The Anonymous Widower

New Bid To Connect Heritage Railway To Mainline

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

The is the sub-heading.

A bid to connect one of the longest heritage railways in Britain with mainline services has taken a step forward.

These are the first two paragraphs.

West Somerset Railway (WSR) and Somerset Council have now submitted a business plan to the government to restore the mainline from Taunton to the final WSR stop at Bishop’s Lydeard.

The proposal suggests Bishop’s Lydeard could become a commuter and tourist hub.

There has been several attempts to connect the branch to Taunton station.

These are my thoughts.

Minehead, Bishop’s Lydeard And Hinckley Point C

This Google Map shows the area.

Note.

  1. Minehead is in the North-West corner of the map.
  2. Hinckley Point power station is indicated by the red arrow.
  3. Bishop’s Lydeard is in the middle of the map.
  4. The M5 motorway curves diagonally between the North-East and South-West corners of the map.
  5. There are motorway services at Taunton Deane, which is to the South of Taunton and Cullompton, which is a few miles South-West of Wellington.
  6. The large town of Taunton is the junction of the London and Exeter and the Bristol and Exeter railway lines.
  7. The town of Wellington will be getting a new railway station.

It is a very busy area and it will only get busier, as the availability of power will only attract industry, like the battery factory pencilled in for Bridgewater.

The Major Effect Of Hinckley Point C

Hinckley Point C will generate 3.26 GW of electricity and to operate the power station will need around nine hundred workers.

I can also expect that the Hinckley Point site will get involved in other energy handling and use.

  • The site would be an ideal place for a large electrolyser to produce hydrogen.
  • Wind turbines in the Bristol Channel could use Hinckley’s grid connection.
  • Energy could be stored on the site. It could be an ideal location for one of Highview Power’s 200 MW/3.25 GWh liquid air batteries.
  • Hydrogen could be exported using coastal tankers.
  • Interconnectors could take electricity to Cornwall, Devon, Wales and Ireland.

All of these activities would create needs for workers at all levels.

  • A rail connection to Taunton and Bristol, will probably be needed to bring workers into Hinckley Point.
  • A rail connection would be ideal for bringing construction materials, steel and other heavy goods into and out of the Hinckley Point site.
  • Hydrogen could also be taken out in rail tankers.
  • Nuclear waste could be taken out by train.

I think it is highly likely, that Hinckley Point will need a rail connection for efficient operation.

Sizewell C And Hydrogen

Hydrogen is so important to the philosophy of the design and construction of Sizewell C, that hydrogen has its own section on the Sizewell C web site.

Hydrogen produced by nuclear power stations like Hinckley Point C, is called pink hydrogen, but like green hydrogen it is zero-carbon and pollution-free.

Hinckley Point C And Hydrogen

I can envisage Hinckley Point C will create a lot of hydrogen both for use locally and distribution to remote users.

  • Hydrogen could be delivered locally by truck, just as propane is today around the world.
  • Coastal tankers could distribute the hydrogen from a jetty.
  • Pipelines could connect the two nearby motorway service stations to the power station site.

Just as is happening at Sizewell, a local hydrogen network could be built.

Hydrogen Refuelling On The M5

Consider.

  • In MAN Expands Its Zero-Emission Portfolio, I talked about MAN’s new hydrogen-powered hTGX truck, which has been designed with a 600 km. or 373 mile range.
  • As Cullompton, which is the Southernmost of the two services on the M5 that are close to Hinckley Point C, is only 124.9 miles from Penzance, it should be possible for a truck, with a range similar to that of the MAN hTGX to do a round trip from the Southern end of the M5 to Penzance, without refuelling.
  • As the total length of the M5 is only 163 miles, a hydrogen-powered truck with the range of the MAN hTGX would be able to do a delivery anywhere along the motorway and return to the hydrogen from Hinckley Point C, without refuelling.
  • MAN are saying that the hTGX truck can be refuelled in less than fifteen minutes.

It looks to me, that a hydrogen electrolyser at Hinckley Point C would be ideally located to provide pink hydrogen for a zero-carbon hydrogen-powered route to and from the far South-West.

I believe that if there were a best-in-class hydrogen-refuelling facility close to Hinckley Point C, it would encourage those who regularly drove to Devon and Cornwall to look seriously at hydrogen-powered vehicles.

The Nature Of The Hinckley Point C Rail Link

Sizewell C are using a simple practical approach to connect the Sizewell C site to the nearby East Suffolk Line.

  • The existing freight sidings are being expanded.
  • Two Park-and-Ride sites are being created at stations in the East Suffolk Line.
  • A link road will be built between the railway and the Sizewell C site.
  • A fleet of hydrogen-powered double-deck buses has been ordered to take workers between the railway and the power station.
  • The signalling on the East Suffolk Line is being improved.

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the Northern end of the West Somerset Railway and its relationship to Hinckley Point C power station.

Note.

  1. Hinckley Point C power station is in the North-East corner of the map.
  2. Crowcombe & Heathfield, Stogumber, Sampford Brett, Doniford Halt, Williton, Watchet, Washford and Blue Anchor are existing or former stations on the West Somerset Railway.
  3. Existing stations are shown in blue.
  4. West of Blue Anchor are the two existing stations of Dunster and Minehead.

This Google Map shows Williton station, which is the nearest station to Hinckley Point C.

Note.

  1. The station has a footbridge, which was erected in 2011, so is probably in good condition.
  2. There are several Listed buildings on the site.
  3. Going East on the A39 should lead to Hinckley Point C.

I suspect a quality bus company could build a small fleet of buses to shuttle workers, visitors and others to Hinckley Point C.

