The Thoughts Of Chris O’Shea
This article on This Is Money is entitled Centrica boss has bold plans to back British energy projects – but will strategy pay off?.
The article is basically an interview with a reporter and gives O’Shea’s opinions on various topics.
Chris O’Shea is CEO of Centrica and his Wikipedia entry gives more details.
These are his thoughts.
On Investing In Sizewell C
This is a paragraph from the article.
‘Sizewell C will probably run for 100 years,’ O’Shea says. ‘The person who will take the last electron it produces has probably not been born. We are very happy to be the UK’s largest strategic investor.’
Note.
- The paragraph shows a bold attitude.
- I also lived near Sizewell, when Sizewell B was built and the general feeling locally was that the new nuclear station was good for the area.
- It has now been running for thirty years and should be good for another ten.
Both nuclear power stations at Sizewell have had a good safety record. Could this be in part, because of the heavy engineering tradition of the Leiston area?
On Investing In UK Energy Infrastructure
This is a paragraph from the article
‘I just thought: sustainable carbon-free electricity in a country that needs electricity – and we import 20 per cent of ours – why would we look to sell nuclear?’ Backing nuclear power is part of O’Shea’s wider strategy to invest in UK energy infrastructure.
The UK certainly needs investors in UK energy infrastructure.
On Government Support For Sizewell C
This is a paragraph from the article.
Centrica’s 500,000 shareholders include an army of private investors, many of whom came on board during the ‘Tell Sid’ privatisations of the 1980s and all of whom will be hoping he is right. What about the risks that deterred his predecessors? O’Shea argues he will achieve reliable returns thanks to a Government-backed financial model that enables the company to recover capital ploughed into Sizewell C and make a set return.
I have worked with some very innovative accountants and bankers in the past fifty years, including an ex-Chief Accountant of Vickers and usually if there’s a will, there’s a solution to the trickiest of financial problems.
On LNG
These are two paragraphs from the article.
Major moves include a £200 million stake in the LNG terminal at Isle of Grain in Kent.
The belief is that LNG, which produces significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions than other fossil fuels and is easier and cheaper to transport and store, will be a major source of energy for the UK in the coming years.
Note.
- Centrica are major suppliers of gas-powered Combined Heat and Power units were the carbon dioxide is captured and either used or sold profitably.
- In at least one case, a CHP unit is used to heat a large greenhouse and the carbon dioxide is fed to the plants.
- In another, a the gas-fired Redditch power station, the food-grade carbon dioxide is sold to the food and construction industries.
- Grain LNG Terminal can also export gas and is only a short sea crossing from gas-hungry Germany.
- According to this Centrica press release, Centrica will run low-carbon bunkering services from the Grain LNG Terminal.
I analyse the investment in Grain LNG Terminal in Investment in Grain LNG.
On Rough Gas Storage
These are three paragraphs from the article.
O’Shea remains hopeful for plans to develop the Rough gas storage facility in the North Sea, which he re-opened in 2022.
The idea is that Centrica will invest £2 billion to ‘create the biggest gas storage facility in the world’, along with up to 5,000 jobs.
It could be used to store hydrogen, touted as a major energy source of the future, provided the Government comes up with a supportive regulatory framework as it has for Sizewell.
The German AquaVentus project aims to bring at least 100 GW of green hydrogen to mainland Germany from the North Sea.
This map of the North Sea, which I downloaded from the Hydrogen Scotland web site, shows the co-operation between Hydrogen Scotland and AquaVentus
Note.
- The yellow AquaDuctus pipeline connected to the German coast near Wilhelmshaven.
- There appear to be two AquaDuctus sections ; AQD 1 and AQD 2.
- There are appear to be three proposed pipelines, which are shown in a dotted red, that connect the UK to AquaDuctus.
- The Northern proposed pipeline appears to connect to the St. Fergus gas terminal on the North-East tip of Scotland.
- The two Southern proposed pipelines appear to connect to the Easington gas terminal in East Yorkshire.
- Easington gas terminal is within easy reach of the massive gas stores, which are being converted to store hydrogen at Aldbrough and Rough.
- The blue areas are offshore wind farms.
- The blue area straddling the Southernmost proposed pipe line is the Dogger Bank wind farm, is the world’s largest offshore wind farm and could eventually total over 6 GW.
