Cerulean Winds Submits 1 GW Aspen Offshore Wind Project In Scotland (UK)
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on enerdata.
These first two paragraphs add more details.
Floating wind developer Cerulean Winds has submitted an offshore consent application for its 1 GW Aspen floating wind project to the local authorities in Scotland (UK). The application was submitted to the Scottish Marine Directorate Licensing Operations Team and is supported by an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the project. The Aspen project is comprised of 72 wind turbines to be installed 100 km off the coast in the Central North Sea to deliver 1 GW of renewable energy, expecting to start operations before 2030. The development is expected to attract a total investment of GBP11bn (€12.6bn) across a 50-year lifespan.
Cerulean Winds is partnering on the project’s delivery with NOV, Siemens Energy, Bilfinger and Ocean Installer. The company plans to develop three floating offshore wind projects in the Central North Sea (Aspen, Beech and Cedar), which are expected to be comprised of over 300 wind turbines in total.
This wind farm along with its sisters ; Beech and Cedar doesn’t appear to have been added to Wikipedia’s master list of offshore wind farms.
From a Cerulean infographic on this page, it appears that Aspen, Beech and Cedar are all 1008 MW wind farms, that are planned to be operational in 2028, starting in 2028 and starting in 2028. It would be good for the ambitions of Ed Miliband, if these three wind farms were fully operational by the end of 2030.
Farage Faces Questions Over Who Funded £885,000 Clacton Constituency Home
The title of this post, is the same as that as this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage faces pressure to account for how his partner paid for a £885,000 home after a BBC investigation raised further questions about his previous explanation.
These two introductory paragraphs, give more details.
The Clacton MP has denied avoiding more than £44,000 in additional stamp duty on the purchase of the constituency home by putting it in his partner Laure Ferrari’s name, saying that she bought it with her own funds.
He suggested that she was able to afford to buy the four-bedroom home, which was bought without a mortgage, because she comes from a wealthy French family.
The BBC appears to have fully investigated the deal and doubt the veracity of some of the tale, that Farage told.
I notice, that the house in question is in Frinton.
My late wife was a barrister and once acted for the Co-op to get an off-licence in the town.
- Up until this action the town had been dry.
- C told me, that the Co-op had appointed a charming Asian gentleman as a manager.
- She used all her legal charm to get the action through.
- She also joked afterwards about hate mail, but I don’t think it was serious.
It appears that you can still buy alcohol in Frinton.
Railway Station Opening Date Announced
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
A date has been announced for the latest station to be completed on a new railway line.
These two introductory paragraphs add more details.
Blyth Bebside, on the Northumberland Line, will be opening on 19 October and only two stations remain before the line is fully operational.
The final stations at Bedlington and Northumberland Park are due to open in early 2026.
I shall be going for the opening of the new station, if I can get a Lumo both ways.
Hydrogen Coaches? Setra Begins Testing Of A Technology Carrier With Cellcentric Fuel Cell Module
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Sustainable Bus.
This paragraph introduces the article.
Daimler Buses has started test drives of its first Setra coach equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell drive, named the technology carrier “H2 Coach.” The 13.9-meter high-decker, model S 517 HD, combines two hydrogen tanks with a total capacity of 46 kilograms and a fuel cell module capable of as many as 300 kW, developed.
Dailmler have also said this about the interim approval for the H2 Coach.
This approval allows test drives both on Daimler Buses’ internal testing grounds and on public roads. The vehicle is intended to offer a zero-emission alternative to diesel-powered coaches, with lower noise, higher range, and shorter refueling times compared with battery-electric vehicles, contributing to improved air quality in cities and holiday regions.
I’ll go along with that.
As Wrightbus and others are developing hydrogen coaches, I believe this could be the first big hydrogen application in road transport.
Which Companies Are Developing Hydrogen-Powered Coaches?
Google AI gave me this answer.
Companies actively developing or deploying hydrogen-powered coaches include Wrightbus (UK), partnering with Symbio, and Temsa and Caetanobus (Turkey). Toyota is converting used coaches with fuel cell modules, while Daimler Buses is road-testing its H2 Coach precursor. Other companies in the broader hydrogen transport space with relevant technology are Hyundai, Volvo, and Tata Motors.
As Symbio’s Wikipedia entry is in French, I am fairly certain, that Symbio is a French company in Grenoble.
This press release from Symbio is entitled Symbio And Wrightbus Unveil TThe Successful Outcome Of Their UK Government-Funded Partnership At CENEX EXPO 2024: A 300 kW Hydrogen-Powered Demonstrator Coach.
This is the sub-heading.
