Offshore Solar Farm Ready For Tow Out To Hollandse Kust Noord Wind Project
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
What is described as the “world’s first” offshore solar farm integrated within a wind farm has completed assembly at the Port of Amsterdam and is ready for deployment at the Hollandse Kust Noord (HKN) offshore wind farm in the North Sea.
These two paragraphs give more details about the project.
Dutch company Oceans of Energy assembled the floating solar farm in three days. The system will be towed 18.5 kilometres offshore this summer to be installed at the HKN site, operated by CrossWind, a joint venture (JV) between Shell and Eneco.
According to Oceans of Energy, the project uses prefabricated floating solar units designed for offshore conditions and is seen as a step toward scaling hybrid wind-solar developments.
There are several ways to generate renewable energy.
As wind, solar, tidal and wave power are often out of phase with each other, if you are using two together in a hybrid setup, then it is probably not a bad idea to add a BESS or other form of storage to the mix.
In Oceans of Energy To Build Offshore Solar Array At Hollandse Kust Noord Offshore Wind Park, I said that the Dutch were putting batteries in the design of Hollanse Kust Noord offshore wind farm.
Darlington And Bishop Auckland – 26th June 2025
My second trip out from Darlington was to Bishop Auckland station and I took these pictures on the way up and down.
Note.
- Bishop Auckland station is a one-platform station, but all the other stations seem to be two-platform stations.
- The railway museum; Locomotion seems to be within walking distance of Shildon station.
- There is a short section of electrified track, that Hitachi use to test trains and get them to the East Coast Main Line.
The stations seemed tidy and clean, but more step-free access is needed.
I have some further thoughts.
The Location Of Hitachi Rail
This Google Map shows the location of Hitachi Rail.
Note.
- Heighington station on the Tees Valley Line is marked by the red arrow.
- Hitachi Rail is the large building in the South-West corner of the map.
- There appear to be electrified sidings to the North of the factory, which have a connection to the Tees Valley Line.
From the map it looks efficient and well-designed.
Could The Services On The Branch Be Run By Battery-Electric Trains?
I don’t think there would be too many problems.
- Bishop Auckland and Darlington is only twelve miles.
- Both platforms at Darlington used by Tees Valley Line services are electrified.
- The single platform at Bishop Auckland station could be fitted with one of Siemens’s Rail Charging Convertors.
- Hitachi at Newton Aycliffe might like some more formal electrification between Newton Aycliffe and Darlington stations.
- An electrified Tees Valley Line would surely be useful to Hitachi for showing the capabilities of battery-electric trains.
This would be a very easy line to run using battery-electric trains.
Japanese Company Takes Part In Spain’s Floating Wind Demonstration Project
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Japan’s Electric Power Development, also known as J-Power, has joined the WHEEL floating offshore wind demonstration project in Spain.
These three paragraphs add more details.
The WHEEL demonstration project is led by the Madrid-headquartered company Esteyco. WHEEL will feature one turbine installed three kilometres off the eastern coast of Gran Canaria, Spain.
Through this project, J-Power aims to acquire knowledge in the manufacturing, assembly, installation, and operation of floating offshore wind power, contributing to the development of floating offshore wind projects in Japan and abroad, the company said.
A floating offshore wind turbine, with a capacity of 6.17 MW, will be constructed and tested using WHEEL, which combines the advantages of barge-type foundations and spar-type foundations.
There is a visualisation of the WHEEL project in the linked article.
Conclusion
I like the concept of WHEEL.
In Norwegians Developing Monopile Foundation For 100-Metre Depths, I write about my involvement with a company called Balaena Structures in the 1970s, who were trying to develop a reusable oil and gas platform. I have a feeling, that WHEEL and the Balaena have dynamic and floating properties in common.
Are Zero- And Low-Alcohol Beers Cutting Road Accidents?
In The Times today, there is an article, which is entitled Drink-Driving ‘Effectively Legalised’ As Number Of Breath Tests Falls, where these are the first three paragraphs.
Drink-driving has effectively been legalised due to plummeting rates of breathalyser tests and light punishments for offenders, campaigners have warned.
The number of breath tests conducted by police has fallen by more than 62 per cent over the past decade as dangerously inebriated drivers receive short bans.
In 2009, police carried out 647,380 breath tests, but by 2023, that figure had fallen to just 240,322.
