The Anonymous Widower

DNV Certifies Floating Wind Turbine Foundation Design For Buchan Project

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

This is the sub-heading.

Buchan Offshore Wind has received Basic Design Certification from DNV for the BW Ideol-designed concrete Damping Pool floating foundation selected for its nearly 1 GW floating wind project off Scotland.

This initial paragraph adds some more detail.

The certification covers the Buchan-specific Damping Pool design, which has been developed for the project’s North Sea site. BW Ideol’s standard 15 MW-plus Damping Pool platform received DNV Basic Design Certification in May 2025. The technology is also being used on the Floatgen demonstration project in France, which has been operating since 2018.

Note.

The Buchan Offshore Wind Farm has a web site.

It appears to have a capacity of at least 960 MW, with 64 x 15 MW turbines.

The web site has a video of the Damping Pool platform.

The platforms will be built at the Port of Ardersier in Scotland.

 

 

October 7, 2026 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

New Study Identifies Foundation Standardisation, Lower Cost Of Capital As Key To Floating Wind Competitiveness

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

This is the sub-heading.

Standardising floating offshore wind foundations and reducing the cost of capital to bring it in line with fixed-bottom could deliver some of the largest cost reductions for the technology, according to a new report from the UK’s Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult.

These first three paragraphs add more detail.

The report sets out a methodology for identifying and tracking the factors that drive floating wind costs as the technology moves towards commercial scale and identifies 21 potential cost-reduction factors, concluding that cost reductions are likely to result from a sequence of measures as the industry matures rather than a single breakthrough.

Standardising floating substructure designs could reduce costs by up to 17 per cent, according to the analysis. ORE Catapult said more than 100 floating substructure designs are currently in the market, with greater standardisation expected to increase supply-chain confidence and reduce technical uncertainty.

The cost of capital was identified as the single largest cost-reduction lever. Bringing financing costs closer to those of fixed-bottom offshore wind could deliver almost 20 per cent in savings, the report found. Other factors include increased competition and advances in manufacturing.

Note.

  1. The report analysed floating wind projects in the Celtic Sea, North Sea and waters east of Shetland.
  2. Different technologies are covered.
  3. The floating wind industry must innovate to bring their costs down.

The report can be downloaded from this link.

I am sure, if they were working today, Henry Ford and other pioneers of the motor industry would have ideas for improving productivity in the floating wind industry.

October 6, 2026 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

WoT? Experimental Elongated Airbus Wings To Fly Next Year

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

I believe that this will improve efficiency.

July 30, 2026 Posted by | Design, Transport/Travel | , , , | Leave a comment

Molten Salt And Human Sweat: The Weird Batteries That Could Store Renewable Energy

The title of this post is the same as that of this article in The Guardian.

This is the sub-heading.

From Nevada to Manchester, developers are trialling innovative solutions to clean energy’s biggest challenge

These first three paragraphs give a taste of what is to come.

In the deserts of the United Arab Emirates a sprawling clean energy project, stretching across an area roughly the size of 12,600 football fields, will play host to a breakthrough allowing solar energy to power the equivalent of half a million homes through the night.

The Gulf state has been steadily combining 5.2GW of solar power capacity with 19GWh of battery storage to create the largest battery scheme in the world.

Meanwhile, about 7,500 miles away, at the US’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory facility in Colorado, researchers and engineers are making some of the smallest batteries the world has ever seen. A fraction of the size of the grid-scale lithium-ion batteries used to store renewable energy, they have been designed to power electronic tags that will track the 3in-long (about 7.5cm) young from salmon and eel species.

And seeing, that they used to be the Manchester Guardian and that Andy Burnham is surely the man-of-the-day for other reasons, Highview Power’s 50 MW/300 MWh at Carrington in Manchester gets a big mention under a section heading of Liquid Air, with Burnham in hi-vis jacket and hard hat.

This picture, which is courtesy of The Guardian, shows the groundbreaking ceremony of the Carrington battery.

Andy Burnham is third from the right.

The Guardian article is very much a must read, that features projects from the United Arab Emirates, Colorado, Finland, Manchester, Nevada and Japan.

 

July 20, 2026 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage | , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

India’s First Hydrogen-Powered Train Notified: Know Route, Launch Date & What Makes It Special

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

These two paragraphs add some detail.

