Great Yarmouth Terminal Set For Redevelopment Under Port Of East Anglia Name
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The UK’s Peel Ports Group has decided to invest a further GBP 10 million (approximately EUR 11.3 million) into its Great Yarmouth site, which is being rebranded as the Port of East Anglia.
These four paragraphs add details to the story.
The newly announced GBP 10 million brings this year’s total investment to GBP 70 million across the site and will be used to redevelop the port’s Northern Terminal, helping to accommodate the next generation of offshore wind projects across the region, according to Peel Ports.
Earlier this year, a substantial investment into its Southern Terminal was announced by the port, which has earmarked GBP 60 million to transform capacity and improve efficiencies.
This involves ensuring the port can support multiple hydrogen, carbon capture, offshore wind, and nuclear projects for decades to come.
Its existing terminals service a variety of construction customers, including infrastructure projects such as Sizewell C and offshore energy projects based in the southern North Sea.
Note.
- In Yarmouth Harbour To Be ‘Completed’ In £60m Project, I talk about the work to be done on the Southern Terminal.
- The work on the Southern Terminal includes a roll-on roll-off (RORO) lift ramp and a large storage area.
- Start on the work on the Southern Terminal will start in 2026.
With all the construction work mentioned in the last two paragraphs, I suspect that the Port of Great Yarmouth will be busy?
These are some further thoughts.
Why Is The Port Of Great Yarmouth Being Renamed?
The article says this.
The new name, which will come into effect in early 2026, also aligns with the creation of a new combined authority for Suffolk and Norfolk, according to Peel Ports.
Peel Ports name change is fairly sensible, but as I was conceived in Suffolk and I’m an Ipswich Town supporter, I don’t feel that the two counties should be merged.
Does The Mention Of Hydrogen Mean That The Port Of Great Yarmouth Will Be Hosting A Hydrogen Electrolyser, To Fuel Trucks And Ships?
I asked Google AI, “If A Hydrogen Electrolyser is To Be Built In The Port Of Great Yarmouth?”, and received this answer.
While there are no current public plans for an immediate construction of a large-scale hydrogen electrolyser within the Port of Great Yarmouth, significant port expansion and infrastructure upgrades are underway to ensure it can support future hydrogen projects and related clean energy initiatives.
Note.
- If technology to handle hydrogen, is copied from North Sea gas, there is certainly a lot of proven technology that can be used again.
- There may even be depleted gas fields, where captured carbon dioxide, hydrogen or North Sea gas can be stored.
I find the most exciting thing, would be to send hydrogen to Germany.
Why Would Anybody Export Hydrogen To Germany?
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this answer.
Countries would export hydrogen to Germany because Germany has a large, growing demand for hydrogen to power its heavily industrialised economy and achieve its decarbonisation goals, but lacks sufficient domestic renewable energy capacity to produce the required amounts.
Germany also, uses a lot of bloodstained Russian gas and indigenous polluting coal.
How Could Anybody Export Hydrogen To Germany?
- Wilhelmshaven is one of the main import ports for hydrogen in North West Germany.
- Great Yarmouth is probably the closest larger port to Germany.
- Great Yarmouth and Wilhelmshaven are probably about 300 miles apart, by the shortest route.
- Great Yarmouth would need to build infrastructure to export hydrogen.
The easiest way to transport the hydrogen from Great Yarmouth to Wilhelmshaven, is probably to use a gas tanker built especially for the route.
This Google Map shows the route between Great Yarmouth and Wilhelmshaven.
Note.
- The North-East corner of East Anglia with Great Yarmouth to the North of Lowestoft, is in the bottom-left corner of the map.
- Wilhelmshaven is a few miles inland in the top-right corner of the map.
- Could a coastal tanker go along the Dutch and German coasts to Wilhelmshaven?
I have no skills in boats, but would Great Yarmouth to Wilhelmshaven to take hydrogen to Germany?
RWE Are Developing Three Wind Farms To The North-East of Great Yarmouth
RWE are a large German Electricity company and the UK’s largest generator of electricity.
