Skegness Station To Benefit From A £3.3m Improvement Package
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
I took these pictures of Skegness station, on a visit to the town in July last year, which I wrote about in A Trip To Skegness.
I feel that Skegness station would welcome some improvement.
The Rail Technology Magazine article says this about the project.
Upon completion of the project, customers will be able to utilise a number of enhanced facilities, including an improved accessible toilet with changing spaces, two new start-up offices, a community café and retail provisions. Upgrades will continue through improved access into the station for pedestrians and vehicles, offering integration with the surrounding community.
Work is hoped to start this year.
A Modern Zero-Carbon Train Service
If £3.3 million is going to be spent on Skegness station, would it not be a good idea to have better trains serving the station.
In A Trip To Skegness, I talked about updating the hourly Nottingham and Skegness service using Class 170 trains with Rolls-Royce MTU Hybrid PowerPacks.
I wonder if this route could be improved by fitting the Class 170 trains with Rolls-Royce MTU Hybrid PowerPacks?
- The hybrid technology would have a lower fuel consumption and allow electric operation in stations.
- The prototype hybrid is already working on Chiltern Railways in a Class 168 train.
- The Class 168 train is an earlier version of the Class 170 train and they are members of the Turbostar family.
- Rolls-Royce are developing versions of these hybrid transmissions, that will work with sustainable fuels.
- As we have a total of 207 Turbostar trainsets, these could be a convenient way of cutting carbon emissions on long rural lines.
- As Rolls-Royce MTU are also developing the technology, so their diesel engines can run on hydrogen, it is not outrageous to believe that they could be on a route to complete decarbonisation of this type of train.
I believe that we could see hydrogen-hybrid Class 170 trains, with a Rolls-Royce badge on the side.
But would it be possible to go the whole way using one of Stadler’s battery-electric trains?
Consider the service between Nottingham and Skegness.
- It is hourly.
- The route is run by 100 mph Class 170 trains.
- Nottingham and Grantham are 22.7 miles apart.
- Grantham and Skegness are 58.2 miles apart.
- Trains take four minutes to reverse at Grantham.
- Trains wait 20 minutes before returning at the two end stations.
- Trains reverse at Nottingham in a bay platform, which is numbered 2.
- Grantham is electrified.
- Nottingham station will be electrified in the next few years.
- Skegness station is next to the bus station in the middle of the town, so hopefully the electricity supply is robust enough to charge buses and trains.
Stadler make a train called an Akku.
- It is a member of the FLIRT family.
- It is a 100 mph train.
- I wrote Stadler FLIRT Akku Battery Train Demonstrates 185km Range, which means it could run between Nottingham and Skegness without intermediate charging.
This leads me to the conclusion that with charging systems at Nottingham and Skegness and taking a four-minute top-up at Grantham if needed, a FLIRT Akku could handle this route with ease.
Conclusion
Skegness is a town that needs leveling-up. A refurbished station and 100 mph electric trains to Grantham and London would be a good start.
Extending The Elizabeth Line – Serving South-East London
The Inadequacies Of Abbey Wood Station
Abbey Wood station is the Elizabeth Line’s main terminus in South-East London.
The architecture is impressive, as the pictures taken before the station was finished show.
But other things are less than impressive.
- There is no station parking.
- Central London rail terminals served by Elizbeth Line services are only Liverpool Street/Moorgate and Paddington.
- Central London rail terminals served by National Rail services are Cannon Street, London Bridge, King’s Cross and St. Pancras.
In my view, Abbey Wood is a lost cause, as a commuter station, unless substantial parking is built at the station.
Parking At Stations In West Kent
This list shows the number of car parking spaces at stations in West Kent and South East London.
- Barnehurst – 162 *
- Belvedere – None *
- Bexleyheath – 83 *
- Chatham – 276 *
- Dartford – 186 *
- Ebbsfleet International – 4945 #
- Erith – None *
- Eynsford – 15
- Farningham Road – None
- Gillingham – 152 *
- Gravesend – 94 *
- Greenhithe – 8 *
- Longfield – 88
- Meopham – 167
- Northfleet – None *
- Plumstead – None *
- Rochester – None *
- St. Mary Cray – 31
- Slade Green – 25
- Sole Street – 61
- Stone Crossing – None *
- Strood – 112 *
- Swanley – 106
- Swanscombe – None *
- Welling – 117
Note.
