The Anonymous Widower

JERA Nex BP, EnBW Submit Morven Offshore Wind Farm Application

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

A joint venture between JERA Nex BP and EnBW has submitted Section 36 consent applications for the Morven offshore wind farm to the Scottish government

These two paragraphs add a few details.

The developer secured the seabed rights for the Morven offshore wind farm as a single project in the ScotWind Leasing Round in 2022 and split it into two separate projects during the early development phase.

Located around 60 kilometres off the coast of Aberdeenshire at its closest point, the site is planned to house Morven North and Morven South, which would have a combined installed capacity of up to 3 GW and around 190 wind turbines in total.

Morven Offshore Wind Farm now has a comprehensive web site.

The web site says that the electricity will be brought ashore at Hawthorn Pit.

This Google Map shows the location of Hawthorn Pit.

Note.

  1. Hawthorn Pit is indicated by the red arrow.
  2. Sunderland is at the top of the map on the coast.
  3. Aura Power has already obtained planning permission for Hawthorn Pit solar farm, which will be up to 49.9 MW.
  4. Zenobe are developing a battery-energy-storage-system(BESS) 1.5 km to the South-East of the new Hawthorn Pit substation, which will have an output of 300 MW. Sloppily, there is no detail on capacity, but Google AI indicates, it is a 300 MW/600 MWh battery.
  5. Hawthorn Pit substation is also the expected to be the Southern end of Eastern Green Link 1, which will help to bring Scottish wind power to England, which will be a 2 GW undersea interconnector to Torness.

In Murphy Starts Work On £2.5bn Eastern Green Link 1, I detail the start of building of Eastern Green Link 1 and say it should be operational by 2029.

When Is The Morven Offshore Wind Farm Expected To Be Commissioned?

I asked Google AI the question above and received this answer.

The 2.9 GW Morven offshore wind farm is expected to be fully commissioned and operational between 2031 and 2035, with initial grid connections and power export potentially starting as early as 2030.

The timeline for full deployment of the Morven Offshore Wind Farm remains somewhat flexible as it depends on final planning approvals and connection offers from the National Energy System Operator (NESO).

The Cables For The Morven Offshore Wind Farm And Eastern Green Link 1

This map clipped from the Morven Offshore Wind Farm web site, shows the locations of Aberdeen, Hawthorn Pit and the Morven Offshore Wind Farm.

Note.

  1. The location of the Morven wind array was first mentioned in June 2020, as part of ScotWind by Crown Estate Scotland.
  2. The development of Eastern Green Link 1 was first mentioned in May 2021, by National Grid.
  3. Torness is to the East of Edinburgh.
  4. Eastern Green Link 1 connects Torness and Hawthorn Pit.
  5. the Morven wind array connects to England at Hawthorn Pit.

Over the last few years National Grid and other companies have been developing a technique called offshore hybrid assets, which I describe in What Are Offshore Hybrid Assets?.

An offshore hybrid asset typically connects two countries via a large offshore wind farm, which can then send electricity to both countries.

In a traditional design, there would need to be.

  • A 2 GW cable between Torness and Hawthorn Pit.
  • A 2.9 GW cable between Morven and Hawthorn Pit.

In the Offshore Hybrid Asset design, there would need to be.

  • A 2 GW cable between Torness and Morven
  • A 2.9 GW cable between Morven and Hawthorn Pit.

I suspect cable would be saved.

This map shows the position of each ScotWind Leasing wind farm.

Note.

  1. The numbers are Scotwind’s lease number in their documents.
  2. Morven is ScotWind lease number 1.
  3. Eastern Green Link 1 is one of four interconnectors down the East Coast of the UK.
  4. I have added up the ScotWind lease numbers 1-6 and they total 10.5 GW.

That would be a lot of power to capture just by converting the four Eastern Green Link interconnectors into offshore hybrid assets.

How Will Aquaventus Connect To Aberdeen?

This is RWE’s description of AquaVentus, which is sub-titled Hydrogen Production In The North Sea.

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.

RWE have also put this AquaVentus video on their web site.

Note, that in the video AquaVentus connects Germany to Denmark, Norway, The Netherlands and Aberdeen and Humberside in the UK.

I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section, and received this answer.

AquaVentus connects to Aberdeen through a strategic infrastructure partnership with Hydrogen Scotland. The two organizations are integrating offshore wind power, offshore electrolysis, and a shared cross-border pipeline to link Scottish renewable generation with European industrial markets.

The connection strategy relies on a multi-stage approach across the North Sea:

Offshore Production & Transmission: AquaVentus aims to produce green hydrogen directly offshore. It will be transported via a pan-European pipeline network—such as the planned 400 km AquaDuctus to link offshore hubs with both the UK and mainland Europe.

Scottish-German Export Corridor: Building on previous research like the Scot2Ger study, this pipeline corridor directly connects Scotland’s abundant offshore wind resources to European demand, establishing Aberdeen as a critical origin node.

Integrated Energy Backbone: The initiative champions hybrid connection concepts (combining both power cables and hydrogen pipelines). This allows for maximum flexibility when integrating Aberdeen’s local onshore hydrogen infrastructure with broader transnational energy grids.

