How Will The UK Power All These Proposed Data Centres?
On Wednesday, a cardiologist friend asked me if we have enough power to do Trump’s UK AI, so I felt this post might be a good idea.
Artificial Intelligence Gave This Answer
I first asked Google AI, the title of this post and received this reply.
The UK will power proposed data centres using a mix of grid-supplied low-carbon electricity from sources like offshore wind and through on-site renewable generation, such as rooftop solar panels. Data centre operators are also exploring behind-the-meter options, including battery storage and potential future nuclear power, to meet their significant and growing energy demands. However, the UK’s grid infrastructure and high energy prices present challenges, with industry calls for grid reform and inclusion in energy-intensive industry support schemes to facilitate sustainable growth.
Google also pointed me at the article on the BBC, which is entitled Data Centres To Be Expanded Across UK As Concerns Mount.
This is the sub-heading.
The number of data centres in the UK is set to increase by almost a fifth, according to figures shared with BBC News.
These are the first three paragraphs.
Data centres are giant warehouses full of powerful computers used to run digital services from movie streaming to online banking – there are currently an estimated 477 of them in the UK.
Construction researchers Barbour ABI have analysed planning documents and say that number is set to jump by almost 100, as the growth in artificial intelligence (AI) increases the need for processing power.
The majority are due to be built in the next five years. However, there are concerns about the huge amount of energy and water the new data centres will consume.
Where Are The Data Centres To Be Built?
The BBC article gives this summary of the locations.
More than half of the new data centres would be in London and neighbouring counties.
Many are privately funded by US tech giants such as Google and Microsoft and major investment firms.
A further nine are planned in Wales, one in Scotland, five in Greater Manchester and a handful in other parts of the UK, the data shows.
While the new data centres are mostly due for completion by 2030, the biggest single one planned would come later – a £10bn AI data centre in Blyth, near Newcastle, for the American private investment and wealth management company Blackstone Group.
It would involve building 10 giant buildings covering 540,000 square metres – the size of several large shopping centres – on the site of the former Blyth Power Station.
Work is set to begin in 2031 and last for more than three years.
Microsoft is planning four new data centres in the UK at a total cost of £330m, with an estimated completion between 2027 and 2029 – two in the Leeds area, one near Newport in Wales, and a five-storey site in Acton, north-west London.
And Google is building a data centre in Hertfordshire, an investment worth £740m, which it says will use air to cool its servers rather than water.
There is a map of the UK, with dots showing data centres everywhere.
One will certainly be coming to a suitable space near you.
Concerns Over Energy Needs
These three paragraphs from the BBC article, talk about the concerns about energy needs.
According to the National Energy System Operator, NESO, the projected growth of data centres in Great Britain could “add up to 71 TWh of electricity demand” in the next 25 years, which it says redoubles the need for clean power – such as offshore wind.
Bruce Owen, regional president of data centre operator Equinix, said the UK’s high energy costs, as well as concerns around lengthy planning processes, were prompting some operators to consider building elsewhere.
“If I want to build a new data centre here within the UK, we’re talking five to seven years before I even have planning permission or access to power in order to do that,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
But in Renewable Power By 2030 In The UK, I calculated that by 2030 we will add these yearly additions of offshore wind power.
- 2025 – 1,235 MW
- 2026 – 4,807 MW
- 2027 – 5,350 MW
- 2028 – 4,998 MW
- 2029 – 9,631 MW
- 2030 – 15,263 MW
Note.
- I have used pessimistic dates.
- There are likely to be more announcements of offshore wind power in the sea around the UK, in the coming months.
- As an example in Cerulean Winds Submits 1 GW Aspen Offshore Wind Project In Scotland (UK), I talk about 3 GW of offshore wind, that is not included in my yearly totals.
- The yearly totals add up to a total of 58,897 MW.
For solar power, I just asked Google AI and received this answer.
The UK government aims to have between 45 and 47 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity by 2030. This goal is set out in the Solar Roadmap and aims to reduce energy bills and support the UK’s clean power objectives. The roadmap includes measures like installing solar on new homes and buildings, exploring solar carports, and improving access to rooftop solar for renters.
Let’s assume that we only achieve the lowest value of 45 GW.
But that will still give us at least 100 GW of renewable zero-carbon power.
What will happen if the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine?
I have also written about nuclear developments, that were announced during Trump’s visit.
- Centrica And X-energy Agree To Deploy UK’s First Advanced Modular Reactors
- Is Last Energy The Artemis Of Energy?