As I’m sure, hydrogen will be in plentiful supply, I’m certain hydrogen-powered buses could be used.

This Google Map shows a longer section of the West Somerset Line through Williton station.

Note.

  1. The West Somerset Line runs North-South down the map.
  2. Doniford Halt station is at the top of the map, where the coast road crosses the railway on a bridge.
  3. Williton station is in the middle of the map, where the A39 crosses the railway.

Looking at the railway, which runs mainly between fields, I wouldn’t be surprised that if Hinckley Point wanted a freight siding, they could fit one in.

Go-op

Go-op are an open access railway company, that wants to run services in Somerset.

I wrote about their successful application in  Regulator Approves New Go-op Train Service Between Swindon, Taunton and Weston-super-Mare.

This is the first paragraph of their Wikipedia entry.

Go-op Cooperative Ltd.,[ branded as Go-op, is an open access train operating company, proposing to operate a service in south-west England between Taunton and Swindon, via Westbury. It aims to become the first cooperatively owned train operating company in the United Kingdom, to improve access to the public transport infrastructure through open access rail services linking main lines to smaller market towns, and by co-ordinating services with light rail, bus links and car pools.

If you read their Wikipedia entry and their web site, they seem to have ambition and be different.

According to Wikipedia, they have made no less than five different proposals, but it is the fourth that I find interesting.

In 2021, Go-op began discussions with Network Rail for services between Swindon and Bishops Lydeard (just beyond Taunton), which it hoped to begin in mid-2022. At first there could only be three services per day, due to congestion between Swindon and Westbury; a further three could be provided to Frome or Westbury, connecting with existing services to Swindon. These plans would also improve local services on the TransWilts Line, calling at Trowbridge and Melksham.

The plans for Bishops Lydeard would restore the link broken in 1971 between the national network and the preserved West Somerset Railway, which runs leisure services to Minehead.

This sounds very much like an extended and simplified version of the West Somerset Line proposal.

But it does look like two groups have looked at the infrastructure and what is needed and come to similar conclusions.

Perhaps, they have other things in common like train procurement and servicing.

Stadler Presents A World First In Berlin

The title of this section, is the same as that of this press release from Stadler.

These are the first two paragraphs.

With the RS ZERO, the rail vehicle manufacturer is presenting the successor to the successful Regio-Shuttle RS1 model. There is a choice of two modern and environmentally friendly drive technologies: Hydrogen and battery. Both will enable CO2 emission-free operation of secondary lines in the future.

Stadler today unveiled the prototype of the new RS ZERO, the innovative successor to the successful RS1 Regio-Shuttle. The Regio-Shuttle has been one of the most popular vehicles in German regional rail transport for 28 years, with around 500 RS1 vehicles currently in operation in Germany and the Czech Republic. Stadler is building on this proven technology and integrating state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly drive systems. The RS ZERO is optionally available with a hydrogen and/or battery drive and thus not only sets new standards for environmentally friendly rail transport, but also presents a world first.

These pictures from Chemnitz Trams And The Chemnitz Model, show the Regio-Shuttle RS1.

Note.

  1. The Regio-Shuttles can run as up to seven car trains.
  2. These Regio-Shuttles are electro-diesel.
  3. The distinctive diagonal windows.
  4. They can carry 170 passengers at 75 mph.
  5. They can run as train-trams using the Chemnitz model on compatible tram networks.

The Regio-Shuttle Wikipedia entry gives more details.

This image from the press release shows the prototype RS ZERO.

It looks very similar to my pictures from Chemnitz.

I have a few thoughts.

Comparison To A Class 150 Train

A Class 150 train can carry up to 149 seated passengers at 75 mph, which is similar to the RS ZERO.

As Stadler have built trains for Greater Anglia, Merseyrail and the Glasgow Subway, I believe that Stadler could build an RS ZERO, that would fit the UK loading gauge.

In What Train Is This?, I show the standard of interior, that can be achieved by refurbishing a Class 150 train, but unlike the RS ZERO, the train won’t be zero-carbon.

Does The RS ZERO Have A Toilet?

This is a paragraph from the press release.

The prototype of the RS ZERO presented today in Berlin is a one-car vehicle with hydrogen drive. Stadler is demonstrating the numerous design options with a multi-purpose area equipped for carrying bicycles, pushchairs and bulky luggage, lounge and comfort zones, standard and privacy seats, a wheelchair space, WC and a train office.

The train appears to be able to have what an operator might need.

What Will Be The Range Of An RS ZERO On Hydrogen?

I suspect, Stadler will provide a train, that will handle the route.

Would Stadler Be Able To Produce An RS ZERO That Could Satisfy The West Somerset/Go-op Requirement?

I obviously, can’t answer that.

But.

  • The train is zero-carbon.
  • It’s the right size.
  • I suspect that the hydrogen fuel will be available from Hinckley Point C.
  • The design has a proven track record.
  • The train is not by any means vapourware!
  • Stadler need a launch order.
  • An experienced ROSCO would probably finance the trains.

One perk is that those involved in buying the train, could probably wangle a trip to Chemnitz to see several Regio-Shuttle RS1 trains at work.

Note that Chemnitz used to be Karl-Marx Stadt, so some of our Government will feel nostalgic.

But I do believe, this could be a very handy train to decarbonise branch and secondary lines in the UK.

 

 

December 2, 2024 Posted by | Energy, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Centrica And European Energy Sign Agreement On Måde Green Hydrogen Facility

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

This is the sub-heading.

Centrica Energy and European Energy have signed a balancing and optimisation agreement for the Måde green hydrogen facility located at Port Esbjerg. Under the agreement, Centrica Energy will manage power production from co-located wind turbines, designating excess power production to green hydrogen production.

