Shetland’s Viking Wind Farm
I was listening to SSE’s Chief Executive; Alistair Phillips-Davies, on the radio this morning, when he mentioned the Viking wind farm on Shetland.
- The wind farm is being developed by Viking Energy, a partnership between Shetland Islands Council and SSE plc.
- It will have 103 turbines and a nameplate capacity of 370 MW.
- Construction started in September 2020 and should be complete by 2024.
- The wind farm will be connected to the National grid via the Shetland HVDC Connection.
- There’s more on the Viking Energy web site.
Note.
- According to Wikipedia, wind farms in the Shetlands can have capacity factors of over 50 %.
- Viking Energy hope that the Viking wind farm will become one of the most productive onshore wind farms in the world.
- Is it unusual, that the wind farm is developed by a partnership between a local authority and a large utility company?
It also appears that together the Viking wind farm and the Shetland HVDC Connection will allow the 66 MW diesel-powered Lerwick power station to be closed.
Does The Electricity System On Shetland Need Energy Storage?
As an Electrical Engineer, who specialised in Control Engineering, I am surprised that to ensure energy security, that there is no energy storage on Shetland.
In the Wikipedia entry for Lerwick power station, there is a section entitled Load Balancing, where this is said.
The growth of output from wind turbines in Shetland has increased instability in the local grid (which is not connected to the national grid on mainland Scotland). SSE installed a 1 MW sodium–sulfur battery in a nearby building to ameliorate the peak loads. However due to safety concerns, the sodium-sulfur battery was removed prior to commissioning and the energy storage building was reconfigured to accommodate 3MWh of advanced lead-acid batteries.
A combination of the new Shetland HVDC Connection and the lead-acid batteries must be enough to ensure energy security for the Shetlands.
Stadler Reports ‘Best Year’ Since IPO
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the first paragraph.
Stadler has reported record orders and earnings before tax for the 2021 financial year.
And these are a few statistics.
- Orders were up by 28%.
- Revenue was up 18 %.
- Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) was up 43 %.
- EBIT margin rose to 6·2%.
Overall group profits was slightly down on the previous year due to exchange rate losses.
There is a note of caution.
However, it cautions that it is unlikely to achieve its target EBIT margin of 8 to 9% in 2023 as previously forecast, predicting instead that this would be achieved by 2024-25.
Overall the company is doing well and certainly producing the best trains in Europe.
Germany Weighs Norway Hydrogen Pipeline To Avoid Russian Energy
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Hydrogen Central.
This the introductory paragraphs.
Germany and Norway are considering building a hydrogen pipeline linking the two nations to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian energy supplies.
The countries plan to soon conduct a feasibility study on the project that would eventually transport green hydrogen from Norway to Germany, they said after a meeting between German Economy Minister Robert Habeck and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.
There is a joint statement that gives more details.
Developments like this and lots of wind power in the North Sea and around the UK, are the sort of actions, that could seriously reduce the size of Russia’s oil and gas industry and the money it pays to that group of war criminals like Vlad the Mad and his friends.
Loch Kemp Pumped Hydro
Loch Kemp Is a smaller loch just to the East of Loch Ness.
This Google Map shows Loch Kemp in relation to Loch Ness.
Note.
- Loch Ness is in the North West corner of the map, with partial cloud cover.
- Loch Kemp is in the South East corner of the map.
The proposed Loch Kemp pumped hydro scheme will have these characteristics.
- Loch Kemp will be the upper reservoir.
- Loch Ness will be the lower reservoir.
- The power station will be on the banks of Loch Ness.
- The power station will be designed to fit into the environment.
- Eight dams will be built to enlarge Loch Kemp.
- Trees will be planted.
- Output of the power station will be 300 MW
- Available storage could be 9 GWh.
The station will have almost as much storage capacity as Electric Mountain, but that power station has an output of 1.8 GW.
In Glendoe Hydro Power Station, I wrote about the Glendoe Hydro Scheme.
- It is a 100 MW hydroelectric power station
- It has the highest head at 600 metres of any power station in the UK.
- It opened in 2009, making it one of the newest hydroelectric power stations in the UK.
- The actual power station is in an underground cavern.
- The dam and power station have been designed to be hidden from view.
This Google Map shows the location of Glendoe power station to the South of Loch Kemp.
Note.
- The red arrow indicates Loch Kemp.
- The loch in the South East corner is the reservoir that feeds Glendoe power station.
- Fort Augustus is at the Southern end of Loch Ness.
This Google Map shows the Northern end of Loch Ness.
Note.
- The red arrow indicates Loch Kemp.
- Foyers, which is a short distance to the North West, is the site of the Foyers pumped hydro scheme. I wrote about this scheme in The Development Of The Foyers Pumped Storage Scheme.
- Loch Duntelchaig, in the North-East corner of the map, is being used as the upper reservoir of the Red John pumped hydro scheme. I wrote about this project in Red John Pumped Storage Hydro Project.
On the East side of Loch Ness there seems to be four substantial hydro-electric schemes.
In order from South to North these schemes are.
Glendoe
Glendoe is a modern 100 MW hydroelectric power station, that opened in 2009.
In Glendoe Hydro Power Station, I felt it might be possible to expand Glendoe into a pumped hydro scheme, with upwards of 10 GWh of storage.
