Has Andy Burnham Made Any Comments About The Picc-Vic Tunnel?
This is the introductory paragraph for the Wikipedia entry for the Picc-Vic Tunnel.
Picc-Vic was a proposed, and later cancelled, underground railway designed in the early 1970s with the purpose of connecting two major mainline railway termini in Manchester city centre, England. The name Picc-Vic was a contraction of the two key station names, Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria. The proposal envisaged the construction of an underground rail tunnel across Manchester city centre. The scheme was abandoned in 1977 during its proposal stages. The view was that the scheme still retained two large and expensive-to-maintain terminal stations in Manchester while other similarly sized cities had reduced their terminals to one.
Note.
- British Rail had a plan to improve the rail system in the North of England, by building rail tunnels under Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle.
- Liverpool’s and Newcastle’s tunnels were built and are used by Merseyrail and the Newcastle Metro.
- Harold Wilson cancelled the Picc-Vic Tunnel, the TSR2, the Channel Tunnel and Maplin Airport, as he’d run out of taxpayer’s money.
I asked Google-AI, the question in the title of this post, and received this answer.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has made extensive comments about the Picc-Vic tunnel, effectively resurrecting the concept of an underground railway for the city.
Key details of his statements include:
The Vision: Burnham has tasked Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) with designing a conceptual underground system—which has been likened to a “Crossrail for Manchester”. He envisions two lines (North-South and East-West) intersecting at a new subterranean station at Manchester Piccadilly.
Rebranding the Concept: Acknowledging the original 1970s Picc-Vic plan that was ultimately shelved, Burnham views the new tunnel as an absolute necessity to cope with the city’s growth, stating “it is essential to the future economic prosperity of the city-region”.
Piccadilly Station: He is adamant that Manchester Piccadilly Station should be the “Kings Cross of the North”. He has pushed heavily against “cut-price” infrastructure, demanding an entirely underground railway option rather than sprawling over-ground train lines.
Next Steps: He has instructed officials to prepare detailed plans and cost estimates for the multi-billion pound project, with initial discussions on funding mechanisms already underway with the government.
You can read more about his 10-year strategy announcement on the BBC News report or follow local discourse on the Reddit Manchester threads.
Conclusion
If Andy Burnham is going to do all this for his beloved Manchester, can the rest of the country, afford him to be Prime Minister?
Encomara’s Floating Wind Installation Technology Gets ABS Design Approval
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Encomara’s floating wind installation technology, Squid, has received Product Design Assessment (PDA) certification from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)
These three paragraphs add more details.
The PDA follows an Approval in Principle (AiP) granted by ABS in November 2025 and moves the system a step closer to commercial deployment, according to Encomara, as it advances the technology along its qualification pathway towards Technology Readiness Level assessment and market adoption.
The technology is developed by Encomara and manufactured by Aurora Energy Services (AES), which acquired the Aberdeen-based company in 2025.
Squid integrates pre-installed mooring lines and electrical connections into a single subsea unit, enabling floating wind turbines to be connected using a “plug-and-play” approach.
In some ways the project reminds me of a floating oil and gas production platform, on which I did the calculations.
But the Balaena Structures design never sold a platform and the company, which was based in Cambridge, folded.
Encomara have a web site, which is well worth a visit.
Does Floating Wind Power Have A Higher Capacity Factor Than Fixed Foundation Wind Power?
I asked Google AI the question in the above sub-title and received this answer.
Yes. Floating wind power typically achieves higher capacity factors than fixed-foundation wind power.
The main reasons for this performance edge include:
Stronger, More Consistent Winds: Floating platforms allow turbines to be placed much further offshore, where wind speeds are higher, steadier, and less turbulent.
Access to Deeper Waters: Over 80% of deep-water offshore wind resources exist in waters too deep for fixed-bottom structures.
Performance Comparisons: Fixed offshore wind turbines typically see capacity factors ranging between 45% and 60% (depending on the location), whereas floating installations can push past 60%. For instance, the Hywind floating wind farm in Scotland achieved a capacity factor exceeding 65% in its first months of operation.
Despite this higher generation yield, floating wind technology is generally more complex and features higher installation and capital costs than fixed-bottom turbines.
