New Routemasters As Advertising Hoardings
Increasingly, New Routemasters are appearing as advertising hoardings.
Note.
- I am unsure if some of the products should be advertised so prominently.
- The last picture is of a naked bus to fill the space.
- I shall be adding to this gallery.
In Could London’s New Routemaster Buses Be Converted To Hydrogen Power?, I came to this conclusion.
I believe from my knowledge of Cummins and the way they work, that they will come up with a hydrogen-based solution, that will replace the Cummins diesel in these buses with a zero-carbon engine.
If Cummins don’t then someone else will.
Whoever solves the problem of converting London’s new Routemasters to hydrogen will have one of the best adverts for their product, there has ever been.
After converting London’s thousand Routemasters, the engineers could move on to anything powered by a Cummins engine.
It would be a quick, easy and affordable way to create a thousand zero-carbon buses.
Berkeley Scientists Finally Solve 10-Year Puzzle Enabling Efficient CO2-to-Fuel Conversion With Major Climate Impact Potential
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Sustainability Times.
This is the sub-heading.
In a groundbreaking advancement, scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have unveiled the critical mechanisms behind the degradation of copper catalysts, a revelation that promises to revolutionize the production of sustainable fuels by enhancing the efficiency and stability of CO2 conversion processes.
This paragraph gives more details.
Scientists from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of artificial photosynthesis. By utilizing advanced X-ray techniques, they have uncovered the critical factors that limit the performance of copper catalysts in converting carbon dioxide and water into useful fuels. This revolutionary insight could significantly enhance the stability and efficiency of catalysts in CO2 conversion processes, potentially accelerating the production of ethanol and ethylene. The research, which tackles a decades-old puzzle, offers promising avenues for the development of more durable catalyst systems, paving the way for future advancements in sustainable energy solutions.
I first came across catalysts in my working life, when I was working at ICI. I was modelling a chemical process called sulphonation for a guy who was trying to find an efficient way to create the monomer of building block for a new engineering plastic.
Some feel that all plastics are bad for the environment, but I think that, if the plastic is designed to replace another material in a long-lasting application, then plastic is good for the environment.
This picture shows my wonderful Sheba cutlery.
Note.
- C and I bought it in the 1960s, when we got married.
- Some have been used every day for over fifty years.
- The important bits are Sheffield stainless steel, with the handles formed of black Delrin plastic.
- Some of the handles have been in the dishwasher too many times and have faded.
- From what I have seen on the Internet, the average worth of pieces could be as much as a tenner.
Perhaps, when I pass on, all the pieces should be divided between my grandchildren.
I have digressed and I will return to my modelling project with one of ICI’s catalyst experts.
I remember him telling me, that if you could improve the way catalysts worked, you would open up whole new areas of chemistry.
It looks to me, that the scientists at Berkeley may have opened up a route to turn carbon dioxide into fuel.
Whether that is a good route to decarbonisation is another long discussion.
Mineral Carbonation International Changed Its Name To MCi Carbon In Early 2023
This post is to retrospectively sort out that Mineral Carbonation International changed its name to MCi Carbon in Early 2023.
Google AI gives this summary.
Mineral Carbonation International (MCi) changed its name to MCi Carbon in early 2023. The company’s rebranding emphasized its focus on commercializing and scaling its technology for carbon capture and utilization. The name change reflected a broader shift in the company’s strategy and market positioning.
They now have a web site at www.mcicarbon.com.
The old web site was at www.mineralcarbonation.com and the address now redirects to the new web site.
As I missed the name change, my last post on the company was Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank Makes Substantial Investment In Australia’s MCi Carbon.
I should probably have covered these stories earlier this year.
The world’s first CCU plant in the refractory industry
Japan’s MUCC Invests $5M In MCi Carbon To Advance Cement Decarbonization
MCi Carbon seems to be moving on.
Centrica Business Solutions Powers Gressingham Foods Into A Sustainable Future
The title of this post, is the same as this press release from Centrica Business Systems.