- National Grid And Emerald AI Announce Strategic Partnership To Demonstrate AI Power Flexibility In The UK
- Nuclear Plan For Decommissioned Coal Power Station
- Raft Of US-UK Nuclear Deals Ahead Of Trump Visit
- Rolls-Royce Welcomes Action From UK And US Governments To Usher In New ‘Golden Age’ Of Nuclear Energy
This is an impressive array of nuclear power, that should be able to fill in most of the weather-induced gaps.
In Renewable Power By 2030 In The UK, I also summarise energy storage.
For pumped storage hydro, I asked Google AI and received this answer.
The UK’s pumped storage hydro (PSH) capacity is projected to more than double by 2030, with six projects in Scotland, including Coire Glas and Cruachan 2, potentially increasing capacity to around 7.7 GW from the current approximately 3 GW. This would be a significant step towards meeting the National Grid’s required 13 GW of new energy storage by 2030, though achieving this depends on policy support and investment.
There will also be smaller lithium-ion batteries and long duration energy storage from companies like Highview Power.
But I believe there will be another source of energy that will ensure that the UK achieves energy security.
SSE’s Next Generation Power Stations
So far two of these power stations have been proposed.
Note.
- Both power stations are being designed so they can run on natural gas, 100 % hydrogen or a blend of natural gas and hydrogen.
- Keadby will share a site with three natural gas-powered power stations and be connected to the hydrogen storage at Aldbrough, so both fuels will be available.
- Ferrybridge will be the first gas/hydrogen power station on the Ferrybridge site and will have its own natural gas connection.
- How Ferrybridge will receive hydrogen has still to be decided.
- In Hydrogen Milestone: UK’s First Hydrogen-to-Power Trial At Brigg Energy Park, I describe how Centrica tested Brigg gas-fired power station on a hydrogen blend.
- The power stations will initially run on natural gas and then gradually switch over to lower carbon fuels, once delivery of the hydrogen has been solved for each site.
On Thursday, I went to see SSE’s consultation at Knottingley for the Ferrybridge power station, which I wrote about in Visiting The Consultation For Ferrybridge Next Generation Power Station At Knottingley.
In the related post, I proposed using special trains to deliver the hydrogen from where it is produced to where it is needed.
Could HiiROC Be Used At Ferrybridge?
Consider.
- HiiROC use a process called thermal plasma electrolysis to split any hydrocarbon gas into hydrogen and carbon black.
- Typical input gases are chemical plant off gas, biomethane and natural gas.
- Carbon black has uses in manufacturing and agriculture.
- HiiROC uses less energy than traditional electrolysis.
- There is an independent power source at Ferrybridge from burning waste, which could be used to ower a HiiROC system to generate the hydrogen.
It might be possible to not have a separate hydrogen feed and still get worthwhile carbon emission savings.
Conclusion
I believe we will have enough electricity to power all the data centres, that will be built in the next few years in the UK.
Some of the new power stations, that are proposed to be built, like some of the SMRs and SSE’s Next Generation power stations could even be co-located with data centres or other high energy users.
In Nuclear Plan For Decommissioned Coal Power Station, I describe how at the former site of Cottam coal-fired power station, it is proposed that two Holtec SMR-300 SMRs will be installed to power advanced data centres. If the locals are objecting to nuclear stations, I’m sure that an SSE Next Generation power station, that was burning clean hydrogen, would be more acceptable.
Do Vitamin B12 Injections Make You Drowsy?
For the last couple of days I’ve been feeling a bit drowsy.
- The physio at my fitness class possibly noticed it on Friday.
- I certainly had a good siesta on Friday afternoon.
- This morning I went back to bed after the Ocado delivery at 06:30 and slept for an hour.
Google AI gave this answer to my question.
Cyanocobalamin is a form of vitamin B12 that is used to increase vitamin B12 levels. It is available in a variety of forms over the counter as a supplement and by prescription as an injection or nasal spray. Some common side effects may include headache, feeling weak or tired, and nausea.
I certainly didn’t have any headache or nausea. But then I rarely have the first and only have the second, when I see Donald Trump or Vladimir Putin on the television.
According to the BBC, we have been having unusually low atmospheric pressure for this time of year.
So I also asked Google AI if low atmospheric pressure can make you drowsy.
Google AI gave this answer to my question.
Yes, low atmospheric pressure can make you drowsy. This is because low pressure systems, often associated with stormy or cloudy weather, can lead to decreased sunlight exposure, which can disrupt the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle (circadian rhythm) and increase melatonin production, the hormone that promotes sleep. Additionally, low pressure can reduce oxygen saturation, potentially causing fatigue.
As my now-retired GP felt I was badly affected by low atmospheric pressure, I’ll go along with that!
As that GP and myself felt that low atmospheric pressure drew water out of my body and made me dehydrated, I asked Google a supplementary question – Does dehydration make you drowsy?
