery electric vehicles and take the same time to refuel as a conventional petrol car.
- Grid-supplied hydrogen is the most cost-effective way of supplying hydrogen transport fuel at the required volume – up to six times cheaper than if delivered by trailer and 70 per cent cheaper than electrolysis.
Cadent‘s interest in all this, is not about selling gas, as their interest and income is totalling in transporting gas from producers to end users. So they don’t care whether they transport natural gas or hydrogen.
Hydrogen Storage
The article also discloses plans of INOVYN, a wholly owned subsidiary of INEOS, to develop a grid-scale hydrogen storage facility.
It will be in salt caverns in mid-Cheshire.
It will be able to hold 2,000 tonnes of hydrogen.
It is cheaper to store hydrogen in salt caverns, than on the surface.
The salt caverns have been used to store gas for decades.
This is a quote from the INOYN spokesman.
Storage is a vital component of delivering a viable hydrogen energy system in the UK.
I only had an indirect quick glimpse underground, when I worked at ICI in the area around 1970, but ICI’s salt expert, said they had enough salt in Cheshire to last 9,000 years at the current rate of extraction.
Salt in Cheshire, is a unique geological formation, that is very valuable to the UK and it looks like in the future, thar could enable hydrogen power.
Hydrogen Generation
The hydrogen will still need to be produced. Wikipedia has an entry caslled Hydrogran Production, which is fairly dismissive of electrolysis.
But in my view, hydrogen could be produced by electrolysis using wind power, as other methods like steam reforming of methane produce carbon-dioxide.
I particularly like the idea of building wind farms in clusters around offshore gas platforms, that have extracted all the gas from the fields, they were built to serve.
- Instead of running electricity cables to the wind farms, hydrogen is produced by electrolysis on the platform and this is transported to the shore using the same gas infrastructure, that brought the natural gas onshore.
- This could enable wind-farms to be developed much further offshore.
- If carbon capture is ever successfully made to work, the existing gas pipe could also be used to transfer the carbon dioxide offshore for storage in worked-out gas fields.
- The pipe between platform and shore could easily be made reversible, carrying hydrogen one way and carbon dioxide the other.
All of the technology required would also appear to be fully developed.
Conclusion
I am convinced that in the next few years, a hydrogen gas network can be created in parts of the UK.
The North West has advantages in becoming one of the first parts of the UK to have an extensive hydrogen network.
- It has the means to produce hydrogen gas.
- It has large wind farms in Liverpool Bay.
- There are worked-out gas fields, that might in the future be used for carbon storage.
- If INOVYN can store large quantities of hydrogen, this is a big advantage.
The biggest problem would be converting large numbers of houses and commercial premises from natural gas to hydrogen.
But, we’ve been through that process before, when we changed from town gas to natural gas in the 1960s and 1970s.
Should We Remove Gas From Our Houses?
I only use gas for heating.
- I feel that naked flames are not a good idea to have anywhere near people, as they can produce oxides of nitrgen, that causes health problems.
- Gas cookers are also a major cause of household fires.
- Technology is moving against cooking with gas, as more more to electric induction hobs.
- If you are fitting a new gas boiler, make sure it can be connected to hydrogen.
When I buy my next property, it will be all electric.
Mayor’s Plan For Shopping That’s Right Up Your Street
The title of this post, is the same as that of an article on page 48 of Saturday’s Times.
This is the precis.
The former John Lewis boss is using his retail experience to help to rejuvenate Walsall.
|According to the article, Walsall town centre is in a bad way with large numbers of empty shops.
The article is positive about Andy Sreet’s plans and feels, that if anybody can bring about a transformation, then he can with his retail experience.
I wish him and Walsall luck!
Will 5G Be Another Way To Rip Off The Poor?
My late wife was a barrister, who specialised in family matters, like divorce, custody of children, adoption and money.
She had this career for about thirty years before she died in 2007.
As the years progressed, she’d talk about the latest expensive must-haves of her clients.
- First it was video recorders and then it was mobile phones.
- Various game consoles arrived! Whatever they are? I’ve never played a computer game in my life!
- Then came Sky Television and large screen televisions.
- Every child had to have the latest phone.
And now we have 5G, which promises to be the next unaffordable addiction, to go along with alcohol, drugs, pay-day loans, junk food, on-lne subscriptions and gambling!
It will drive the poor and low-paid even further into poverty.
On the train recently, I was talking to a guy with nine children.
As he was going to Court to get custody of one of the nine, and from other things he had said, I felt that the nine weren’t of the same mother.
He was living on benefits and caring for one disabled child.
How will he be able to afford nine 5G phones?
It’ll all end in tears!
Politics Just Got Even More Interesting!
I don’t know about politics, but I like to think I know about data and I have a long and deep memory.
We now have two immovable and possibly unstoppable forces on opposite sides, which have almost equal support.
- Those that want to leave the European Union without a deal.
- Those that want to remain in the European Union.
They are irreconcilable positions.
I remember an acrimonious takeover attempt by Imperial Chemical Industries for Courtaulds in the 1960s. Not so much, at the time but because I later worked for ICI and became friends with a guy, who had worked for British Nylon Spinners at Pontypool.
Later I became aware of Frank Kearton and his part in the stopping of the takeover.
At the time he was the Engineering Director of Courtaulds. In a Press Conference, the CEO of Courtaulds was floundering and giving a rather bad impression. A question was asked and Frank Kearton stepped in and answered it so well, he took over the Press Conference.
He became CEO and the takeover was defeated. Kearton went on to have a respected career.
I may have remember the story wrong and I suspect it’s Kearton’s version, that I’m repeating.
In the UK are in a similar position to Courtaulds in the sixties. Both major parties are almost leaderless and none of those at the top of the Tory, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties are better than the average run-of-the-mill MPs, who generally do a good job.