I also believe that some of the floating wind technology, lends itself to advanced production and installation methods.
Toyota Hydrogen Cars At Le Mans
I gave the title of this post to Google AI and this is what I received.
Toyota is aggressively pushing hydrogen technology at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, moving beyond concepts to on-track public demonstrations of the TR LH2 Racing Prototype. Powered by a liquid-hydrogen combustion engine, the vehicle aims to showcase the viability of hydrogen as a near-zero emission fuel in endurance racing.
The TR LH2 Racing Prototype
The Vehicle: Built on the same chassis as Toyota’s TR010 HYBRID. It acts as a dedicated technology development platform to test hydrogen performance under extreme endurance conditions.
On-Track Debut: The prototype officially took to the track for demonstration laps at the 13.626km Circuit de la Sarthe during the 94th Le Mans 24 Hours.
The Drivers: The vehicle was driven in special dynamic sessions by former Le Mans winner Kazuki Nakajima.
The Competition: Toyota’s demos also featured other pioneering hydrogen machines, including the Alpine Alpenglow and the Ligier Bosch JS2 RH2.
Long-Term Vision & Infrastructure
Timeline: The ACO (Automobile Club de l’Ouest) is targeting the introduction of an official hydrogen class at Le Mans, with race entries potentially slated for upcoming endurance racing seasons.
Hydrogen Village: During the race week, Toyota highlighted the full hydrogen ecosystem.
Fans could explore the Hydrogen Village, which featured a functional TotalEnergies 700-bar liquid hydrogen refueling station.
Fuel Cell Support: Toyota’s commitment expanded to race operations, with official team staff and drivers utilizing hydrogen fuel cell buses and Toyota Hilux Fuel Cell prototypes during the event week.
Toyota seem serious about hydrogen.
Is The UK Developing Sea-Drones To Protect Wind Farms?
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this post and received this answer.
Yes, the UK is actively developing and utilizing sea-drones (and autonomous boats) for its offshore wind farms. This technology is being used to protect the farms by patrolling subsea infrastructure, inspecting underwater turbine foundations, and delivering heavy equipment to mitigate human risk.
Here is a look at how sea drones and autonomous systems are being developed and used for the UK’s offshore energy sector:
Subsea Security and Patrolling: The UK and NATO are highly focused on protecting critical subsea cables and wind networks from adversarial interference. Firms like Aberdeen-based Honuworx have been contracted to develop autonomous underwater vehicles capable of prolonged remote operation for defense and infrastructure surveillance.
Underwater Structure Inspection: Projects like the UNITE program (led by Heriot-Watt University and supported by the National Robotarium) are testing AI-controlled underwater robots to operate in turbulent seas and maintain offshore wind infrastructure. Meanwhile, Beam (an offshore wind services company) successfully deployed the world’s first AI-driven autonomous underwater drone at Scotland’s Seagreen wind farm, cutting inspection times in half.
Sailing Drones & Remote Operations: Energy companies like Vattenfall are controlling uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) and sailing drones from remote operation centers in Aberdeen to patrol and keep North Sea wind farms safe and efficient.
Heavy-Lift Cargo Drones: Beyond sea drones, energy giant Ørsted has utilized giant autonomous drones to deliver heavy equipment—like 70kg boxes of safety gear—directly to the tops of offshore wind turbines in the UK, removing the need for ships and cranes in rough seas
We should fight fire with innovation.
Can A ‘Secret Sauce’ Help Store Renewable Energy?
The title of this post, is the same as that as this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
The US-Israel war with Iran has led to higher electricity bills and put the issue of energy security back in the spotlight.
These two paragraphs add more detail to the story.
Now a pilot project inspired by a 100-year-old idea aims to store renewable energy.
Those behind the high density hydro demonstrator scheme near Plymouth say the technology can “turn small hills into giant batteries”, as part of the transition away from fossil fuels.
This is one of those stories, that could only emerge in the UK.
If you have the time, click on the link to the BBC article and read it in full.
I have a feeling, that the world will be hearing a lot about RheEnergise.
I asked Google AI, “How Much Energy Can A RheEnergise Battery Store”, and received this reply.