The company is developing three wind farms to the North-East of Great Yarmouth.
- Norfolk Boreas – 1.2 GW – 45 miles offshore
- Norfolk Vanguard West – 1.2 GW – 29 miles offshore
- Norfolk Vanguard East – 1.2 GW – 28 miles offshore
Note.
- The electricity for all three wind farms is to be brought ashore at Happisburgh South, which is about 22 miles North of Great Yarmouth.
- The original plan was to take the electricity halfway across Norfolk to the Necton substation to connect to the grid.
- The natives will not be happy about a 4.2 GW overhead line between Happisburgh and Necton.
- RWE have built offshore electrolysers before in German waters.
- Could an electrical cable or a hydrogen pipe be laid in the sea between Happisburgh South and the Port of Great Yarmouth?
- The electrolyser could either be offshore at Happisburgh or onshore in the Port of Great Yarmouth.
As I don’t suspect these three wind farms will be the last connected to the Port of Great Yarmouth, I would expect that RWE will put the electrolyser offshore at Happisburgh and connect it by a hydrogen pipeline to the Port of Great Yarmouth.
Could There Be A Connection To The Bacton Gas Terminal?
Consider.
The Bacton Gas Terminal, which feeds gas into the UK Gas Network, is only 4.2 miles up the coast from Happisburgh South.
Some climate scientists advocate blending hydrogen into the gas supply to reduce carbon emissions.
In Better Than A Kick In The Teeth – As C Would Say!, I disclosed that I now have a new hydrogen-ready boiler, so I’m not bothered, if I get changed to a hydrogen blend.
So could hydrogen from the Norfolk wind farms be fed into the grid to reduce carbon emissions?
Could The Port Of Great Yarmouth Become A Hydrogen Distribution Centre?
Thinking about it, the port could also become a distribution centre for green hydrogen.
Consider.
- Hydrogen-powered ships, tugs and workboats could be refuelled.
- Hydrogen-powered trucks could also be refuelled.
- Tanker-trucks could distribute hydrogen, to truck and bus operators, farms and factories, that need it for their transport and operations.
- I believe, that construction equipment will be increasingly hydrogen-powered.
In my life, I have lived at times in two country houses, that were heated by propane and there are about 200,000 off-grid houses in the UK, that are heated this way.
The two houses, where I lived would have been a nightmare to convert to heat pumps, but it would have been very easy to convert them to a hydrogen boiler and power it from a tank in the garden.
It should be noted, that the new boiler in my house in London is hydrogen-ready.
So the Port of Great Yarmouth could be the major centre for hydrogen distribution in Norfolk.
In the 1960s, I used to work in ICI’s hydrogen plant at Runcorn. If you ride in a hydrogen bus in England, it is likely that the hydrogen came from the same plant. Handled correctly, hydrogen is no less safe and reliable than natural gas or propane.
NSTA Gives 1.1bn Barrel Boost To North Sea Oil Reserve Estimates
The title of this post, is the same as that of an article on Energy Voice.
As I don’t have access to Energy Voice articles, I asked Google AI what it can tell me of North Sea oil and gas reserves boost and received this answer.
North Sea oil and gas reserves have increased by 1.1 billion barrels, driven by new licensing rounds, with the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) reporting a 31% rise in potential resources. This boost could significantly impact the UK’s energy security and economy by potentially allowing the UK to meet half its oil and gas needs and support jobs. However, this development occurs alongside political debate over new drilling licenses and the UK’s Net Zero targets.
These are my thoughts.
Am I Using AI To Get Round The Paywall?
Some may argue that I am, but then as my tame and pleasureable lawyer has passed on, I shall leave this question to Google’s lawyers.
Although in the 1970s, I will admit to spending hours in libraries finding data and algorithms for the solution of these problems.
- The understanding of the dynamics of the sulphonation reaction, which may have led to a valuable patent.
- The linking between datasets, which may have led to the first relational database.
