Why Artemis Was Fast
Some of you will know, that I wrote Artemis; the project management software system in the 1970s.
It was generally accepted, that Artemis could do project management calculations, quicker than other software and this obviously helped it gain a high market share.
Here’s why!
In the 1950s and 1960s, computers were much smaller and very efficient algorithms were developed to handle large amounts of information in a small amount of memory.
Nowadays, I suspect obvious and very inefficient algorithms are used because programmers are very lazy.
When I was writing Artemis; the project management system in the 1970s, I spent many hours finding these old algorithms in IBM’s library, so consequently the software was faster, than its competitors.
Modern Data Centres
I wouldn’t be surprised to find, that data centres use so much electricity and get so hot, because they use stupid algorithms, that would have been rejected by IBM in the 1950s.
South Korean Firm To Supply Power Equipment For Ørsted’s Hornsea 4 Offshore Wind Farm
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Denmark’s Ørsted has awarded a contract to Hyosung Heavy Industries for the supply of ultra-high voltage power equipment for the Hornsea 4 offshore wind farm in the UK
These two paragraphs add a bit of detail.
Under the contract, the South Korean company will supply 400 kV ultra-high voltage transformers and reactors, essential components for improving power quality for the 2.4 GW Hornsea 4 offshore wind project.
The most recent contract further strengthens the company’s presence in Europe, where it has accumulated over 1 trillion won (about EUR 667 million) in orders this year, as reported by the company.
Hyosung Heavy Industries seem to be doing rather well at supplying electrical gubbins in Europe.
But then Korean companies seem to be doing well in Europe and especially the UK, after the state visit of the Korean President and his wife in November 2023.
In the last century, we did very well dealing with Korean companies with Artemis; the project management computer system, that I wrote.
In Hyundai Heavy Sets Sights On Scottish Floating Offshore Wind, I describe some of our dealings there.
Conclusion
From other posts, I have written, it looks like the UK and Korea are building a strong partnership with offshore wind, and a secondary one with tidal power might be emerging. We also shouldn’t forget the partnership in North London over football.
SSE Launches £10m Hydro Community Benefit Fund
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Project Scotland.
This is the sub-heading.
SSE has launched a new £10 million hydro community benefit fund aimed at supporting projects within areas that host its existing hydro power infrastructure across Scotland.
These paragraphs fill in some detail.
The launch comes following the 80th anniversary of the hydro-electric development (Scotland) act of 1943, which enabled the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board (NoSHEB) to transform the way people lived and worked through the build of 54 power stations, 78 dams, and over 300km of underground tunnels.
SSE Renewables recently commissioned a report by Biggar Economics which found that the capital investment in hydro over the 80-year period since 1943 is £7.5 billion, supporting over 10,000 jobs annually in Scotland including 5,519 in the Highlands and Islands.
The new hydro community fund will see investment in local communities continue, with SSE Renewables having consulted with community council areas to establish key priorities.
Priorities include improvements to sustainable community transport, affordable housing, growth of small businesses and social enterprises, improvement of community assets and infrastructure, and a focus on community physical and mental well-being through community arts, culture, sports, and recreation.
If the new fund is as successful as the first, I can’t see thee being many complaints.
Centrica And Coterra Energy Announce Natural Gas Sale And Purchase Agreements
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Centrica.
These three bullet points, act as sub-headings.
- Coterra will supply 100,000 MMbtu/d of natural gas for a period of 10 years, commencing in 2028.
- Volume supplied sufficient to heat 400,000 homes per year.
- Agreement expands Centrica’s growing LNG business.
These three paragraphs say more about the deal and add more on its context.
Centrica LNG and Coterra today announced the execution of two natural gas sale and purchase agreements. Under the contracts, Coterra will supply 100,000 MMbtu/d of natural gas linked to European gas prices such as TTF and NBP, for a period of 10 years, commencing in 2028.
This major gas deal will reduce the market risk in Centrica’s LNG portfolio by purchasing US gas on the same price indices under which the LNG is subsequently sold, and help underpin customer energy supplies for a decade. The volume supplied is sufficient to heat 400,000 homes per year, further cementing Centrica’s global role supporting energy security.
The deal follows similar agreements over recent years, demonstrating Centrica Energy’s innovative partnership approach, one of the key pillars of its successful and growing LNG business.
It certainly looks like Centrica are doing their best for UK energy security.
It also looks to me, that it is a low risk deal.