A RheEnergise system acts like pumped-storage hydro, using a dense fluid instead of water to store energy.
Planned commercial facilities are designed to store 2 to 16 hours of energy capacity, offering between 10 MW and 50 MW of power generation.
The exact energy storage figures for their deployments scale depending on the site requirements.
The breakdown of how these installations store and yield energy includes:
Commercial-Scale Capacity: A standard commercial site ranging from 10 MW to 50 MW will yield between 20 MWh and 800 MWh of total energy output (based on operating at full capacity for 2 to 16 hours).
The “Secret Sauce”: The system uses a proprietary fluid called R-19, which is 2.5 times denser than water.
This density allows the system to generate 2.5× more power and energy from the same physical footprint and vertical drop compared to traditional water-based facilities.
Real-World Pilot: The company operates a 500 kW demonstrator project at Cornwood near Plymouth, UK. This smaller test-bed, if run continually, generates energy equivalent to powering about 400 homes for an entire year.
Zero Seasonal Losses: Unlike chemical batteries (like lithium-ion) that degrade and lose charge over time, pumped hydro setups suffer virtually zero energy loss while the fluid sits idle.
Sizewell B Nuclear Plant To Get Life Extension
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Energy Live News.
This is the sub-heading.
Power station was slated to close in 2035 but could have its life extended by two decades
These two paragraphs add detail to the story.
EDF and Centrica are preparing to invest around £800 million to keep Sizewell B generating for another 20 years, according to reports.
The Suffolk nuclear plant is currently due to close in 2035 but the companies are in talks with the UK Government over a deal that could extend operations to 2055.
These are also some facts from Wikipedia and other sources.
- Sizewell B was commissioned in 1995.
- It has a capacity of 1.2 GW.
- It provides three percent of the UK’s power.
- According to Google AI, Sizewell B has had an excellent safety record.
- Sizewell A is the only UK nuclear power plant that I have visited and I was very impressed how they managed the annual shutdowns.
Incidentally, according to Google AI, Sizewell A generated electricity for forty years and only had one alarming problem during decommissioning.
How Many Similar Nuclear Plants Are There In The World Like Sizewell B?
I have to ask this question, as when you are running old machines of any type, the more operational examples you have the better.
I asked Google AI and received this answer.
Sizewell B is the UK’s only commercial Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR). Its nuclear core is based on the Westinghouse 4-loop SNUPPS (Standardized Nuclear Unit Power Plant System). While hundreds of PWRs operate worldwide, only two exact global clones share this foundational design, alongside heavily adapted reactors.
The Exact SNUPPS Clones (2 in the world)
Sizewell B’s “nuclear island” is fundamentally based on the SNUPPS model developed in the 1970s.
Only two other plants share this exact base design:
Callaway Nuclear Generating Station (Missouri, USA)
Wolf Creek Generating Station (Kansas, USA)
Note: While Sizewell B utilizes this base architecture, it features significant UK-specific modifications, such as heavily diversified safety systems and an Emergency Boration System.
Similar 4-Loop Westinghouse PWRs
If you are looking at the broader Westinghouse 4-loop PWR family—the wider technological class that Sizewell B belongs to—there are dozens of similar reactors spread across the globe.
These operate in countries like the United States, France, South Korea, and China.
I have been over four PWRs of various makes in the United States and only one gave me any cause for concern.
My training at ICI taught me, that if you have a complicated and possibly dangerous plant or factory, you must keep it tidy, as that lowers the risk of accidents.
This nuclear power plant was the most untidy industrial plant I’d ever seen. Since I visited in the 1980s, it has been decommissioned and demolished.
Would I Be Happy To See Sizewell B Carry On Generating?
Obviously, I’d be guided by the various authorities and information from around the world.
But Sizewell has the Leiston factor. Leiston is the nearest town to the Sizewell site.
This is a paragraph from Leiston’s Wikipedia entry.
Leiston thrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a manufacturing town, dominated by Richard Garrett & Sons, owners of Leiston Works, which boasted the world’s first flow assembly line, for the manufacture of portable steam engines. The firm also made steam tractors and a huge variety of cast and machined metal products, including munitions during both world wars. The works closed in 1981 and the site was reused as a mixture of housing, flats and industrial sites. The Long Shop Museum, showing the history, vehicles and products of the works, remains as a heritage tourist attraction.
