Will Sweden Win Because They Have More Mothers In The Team?
I am posting this at half-time with the Lionesses two-nil down.
I think that Sweden has two mothers in the team and England has none.
I base my question because of four things.
- I played a game of real tennis once, with a sports psychologist and she felt that in real tennis, there could be an improvement in female players after childbirth. As real tennis has a universal computerised handicap, increase or decrease in performance is easily measured.
- There have also been a number of female athletes who have improved after childbirth.
- Mothers fight for their children.
- C and myself had three children in a short space of time. As we had no help and I was working from home, she looked after the elder two and I had the baby sitting on my desk in a plastic chair.
I would even take George across Regents Park to a client, if I needed to see someone. Sometimes, he would even be kidnapped by the secretaries.
One outcome, was that I was closest to George than my other two children and when he died, a psychologist, who knew me well, felt I grieved like a mother.
The Miracle Of Newcastle
This article in The Times is entitled ‘Three-parent’ babies are born in UK via pioneering IVF treatment.
This is the sub-heading.
Four girls and four boys — including one set of identical twins — were born to seven women at a high risk of transmitting mutations, according to the research
These are the first two paragraphs.
Eight healthy “three-parent” babies have been born via a “pioneering” IVF technique, British scientists have said.
The world-first research reported that four girls and four boys — including one set of identical twins — were born to seven women at a high risk of transmitting mutations causing mitochondrial disease. One further woman is pregnant.
This could give the females of my family hope. of successfully raising a child.
When my wife and our youngest son died of aggressive cancers in the early years of this century, Addenbrooke’s advised that I had my family professionally traced, in case there was an aggressive gene tic trait somewhere.
I am coeliac and we felt that came from my paternal Jewish great-great-great grandfather from Konigsberg, who probably arrived in the UK around 1800.
Sadly, we found, that no female born into this Jewish male line had ever successfully produced a child. Even my sister, who was born in 1950, didn’t have a child.
My late wife and myself had three sons and they have produced two grandsons and a granddaughter.
The granddaughter was born with a congenital hernia of the diaphragm and I’ve since found out, was given little chance of survival by the Royal London Hospital.
But due to heroic surgery at a few days old, by the incomparable Dr. Vanessa Wright and her team, she is now in her twenties and holding down a full time job.
I shall be following this Miracle of Newcastle with interest, as I believe it could be part of the saviour for the female of my family and those that will surely follow her in the future.
Deadly ‘Climate Change’ Fungus Targeted In Drug Project
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in The Times.
This is the sub-heading.
Dundee University team leading fight against Candida auris, a type of yeast that causes severe illness and spreads easily among hospital and care home patients.
These are the first two paragraphs.
A rapidly growing deadly fungus, thought to have emerged in humans due to climate change, is one of the targets of a £17.9 million drug project.
Candida auris is a type of yeast that can cause severe illness and spreads easily among patients in healthcare facilities. It was first seen in Japan in 2009 and has spread worldwide, with outbreaks in hospitals in the UK, South Africa, India and parts of North and South America.
These are points from the rest of a must-read article.
- The first cases in the UK were recorded in 2014 and numbers have been rising yearly since 2020.
- Found particularly in hospitals and care homes.
- Many infections occur when medical devices such as catheters or ventilators are fitted to patients.
- I’ve had my fill of catheters, when I had my stroke in Hong Kong.
- Immunocompromised people are most at risk.
I may be coeliac, but I tend to believe my immune system is like a platoon of SAS soldiers on steroids. It certainly gave the AstraZeneca viral vector Covid-19 vaccine a good kicking. But it welcomed the second dose, like a long-lost friend.
I asked Google if there was any interaction and got this reply.
While Candida auris is a serious fungal infection, it is not directly linked to celiac disease. However, Candida albicans, another type of yeast, has been implicated in the development or exacerbation of celiac disease through mechanisms like cross-reactivity and molecular mimicry.
I shall act responsibly and hope for the best.
But.