- An asterisk (*) indicates direct trains to and from Abbey Wood station for the Elizabeth Line.
- An hash(#) indicates direct trains to and from Stratford International for the Elizabeth Line.
These figures are according to the National Rail web site.
It looks like unless you can walk to your nearest station and that has an easy connection to Abbey Wood, you’re probably better off going to Ebbsfleet and parking there.
Travelling Between Ebbsfleet International And The Elizabeth Line At Stratford International
Consider.
- Southeastern’s Highspeed service between Ebbsfleet International and Stratford International has a frequency of three trains per hour (tph)
- It takes less than twelve minutes between the two stations.
- It takes ten minutes to walk between Stratford International and Stratford Station for the Elizabeth Line and Greater Anglia services.
- There are eight Elizabeth Line tph to Paddington, calling at all stations. For Heathrow change at Whitechapel station.
Note.
- From these points, it should be possible to estimate the time you should park at Ebbsfleet to get to an event in London or East Anglia, if you live in Kent and are parking at Ebbsfleet International.
- I think four tph between Ebbsfleet International and Stratford International would make the route more attractive.
- If you’re going to Norwich or Ipswich be careful, as only one of the two tph stop at Stratford.
I catch the 12:30 from Liverpool Street for matches at Ipswich on Saturdays. This is the 12:38 from Stratford, so I suspect if you parked at parked at Ebbsfleet before 12:00, you’d make it.
Who’d have thought, that when they built the massive car parks at Ebbsfleet international, that they would be a Park-and-Ride for football at Ipswich. And Norwich too!
Changing Trains At Stratford
This map from Cartometro shows the two Stratford stations.
Note.
- The Elizabeth Line is shown in purple.
- The Central Line is shown in red.
- The Jubilee Line is shown in silver.
- The Overground is shown in orange.
- Lifts and escalators take passengers to and from the surface from between platforms 2 and 3 at Stratford International station.
Two pedestrian tunnels connect all the platforms in Stratford station.
- Elizabeth Line trains use platforms 5 and 8.
- Central Line trains use platforms 3, 3a and 6.
- Great Eastern Main Line trains use platforms 9, 9a and 10.
- Overground trains use platforms 1 and 2.
All platforms have lifts.
I suspect, that when you get to know the Stratford complex well, it’s easier than it looks.
But it does need better signage.
Full Step-Free Route Between Ebbsfleet And Heathrow Central
I have just used Transport for London’s Journey Planner, as if I was in a wheelchair and need full step-free access to go from Ebbsfleet to Heathrow Central.
This was the route.
- Southeastern to Stratford International station – 10 mins
- Walk to Stratford station – 21 mins
- Jubilee Line to Bond Street – 24 mins
- Bond Street to Heathrow Central – 32 mins
Note.
- The times are slower than say myself.
- I think it is possible to pick up the Elizabeth Line at Stratford.
But the route is certainly possible in a wheel-chair.
The Penge Interchange
This map from Cartometro shows where the East London Line of the London Overground and the Chatham Main Line between Victoria and Chatham cross in Penge.
Note.
- The East London Line runs North-South through Sydenham and Penge West stations.
- The Chatham Main Line runs through Penge East station.
There is a plan by Transport for London to create a Penge Interchange station on railway land, where the two lines cross.
- The station could replace Penge West and Penge East stations.
- It would be fully step-free.
- Interchange would be allowed between the East London Line and the Chatham Main Line.
This would increase connectivity for those travelling to and from South-East London and West Kent.
I brlieve that this one interchange could help level-up a large area of South-East London.
Thoughts On Belmont Station
This press release from Sutton Council is entitled Trains Running To Belmont Set To Double As Sutton Wins £14 million Levelling Up Funding.
These four paragraphs outline the scheme.
The number of trains running to Belmont is set to double after Sutton Council secured a £14.1 million cash injection from the government’s Levelling Up Fund.
The investment has been awarded to unlock the full potential of the London Cancer Hub, the world-leading life sciences campus that is being developed in Belmont and is poised to create 13,000 jobs and £1.2 billion each year for the UK economy.