It should also help to keep us all warm in the UK, until renewable electricity and hydrogen come fully on stream.
Scottish Ministers Approve 200MW Battery Storage Project
The title of this post is the same as that as this article on Solar Power Portal.
These three paragraphs add further meat to the story.
Developer Intelligent Land Investments (ILI) Group has received planning consent for a 200MW battery energy storage system (BESS).
The BESS will be adjacent to the Easterhouse substation near Gartcosh, Glasgow, at Whitehill Farm. ILI Group received Section 36 planning consent, meaning that the BESS is classed as a change to the existing consent granted to the generating substation.
Consent from Ministers follows support for the project from both the Glasgow City Council and North Lanarkshire Council.
ILI seem to be doing well, as they regularly appear in my data searches.
The article sums up ILI Group’s portfolio like this.
ILI Group has a portfolio of over 4.7 GW energy storage projects, including 2.5 GW of utility-scale battery storage and 2.5 GW pumped storage hydro.
They must be doing something right.
ILI Group’s biggest success to date would appear to be developing the Red John pumped hydro power station, which they sold to Statkraft, as I reported in Statkraft To Acquire Major Loch Ness Pumped Storage Hydro Project From Intelligent Land Investments Group.
Conclusion
The batteries and the pumped storage keeps coming in Scotland.
It appears Scotland will not only generate the renewable energy, but store it until it is needed.
As a Control Engineer, my nose is telling me, that Scotland is going to need a few more interconnectors to sell the energy to those, who need it.
Alternatively, it will attract industries, that will need a lot of electricity.
RWE Gets Go-Ahead For 100 MW Electrolyzer For Offshore Wind-to-Hydrogen Project
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
German energy company RWE has secured construction and environmental permits to build a 100 MW electrolyzer in Eemshaven, the Netherlands. The electrolyzer is part of system integration solutions associated with OranjeWind, an offshore wind project RWE is jointly developing with TotalEnergies in the Dutch North Sea.
These first threee paragraphs gove more information.
RWE described the permits as an important step in developing 100 MW of green hydrogen production at Eemshaven which, if built, will contribute to the onshore energy system integration plans associated with the 795 MW OranjeWind offshore wind project.
To remind, in July this year, TotalEnergies entered into an agreement with RWE to acquire a 50 per cent stake in the OranjeWind and said it would use its share of the electricity from the offshore wind project to power 350 MW electrolyzer projects that will produce about 40,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually.
With the necessary permits in place, RWE stated it will be able to develop a 100 MW electrolyzer on a plot adjacent to the Magnum Power Station in Eemshaven.
I went to Eemshaven in The Train Station At The Northern End Of The Netherlands. The area looks like it will be the centre of the Dutch hydrogen industry.
This post is called The Dutch Plan For Hydrogen. The Dutch appear to want to be big in hydrogen.
A 100 MW offshore electrolyser is a good start.
Pumped Storage Hydro In The Highlands – Is Anywhere Still Off Limits?
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on UK Climbing.
This is the sub-heading.
Are the enormous Earba and Fearna hydro projects merely the thin end of an ever bigger wedge? Thanks to a relaxed developer-friendly planning regime, is anywhere in Highland Scotland now safe from energy projects designed to feed an insatiable demand down south? In pursuit of clean power, do we risk permitting huge and irreparable harm across our remaining wild habitats and scenic land? And if so, what (and who) is it all really in aid of? It’s not too late to shed light on the murky world of Highland mega-energy, says Jane Meek, but time is running out for our mountain heritage.
These are the first three paragraphs.
In case you haven’t heard, Earba is the codename for a massive pumped storage hydro scheme to be hosted by Ardverikie Estate of Monarch of the Glen fame on behalf of Gilkes Energy, a Lakes-based engineering firm hitherto better known as a developer of small-scale run-of-river hydro schemes on Scottish burns and rivers. Some of these may be familiar to you: they include Pattack on Ardverikie Estate, Ben Glas on Glen Falloch Estate near Crianlarich, and Neaty Burn in Glen Strathfarrar, to name just three.
Gilkes Energy has now moved up into the big league of pumped storage hydro (PSH). Visit their homepage to admire a brief slide show of projects past, present and in planning. It’s glossy professional stuff, just what you’d expect from the self-styled “leading independent developer” of conventional hydro and PSH in the UK.