Loch Kemp
Loch Kemp is a proposed 300 MW/9 GWh pumped hydro storage station.
Foyers
Foyers is an existing 300 MW/10 GWh pumped hydro storage station.
Red John
Red John is a proposed 450 MW/2.8 GWh pumped hydro storage station, which has received planning permission.
These four power stations could be summarised as follows.
- Glendoe – 100 MW/10 GWh
- Loch Kemp – 300 MW/9 GWh
- Foyers – 300 MW/10 GWh
- Red John – 450 MW/2.8 GWh
Note.
- Totals are 1150 MW and 31.8 GWh
- Foyers was converted from a conventional hydroelectric power station, that was opened in 1895 to a pumped hydro storage station.
- If Foyers can be converted, why can’t Glendoe.
A very large pumped storage station of four separate units, can be built on the East side of Loch Ness.
Conclusion
This is only on the East side of Loch Ness, so if the West side can be similarly developed, Loch Ness could be developed into a real Loch Ness monster with over 60 GWh of pumped hydro storage.
Driver Hospitalized After Brightline Train Hits Pickup Truck In Hallandale Beach
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on 850 WFTL.
The driver certainly didn’t have a full load in the front of his pickup.
This paragraph describes the incident.
Dashcam video provided by Brightline captured the moment the driver of the silver pickup drove around the gate arm and onto the track a split second before impact. The arm was down when the collision happened.
Perhaps, the driver was trying to get a Darwin Award.
Wagons Ordered For Growing Freight Traffic
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the first paragraph.
GB Railfreight and leasing company Porterbrook have placed an order for Greenbrier Europe to supply 50 JNA 60 m3 capacity four-axle box wagons for transporting construction materials.
Other points from the article.
- The wagons will be built in Romania.
- They will be delivered in the Autumn.
- Porterbrook research is indicating a possible increase of 35 % in construction sector traffic between now and 2034.
Certainly, judging by the number of posts about freight, the sector seems to be innovating and running more trains.
Another Song For Ukraine
This one is I think Ukrainian.
Note that Ukrainians tend to pronounce W’s as V’s, so NLAW sounds a bit like love.
Apparently, Volodymyr Zelenskyy serenaded Boris with a version of All You Need Is NLAW.
I asked Google, if the Beatles were popular in Russia and found this article on the BBC, which is entitled Beatles For Sale: The Vinyl Underground In The USSR.
The NLAW is an Anglo-Swedish anti-tank weapon, which is being used successfully by the Ukrainians.
Russians Board International Space Station In Ukrainian Colours
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Russian cosmonauts have arrived at the International Space Station wearing Ukrainian colours, in what appears to be a statement opposing the invasion.
Who do you think, you are kidding, Mr Putin!
A Song For Ukraine
My father was a Cockney, who had a way with poetry.
Sadly, I have none of it to keep me amused in these dark times.
But here’s my simple reworking of the Dad’s Army song.
Who Do You Think You Are Kidding Mr Putin
If You Think We’re On The Run?
We Are The Boys Who Will Stop Your Little Game
We Are The Boys Who Will Make You Think Again
‘Cause Who Do You Think You Are Kidding Mr Putin
If You Think Ukraine’s Done?
Mr Brown Goes Off To Town
On The Eight Twenty-One
But He Comes Home Each Evening
And He’s Ready With His Gun
So Watch Out Mr Putin
You Have Met Your Match In Us
If You Think You Can Crush Us
We’re Afraid You’ve Missed The Bus
‘Cause Who Do You Think You Are Kidding Mr Putin
If You Think Ukraine’s Done?
Others out there can do much better.
Ministerial Roundtable Seeks To Unlock Investment In UK Energy Storage
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Drax.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Business leaders have met with UK Energy Minister the Rt Hon Greg Hands MP to discuss how the government could unlock significant investment in vital energy storage technologies needed to decarbonise the power sector and help ensure greater energy independence.
The meeting was organised by the Long-Duration Electricity Storage Alliance, a new association of companies, progressing plans across a range of technologies to be first of their kind to be developed in the UK for decades.
This press release, which I found on the Drax website, has obviously been produced by the four companies; Drax, Highview Power, Invinity Energy Systems and SSE Renewables.
Greg Hands MP, who is the Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth said this.
The Long-Duration Electricity Storage Alliance is a key part of our plan to get the full benefit from our world-class renewables sector. Government have already committed £68 million of funding toward the development of these technologies.
“This will support the UK as we shift towards domestically-produced renewable energy that will boost our energy security and create jobs and investment.
The three CEOs and a director from SSE, make statements about what they are doing and what they need from Government, which are all worth reading.
- Drax still needs planning permission for its flagship project at Cruachan, that is called Cruachan 2.
- SSE are saying that the massive 30 GWh Coire Glas pumped hydro scheme has full planning permission and is shovel-ready.
- Drax and SSE appear to be in favour of Cap and Floor regimes to support long term energy storage.
- Highview Power and Invinity Energy Systems appear very optimistic.
- Finance for capital cost is not mentioned. As billions will be needed for some of these schemes and the returns are very predictable, I assume that it has been promised.
After reading this press release fully, I too am optimistic.
Conclusion
I feel sure, that a sensible plan will evolve fairly soon, which will involve these four companies and possibly some others.
The Anonymous Widower 