This is the sub-heading.
Centrica Business Solutions has partnered with luxury poultry supplier, Gressingham Foods, to decarbonise its operation and unlock significant energy savings, with the installation of a 3.27MW solar array
These four paragraphs detail the project, its operation and the thinking it.
The energy solutions company will deliver a 5,100 solar panel array to Gressingham Foods’ main food processing site in Redgrave, Suffolk capable of providing more than a quarter of its total energy requirements – enough energy to power 111 homes.
The project will break ground in March and is expected to be fully operational by September 2025.
Once live, the solar project will accelerate the decarbonisation plans of the famous Gressingham Duck producer, by reducing more than 670 tonnes of carbon in the first year alone. The chosen site for the project is part of the original Gressingham duck farmland on the property – with low agricultural land grading, solar represents a great solution to make sustainable use of the space.
The solar project is part of a flexible Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) that will see Gressingham Foods purchase the energy generated by the solar installation from Centrica Business Solutions over the next 12 years, with no upfront capital cost to Gressingham Foods. During this period, Centrica Business Solutions will own and maintain the solar site, guaranteeing its optimal performance.
I have posted this, as I feel the project is a good example of how this type of business can be partially decarbonised.
Certainly, with my rooftop solar installation, I now have the knowledge to have managed the energy on the stud farm, I owned with my wife, in a more efficient manner.
A Bespoke Tram-Train For The UK
Trams, tram-trains, trains and anything that runs on rails is generally very expensive.
Does this partly explain, why the UK has relatively few urban tramways and railways?
In Stadler Presents Mock-Up Of Tram-Trains For German And Austrian Operators, I discussed how five German and Austrian operators had got together to create a common tram-train design, that would be suitable for all the operators.
The mayor of one of the cities involved in the joint order, said savings of the order of a million euros per vehicle may have resulted from the common design.
I would also feel that savings in operational costs, design of infrastructure, spares inventory and other costs would also result.
Identical tram-trains would make through running between networks easier.
Where Could Tram-Trains Be Used In The UK?
Consider.
- Currently, tram-trains are running in Sheffield and a battery-electric version of the same Stadler Citylink tram-train will soon be running in Cardiff.
- Cardiff, is developing a Cardiff Crossrail on tram-train principles across the city.
- Sheffield have said that they will be replacing their trams and I believe they could use developments of their excellent Stadler tram-trains.
- Sheffield is likely to extend their tram system and might include tram-trains to Doncaster.
- Cities that have talked about adding tram-trains to their tram networks include Birmingham, Blackpool, Manchester and Nottingham.
- Leeds is developing a metro system, which could be developed using tram-train principles.
- Glasgow has talked about a tram-train to Glasgow Airport for some time.
- The East-West Rail Link is proposing a tram-train link between Ipswich and Felixstowe to allow more freight trains into the Port of Felixstowe.
There could be quite a number of tram-trains being used in the UK, especially if they are used as at Felixstowe, to increase freight capacity into ports.
These are a few of my thoughts.
Battery-Electric Tram-Trains
I would envisage, that a lot of the new tram-trains would operate using batteries. Especially, as battery-electric trains are showing quite long ranges of upwards of thirty miles.
Already trams in Birmingham and trains on Merseyside, are operating using batteries and it avoids the expense of putting up catenary, if enough exists to charge the trams.
Replacement of Diesel Multiple Units By Battery-Electric Tram-Trains
There are some branch lines, where diesel multiple units run off a branch of an electrified main line.These services could be decarbonised by changing the rolling stock.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the St. I’ves Bay Line in Cornwall.
Note.
- The St. Ives Bay Line is shown in yellow.
- The Southern terminal is St. Erth station, where it connects to the Cornish Main Line, which is shown in orange.
- The Northern terminal is St. Ives station, which is towards the top of the map.
- The St. Ives Bay Line is 4.25 miles long.
- No tracks are electrified.
- There are three intermediate stations.