The aerial shots are particularly fine but… hang on a minute… isn’t that Loch a’ Bhealaich Leamhain down there, gleaming like a pearl in the high pass between Munros Beinn a’ Chlachair and Mullach Coire an Iubhair (Geal Charn as was)? And … oh dear, isn’t that Loch Fearna, the glittering shelf lochan below Spidean Mialach, immortalised in countless photographs by walkers crossing the col between Spidean and neighbouring Gleouraich? From the slopes above Fearna, the views across Loch Quoich to Gairich and beyond are simply stunning. After watching the slide show, you may feel simply stunned.
The author of the article makes a statement and asks a question.
It’s industrialisation on a vast scale. Are these truly the right schemes in the right places?
The author may have a point, but environmentalists will argue that saving the planet is more important and that pumped storage hydroelectricity is one of the technologies, that will help us do that!
Plans For Powering Trains And Details Of Our Upcoming Consultation
The title of this post, is the same as that of a news item on the East West Rail web site.
This is the sub heading.
We’re pleased to share plans for how we’ll power trains on East West Rail, as well as information and dates of our public consultation on latest proposals for the project.
These are the first two paragraphs.
As part of our latest proposals, which we’ll be sharing for public consultation from 14 November, we’re providing information on our preference for green traction power in the form of discontinuous electrification with hybrid battery-electric trains, after the Chancellor confirmed government support for the project in yesterday’s budget.
As well as reducing carbon emissions, discontinuous electrification would mean overhead lines would only need to be installed along some sections of the route, which would reduce disruption to existing structures and potentially reduce visual impacts in more sensitive locations on the new railway between Bedford and Cambridge. This option would also cost less than full electrification and would need less land for things such as mast foundations.
There is also a short video, which explains discontinuous electrification.
I feel that to use discontinuous electrification and hybrid battery-electric trains is the way to go on this railway between Oxford and Cambridge.
- It is a zero-carbon solution.
- There is electrification at Reading. Didcot, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge along the route, so grid connections will be already available.
- Sandy, where East West Rail crosses the East Coast Main Line, is fully electrified and must have a grid connection.
- A small article in the November 2024 Edition of Modern Ralways, says that Hitachi are developing a smaller battery for commuter and suburban trains.
- Didcot to Oxford could be electrified and there is already a grid connection at Didcot.
Discontinuous electrification could be used to extend East West Rail to Norwich, Ipswich and Colchester.
These are my detailed observations and thoughts.
Existing Electrification
This OpenRailwayMap shows the electrification between Oxford and Bedford.
Note.
- Bold red lines are tracks electrified at 25 KVAC.
- Bold black lines are tracks without electrification.
- Oxford is in the South-West corner of the map.
- Bedford is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The bold black line of the Western section of the East West Rail connects the two cities.
- The lines through Oxford are shown as being electrified. The black stub pointing East to the South of Oxford is the Cowley Branch.
The rail lines crossing East West Rail from West to East are as follows.
- Chiltern Main Line – Not Electrified
- High Speed Two – Will Be Electrified
- West Coast Main Line – Electrified
- Midland Main Line – Electrified
I suspect all lines, except for the Chiltern Main Line, will be able to provide a grid connection for East West Rail.
This second OpenRailwayMap shows the electrification between Bedford and Cambridge.
Note.
- Bold red lines are tracks electrified at 25 KVAC.
- Bold black lines are tracks without electrification.
- Bedford is in the South-West corner of the map.
- Cambridge is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The Eastern section of the East West Rail connects the two cities.
- Both maps are to the same scale
The rail lines crossing East West Rail from West to East are as follows.
- Midland Main Line – Electrified
- East Coast Main Line – Electrified
- West Anglia Main Line – Electrified
I suspect all lines will be able to provide a grid connection for East West Rail.
Distances Without Electrification
These sections are not electrified.
- Oxford and Bletchley – 47.2 miles
- Bletchley and Bedford – 16.5 miles
- Bedford and Cambridge – 29.2 miles
- Ely and Norwich – 53.7 miles
- Norwich and Great Yarmouth – 18.4 miles
- Cambridge and Haughley Junction – 41.3 miles
I am assuming that the East West Rail could extend past Cambridge on these two routes.
- Ely, Thetford, Norwich and Great Yarmouth.
- Newmarket, Bury St. Edmunds, Stowmarket, Ipswich, Manningtree and Colchester.
All sections have electrification at both ends, if Didcot Junction and Oxford is electrified, as is expected to happen.