My searches these days, would be a lot easier with artificial intelligence.
A 31% Rise Is Very Worthwhile
This article in the Telegraph also looks at the NSTA report and these are three paragraphs.
Martin Copeland, the chief financial officer at Serica Energy, a North Sea oil and gas producer, said: “This NSTA report shows that there at least 11 billion barrels of oil and gas which could still be developed in the North Sea.
“This almost meets the amount that the Climate Change Committee says we will need before the net zero target year of 2050 of 13 billion to 15 billion barrels.
“So with the right policy changes and tax regime, the UK could effectively be self-sufficient on the oil and gas it will need and would otherwise have to import.”
The rise must surely be very worthwhile for the UK.
Japanese Company Takes Part In Spain’s Floating Wind Demonstration Project
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Japan’s Electric Power Development, also known as J-Power, has joined the WHEEL floating offshore wind demonstration project in Spain.
These three paragraphs add more details.
The WHEEL demonstration project is led by the Madrid-headquartered company Esteyco. WHEEL will feature one turbine installed three kilometres off the eastern coast of Gran Canaria, Spain.
Through this project, J-Power aims to acquire knowledge in the manufacturing, assembly, installation, and operation of floating offshore wind power, contributing to the development of floating offshore wind projects in Japan and abroad, the company said.
A floating offshore wind turbine, with a capacity of 6.17 MW, will be constructed and tested using WHEEL, which combines the advantages of barge-type foundations and spar-type foundations.
There is a visualisation of the WHEEL project in the linked article.
Conclusion
I like the concept of WHEEL.
In Norwegians Developing Monopile Foundation For 100-Metre Depths, I write about my involvement with a company called Balaena Structures in the 1970s, who were trying to develop a reusable oil and gas platform. I have a feeling, that WHEEL and the Balaena have dynamic and floating properties in common.
SNP Ban On ‘Munitions’ Funds Puts Scottish Shipbuilding On The Line
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on The Times.
This is the sub-heading.
The president of Rolls-Royce submarines says plans for a world-class welding centre on the Clyde are at risk of being cancelled within days
These three paragraphs add more details to the story.
Ambitious plans to reverse a historic decline in Scottish shipbuilding are at risk after a £2.5 million taxpayer grant was axed due to an SNP ban on “munitions” funding.
A plan to build a specialist welding centre on the banks of the Clyde is now in grave doubt after Scottish Enterprise, the national economic development agency, was accused of reneging on a pledge to fund a building for the world-class facility.
Rolls-Royce, which is ready to support the project by providing £11 million worth of specialist equipment, expressed “dismay” at the news, saying the project had been classified as a “munitions” scheme solely on the basis that it would “support the construction of naval vessels”.
Given the experience of the Scottish Government in building ferries is documented in this Wikipedia entry, which is entitled Scottish Ferry Fiasco, the SNP must know something about how not to build ships.
The comments from readers of the Times Article are scathing, with many coming from those with Scottish names.
Welding And Nuclear Power
It doesn’t mention the other big use for welding in this article and that is in the manufacture of nuclear reactors. In fact one of the members of the Rolls-Royce consortium, that will build their small modular nuclear reactors is The Welding Institute – No prizes for guessing what they do!
Does that mean that Scotland won’t have anything to do with small modular nuclear reactors? Either in their manufacture or use.
This article in New Civil Engineer is entitled UK Plans New Nuclear Plant In Scotland Despite Scottish Government Opposition.
So if the Scottish Government wants nothing to do with making expensive, quality vessels for the nuclear industry, Rolls-Royce would surely be better building the welding centre in an area of the UK that would appreciate it.
Scots In High Positions Of Power
I like Scotland and the Scots and possibly, at one time, with all the North Sea Oil and Gas, I could have thought about relocating North of the Border. But I’m very glad I didn’t!
It does seem to me though, that when some Scots get to high positions of power, that they lose all sense of reason.
I would nominate.
- Fred the Shred
- The SNP
- That half-Scot, who was lucky enough to be elected US President twice.