Google AI gave this answer to my question.
Yes, dehydration can definitely make you feel drowsy. When your body is dehydrated, it doesn’t have enough fluids to function optimally, which can lead to fatigue and drowsiness. Dehydration can also cause a drop in blood pressure, which can reduce blood flow to the brain, further contributing to feelings of tiredness and sleepiness, according to A.Vogel UK.
I’ll go along with that.
Conclusion
Did the combination of the B12 injection and the low atmospheric pressure combine to make me unusually drowsy?
It’s certainly a possibility.
The more I ask Dr. Google questions, that he passes to his computerised assistant, the more I like and trust the system.
The Arrogance of Samsung And/Or Google
I have been shut out of my messages on the phone by the arrogance of Samsung and/or Google.
They want me to change to a new piece of software and all I get when I try to get my messages is an oriental figure.
I have just restarted the phone and it appears to have gone as dead as a dodo.
They may think they are making progress, but my Nokia 6310i of twenty years ago, was much more useable and reliable.
At least it works as a phone and runs the apps I need.
I am seriously, thinking of giving up a mobile phone.
After all, they all die or get stolen within six months.
Could Liverpool Develop A Massive Zero-Carbon Data Centre?
There is an article in The Sunday Times today, which is entitled Google Signs Nuclear Deal To Power AI Data Centres.
These are the first three paragraphs of the article.
Google has struck a deal with a nuclear power start-up to provide low-carbon energy for its data centres and AI operations, marking a world-first in the tech industry.
The California-based company said the agreement to buy energy from multiple small modular reactors developed by Kairos Power could help spur a nuclear revival in America.
The first reactor is scheduled to come online in America by 2030, followed by additional deployments through 2035.
I am not against nuclear-powered data centres, but could Liverpool build a massive zero-carbon data centre?
This Google Map shows Liverpool Bay, which is a vast expanse of water that stretches along the North Wales coast to Anglesey and all the way to the Isle of Man.
Note.
- The Isle of Man in the North-West corner.
- Liverpool, Birkenhead and the River Mersey in the South-East corner.
- Anglesey in the South-West corner.
- Blackpool with Morecambe Bay to its North in the North-East corner.
Liverpool Bay could be one of Europe’s zero-carbon energy powerhouses.
Wind Farms In Liverpool Bay
At the present time, these wind farms are producing electricity or planned in Liverpool Bay.
- Barrow – 90 MW – Commissioned in 2006
- Burbo Bank – 90 MW – Commissioned in 2007
- Burbo Bank Extension – 258 MW – Commissioned in 2017
- Gwynt y Môr – 576 MW – Commissioned in 2015
- North Hoyle – 60 MW – Commissioned in 2003
- Ormonde – 150 MW – Commissioned in 2012
- Rhyl Flats – 90 MW – Commissioned in 2009
- Walney – 367 MW – Commissioned in 2010
- Walney Extension – 659 MW – Commissioned in 2018
- West if Duddon Sands – 389 MW – Commissioned in 2014
- Awel y Môr – 500 MW – Planned
- Morecambe – 480 MW – Planned
- Mona – 1500 MW – Planned
- Morgan – 1500 MW – Planned
Note.
- 2509 MW has been commissioned.
- 3980 MW is being planned.
- That is a total of 6489 MW
I suspect more space in Liverpool Bay could be developed with wind farms.
Mersey Tidal Power
The Mersey Tidal Power project has a web site.
If it is built, it will probably be built by the South Korean company; K-Water and use some of the design principles of the Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station.
It will likely have an output of around 1 GW and take ten years to build.
In the 1970s, I did some project management consultancy for Frederick Snow and Partners, and they showed me their plans for a Severn Barrage.
Their futuristic vision for the Severn Estuary was never built, as the Prime Minister of the time; Harold Wilson, felt coal was the future. See Last Of The Many!
I suspect that the Mersey Tidal Power project will be another variation on a proven theme.
Morecambe Bay Bridge And Tidal Barrage Proposal
In the Wikipedia entry for Morecambe Bay, there is a proposal for a bridge and tidal barrage across the bay, where this is said.
In 2004, a proposal was made to build a bridge across the bay flanked by wind turbines and using tidal power. Proposals from Northern Tidal Power Gateways in 2019 outlined a tidal barrage with a road running along on top.
If the Mersey Tidal Power project is a success, then why wouldn’t one across Morecambe Bay, be one too?
500 MW of zero-carbon tidal power would do nicely!
Nuclear Sites At Calder Hall, Heysham And Wylfa
These three nuclear stations have supplied electricity to the North-West of England.