I will now ask Google AI some supplementary questions about AquaVentus in UK waters.

“Will AquaVentus Produce Hydrogen In UK Waters?”

Google AI gave this reply.

Yes, AquaVentus plans to produce green hydrogen in UK waters. The German-led consortium has partnered with Hydrogen Scotland to harness Scotland’s offshore wind potential for large-scale, cross-border hydrogen production and export.

Key Details of the UK-German Initiative

Production Scale: The initiative aims to install 10 gigawatts (GW) of offshore electrolysis capacity in the North Sea by 2035, producing up to 1 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen annually.

The “Pipes and Wires” Model: Offshore wind parks will be equipped with hybrid connection concepts, providing the flexibility to either send electricity directly to the grid or convert it into hydrogen via offshore electrolysers.

Transportation: The produced hydrogen will be transported to land via a shared transnational subsea pipeline corridor, linking Scottish resources to Germany and mainland Europe.The partnership is specifically aimed at creating a North Sea hydrogen corridor to boost energy security and build the foundational European Hydrogen Backbone.

“Will AquaVentus Land Hydrogen In Scotland?”

Google AI gave this reply.

Yes, the German-led AquaVentus initiative plans to land green hydrogen in Scotland as part of a coordinated North Sea energy corridor.

The cross-border initiative involves the following components:

The Pipeline Connection: A key part of the plan is the AquaDuctus offshore subsea pipeline, designed to collect green hydrogen produced from central North Sea wind farms and land it on the coast.

Scottish Partnership: Hydrogen Scotland and AquaVentus have formalized a Memorandum of Understanding to combine Scotland’s massive offshore wind potential with German infrastructure and electrolysis expertise.

Export Ambitions: Scotland aims to produce up to 3.3 Mt of green hydrogen per year by 2045, heavily relying on pipelines and networks to export this to mainland European hubs like Germany.

Offshore Facilities: The broader initiative plans to install 10 GW of offshore electrolysis capacity in the North Sea to produce up to 1 million tonnes of hydrogen annually.

Note that Google AI has told me that a Megatonne of hydrogen is currently worth around £2.5-5 billion.

 

“Will AquaVentus Connect To Any Of The ScotWind Leasing Wind Farms?”

Google AI gave this reply.

Yes, AquaVentus plans to link Scottish offshore wind resources (including ScotWind farms) to mainland Europe. Through an agreement with Hydrogen Scotland, AquaVentus intends to utilize hybrid “pipes and wires” infrastructure to transmit power or convert it into green hydrogen for direct pipeline transport.

The partnership serves several strategic goals:

The “Pipes & Wires” Concept: Wind farms built under the ScotWind leasing round will have the flexibility to either route electricity to the UK grid or convert it into green hydrogen via offshore electrolysers.

Cross-Border Pipelines: The hydrogen generated by Scottish offshore wind is targeted to be fed into the planned AquaDuctus pipeline, which forms a transnational energy corridor connecting the UK to Germany and the rest of Europe.

Policy Integration: AquaVentus is actively advocating for legal reforms to accommodate these cross-border hybrid connections, allowing direct pipeline integration for future offshore parks.

I believe these ScotWind Leasing wind farms could be connected to AquaVentus.

  • 1 – Morven – 2.9 GW – JERA Nex BP, EnBW
  • 2 – Ossian – 2.6 GW – SSE Renewables
  • 3 – Bellrock – 1.2 GW – Falck Renewables
  • 4 – CampionWind – 2 GW – Scottish Power, Shell
  • 5 – Muir Mhòr – 0.8 GW – Vattenfall
  • 6 – Bowdun –  – 1 GW – Thistle Wind Partners

Note.

  1. All companies are major energy companies.
  2. The wind farms are in a cluster to the South-East of Scotland.
  3. Wind farms 2-5 are floating, and 1 and 6 are fixed.
  4. There is a maximum power of 10.5 GW.
  5. These wind farms would not need to be shut down, when there was too much wind, if the excess electricity could be converted into hydrogen.
  6. The “Pipes & Wires” Concept would allow all energy generated to be transferred to shore, either as electricity or hydrogen.

Cables would need to be laid to perform the functions of the Eastern Green Links 1-4.

  • Eastern Green Link 1 – Torness and Hawthorn Pit
  • Eastern Green Link 2 – Peterhead and Drax
  • Eastern Green Link 3 – Westfield and Lincolnshire
  • Eastern Green Link 4 – Peterhead and Lincolnshire

Eastern Green Link 5 is under development between Aberdeenshire and Lincolnshire.

“Is Anderby Creek An Important Node In The Electricity Grid?”

Google AI gave this reply.

Yes, Anderby Creek has become a highly important landfall location for the UK’s electricity grid, acting as a crucial connection point for high-capacity subsea cables bringing renewable energy from Scotland and offshore wind farms into England.

Its role in the national grid’s infrastructure centers on several major “superhighway” projects:

Eastern Green Link 5 (EGL 5): This £3bn National Grid project involves a 585km subsea High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) cable carrying up to 2 GW of clean power (enough for two million homes) from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, to Anderby Creek.