- Research at the University of Padua has shown, that diagnosed coeliacs sticking to their gluten-free diet, don’t get serious doses of Covid-19.
- Research at the University of Nottingham has shown, that diagnosed coeliacs sticking to their gluten-free diet, have a lower cancer rate, than the general population.
- I’ve very rarely had colds, flu and other infection, since my diagnosis as a coeliac and going gluten-free in 1997.
- I’ve never had Covid-19.
A Floridian restauranteur once called me one of the Devil’s children, as I was a coeliac. If that is true, she certainly looks after her own!
RWE, Masdar Move Forward With 3 GW Dogger Bank South Offshore Wind Farms
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The UK’s Planning Inspectorate has concluded its six-month Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) examination period for the Dogger Bank South (DBS) offshore wind farms, being developed by RWE and Abu Dhabi’s Masdar.
These two introductory paragraphs add more details.
Since the start of the examination this January, the Planning Inspectorate has assessed the environmental, socio-economic, and technical attributes of the DBS projects against the UK’s standards for sustainable infrastructure development.
The Inspectorate plans to prepare and submit a detailed report with recommendations to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero within the next three months, and a consent decision is expected within the next six months.
The development of this wind farm moves on.
- The lease with the Crown Estate was signed in Jan 2023.
- In November 2023, Masdar took a 49 % stake as I reported in RWE Partners With Masdar For 3 GW Dogger Bank South Offshore Wind Projects.
But there is no completion date anywhere for the whole project, that I can find with Google.
If you type RWE offshore electrolysis into Google AI, you get this answer.
RWE is actively involved in several hydrogen projects utilizing offshore wind power for electrolysis, particularly in the Netherlands and Germany. These projects aim to produce green hydrogen, which is then used in various applications like industrial processes, transportation, and potentially for export. RWE is a major player in offshore wind and is leveraging this experience to advance hydrogen production.
Note.
- RWE are one of the largest, if not the largest electricity generator in the UK.
- In RWE Opens ‘Grimsby Hub’ For Offshore Wind Operations And Maintenance, I stated that RWE are developing almost 12 GW of offshore wind power around our shores.
So just as RWE are utilizing offshore wind power for electrolysis, particularly in the Netherlands and Germany, could they be also be planning to do the same in UK waters with the Dogger Bank South wind farm?
The hydrogen would be brought ashore in a pipeline.
There would be no need for any 3 GW overhead power lines marching across East Yorkshire and around the town of Beverley.
Two large hydrogen stores are being developed at Aldbrough and Rough in East Yorkshire.
H2ercules And AquaVentus
These are two massive German projects, that will end the country’s reliance on Russian gas and coal.
- H2ercules is a series of pipelines that will distribute the hydrogen in Southern Germany.
- AquaVentus will build a network of pipelines to bring 10.3 GW of green hydrogen from the North Sea to the German mainland for H2ercules to distribute.
Germany is embracing hydrogen in a big way.
- I introduce AquaVentus in AquaVentus, which I suggest you read.
- AquaVentus is being developed by RWE.
- AquaVentus connects to a German hydrogen network called H2ercules to actually distribute the hydrogen.
This video shows the structure of AquaVentus.
I clipped this map from the video.
Note.
- The thick white line running North-West/South-East is the spine of AquaVentus, that will deliver hydrogen to Germany.
- There is a link to Esbjerg in Denmark, that is marked DK.
- There appears to be an undeveloped link to Norway, which goes North,
- There appears to be an undeveloped link to Peterhead in Scotland, that is marked UK.
- There appears to be a link to just North of the Humber in England, that is marked UK.
- Just North of the Humber are the two massive gas storage sites of Aldbrough owned by SSE and Rough owned by Centrica.
- Aldbrough and Rough gas storage sites are being converted into two of the largest hydrogen storage sites in the world!
- There appear to be small ships sailing up and down the East Coast of the UK. Are these small coastal tankers, that are distributing the hydrogen to where it is needed?
When it is completed, AquaVentus will be a very comprehensive hydrogen network.