Did the engineering heritage of the area contribute to the good safety records of the first two Sizewell nuclear power stations?
I also lived near the nuclear site at Sizewell for thirty years and the feeling of Suffolk people about the power stations is more one of pride, rather than fear.
An Extreme Day Out – Bedlington And Northumberland Park Stations
This OpenRailwayMap shows the Northumberland Line and the Eastern part of the Newcastle Metro.
Note.
- The yellow track is the Northumberland Line.
- It terminates in the North at Ashington in the top-left corner of the map.
- Bebington station is indicated by the blue arrow.
- It terminates in the South at Newcastle station.
- The green track is the Newcastle Metro.
- There is now an interchange between the two lines at Northumberland Park station.
In the following sections, I’ll describe my trip.
King’s Cross And Newcastle Return For £66.35
I bought my two long distance tickets on a walk-up basis at King’s Cross and Newcastle stations from the machines.
- I traveled North on a Lumo service to Glasgow for £27.20.
- I did indulge myself with a tea for £2.60.
- I traveled South on an LNER service for £36.55.
- One of the reasons, I buy tickets on a walk-up basis, is that with my uncomplicated pancolonic diverticular disease, I might decide to cancel at the last minute, so it avoids the hassle of getting refunds.
Both services were within a few minutes of the timetable, although LNER had said they would be late, due to signalling problems.
My Route In Northumberland For £2.60
I bought a return ticket at Newcastle station for Ashington, which is the current terminus of the Northumberland Line.
- I actually didn’t go past Bedlington station, where I turned round and had a drink.
- As there are two trains per hour on the Northumberland Line, waits are not generally not too long.
- I only came back as far as Northumberland Park, where I swapped to the Metro for Newcastle station.
If I had had more time, I would have stopped at Seaton Delaval station to have a gluten-free dinner, which I wrote about in Seaton Delaval Station – 30th March 2025.
From Newcastle to Bedlington Station
I took these pictures going to Bedlington station.
I would have taken more pictures, but the train was rather full.
Bedlington Station And Bedlington
I took these pictures at and around Bedlington station.
Note.
- Although it is a completely rebuilt station, it has a level crossing.
- But is the signal box keeping a watchful eye over trains and the road?
- Bedlington station appears to be step-free using ramps and the level crossing.
- Just to the North of the station, the tracks split to Ashington and Morpeth.
In my forty minutes or so in Bedlington, I didn’t see a terrier.
Are Any Bedlington Terriers Still Bred At Or Near Bedlington?
I had to ask Google AI, this question and I received this reply.
Yes, Bedlington Terriers are still bred in and around their namesake town in Northumberland, UK. While they are a relatively rare breed overall, the historic North East region remains one of the primary strongholds for these distinct “lamb-like” dogs.
Northumberland Park Station
I took these pictures at Northumberland Park station.
Note.
- The Northumberland Line uses a single bi-directional platform on the North side of the station.
- The Newcastle Metro uses an island platform on the South side of the station.
- Both platforms have steps and lifts.
- There are around 400 parking spaces and a Sainsbury’s Superstore at the station.
At 78, after a stroke, I didn’t find the change between the two lines difficult. But I did use the lifts!
What Are The Future Plans For The Northumberland Line?
I couldn’t resist asking Google AI this question and I received this answer.
With the Bedlington and Northumberland Park stations fully operational, the core phase of the Northumberland Line connecting Ashington to Newcastle is complete. Future plans now focus on route extensions, additional stops, and increasing capacity to handle high passenger demand.
Key Future Plans
Extension to the Coast: The North East Combined Authority is actively funding the development of an extension to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, utilizing existing freight tracks. Planning submissions for this expansion are targeted for 2028.
New Station Proposals: Proposals are being explored to build an additional stop serving the Wansbeck General Hospital and to replace the long-closed Choppington station.