Eastern Green Links 3 & 4 (EGL 3 / EGL 4): These are additional massive subsea cable projects that also plan to make landfall at Anderby Creek to transport Scottish wind energy down the UK coastline.

Offshore Wind Export Cables: Beyond long-distance transmission, the village already hosts export cables from local offshore wind developments like the Triton Knoll Wind Farm.

Because of the massive volume of power coming ashore, Anderby Creek serves as the starting point for significant onshore infrastructure. The cables transition underground at the beach and run roughly 8km inland to a proposed new converter station near Bilsby/Alford, where the power is converted and integrated into the broader Great Grid Upgrade.

“Will AquaVentus Have Access To The UK’s hydrogen Storage On Humberside?”

 

Google AI gave this reply.

Yes. Through a strategic partnership with Hydrogen Scotland, the AquaVentus initiative aims to establish cross-border offshore infrastructure that connects the central North Sea with existing and planned hydrogen networks across the UK, including those on Humberside.

The pipeline infrastructure associated with AquaVentus is envisioned to reach the UK just south of the massive hydrogen storage facilities located in East Yorkshire. While the German offshore pipeline (like AquaDuctus) is focused on landing green hydrogen into Germany, the broader AquaVentus framework is designed to integrate with British transmission networks and link to underground cavern storage in the UK.

On Humberside, major energy giants (including Centrica, Equinor, and SSE Thermal) are developing the integrated Humber Hydrogen transport and storage network. This system encompasses large-scale hydrogen storage at the Aldbrough Hydrogen Storage site and Rough Gas Storage. Because the AquaVentus UK branch connects to the Humber area’s onshore network, it positions the initiative to take advantage of these regional storage assets as a cornerstone for international trade and domestic energy resilience.

I think this is key as it gives AquaVentus access to very large hydrogen storage.

Conclusion

It almost looks to me, that National Grid and AquaVentus are combining their pipes and wires between the Southern North Sea and Aberdeen.

  • Hydrogen offtake for Germany will be at Wilhelmshaven.
  • Hydrogen offtake for England will be at Humberside.
  • Hydrogen offtake for Scotland will be at Aberdeen.
  • Electricity offtake for Germany will be at Wilhelmshaven.
  • Electricity offtake for England will be at Anderby Creek.
  • Electricity offtake for England will be at Hawthorn Pit.
  • Electricity offtake for Scotland will be at Torness.
  • Electricity offtake for Scotland will be at Aberdeen.

Note.

  1. There will probably be other connections to onshore locations and offshore wind farms.
  2. Hydrogen imports will be possible from Denmark, Norway and The Netherlands direct into AquaVentus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 5, 2026 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Energy Storage, Hydrogen | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The March Of The Batteries

One of my Google alerts picked up this story from the Solar Power Portal, which is entitled Gresham House To Acquire 480MW BESS, Completes Financing On 397MW Portfolio.

This is the sub-heading.

Gresham House Energy Storage Fund signed a Sale and Purchase agreement (SPA) for the conditional acquisition of a 480MW BESS project, while also completing funding on a 397MW portfolio that will begin construction.

I asked Google AI, “How Big Is Gresham Houuse’s Portfolio Of Batteries?” an received this answer.

Gresham House Energy Storage Fund (GRID) operates a portfolio exceeding 1GW of utility-scale battery capacity in the UK, with an active pipeline of future and recently financed projects.

Their operational capacity features:

Operational Capacity: Exceeds 1GW (approx. 1,072MW/1,701MWh) across dozens of sites.

Market Share: Owns roughly 17% to 20% of all utility-scale batteries in Great Britain.

Haven’t they done well!

When Will Highview Power Complete The Carrington Battery?

Highview Power is building a 50 MW/300 MWh liquid air battery at Carrington, near Manchester.

I asked Google AI,the title of this section and received this reply.

Highview Power’s Carrington liquid air energy storage facility in Greater Manchester is scheduled to be operational by late 2026.

The grid stabilization phase is set to begin early in the year, with full long-duration operations following shortly after.The £300 million project at the Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park is a pioneering commercial-scale “cryobattery” that liquefies and stores air to capture excess renewable energy.

Key details of the completed facility:

Capacity: 300 MWh of storage (delivering 50 MW for six hours)

Reach: Capable of supplying electricity to approximately 480,000 homes

Technology: Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES)

When Will Highview Power Complete The Livingstone Battery?

Highview Power is building a300 MW/3.2 GWh liquid air battery at Livingstone near Glasgow.

I asked Google AI, the title of this section and received this reply.

Highview Power is not currently building a battery in Livingstone. They are developing a major \(2.5 \text{ GWh}\) liquid air energy storage (LAES) plant in Hunterston, Scotland, which is scheduled to come online by 2030.

According to the Highview Power web site, a 300 MW/3.2 GWh “cryobattery” is being built at the site.

How Much Offshore Wind Power Will Be Installed This Year?

In UK Offshore Wind In 2030 – Calculated May 2026, I said that 2635 MW would be commissioned this year.

Conclusion

We’re running hard, but will we keep ahead of the tsunami of offshore wind and solar panels we are installing.

In UK Offshore Wind In 2030 – Calculated May 2026, my latest calculations show that by 2036, we will have installed 61,337 MW of offshore wind alone.