- RWE are developing 7.2 GW of wind farms between Dogger Bank and Norfolk in UK waters, which could generate hydrogen for AquaDuctus.
This cooperation seems to be getting the hydrogen Germany needs to its industry.
It should be noted, that Germany has no sizeable hydrogen stores, but the AquaVentus system gives them access to SSE’s Aldbrough and Centrica’s Rough hydrogen stores.
So will the two hydrogen stores be storing hydrogen for both the UK and Germany?
Storing hydrogen and selling it to the country with the highest need could be a nice little earner.
On X-energy
These are three paragraphs from the article.
He is also backing a £10 billion plan to build the UK’s first advanced modular reactors in a partnership with X-energy of the US.
The project is taking place in Hartlepool, in County Durham, where the existing nuclear power station is due to reach the end of its life in 2028.
As is the nature of these projects, it involves risks around technology, regulation and finance, though the potential rewards are significant. Among them is the prospect of 2,500 jobs in the town, where unemployment is high.
Note.
- This is another bold deal.
- I wrote in detail about this deal in Centrica And X-energy Agree To Deploy UK’s First Advanced Modular Reactors.
- Jobs are mentioned in the This is Money article for the second time.
I also think, if it works to replace the Hartlepool nuclear power station, then it can be used to replace other decommissioned nuclear power stations.
On Getting Your First Job
These are three paragraphs from the article.
His career got off to a slow start when he struggled to secure a training contract with an accountancy firm after leaving Glasgow University.
‘I had about 30, 40 rejection letters. I remember the stress of not having a job when everyone else did – you just feel different,’ he says.
He feels it is ‘a duty’ for bosses to try to give young people a start.
I very much agree with that. I would very much be a hypocrite, if I didn’t, as I was given good starts by two companies.
On Apprenticeships
This is a paragraph from the article.
‘We are committed to creating one new apprenticeship for every day of this decade,’ he points out, sounding genuinely proud.
I very much agree with that. My father only had a small printing business, but he was proud of the apprentices he’d trained.
On Innovation
Centrica have backed three innovative ideas.
- heata, which is a distributed data centre in your hot water tank, which uses the waste heat to give you hot water.
- HiiROC, which is an innovative way to generate affordable hydrogen efficiently.
- Highview Power, which stores energy as liquid air.
I’m surprised that backing innovations like these was not mentioned.
Conclusion
This article is very much a must read.
Visiting The Consultation For Ferrybridge Next Generation Power Station At Knottingley
Yesterday, I visited the first meeting for the consultation on Ferrybridge Next Generation Power Station, which was held in the old town hall at Knottingley.
This Google Map shows the power station in relation to Knottingley.
Note.
- The meeting was held in the Knottingley Town Tall Community Centre, which is marked by the red arrow.
- I had arrived by train from Wakefield at Knottingley station and I was lucky enough to be able to get a taxi to the Town Hall.
- Knottingley station is marked on the map about a twenty-minute walk to the West of the Town Hall.
- The Ferrybridge power station site is in the North-West corner of the map and appears to be bordered by the B6136 road.
- The A1 (M) and the M 62 motorways run North-South past the power station site.
- The A (M) motorway continues North-South to Newcastle and Scotland, and London respectively.
- The M62 motorway continues West-East to Liverpool and Manchester, and Hull respectively.
- The well-appointed Moto Ferrybridge services is accessible from both motorways.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the rail lines in the area.
Note.
- The A 62 and A 1(M) motorways running down the West side of the map.
- Knottingley station is on the Pontefract Line, and is marked by a blue arrow.
- The Pontefract Line could have connections from both East and West to the Ferrybridge power station site via Ferrybridge Power Station junction.
- The loop, where the merry-go-round coal trains turned, appears to be still intact at the North of the power station site.
Will these rail lines be any use in the building and operation of the new power station?
These are my thoughts.
Fuel For The Power Station
The brochure for the consultation says this about the fuel for the Ferrybridge Next Generation Power Station.
Ferrybridge Next Generation Power Station will be designed to run on 100% hydrogen, natural gas or a
blend of natural gas and hydrogen.
The brochure has an informative section, which is entitled Natural Gas Pipeline Corridors.