- Calder Hall was the original Magnox site, which the Wikipedia entry says had a nameplate capacity of 240 MW and was decommissioned in 2003, after running for 47 years.
- Heysham is a powerful site which the Wikipedia entry says has a nameplate capacity of 2452 MW and will be decommissioned in 2028.
- Wylfa is an older, smaller Magnox site which the Wikipedia entry says had a nameplate capacity of 1190MW and was decommissioned in 2015.
As the sites are cleared, I am sure that we’ll see more nuclear power stations built on the sites.
How Much Electricity Does A Data Centre Use?
I found this paragraph in an NESO document.
Regardless of this, if we were to use existing market data and modelling projections, this could point to annual data centre electricity consumptions of between 3.6 TWh in 2020 to as much as 35 TWh by 2050.
Dividing by the hours in a year, indicates that an individual data centre could use between 0.4 and 4 GW of electricity.
Using my rough figures here from wind, tidal and nuclear, I suspect that the power on the Mersey will generate enough power for at least one data centre.
Liverpool Is On The Right Side Of The Country For Cables To North America
Cables will go straight out of Liverpool Bay, pass to the North of Ireland and across the Atlantic to somewhere like Puget Sound.
Liverpool has a superb location for a Transatlantic data centre, that connects to networks on both sides of the pond.
Could Underwater Data Centres Be Developed In Liverpool Bay?
This page on the Microsoft web site is entitled Microsoft Finds Underwater Datacenters Are Reliable, Practical And Use Energy Sustainably
These three paragraphs detail the research.
Earlier this summer, marine specialists reeled up a shipping-container-size datacenter coated in algae, barnacles and sea anemones from the seafloor off Scotland’s Orkney Islands.
The retrieval launched the final phase of a years-long effort that proved the concept of underwater datacenters is feasible, as well as logistically, environmentally and economically practical.
Microsoft’s Project Natick team deployed the Northern Isles datacenter 117 feet deep to the seafloor in spring 2018. For the next two years, team members tested and monitored the performance and reliability of the datacenter’s servers.
I would assume that Microsoft have continued the research, as with something like this you can’t be too careful.
But it would appear, that data centres and their servers could be submerged under the waters of Liverpool Bay.
London And Liverpool Will Be Under Two Hours By Train Within A Year
New Class 807 trains, which will be delivered within a year, will improve the train service between the two cities.
- Train times will be brought to around or even below two hours.
- , The extra trains will allow a second hourly service to be added.
- The extra service will additionally stop at Liverpool South Parkway station, for the airport.
- High Speed Two is claiming one hour and fifty minutes, between London and Liverpool.
Liverpool already has one of the best rail terminals in the North of England, as these pictures show.
With these service improvements, it will have a service to London and the South, that will be second to no other Northern station.
Liverpool Has A Refurbished Partly-Underground Suburban Railway With New Trains
Liverpool’s Metro is one of the best in Europe for a medium-sized city.
The Metro is also expanding with new routes and stations.
These pictures show the new Headbolt Lane station, which is swerved by the UK’s first battery-electric trains.
Liverpool Has Easy Access To Two International Airports
There are two international airports close by; Liverpool John Lennon and Manchester International.
- For Liverpool Airport, it’s a bus from Liverpool South Parkway station or an express bus from Liverpool city centre.
- For Manchester Airport, it’s a train from Lime Street station.
I am fairly sure, that a hydrofoil could connect Liverpool’s Waterfront and the Tidal Barrier to the airport.
North-West England Has A Rich University Tradition
Liverpool, Manchester and the surrounding area has several world-class universities and research establishments.
Some like The Pandemic Institute would be able to find uses for all the computing power and artificial intelligence on offer at a powerful data centre.
Liverpool Is A World City
Liverpool is a World City, where there is plenty of sport, entertainment and things to do.
Conclusion
Liverpool is installing the power infrastructure for a very large data centre, that will be able to handle the world’s largest and most difficult problems.
Gluten Sensitivity And Epilepsy: A Systematic Review
Yesterday, The Times published this article, which was entitled ‘Game-Changing’ NHS Laser Therapy To Prevent Epileptic Seizures.
One reader had made this comment.
Be ace too if they can tweak to help migraine.
I used to suffer from something like migraine about thirty years ago. But after being found to be coeliac and going gluten-free, what ever it was seemed to disappear from my life.
Type “Coeliac Disease and Migraine” into Dr. Google and there are lots of references.
This indicates to me that serious scientists and doctors, must believe there could be a link.
There certainly is with me and going gluten-free eased my migraine-like symptoms.
I then typed “Coeliac Disease and Epilepsy” into Dr. Google and found this paper, which was entitled Gluten Sensitivity And Epilepsy: A Systematic Review.