How Many Of Their 300 MW/3.2 GWh Liquid Air Batteries Do Highview Power Think They Can Install?

I asked Google AI, the title of this section and received this reply.

Highview Power plans to install several of their 300 MW/3.2 GWh “Millennium Series” cryogenic plants. They are specifically developing two initial flagship sites in the UK, with the intention to scale up rapidly over the next decade to capture a significant share of national long-duration energy storage targets.

 

Highview Power is executing a multi-billion-pound programme to build out these multi-technology storage facilities, which combine liquid air energy storage and lithium-ion batteries.

The two primary 3.2 GWh projects advancing through the UK regulatory system include:

Hunterston, North Ayrshire (Scotland): Slated as the first of the Millennium Series, designed to provide up to 3.2 GWh of capacity (powering around 650,000 homes).It is advancing through the regulatory assessment and construction phases.

Killingholme, Lincolnshire (England): A second 3.2 GWh facility.

Both the Hunterston and Killingholme sites were deemed eligible for support under the UK government’s “cap and floor” super-battery scheme.

Two 300 MW/3.2 GWh “Millennium Series” cryogenic plants will do very nicely!

Engineering is the science of the possible, whereas politics is dreams of the impossible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 27, 2026 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Energy Storage | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mooir Vannin Offshore Wind Farm

This is a wind farm off the Isle of Man, that I missed as it is not on Wikipedia’s List of Offshore Wind Farms In The United Kingdom.

But it does have a web site, which has this handy map.

Note.

  1. The wind farm will have a capacity of 1.4 GW.
  2. Ørsted is building the web farm.
  3. It has planning permission.
  4. The operations base for the proposed Mooir Vannin Offshore Wind Farm will be located at Douglas Harbour on the Isle of Man.
  5. The Port is Owned By The Isle Of Man Government.
  6. Anticipated operational start date is the mid 2030s. I’ll assume 2035.
  7. According to the web site, connection will be to Douglas on the Isle of Man and Penwortham, Lancashire in the UK.
  8. Penwortham is part of Preston.
  9. Penwortham substation already has a 50 MW/50 MWh BESS and may get a bigger one.
  10. Current fossil-fuel power stations on the Isle of Man, include a number of diesel power stations and a 64 MW CCGT. They also have a 23 MW steam generator.

It looks like Mooir Vannin is large enough to give the island a carbon-free energy supply, backed up, by the UK National Grid at Penwortham.

I asked Google AI, “If The Isle of Man Was Going Into The Data Centre Business”, and received this reply.

The Isle of Man is actively positioning itself as a premier hub for data centres, tech firms, and AI companies. The government is utilizing its robust infrastructure, strong regulatory environment, and competitive tax policies to attract high-value data businesses to the island.

It also looks like they have a water system, that has a hydro-electric power-station.

Ørsted Is Danish

Ørsted is Danish and all of those countries to the North East of the UK have lots of islands.

So I asked Google AI, this question.”Does Denmark Have Any Islands With Power Stations?”, and received this comprehensive answer.

Yes, Denmark has several islands with power stations, ranging from natural islands utilizing large wind and biomass facilities to massive, pioneering “Energy Islands” built specifically as offshore power hubs.

Key Examples Include:

Bornholm (Baltic Sea): Designated as a major green “Energy Island” hub. It functions as a massive collection and distribution point for surrounding offshore wind farms, routing renewable energy to both the Danish grid and neighboring countries like Germany.

SamsØ (Kattegat strait): Known globally as a renewable energy island.

It is entirely powered by local onshore and offshore wind turbines and uses a mix of solar and battery storage systems to manage its energy needs, including marina charging.

North Sea Energy Island (VindØ): This is a colossal artificial island project (located roughly 80–100 km off the coast of Jutland) designed to act as an offshore power plant.

It acts as a hub to harvest and convert wind energy from hundreds of surrounding turbines.

Are Ørsted and Highview Power Still Talking?

In Highview Power, Ørsted Find Value In Integrating Offshore Wind With Liquid Air Energy Storage, it appeared that they still were.

As it appears that Highview Power’s Liquid Air Energy Storage can be sized to the application, I wouldn’t be surprised to see one of their batteries on an island powered by Danish wind turbines.

In Is Sumitomo Heavy Industries Highview Power Energy Storage System On Line At Hiroshima?, I describe how a Highview Power application, that uses cold, solar panels and a small Highview Power battery to increase the efficiency of a CNG Terminal.

 

How Many Of The UK’s Power Stations Are On Islands?

I asked Google AI this question and I received this answer.

There are three major, conventional thermal power stations on the UK’s offshore islands (two in Scotland and one in the Channel Islands), alongside several small-scale community-owned renewable plants that operate entirely off-grid.

The main island-based power stations include:

Lerwick Power Station (Shetland): A 66-73 MW diesel-fired plant commissioned in 1953. It provides a baseline of electricity for the Shetland mainland.

Sullom Voe Terminal Power Station (Shetland): An independent gas-fired station (roughly 92 MW capacity).

Its primary purpose is to serve the Sullom Voe gas terminal, but it also supplies the Shetland grid.