These two  introductory paragraphs give more details.

Powering the 12MW green hydrogen facility are two wind turbines, part of the Måde Wind Turbine Test Center, developed by European Energy with a total installed capacity of 16MW. The turbines will provide renewable electricity, which is used to produce green hydrogen through electrolysis with demineralised water.

Expected to produce approximately 1,500 tonnes of green hydrogen every year, European Energy has secured an agreement with Port Esbjerg and a world-class industrial gases company for the offtake from the facility. As the production of hydrogen is a heat-intensive process, the excess heat from production will be fed into the local district heating network, demonstrating sector coupling across the electricity, fuel, and heating domains.

These are my thoughts,

Hydrogen Production

The hydrogen production uses a standard electrolysis method, but excess heat will be fed into the local district heating network.

AquaVentus And Denmark

I introduced AquaVentus in this post called AquaVentus.

This video shows the structure of AquaVentus.

I clipped this map from the video.

Note.

  1. The thick white line running North-West/South-East is the spine of AquaVentus, that delivers hydrogen to Germany.
  2. There is a link to Esbjerg in Denmark.
  3. There appears to be an undeveloped link to Norway.
  4. There appears to be an undeveloped  link to Peterhead in Scotland.
  5. There appears to be a link to just North of the Humber in England.
  6. Just North of the Humber are the two massive gas storage sites of Aldbrough owned by SSE and Brough owned by Centrica.
  7. There appear to be small ships sailing up and down the East Coast of the UK. Are these small coastal tankers, that are distributing the hydrogen to where it is needed?

In the last century, the oil industry, built a substantial oil and gas network in the North Sea.

It appears now the Germans are leading the building of a substantial hydrogen network in the North Sea, that will bring the hydrogen they need to their country.

I also suspect that any spare hydrogen produced in Esbjerg can be added to the AquaVentus network.

  • Hydrogen could be sent to Brough and Aldbrough in the UK for storage.
  • Hydrogen could be sent to any country in the network that needs it.

Countries will pay for the hydrogen they use.

Optimising AquaVentus

AquaVentus is a complex network.

  • Hydrogen could be produced offshore in British, Danish, Dutch, English, German, Norwegian, Orcadian, Scottish and Shetland waters.
  • Hydrogen could be sent to Brough and Aldbrough in the UK for storage.
  • Hydrogen can be sent to Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Norway, The Netherlands and the UK.

A company like Centrica has the expertise and the software to control the various hydrogen flows to the best advantage of hydrogen producers and users.

October 28, 2024 Posted by | Energy, Hydrogen | , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

UK Investment Summit Latest: Starmer Announces £1.1bn Expansion Of Stansted Airport

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

The Times has this sub-heading about Stansted

Analysis: Stansted Deal Prioritises Growth Over Climate

There are four paragraphs of analysis.

Over the weekend, Sir Keir Starmer made clear that his commitments to boost workers’ rights would not get in the way of his desire to bring in cash from the owners of P&O. As ministers now trumpet a deal to upgrade Stansted airport, it seems that growth and jobs also trump concerns about emissions.

Louise Haigh, the transport secretary who prompted the row with DP World by calling P&O a “rogue operator”, praised the Stansted deal as a “clear signal that Britain is open for business”. She argued that Stansted could be upgraded “while also meeting our existing environment obligations”, with the airport promising a new solar farm to generate electricity. But environmentalists will be dismayed by the prospect of more plane journeys and associated emissions.

The deal also raises fresh questions about a third runway at Heathrow after years of dithering under the Conservatives. No 10 has previously said it is “not opposed” to expansion if it can meet tests on emissions, climate change, noise pollution — and growth.

Starmer has said he will not duck decisions because they are “too difficult”. A decision on Heathrow offers a very clear test of that promise.

Is Hydrogen The Reason For The Choice Of Stansted?

I wonder if the choice of Stansted for expansion is down to the likelihood, that East Anglia will be a big centre for the generation of zero-carbon green and pink hydrogen, with gigawatts of offshore wind farms for the green and nuclear at Sizewell for the pink.

Aircraft of the future will surely need hydrogen for flying to their destinations.

Already, the massive construction of Sizewell C is going to be performed using zero-construction methods involving electricity and hydrogen, as far as is possible.

Large construction at Stansted Airport could be done in a similar manner, using perhaps a hydrogen pipeline between Sizewell and Stansted running along the A 14. This would probably be built anyway, so that East Anglia’s large numbers of heavy trucks could be converted to hydrogen.

Already the hydrogen buses to bring workers to the Sizewell C site have been ordered from Wrightbus in Ballymena.

Airbus, are planning to have their hydrogen-powered Boeing 737/A 320-size airliner in service by the mid-2030s. From visualisations released by Airbus, the Zeroe hydrogen Turbofan looks very much like a redesigned version of the current A320 neo, with two hydrogen turbofans (hopefully with RR on the side!) Converting an existing proven airliner, only means that the new parts need to be certified, so this would bring the plane into service quicker.

Airbus’s infographic shows the Zeroe hydrogen Turbofan will seat up to 200 passengers and have a range of 2,000 nautical miles or 3,700 km.

Discover the three zero-emission concept aircraft known as ZEROe in this infographic. These turbofan, turboprop, and blended-wing-body configurations are all hydrogen hybrid aircraft.

 

A typical A 320 neo will fly 165 passengers up to 3,500 nautical miles or 6.500 km.

A few distances from Stansted include.