This information is from the Abstract of the paper
Objective
The aim of this systematic review was to establish the prevalence of epilepsy in patients with coeliac disease (CD) or gluten sensitivity (GS) and vice versa and to characterise the phenomenology of the epileptic syndromes that these patients present with.
Methodology
A systematic computer-based literature search was conducted on the PubMed database. Information regarding prevalence, demographics and epilepsy phenomenology was extracted.
Results
Epilepsy is 1.8 times more prevalent in patients with CD, compared to the general population. CD is over 2 times more prevalent in patients with epilepsy compared to the general population. Further studies are necessary to assess the prevalence of GS in epilepsy. The data indicate that the prevalence of CD or GS is higher amongst particular epileptic presentations including in childhood partial epilepsy with occipital paroxysms, in adult patients with fixation off sensitivity (FOS) and in those with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) with hippocampal sclerosis. A particularly interesting presentation of epilepsy in the context of gluten-related disorders is a syndrome of coeliac disease, epilepsy and cerebral calcification (CEC syndrome) which is frequently described in the literature. Gluten-free diet (GFD) is effective in the management of epilepsy in 53% of cases, either reducing seizure frequency, enabling reduced doses of antiepileptic drugs or even stopping antiepileptic drugs.
Conclusion
Patients with epilepsy of unknown aetiology should be investigated for serological markers of gluten sensitivity as such patients may benefit from a GFD.
My Thoughts
These are my thoughts.
Coeliacs Prior To 1960
Consider.
- Even if my excellent GP; Doctor Egerton White, felt I was coeliac, there was no test until 1960 for coeliac disease.
- And the test that was developed using endoscopy wasn’t anywhere near to the endoscopies of the present day.
- My late wife, who was a family barrister, likened the test to child abuse on a young child.
- I have heard some terrible horror stories of doctors looking for coeliac disease in young children in the 1950s.
- But there were some successes. A friend of mine, who is in her eighties, was successfully diagnosed by her parents using food elimination. But they were both GPs.
- Recently, I’ve met two elderly ladies, who only in the last couple of years have been diagnosed as coeliacs.
Luckily, I was never tested until 1997 and I was diagnosed in 48 hours, by gene testing.
Methodology
The methodology was based on a systematic computer-based literature search of the PubMed database.
This has these advantages.
- The rules for the search can be published and peer-reviewed.
- Its Wikipedia entry says PubMed is a free database including primarily the MEDLINE database of references and abstracts on life sciences and biomedical topics.
- The technique can surely be applied repeatedly, to see how results are changing with time.
- The search can be modified to analyse any topic, drug or condition, that appears in the PubMed database.
- The analysis could surely be applied to other databases.
As a writer of data analysis software, developing this sort of software, would be really enjoyable.
Google Starts Building £790m Site In Hertfordshire
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Google has invested $1bn (£790m) to build its first UK data centre
These are the first four paragraphs.
The tech giant said construction had started at a 33-acre site in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, and hoped it would be completed by 2025.
Google stressed it was too early to say how many jobs would be created but it would need engineers, project managers, data centre technicians, electricians, catering and security personnel.
The prime minister said it showed the UK had “huge potential for growth”.
The project marked the latest investment by a major US tech firm in Britain, after Microsoft announced it would invest £2.5bn to expand data centres for artificial intelligence (AI) across the UK.
Note.
- By “completed by 2025” do they mean completed before 2025 or completed by the end of 2025. Judging by the time they took to build their London HQ, its the latter.
- Rishi is right about the UK having a huge potential for growth! Especially, if the nihilists of the United States vote in the Big Orange!
- Judging by the total spend of £2.5 billion on data centres and the £790 million for this one, this looks to be the first of three.
But where is this data centre going to be built?
This article on EssexLive is entitled Google To Move Into Waltham Cross With £788m Data Centre To Support ‘AI Innovation’, where this is said.
The new data centre will go on land at Maxwell’s Farm, next to the A10 Great Cambridge Road and around one mile from the M25 junction 25. Debbie Weinstein, Google vice president and managing director in the UK and Ireland, set out the decision in a blog post on Thursday, January 18 – the fourth day of the World Economic Forum’s Davos 2024 in Switzerland.
This is a Goggle Map of that area, when I searched for Maxwell’s Farm.
Note.
- The red arrow indicates the result of my search, which Google interpreted as A.J. Maxwell.
- The dual-carriageway road running down the East side of the map is the A10 between London and Cambridge.
- The A10 road joins the M25 at Junction 25.
- The arrow to the South-West of the roundabout indicates the new studios; Sunset Waltham Cross, which is being built.