Queen’s Road Power Station (Jersey): A multi-engine facility in the Channel Islands that uses a mix of gas turbines and diesel generators to maintain island capacity.

(Note: Major UK islands, like the Isle of Wight, Anglesey, and the Isle of Skye, are physically connected to the mainland electricity grid via subsea cables, so they do not house their own large-scale, standalone power stations).

Beyond these conventional thermal stations, several smaller Scottish islands run on micro-grid, renewable-only power stations.

For instance:The Isle of Eigg: Powered entirely by a micro-grid of hydro, wind, and solar, completely disconnected from the UK grid.

It looks to me, that the Isle of Man, Shetland and Jersey, are the three most likely islands to get upgraded power systems and it also looks like Ørsted have the experience to make a good fist of it.

Conclusion

I have asked the question, I asked for the UK for a range of countries and I have received some interesting answers from Google AI. But the general trend seems to be to use appropriately-size medium-size and upwards, zero-carbon power stations with microgrids as on the Island of Eigg in the UK.

But I do believe that applying the technology that Ørsted, Highview Power and others are rolling out, that we can give the remote islands and places of Buckminster Fuller’s Spaceship Earth, the zero carbon power they need.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 25, 2026 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Energy Storage, Environment | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

New Optimisation Agreement For 70 MW / 160 MWh BESS In Sweden

The title of this post is the same as that of this press release from Centrica.

This is the sub-heading.

Centrica Energy, the energy trading and optimisation arm of Centrica plc, has signed an optimisation agreement with Ånge Storage Solutions AB, a project company jointly established by Delta Capacity, a Swiss-based developer of utility-scale battery storage systems, and Wood & Co., a leading European investment bank and asset manager, for a 70 MW / 160 MWh battery project in Ånge, Sweden, scheduled to be commissioned in Q2 2026.

These three paragraphs add more detail.

Once operational, the Ånge project will be the largest BESS currently in operation in the Nordics, underlining the strong partnership between the companies and the project’s clear strategic significance and market impact. The project represents a major step forward for grid flexibility in Sweden, supporting the country’s rapidly growing renewable energy capacity while strengthening system stability in the SE2 bidding zone.

Under the agreement, Centrica Energy will act as optimiser for the project, providing 24/7 in-house trading and optimisation services. Leveraging advanced forecasting, real-time market benchmarking and AI-enhanced trading algorithms, Centrica Energy will optimise the battery across wholesale electricity markets and ancillary services, dynamically capturing value across multiple revenue streams.

The agreement on the Ånge project kicks off the partnership between Centrica Energy and Delta Capacity, underlining the companies’ shared ambition to accelerate flexible energy solutions across the Nordics.

It seems that Centrica are doing some serious programming, which mirrors the offbeat engineering, that was hinted at in Centrica Tackles Difficult Terrain To Deliver Sustainable Solar Solution For Derbyshire Manufacturer.

You can’t do anything but like Centrica’s robust attitude  and their determination to get things done.

I also wonder, if Centrica are putting their expertise and technical excellence alongside the money and risk of others!

You can argue it was like that with Artemis in the last thirty years of the last century. One quarter million pound computer and software package would be planning and controlling the building of a multi-billion pound project.

I feel now, that I can say that now the Channel Tunnel is part of my history.

From the words of the press release, they seem to have developed a very-sophisticated hybrid-battery-control system, where types with expertise-honed on the trading floor or even the battlefield, could be intimately involved in the decisions.

As a check on my use of battlefield, I asked Google AI”if ex military weapons officers good operators on a city trading floor?” and received this reply.

Ex-military weapons officers—and military officers more broadly—can make excellent operators on a city trading floor, as their skill sets in leadership, pressure management, and risk assessment are highly transferable and increasingly sought after by financial institutions.

Key Reasons Military Officers Succeed as Traders

Decision-Making Under Extreme Pressure: Operational officers are accustomed to making critical, split-second decisions with limited information, which mirrors the environment of a volatile trading floor.

Risk Management & Discipline: The military teaches meticulous planning, risk mitigation, and strict adherence to procedures. In trading, this translates into managing margin, controlling losses, and following a strict, repeatable trading strategy.

High Mental Stamina and Resilience: The ability to stay calm and focused when others are losing their composure is a key trait that veterans bring, helping them survive high-stress trading scenarios.

Adaptability: The ability to respond to changing circumstances on the battlefield translates into managing portfolios in rapidly shifting market conditions.

Transferable Skills Checklist
Strategy & Logistics: Background in understanding supply chain imbalances (supply/demand).

Communication: Ability to convey orders clearly and concisely.

Integrity: High level of discipline and accountability.

Potential Challenges and Considerations

While they possess strong psychological skills for trading, ex-military personnel often face a steep learning curve regarding technical financial knowledge and specific market terminology. Furthermore, the transition from a highly structured hierarchy to a meritocracy—where the only measure of success is profit/loss—requires a change in mindset.

Industry Adoption

Banks and trading firms in both the UK and US have recognized the value of these skills, with firms like Citibank and various prop firms establishing veteran-focused programs to hire and train former military personnel.

Conclusion

If ex-military weapons officers can adapt their ability to assess risks and manage operations to financial data, their natural inclination to stay calm under pressure and operate with discipline makes them top candidates for trading roles.