  • Athens – 2,400 km.
  • Berlin – 905 km.
  • Cairo – 3514 km.
  • Copenhagen 913 km.
  • Dublin – 470 km.
  • Edinburgh – 509 km.
  • Gander 3,800 km
  • Geneva – 760 km.
  • Glasgow – 540 km.
  • Istanbul – 2480 km.
  • Madrid – 1300 km.
  • Milan – 960 km.
  • Munich – 909 km.
  • Palma de Mallorca – 1,400 km.
  • Reykjavík – 1870 km.
  • Rome – 1,442 km.
  • Stockholm – 1,400 km.
  • Tel-Aviv – 3,564 km.
  • Tenerife North – 2944 km.
  • Tenerife South – 2999 km.
  • Warsaw 1,412 km.

These distances would mean, a lot of current European destinations could be reached, if the plane were filled at both airports, but a surprising number of popular places could be reached by only refuelling at Stansted.

It also appears to me, that with refuelling in Iceland and perhaps a stopover, in that delightful and different country, zero-carbon flights across the Atlantic would be possible.

If a hydrogen-powered aircraft has the 3,700 km. range that Airbus are promising, it will be an aircraft with a lot of possibilities!

Short Flights

  • Amsterdam – 541 km.
  • Cardiff – 253 km.
  • Exeter – 284 km.
  • Jersey – 344 km.
  • Liverpool – 264 km.
  • Newcastle – 373 km.
  • Newquay – 399 km.
  • Ronaldsway – 408 km.
  • Southampton – 151 km.

Some of these flights would be competing with trains.

Flights Around The British Isles

One of the longest flights around the British Isles would be between Stansted and Sumburgh Airport in the Shetland Isles.

But this is only 894 kilometres, so a return trip would be possible.

I also feel that arranging hydrogen refuelling on Shetland will not be a difficult task, as the islands are likely to have copious supplies of green hydrogen.

Flights From Stansted To Europe

Applying a ten percent reserve probably means a safe one-way range of around 1,700 km.

This would mean that.

  • Amsterdam – 541 km.
  • Berlin – 905 km.
  • Copenhagen – 913 km.
  • Madrid – 1300 km.
  • Milan – 960 km.
  • Munich – 909 km.
  • Palma de Mallorca – 1,400 km.
  • Rome – 1,442 km.
  • Stockholm – 1,400 km.
  • Warsaw 1,412 km.

Should all be in range. of an out-and-back flight, after fully fuelling the plane at Stansted Airport.

Others like.

  • Athens – 2,400 km.
  • Bucharest – 2070 km.
  • Cairo – 3514 km.
  • Istanbul – 2480 km.
  • Lisbon – 1630 km.
  • Malta – 2107 km.
  • Marrakech – 2350. km.
  • Sofia – 2010 km.
  • Tel-Aviv – 3,564 km.
  • Tenerife North – 2944 km.
  • Tenerife South – 2999 km.

Could be handled by refuelling at the destination.

Hopping Across The Atlantic

Consider.

  • My great aunt Beatrice used to fly the Atlantic in the 1950s, although it was usually a succession of small hops between Heathrow Shannon and Gander Airports. I think she regularly used ships like the Queen Mary and Elizabeth, as she found them less stressful.
  • Icelandair offer short stopovers in Reykjavik and I suspect they will offer this with hydrogen-fuelled aircraft.
  • British Airways used to offer a London City Airport to New York flight via Shannon using an Airbus A 318.

I would certainly be interested to hop across from Stansted to New York in a hydrogen-powered aircraft, and I suspect others would do it for the environmental brownie points.

Legs could be.

  • Stansted and Reykjavík – 1870 km.
  • Reykjavík and Gander – 2568 km
  • Gander and New York – 1767 km.

A stop could possibly be squeezed in at Boston.

It could be an interesting way to cross the Atlantic.

Hydrogen Production In East Anglia

I said earlier that East Anglia could produce a lot of zero-carbon green and prink hydrogen from wind and nuclear and this would be used for the following.

  • Aviation out of Stansted and Southend Airports.
  • Shipping out of the Port of Felixstowe, London Gateway and other smaller ports.
  • Providing energy for heavy transport in East Anglia.
  • Providing energy for Freeport East at Felixstowe and Harwich.
  • Refuelling passing shipping.
  • Supplying off-grid energy to rural properties and businesses in the East of England, which I wrote about in Developing A Rural Hydrogen Network.

Any spare hydrogen could always be sold to the Germans.

Decarbonisation Of The Railways In East Anglia

Undoubtedly, some hydrogen will be used to decarbonise some parts of East Anglia’s railways.

Many passenger trains are electrified, but some rural and cross-country services still use diesel. However, the Class 745 trains, that were built by Stadler for these services could be converted to hydrogen or battery-electric.

Similarly, locomotives that haul the freight trains out of the ports of East Anglia will be replaced with hydrogen or battery-electric locomotives.

I am fairly certain, that by 2040, all railways in East Anglia will be zero-carbon.

The East-West Rail Link

It is not known yet, whether the current government will continue to build the East West Rail Link, but it could be invaluable in connecting Stansted Airport to the West of England.

Connecting Stansted Airport To The North Of England and Scotland By Rail

If Stansted is developed as a zero-carbon airport, based on the new hydrogen-powered aircraft, travellers between say the North of England and Scotland, will surely want to travel to Stansted in a carbon-free manner.

So would it be sensible to run rail electric services between the North and Stansted?

Conclusion

Stansted could develop into the UK’s zero-carbon airport.

October 15, 2024 Posted by | Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Site Investigations Underway At RWE’s Three Norfolk Offshore Wind Project Sites

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

This is the sub-heading.