- At the other side of the studio site, there is a label saying New River and this important piece of London’s water infrastructure can be traced to the top of the map.
- The other dual-carriageway road is the B198 or Lieutenant Ellis Way.
- A quick calculation shows that 33 acres is roughly a 365 metre square.
I would suspect that the data centre will lie somewhere between the A10, the B198 and the New River.
This Google Map shows the South-East corner of the site.
Note.
- There appears to be a lane running East-West, that crosses over both the A10 and the New River.
- Theobalds Lane appears to have some housing and possibly a farm.
- The smaller field by the roundabout appears to have some animals using it as grazing.
- The field between the East-West lane and Theobalds Lane appears to have a good crop of cereal.
The East-West lane would appear to be a possible Southern border of the site.
This Google Map shows where the East-West lane goes.
Note.
- The lane leads to Queen Mary’s High School.
- The school also has access from Lieutenant Ellis Way.
- The New River appears to form, the Eastern boundary of the school site.
- There are sports pitches between the New River and the school.
The New River looks to be the Western boundary of the Google site.
This Google Map shows around the red arrow from the Google search that led me to this area.
Note.
- A.J. Maxwell is identified by the red arrow in the Theobalds Enterprise Centre.
- The New River can be seen at the West of the map.
- A hedge runs roughly East-West to the North of the Enterprise Centre.
- North of the hedge are a number of football pitches, which appear to belong to the Affinity Academy at Goffs Churchgate.
The hedge could be the Northern boundary of the Google site.
This Google Map shows the area between the South of the Enterprise Centre and the East-West lane I picked out earlier.
A crude measurement indicates it could be around 33 acres or slightly more.
This picture is used in nearly all the news reports about the Data Centre.
Note.
- Could that be the gentle curve of the New River on the left?
- With the high fence, the New River forms an almost-mediaeval defence against trespassers.
- There looks to be a dual-carriageway road running down the other side of the site, which would be the A10.
- Between the A10 and the site, there appears to be loots of dark areas, which I take to be car parks.
- Are the car-parking spaces in the front of the picture marked for those, who are disabled? There certainly appear to be chargers on some spaces.
I have a few thoughts.
The Relative Locations Of Google’s Data Centre And Sunset Studios?
This Google Map shows the two sites to the West of the A10.
Note.
- St. Mary’s High School is in the North-West corner of the map.
- Cheshunt Football Club is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The dual-carriageway A10 runs North-South on the map.
- I believe that Google’s Waltham Cross Data Centre will be located in the field to the West of the A10, at the top of the map.
- The A10 connects to the M25 at Junction 25, which is in the centre at the bottom of the map.
- In The Location Of Sunset Studios In Broxbourne, Sunset Studios are placed to the North West of the Junction 25 roundabout.
- Just as the A10 forms the Eastern boundary of both sites, the New River forms the Western boundary.
The two sites are close together between the A10 and the New River, separated by the dual-carriageway Lieutenant Ellis Way.
Will Google’s Data Centre Be Storing Data For Sunset Studios?
I’ve never worked in the production of films, but these days with digital electronic cameras, CGI, motion capture and other techniques, producing a film must need huge amounts of data storage.
- So have Sunset Studios outsourced their data storage needs to Google?
- Perhaps too, Sunset Studios found the local authority welcoming and this attitude was recommended to Google.
- Both sites will need local services like electricity, gas, sewage and water.
I suspect that there would be cost savings in construction and operation, if the two sites shared the utilities.
Providing Electricity And Heat For Both Sites
Consider.
- I estimate from information given in the Wikipedia entry for Google Data Centres, that a data centre needs between 10 and 12 MW.
- There is no obvious power source like offshore wind or a nuclear power station nearby.
- There is the 715 MW Rye House gas-fired power station, which is a few miles away.
- In Google Buys Scottish Offshore Wind Power, I talked about how Google had signed a Corporate Power Purchase Agreement to buy 100 MW from the Moray West offshore wind farm.
Google and Sunset Studios would also want an electrical and heat supply that is at least 100 % reliable.
Liverpool University had the same problem on their hundred acre campus in the centre of Liverpool.
- The University decided to build their own 4 MW Combined Heat and Power Unit (CHP), which is described in this data sheet.
- It is fired by natural gas.
- On their web site, Liverpool University state that their CHP can be adapted to different fuel blends. I take this includes zero-carbon fuels like hydrogen and carbon-neutral fuels like biomethane.
But given their location in Waltham Cross close to the Lea Valley, CHP units may have a use for their carbon dioxide.
This Google Map shows between Junction 15 of the M25 and Tomworld.
Note.
- Junction 25 of the M25, where it joins the A10 is in the South-West corner of the map.