This later paragraph, adds a few more statistics.
In 2002, 18 per cent of breath tests were positive, compared to 16 per cent in 2023, while the number of drivers prosecuted for drink-driving offences has significantly decreased. Convictions for drink-driving fell from 55,300 in 2012 to 40,292 in 2023, coinciding with the sharp decline in breath testing.
Note, that in both extracts the latest comparison date is 2023, whereas the earliest date is 2009 and 2002.
This analysis is not the full picture, as there are two big differences between drinking in 2002 or 2009 and 2023.
The first difference is that 2002 and 2009 are pre-Covid, but 2023 is post-Covid.
So did Covid alter our drinking habits, which could have perhaps meant more people drank at home?
The second difference is that in 2023, zero and low alcohol beer was readily available.
I don’t drive, after a stroke ruined my eyesight, but I do drink up to four bottles a day of 0.5 % real ale. The beer I drink has been regularly available since 2017.
I wonder how many nominated drivers are now drinking these beers?
A serious survey and analysis needs to be done.
National Grid Pioneers UK-First Trial Of 3D Printed Technology For Low-Carbon Substations
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from National Grid.
These three bullet points act as sub-headings.
- Collaboration with Hyperion Robotics and the University of Sheffield will trial low-carbon 3D-printed concrete foundations including at National Grid’s Deeside Centre for Innovation in North Wales
- Innovation could reduce waste, carbon emissions and costs to consumers of network construction
- If rolled out across National Grid substations the technology could save up to 705 tons of concrete and 323 tons of CO2 and deliver £1.7 million in consumer savings versus traditional methods over a 10-year period
These two paragraphs give more details.
National Grid is working with Hyperion Robotics and the University of Sheffield on a UK-first trial to manufacture, install and test 3D-printed substation foundations, which have the potential to reduce construction-driven carbon emissions and reduce costs to consumers of network construction. This is part of National Grid’s commitment to leverage innovation to future-proof the network.
If the project is successful and the technology is rolled out across all National Grid substations, it is estimated it could save up to 705 tons of concrete and 323 tons of CO2 over a 10-year period, and deliver £1.7 million in consumer savings versus traditional methods.
The foundation design will deliver significant savings across the entire value chain.
- 70% reduction in concrete usage
- 80% less soil displacement
- 65% decrease in embodied carbon emissions
- 70% weight reduction compared to typical foundations
- 50% reduction in site operative hours, streamlining production
The foundations will be designed and produced in Finland by Hyperion Robotics, and tested at full-scale by the University of Sheffield. Further field testing will then be carried out at National Grid’s state-of-the-art testing facility, the Deeside Centre for Innovation in North Wales, later in 2025.
Conclusion
I like this technology and I suspect there are many other applications of 3D Concrete Printing.
Project To Demonstrate 15+ MW Turbine On Ocergy’s Floating Platform Kicks Off
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The Reduced Commercial Risks with Demo of 15+ MW (RECORD15) joint industry project, which aims to install a latest generation turbine with a rated power over 15 MW on Ocergy’s floating platform in 2028, has been launched
The visualisation of the 15 MW turbine on its float in the article is impressive.
These two paragraphs add more details.
The Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) contract for this pilot project was recently signed between Ocergy and three offshore wind developers: EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG, Kyuden Mirai Energy, and TEPCO Renewable Power.
Ocergy’s platform, the turbine agnostic OCG-Wind, is a modular design supporting an optimised assembly process from pre-fabricated steel sub-assemblies, allowing serial production using today’s existing supply chain and infrastructure, said the company.
Note.
- The average size of onshore wind turbine in the UK is 1.6 MW.
- Whitelee wind farm in Scotland, which is the largest onshore wind farm in the UK, uses 215 x 2.5 MW turbines.
- The Dogger Bank wind farm used 13 and 14 MW turbines on fixed foundations.
A 15+ MW turbine on a floating foundation will surely give Ocergy’s technology a very good test.
But it will be needed.
This is the overview of the Bowdun wind farm in Scotland, taken from the project’s web site.
The Bowdun Offshore Wind Farm will be located in the E3 leasing zone, which lies 44km off the coast of Aberdeenshire.
The zone, awarded to TWP under the ScotWind leasing round in January 2022, covers an area of 187km.