RWE has kicked off geophysical and geotechnical site investigations at the Norfolk Boreas, Norfolk Vanguard East, and Norfolk Vanguard West offshore wind project sites in the UK, rights to which the German company acquired from Vattenfall earlier this year.

All three projects in RWE’s 4.14 GW wind farm off the Norfolk coast, at last seem to be making progress.

According to the Wikipedia entry for the List Of Offshore Wind Farms In The United Kingdom, this is the last status.

Norfolk Boreas

Owner: RWE

Turbines: Vestas

Status: Contract for Difference – Round 4

Commissioning Date: 2027

Norfolk Vanguard East

Owner: RWE

Turbines: Vestas

Status: Early Planning

Commissioning Date: Before 2030

Norfolk Vanguard West

Owner: RWE

Turbines: Vestas V236-15.0 MW

Status: Early Planning

Commissioning Date: Before 2030

Note.

  1. All three Norfolk wind arms, will be using Vestas turbines.
  2. The data for Norfolk Vanguard West shows that Vestas V236-15.0 MW turbines will be used.
  3. In SeAH To Deliver Monopiles For Vattenfall’s 2.8 GW Norfolk Vanguard Offshore Wind Project, I discussed the monopiles for the Norfolk wind farms. Will these be standardised across the Norfolk wind farms?
  4. In RWE Orders 15 MW Nordseecluster Offshore Wind Turbines At Vestas, I speculated that RWE had standardised on these large turbines for their North Sea wind farms, which would surely be a sensible action to take.

Using the same large turbines and monopiles for a number of wind farms, will surely give advantages in manufacture, installation, operation and and servicing for RWE, SeAH Wind and Vestas.

The finances should also be more beneficial.

These are my thoughts.

Will The Norfolk Wind Farms Produce Hydrogen For Germany?

Consider.

  • As Hornsea 4 wind farm makes landfall in Norfolk, Norfolk should have enough renewable electricity.
  • The Norfolk Nimbies will object to more electricity transmission lines across Norfolk.
  • H2ercules, which is the large German hydrogen network will need lots of green hydrogen.
  • Wilhelmshaven, which will be the main hydrogen feed point for H2ercules, is just across the North Sea at Wilhelmshaven.
  • There are no Houthis roaming the North Sea.
  • Hydrogen could be transported from the Norfolk wind farms to Wilhelmshaven by pipeline or coastal tanker.
  • German companies are building the Norfolk wind farms.

I believe that there is a good chance, that the Norfolk wind farms will produce hydrogen for Germany.

This will have the following benefits.

  • Germany will get the hydrogen it needs.
  • The hydrogen link will improve energy security in Europe.
  • The UK government will receive a nice cash flow.

The only losers will be the dictators, who supply Europe with energy.

 

 

July 4, 2024 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hybrid And Over 1.100 kW Strong: Rolls-Royce Presents New mtu Propulsion Concepts For Military Vehicles Of The Future

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Rolls-Royce.

These two paragraphs detail some of the philosophy and features behind the hybrid power units.

Electrification and hybridisation will give tactical vehicles new capabilities in the field. To this end, Rolls-Royce’s new mtu hybrid drive combines the advantages of a high-performance diesel engine with those of a battery-electric drive. The highly integrated propulsion system requires comparatively little installation space in the vehicle in order to maximise the volume available for equipment and crew. The core of the solution is a highly mobile and extremely compact drive solution, taking into account increasing cost pressure, tight budgets and the need for significantly larger vehicle fleets.

For quiet operation, for example in a concealed position, the high-performance batteries previously charged in diesel mode, supply the vehicle’s electrical and electronic systems. This is done without the noise and thermal footprint of the diesel engine – and over a longer period of time. This makes the vehicle more difficult to locate for enemy reconnaissance. The so-called “anti-idling” mode not only ensures better camouflage of the vehicle, but also significantly reduces fuel consumption when the vehicle is on standby. The range of the vehicles and the downstream logistics chain for refuelling the vehicles are optimised.

Hopefully, power concepts like these will lead to highly capable fighting vehicles, that will defeat the threats we face from the East.

But surely, as hybrid power develops and embraces the use of clean fuels like green hydrogen and green methanol, power units like these will be found in other applications, both on land and on the sea.

And how about a hydrogen-hybrid rail locomotive to haul trains in noise-sensitive areas!

June 18, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , | Leave a comment

Ørsted, Simply Blue, Subsea7 Submit Application For 100 MW Scottish Floating Wind Farm

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

This is the sub-heading.

Ørsted, Simply Blue Group and Subsea7, through their joint venture partnership in Scotland, have submitted an offshore consent application for the proposed 100 MW Salamander floating offshore wind farm, one of the 13 projects selected in Scotland’s Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing round.

The article starts with a map that shows the location of the Salamander floating offshore wind farm and it shows how the sea is getting very crowded 35 kilometres off Peterhead.

This map shows the various ScotWind leases, around the North of Scotland.

 

The numbers are Scotwind’s lease number in their documents.

These are the Scotwind wind farms to the North-East of Scotland.

  • 1 – BP Alternative Energy Investments – 859 km² – 2.9 GW – Fixed
  • 2 – SSE Renewables – 859 km² – 2.6 GW – Floating
  • 3 – Falck Renewables Wind – 280 km² – 1.2 GW – Floating
  • 4 – Shell – 860 km² – 2.0 GW – Floating
  • 5 – Vattenfall – 200 km² – 0.8 GW – Floating
  • 6 – DEME – 187 km² – 1.0 GW – Fixed
  • 9 – Ocean Winds – 429 km² – 1.0 GW – Fixed
  • 10 – Falck Renewables Wind – 134 km² – 0.5 GW – Floating
  • 11 – Scottish Power Renewables – 684 km² – 3.0 GW – Floating
  • 12 – BayWa r.e. UK  – 330 km² – 1.0 GW – Floating

Note.