Additionally, I should say, that I lived within a couple of hundred metres of a major gas pipeline in Suffolk, for over twenty years and it was the most unobtrusive of neighbours.
The brochure also says this about hydrogen safety.
As with all of our sites, appropriate measures will be
in place to ensure safe operation. Hydrogen is not
inherently more dangerous than other fuel sources.Hydrogen is flammable and must be handled with care,
just like other flammable fuels. To ignite, hydrogen
must be combined with an additional oxidising agent,
such as air or pure oxygen, in a specific concentration
and with an ignition source (a spark).
It is nearly sixty years ago now, since I worked as an Instrument Engineer, in ICI’s Castner-Kellner works at Runcorn, where hydrogen, chlorine and caustic soda were produced by the electrolysis of brine.
The plant was an unhealthy one, as it used a lot of mercury and my main task, was to design instruments to detect mercury in air and operators’ urine.
The Wikipedia entry for the Castner-Kellner process is a fascinating read and explains why it is being replaced by much better modern mercury-free processes.
I asked Google AI, if the Castner-Kellner process is still used and received this reply.
No, the Castner-Kellner process, a type of mercury cell for producing chlorine and caustic soda, is now largely obsolete due to occupational health and mercury pollution concerns, though a few plants may still operate globally. Modern chlor-alkali processes primarily use safer diaphragm cell and membrane cell technologies to produce chlorine and other chemicals from brine electrolysis.
I suspect that countries, where life is cheap, still use this process, which is very dangerous to those that work on the plant.
INEOS now own ICI in Cheshire and they still produce a large proportion of the hydrogen, chlorine and caustic soda, that the UK needs, but in a much safer way.
The question has to be asked about how hydrogen will be delivered to the Ferrybridge site.
Consider.
- SSE are developing a large hydrogen store at Aldbrough.
- Centrica are developing a large hydrogen store at Brough.
- Both of these stores could be connected to the German AquaVentus system, as the Germans are short of hydrogen storage.
- There is an East Coast Hydrogen Delivery Plan, which could probably have an extension pipeline to the Ferrybridge site.
- The East Coast Hydrogen Delivery Plan, talks of a hydrogen capacity of 4.4 GW.
I don’t feel, that this is the sort of project, that will be delivered until the mid-2030s, at the earliest.
There is also one other important development, that will require hydrogen at Ferrybridge.
I asked Google AI, if there will be hydrogen-powered coaches by 2030 and received this reply.
Yes, there will be hydrogen-powered coaches and buses by 2030, particularly in the UK and EU, with government strategies and funding promoting their deployment, especially for routes requiring high range and quick refueling where battery-electric models may be less suitable. For example, the EU’s CoacHyfied project is developing fuel cell coaches, and the UK government envisions hydrogen playing a role in its transport decarbonization by 2030, with potential to accelerate its zero-emission bus goals.
The nearest you can get to a hydrogen-powered coach in England, is to take an upmarket Wrightbus upmarket hydrogen-powered bus between Sutton station and Gatwick Airport.
- It is mouse quiet and vibration-free.
- It handles the hills with alacrity.
- I wrote about my journey in Sutton Station To Gatwick Airport By Hydrogen-Powered Bus.
That journey convinced me of the superiority in many ways of a hydrogen bus or coach over its diesel cousins.
I believe that this superiority will see large growth in hydrogen-powered long-distance coaches in the next few years.
But I also feel that some specialist transport, like horse transport, will go the hydrogen route.
As there are services at Ferrybridge, where two important motorways cross, I can envisage that the services will need to be able to refuel passing hydrogen buses, coaches trucks and other heavy vehicles, as well as the occasional car.
So would it be possible to supply hydrogen for the motorway services, by the same route as the power station?
I believe that the hydrogen could come from Saltend to the East of Hull, so I gave Google AI the phrase “Saltend zero-carbon hydrogen” and received this reply.
Saltend is home to several initiatives for producing and utilizing zero-carbon hydrogen, most notably the H2H Saltend project by Equinor, which aims to build the world’s largest hydrogen production plant with carbon capture capabilities by 2026 to supply industrial users at the Saltend Chemicals Park. Additionally, a new green hydrogen facility is planned for the park by Meld Energy with a target operation in early 2027, and a separate low-carbon hydrogen plant by ABP, HiiROC, and px Group is also being developed to meet local industrial demand. These projects collectively contribute to the broader Zero Carbon Humber initiative, which seeks to significantly reduce industrial emissions in the region.