I believe that offshore electrolysers could be built in the area of the Hornsea 4, Dogger Bank South and other wind farms and the hydrogen generated would be taken by AquaVentus to either Germany or the UK.
- Both countries get the hydrogen they need.
- Excess hydrogen would be stored in Aldbrough and Rough.
- British Steel at Scunthorpe gets decarbonised.
- A 1.8 GW hydrogen-fired powerstation at Keadby gets the hydrogen it needs to backup the wind farms.
Germany and the UK get security in the supply of hydrogen.
RWE Opens ‘Grimsby Hub’ For Offshore Wind Operations And Maintenance
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
RWE officially opened its ‘Grimsby Hub’ offshore wind operations and maintenance (O&M) facility in the UK on 9 July. From the new O&M base, located at Associated British Ports’ (ABP) Port of Grimsby, RWE’s teams will maintain and operate the Triton Knoll and Sofia offshore wind farms.
These are the first two paragraphs.
The Grimsby Hub also houses RWE’s new UK Centralised Control Room (CCR), which has been set up to provide 24/7 monitoring of the company’s UK offshore wind farms and can provide services such as marine coordination, turbine operations, alarm management, high voltage monitoring and Emergency Response services with a team of twelve operatives, the developer says.
The O&M facility is already employing over 90 Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs), according to RWE, and is expected to employ around 140 RWE staff by 2027, as well as create approximately 60 new locally sourced jobs through the development of the CCR and ongoing offshore operations.
Note.
- Does RWE’s new UK Centralised Control Room control all their UK offshore wind farms?
- I have added them all up and there are almost 12 GW around our shores.
- I’ve read somewhere, that RWE are the UK’s largest power generator. From these figures, that would not surprise me.
This Google Map shows the location of RWE’s facilities in Grimsby.
Note.
- The bright red arrow at the top of the map indicates RWE Generation UK in Grimsby Docks.
- There is another RWE location to the right of the bright red arrow.
- There is a line of stations along the coast, which from left-to-right are Stallingborough, Healing, Great Coates, Grimsby Town, Grimsby Docks, New Clee and Cleethorpes.
- Cleethorpes is not shown on the map.
- Doncaster and Cleethorpes are 52.1 mile apart, which is within the range of a battery-electric Hitachi and other trains.
- Charging would be at Doncaster, which is fully electrified and at Cleethorpes, by a short length of electrification.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the layout of and the railways around Grimsby Dock.
Note.
- Cleethorpes station is indicated by the blue arrow, in the South-East corner of the map.
- Cleethorpes station has four platforms, but no electrification.
- Grimsby Docks are to the North of the railway to Cleethorpes.
- This Wikipedia entry for Cleethorpes station, shows other railways and light railways served the area. Some were even electric.
These are a few of my thoughts on the development of railways between Sheffield and Cleethorpes.
RWE Will Be A Large Driver Of Employment In Grimsby
Earlier I wrote.
- Does RWE’s new UK Centralised Control Room control all their UK offshore wind farms?
- I have added them all up and there are almost 12 GW around our shores.
- I’ve read somewhere, that RWE are the UK’s largest power generator. From these figures, that would not surprise me.
It’s a long time, since I’ve added resources to a large project, so I asked Google AI, “How many people are needed to support a 1 GW offshore wind farm in the UK?”, and received this answer.
Direct & Indirect Support: For a large-scale project, this often breaks down into approximately 100–150 direct, permanent, high-skilled roles (technicians, engineers, management) and hundreds more in indirect, contracted, or supply chain roles (vessel crews, port operations, logistics).
Industry Average: Studies suggest that for operations and maintenance (O&M), around 50–100 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs are generated per GW of installed capacity in terms of direct, permanent staff.
Key Takeaways for a 1 GW Farm:
- Direct Technicians/Operators: ~100–200+ (working on-site, turbines, or in control rooms).
- O&M Support Services: ~300–400+ (vessel operators, port logistics, supply chain).
- Total Operations Personnel: 300–600+ people.
Google AI appeared to have borrowed the figure from Ørsted and Hornsea 1 and 2.