The money will be used to improve rail services at Belmont, an area which has been poorly served by public transport until now. This will enable train services to double from two to four trains an hour, with additional direct services between Belmont and London Victoria. Belmont station will also be improved with step-free access, better wayfinding signage and new walking and cycling routes to the London Cancer Hub.
Better public transport is key to delivering the huge health and employment benefits of the London Cancer Hub. The major regeneration project is set to bring unprecedented investment to Sutton and tackle health inequalities nationwide by accelerating life-saving cancer research and innovation.
I have some thoughts.
Comparison To The Cambridge Biomedical Campus
The Cambridge Biomedical Campus is a similar medical research site in Cambridge.
- The Cambridge site does more general research, than the Sutton site.
- Both sites have world class hospitals.
- Both hospitals attract lots of patients from some distance away.
- The Cambridge site already has 20,000 employees, as opposed to Sutton’s target of 12,000.
- In a few years, the Cambridge site will have a railway station; Cambridge South, connecting it to London and the wider environs of Cambridge.
- The Cambridge site has good cycle and bus connections to the Greater Cambridge area.
- The Sutton site, needs good cycle and bus connections to the local area and especially local stations, including Belmont.
In addition, I believe that if Belmont had four trains per hour (tph) connecting it to Greater London, this would be an alternative to using private cars to reach the Sutton site.
Handling Patients At Belmont Station
Going into hospital even for just a short out-patient visit can be stressful, so I feel it is important that everything is done to make the time in the station and getting between the train and bus, as stress-free as possible.
- Access between train and platform should be step-free and wheelchair-friendly.
- There should be a comfortable waiting area.
- Access between the train and bus should be step-free and wheelchair-friendly.
- Buses should be timed to meet the trains.
- There should be lots of information.
- I suspect blind people get cancer, just like most people, so there probably needs to be staff or volunteers at the station.
I see a couple of problems.
- Getting the bus next to the platform is difficult, as they’ve built flats on the space in front of the station.
- The light controlled crossing, is in the wrong place for slow travellers to get across the road to the bus station.
Some hard and possibly expensive thinking will be needed to get good access between the trains and the bus to the hospital.
How Well Would Four tph Connecting London Victoria And Belmont Serve The Hospital?
The current trains between London Victoria and Belmont call at the following stations, where there are interchange possibilities.
- Clapham Junction, which has lots of connections.
- Balham, which connects to the Northern Line.
- West Croydon, which connects to the Overground.
- Sutton, which connects to Thameslink.
There may be sensible reasons for the extra two tph from Belmont to serve another set of destinations.
The train services should be designed in partnership with the NHS cancer treatment.
Leyton Station Set For £14m Upgrade
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Waltham Forest Echo.
These paragraphs outline the joint plan for Leyton and Colindale stations.
Leyton Station will receive step-free access and a new ticket hall and concourse thanks to £14 million from the government’s Levelling Up Fund.
The Greater London Authority was awarded more than £43million yesterday for work to make Leyton Station and Colindale Station in Barnet more accessible.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities hopes that the work will improve “two pockets of socio-economic deprivation in the capital”.
Waltham Forest Council has insisted for some time that an upgrade to the station is “desperately needed” to expand capacity before thousands of new homes are built nearby.
This project doesn’t seem to be listed on the this page in The Times, which is entitled Levelling Up: Full List Of Winners From Eden Project North To Mini Golf.
This news item from Barnet Council is entitled Barnet Council Leader Welcomes £29.5m Levelling Up Funding For Redeveloping At-Capacity Colindale Tube Station and gives a description of the works proposed at Colindale station.
Hackney Central Before Levelling Up
This press release from Hackney Council is entitled £19m Funding Boost For Town Centre At Hackney’s ‘Beating Heart’.
This summary is in the first two paragraphs.
A greener, safer and more welcoming Hackney Central is one step closer after Hackney Council’s successful application for £19m in Levelling Up funding.
The award will see five acres of public space transformed, bringing new green space, trees and seating along Amhurst Road, investment in Hackney Central Library, a much-needed redesign of Pembury Circus junction, new creative workspace and a rejuvenated Hackney Town Hall Square.
This is the summary from the Government’s levelling-up document.
£19 million for renovating public spaces in Hackney Central, such as the iconic Town Hall Square, as well as new creative workspace and upgrades to the Hackney Central Library.
So. this afternoon I went for a walk around Hackney Central and took these pictures.
Note.