Note.
- Saltend will certainly have enough zero-carbon hydrogen for everybody who wants it.
- Delivery dates in a couple of years are being talked about.
- Local industrial demand could be satisfield using specialised trucks, just as ICI used in the 1960s.
- As the Germans want to connect their AquaVentus system to Humberside, any excess hydrogen, could always be sold across the North Sea.
- OpenRailwayMap shows that Saltend is rail-connected.
But how do you get hydrogen between Saltend and Ferrybridge?
I am sure, that hydrogen could be delivered by truck from Saltend to Ferrybridge, but would the locals allow a stream of hydrogen trucks on the roads.
On the other hand, both Saltend and Ferrybridge are both rail-connected, so would it be possible to deliver the hydrogen by rail?
Google AI says this about railway wagons for hydrogen.
Railway wagons for hydrogen transport include liquid hydrogen tank cars (tankers) for transporting cryogenic liquid hydrogen and compressed gas tank cars for carrying hydrogen in its gaseous state or bound within carrier mediums like ammonia or methanol. Hydrogen fuel cell technology is also being developed for use on trains themselves, with a hydrogen fuel cell generator wagon providing power for main-line, non-electrified freight routes.
I believe that it will be possible to develop trains of an appropriate length to shuttle hydrogen between where it is produced and where it is used.
Such a specially-designed shuttle train would be ideal for moving hydrogen between Saltend and Ferrybridge.
- Once at Ferrybridge, the train would be connected to the local hydrogen system feeding the power station, the motorway services and any local businesses that needed hydrogen.
- The trains could be hydrogen fuel cell powered, so they could use any convenient route.
- Like hydrogen powered buses, I suspect they could be mouse quiet.
- The trains would be sized to perhaps deliver a day’s hydrogen at a time.
- There could only be minor changes needed to the rail system.
- If required, the trains could could deliver their cargo in the dead of night.
It could even be based on the contept of the TruckTrain, which I wrote about in The TruckTrain.
The Monster That Is AquaVentus Is Waking Up
I have written about AquaVentus for some time, but inh the last couple of days, ten references have been found to the project by my Google Alert.
What Is AquaVentus?
AquaVentus has a web page on the RWE web site, from where I clipped this image.
Note.
- The spine of AquaVentus is a pipeline called AquaDuctus to bring hydrogen to Germany.
- This image shows 10.3 GW of hydrogen will be generated and brought to near Wilhelmshaven in North-West Germany.
These two paragraphs introduce AquaVentus.
Hydrogen is considered the great hope of decarbonisation in all sectors that cannot be electrified, e.g. industrial manufacturing, aviation and shipping. Massive investments in the expansion of renewable energy are needed to enable carbon-neutral hydrogen production. After all, wind, solar and hydroelectric power form the basis of climate-friendly hydrogen.
In its quest for climate-friendly hydrogen production, the AquaVentus initiative has set its sights on one renewable energy generation technology: offshore wind. The initiative aims to use electricity from offshore wind farms to operate electrolysers also installed at sea on an industrial scale. Plans envisage setting up electrolysis units in the North Sea with a total capacity of 10 gigawatts, enough to produce 1 million metric tons of green hydrogen.
It is not an unambitious project.
North Sea Hydrogen Co-operation: AquaVentus And Hydrogen Scotland
The title of this section is the same as that of this page on the Hydrogen Scotland web site.
This is the introduction.
Hydrogen Scotland signed a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AquaVentus at Offshore Europe in Aberdeen. The partnership aims to unlock the North Sea’s vast potential for hydrogen production and establish Scotland as a key supplier to European markets through the development of shared infrastructure.
Both partners are committed to intensifying research activities and advocating for the rapid scale-up of a European hydrogen economy.
By joining forces, members of AquaVentus and Hydrogen Scotland can help advance the development and deployment of technologies along the entire value chain – from production through transport and storage to the use of hydrogen for decarbonising the energy system. In addition, both organisations intend to intensify their supporting activities and jointly advocate for the accelerated ramp-up of a European hydrogen economy.