So if it’s correct, there will be a total of 7,200 personnel supporting RWE’s wind farms in the UK. Even if only a third were employed in Grimsby, that is still a lot of people to accommodate and who will need to travel to work.
I also think a lot of personnel will come in by train, as the station is close to RWE’s locations.
Will Grimsby Have An Aberdeen-Sized Office-Shortage Problem?
One of the biggest problems, I was always hearing in the 1970s, was the shortage of offices in Aberdeen for the use of the oilmen.
In RWE Goes For An Additional 10 GW Of Offshore Wind In UK Waters In 2030, I talked about RWE’s plans for the future and published this table of new wind farms.
- Sofia – 1,400 MW
- Norfolk Boreas – 1380 MW
- Norfolk Vanguard East – 1380 MW
- Norfolk Vanguard West – 1380 MW
- Dogger Bank South – 3000 MW
- Awel y Môr – 500 MW
- Five Estuaries – 353 MW
- North Falls – 504 MW
Note.
- Sofia is nearly complete.
- Only the three Norfolk and the Dogger Bank South wind farms are on the East side of England and suitable to be serviced from Grimsby., but they still total 7,140 MW.
Has Grimsby got the office-space for all the people needed?
Could The Cleethorpes And Liverpool Lime Street Service Be Run By Battery-Electric Rolling Stock?
The various sections of this route are as follows.
- Cleethorpes and Doncaster – No Electrification – 52.1 miles
- Doncaster and Meadowhall – No Electrification – 15.2 miles
- Meadowhall and Sheffield – No Electrification – 3.4 miles
- Sheffield and Dore & Totley – No Electrification – 4.2 miles
- Dore & Totley and Hazel Grove – No Electrification – 29.2 miles
- Hazel Grove and Stockport – Electrification – 3.3 miles
- Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly – Electrification – 5.9 miles
- Manchester Piccadilly and Deansgate – Electrification – 0.8 miles
- Deansgate and Liverpool South Parkway -Not Electrified – 28.2 miles
- Liverpool South Parkway and Liverpool Lime Street – Electrified – 5.7 miles
Adding the sections together gives.
- Cleethorpes and Hazel Grove – No Electrification – 104.1 miles
- Hazel Grove and Deansgate – Electrification – 10 miles
- Deansgate and Liverpool South Parkway -Not Electrified – 28.2 miles
- Liverpool South Parkway and Liverpool Lime Street – Electrified – 5.7 miles
Note.
- To cover the 104.1 miles to Hazel Grove battery-electric trains would probably need to leave Cleethorpes with full batteries.
- Doncaster is a fully-electrified station and passing trains may be able to have a quick top-up.
- In South Yorkshire Now Has Better North-South Connections, I calculated that Doncaster is a very busy station with 173 express trains per day calling at the station or one every 8.5 minutes.
- Will trains be able to stop for a long period to charge batteries?
- It may be prudent to electrify between Meadowhall and Sheffield, under the Midland Mainline Electrification.
- Sheffield and Dore & Totley is shown that it will be electrified, under the Midland Mainline Electrification.
- Do we really want to have electrification marching along the Hope Valley Line?
- I believe that hydrogen-hybrid locomotives will be a better solution for freight trains on scenic lines like the Hope Valley, as they are zero-carbon, powerful and with a range comparable to diesel.
I believe CAF, Hitachi and Siemens have off the shelf rolling stock and factories in this country, who could build trains for the Cleethorpes and Liverpool Lime Street route.
How Would You Charge Battery-Electric Trains At Cleethorpes?
This picture shows Cleethorpes station
Note.
- The four long platforms without electrification.
- The platforms have recently been refurbished.
- The train in Platform 2 is a TransPennine Express Class 185 Siemens Desiro diesel train.
The simplest way to electrify the station would be to put up enough 25 KVAC overhead wires, so that battery-electric trains needing a charge could put up a pantograph and have a refreshing drink.
In Technology Behind Siemens Mobility’s British Battery Trains Hits The Tracks, I wrote about Siemens Rail Charging Converter.