- The roundel is missing outside the Graham Road entrance to Hackney Central station.
- Hackney Town Hall is a Grade II Listed Building, dating from the 1930s.
- I wrote abut the Hackney Picturehouse in The Film That Changed My Life!.
- The Hackney Empire is a Grade II* Listed Building.
- The Pizza Express is new, swanky and spacious, and not what I’d expected. I had a late lunch there.
- The bridge carrying the Overground over Mare Street needs improvement.
- I wrote about the Hackney Marks and Spencer in Levelling Up – The Marks & Spencer Way.
- St. Augustine’s Tower is the oldest building in Hackney.
- The main building of Hackney Central station is now a bar and music venue.
In words that could be attributed to legendary estate agent; Roy Brooks, it is an area with potential.
These are some thoughts.
The Town Hall Square
What puzzles me about the garden in front of the Town Hall, is the two trees, which I would associate with warmer climes.
Even today, when it was rather cold, there were still flowers in front of the Town Hall.
The Overground
I argue that the coming of the London Overground raised the standard of Dalston, Hackney, Whitechapel and other parts of East and South London to that of their more desired and affluent neighbours.
We can’t really attribute the the creation of the London Overground to any one politician, as it has been an aspiration of several politicians and rail professionals since the 1990s. This History section in the Wikipedia entry for the Overground lists all the false starts and hopes.
But one man; Peter Hendy has been there most of the time and has worked with all three of London’s Mayors and several Transport Ministers.
I do wonder how much the Overground benefited from a sane, quiet hand from someone like Lord Hendy.
The Overground has certainly done its best for Hackney and we need more of its common sense approach to levelling-up all over the country.
Marks And Spencer
When I moved back to London, Hackney had a terrible Marks and Spencer.
As one of their biggest London stores, is just three stops away on the Overground, it might have been financially prudent to close the store at Hackney Central.
But Marks did the opposite and converted it into an upmarket food store, which is much more Knightsbridge than East End.
It’s certainly convenient for me, as I can get a bus there and a bus back, with only a hundred metre level walk at both ends.
The Graham Road Entrance To Hackney Central Station
This makes it easier to travel around Hackney and to get to the Town Hall, Theatre, Cinema and Library area.
How many extra entrances to railway stations will improve journeys and attract more passengers?
The Continuous Development Of The Hackney Central And Hackney Downs Complex
Since I moved to Hackney three projects have been completed on the station complex.
- A walkway has been built between the two stations to ease interchange.
- Lifts have been added to the footbridge at Hackney Central.
- The Graham Road entrance has been opened.
Two other projects have been proposed, but nothing has been actioned.
- A replacement entrance to Hackney Central station on the North side of the station.
- Step-free access to Hackney Downs station.
Will either of these projects be covered by the levelling up funding?
Pizza Express
This opened in December and I hadn’t seen it before, but you won’t notice it, unless you walk or ride on a bus up Mare Street, which I rarely do these days, since Hackney Wick station has been rebuilt.
So I was surprised to see it and like the Marks and Spencer it is more upmarket than other pizzadromes in East London.
- There is a lot of space.
- It has a proper wheel-chair entrance, that no-one could fault.
- Seating is upmarket, with several tables having a good view of the street outside. Ideal for someone eating alone, as I do regularly.
The restaurant still has a few rough edges, but it has the potential to be a pizzadrome to visit.
I do wonder, if the upmarket Marks and Spencer and Pizza Express are in a way an endorsement of Hackney’s plans for the future, by two market leaders of the High Street.
Buses
There are a lot of bus routes going through the area, which is a good thing.
But the information could also be improved.
Clapton Bus Garage
This map shows the location of Clapton bus garage.
Clapton bus garage is the large building in the North-East corner of the map, red buses with white roofs outside.
This document on the Hackney Council web site is entitled Draft Hackney Central And Surrounds Masterplan, where this is said.
Relocate Clapton Bus Garage to an alternative site, to develop the site for mixed use, commercial/
residential development, and create a new route from St John-at-Hackney Churchyard Gardens to
Bohemia Place and beyond.
This sounds like a good idea, as part of the congestion in the area is caused by buses having to fight their way into the garage, when the roads are busy.
If they built, the right flats there I might be interested, as the site has good transport connections and an excellent Marks and Spencer.