Increased Capacity: Operator Northern Rail is in ongoing discussions with transport partners to lengthen train services (which are currently constrained to two to four coaches) to help accommodate massive patronage on the line.
Integrated Ticketing: The Northumberland County Council is exploring integrated ticketing with the Tyne and Wear Metro to allow for seamless travel between the two networks at stations like Northumberland Park.
From my observations on the line over the last few years, I would go along with Google AI’s recommendations.
These are some specific thoughts.
Extension To Newbiggin-by-the-Sea
This OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks that used to exist between Ashington and Newbiggin-by-the-Sea.
Note.
- Ashington station is in the South-West corner of the map.
- A freight line exists, which is shown in yellow, all the way to Lynemouth power station, which is a 420 MW biomass power station.
- Lynemouth powerstation was originally built to power an aluminium smelter.
- Running South-East from the Northumberland Line, is a disused railway alignment labelled NBN, which leads into Newbiggin-by-the-Sea.
This Wikipedia section describes the history of railway connection of the town.
Situated on the west side of Front Street (now the B1334), the station opened on 1 March 1872 as a terminus of the Blyth and Tyne Railway (now known as the Northumberland Line). The station had a long island platform onto which the station building faced. There were sidings on both sides of the station which handled goods traffic, controlled by a signal box. The station closed to both passengers and goods traffic on 2 November 1964. With the reopening of the Northumberland Line, Provisions have been made, especially at Ashington so that the line could be extended to Newbiggin. As of the end of 2025, there were calls to extend the railway by 1.6km (1 mile) into the centre of Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. This will require new track and is all subject to a feasibility study. A formal bid was launched in December 2025 for this.
In Formal Bid To Extend Railway Line, I wrote about the latest progress in January 2026, based on a BBC article.
The Northumberland Line Needs A Focus Other Than Commuting
Several of the stations have large car-parks, which is good for commuting, but the railway needs to serve more places for leisure and other activities.
- Seaton Delaval Hall is Grade 1 Listed and is just 10 minutes in a bus from the station with the same name.
- If the Northumberland Line is connected to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, that could bring in those, wanting a day by the sea.
- The extended Northumberland Line would also connect to Woodhorn, which is a museum, described in this Wikipedia entry.
QTS are also developing an AI data centre at Cambois, which surely will generate commuter traffic from all over the North East.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the location of the QTS AI Data Centre.
Note.
- Ashington station is indicated by a blue arrow.
- The yellow track is the Northumberland Line, which now terminates at Ashington station.
- Bedlington station is in the South-West corner of the map.
- The trapezoidal grey box to the East of Bedlington is labelled as Site for QTS AI Data Centre.
- As the site, was that of Blyth coal-fired power station, before QTS acquired it, there is a disused railway line that connects the site to the Northumberland Line.
I suspect there are powerful economic arguments about whether or not, the Northumberland Line is extended to the QTS AI Data Centre site.
How Much Power Will QTS Cambois Data Centre Need?
I couldn’t resist asking Google AI this question and I received this answer.
The proposed QTS Cambois data centre in Northumberland is expected to require between 620MW and 720MW of critical IT power capacity, with an initial proposal capacity of up to 1.1GW.
Details on the planned power infrastructure include:
Power Capacity: The facility will support up to 720MW of critical IT capacity across ten planned buildings, though some council estimates cite an expected total power capacity of 620MW.
Backup Power: To guarantee uptime and handle power outages, the campus will rely on nearly 600 diesel-powered generators, requiring up to 58 generators per data hall.
Site Details: Located on the former Blyth Power Station site in Cambois, the £10 billion development will span 540,000 square metres.
My views on this are.
- There is the 1.4 GW North Sea Link from Blyth to Norway, that I wrote about in UK To Norway Sub-Sea Green Power Cable Operational.
- The 4.1 GW Berwick Bank wind farm is planned to send 1.8 GW to Blyth.
- To help if QTS need more power, there is the 1.4 GW Sofia wind farm.
- So 1.1 GW should be manageable, as Blyth is blessed with more power than Niagra Falls.
I also believe that Centrica and Delta have a much better backup solution, that I described in Delta And Centrica Launch Scalable Off-Grid Fuel Cell Power Solution. Hydrogen could come by pipeline or rail.