This second OpenRailwayMap shows St. Erth station in more detail.
Note.
- The St. Ives Bay Line has its own platform at the side of the station.
- I am fairly certain, that some form of charging could be installed in this platform.
- At the other side of the Cornish Main Line are two sidings, which could be used for cleaning and maintenance.
A neat zero-carbon branch line could easily be created.
New Branch Lines To New Developments
In Sheffield Region Transport Plan 2019 – A New Tram-Train Route To A New Station At Waverley, I gave my view on a tram-train loop from the Sheffield-Lincoln Line to serve the Advanced Manufacturing Centre and new housing at Waverley.
The tram-train would run as a train to the branch line for the development and then run as a battery-electric tram, through the development.
As the Midland Main Line to Sheffield will be electrified, the tram-trains could be charged on the electrification in Sheffield station.
Build Them In Doncaster
Wabtec are closing Doncaster works.
Surely this would be the site to assemble the scores of tram-trains that could be needed in the UK.
Conclusion
Tram-trains could do a lot to improve the railways of the UK.
They would also help to decarbonise the existing system.
Scotch Whisky Is In A Unique Position
Scotland has so much zero-carbon energy now, let alone in a few years, that Scotch whisky would not be the most difficult of industries to make completely zero-carbon, which could marketing-wise completely trump any tariffs, that Trummkopf might impose.
- Already some small distilleries are using hydrogen to distill the whisky.
- Some glass bottles are already made using hydrogen instead of natural gas to make zero-carbon malt whiskies.
- I’m sure Cummins in Darlington, JCB in Rocester and Ricardo in Sussex will be pleased to help make farm machinery, mechanical handling and road transport zero carbon.
- Soft fruit like raspberries are already used to absorb the carbon dioxide from the distillation process in some areas of Scotland. I’m sure dealing with more quality raspberries would not be a problem.
- A large electrolyser is planned for Kintore in the North of Scotland. Think of the good publicity for say Centrica or SSE, if they built the world’s largest hydrogen plant to help make zero-carbon whisky.
These are some more thoughts.
Taste Is Everything
As only the method of providing heat and electricity will have been changed, I can’t see there will be any change to the taste.
It’s Already Happening
This page on the Annandale Distillery web site is entitled Annandale Distillery Pioneers Zero-Carbon Whisky Production with EXERGY 3 Project.
The Kintore Electrolyser
These figures summarise the Kintore Electrolyser.
- Total Electrolyser Capacity – 3 GW
- First Phase – 500 MW
- Hydrogen – 200 kTonnes per year
Explore the Kintore Hydrogen web site.
Marketing Advantage
Scotland, is probably, the only country, where the main ingredients for whisky come together in abundance ; barley, energy, tradition and water.
It also is all produced in a single country in many different brands and types, which could all be produced in a zero-carbon manner.
Conclusion
Let’s give Trump a beating and the planet a kiss.
Are Rolls-Royce Converting The World To Sussainable Fuels?
Rolls-Royce are certainly up to something.
- Versions of all their diesel and aero engines appear to be able to or will be able to run on hydrogen, SAF, HVO and other exotic zero or low-carbon fuels.
- They are replacing the engines on the USAF B 52s with new American-built Rolls-Royce engines, that can run on hydrogen.
- They are working with easyJet on zero-carbon engines.
- They are developing the UltraFan, which promises to be the most frugal turbofan engine ever. Will all long-distance wide-bodies end up Rolls-Royce powered?
- They have developed a frugal engine for business jets that can run on any fuel.
- Rolls-Royce have also developed a 2.5 MW electric generator based on the engine of a Super Hercules. This level of power is what you need for a railway locomotive.
- Are they building a retrofit for all the diesel-electric railway locomotives of the world, which runs on hydrogen?
Some of these developments could be moving from diesel, jet-fuel and SAF to hydrogen. Others will just reduce the amount of fuel needed.
I just can’t get the image of an iconic B 52, with RR on the side of the engines out of my mind.