  1. Salamander is located to the South of wind farms 10, 11 and 12 and to the North-West of wind farm 5.
  2. These windfarms total up to 16 GW.
  3. 4.9 GW are fixed foundation wind farms.
  4. 11.1 GW are floating wind farms.

These are my thoughts.

The Salamander Project

In the big scheme of things, the 100 MW Salamander wind farm, is rather a tiddler of a wind farm.

On the Salamander wind farm web site, a section gives the Project Goals.

  1. Our innovative pre-commercial stepping-stone concept will use novel floating foundations to (i) maximise Scottish content, (ii) enable the Scottish supply chain to gear up for the future floating offshore wind commercial opportunities in ScotWind and (iii) reduce the financial, environmental and technology risks of floating offshore wind.
  2. The Salamander project will contribute to the Scottish Government and UK Government net-zero targets. The project can contribute to the Scottish government’s target of 11 GW of installed offshore wind by 2030, as well as the UK government’s target of 5 GW of operational floating offshore wind by the same date.
  3. We are dedicated to developing a sustainable and transformative project, working with the oceans, and enabling communities to benefit from Project Salamander. Therefore, we commit to having a continuous and strong stakeholder and community engagement.

It appears to me, that the Salamander project will be a pathfinder for the 11.1 GW of floating wind farms to be built off Peterhead.

Bringing The Electricity South

National Grid are building four interconnectors between Eastern Scotland and Eastern England.

  • 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

Note.

  1. All interconnectors are 2 GW.
  2. All interconnectors are offshore for a long part of their route.
  3. It also appears that National Grid are burying much of the onshore sections.

But the 4 GW of interconnectors will only be able to bring a quarter of the offshore electricity generated in the Peterhead area to the South.

What Will Happen To The Excess Electricity?

Consider.

  • There could be 16 GW of planned offshore wind power around Peterhead and North-East Scotland.
  • There is only 4 GW of interconnector capacity between Peterhead and Eastern England.
  • There is another 6.8 GW of electricity around North-West Scotland.
  • There is 2.8 GW of electricity being developed to the East of Shetland.
  • The Crown Estate is thinking of increasing the size of some offshore wind farms.

It is likely, that other wind farms will be built in the seas around the North of Scotland.

It appears that the North of Scotland could have at least 20 GW of excess electricity.

Possible solutions would include.

  • Developing energy intensive industries like metal refining.
  • More interconnectors to Denmark, England, Ireland and Norway.
  • Storage of the electricity in giant pumped storage hydroelectric power stations.
  • Creation of green hydrogen for export.

Note.

  1. Aluminium refining has been developed in the North of Scotland before.
  2. More interconnectors are a possibility, especially as Scotland is developing cable manufacturing capacity.
  3. Some maps show extra interconnectors between West Scotland and Merseyside.
  4. At least 70 GWh of pumped storage hydroelectric power stations are being developed along the Great Glen.
  5. I suspect that the pumped storage hydroelectric power stations could be connected to the wind farms, by cables under the waters of Loch Ness.

But surely, production of green hydrogen for export would be a very good way to go.

  1. Extra electrolysers could be added as required.
  2. Because of the interconnectors down both East and West Coasts, electrolysers could be built in England, where there is a large need for hydrogen.
  3. Hydrogen would be exported initially by tanker ships.
  4. At some point in the future, it might be viable to build a hydrogen pipeline to connect to the growing European hydrogen network.

The giant pumped storage hydroelectric power stations and the hydrogen electrolysers would be sized to make sure, that no wind power is never wasted.

Conclusion

The 100 MW Salamander floating wind farm may only be small, but it will prove the technology, the manufacturing and the supply chains, so that Scotland can have a second energy boom from the North Sea.

But this boom will certainly last longer than a hundred years.

 

 

May 14, 2024 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How Germany Is Dominating Hydrogen Market

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Hydrogen Fuel News.

This is the sub heading.

With 3827 kilometers of pipeline across the country, Germany is blazing a trail through the continent in terms of hydrogen infrastructure growth.

These are the first two paragraphs.

Indeed, plans within the country are so far advanced that Germany is set to become the biggest importer of hydrogen in Europe and the third biggest in the world, behind global leaders China and Japan.

All this leaves the German transport sector in good stead, with a strong infrastructure supporting clean fuel adoption, while the country transitions towards net zero.

So where are the Germans going to get their hydrogen from?

One possibility is the UK.

  • The UK has vast amounts of renewable energy.
  • We’re only hundreds of kilometres, instead of thousands of kilometres away.
  • RWE; the German energy giant has full or partial interests in about 12,3 GW of UK wind farms.
  • RWE is building the Pembroke Net Zero Centre which will generate green and blue hydrogen.

Hydrogen could be exported from the UK to Germany by tanker.

Conclusion

Production and exporting of green hydrogen will become significant industry in the UK.

 

 

March 21, 2024 Posted by | Energy, Hydrogen | , , , , , | 4 Comments

Consultation On Plans For Keadby Hydrogen Power Station To Begin

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

These four paragraphs outline the project

SSE and Equinor will consult on plans for a new hydrogen-fired power station in North Lincolnshire which would provide vital new reliable and flexible capacity to the electricity system.

Keadby Hydrogen Power Station is a proposed 900MW plant which could be operational from 2030 – bolstering security of supply and supporting the UK’s long-term decarbonisation by providing back-up low-carbon power to variable renewable generation.