This map of the North Sea, which I downloaded from the Hydrogen Scotland web site, shows the co-operation.
Note.
- The yellow AquaDuctus pipeline connected to the German coast near Wilhelmshaven.
- There appear to be two AquaDuctus sections ; AQD 1 and AQD 2.
- There are appear to be three proposed pipelines, which are shown in a dotted red, that connect the UK to AquaDuctus.
- The Northern proposed pipeline appears to connect to the St. Fergus gas terminal on the North-East tip of Scotland.
- The two Southern proposed pipelines appear to connect to the Easington gas terminal in East Yorkshire.
- Easington gas terminal is within easy reach of the massive gas stores, which are being converted to hold hydrogen at Aldbrough and Rough.
- The blue areas are offshore wind farms.
- The blue area straddling the Southernmost proposed pipe line is the Dogger Bank wind farm, is the world’s largest offshore wind farm and could evebtually total over 6 GW.
- RWE are developing 7.2 GW of wind farms between Dogger Bank and Norfolk in UK waters, which could generate hydrogen for AquaDuctus.
This cooperation seems to be getting the hydrogen Germany needs to its industry.
These five paragraphs outline a position paper by AquaVentus.
This opportunity for German-British cooperation on hydrogen is highlighted in a position paper presented by AquaVentus alongside the signing of the MoU. This paper addresses how the requirements of German-British cooperation – as outlined, for example, in the July 2025 Kensington Treaty between the UK and Germany and the European Commission’s Common Understanding published in May 2025 – can be met.
The position paper highlights the significant potential of hydrogen production in Scotland, the necessity of imports for Germany, and references transport infrastructure already under planning. It thus lays the foundation for cross-border hydrogen trade between Germany and the United Kingdom, and for deeper European cooperation in the hydrogen sector, with three essential prerequisites:
Firstly, the networking of producers and consumers across national borders is critical for a successful market ramp-up
Secondly, beyond this synchronised production and transport infrastructure, regulatory frameworks must also be harmonised. Hybrid connection concepts (pipes & wires) that integrate both electricity and hydrogen networks provide the necessary flexibility for future energy needs, enable efficient use of renewable energy and ensure cost-effective grid expansion
Thirdly, the development from a national core network to a European Hydrogen Backbone is emphasised. Projects such as AquaDuctus can serve as a nucleus for building a pan-European hydrogen network that will shape Europe’s energy infrastructure in the long term. For the authors, strengthened cooperation with the United Kingdom is not only a sound energy policy and economic decision, but also a key contribution to European energy resilience.
Note.
Scotland And AquaVentus Partner On North Sea Hydrogen Pipeline Plans
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on H2-View.
These four paragraphs introduce the deal and add some detail.
Hydrogen Scotland has committed to working with the AquaDuctus consortium on cross-border infrastructure concepts to connect Scotland’s offshore wind power to hydrogen production in the North Sea.
Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the two organisations plan to combine Scotland’s offshore wind with AquaVentus’ offshore electrolysis expertise, linking export and import goals across the North Sea.
The AquaDuctus pipeline is a planned offshore hydrogen link designed to carry green hydrogen through the North Sea, using a pipes and wires hybrid approach. The German consortium plans 10GW of offshore electrolysers in the North Sea, producing around one million tonnes of green hydrogen.
The pipeline design allows offshore wind farms to deliver electricity when the grid needs it, or convert power into hydrogen via electrolysis and transport it through pipelines.
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.
Conclusion
This should be a massive deal for Germany and the UK.
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.
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.
mtu Engines From Rolls-Royce Provide Emergency Power On Offshore Wind Platforms In The UK
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Rolls-Royce.
These two bullet points act as sub-headings.
- Four engines from the mtu Series 4000 provide emergency power for two converter platforms
- Norfolk wind farm will generate electricity for demand from more than four million households
This opening paragraph adds more detail.
Rolls-Royce has received a second order from Eureka Pumps AS to supply mtu Series 4000 engines to power emergency power generators for the Norfolk Offshore Wind Farm on the east coast of the United Kingdom. Rolls-Royce will thus supply a total of four mtu engines for the first and second phases of the large wind farm, which is operated by energy supplier RWE. The engines will be installed on two converter platforms at sea and onshore, which are the heart of the offshore grid connection: they ensure that the electricity generated at sea can be fed into the power grid. With a total capacity of 4.2 GW, the wind farm is expected to generate electricity for more than four million households during the course of this decade. It is located 50 to 80 kilometers off the east coast of the UK.