This is a visualisation of a Siemens Rail Charging Converter in action.
Note.
- The track is electrified with standard 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- The train is a standard Siemens electric or battery-electric train.
- Siemens Rail Charging Converter, which is the shed in the compound on the left is providing the electricity to energise the catenary.
- I suspect, it could power third rail electrification, if the Office of Rail and Road ever allowed it to be still installed.
- The Siemens Rail Charging Converter does have one piece of magic in the shed. I suspect it uses a battery or a large capacitor to help power the electrification, as it can be powered from any typical domestic grid supply.
- I also wonder, if it has safety devices that cut the power outside the shed if track workers or intruders are detected, where they shouldn’t be?
- It could even cut the power, when trains are not running to save power and increase safety.
This looks to me, that a Siemens Rail Charging Converter could be a superb example of out-of-the-box thinking.
Could The Cleethorpes And Barton-on-Humber Service Be Run By Battery-Electric Rolling Stock?
This OpenRailwayMap shows the railways of North-East Lincolnshire.
Note.
- Cleethorpes is in the South-East Corner of the map.
- Barton-on-Humber is in the North-West corner of the map and marked by a blue-arrow.
- Stations from South to North would be New Clee, Grimsby Docks, Grimsby Town, Great Coates, Healing, Stallingborough, Habrough, Ulceby, Thornton Abbey, Goxhill, New Holland and Barrow Haven.
- The line is double track.
- Cleethorpes and Barton-on-Humber is just 22.8 miles.
- A round trip would be under fifty miles, which would be well within range of a full-charge at one end.
- Service is one train per two hours (tp2h), which would only need a single train, shuttling between Cleethorpes and Barton-on-Humber.
- Two trains could provide an hourly service.
I would expect, that well-designed, solid and reliable German engineering could build a Siemens’ Rail Charging Connector that could charge four trains per hour (tph) at Cleethorpes station.
At present services are.
- TransPennineExpress – 1 tph to Liverpool Lime Street.
- East Midlands Railway – 1 tp2h to Barton-on-Humber
- East Midlands Railway – 1 tp2h to Matlock via Lincoln and Nottingham
- Northern Trains – 1 train per day (tpd) Sheffield via Brigg.
That is probably only about two tph.
Could The Cleethorpes And Sheffield Service Be Run By Battery-Electric Rolling Stock?
This is a description of the current Cleethorpes and Sheffield service.
- It is run by Northern Trains.
- The morning train leaves Sheffield at 09:54 and arrives in Cleethorpes at 11:40.
- The afternoon train leaves Cleethorpes at 13:20 and arrives in Sheffield at 15:10.
- The train is a Class 150 diesel train, which is a bit of a Joan Collins of a train – Of a certain age, but still scrubs up extremely well!
- Intermediate stations are Worksop, Retford, Gainsborough Central, Kirton Lindsey, Brigg, Barnetby and Grimsby Town
- The route length is 71.6 miles
- Trains take about 45-50 minutes.
It is also a parliamentary train.
The Wikipedia entry for parliamentary train gives this description of the Cleethorpes and Sheffield service.
Via Kirton Lindsey & Brigg. Became a parliamentary service when weekday services were withdrawn in 1993. Regular trains have operated between Gainsborough and Sheffield for most timetable periods since. Suspended January 2022 by Northern, who cited COVID-19 and staffing issues , but the service was reinstated in December 2022. Changed in May 2023 to be one return journey on weekdays only.
In the 1950s and 1960s I lived in Felixstowe part of the time and in the 1970s and 1980s I lived near Woodbridge and I observed first hand the development of the Port of Felixstowe and the effects it had on the surrounding countryside.
The development of the Port of Felixstowe, has brought the following.
- Improved roads and railways.
- Ipswich is now an hour from London by train.
- Ipswich is now a University town.
- New housing and other developments, both in Ipswich and Felixstowe and the surrounding countryside.
- Employment also has increased considerably, both in the Port and in surrounding towns.