The project will enter environmental scoping in April before SSE and Equinor launch a public consultation ahead of a full planning application being made in due course.

Under plans, the new power station will be designed to run on 100% hydrogen. The ambition is that this would be the case from inception, with Government already committed to deploying low-carbon infrastructure in the Humber – the UK’s most carbon intensive cluster.

Note.

  1. The hydrogen for this power station will be produced by electrolysis or one of the new turquoise methods.
  2. It will be stored in Aldborough or Rough gas storage.
  3. This will be the fourth power station at Keadby after Keadby 1 (734 MW), Keadby 2 (893 MW) and Keadby 3 (910 MW)
  4. Keadby 3 will be fitted with carbon capture.
  5. These total up to 3.4 GW.

The Keadby cluster of power stations will make good backup to the wind farms in the North Sea.

March 16, 2024 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Alstom Plans To Operate Its Own Passenger Train Service In The UK For The First Time

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

These two bullet points, act as sub-headings.

  • Alstom is partnering with SLC Rail to form a new open access rail operation between North Wales, Shropshire, the Midlands and London
  • Formal application now being submitted to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) with passenger service sought from 2025

These are the first three paragraphs.

Alstom, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, plans to operate a new passenger rail service across England and Wales. Working in partnership with consultancy SLC Rail, the open access operation will be known as Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway (WSMR).

As the country’s foremost supplier of new trains and train services, and a leading signalling and infrastructure provider, Alstom will operate its own rail service in the UK for the first time.

WSMR is seeking to introduce direct connectivity to and from North Wales, Shropshire, the Midlands and London that doesn’t exist today, linking growing communities and businesses, and making rail travel more convenient, enjoyable and affordable.

I can’t remember a service proposal being put forward by a train manufacturer since the privatisation of UK’s railways in the 1990s.

This is some more information and my thoughts.

The Route

This paragraph from the press release, describes the route.

The proposal envisages a service of five trains per day in each direction Monday to Saturday, with four travelling both ways on Sundays. Trains will stop at Gobowen, Shrewsbury, Telford Central, Wolverhampton, Darlaston, Walsall, Coleshill Parkway, Nuneaton and Milton Keynes on their journey between Wrexham General and London Euston.

Note.

  1. The proposed call at the new Darlaston station.
  2. The route is electrified between Euston and Nuneaton and Walsall and Wolverhampton.
  3. Much of the route North of Nuneaton is on tracks with a maximum speed of 70-80 mph.

The route is in these sections.

  • Euston and Nuneaton – 96.7 miles – electrified
  • Nuneaton and Walsall – 26.7 miles
  • Walsall and Wolverhampton – 6.7 miles – electrified
  • Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury – 29.7 miles
  • Shrewsbury and Wrexham General – 30.3 miles

That is a total of 190.1 miles or 380.2 miles round trip.

I suspect that the service will need bi-mode trains.

Should The Service Call At Wellington?

This article on the BBC is entitled Rail Company Urged Not To Forget Wellington.

This is the sub-heading.

A rail company which is bidding to bring back a direct service between Shropshire and London has been urged not to forget a town.

These are the first three paragraphs.

Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway said it was preparing to apply to the government to run the service.

Trains would stop at Gobowen, Shrewsbury, Telford, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Coleshill and Nuneaton.

But Telford and Wrekin Council said the omission of Wellington as a stop was “short-sighted”.

Although Wellington is smaller than than Shrewsbury and Telford, it looks like a bit of analysis would provide a solution, that would be acceptable for all parties.

The Trains

In the press release, this phrase is used.

positive impact to both communities and the environment.

I can’t see any more electrification being erected on the route, so the trains will need to be bi-mode.

  1. Bi-mode diesel trains won’t have a positive impact on the environment.
  2. As the route between Wolverhampton and Wrexham General is not electrified, a battery-electric train would need a range of at least 60 miles or 120 miles for the round trip, if there were no charging at Wrexham General.
  3. But Alston are developing a Hydrogen Aventra, which I wrote about in Alstom And Eversholt Rail Sign An Agreement For The UK’s First Ever Brand-New Hydrogen Train Fleet.

So could Alstom be using this route to trial and showcase their new Hydrogen Aventra?

I believe that the route will be very suitable for a hydrogen train.

  • Changeover between electric and hydrogen power can always take place in a station.
  • All hydrogen refuelling could be performed at one end of the route.
  • A large proportion of the UK’s green hydrogen is produced by INEOS at Runcorn, which is less than fifty miles from Wrexham. A refuelling tanker could supply the train, as they do on some hydrogen routes in Germany.
  • London has only small amounts of hydrogen infrastructure.

I suspect that refuelling will be done at the Wrexham end of the route.

This Alstom visualisation shows the train.

But it is only a three-car train.

  • That is not a problem, as Aventras can be lengthened as required to the length required for the number of passengers.
  • Some Aventras, like the Class 701 trains for South Western Railway, have even been ordered as ten-car trains.
  • Two three-car trains may also be the ideal capacity, running as a six-car train.

So capacity will not be a problem.

If it is assumed that Alstom’s trains for the WSMR route, can use the overhead wires, where they exist, each trip between Wrexham General and London will require a total of 86.7 miles or 140 kilometres of running on hydrogen.

  • A round trip will therefor require 280 kilometres of running on hydrogen.
  • But between London Euston and Nuneaton, it will just be another electric train.
  • I suspect that like the similar Class 730 train, it will be capable of 110 mph on the West Coast Main Line.
  • Alstom’s Coradia iLint hydrogen train has a range of around a 500-800 kilometres on hydrogen.
  • The WSMR trains will probably be 100 mph trains using hydrogen on a route, where that speed is possible.