Ashurst Road And Pembury Circus
This paragraph is in Hackney’s press release.
The award will see five acres of public space transformed, bringing new green space, trees and seating along Amhurst Road, investment in Hackney Central Library, a much-needed redesign of Pembury Circus junction, new creative workspace and a rejuvenated Hackney Town Hall Square.
Cut out what I have already covered and you get.
The award will see public space transformed, bringing new green space, trees and seating along Amhurst Road and a much-needed redesign of Pembury Circus junction.
This map shows Amhurst Road and Pembury Circus.
Note.
- Amhurst Road runs NW-SE across map.
- Hackney Central station is at the bottom of the map on the North London Line, which runs East-West.
- Hackney Downs station is the other station in the middle of the map.
- Pembury Circus is to the East of where Amhurst Road runs under the railway, at the top of the map.
- Dalston Lane runs between Pembury Circus Hackney Downs station.
I know the area around Hackney Downs station well.
- I regularly take a train to Hackney Downs station and get a 30 or 56 bus to my home from a bus stop on Dalston Lane.
- It can be a very unfriendly and cold place to catch a bus late at night.
But saying that, I’ve never had any trouble.
Improvements in that area, would certainly make my journey easier.
I would like to see the bus stops at Hackney Downs station moved to under the railway bridge to both improve shelter and cut the walking distance.
Conclusion
This could be £19 million very well spent and all residents of Hackney, myself included, could benefit.
Levelling Up Funding Will Double Train Services To Belmont In Surrey
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Advent.
This project is outlined in these three paragraphs in the article.
An award of £14.1 million to Sutton Council from the government’s Levelling Up Fund will unlock the full potential of the London Cancer Hub and allow the number of trains running to the village of Belmont in South London to be doubled.
The London Cancer Hub is a world-leading life sciences campus that is being developed at Belmont in Surrey, and which will create 13,000 jobs and £1.2 billion each year for the UK economy.
Until now, Belmont has been poorly served by public transport and the money will enable its train services to be doubled to four trains an hour, and extra direct services from Belmont to London Victoria.
This document from Sutton Council gives more details in this paragraph.
This bid will double train frequency between Belmont and London Victoria from 2 to 4 trains per hour by building a siding turnback south of Belmont Station. It will improve accessibility at the station and provide better routes for people walking and cycling to the station from the nearby area and The London Cancer Hub. As a result, public transport accessibility will improve and active travel will increase.
This map from CartoMetro shows the current track layout at Belmont station.
Note.
- The Epsom Downs branch used to be double track, with a second platform at Belmont station.
- There used to be a cross-over South of the station.
I suspect a length of the other track will be reinstated, with a cross-over the other way round to create the turnback siding.
This will allow two extra trains per hour to run between London and Belmont, that will turn back at Belmont.
In Could Third-Rail Tram-Trains Work The Epsom Downs Branch?, I walked up the hill to the Royal Marsden Hospital and it wasn’t an easy walk, as these pictures show.
Perhaps all trains should be met by a zero-carbon shuttle bus.
Going to a cancer hospital is not a pleasurable experience, especially for a child, so why not liven it up a bit with a ride in the best zero-carbon bus, that can be found?
Landmark Levelling Up Fund To Spark Transformational Change Across The UK
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from the UK Government.
These are the four bullet points.
- More than 100 projects awarded share of £2.1 billion from Round 2 of government’s flagship Levelling Up Fund.
- Projects will benefit millions of people across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and create jobs and boost economic growth.
- £672 million to develop better transport links, £821 million to kick-start community regeneration and £594 million to restore local heritage sites.
- Successful bids include Eden Project North in Morecambe, a new AI campus in Blackpool, regeneration in Gateshead, and rail improvements in Cornwall
The press release expands the last bullet point.
Projects awarded Levelling Up Fund money today include:
Eden Project North
Eden Project North will receive £50 million to transform a derelict site on Morecambe’s seafront into a world class visitor attraction. It will also kick-start regeneration more widely in Morecambe, creating jobs, supporting tourism and encouraging investment in the seaside town.
Note.
- Because of its closeness to the West Coast Main Line, it will have excellent rail connections to all over the North of England and Central and Southern Scotland, through Lancaster, which will only be a shuttle train away.