April 16, 2026 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Computing, Energy, Energy Storage, Finance & Investment | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Shares Available In ‘UK-First’ Community-Owned Battery Energy Storage System

The title of this post is the same as that on this article on Solar Power Portal.

This is the sub-heading.

Low Carbon Hub, an Oxfordshire-based developer of community-owned renewable energy projects, is inviting investment in the 3MW/12MWh BESS.

These four paragraphs add more details.

Consumers have the opportunity to invest in the UK’s ‘first’ community-owned battery energy storage system (BESS).

Low Carbon Hub, an Oxfordshire-based developer of community-owned renewable energy projects, is inviting investment in the 3MW/12MWh BESS, which is co-located with the Ray Valley solar power plant.

At one time the largest community-owned solar development in the UK, the 19MW Ray Valley solar project came online in 2022.

Low Carbon Hub now plans to install battery energy storage at the site to “ensure more clean energy is used, and more money is generated for communities,” it said. As such, members of the public and organisations can buy shares in the Community Energy Fund through direct impact investing platform Ethex.

I think we could see more of this in the future.

 

March 26, 2026 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage, Finance & Investment | , , , , | Leave a comment

The Liquid Air Alternative To Fossil Fuels

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC Future Web Site.

It is also one of the best articles, I’ve read on the economics of liquid-air energy storage.

This is the sub-heading.

An overlooked technology for nearly 50 years, the world’s largest liquid air energy storage facility is finally set to power up in 2026. It’s hoping to compete with grid-scale lithium batteries and hydro to store clean power, and reduce the need to fall back on fossil fuels.

These three introductory paragraphs add detail to the project.

As the world’s use of renewable electricity soars, surpassing coal for the first time, the need to store that energy when the Sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing is growing in step. While some turn to grid-scale lithium batteries and others to pumped hydro, a small but growing industry is convinced there’s a better solution still: batteries that rely on air.

Near the village of Carrington in north-west England, the foundations are being laid for the world’s largest commercial-scale liquid air energy storage facility, one of the first of its kind. The site will eventually become an array of industrial machinery and a number of large storage tanks, filled with air that has been compressed and cooled so much it has become a liquid, using renewable energy surplus to demand. The stored energy can be discharged later when demand exceeds supply.

If the project succeeds, more will follow. The site’s developers Highview Power are confident that liquid air energy storage will make it easier for countries to replace fossil fuels with clean renewable energy – though at present, the technology is expensive. But as the need for clean energy storage surges, they’re betting the balance will tip in favour of liquid air.

The BBC article, seems to have been written with input from Shaylin Cetegen, a chemical engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who studies energy storage systems.

Topics discussed include.

  • The intermittency problem of renewables and how this gives problems for the stability of electricity grids.
  • The switchable nature of fossil-fuel power generation.
  • A big part of the solution is to store the surplus energy so that it can be released when it’s needed. Think of it like an electricity deposit account!
  • For decades, the main form of energy storage has been pumped hydro. In 2021, the world had 160 GW of pumped hydro capacity. The UK has a total of just 3 GW in Scotland and Wales! But more is on the way!
  • Recently, large-scale battery storage systems have risen to the challenge and installed capacity has risen from 55.7 GW in 2023 to 150 GW / 348 GWh in 2025.
  • The liquid air solution is then explained.
  • A grid-scale stop-gap, that is the 30 MW/300 MWh Manchester hybrid liquid-air battery, is then described.
  • In August 2026, the battery is set to begin operating.
  • An alternative way of stabilising the grid will be provided.
  • It will come online in two stages, says Highview Power CEO Richard Butland.
  • Then in 2027 the liquid air storage is expected to begin fully operating.

Highview Power will make money by trading electricity, as pumped storage operators do.

The penultimate section of the article looks at the bottom line and comes to these conclusions.

Instead, she says governments could support the technology. In her study, subsidising the initial capital costs to set up the systems “could be a viable approach to achieve economic viability in the short term”, she says.

Furthermore, faster uptake of renewables would increase energy price volatility, making energy storage more economically viable.

Cetegen makes a final point in favour of liquid air energy storage: it’s cheap. Energy storage technologies are often assessed using a metric called the “levelised cost of storage”, which estimates how much each unit of stored energy costs over the lifespan of the project. For liquid air, this can be as low as $45 (£34) per megawatt-hour – compared to $120 (£89) for pumped hydro and $175 (£130) for lithium-ion batteries.

“While none of these storage methods are likely economically viable right now without policy support, liquid air energy storage stands out as a particularly cost-effective option for large-scale storage,” Cotegen says.

Ultimately, Butland expects electricity grids to rely on a mix of storage technologies. Pumped hydro is extremely effective and works for decades, but it’s location-dependent because it needs a water supply. Meanwhile, batteries are highly efficient and can be placed anywhere, but need to be replaced after about 10 years. Liquid air has the advantage that it can store energy for longer than batteries, with minimal losses.

As any country enters the green transition, its electricity grid needs to be remodelled to cope. “We’re rebuilding all grids globally, based on new generation,” says Butland. And that could well mean a lot of liquid air energy storage.