Train Battery Range Needed
The route layout, I have proposed means that if you go for the battery-electric train with the longest battery range you can afford and it can’t handle Ely and Norwich, the existing electrification can be extended to bridge the gap.
Application Of Discontinuous Electrification To Greater Anglia And Chiltern Railways
If discontinuous electrification can be applied to East West Rail, it can surely be applied to Greater Anglia and Chiltern Railways, given the fact that the route networks of all three companies overlap and share tracks.
Greater Anglia already have a fleet of Class 755 trains, which are designed to be converted to battery-electric operation.
With batteries fitted, I believe that these trains could handle most of the current routes they do now.
The other routes would be handled with selective lengths of overhead electrification in terminal stations to charge the trains before return.
Electrification Between Oxford And Bicester Village Stations
Oxford station has two North-facing bay platforms, that are used by Chiltern and other services terminating at the station from the North.
Note.
- Chiltern Railways already run two trains per hour (tph) between these platforms and Marylebone.
- I would assume the platforms will be used by East West Rail services, that terminate at Oxford station.
- If discontinuous electrification is to be used, then these two platforms could be electrified to charge trains before they return.
- East West Rail have not published their proposed services yet, but it could be one tph to both Milton Keynes Central and Bedford stations.
I can see Chiltern buying battery-electric trains to run services between Marylebone and Oxford, and some other routes.
Marylebone and Oxford is 66.7 miles, which is probably two far for even Stadler’s remarkable battery-electric trains, but if say between Oxford and Bicester Village station were to be electrified, would it make it possible to run battery-electric trains between Marylebone and Oxford with charging at both end of the route.
In Chiltern Sets Out New Fleet Ambitions, I talk about Chiltern’s possible new fleet, as proposed by their MD in September 2023.
BOEM Links Up With US Department of Defense On Offshore Wind
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Department of Defense (DOD) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to support the coordinated development of offshore wind on the US Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
These three paragraphs give more details of the agreement.
The agreement calls for DOD and BOEM to find mutual solutions that support renewable energy in a manner compatible with essential military operations.
The MoU also requires the organizations to collaborate early in the offshore wind leasing process and maintain regular communication at all levels.
Additionally, the agreement calls for DOD and BOEM to determine what areas should be deferred from leasing to enable the performance of DOD activities on the OCS.
I feel this is a very sensible agreement, as time progress, I’m sure that the co-operation will lead to several joint projects.
- Support boats ensuring safety, like the deal between Ørsted and the RNLI, that I talked about in Ørsted Evolves Long-Standing Partnership With RNLI,
- Offshore structures like electrolysers and substations could have a secondary use as military training facilities.
- Smaller ships, like minehunters, coastguard cutters and fishery protection vessels could go electric and the wind farms could provide charging facilities.
If the United States Navy are hanging around the wind farms, it might discourage Putin’s friends.
Wind farms and the US military could be good neighbours.
Brendan Owens, who is the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment, said this.
We will continue to work with BOEM and our other interagency partners, to find solutions that enable offshore wind development while ensuring long-term compatibility with testing, training, and operations critical to our military readiness.
Other nations with large amounts of continental shelf and ambitions to install large amounts of offshore wind like Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the UK could do worse that follow the American strategy.
Bicester MP Calls On Chancellor To Fund London Road Crossing
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Oxford Mail.
This is the sub-heading.
An MP has called on the chancellor for funding to keep a town’s level crossing open ahead of the budget this week.
These are the first two paragraphs.
The MP for Bicester and Woodstock, Calum Miller, has written to the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, ahead of Wednesday (October 30), calling on her to fund the London Road Crossing in Bicester.
The East Railway project will result in the London Road Crossing being closed to vehicles, bikes and pedestrians for more than 45 minutes every hour and could, as a result, be closed permanently by Network Rail.
This Google Map shows the level crossing.
Note.
- London Road runs North-South across the map.
- There is a petrol station on the East side of London Road.
- Bicester Village station is on the West side of London Road.
- Bicester Village station is surrounded with lots of car parking.
- The level crossing is at the top of the map, where level crossings normally are.
This Google Map is a closer view of the level crossing.
There seems to be several side roads giving access to side-roads and car-parks.
It is a very crowded site with in addition to the level crossing, there is a station, a Shell garage and lots of car parking.
I shall go and have a look next week, but at least the filling station should go. After all, who will want petrol and diesel in a few years?
The Anonymous Widower 