- The sites of Google’s Data Centre and Sunset Studios can be picked out with reference to the previous map.
- Tomworld is in the North-East corner of the map.
- So why should Tomworld need a lot of carbon-dioxide?
This Google Map shows Tomworld.
Note.
- This web page indicates what Tomworld do.
- They have 44 acres of glass growing tomatoes, about five miles to the North-East of Google’s Data Centre.
- The map has lots of other greenhouses.
I know of a guy, who has a large greenhouse, that grows tomatoes for the supermarkets.
- He heats the greenhouse with a gas-fired Combined Heat and Power Unit (CHP).
- The electricity produced runs his business.
- Any surplus electricity is fed into the grid.
- The carbon dioxide is fed to the plants in the greenhouse, which helps them grow quality tomatoes.
I just wonder, if carbon dioxide from CHP units at Google’s Data Centre and Sunset Studios could be used by the multitude of greenhouses in the Lea Valley.
Could A Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Be Built Along The M25?
This Google Map shows the Northern section of the M25, South of Waltham Cross.
Note.
- The M25 running East-West across the bottom of the map.
- Junction 25 of the M25 in the South-West corner of the map.
- The A10 running North-South at the West of the map.
- Google’s data centre and Sunset Studio are to the West of the A10.
- The River Lee, which has numerous water courses is at the East of the map.
I wonder, if a carbon dioxide pipeline could be built along the M25 to connect the producers to those who could use it?
- It would not be a dangerous pipeline as carbon dioxide is a fire extinguisher.
- It wouldn’t be a huge pipe.
I think it would be possible.
Google’s Commitment To Being Zero-Carbon
This blog post on the Google web site is entitled Our $1 Billion Investment In A New UK Data Centre, has a section, which has a sub-title of 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy By 2030, where this is a paragraph.
Additionally, we’re also exploring new and innovative ways to use the heat generated by data centres, and this new facility will also have provisions for off-site heat recovery. Off-site heat recovery presents an opportunity for energy conservation that benefits the local community, as it allows us to capture the heat generated by the data centre so that it can be used by nearby homes and businesses. The data centre is also set to deploy an air-based cooling system.
If they are using off-site heat recovery, it would be logical to use waste carbon dioxide from CHPs to provide carbon dioxide for the local horticultural businesses.
Will Google Be Building A Vertical Farm Nearby?
In Schneider Electric: Vertical Farming – The Next Yield In Data Centre Sustainability, I noted that some data centres are paired with vertical farms to increase their sustainability.
Could Google be doing that in Waltham Cross?
- They will have a lot of waste heat.
- They will have a fair bit of carbon dioxide, which could be used to help plants grow.
- The local workforce probably contains a lot of experience of market gardening.
I like the idea of pairing a data centre and a vertical farm.
Public Transport Access
Consider.
- Increasingly, the cost of electric vehicles, medical problems and the UK economic situation are causing people to adopt a car-free lifestyle.
- After my stroke, my eyesight deteriorated such, that I am no longer allowed to drive.
- Others may live in one-car families and it may not be their’s to use every day.
- Or your car may just break down on the way to work.
For these and probably lots of other reasons, any large site employing a lot of employees, must have a valid way of getting there by public transport.
The nearest rail station to Google’s Data Centre and Sunset Studios is Theobalds Grove station.
This Google Map shows the roads between the sites and the station.
Note.
- The Sunset Waltham Cross label in the South West corner.
- Google’s Data Centre will be just off the map to the West of the A10.
- Theobalds Grove station is marked by the TfL roundel in the North-East corner of the map.
- There would appear to be no bus stops on Winston Churchill Way or the A10.
I walked South from the station to Winston Churchill Way, where I took these pictures.
Note.
- At that point, I gave up because of the cold and pollution.
- It was also a Saturday morning about midday.
The route I took is certainly not an alternative route to get to Google’s Data Centre or Sunset Studios.
A Possible Station At Park Plaza North
This article on the BBC is entitled Broxbourne: Two New Stations Planned.
This is the sub-heading.
Two new train stations could be built in Hertfordshire if plans to tighten planning policies are adopted.
This is the first paragraph.
Broxbourne Borough Council said stops at Park Plaza North – between Turkey Street and Theobalds Grove London Overground stations – and Turnford on the London to Bishop’s Stortford route would be subject to a consultation.
Later the BBC say that Park Plaza North station will be South of the A121 Winston Churchill Way near Waltham Cross
This Google Map shows the area South-East of the roundabout, where Winston Churchill Way meets the A10.
Note.
- The green patch of land to the South-East of the roundabout where Winston Churchill Way meets the A10 appears to be ripe for development.
- Looking at the green patch with a higher resolution, the land is little more than high class scrub beloved of newts.