India’s first hydrogen train has been notified by Indian Railways. The new hydrogen-powered train is expected to be flagged off by PM Narendra Modi on July 17. He will also unveil a series of other infrastructure projectsacross Haryana, state minister Krishan Kumar Bedi said on Thursday.

The government says that project underscores Indian Railways’ wider focus on technological innovation, improved energy efficiency, and environmentally sustainable transportation, while supporting India’s national objectives on clean energy and achieving net-zero carbon emissions.

The route will be between Jind and Sonipat, which are both shown on this OpenRailwayMap.

Note.

  1. Jind, which has two stations Jind City and Jind Junction is in the North-West corner of the map.
  2. The blue arrow indicates Jind City station.
  3. Jind Junction station has a Wikipedia entry, which indicates that Jind Junction station has a hydrogen refilling station.
  4. Sonipat Junction station is in the South-East corner of the map.
  5. Jind and Sonipat are about fifty miles apart by train.
  6. OpenRailwayMap shows that most, if not all of the rail lines shown in this map are electrified using 25 KVAC overhead.

It looks to me, that Indian Railways are following similar rules to Network Rail, when they tested the battery-electric Class 379 train on the Mayflower Line.

  • Test new technology on a line with spare capacity.
  • Test new technology with a train, that can still run using current electrification.
  • Test new technology on an electrified line.

From talking to some of those, who used the Harwich train every day, there were no problems during the test.

Visiting The Hydrogen Train

I feel that if you were passing through New Delhi, it would be feasible, if you had time to spare to visit the hydrogen train.

Google AI says this about the New Delhi and Sonipat service.

Trains to Sonipat Station run directly from New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS). Several long-distance, express, and local EMU/MEMU trains connect the two stations daily, making the journey in approximately 30 to 50 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 17, 2026 Posted by | Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Ghostly Drone That Spins Almost Too Fast To See

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

This is the sub-heading.

The ‘Phantom Twist’ prototype rotates about 25 times a second while its body moves in the opposite direction — appearing as a faint haze

These two initial paragraphs add some more details.

Engineers have created a drone that almost vanishes in flight by spinning so quickly the human eye sees only a faint, translucent haze.

The body of the drone, called the Phantom Twist, rotates about 25 times a second, while its propeller spins in the opposite direction. Its inventors describe it as “morphing into a ghostly smudge that seamlessly blends into the background”.

This technology obviously works and was developed at North Western University in the United States.

This paragraph speculates on a few civilian uses.

It is, they say, intended for civilian uses. The researchers believe less conspicuous aircraft could be useful for monitoring nesting birds, surveying wilderness areas or inspecting bridges and other infrastructure without causing wildlife to scatter or prompting people to alter their behaviour.

The article then details how drones have transformed the war in Ukraine.

 

July 16, 2026 Posted by | Design, Transport/Travel, World | , , , , | Leave a comment

TerraLithium, BHE Renewables Announce Key Milestones For Geothermal Lithium Project In California

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

This is the sub-heading.

TerraLithium and BHE Renewables have announced key milestones towards advancing technology for lithium extraction from geothermal brines in Imperial Valley, California.

This is the important paragraph in the article.

The business model of coupling lithium and critical minerals extraction with geothermal energy production is gaining increasing attention, both in the United States and in countries like Germany, France, and the UK. As demonstrated in the United Downs geothermal power project in Cornwall, lithium extraction provides additional revenue generation that can significantly improve the economics of deep geothermal projects.

So here we have little Cornwall showing Big California how to get power and lithium out of hot rocks.

In Cornish Plant Produces Geothermal Power, I described the progress at the Cornish plant in March.

Has Andy Burnham Ever Said Anything On Geothermal Energy?

Given that there is an election or coronation under way, I just had to ask Google AI, the question in the title of this section.

This is the answer I received.

Yes, Andy Burnham has occasionally engaged with topics involving geothermal energy, particularly in the context of tapping natural underground heat and mine water for green energy

His notable references to the technology include:

Supporting Manchester’s Geothermal Potential: He has voiced support for localized renewable heat projects, such as exploratory borehole plans in Manchester city centre intended to tap into thermal springs for community heating.

I think we can put that down as a favourable view.

This excellent article on the BBC is entitled Plan To Heat Manchester Homes With A Geothermal Spring, is worth a full read.

 

June 24, 2026 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Energy, World | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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.

 

 

June 14, 2026 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Design, Energy, Transport/Travel, World | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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.