In some ways I find it strange, that a diesel generator is used to provide the necessary emergency power.
But when I asked Google if mtu 4000 generators can operate on hydrogen. I got this answer.
Yes, mtu Series 4000 engines, specifically the gas variants, can be adapted to run on hydrogen fuel. Rolls-Royce has successfully tested a 12-cylinder mtu Series 4000 L64 engine with 100% hydrogen fuel and reported positive results. Furthermore, mtu gas engines are designed to be “H2-ready,” meaning they can be converted to operate with hydrogen, either as a blend or with 100% hydrogen fuel.
That seems very much to be a definite affirmative answer.
So will these mtu Series 4000 engines for the Norfolk wind farms be “H2 ready”? The hydrogen needed, could be generated on the platform, using some form of electrolyser and some megawatts of electricity from the wind farms.
Will The Norfolk Wind Farms Generate Hydrogen For Germany?
Consider.
- Germany needs to replace Russian gas and their own coal, with a zero-carbon fuel.
- Germany is developing H2ercules to distribute hydrogen to Southern Germany.
- Germany is developing AquaVentus to collect 10 GW of hydrogen from wind-powered offshore electrolysers in the North Sea.
- The AquaVentus web site shows connections in the UK to Humberside and Peterhead, both of which are areas, where large hydrogen electrolysers are bing built.
- In addition Humberside has two of the world’s largest hydrogen stores and is building a 1.8 GW hydrogen-fired powerstation.
- The Norfolk wind farms with a capacity of 4.2 GW, are not far from the border between British and German waters.
- To the North of the Norfolk wind farm, RWE are developing the 3 GW Dogger Bank South wind farm.
- 7.2 GW of British hydrogen would make a large proportion of the hydrogen Germany needs.
I clipped this map from a video about Aquaventus.
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 Brough 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.
It will also be a massive Magic Money Tree for the UK Treasury.
So why is this vast hydrogen system never mentioned?
It was negotiated by Clair Coutinho and Robert Habeck, back in the days, when Boris was Prime Minister.
Ørsted Pulls Plug On 2.4 GW Hornsea 4 Offshore Wind Project In UK
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Ørsted has discontinued the development of the UK’s Hornsea 4 offshore wind farm in its current form. The developer said the 2.4 GW project has faced rising supply chain costs, higher interest rates, and increased construction and delivery risks since the Contract for Difference (CfD) award in Allocation Round 6 (AR6) in September 2024.
This introductory paragraph adds more detail.
In combination, these developments have increased the execution risk and deteriorated the value creation of the project, which led to Ørsted stopping further spending on the project at this time and terminating the project’s supply chain contracts, according to the Danish company. This means that the firm will not deliver Hornsea 4 under the CfD awarded in AR6.
Consider.
- Hornsea 4 will be connected to the grid at a new Wanless Beck substation, which will also include a battery and solar farm, which will be South West of the current Creyke Beck substation. Are Ørsted frightened of opposition from the Nimbies to their plans?
- I also wonder if political uncertainty in the UK, and the possibility of a Reform UK government, led by Nigel Farage is worrying companies like Ørsted.
So will factors like these prompt companies like Ørsted to move investment to countries, where they welcome wind turbines like Denmark, Germany and The Netherlands.
Could Ørsted Be Looking At An Alternative?
This is a map of wind farms in the North Sea in the Dogger Bank and Hornsea wind farms, that I clipped from Wikipedia..
These are the Dogger Bank and Hornsea wind farms and their developers and size
- 37 – Dogger Bank A – SSE Renewables/Equinor – 1,235 MW
- 39 – Dogger Bank B – SSE Renewables/Equinor – 1,235 MW
- 38 – Dogger Bank C – SSE Renewables/Equinor – 1,218 MW
- 40 – Sofia – RWE – 1,400 MW
- 1 – Hornsea 1 – Ørsted/Global Infrstructure Partners – 1,218 MW
- 32 – Hornsea 2 – Ørsted/Global Infrstructure Partners – 1,386 MW
- 47 – Hornsea 3 – Ørsted – 2,852 MW
- 51 – Hornsea 4 – Ørsted – 2,400 MW
Note.