A partnership to develop a 300 kW, zero-emission demonstrator fuel cell coach and future 75 kW city bus applications.
These two introductory paragraphs add more details.
Symbio and Wrightbus signed a partnership to develop and demonstrate a zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell coach designed for on-road public transportation in the UK. The joint project started in January 2024 with the delivery by Symbio to Wrightbus of four 75 kW StackPack™ fuel cell systems, forming a 300-kW power unit that Wrightbus integrated and tested into one of its single-deckers. The tests enabled the innovation teams on both sides to adjust and define the optimal settings for the vehicle’s powertrain. Having successfully completed this objective, the demonstrator is displayed for the first time at the Cenex Expo, starting Sept. 4, and will be operational and hit the road shortly.
This successful project sets the basis for future development of hydrogen-powered city buses equipped with Symbio 75 kW StackPack™ fuel cell systems, specifically designed for bus applications.
Symbio’s approach is different.
- Many drivers of my generation had a Ford XR3i hatchback.
- This sporty car had an 80 kW engine, a top speed of 115 mph and an acceleration time of 0-60 mph, of under 9 seconds.
- It was also great fun!
I do wonder if one of Symbio’s 75 kW StackPack™ fuel cell systems could be developed and fitted into a small hatchback, to create an afffordable zero-carbon runabout.
Already the press release says that Wrightbus and Symbio are co-operating with each other on 75 kW city bus applications.
Lord Bamford’s company ; JCB found Hyperdrive Innovation to develop batteries for their diggers. These batteries are now used in Hitachi’s Battery Intercity Express Trains.
Now, it looks like his son’s company have found Symbio to develop the fuel-cells needed for their innovative buses and coaches. Would one or two 75kW fuel cells be idea for smaller tractors and diggers?
E-Bike Injuries Are A Massive Burden, Say Surgeons
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
We’re in the morning meeting on the orthopaedics trauma ward on the 10th floor at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel.
These three introductory paragraphs add more detail.
Like every morning, the team are here to talk through the cases that will face them in the day ahead, and a familiar theme pops up.
From one side of the room a surgeon talks about his patient: “A 32-year-old, fit and well student… a couple of days ago he fell off an e-bike sustaining a closed left tibial plateau fracture.”
And a few moments later a voice next to us describes another case: “Six-year-old girl, she was hit by an electric bike, she has a closed tib/fib fracture.”
There is a lot more like this in the article.
The introduction of e-Bikes into London has been like the Wild West, with no suitable regulation and a powerless and afraid to act Police force.
Cycling and e-bikes in particular are going to be a big issue in the next London elections in May 2026.
I’ve Signed Up For A Heata
I’ve now got the new boiler, I said I was getting in I’m Getting A New Hydrogen-Ready Boiler.
But unfortunately, during the fitting, we found that my hot water system had a leak problem and the immersion heater wasn’t working.
So I decided to sign up for a heata, which I wrote about in British Gas Partners With heata On Trial To Reuse Waste Heat From Data Processing.
It was a painless process, but unfortunately, I can’t have one yet, as they told me this.
Thank you for registering interest in being part of the heata network, very much appreciated.
We’ll be in touch when there is an opportunity to be part of a pilot, eg testing our unvented heata unit, or to join the network as it expands.
The heata team.
That is very fair.
They didn’t request anything more than name, e-mail address, broadband speed and my hot water tank type.
They didn’t ask for full address, credit card or even, who was my energy supplier.
In the meantime, I can use the new boiler for hot water.
How Heata Works
This page on the heata web site, describes how the system works.
Reform ‘Would Scrap’ High-Speed Northern Rail Line
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
A Reform UK government would scrap plans to build the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) link, its deputy leader has said.
These two paragraphs add extra details.
In a report to the right-leaning Policy Exchange think tank, Richard Tice said companies considering bidding for contracts to build east-to-west high-speed rail links should “not bother”.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham rejected Tice’s comments and suggested Reform UK wanted a “second-class railway” for the north of England.
As I showed in I’ve Just Glimpsed The Future Of Train Travel Across The North Of England And I Like It, much of Northern Powerhouse Rail is complete or under construction to the East of Manchester and the only section of Northern Powerhouse Rail to be announced, designed and constructed is between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester via Manchester Airport. I discussed this section in Completing Northern Powerhouse Rail.
I also suspect that Reform UK, is the only party, that is against the building of Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Conclusion
How do you scrap a railway, that is half complete and only needs about twenty miles of new track for completion?
The Monster That Is AquaVentus Is Waking Up
I have written about AquaVentus for some time, but inh the last couple of days, ten references have been found to the project by my Google Alert.