How Would The Northumberland Line Connect To Wansbeck Hospital?
This Google Map, shows the location of Wansbeck General Hospital with respect to Ashington station.
Note.
- Ashington station in the South-West corner.
- Woodhorn museum is in the North-East corner.
- Wansbeck General Hospital is indicated by a red arrow.
- The Northumberland Line runs East-West to the South of the museum and then curves round to reach the station.
Perhaps the station could go between the museum and the hospital and an innovative shuttle would connect all three locations.
How Would The Northumberland Line Connect To Choppington?
This Google Map, shows the location of Choppington, with respect to Morpeth and Bedlington stations.
Note.
- The orange track on the West side of the map is the East Coast Main Line.
- Morpeth station is in the North-West corner of the map.
- Bedlington station is in the South-East corner of the map.
The Eastern end of the Bedlington and Morpeth Line can be seen in this picture to the left of Bedlington North signal box at the Northern ends of the the platforms.
Note.
- Bedlington North signal box has a communication mast behind it.
- The track to the left of the box goes to Morpeth.
- The track to the right of the box goes to Ashington.
This OpenRailwayMap shows Choppington Road, which crosses the Bedlington and Morpeth Line at the only level crossing between Bedlington station and Hepscott junction.
Note.
- Choppington Road, which runs North-South on the map.
- The yellow tracks are the Morpeth and Bedlington Line, which runs East-West across the map.
- Where they cross, a red cross indicates a level crossing.
- The Wikipedia entry of Choppington station shows a level crossing.
As the level crossing on the map is the only one shown, this must be the location of Choppington station.
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.
- Hawthorn Pit is indicated by the red arrow.
- Sunderland is at the top of the map on the coast.
- Aura Power has already obtained planning permission for Hawthorn Pit solar farm, which will be up to 49.9 MW.
- 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.
- 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.
- The location of the Morven wind array was first mentioned in June 2020, as part of ScotWind by Crown Estate Scotland.
- The development of Eastern Green Link 1 was first mentioned in May 2021, by National Grid.
- Torness is to the East of Edinburgh.
- Eastern Green Link 1 connects Torness and Hawthorn Pit.
- 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.
- The numbers are Scotwind’s lease number in their documents.
- Morven is ScotWind lease number 1.
- Eastern Green Link 1 is one of four interconnectors down the East Coast of the UK.
- 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.
- All companies are major energy companies.
- The wind farms are in a cluster to the South-East of Scotland.
- Wind farms 2-5 are floating, and 1 and 6 are fixed.
- There is a maximum power of 10.5 GW.
- 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.
- 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.
- There will probably be other connections to onshore locations and offshore wind farms.
- Hydrogen imports will be possible from Denmark, Norway and The Netherlands direct into AquaVentus.
The Future Of Drax Power Station
This first paragraph from the Wikipedia entry for Drax power station gives a factual description of the power station.
Drax power station is a large biomass power station in Drax, North Yorkshire, England. It has a 2.6 GW capacity for biomass and had a 1.29 GW capacity for coal that was retired in 2021. Its name comes from the nearby village of Drax. It is situated on the River Ouse between Selby and Goole. Its generating capacity of 3,906 megawatts (MW), which includes the shut down coal units, is the highest of any power station in the United Kingdom, providing about 6% of the United Kingdom’s electricity supply.
This second extract from Wikipedia gives details of its current biomass contract and subsidy.
Drax’s subsidy scheme was scheduled to end in 2027, with Drax arguing for an extension to 2030. In February 2025, the UK government extended its operation from 2027 to 2031, but at a reduced 27% maximum load factor using 100% sustainable wood, so it would run “less than half as often as it currently does”, generally only at times of high electricity demand. Drax was given a contract for difference at £113/MWh in 2012 pounds, CPI inflation linked so about £155/MWh in 2025.
Note.
- Rishi Sunak’s Government extended the contract.
- It will now run on 100% sustainable wood, which includes sources like sawmill residues, forest thinnings and certain agricultural products.
- It has a similar type of contract to wind farms and energy storage.
I asked Google AI,”Does Drax Power Station Provide Grid Stability?, and received this answer.