But all of these developments seem to have one aim in mind. – To reduce the amount of aircraft and other large vehicles that have to run on standard jet fuel, diesel, SAF or HVO.
This will mean that long-distance air travel, which will be the most difficult to decarbonise will be able to use SAF and other exotic fuels made from renewable sources.
UK Gov’t Says Offshore Wind Backbone Of 2030 Clean Power System, Plans To Procure 12 GW More In Next Few Allocation Rounds
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Electricity generated by renewable sources and nuclear power will be the foundation of the UK’s electricity system by 2030, according to a new action plan the UK government issued in December 2024. Offshore wind, which now accounts for some 17 per cent of the country’s electricity generation, has “a particularly important role as the backbone of the clean power system”, the government said, revealing plans to make part of the path to building offshore wind farms easier as soon as before the Contract for Difference (CfD) round planned for the summer.
These two paragraphs add a few more details to the plan.
The action plan, issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), was presented by the UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband on 13 December and is said to be a “major milestone to deliver on the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change which aims to drive economic growth and rebuild Britain with mission-driven government”.
Clean Power 2030 Action Plan is a roadmap to an (almost) fully clean power system in the UK by 2030, with clean sources making up 95 per cent of Great Britain’s electricity generation with gas being used for no more than 5 per cent of total generation.
This Wikipedia entry is a List of Operational Wind Farms in the UK.
Operational Offshore Wind Farms
In October 2023, there were offshore wind farms consisting of 2,695 turbines with a combined capacity of 14,703 megawatts. Strike price based on £/MWh at 2012 prices.
Wind Farms Under Construction
Offshore wind farms currently under construction (offshore), with a combined capacity in December 2024 of 7,792 MW. Strike price based on £/MWh at 2012 prices.
Pre-Construction Wind Farms
Wind farms that have started onshore construction and have been awarded contracts under the UK Government’s Contracts for Difference Round 3 (2019)/Round 4 (2022). Total capacity of 3,932 MW. Strike price based on £/MWh at 2012 prices. These projects re-bid some capacity in Round 6 (2024) with a higher strike price.
Proposed Wind Farms – Contracts For Difference Round 4
Wind farms proposed under the Round 4 (2022) CFD auction,[88] with a combined capacity of 1,428 MW . Strike price based on £/MWh at 2012 prices.
Proposed Wind Farms – Contracts For Difference Round 6
Wind farms proposed under the Round 6 (2024) CFD auction,[88] with a combined capacity of 3,763 MW . Strike price based on £/MWh at 2012 prices.
Proposed Wind Farms – Previously Awarded In The CfD Round 3
This wind farm was proposed under the UK Government’s Contracts for Difference Round 3 (2019), which it decided to withdraw from. It will likely bid in AR6 with a changed specification from the original submission
Proposed Wind Farms – Early Planning
Wind farms that are in an exploratory phase and have not yet secured a Contract for Difference at auction.
Total capacities: England: 18,423 MW – Wales: 700 MW – Scotland: 30,326 MW
Current Totals
- Operational Offshore Wind Farms – 14,703 MW
- Wind Farms Under Construction – 7,792 MW
- Pre-Construction Wind Farms – 3,932 MW
- Contracts For Difference Round 4 – 1,428 MW
- Contracts For Difference Round 6 – 3,763 MW
- Previously Awarded In The CfD Round 3 – 0 MW
- Earlp Planning – England: 18,423 MW
- Early Planning – Wales: 700 MW
- Early Planning – Scotland: 30,326 MW
Adding up these totals gives 81.067 MW
As I’m typing this, the UK is generating and importing a total of 29,330 MW of electricity.
Conclusion
Another 12 GW of new offshore wind will mean that we will have 81,067 + 12,000 – 29330 MW of electricity to put in store or sell to the Germans and other Europeans.
Perhaps we should be investing in industries, that use large quantities of electricity like hydrogen steel-making or zero-carbon cement making.
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 