What Is AquaVentus?
AquaVentus has a web page on the RWE web site, from where I clipped this image.
Note.
- The spine of AquaVentus is a pipeline called AquaDuctus to bring hydrogen to Germany.
- This image shows 10.3 GW of hydrogen will be generated and brought to near Wilhelmshaven in North-West Germany.
These two paragraphs introduce AquaVentus.
Hydrogen is considered the great hope of decarbonisation in all sectors that cannot be electrified, e.g. industrial manufacturing, aviation and shipping. Massive investments in the expansion of renewable energy are needed to enable carbon-neutral hydrogen production. After all, wind, solar and hydroelectric power form the basis of climate-friendly hydrogen.
In its quest for climate-friendly hydrogen production, the AquaVentus initiative has set its sights on one renewable energy generation technology: offshore wind. The initiative aims to use electricity from offshore wind farms to operate electrolysers also installed at sea on an industrial scale. Plans envisage setting up electrolysis units in the North Sea with a total capacity of 10 gigawatts, enough to produce 1 million metric tons of green hydrogen.
It is not an unambitious project.
North Sea Hydrogen Co-operation: AquaVentus And Hydrogen Scotland
The title of this section is the same as that of this page on the Hydrogen Scotland web site.
This is the introduction.
Hydrogen Scotland signed a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AquaVentus at Offshore Europe in Aberdeen. The partnership aims to unlock the North Sea’s vast potential for hydrogen production and establish Scotland as a key supplier to European markets through the development of shared infrastructure.
Both partners are committed to intensifying research activities and advocating for the rapid scale-up of a European hydrogen economy.
By joining forces, members of AquaVentus and Hydrogen Scotland can help advance the development and deployment of technologies along the entire value chain – from production through transport and storage to the use of hydrogen for decarbonising the energy system. In addition, both organisations intend to intensify their supporting activities and jointly advocate for the accelerated ramp-up of a European hydrogen economy.
This map of the North Sea, which I downloaded from the Hydrogen Scotland web site, shows the co-operation.
Note.
- The yellow AquaDuctus pipeline connected to the German coast near Wilhelmshaven.
- There appear to be two AquaDuctus sections ; AQD 1 and AQD 2.
- There are appear to be three proposed pipelines, which are shown in a dotted red, that connect the UK to AquaDuctus.
- The Northern proposed pipeline appears to connect to the St. Fergus gas terminal on the North-East tip of Scotland.
- The two Southern proposed pipelines appear to connect to the Easington gas terminal in East Yorkshire.
- Easington gas terminal is within easy reach of the massive gas stores, which are being converted to hold hydrogen at Aldbrough and Rough.
- The blue areas are offshore wind farms.
- The blue area straddling the Southernmost proposed pipe line is the Dogger Bank wind farm, is the world’s largest offshore wind farm and could evebtually total over 6 GW.
- RWE are developing 7.2 GW of wind farms between Dogger Bank and Norfolk in UK waters, which could generate hydrogen for AquaDuctus.
This cooperation seems to be getting the hydrogen Germany needs to its industry.
These five paragraphs outline a position paper by AquaVentus.
This opportunity for German-British cooperation on hydrogen is highlighted in a position paper presented by AquaVentus alongside the signing of the MoU. This paper addresses how the requirements of German-British cooperation – as outlined, for example, in the July 2025 Kensington Treaty between the UK and Germany and the European Commission’s Common Understanding published in May 2025 – can be met.
The position paper highlights the significant potential of hydrogen production in Scotland, the necessity of imports for Germany, and references transport infrastructure already under planning. It thus lays the foundation for cross-border hydrogen trade between Germany and the United Kingdom, and for deeper European cooperation in the hydrogen sector, with three essential prerequisites:
Firstly, the networking of producers and consumers across national borders is critical for a successful market ramp-up
Secondly, beyond this synchronised production and transport infrastructure, regulatory frameworks must also be harmonised. Hybrid connection concepts (pipes & wires) that integrate both electricity and hydrogen networks provide the necessary flexibility for future energy needs, enable efficient use of renewable energy and ensure cost-effective grid expansion
Thirdly, the development from a national core network to a European Hydrogen Backbone is emphasised. Projects such as AquaDuctus can serve as a nucleus for building a pan-European hydrogen network that will shape Europe’s energy infrastructure in the long term. For the authors, strengthened cooperation with the United Kingdom is not only a sound energy policy and economic decision, but also a key contribution to European energy resilience.
Note.