Yes, Drax Power Station—along with its affiliated hydro assets—provides critical grid stability to the UK. As the UK’s power grid shifts toward intermittent renewables like wind and solar, Drax’s dispatchable generation and specialized system support services help maintain a secure electricity network.
The key stability services provided by the Drax portfolio include:
Inertia: Drax’s large spinning turbines and pumped hydro facilities provide vital inertia to the grid. This acts like a shock absorber, helping to control changes in frequency (maintaining 50Hz) and preventing power cuts.
Reactive Power: The facilities help manage voltage support and move power efficiently across different parts of the network.
Dispatchable Power: Unlike weather-dependent generation, Drax’s biomass and hydro plants can be ramped up or down on demand, providing firm capacity and flexible response to real-time grid needs.
Pumped Storage Support: Through its subsidiary Cruachan Power Station in Scotland, Drax operates a pumped hydro storage plant that actively balances supply and demand and holds specialized stability contracts with the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO).
So if you love or loathe the power station, it does a lot more than burn biomass to generate electricity.
Drax Power Station And Eastern Green Link Two
The Eastern Green Link Two web site is here.
This is the sub-heading
Eastern Green Link 2 (known as EGL2) is one of the most significant strategic energy infrastructure developments the UK has seen in recent years, connecting the north of Scotland to Yorkshire via the sea.
These two initial paragraphs gives more details.
EGL2 is a 505km electricity superhighway which will enable the transfer of power from Scotland to England (and vice versa) via a subsea cable. This two-gigawatt high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable is connecting Peterhead in Aberdeenshire and Drax in North Yorkshire and once operational, will carry enough electricity to power two million homes.
EGL2 will scale up the UK’s capacity to transport home-produced clean energy, predominantly from offshore wind, from where it is generated to where there is demand. By doing so it will increase the security, resilience, and stability of the UK’s transmission network.
EGL2 is the second of a planned seven interconnectors between Scotland and the South.
The first was the Western HVDC Link between Hunterston in Scotland and Flintshire Bridge in Wales, which became operational in 2013.
EGL2 will go between Peterhead in Scotland and Drax power station.
So electricity from Scotland will be able to replace up to two GW of the biomass, that Drax power station currently uses as fuel.
Drax And Solar Power
This Google Map shows Drax power station.
If Drax wanted to add solar power to the site, I’m sure it would be possible.
- There is plenty of space.
- There is a substantial connection to the electricity grid.
After the purchase of Bluefield Solar Income Fund, Drax probably are well-placed to develop as much solar-power as they need.
Who Have Bought Wrightbus Ultroliners With Cummins Engines?
In their web page, which describes the Wrightbus Ultroliner EU6, this paragraph describes the powering options.
The StreetDeck Ultroliner EU6 is available with two ultra low emission efficient diesel engine choices: the new Cummins 6.7 litre 6 cylinder and the current Mercedes 5.1 litre 4 cylinder engine. Our StreetDeck EU6 Ultroliner and its engine choices remains the UK’s favourite. All these buses can be repowered at mid-life to zero-emission BEV technology with NewPower.
But I believe that there is another repowering option – The Cummins engine can be converted to hydrogen to create a zero-emission bus, with an internal combustion engine.
Cummins Accelerates Work On Hydrogen-Fueled Internal Combustion Engines
Cummins Fuel-Agnostic X Series Platform shows a Cummins video about their fuel agnostic technology.
In Do Cummins And Stadler Have a Cunning Plan? I point out how Stadler could be making Class 99 locomotives with Cummins engines, that could be designed for conversion to hydrogen.
These engines are also probably made in Darlington
What Did Google AI Reply To The Question In The Title Of This Post?
Several transport operators have purchased Wrightbus StreetDeck Ultroliners equipped with Cummins engines. This highly efficient, ultra-low-emission diesel combination has been specifically chosen by operators where battery-electric vehicles are not viable for certain long-distance or high-mileage routes.
The known buyers include:
Bus Vannin: The first operator to order the next-generation Ultroliners with six-cylinder Cummins B6.7 engines. They placed an order for six vehicles which entered service on the Isle of Man, including two carrying special heritage liveries.