With water depths below 70m, it is highly suitable for fixed-foundation turbines, which will most likely sit on jacket foundations.
TWP plans to develop a 1GW offshore wind farm at the site. The base case is that the farm will number between 40-60 turbines, using ‘next-generation’ models with a capacity
between 18 MW and 25 MW. Construction is anticipated to commence in 2029 with commissioning planned for 2032-2033.This project base case will evolve as we gain knowledge from our site investigations and conduct technology research.
If turbines between 18 MW and 25 MW are to be used on fixed foundations, I can see a need to develop floats that will handle them.
London Underground’s New Piccadilly Line Trains Delayed Until 2026
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
These are the first two paragraphs.
The new air-conditioned trains which Siemens Mobility is supplying for London Underground’s Piccadilly Line are now expected to enter service from the second half of 2026, Transport for London has confirmed.
When the order was signed in November 2018 it was envisaged that the trains would enter service from 2024.
The article also says this about the new CAF trains for the Docklands Light Railway.
The Docklands Light Railway is to implement ‘short-term timetable changes’ on less busy routes from July 21. The reduction in services aims to ensure that reliability can be maintained pending the delayed introduction of new CAF trainsets, which was originally planned for 2023 but is now expected later this year. TfL said the age of the existing trains meant some needed to be retired this summer.
It looks like has two sets of new trains, both being delivered two years late; one being German and the other Spanish.
The only factors I can think both trains being late would be.
- Bad management of the contracts by Transport for London.
- Bad documentation of the Piccadilly Line and the Docklands Light Railway, when they were built.
- Bad project management generally throughout Europe.
- All politicians will be blaming someone else.
Take your pick!
Death Of A Dog
I vividly remember the end of the life of our first English Setter ; Charlotte.
Charlotte and Daisy
She was in a bad state and wasn’t getting up from in front of AGA.
After a phone call to our vet, who knew her well, he said he’d come round at the end of the day on his way home and assess the situation.
He turned up after midnight and after a quick assessment, he felt that she wouldn’t last the night. So he gave her an injection whilst I stroked her.
Afterwards, I had an unopened bottle of Paddy in the cupboard, so we drank well for about an hour to Charlotte.
He took Charlotte away afterwards.
I do sometimes think, that dogs get better end-of-life care than humans do!
Farage Wants HS2 Scrapped
The title of this post, is the same as a sub-title in this article on The Times. which is entitled HS2: Labour confirms delay until 2033.
This is the sub-heading.
Nigel Farage has called for the whole HS2 project to be scrapped.
These two paragraphs give NF’s view.
The Reform UK leader told the Commons: “Has the moment not come, rather than having another reset, to recognise this is a failure?
“Let’s scrap HS2, let’s use the tens of billions of pounds we can save in the next decade to upgrade railway lines across the entirety of the United Kingdom to the benefit of many millions and spend the rest on other national priorities in these financially straitened times.”
Farage’s simplistic plan will appeal to his disciples, but the major thing that is needed, is more capacity between South and North. Or North and South depending on where you live!
HS2 will provide an extra seventeen paths between London and a large triangular junction in the West Midlands.
If HS2 Is Not Built There Will Be More Cars And Trucks On The Roads
In Footage Released Of East West Rail’s First Commercial Freight Train, I wrote about the SEGRO Logistics Park Northampton (SLPN), which would generate lots of road and rail traffic. Without developments like HS2, the roads will just get clogged up.
High Speed Two’s Originally Proposed Service Pattern
This graphic shows the original service pattern for High Speed Two.
Note.
- There are seventeen paths terminating in the South at Euston station.
- Six of these paths go to Leeds, Newcastle or York.
- As the Eastern leg has been abandoned, that means six extra trains can run between London and the large triangular junction in the West Midlands.
Six extra trains running to the West side of England and Scotland could give a substantial improvement of services.
High Speed Yorkshire
HS2 needs to be paired with High Speed Yorkshire, which would mainly be an upgrading of the East Coast Main Line running at up to 160 mph to serve Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, the North-East and East Scotland.
Note.
- British Rail built the Selby Diversion in the 1980s to run at 160 mph.
- Digital signalling is currently being installed on this route and this will allow trains to speed through the two bottlenecks of the Digswell Viaduct and the Newark Crossing.
- Times of three-and-a-half hours between King’s Cross and Edinburgh, should be possible.