- Ipswich’s football team is very much respected all over Europe and has won the English top division, the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup.
When you consider the jobs that RWE could create in the Port of Grimsby, I believe that this could have similar effects in Grimsby and Cleethorpes, as the Port of Felixstowe had in East Suffolk.
Already, the following are being talked about.
- A direct rail link between Cleethorpes and Grimsby to London.
- Battery-electric trains between Cleethorpes and Grimsby and Doncaster, Manchester and Liverpool Lime Street.
I believe that an improved rail link between Cleethorpes and Sheffield could be the catalyst for much needed housing along the route, which would be to the benefit of Cleethorpres, Grimsby, Sheffield and all the intermediate towns and villages on the route.
and the affects this will have on the countryside around the town, I believe that a strong case can be made out for a more frequent service between Cleethorpes and Sheffield.
Faroes-Style Tunnels Could ‘Transform’ Fortunes For Shetland Isles
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
The Faroese prime minister says Shetland could boost growth and revitalise island life by following his country in replacing ageing ferries with undersea tunnels.
These three paragraphs add more details.
Shetland Islands Council says it is pushing ahead with plans to build tunnels to four outlying isles in the archipelago including Unst, the most northerly place in the UK.
“I think we have learned in the Faroe Islands that investment in infrastructure is a good investment,” Aksel Johannesen told BBC News.
Shetland Islands Council says its multi-million pound project is likely to be funded by borrowing money and paying it back through tolls, potentially providing a new transport model for other Scottish islands.
This map shows the ferries in the Shetland Islands.
Looking at this map, I would suspect that not all ferries could be replaced by road tunnels.
But if a decision was made to replace ferries with tunnels, thorough cost-benefit analysis would probably show which would be the best value to do first.
These are my further thoughts.
The Faroes
This Google Map shows the Faroes.
It appears that there may be more land in proportion on the Faroes.
Some Routes Would Not Be Suitable For Tunnels
I would suspect that Grutness and Fair Isle could fall into this category.
These paragraphs on the Shetland web site describe how to get to Fair Isle.
The ferry ‘Good Shepherd IV’ carries 12 passengers and takes 2.5 hours. It leaves from Grutness Pier at the southern tip of Shetland and once a fortnight (summer only) from Lerwick. Please note that this is not a car ferry. View the timetable on the Ferry Services website.
Most flights leave from Tingwall Airport, six miles west of Lerwick, and takes around 25 minutes. The flights operate three times a week and, from April to October, there is also weekly service from Sumburgh (April – Oct). View the timetable on the Airtask website.
Yachts can tie up at the North Haven, with a small nightly charge for use of the harbour.
The Wikipedia entry for the Good Shepherd IV gives more details of the thirty-one year old ferry and its replacement which is due next year, after being funded by the UK Government.
It seems to me that the correct course of action has been taken for the Fair Isle ferry.
Building The Tunnels
These paragraphs from the BBC article, describe how the Faroese tunnels were built and discuss how the same techniques could be used in Shetland.
“It’s about ambition,” says tunnel builder Andy Sloan, whose company worked on part of the Faroese tunnel project.
He adds the islands have led the world “in connecting an archipelago in the middle of the North Atlantic through blood, sweat and tears – and focus.
“They have delivered a remarkable piece of infrastructure,” says Mr Sloan, who is executive vice-president of engineering firm COWI.
It is now advising Shetland Islands Council on the technicalities and financing of tunnels.
The Faroese tunnels were constructed using a technique known as drill and blast – where holes are drilled in rock, explosives are dropped in, and the rubble is then cleared away – which Mr Sloan says could also be used in Scotland.
“Without doubt, Shetland can copy what has been achieved in these islands,” he adds.
I would add, that in recent years, we have successfully built many tunnels in the UK.
At the present time, we are building the 23 mile Woodsmith Mine Tunnel, through rock near Whitby.
This will surely be bigger than anything needed on Shetland.
Microsoft Office Has Disappeared From My Computer
I am being told by my computer to download Driver Support One.