- The London Overground line to Cheshunt runs down the East side of the site.
- To the North, the London Overground crosses Winston Churchill Way to get to Theobalds Grove station.
- To the South, the London Overground crosses the M25 to get to Turkey Street station.
- There is a lane running East-West along the South edge of the site, which crosses the railway in a level crossing.
This picture clipped from Google StreetView shows the level crossing.
This is certainly one, that drivers dread.
This GoogleMap shows the level crossing and a stretch of the London Overground.
Note.
- The level crossing is in the South-East corner of the map.
- There isn’t much space to put a London-bound platform on the East side of the tracks, South of the Park Road circle.
- There is plenty of space to put a Cheshunt-bound platform on the West side of the tracks.
- North of the Park Road circle, there would appear to be space for two platforms.
It will need a lot of ingenuity to provide a safe and efficient solution to the problems of the level crossing and fitting a station in this limited space.
The first thing I’d do, would be to dig an underpass for pedestrians and cyclists to connect the two halves of Park Lane.
What Percentage Of Government Finance Is Fuel Duties?
I typed the title of this post into Google.
Google found this page from the Office of Budget Responsibility.
This was the first paragraph.
Fuel duties are levied on purchases of petrol, diesel and a variety of other fuels. They represent a significant source of revenue for government. In 2023-24, we expect fuel duties to raise £24.3 billion. That would represent 2.3 per cent of all receipts and is equivalent to £867 per household and 0.9 per cent of national income.
I don’t drive after a stroke ruined my eyesight, so I pay nothing directly.
But when everybody is in electric vehicles, how is the £24.3 billion hole in the government’s finances caused by no-one paying duty on petrol and diesel to be filled?
I would assume that everyone will have a black box in their vehicle and they’ll pay according to the miles they drive, their speed, the congestion and the vehicle type.
And of course if a driver exceeds the speed limit, they’ll be automatically sent a ticket.
I can understand why Labour politicians like Mark Drakeford and Sadiq Khan are so keen on 20 mph limits.
Has that nice Rachel Reeves told them what she has planned for motorists?
Their eyes must be rolling like cash registers.
Moray West First UK Round 4 Offshore Wind Project To Reach Financial Close
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Moray West Offshore Wind Farm, owned by Ocean Winds and minority shareholder Ignitis Group, has secured GBP 2 billion of non-recourse project finance and reached financial close, the developers announced on 21 April and said this was the first project from the UK’s Contract for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round 4 to reach this milestone.
This is the first paragraph.
The construction work for the wind farm has already started, with this phase of the project set to create 1,000 direct jobs in the UK. With financial close in place, the project will now move to secure the remaining elements of supply chain activity in preparation for offshore installation works later this year which will be fully completed by 2025, when the 882 MW Moray West is scheduled to be fully operational.
That sounds good for Scotland and electricity users in the UK.
But this paragraph is probably the most important.
According to its developers, the 882 MW offshore wind farm is the first in the UK to rely in majority on corporate power purchase agreements (CPPAs) for the commercialisation of its output. CPPAs were signed with long-term strategic partners, for more than 50 per cent of the project’s output, enabling the rapid progress of the project. The vital CPPAs were originated in partnership with ENGIE and represent the largest contracts of their kind implemented in the UK market to date, Ocean Winds said in a press release.
There’s not much point in making something that nobody wants to buy at the price you need for a profitable sale.
But with all those CPPAs, one of which is with Google, Moray West wind farm appears to be on his way.
Google Buys Scottish Offshore Wind Power
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading and the first paragraph.
ENGIE and Google have entered into a 12-year, 100 MW corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA) supporting the Moray West offshore wind development in Scotland.
ENGIE will provide Google with more than 5 TWh of green power from the Moray West project, a nearly 900 MW offshore wind farm set to begin generating power from 2025.
Increasingly, it seems that large energy users are committing themselves to long-term energy deals.
One of Google’s senior people is quoted as saying.
People across the UK and Europe are increasingly worried about climate change and energy security. We share that concern and believe technology is an important part of the solution – both by reducing our own emissions, and by helping others to reduce their own.
I have a few thoughts.
How Much Of Moray West’s Output Is 5 TWh?
Consider.
- Moray West has an maximum output of 882 MW.
- This converts to 7.73 TWh.
If Google are buying all the electricity produced by the wind farm, that would mean that the capacity factor is around 64.7 %, which is quite reasonable, if a bit high for a fixed foundation wind farm.
If we are, it does surely reflect a desire for stability and security in a fast-changing world.
Are We Seeing More Corporate Power Purchase Agreements (CPPAs)?
The Anonymous Widower 