So if a Hydrogen Aventra has a similar range to the Coradia iLint, it will be able to do two round trips before refuelling.

How Long Will The Service Take?

West Midlands Trains, who use the similar Class 730 trains take one hour and eleven minutes between London Euston and Nuneaton with a single stop at Milton Keynes Central.

As the WSMR trains will use the same route, I suspect the same time can be used.

As Nuneaton and Wrexham General are 93.4 miles apart a table can be created showing the time for the rest of the journey for different average speeds

  • 50 mph – 1 hour 52 minutes – 3 hours 3 minutes.
  • 60 mph – 1 hour 33 minutes – 2 hours 44 minutes.
  • 70 mph – 1 hour 20 minutes – 2 hours 31 minutes.
  • 80 mph – 1 hour 10 minutes – 2 hours 21 minutes.

Note.

  1. The first time is the Nuneaton and Wrexham General time and the second time is the overall journey time.
  2. Typical Avanti West Coast services via Crewe and a change at Chester, take between two-and-a-half and three hours.

I suspect, if the WSMR trains can keep the speed up through the Midlands, that two hours and 30 minutes could be possible.

Could The Hydrogen Aventra Run At 125 mph Under The Wires?

In March 2018, I wrote Bombardier Bi-Mode Aventra To Feature Battery Power, which was based on this article in Rail Magazine.

These are a few points from the article.

  • Development has already started.
  • Battery power could be used for Last-Mile applications.
  • The bi-mode would have a maximum speed of 125 mph under both electric and diesel power.
  • The trains will be built at Derby.
  • Bombardier’s spokesman said that the ambience will be better, than other bi-modes.
  • Export of trains is a possibility.
  • Bombardier’s spokesman also said, that they have offered the train to three new franchises. East Midlands, West Coast Partnership and CrossCountry.

Have Alstom looked at what they bought from Bombardier and decided the following train is possible?

  • Five-cars or what the customer needs.
  • 125 mph under the wires.
  • Running on hydrogen away from the wires.
  • 100 mph on tracks without electrification.

Obviously, maximum speeds  would depend on track limits.

Looking at 125 mph Avanti West Coast trains that have a Milton Keynes stop between London Euston and Nuneaton, they can reach Nuneaton ten minutes quicker than West Midlands Trains 110 mph Class 730 trains.

Two hours and 30 minutes between London Euston and Wrexham is looking increasingly possible.

Are we seeing an audacious proposal from Alston to sell new trains to CrossCountry and a host of other franchises?

Conclusion

London Euston and Wrexham would appear to be an excellent route for an Aventra-based hydrogen train.

  • It can probably cruise at 110 mph on the West Coast Main Line between London Euston and Nuneaton.
  • All switchovers between electrification and hydrogen can be performed in electrified stations.
  • Hydrogen would only be used North of Nuneaton.
  • The train can be refuelled at Wrexham General, with fuel supplied from INEOS at Runcorn.
  • Given the typical 1000 km. range of hydrogen trains, a train can probably do three round trips without refuelling.

I can see this being a service with an excellent operational record.

 

March 15, 2024 Posted by | Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Energy / Sullom Voe Terminal To Be Connected To The Grid By The End Of Next Year

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Shetland News.

This is the sub-heading.

POWER supply to the Sullom Voe Terminal is set to be provided by two 43-kilometre underground power lines from the Gremista substation by the end of next year.

These four paragraphs outline some of EnQuest’s plans.

The on-site gas-fired power station, operated by Equans, is due to be switched off in the fourth quarter of 2025 as it no longer meets stringent carbon emission standards.

EnQuest, the operator of the terminal, gave an update on its plans for the 1,000-acre site during a Shetland suppliers forum held at Mareel on Wednesday morning.

The company was keen to present itself as one that is seeking collaborative working with the local businesses and the community as Sullom Voe transitions from an oil terminal to a green energy hub.

The company is in the middle of a “right-sizing” project that involves some significant decommissioning of equipment no longer needed to make space for long-term aspiration such as carbon capture and storage, green hydrogen production and offshore electrification.

Note.

  1. Two underground cables will be coming from Gremista to Sullom Voe.
  2. Up to seven wind turbines could fit on the site to produce power needed for green hydrogen production.
  3. Shetland is set to be connected to the UK national grid later this year thanks to a new 600MW HVDC subsea transmission link which will run to Caithness.
  4. The Sullom Voe power station, once switched off, could be “repurposed” to continue producing energy using clean fuels.
  5. EnQuest are certainly doing a comprehensive job on the transition.
  6. It looks to be a well-thought out plan to convert existing oil and gas infrastructure to a modern green asset.

This Google map shows Gremista to Sullom Voe.

Note.

  1. Sullum Voe is at the top of the map.
  2. Gremista is marked by the red arrow.
  3. It looks like the cable could take mainly a straight North-South route.

This second Google map shows Sullum Voe

Note.

  1. The Sullum Voe terminal is at the top of the map.
  2. Sullum Voe is a 1,000-acre site.
  3. In the South-West corner is the closed Scatsta airport.

This third Google map shows Lerwick.

Gremista is marked by the red arrow.

I do have some thoughts.

Scatsta Airport

Consider.

  • It takes takes over three hours on a bus between Lerwick and Sullum Voe
  • Scatsta Airport only closed in 2020.

Is there an opportunity for an air taxi between Lerwick and Scatsta?

 

February 8, 2024 Posted by | Energy, Hydrogen | , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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