There must be a few others.
Siemens Gamesa To Soon Install 21 MW Offshore Wind Turbine Prototype At Danish Test Site — Reports
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Siemens Gamesa is transporting a nacelle from its facility in Brande, Denmark, to the Østerild wind turbine test centre, a company spokesperson confirmed to offshoreWIND.biz. The spokesperson declined to reveal any specifics about the wind turbine but Danish media writes that it is the new prototype which Bloomberg reported earlier this year to have a capacity of 21 MW.
These first two paragraphs give a few more details.
DR (Danish Broadcasting Corporation) reported on 6 December that lamp-posts and traffic signs were being dismantled, and roundabouts widened last week to make room for an 11×11-metre nacelle to pass through on its way to Hvide Sande, starting last Friday. From there, the nacelle will be shipped to Hanstholm and then transported to Østerild, where it will be mounted on an already installed 170-metre tower, according to DR.
In June, Bloomberg reported sources familiar with the matter said that Siemens Energy had told customers it planned to build the largest wind turbine in the world by the end of the decade and the new offshore model would have an output of 21 MW, 40 per cent more than the company’s current largest turbine, the 14 MW platform that can reach up to 15 MW with the company’s feature called Power Boost.
I have a few thoughts.
Will Bigger Be Better?
Going back to the days of North Sea Oil and Gas, I can remember project managers saying that platform installation took off dramatically, as larger platforms, barges, cranes and equipment became available.
I can particularly remember one project manager extolling the virtues of giant 3000 tonne cranes.
Do We Need A Test Centre For Giant Turbines In The UK?
The question has to be asked, as we certainly have large open spaces of sea to put a 40 MW or larger turbine.
Mammoet Launches ‘World’s Strongest’ Land-Based Crane That Can Handle Large Offshore Wind Turbine Components
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Mammoet has launched the SK6000 ring crane, said to be the world’s strongest land-based crane, at its Westdorpe facility in the Netherlands. According to the company, the new crane supports the continued constructability of next-generation offshore wind turbines and foundations.
This is the first paragraph.
The new crane has a maximum capacity of 6,000 tonnes and can lift components of up to 3,000 tonnes to a height of 220 metres, and builds on the design philosophy of Mammoet’s SK190 and SK350 series, which are proven in the market, the company said.
In the early decades of North Sea Oil and Gas, I remember a project management consultant telling me how larger cranes were improving productivity.
It appears history is repeating itself.
The crane can also be transported in standard shipping containers, as this sentence details.
The crane design uses containerization techniques for ease of deployment and can be transported using shipping containers to any location worldwide.
Let’s hope wind farms can be erected faster.
How Clean Energy Will Help Deliver UK Economic Growth
The title of this post, is the same as this press release from SSE.
This is the sub-heading.
How To Actually Deliver UK Economic Growth
This press release appears to have been written by Alistair Phillips-Davies, who is Chief Executive of SSE.
These three paragraphs introduce the press release.
Prior to the election Labour had committed to tackling the planning system head on in order to unlock economic growth and get Britain building again.
If Rachel Reeves’ first speech as Chancellor is anything to go by, winning a commanding majority has only galvanised that intent.
The challenge is for policymakers to deliver at pace across the whole of the UK, including in Scotland where reform is devolved but is also urgently needed.
Alistair Phillips-Davies seems impressed.
Why We Need Planning Reform Urgently
Under this heading, he says this.
Let me give you two examples of how planning acts as a drag on economic growth and jobs.
It currently takes around 12 years to deliver a large offshore wind farm in UK waters. But only two or three years of that is the construction phase.
And when it comes to electricity grids that span the country it only takes one local authority in Scotland to object to a project for it to go to a public inquiry, adding costs and years of delay.
No-one wants to avoid appropriate scrutiny and proper engagement with communities but allowing decision making to drag on for years suits nobody and setting a reasonable 12-month limit is surely sensible for everyone involved, as is giving ministers greater discretion where projects are clearly deemed to be in the national interest.