 

March 21, 2026 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage | , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Britain’s Biggest Clean Power Projects Among 2.4GW Of Transmission Connections National Grid Delivers In 2025

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from National Grid.

This is the sub-heading.

Record-breaking renewable power projects are among the 2.4GW of new generation connections we plugged into our transmission network during 2025, in another key step in the UK’s clean energy transition.

This first paragraph adds some detail to the headlines.

This year’s works build on the 3GW of connections we delivered in 2024 – which included a new interconnector between Wales and Ireland – and is part of 12.6GW of generation capacity we’ve connected in England and Wales over the past five years.

The rate of connections appear to have been fairly steady over the last five years, at about 2.5 GW/year.

Three projects are highlighted.

  • In April the 373MW Cleve Hill Solar Park, Britain’s largest solar array, began exporting power across the network following work to connect it at our Cleve Hill substation in Kent.

 

  • Over summer Statera Energy’s Thurrock Storage project, the country’s biggest battery energy storage system (BESS), connected at our Tilbury substation in Essex to add 300MW of flexible capacity across London and the south east.

 

  • And in September we completed upgrades and commissioning activity at our Lackenby substation in North Yorkshire in readiness for RWE’s Sofia offshore wind farm – one of the world’s biggest – to complete construction.

They also completed works for more than 400MW of additional BESS connections during the year, including a 150MW scheme connecting at Ferrybridge substation in West Yorkshire, a 100MW facility plugging in at Thornton substation in North Yorkshire, and further projects at our substations in Enderby (Leicestershire), Rainhill (Merseyside) and Bredbury (Greater Manchester).

I think that adds up to ten projects in total.

It looks like National Grid had a good year.

 

January 5, 2026 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage | , , , , , | 2 Comments

First Bus To Launch 1MW BESS Unit In Hampshire, Aberdeen To Follow

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Solar Power Portal.

This is the sub-heading.

Bus operator First Bus has launched its largest energy storage facility yet in Hampshire.

These four paragraphs add more detail.

Located at the company’s Hoeford bus depot, the 1MW battery storage unit, with a 2-hour duration, will begin operations next month.

This will be followed by a bigger battery storage unit with 2MW/4MWh capacity at its depot in Aberdeen, which will begin work by the end of the year.

The FirstGroup division said that it will explore opportunities to build more battery sites across the UK in the future.

The new battery storage facilities will be used to store surplus electricity that will be distributed back to the grid during peak demand and help maintain power supplies. It will also be used to power the company’s more than 1,200 electric bus fleet.

Note.

  1. Hoeford’s 1MW/2MWh and Aberdeen’s 2MW/4MWh are big batteries.
  2. They will be installed, where there is a predictable need.
  3. Google AI says that the First Bus UK News “About Us” page lists 65 depots and outstations.
  4. I suspect some clever data analysis is being used to optimise the size of a battery to the route structure and number of buses at a depot.

The batteries appear to come from a company called Palmer Energy Technology, who are backed by Barclays, First Bus and the University of Oxford.

This is the Palmer Energy Technology web site, which has these two paragraphs.

Palmer Energy designs and manufactures Battery Energy Storage Systems that apply automotive‑grade principles to stationary applications. PETL specifies premium cells, uses liquid cooling as standard and focuses on intelligent control to drive down operating costs for customers in transport, industry and the grid.

​Through our 100% ownership of Brill Power, a University of Oxford spin out, we incorporate Brill Power’s patented active loading BMS technology in all our BESS to increase the lifetime of systems, improve safety and remove geopolitical risks by storing all data on UK servers.

These are my further thoughts.

Electric Bus Charging Puts A Strain On The Grid

A couple of years ago, I had a drink with three bus depot managers in London. They said that some depots were having difficulty getting sufficient power from the grid.

This Google Map shows Hoeford Depot where the first battery has been installed.

Note.

  1. Hoeford Depot is by the water at Fareham.
  2. The depot is indicated by the red arrow.
  3. The depot is surrounded by houses and other businesses.

As an electrical engineer, I would expect that a battery of the right size could sort out any charging problems.

Bus Garage Batteries Could Mop Up Surplus Electricity

Consider.

  • I would expect bus garages have a predictable pattern for energy use.
  • Buses will often be charged at night, when solar power is low.
  • Do bus garages get a cheaper electricity rate at night?
  • There will be times, when bus garages can accept excess energy from the grid and store it until they need it.
  • This will mean that wind turbines won’t have to be turned off so often.

Palmer’s batteries installed in a bus garage seem to be a simple way to increase renewable energy efficiency and possibly reduce the cost of battery charging.

Would A Bank Finance The Batteries?

I am not a banker or an accountant, but I have worked with some of the very best. One banker, who sadly has now passed on, would have surely backed this company if the technology and the forecasts stacked up, just as he backed the company, that I helped to start.

It does look as if Barclays are backing the company.

November 5, 2025 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

UK’s Largest Solar Plant Cleve Hill Supplying Full Power To The Grid

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Solar Power Portal.

This is the sub-heading.

Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners has completed construction and started commercial operations of the 373MW Cleve Hill Solar Park, now the largest operational in the UK.