I asked Google AI, if Driver Support One was a scam and this is what it said.
Yes, Driver Support One is often considered a scam by many users and is often referred to as “scumware”. It’s known for deceptive practices like hiding its non-free nature, difficulty in uninstalling, and claiming to fix non-existent problems to pressure users into paying for its services. Microsoft does not endorse or recommend any third-party driver update programs like Driver Support One, and users are advised to obtain drivers from their computer or hardware manufacturer’s website.
That’s a scam in my book.
I keep a database of medical details like weight, blood pressure, as I am on a drug trial.
Somehow, these scammers have deleted my Excel and replaced it with their scam.
How do I get Excel and Word back?
Should I call 999?
Inside A Class 99 – The UK’s Most Powerful Locomotive
The title of this post, is the same as the title of this YouTube video.
This locomotive and its siblings, which can run on both electrification and diesel is the future of rail freight in the UK and GB Railfreight have ordered thirty of them.
Hopefully, by the end of the year, I’ll see one of these locomotives running along the North London Line, through Highbury & Islington and Dalston Kingsland stations.
At the present time, there are 480 Class 66 diesel freight locomotives in the UK. A substantial amount of carbon emissions would be saved, if as many as possible of Class 66 locomotives as possible were replaced by Class 99 locomotives.
These Class 99 locomotives will literally turn the rail freight business upside down.
Can These Locomotives Be Converted from Diesel To Hydrogen Power?
Stadler or Cummins have not said, but Cummins are decarbonising the company.
Already, large American trucks fitted with the latest Cummins engines can be converted to hydrogen. I write about this in Cummins Debuts Integrated HELM Drivetrain At IAA.
Cummins are also supplying Wrightbus with engines for the next generation of low-emission bus, as I wrote about in Wrightbus StreetDeck Ultroliner Next-Gen To Get Cummins Power.
Did Stadler fit a Cummins diesel engine in a Class 99 locomotive, as they know that every Class 99 locomotive or similar locomotives for other markets can be converted to hydrogen?
It is strange but very heartening, that when we have an American President, who thinks that climate change is fake news, one of the United States, largest and most iconic companies is leading the charge to decarbonisation.
Rolls-Royce And Duisport Launch CO2-Neutral, Self-Sufficient Energy System For New Port Terminal
The title of this port is the same as that of this press release from Rolls-Royce.
These two bullet points act as sub-headings.
- First mtu hydrogen CHP units, battery storage systems and fuel cell systems from Rolls-Royce in operation.
- Benchmark for sustainable energy supply in logistics centers worldwide.
These three paragraphs give more details of the project.
Rolls-Royce and Duisburger Hafen AG have opened a CO2-neutral and self-sufficient energy system for the new Duisburg Gateway Terminal, located in the Rhine-Ruhr industrial region of Germany. The core components are two mtu combined heat and power units designed for operation with 100 percent hydrogen, which are being used here for the first time worldwide. The system is supplemented by an mtu battery storage system, mtu fuel cell systems and a photovoltaic system integrated via an intelligent energy management system.
The Enerport II flagship project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, is setting new standards for sustainable energy supply in large logistics centers and is considered a model for other ports, infrastructure projects and industrial facilities. Project partners include the Fraunhofer Institute UMSICHT, Westenergie Netzservice GmbH, Netze Duisburg GmbH, Stadtwerke Duisburg AG, and Stadtwerke Duisburg Energiehandel GmbH.
“The launch of this carbon-neutral energy system at the Duisburg Gateway Terminal is a big step toward a more climate-friendly, resilient energy supply. Together with our partner duisport, we’re showing how scalable technologies from Rolls-Royce can really help transform critical infrastructure – and help make the energy transition happen,” said Dr. Jörg Stratmann, CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems.
Note.
- It is carbon-neutral.
- The system uses both hydrogen and solar power.
- What has been created at the Port of Duisburg is considered by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy to be a model for other ports, infrastructure projects and industrial facilities.
- It surely must help sales, that the flagship project is up and running.