- One of High Speed Two’s direct destinations will be Lancaster, which will be served by High Speed Two by hourly trains to Birmingham, Carlisle, Crewe, London, Preston, Warrington and Wigan and by two-hourly trains to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Lockerbie and Motherwell.
- London and Lancaster will be a journey of just two hours and three minutes.
I believe that this high quality rail access will ensure the success of the Eden Project North.
Cardiff Crossrail
Cardiff Crossrail has been allocated £50 million from the fund to improve the journey to and from the city and raise the economic performance of the wider region.
The Cardiff Crossrail is obviously a good project from the little that I’ve read about it. But it does need a web site to explain the reasoning behind it.
Blackpool Multiversity
Blackpool Council and Wyre Council will receive £40 million to deliver a new Multiversity, a carbon-neutral, education campus in Blackpool’s Talbot Gateway Central Business District. This historic funding allows Blackpool and The Fylde College to replace their ageing out-of-town centre facilities with world-class state-of-the-art ones in the heart of the town centre. The Multiversity will promote higher-level skills, including automation and artificial intelligence, helping young people secure jobs of the future.
Blackpool certainly needs something.
My suggestion in Blackpool Needs A Diamond, was to build a second Diamond Light Source in the North to complement the successful facility at Harwell.
I don’t think the two proposals are incompatible.
Fair Isle Ferry
Nearly £27 million has been guaranteed for a new roll-on, roll-off ferry for Fair Isle in the Shetland Islands. The service is a lifeline for the island, supporting its residents, visitors and supply chains, and without its replacement the community will become further isolated.
Note.
- Will it be a British-built ferry?
- Will it be hydrogen-powered? After all by the time it is built, the Northern Scottish islands will be providing enough of the gas to power a quarter of Germany.
- Surely, a hydrogen-powered roll-on, roll-off ferry will be a tourist attraction in its own right.
I hope the Government and the islanders have a good ship-yard lined up
Gateshead Quays And The Sage
A total of £20 million is going towards the regeneration of Gateshead Quays and the Sage, which will include a new arena, exhibition centre, hotels, and other hospitality. The development will attract nearly 800,000 visitors a year and will create more than 1,150 new jobs.
I don’t know much about the Sage, but this project seems very reasonable.
Mid-Cornwall Metro
A £50 million grant will help create a new direct train service, linking 4 of Cornwall’s largest urban areas: Newquay, St Austell, Truro, and Falmouth/Penryn. This will level up access to jobs, skills, education, and amenities in one of the most economically disadvantaged areas in the UK.
I wrote about this scheme in The Proposed Mid-Cornwall Metro, where I came to this conclusion.
I believe that a small fleet of Hitachi Regional Battery Trains could create an iconic Metro for Cornwall, that would appeal to both visitors and tourists alike.
Judging by the recent success of reopening the Dartmoor Railway to Okehampton in Devon, I think this scheme could be a big success. But it must be zero-carbon!
Female Changing Rooms For Northern Ireland Rugby
There is £5.1 million to build new female changing rooms in 20 rugby clubs across Northern Ireland.
Given the popularity of the female version of the sport in England, Scotland and Wales, perhaps this is a sensible way to level it up in Northern Ireland. As rugby is an all-Ireland sport, perhaps the Irish have already sorted the South?
Increased CCS Can Decarbonise GB Electricity Faster On Route To Net Zero
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item on the SSE web site.
This is the first paragraph.
Building more power carbon capture and storage plants (Power CCS) could significantly accelerate the UK’s plans to decarbonise the GB electricity system on route to net zero, according to new analysis commissioned by SSE.
I am not surprised, as in my time, I have built several production, storage and distribution mathematical models for products and sometimes bringing things forward has beneficial effects.
These three paragraphs summarise the findings.
The UK Government’s proposed emissions reductions from electricity for 2035 could be accelerated to 2030 by combining its 50GW offshore wind ambition with a significant step up in deployment of Power CCS. This would require 7-9GW (equivalent to 10-12 plants) of Power CCS compared to the current commitment of at least one Power CCS plant mid-decade, according to experts at LCP Delta.
Replacing unabated gas with abated Power CCS generation will deliver significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The analysis suggests that adding 7-9GW Power CCS to the UK’s 2030 offshore wind ambition will save an additional 18 million tonnes of CO2 by 2040, by preventing carbon emissions during periods when the sun isn’t shining, and the wind isn’t blowing.