- That is a total of 12, 944 MW, which is probably enough electricity to power all of England and a large part of Wales.
- Wikipedia’s List of offshore wind farms in the United Kingdom, also lists a 3,000 MW wind farm, that is being developed by German company ; RWE called Dogger Bank South,
- The Dogger Bank South wind farm is not shown on the map, but would surely be South of wind farms 37 to 40 and East of 51.
- The Dogger Bank South wind farm will raise the total of electricity in the Dogger Bank and Hornsea wind farms to just short of 16 GW.
Connecting 16 GW of new electricity into the grid, carrying it away to where it is needed and backing it up, so that power is provided, when the wind doesn’t blow, will not be a nightmare, it will be impossible.
An alternative plan is needed!
AquaVentus To The Rescue!
AquaVentus is a German plan to bring 10 GW of green hydrogen to the German mainland from the North Sea, so they can decarbonise German industry and retire their coal-fired power stations.
- 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 Brough 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 and Dogger Bank South 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 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.
These may be my best guesses, but they are based on published plans.
Ministers Will Relax Rules To Build Small Nuclear Reactors
The title of this post is the same as that of this article in The Times.
This is the sub-heading.
Britain’s five nuclear power stations, which generate about 6GW in total, powering 13 million homes, are all nearing the end of their lives
These first three paragraphs indicate the reasons why, the government wants to relax the rules.
Ministers are preparing to relax planning rules to make it easier to build mini nuclear power plants in more parts of the country in order to hit green energy targets and boost the industry.
They are also examining whether it is possible to streamline the process for approving the safety of new nuclear power plants as a way to reduce construction delays.
At present rules state that only the government may designate sites for potential nuclear power stations, of which there are eight, severely limiting where they can be built.
The article includes a vote and surprisingly to me, the vote embedded in the article, shows 92 % in favour of relaxing the rules and only 8 % against.
I must admit these figures surprise me, as I’d have thought more would have been against.
Certain Words Frighten The Public
It is because nuclear is one of those words, that I felt that the vote in favour would have been much lower.
Regular readers of this blog will know, that in the 1960s,, I worked for ICI doing itinerant computing and instrumentation tasks, in my first job after leaving Liverpool University with a degree in Control Engineering.
I can now classify the experience as a superb apprenticeship, where I learned a lot that has been useful to me in later life.
For a time, I was working on nuclear magnefic resonance or NMR scans. ICI Mond Division in Runcorn had one of the best installations for analysing chemicals using this technique, which is described in this Wikipedia entry, which starts with these sentences.
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a physical phenomenon in which nuclei in a strong constant magnetic field are disturbed by a weak oscillating magnetic field (in the near field) and respond by producing an electromagnetic signal with a frequency characteristic of the magnetic field at the nucleus. This process occurs near resonance, when the oscillation frequency matches the intrinsic frequency of the nuclei, which depends on the strength of the static magnetic field, the chemical environment, and the magnetic properties of the isotope involved; in practical applications with static magnetic fields up to ca. 20 tesla, the frequency is similar to VHF and UHF television broadcasts (60–1000 MHz).
One day, the Senior Scientist, who ran the machine came in to work and announced that the property of nuclear magnetic resonance would be replacing X-rays, as the technology had just been used to give a three-dimensional image of something like the tail of a mouse.
Now fifty-five years later, many if not most of us have had MRi scans.
The Wikipedia entry for Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRi, explains, what happened to the dreaded N-word.
MRI was originally called NMRI (nuclear magnetic resonance imaging), but “nuclear” was dropped to avoid negative associations.
Perhaps, it would be easier to build nuclear power stations, if the level of science teaching in the UK was better.
The Three Paragraphs In Detail
Earlier, I copied three paragraphs from The Times, into this post.
I shall now look at each in detail.
Paragraph 1
Ministers are preparing to relax planning rules to make it easier to build mini nuclear power plants in more parts of the country in order to hit green energy targets and boost the industry.
I was in Suffolk, when the planning of Sizewell B was undertaken.