In November 2021, I wrote about this project in Rolls-Royce Makes Duisburg Container Terminal Climate Neutral With MTU Hydrogen Technology, which included this graphic.
It seems that Heathrow Airport could have a use for this technology.
I have one important thought.
Where Will The Port Of Duisburg Get The Hydrogen It Needs?
In the graphic an Electrolyser and H2 Storage are clearly shown, as are the two H2 Combined Heat and Power Units.
So it looks like the Port of Duisburg will be generating their own green hydrogen.
Alternatively in April 2021, I wrote Uniper To Make Wilhelmshaven German Hub For Green Hydrogen; Green Ammonia Import Terminal.
Uniper’s plans for the Wilhelmshaven hydrogen hub include a 410 MW hydrogen electrolyser.
The Germans are also developing a project called AquaVentus to bring green hydrogen to Germany from the North Sea.
I asked Google AI, where AquaVentus would make landfall in Germany and got this answer.
The AquaVentus project’s planned offshore hydrogen pipeline, AquaDuctus, is intended to make landfall in the greater Wilhelmshaven or Büsum area in Germany, according to the AquaDuctus website. This pipeline is part of a larger plan to transport green hydrogen produced from offshore wind farms in the North Sea to the German mainland for distribution and use.
Wilhelmshaven and Duisburg is 194 miles.
Hydrogen could be delivered onward from Ludwigshaven to Southern Germany by a pipeline network called H2ercules.
I asked Google AI if the H2ercules hydrogen pipeline will connect to Duisburg and got this answer.
Yes, the H2ercules hydrogen network will connect to Duisburg. Specifically, a new 40-kilometer pipeline will be constructed from Dorsten to Duisburg-Walsum, connecting to the steelworks there, as part of the GET H2 pipeline extension according to thyssenkrupp Steel. This connection is part of the larger H2ercules project, which aims to create a hydrogen infrastructure backbone for Germany and beyond. The pipeline is scheduled to be operational in 2027, with thyssenkrupp Steel being connected in 2028.
It would appear that at some date in the not too distant future that the Port of Duisburg could be powered by green hydrogen from the North Sea, imported into Germany at Wilhelmshaven.
The German plans for hydrogen are extensive and it appears that the Port of Duisburg could have two sources for the hydrogen it needs.
Wigston Junction – 10th July 2025
It now appears that Wigston Junction, is as far North, as electrification will get on the Midland Main Line for some time.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the maximum speeds through the junction.
Note.
- Leicester station is to the North.
- London is to the South.
- Nuneaton is to the West.
- South Wigston station is indicated by a blue arrow.
- The Midland Main Line goes between the North and South points of the junction.
- Trains going North have a maximum speed of 100 mph.
- Trains going South have a maximum speed of 80 mph.
- Trains going along the North-West leg of the junction have a maximum speed of 40 mph.
- Trains going along the South-West leg of the junction have a maximum speed of 30 mph.
It would also appear that trains going North on the Midland Main Line can have a maximum speed of 100 mph or even 110 mph for most of the way between Market Harborough and just before Leicester, whilst going South is perhaps a couple of minutes slower.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the original plan for electrification through the junction.
Note.
- Red tracks are electrified.
- Black tracks are not electrified.
- Black/red dashed tracked were being electrified, but most are now paused.
- As before South Wigston station is indicated by a blue arrow.
Only the South point of the junction is electrified.
These pictures were taken from the train, as I passed Southwards from the North point of the junction to Market Harborough station.
Note.
- The first three pictures show the chord connecting to South Wigston station and on to Nuneaton.
- The next six pictures show the extra single track on the East side of the junction.
- There is a third track South of Wigston junction, that is about two miles long and electrified.
- All tracks South of Wigston junction are electrified.
It looks like a train could wait in the loop and be passed by a Northbound express.
Could the loop be used to charge trains in an emergency?
Conclusion
It would appear that Wigston junction could be a suitable place for the electrification to be paused.
All services to the North of Wigston junction would be on battery power, unless there is electrification.
The Anonymous Widower 