Nottingham City Transport (NCT): Ordered six StreetDeck Ultroliners. They are powered by the Cummins B6.7 engine paired with Voith gearboxes, specifically for their long-distance Pathfinder 26 route.
Go North East: Listed as an early operator to order the Wright StreetDeck featuring the Cummins engine.
Metroline Manchester: Acquired a large batch of 135 facelift StreetDeck Ultroliners (ordered via Transport for Greater Manchester) for rollout on the Bee Network.
Out of fairness, I asked Google AI,”Who have bought Wrightbus Ultroliners with Mercedes engines” and received this reply.
The vast majority of Wrightbus “Ultroliner” double-deckers feature Cummins engines.
Nottingham City Transport To Upgrade Pathfinder Route with Order For Brand New Wrightbus Double Decks
I found this press release on Nottingham City Transport’s web site, which is an interesting read.
These are the first two paragraphs.
UK Bus Operator of the Year, Nottingham City Transport has partnered with pioneering manufacturer Wrightbus to upgrade its long distance Pathfinder bus service between Nottingham, Burton Joyce, Lowdham and Southwell.
Six brand new ultra-low emission diesel powered double decks will soon start to be built by Wrightbus at their factory in Northern Ireland and will start carrying passengers in late autumn this year.
David Astill of NCT and Jean-Marc Gales of Wrightbus, then explain the industry-leading technology behind the buses. It results in an 80 % emission reduction compared to the previous 2014 buses.
Jean-Marc Gales finished with this.
Our blended approach to responsible technology, which includes battery electric, hydrogen fuel cell and the cleanest technologies, ensures our customers can continue to decarbonise while maintaining financially viable operations.
It appears to me, that this is the sensible way to go, as the operator can always choose what is best for their network.
Nottingham City Transport’s Ultroliners
These are some pictures I took of the buses on my trip to Nottingham.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time for a ride.
Hydrogen And The Isle Of Man
I asked Google AI, the title of this section and received this answer.
On the Isle of Man, hydrogen is viewed as an unviable option for domestic heating due to high production costs and economies of scale.
However, the island’s government and local energy providers see potential for the fuel in heavy transport, maritime shipping, and achieving long-term energy independence.
Policy and Energy Strategy
Heating and Homes: Extensive energy analysis by the Isle of Man Government has concluded that hydrogen is not economically feasible for home heating. High costs and infrastructure limitations favor alternatives like heat pumps, which boast much higher efficiencies for everyday domestic use.
Energy Independence: While domestic heating is a poor fit, producing green hydrogen using the island’s future offshore wind or tidal renewable resources is occasionally discussed as a way to achieve total energy security and independence.
Network Readiness: The existing high-pressure pipeline network that transports natural gas to the island is not compatible with 100% hydrogen, though some smaller localized parts of the distribution grid could potentially be adapted.
Proposed Applications & Industry
The Steam Railway: The Isle of Man Steam Railway has faced proposals from private inventors to convert historic heritage locomotives to run on green hydrogen.
Maritime Shipping: Because the Isle of Man is a prominent maritime hub, green hydrogen production could theoretically serve as a valuable refueling point for future hydrogen-powered commercial shipping fleets.
Utility Diversification: Isle of Man Energy (formerly Manx Gas) has highlighted green hydrogen and biogas as part of their long-term corporate diversification plans away from natural gas.
My further thoughts on hydrogen and the Isle of Man
- There may also be some difficult-to-decarbonise businesses on the Island.
- The Isle of Man is also a holiday island and getting rid of diesel commercial vehicles could be advantageous.
- Will Centrica setup an electrolyser on the island and do a bit of bunkering?
It appears to be an island with great potential for hydrogen.
Conclusion
My final thoughts.
- I believe that Wrightbus have designed a diesel bus, that can replace existing diesel buses, without changing the buses to either battery or hydrogen operation.
- But once the operator has made provision for the electricity or hydrogen for the buses, then the buses can be converted to zero carbon.
- My project management knowledge would say, that there is an optimum rate at which new technology buses can be introduced.
It looks a good plan.
The Anonymous Widower 