We need someone to step forward to unite this country and sort out the mess.
Will he or she be one of the following?
- Jeremy Corbyn – Anybody that far left and over seventy would be unacceptable to well over half of the population.
- Boris Johnson – You might employ him as a salesman, but you wouldn’t employ him in any management position.
- Vince Cable – Too old and he’s sensible enough to know it.
- The herd of Tory leadership candidates – Perhaps one might have the qualities, and they would need to show amazing style, intelligence and oratory to even get on the final ballot.
- Nigel Farage – The other side believe he’s the cause of the problem, so wouldn’t follow him.
- Caroline Lucas – Green policies are anathema to perhaps seventy percent of the country, who still fly too much and don’t buy zero-emission cars?
We need someone with amazing qualities to step out of the shadows, just as Frank Kearton did at Courtaulds.
Conclusion
I’ve put a small bet on my choice for the next Tory Leader and Prime Minister.
Egypt To Power Europe By Underwater Cable
The title of this post is the same as that of a short news item on page 32 of today’s Times.
Egypt appears to be using gas from four new offshoregas fields to generate the power.
But surely, they could also use solar, as I’ve heard Egypt gets a lot of sun!
I do think though, that countries like Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Morocco, which are all reasonably close to Europe could generate substantial amounts of solar power, which could then be exported to the North, through undersea cables, which are not very long using today’s technology.
I also think, that solar power will grow Southwards from the countries bordering the Mediterranean.
Will these basket case countries like Sudan, Mauritania, Somalia and Chad, acquire both an income and the electricity they need to improve the lot of their people?
Whether, their people will benefit, is another question, but Europe’s need for green energy could be the need, that these countries will fill, using unproductive desert.
I also think, there’s scope to combine solar farms with agriculture in the shade to create the food they need.
Read Solar Farms And Biodiversity on Solar Power Portal.
Research Shows UK Capital Is Europe’s Most Connected Business Hub
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Conference And Meetings World.
Crossrail and Brexit aren’t even mentioned. So we must be doing something right!
But then I always believe that London is the Capital of the World!
The Jeremy Kyle Show Axed By ITV After Death Of Guest
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
I won’t make any comment about the show, as I’ve never seen it.
That is not because I object to programmes of this type, but because I rarely watch programmes with advertising.
The only exception I make is with sport.
I’ve never for instance seen an episode of Downton Abbey.
The Crick Institute In The Evening Light
I took these pictures of the Crick Institute in the evening light tonight.
The colour of the stone comes through and matches that of the nearby St. Pancras station.
50 Secret Islands In Europe
The title of this post, is the same as an article in Travel section of The Times for May 4th 2019.
These are the islands.
Italy
- San Nicola, Termiti Islands, Puglia
- Ponza, Pontine Islands, Lazio
- Favignana, Egadi Islands, Sicily
- Capraia, Tuscany
- Salina, Aeolian Islands – My favourite island!
- Pellestrina, Venice
- Panarea, Aeolian Islands – Been there!
- Palmaria, Liguria
- Budelli, Maddalena Archipelago, Sardinia
France
- Ile de Batz, Brittany
- Ushant, Brittany
- Ile d’Arz, Brittany
- Iles Chausey, Normandy
- Ile de Behuard, Western Loire
- Ile d’Yeu Vendee
- Ile d’Aix, Charante-Maritime
- Ile de Vassiviere, Limousin
- Port-Cros, Provence
- Ile Saint-Honorat, Provence
Croatia
- Lastovo, Dubrovnik-Neretva
- Vrnik, Korcula
- Dugi Otok, Zadar
- Prvic, Sibernik
- Susak, Kvarner Islands
- Palagruza
Spain
- Illa da Taxa, Galicia
- Illes Cies, Galicia
- Tabarca, Valencia
- La Graciosa, Canary Islands
- Espalmador, Balearic Islands
- Isla del Burguillo, Avila
- Isla de Lobos, Canary Islands
- Isla del Baron, Murcia
Greece
- Anafi, Cyclades
- Monissos, Cyclades
- Folegandros, Cyclades
- Fourni, Eastern Aegean
- Ios, Cyclades
- Kea, Cyclades
- Kimolos, Cyclades
- Kythira, Ionian
- Tinos, Cyclades
- Tilos, Dodecanese
Best Of The Rest
- Helgoland, Germany
- Sejero, Denmark
- Ameland, Netherlands
- Great Blasket, Ireland
- Cape Clear, Ireland
- Muhu, Estonia
- Ada Bojana, Montenegro
I shall keep the pages, as some of these islands are worth visiting.
How Much Energy Can Extracted From A Kilogram Of Hydrogen?
This article on EnergyH, is entitled About Hydrogen Energy.
This is said.
Hydrogen has an energy density of 39 kWh/kg, which means that 1 kg of hydrogen contains 130 times more energy than 1kg of batteries. So lots of energy can be stored with hydrogen in only a small volume.
But as in most things in life, you can’t have it all as fuel cells are not 100 % efficient.
Wikipedia has a sub-section which gives the in-practice efficiency of a fuel cell, where this is said.
In a fuel-cell vehicle the tank-to-wheel efficiency is greater than 45% at low loads and shows average values of about 36% when a driving cycle like the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) is used as test procedure. The comparable NEDC value for a Diesel vehicle is 22%. In 2008 Honda released a demonstration fuel cell electric vehicle (the Honda FCX Clarity) with fuel stack claiming a 60% tank-to-wheel efficiency.
For the purpose of this exercise, I’ll assume a conservative forty percent.
This means that a kilogram of hydrogen would generate 16 kWh
Raise that efficiency to fifty percent and 19 kWh would be generated.
Conclusion
Fuel cell efficiency will be key.
The Anonymous Widower 