Gas consumption for electricity generation would not significantly increase, given the 7-9GW Power CCS would displace older and less efficient unabated gas power stations already operating and reduce importing unabated gas generation from abroad via the interconnectors. Importantly, Power CCS can provide a safety net to capture emissions from any gas required to keep the lights on in the event of delays to the roll out of renewables or nuclear.
The report is by LCP Delta, who are consultants based in Edinburgh.
The report says this about the transition to hydrogen.
Power CCS also presents significant opportunities to kickstart, then transition to, a hydrogen economy, benefitting from the synergies between CCS and hydrogen, including proximity to large-scale renewable generation and gas storage facilities which can support the production of both electrolytic and CCS-enabled hydrogen.
And this about the reduction in carbon emissions.
The existing renewables ambition and the accelerated Power CCS ambition are expected to save a total of 72 million tonnes of CO2 by 2040 compared to commitments in the UK’s Net Zero Strategy from October 2021.
I don’t think there’s much wrong with this analysis.
But of course the greens will trash it, as it was paid for by SSE.
I have a few thoughts.
Carbon Capture And Use
I believe we will see a great increase in carbon capture and use.
- Carbon dioxide is already an ingredient to make Quorn.
- Carbon dioxide is needed for fizzy drinks.
- Carbon dioxide can be fed to tomatoes, salad plants, herbs and flowers in giant greenhouses.
- Carbon dioxide can be used to make animal and pet food.
- Carbon dioxide can be used to make building products like plasterboard and blocks.
- Carbon dioxide can be added to concrete.
- Carbon dioxide can be used as a refrigerant and in air-conditioning. There are one or two old Victorian systems still working.
Other uses will be developed.
Carbon Capture Will Get More Efficient
Carbon capture from power stations and boilers, that use natural gas is a relatively new process and its capture will surely get better and more efficient in the next few years.
Gas From INTOG
I explain INTOG in What Is INTOG?.
One of INTOG’s aims, is to supply electricity to the oil and gas rigs and platforms in the sea around the UK.
Currently, these rigs and platforms, use some of the gas they produce, in gas turbines to create the electricity they need.
- I have seen reports that ten percent of the gas that comes out of the ground is used in this way.
- Using the gas as fuel creates more carbon dioxide.
Decarbonisation of our oil and gas rigs and platforms, will obviously be a good thing because of a reduction of the carbon dioxide emitted. but it will also mean that the gas that would have been used to power the platform can be brought ashore to power industry and domestic heating, or be exported to countries who need it.
Gas may not be carbon-neutral, but some gas is more carbon-neutral than others.
SSE’s Plans For New Thermal Power Stations
I have taken this from SSE’s news item.
SSE has deliberately chosen to remain invested in the transition of flexible thermal electricity generation due to the key role it plays in a renewables-led, net zero, electricity system and is committed to decarbonising the generation.
Together with Equinor, SSE Thermal is developing two power stations equipped with carbon capture technology. Keadby 3 Carbon Capture Power Station is based in the Humber, the UK’s most carbon-intensive industrial region, while Peterhead Carbon Capture Power Station is located in the North East of Scotland. Combined, the two stations could capture around three million tonnes of CO2 a year.
Studies have shown that Keadby and Peterhead Carbon Capture Power Stations could make a lifetime contribution of £1.2bn each to the UK economy, creating significant economic opportunity in their respective regions. Both will be vital in supporting the huge amount of renewables which will be coming on the system.
SSE Thermal and Equinor are also collaborating on Keadby Hydrogen Power Station, which could be one of the world’s first 100% hydrogen-fuelled power stations, and Aldbrough Hydrogen Storage, which could be one of the world’s largest hydrogen storage facilities.
Note.
- SSE appear to think that gas-fired power stations with carbon capture are an ideal backup to renewables.
- If gas is available and it can be used to generate electricity without emitting any carbon dioxide, then why not?
- Hydrogen is coming.
Things will get better.
Is A Virtuous Circle Developing?
Consider.
- Spare wind electricity is turned into hydrogen using an electrolyser or perhaps some world-changing electro-chemical process.
- The hydrogen is stored in Aldbrough Hydrogen Storage.
- When the wind isn’t blowing, hydrogen is used to backup the wind in Keadby Hydrogen power station.