These times should give the airlines a good kicking on London-Newcastle and London-Scotland routes.
Fast services would run on High Speed Yorkshire to Alnwick, Barnetby, Barnsley, Beverley, Berwick, Bradford, Brough, Cleethorpes, Darlington, Doncaster, Durham, Edinburgh, Goole, Grantham, Grimsby, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds, Lincoln, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Peterborough, Pontefract, Retford, Rotherham, Scarborough, Scunthorpe, Sheffield, Skipton, Stevenage, Sunderland, Wakefield, Worksop and York.
Most of these towns and cities are already served by Hitachi or other high speed trains from King’s Cross.
A high proportion of the services to Yorkshire destinations will be under two hours from London.
When the current trains need replacing, they could be replaced by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.
Onward From Handsacre Junction
Services to the North-West and Scotland will join the Trent Valley Line at Handsacre junction.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the Trent Valley Line between Crewe station and Handacre junction.
Note.
- The proposed route of High Speed Two is shown as a dotted line, running diagonally across the map.
- The red track to its West is the Trent Valley Line, which is a section of the West Coast Main Line.
- Handsacre junction is in the South-East corner of the map.
- The blue arrow indicates Stafford station on the West Coast Main Line.
- The main High Speed Two tracks will not connect to Stafford or Stoke-on-Trent stations.
- Crewe station is in the North-West corner of the map.
- Crewe station and Handsacre junction are 37.6 miles apart.
With the exception of the 6 mile twin-track section between Stafford Trent Valley and Colwich junctions, it appears that Crewe station and Handsacre junction is all quadruple track.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the Trent Valley Line between Stafford stationand Colwich junction.
Note.
- The Trent Valley Line, which is a section of the West Coast Main Line, runs across the map.
- The arrow in the North-West corner of the map indicates Stafford station.
- Colwich junction is in the South-East corner of the map.
- About three-quarters of the way across, the track is shown in cream. This is the twin-track Shugborough Tunnel, which is around a half-mile long.
- The Shugborough Tunnel has a 100 mph maximum speed.
- The portals of Shugborough Tunnel are Grade II Listed and the Wikipedia entry for the tunnel is certainly worth a read.
How Many High Speed Two trains per hour (tph) will use the Trent Valley Line route?
The original proposal in the graphic earlier shows these trains.
- 4 – London to Lancaster/Liverpool Lime Street – Splits at Crewe
- 5 – London to Liverpool Lime Street
- 6 – London to Stafford, Stoke -on-Trent and Macclesfield
- 7 – London and Birmingham Interchange to Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly
- 8 – London to Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly
- 9 – London to Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly
- 10 – London and Birmingham Interchange to Preston, Carlisle, Edinburgh Haymarket and Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central – Splits at Carlisle
- 11 – London Euston to Preston, Carlisle, Edinburgh Haymarket and Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central – Splits at Carlisle
- 12 – Birmingham Curzon Street to Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith, Carlisle, Edinburgh Haymarket and Edinburgh Waverley Or Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell and Glasgow Central- Services alternate.
- 13 – Birmingham Curzon Street to East Midlands Hub, Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly
- 14 – Birmingham Curzon Street to East Midlands Hub, Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly
Note.
- It looks like there will be eleven High Speed Two tph on the Trent Valley Line.
- As East Midlands Hub will not be built, I will assume trains 13 and 14 will be Birmingham Curzon Street to Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly.
- Other trains will need to use the route.
- I suspect that freight trains, that couldn’t maintain 100 mph would not be allowed.
I believe that digital signalling can handle all the trains between Handsacre Junction and Crewe.
- Trains 10 and 11 would run every thirty minutes to give two tph between London and Glasgow Central and two tph between London and the two Edinburgh stations.
- Each of these trains would lead a flight of trains behind them through the Trent Valley Line.
- The last trains going North in the flights, would be trains 4 and 6, as they stop on the Trent Valley Line section.
I have written a lot of scheduling algorithms in the last fifty years and I wouldn’t be surprised if flights could be up to 7 or 8 trains, running 3 or 4 minutes apart.
It would be an impressive sight.
What Timings Would Be Possible On High Speed Two Using Handsacre Junction And The Trent Valley Line?
In Where Is Handsacre Junction? I calculated some times on High Speed Two to various destinations, using Handsacre junction and the Trent Valley Line. This is a more comprehensive table.