Vape Ban Isn’t Working, Says Waste Firm Boss
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
The ban on disposable vapes is failing to stop millions being thrown away incorrectly, and the devices are still causing chaos for the waste industry, a boss at a leading firm has said.
These three introductory paragraphs add more detail.
“We’re seeing more vapes in our system, causing more problems, more fires than ever before,” said Roger Wright, the strategy and packaging manager at Biffa.
Vape firms have launched cheap reusable devices, so instead of refilling and recycling them, people were binning them and buying more, he said.
A spokesperson for the vape industry said the June ban had been a success, and any rise in devices being thrown away was likely due to black market trade.
It looks to me, that the government didn’t get the legislation right.
Are Disposable Vapes Available On The Internet?
To find the BBC story, I typed “Disposable Vapes” into Google.
I found headlines like these.
- Cheap Disposable Vapes | From 50p | Free Delivery
- Disposable Vapes – Multi-Buys & Free Next Day Delivery
- Legal Big Puff Disposable Vapes on Sale in the UK
Why aren’t these adverts being taken down?
I’m Getting A New Hydrogen-Ready Boiler
The pump in my current nine-year-old boiler has died and it needs to be replaced.
The plumber gave me two solutions.
- Put a new pump in the old boiler.
- Replace the boiler with the current version of the old boiler.
Note.
- The plumber said the new boiler would be hydrogen-ready.
- I seem to remember the same pump failed before.
- The pump had failed because of a water-leak into its electrics.
- Was the previous failure of the pump caused by the same water-leak?
- Fitting a heat pump in my house would probably cost more than I could afford.
- The new boiler would come with a ten-year guarantee.
As an engineer, I can see the following scenarios for heating my house and providing hot water.
1. Keeping Calm And Carrying On
This means that the current arrangements for energy continue.
- There would be no compulsory heat pumps.
- There would be no change to any of my hardware, after installing the new boiler.
- I would continue to get gas for heating and hot water delivered through the mains.
The new boiler solution should give me ten years of reasonably trouble free-running, so long as the gas was natural gas, hydrogen blend or hydrogen.
2. Keeping Calm And Carrying On But My Energy Supplier Switches My Gas To 20 % Hydrogen-Blend
This means that the current arrangements for energy continue.
- There would be no compulsory heat pumps.
- There would be no change to any of my hardware, after installing the new boiler.
- I would continue to get gas for heating and hot water delivered through the mains.
- The gas pipe into my house would have to be checked for compatibility with hydrogen-blend. But then I encountered no problems when switched from coal-gas to North Sea Gas around 1970.
The new boiler solution should give me ten years of reasonably trouble free-running, so long as the gas was natural gas, hydrogen-blend or hydrogen.
3. Keeping Calm And Carrying On But My Energy Supplier Switches My Gas To 100 % Hydrogen
This means that the current arrangements for energy continue.
- There would be no compulsory heat pumps.
- There would be no change to any of my hardware, after installing the new boiler.
- I would continue to get gas for heating and hot water delivered through the mains.
- The gas pipe into my house would have to be checked for compatibility with hydrogen.
The new boiler solution should give me ten years of reasonably trouble free-running, so long as the gas was natural gas, hydrogen blend or hydrogen.
4. Switching To Some Form Of Heat Pump
- This would mean that I would go all electric.
- My house is a concrete lump and a guy I trust, said it would be difficult to fit a heat pump.
- I am suspicious of scientific and technical solutions proposed by politicians.
I’m not saying, I’d never use a heat pump, but I will take a lot of convincing.
5. Switching To Some New Form Of Electric Heating
I have seen two companies, which use the excess heat from a data centre to heat water for central heating and/or hot water for domestic needs.
- heata is a spin out from Centrica, that provides hot water and saves you money on your utility bill.
- thermify is a startup from Wales, that replaces the gas boiler, with an electric one.
There are probably other similar systems under development.
From my knowledge of computing and electrical engineering, I believe devices like this could be new form of cost-efficient electric heating.
Because my house has three-bedrooms, I would need a thermify, for both heating and hot water, but a heata working in tandem with my gas boiler could probably keep me in hot water.
I would feel that large blocks of flats or offices could have a data centre in the basement to provide heat for the building.
I would also suspect, that there are other devices out there, that work on different principles.
My Decision
I’m fitting a new boiler, as that should give me ten years’guarantee-backed and trouble free running and future-proof me for all possible government decisions, except saying that everybody must fit a heat pump.
When, this new boiler pops its clogs, i would hope, that some clever engineers have come up with a plug-compatible electric replacement for the new boiler I am about to have fitted.
The Anonymous Widower 