- The other Keadby power stations can also kick in using natural gas. The carbon dioxide that they produce, would be captured for storage or use.
- Other users, who need to decarbonise, can be supplied with hydrogen from Aldbrough.
Note.
- Gas turbines are throttleable, so if National Grid wants 600 MW to balance the grid, they can supply it.
- As time progresses, some of the gas-fired power stations at Keadby could be converted to hydrogen.
- Rough gas storage is not far away and could either store natural gas or hydrogen.
- Hydrogen might be imported by tanker from places like Africa and Australia, depending on price.
Humberside will be levelling up and leading the decarbonisation of the UK.
If you have an energy-hungry business, you should seriously look at moving to Humberside.
Morley’s New Accessible Station Set To Open In Summer 2023
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Network Rail.
These paragraphs outline the work to be done to create the new Morley station.
A new, fully accessible station is set to open in Morley, Leeds in summer 2023 to make way for longer trains, more seats, and better journeys as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade.
As a multi-million-pound investment, the new station will boast longer platforms to provide space for faster, more frequent, greener trains with more seats available for passengers travelling between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York.
The new, remodelled station will sit 75 metres away from the existing station and be fully accessible, with a footbridge and lifts connecting the two platforms.
Moving the station opens up opportunities to transform the platforms and track layout while installing the overhead wires needed to power electric and hybrid trains in the future. It also means that the current station can largely remain open for passengers whilst the new one is built.
It is not often, that a station upgrade, is such a comprehensive demolish and rebuild of a not very large station as this.
But rarely have I seen such a long list of problems as the one in this section in the Wikipedia entry for the station.
It looks like the Government is having a go, at levelling-up Morley.
Network Rail seem to be attempting to do the rebuild in under a year.
Levelling Up Freight
This project was one of the winners in the First Of A Kind 2022 competition run by Innovate UK.
In this document, this is said about the project.
Project No: 10037240
Project title: Levelling Up Freight
Lead organisation: 3SQUARED LTD.
Project grant: £393,271
Public description:
Background
Rail freight is vital to Britain. It contributes almost £2.5bn to the economy and plays a big part in reducing congestion and emissions. Rail is more environmentally friendly than road, with every tonne of freight transported by rail producing 76% less emissions compared to road (RDG “Levelling Up Britain” 2021). The green benefits of rail freight are being driven heavily by the DfT with incentive schemes such as Modal Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) – a £20m grant, which
freight carriers can bid for a share of to support modal shift to rail.
Despite widescale use of MSRS, finding new freight routes for additional trains is challenging because:
- Road haulage is seen as easier and more accessible than rail freight, especially at short
notice, for short journeys and for single containers. - Highways are less regulated with no significant barriers to commercial participation, and
therefore are free to use the latest technologies to develop and evolve solutions at a faster
pace. - Railway planning systems and processes limit the availability and visibility of freight paths
(slots in the timetable which can accept a freight train) resulting in under-utilisation of
network capacity.
Our innovative freight planning solution (PathPlanner) will make the use of rail for freight as
accessible and easy to use as the road network. PathPlanner is specifically designed to overcome
the current operational challenges and blockers that make moving to rail prohibitive.
Proof-of-Concept Demonstration
In 2021, NR completed a £17m upgrade around Southampton to enable longer trains in/out of the docks. Completing April 2023, Solent Stevedores is investing c.£3m to strengthen their capability to receive and dispatch longer and more trains – from 9 to 16 per day.
However, NR’s business case did not include any understanding of capacity in/out of the port, so
Solent Stevedores is currently unsighted as to how, or if, they can find the additional paths.
There are significant gains to be made if they can; 7 extra trains equate to:
- £12.6m additional revenue p.a.
- A reduction of 55,000 HGVs.
- A reduction of carbon by 1,165 tonnes.
Our project will demonstrate a Proof-of-Concept solution at Southampton Docks that will facilitate
Solent Stevedores, and Eddie Stobart Logistics (ESL) – 2 off our project partners – to find additional
freight paths and transfer containers from HGVs to trains.
My Thoughts And Conclusions
As I programmed scheduling and resource allocation systems for forty years, I am probably one of the most experienced programmers at writing this type of system.
That experience suggests that their objectives are possible.
The Anonymous Widower 