I very much agree with what he says.
I also suspect that what he says, applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland, just as much as Scotland.
Declaring His Ambitions
The next two section declare Alistair Phillips-Davies’s ambitions.
- Making The UK The Easiest Place In The world To Invest And Actually Build Projects
- Creating Good Jobs Here In The UK
They are certainly sections that need a full read.
We Need To Get A Move On
This is his final section, which I’ll insert in full.
Having worked in the energy industry for almost 30 years I have never been more excited about the prospects for this country.
As one of the largest investors in the UK, SSE alone has a current investment programme of more than £20bn, but we are ready to go further and many others in the industry will join us.
Britain has no shortage of opportunities. But we need to make them happen. If we can deliver on the clean energy mission, the growth will come. There’s a long way to go, but unblocking the planning gridlock is the right place to start.
I was there at the start of North Sea Oil and Gas, writing project planning software in a Suffolk attic.
Hopefully, I’ll see North Sea Energy turn full circle to renewables.
NSTA Reveals Winners Of Latest North Sea Licensing Round
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Energy Voice.
This is the sub-heading.
The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) has issued 31 new exploration licences as part of the third tranche of its latest Licensing Round, with firms including Hartshead Resources, Neptune Energy and Perenco UK among the winners.
These first two paragraphs give more detail.
The NSTA said the licences offered in the latest round are expected to add an estimated 600 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe) up to 2060, or 545mmboe by 2050.
The release of the third tranche follows the awarding of 27 licences in the first tranche in October last year, and 24 licences awarded in the second tranche in January.
Surely, with the growth of wind in the next twenty years, this oil and gas will get the UK through to 2050.
Hopefully too, we’ll need to import less oil and gas.
Conclusion
I would rate this as good news.
Europe’s First Commercial-Scale Floating Offshore Wind Farm Secures All Planning Approvals
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Flotation Energy and Vårgrønn, a joint venture between Plenitude (Eni) and HitecVision, have obtained the offshore planning approval for the Green Volt floating wind farm offshore Scotland.
This is the first paragraph.
With onshore consent announced earlier this month, Green Volt has now received all its planning approvals and remains on track to be the first commercial-scale floating offshore wind farm in Europe.
Note.
- This is the Green Volt web site.
- Capacity will be between 300 and 560 MW.
- It should be fully operational by 2029.
- It is an INTOG wind farm designed to decarbonise offshore oil and gas fields.
It will also have the side effect of bringing more gas ashore in the UK, instead of burning it to power the platforms.
Flotation Energy, Vårgrønn Seal Exclusivity Agreements For 1.9 GW Scottish Floaters
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Vårgrønn, a joint venture between Plenitude (Eni) and HitecVision, and Flotation Energy have signed exclusivity agreements for two floating offshore wind developments under Crown Estate Scotland’s Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing round.
These two paragraphs give more details.
Once completed, the floating offshore wind farms, with up to a total of 1.9 GW capacity, will provide renewable electricity to oil and gas platforms, aiming to reduce carbon emissions from the assets they supply.
In addition, Green Volt and Cenos projects will also provide electricity to the UK grid.
Note.
I can’t see a loser with these wind farms.
- The wind farms provide zero-carbon electricity to oil and gas platforms.
- These platforms cut their emissions, by not using fossil fuels to generate the electricity they need for their operation.
- Some platforms use gas to generate the electricity, so this gas can be delivered to the shore for the UK gas network.
- Any spare electricity will be available for using in the UK electricity grid.
- Crown Estate Scotland will be paid for the lease for the wind farm.
There will be no carbon emissions from the platforms, but there will be extra onshore emissions from any gas that is currently used to power the platforms, if it is burnt onshore in power stations and industrial processes, or used for heating.
But increasingly gas in the UK will be used in applications, where the carbon emissions can be captured for use or storage.
It will be very interesting to see how as offshore operations are decarbonised our total carbon emissions change.
The Anonymous Widower 