- London and Blackpool North – 205 mph – 1:55
- London and Blackpool North – 140 mph – 2:12
- London and Carlisle – 205 mph – 2:45
- London and Carlisle – 140 mph – 3:01
- London and Crewe – 205 mph – 1:03
- London and Crewe – 140 mph – 1:19
- London and Edinburgh Waverley – 205 mph – 4:14
- London and Edinburgh Waverley – 140 mph – 4:30
- London and Glasgow Central – 205 mph – 4:22
- London and Glasgow Central – 140 mph – 4:38
- London and Handsacre junction – 205 mph – 0:35
- London and Handsacre junction – 140 mph – 0:51
- London and Lancaster – 205 mph – 1:50
- London and Lancaster – 140 mph – 2:06
- London and Liverpool Lime Street – 205 mph – 1:46
- London and Liverpool Lime Street – 140 mph – 2:02
- London and Manchester Piccadilly – 205 mph – 1:41
- London and Manchester Piccadilly – 140 mph – 1:57
- London and Preston – 205 mph – 1:31
- London and Preston – 140 mph – 1:47
- London and Stafford – 205 mph – 0:45
- London and Stafford – 140 mph – 1:01
- London and Stoke-on-Trent – 205 mph – 0:55
- London and Stoke-on-Trent – 140 mph – 1:11
- London and Wigan North Western – 205 mph – 1:17
- London and Wigan North Western – 140 mph – 1:33
Note.
- 205 mph could be the average speed between London Euston and Handsacre junction for High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.
- 140 mph could be the average speed between London Euston and Handsacre junction for Class 390 trains.
- Times are in hh:nn.
- For times North of Handsacre junction are typical Class 390 times.
A typical timing between London Euston and Handsacre junction for Class 390 trains is 71 minutes, so if High Speed Two services were run using Class 390 trains, twenty minutes would be saved on all services via Handsacre junction compared to current Avanti West Coast services.
I have some other thoughts.
Using Class 390 Trains Is Not My Idea
This article on Rail nBusiness UK is entitled Viewpoint: Buy tilting trains and finish Delta Junction to salvage HS2, says Gibb.
This is the sub-heading.
UK: Procurement of a fleet of tilting trains and a focus on Birmingham – Manchester services are key to making the most the descoped High Speed 2 scheme, former Virgin Trains executive Chris Gibb tells Rail Business UK.
Chris Gibb has the right experience. and has been used as a go-to man, when projects are in trouble.
The major points of his plan are as follows.
- Connect High Speed Two to the Trent Valley Line to go North from the Midlands.
- Initially, use Class 390 trains or Pendelinos on Liverpool, Manchester and Scottish services.
- Run Class 390 trains at 140 mph between Euston and Handsacre junction.
- When the Pendelinos need to be retired, buy a new set of tilting trains.
- Complete the North-to-West leg of High Speed Two’s triangular junction, so that trains can run between Birmingham Curzon Street and Manchester.
- Gibb proposes a Blackpool service, that splits and joins with a Liverpool service. I assume he means train 5.
Gibb feels a fundamental review of the operating principles and fleet requirements is now needed.
It is a well-thought out viewpoint and very much a must-read.
Can You Measure Blood Pressure At The Ankle?
Consider.
- As long, as I can remember my left foot has always been larger than my right.
- Over the last few years increasingly, my left foot has often been a stronger shade of red, than my right.
- I also know, that after my stroke a specialist physiotherapist found that my left leg was stronger than my right.
I also know that I have a strange leaky skin.
- I had my stroke in 2010 in Hong Kong and was looked after in a private Chinese hospital.
- They were very strict and measured all the bodily fluids, that I passed.
- They didn’t collect any urine, so they accused me of throwing all my water away.
- I was not guilty, as I was drinking it all.
So they fitted me with a catheter and guess what? They still didn’t collect anything.
It was evidence that my skin is not good at holding water.
So why do I want to measure the blood pressure at my ankle? Or in fact both ankles.
In my ICI days in the 1960s and 1970s, I was helping chemical engineers to understand chemical plants and reactions, by looking at flows and pressures in the various pipes of the plant or experimental rig.
But I do wonder, if the red nature of my left foot, is due to some sort of irregularity in the blood flow to my left leg.
The Anonymous Widower 