There appeared to be little strong opposition, but the general feeling was what there was from second home owners, who were worried that the value of their holiday home would decline.
Employment and commerce created by Sizewell B was certainly good for the area in lots of ways.
At the time, my late wife; C was practicing as a family barrister in chambers in Ipswich. She believed that the building of Sizewell B had had a good effect on the area, as it had injected work and money, which had created the finance to allow a couple to end a marriage, that had long since died. She stated a couple of times, that Sizewell B was good for her practice.
Paragraph 2
They are also examining whether it is possible to streamline the process for approving the safety of new nuclear power plants as a way to reduce construction delays.
My worry about streamlining the process for approving safety, is that we approve nuclear power stations so rarely, do we have the qualified personnel to replace elapsed time with people. I would suggest that we don’t.
But we could have.
- We have some excellent universities, where Nuclear Engineering can be studied.
- How many personnel leave the Royal Navy each year, who could be trained as nuclear safety inspectors?
- If say Rolls-Royce and/or Hitachi are building several small modular nuclear reactors a year in the UK, then nuclear engineering will become fashionable, as electronics was for my generation of engineers and it will attract the brightest students.
Perhaps an established university, with access to the needed skills should be funded to set up a Nuclear Safety Institute
Paragraph 3
At present rules state that only the government may designate sites for potential nuclear power stations, of which there are eight, severely limiting where they can be built.
I can envisage new small modular nuclear reactors being built in the UK, where there is a need for lots of electricity to support developments like.
- Offshore wind farms
- Data centres
- Green steelmaking
- Metal refining
- Hydrogen production.
Rolls-Royce have said that their small reactors will be around 470 MW, so I could imagine power stations of this size being placed on disused coal-fired power station sites to boost power in an area. I have already suggested building some on Drax in The Future Of Drax Power Station.
In some locations, the choice could be between a small modular nuclear reactor and some form of energy storage.
Powering Germany
But there is one controversial area, where we can take advantage.
- The Germans are very short of electricity because of their reliance on coal and Russian gas that needs to be replaced.
- The 1.4 GW NeuConnect interconnector is being built by European and Japanese money between the Isle of Grain and Wilhelmshaven.
- The AquaVentus hydrogen system could be extended to Humberside to link with UK hydrogen production and storage.
- A couple of small modular nuclear reactors could be built on Humberside to back up hydrogen production, when the wind isn’t blowing.
But Rolls-Royce and other companies have been putting small nuclear reactors close to the sea bed safely for decades, so why no design an offshore reactor that can be placed at a safe distance offshore?
We would need to solve the Putin and friends problem first, but I can see the UK exporting a lot of electricity and hydrogen produced by nuclear energy.
Cold Snap Leaves Britain With Less Than A Week’s Worth Of Gas
The title of this post, are the same as that of this article on The Times.
This is the sub-heading.
The closure of Russian pipelines through Ukraine and recent weather conditions have left gas stores ‘concerningly low’
These are the first two paragraphs.
Britain has less than a week of gas supplies in storage, the country’s largest supplier has warned after plunging temperatures and high demand.
Centrica, the owner of British Gas, said the UK’s gas storage was “concerningly low” after coming under pressure this winter.
The two largest gas storage facilities in this country are both in the Humberside area.
- Aldbrough is in salt caverns North of Hull and is owned by SSE.
- Rough is under the North Sea and is owned by Centrica
Both are being converted to store hydrogen.
Some might thing that is a bit stupid if we’re short of storage, but we need the hydrogen storage for four reasons.
- To store hydrogen created by electrolysers on Humberside, which will enable heavy gas users in the area to decarbonise.
- The hydrogen will also be burnt in a 1 GW hydrogen-fired power station at Keadby to back up the wind turbines, with zero-carbon electricity.
- The hydrogen will also be sold to the Germans to replace Putin’s blood-stained gas. It will be sent to Germany in a pipeline called AquaVentus, which will also deliver Scottish hydrogen across the North Sea. Hopefully, the Germans will pay a good price for the hydrogen.
- The hydrogen will be used for transport.
The mistake the Government is making is not to develop smaller gas fields, so that domestic gas users can continue to use natural gas, until the technology to replace it with zero-carbon sources is fully developed.
The Anonymous Widower 