Note.

  1. According to Quinbrook, during the commissioning phase in May, electricity exports from Cleve Hill peaked at a level equivalent to 0.7% of the UK’s national power demand.
  2. Construction of the 373 MW solar project began in 2023, and Quinbrook said construction is now underway on a 150 MW co-located battery energy storage system (BESS).
  3. The gas-fired power stations at Coolkeeragh, Corby, Enfield, Great Yarmouth and Shoreham are all around 410-420 MW for comparison.
  4. On completion of the BESS, Cleve Hill will go from the largest solar plant in the UK to the largest co-located solar plus storage project constructed in the UK.
  5. The solar and storage plant was the first solar power project to be consented as a nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP) and is supported by the largest solar + BESS project financing undertaken in the UK.

This Google Map shows the location of the solar farm with respect to Faversham.

Note.

The town of Faversham to the left of the middle of the map.

Faversham station has the usual railway station logo.

The North Kent coast is at the top of the map.

Cleve Hill Solar Park is on the coast to the East of the River  Swale.

This second Google Map shows a close up of the solar farm.

Note.

  1. The large number of solar panels.
  2. The North Kent coast is at the top of the map.
  3. The River Swale in the South-West corner of the map.
  4. It appears that Cleve Hill substation is at the right edge of the map.
  5. The boxes at the left of the substation appear to be the batteries.
  6. The 630 MW London Array wind farm, which has been operational since 2013, also connects to the grid at Cleeve Hill substation.
  7. When completed, the London Array was the largest offshore wind farm in the world.

As a Control Engineer, I do like these Battery+Solar+Wind power stations, as they probably provide at least a reliable 500 MW electricity supply.

Could A System Like Cleeve Hill Solar Park Replace A 410 MW Gas-Fired Power Station?

The three elements of Cleeve Hill are as follows.

  • Solar Farm – 373 MW
  • BESS – 150 MW
  • Wind Farm – 630 MW

That is a total of only 1,153 MW, which means a capacity factor of only 35.6 % would be needed.

How Much Power Does A Large Solar Roof Generate?

Some people don’t like solar panels on farmland, so how much energy  do solar panels on a warehouse roof generate?

This Google Map shows Amazon’s warehouse at Tilbury.

I asked Google AI to tell me about Amazon’s solar roof at Tilbury and it said this.

Amazon’s solar roof at the Tilbury fulfillment center is the largest rooftop solar installation at any Amazon site in Europe, featuring 11,500 panels across the two-million-square-foot roof. Unveiled in 2020, it is part of Amazon’s larger goal to power its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025 and reduce its emissions, contributing to its Climate Pledge to be net-zero carbon by 2040.

It generates 3.4 MW, which is less that one percent of Cleeve Hill Solar Park.

 

 

October 27, 2025 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Energy Storage | , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Consultation Opens For Ferrybridge Next Generation Power Station

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from SSE.

These three bullet points act as sub-headings.

  • Ferrybridge Next Generation sets out plans for continuing the legacy of power generation at the site, with the potential to bring significant investment to the region.   
  • Statutory consultation phase launched, inviting communities and stakeholders to have their say on project proposals. 
  • Hydrogen-enabled project could support the security of supply and offer a clear route to decarbonisation. 

These three paragraphs add more detail.

Members of the public are being invited to have their say on plans for a proposed new power station in development, Ferrybridge Next Generation Power Station.

The station is being designed so that it can run on hydrogen, as a lower-carbon alternative to natural gas. It would also be able to operate using natural gas or a blend of hydrogen and natural gas until a technically and commercially viable hydrogen supply becomes available to the site.

With a proposed capacity of up to 1.2GW, Ferrybridge Next Generation Power Station could play an important role in supporting the UK’s energy system in the short term – providing reliable flexible back-up power during periods of peak demand and balancing the system when the wind doesn’t blow or the sun doesn’t shine, while delivering a route to decarbonised power generation in the longer term.

Note.

  1. A 150 MW/300 MWh Battery Electric Storage System is being developed on the site, which I wrote about in SSE Renewables Announces Construction Of Second Utility-Scale Battery Storage System.
  2. The last Ferrybridge power station; C had a capacity of just over 2 GW.
  3. This will be SSE Renewable’s second hydrogen-fired power station after Keadby, which I wrote about in Consultation On Plans For Keadby Hydrogen Power Station To Begin.
  4. As the press releases says, Ferrybridge Hydrogen-Fired Power Station will be West Yorkshire’s backup for when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine.

How similar will the two hydrogen-fired power stations be?

Will SSE Be Building Any More In The First Wave Of Hydrogen-Fired Power Station?

This is a paragraph from SSE’s press release.

The station is being designed so that it can run on hydrogen, as a lower-carbon alternative to natural gas. It would also be able to operate using natural gas or a blend of hydrogen and natural gas until a technically and commercially viable hydrogen supply becomes available to the site.

It would appear that the availability of the hydrogen fuel may be a problem.

But places like Aberdeen, Bradford, Brighton, Humberside and Merseyside, do seem to be planning for hydrogen, so all is not lost.

September 16, 2025 Posted by | Design, Energy, Energy Storage, Hydrogen | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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