 

June 12, 2026 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Energy Storage | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

National Grid Rollout New Technology To Expand The Capacity Of Existing Power Lines

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

These four bullet points act as sub-headings.

  • Latest rollout of Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) technology highlights spare capacity on existing power lines allowing greater power flows

  • New instalments on 585km of key north to south transmission network routes has the potential to save consumers up to £50 million in constraint costs

  • Over the last five years DLR has saved £21million in constraint costs and complemented upgrades to the existing transmission network (such as reconductoring and the use of power flow controllers) which have added over 16GW of new capacity to the existing network.

  • National Grid is unlocking more power from the existing grid faster and more cheaply, using innovative technology to meet increased demand, alongside constructing new infrastructure.

These first three paragraphs of the press release describe National Grid’s use of Dynamic Line Rating.

National Grid has announced a significant expansion of Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) technology across its electricity transmission network in England and Wales. Under a new five-year contract, Dynamic Line Ratings will be deployed across an additional 585km of key north-to-south transmission routes, potentially saving consumers up to £50 million over the next five years.

Meeting the growing demand for electricity requires both new infrastructure and smarter use of what already exists. DLR is an innovative yet proven technology that continuously monitors overhead line conditions to calculate a real-time capacity rating based on actual conductor behaviour and local weather, rather than the fixed conservative assumptions that have historically governed line ratings.

The result is a safe, reliable optimisation of available capacity on existing infrastructure, with the sensors and data analytics platforms allowing for a safe increase of the power carrying capacity of a circuit by an average of 8%. This reduces the need for constraint payments, where a generator is paid to stop generating to avoid overloading the electricity network.

This is an brilliant application of instrumentation, automation and very smart computing, that creates an average of eight per cent more capacity in the National Grid.

It’s like smart motorways for electrons, that from the press release appears to work.

I have some thoughts.

Reconductoring Is Mentioned

I suspect that the grid is highly instrumented and the grid can pick up areas that need to be replaced, but the masses of data a system like this will collect, will only improve their knowledge of the grid and give better predictions of where and how cables need to be replaced. Sophisticated modelling will also indicate, things like whether fatter cables here and there could squeeze more capacity into the network.

In the 1970s, I provided the software for the Water Resources Board to analyse and plan the pipelines and reservoirs for water supply in large parts of England.

Given that over the years, most of the problems over the years with the water industry, seem to apply to sewage, ownership, politics, equipment failure, rather than taps actually running dry, I suspect that Dr. Dimeloe and his team did a magnificent job. I would love to know the truth from one of the team.

As fifty years later, modelling software must be more sophisticated, I suspect a continuous analysis of the grid could give substantial benefits.

More And Better Sensors Will Be Developed

As needs arise, the systems will get more and more sophisticated and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the capacity of the grid increase by more than expected.

There Are 4,000 Miles Of High Voltage Overhead Lines In The UK

So if, National Grid can get an eight percent increase as the press release indicates, they might be able to add the equivalent of 320 miles to the electricity transmission network, without the hassle of applying for planning permission or dealing with Nimbies.

There might also be a cost saving as Google AI indicated that high voltage transmission lines cost around two million pounds per mile.

I Can Envisage Sophisticated Connection Networks For Offshore Wind Farms Using Coastal Or Even Offshore Batteries To Maximise The Energy Generated

Consider.

  • The output of a wind farm varies throughout the day and night.
  • Some of the variation in a wind farm’s output may be predictable.
  • Batteries and/or capacitors are good at smoothing variation in electrical power output and demand.
  • Capacitors are useful for smoothing out high-frequencies.
  • Highview Power are now building a 50 MW/300 MWh and a 500 MW/3.2 GWh battery, that both come with a sophisticated control system, they call a stability island providing inertia (frequency stability), short-circuit strength, and voltage control.
  • Dynamic Line Rating can be applied to the transmission line, that connects the wind farm and the battery to the grid.

Getting all these assets to work as a team, is a challenge some of the world’s best engineer/programmers would relish.

I could envisage, that systems like this could deliver hundreds of mill-pond smooth megawatts, that would be just what data centre owners wanted and needed.

Conclusion

The application of Dynamic Line Rating is going to revolutionise the electricity grid all over the world.

 

 

May 4, 2026 Posted by | Computing, Energy, Energy Storage | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

« Previous Entries