The Thoughts Of Chris O’Shea
This article on This Is Money is entitled Centrica boss has bold plans to back British energy projects – but will strategy pay off?.
The article is basically an interview with a reporter and gives O’Shea’s opinions on various topics.
Chris O’Shea is CEO of Centrica and his Wikipedia entry gives more details.
These are his thoughts.
On Investing In Sizewell C
This is a paragraph from the article.
‘Sizewell C will probably run for 100 years,’ O’Shea says. ‘The person who will take the last electron it produces has probably not been born. We are very happy to be the UK’s largest strategic investor.’
Note.
- The paragraph shows a bold attitude.
- I also lived near Sizewell, when Sizewell B was built and the general feeling locally was that the new nuclear station was good for the area.
- It has now been running for thirty years and should be good for another ten.
Both nuclear power stations at Sizewell have had a good safety record. Could this be in part, because of the heavy engineering tradition of the Leiston area?
On Investing In UK Energy Infrastructure
This is a paragraph from the article
‘I just thought: sustainable carbon-free electricity in a country that needs electricity – and we import 20 per cent of ours – why would we look to sell nuclear?’ Backing nuclear power is part of O’Shea’s wider strategy to invest in UK energy infrastructure.
The UK certainly needs investors in UK energy infrastructure.
On Government Support For Sizewell C
This is a paragraph from the article.
Centrica’s 500,000 shareholders include an army of private investors, many of whom came on board during the ‘Tell Sid’ privatisations of the 1980s and all of whom will be hoping he is right. What about the risks that deterred his predecessors? O’Shea argues he will achieve reliable returns thanks to a Government-backed financial model that enables the company to recover capital ploughed into Sizewell C and make a set return.
I have worked with some very innovative accountants and bankers in the past fifty years, including an ex-Chief Accountant of Vickers and usually if there’s a will, there’s a solution to the trickiest of financial problems.
On LNG
These are two paragraphs from the article.
Major moves include a £200 million stake in the LNG terminal at Isle of Grain in Kent.
The belief is that LNG, which produces significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions than other fossil fuels and is easier and cheaper to transport and store, will be a major source of energy for the UK in the coming years.
Note.
- Centrica are major suppliers of gas-powered Combined Heat and Power units were the carbon dioxide is captured and either used or sold profitably.
- In at least one case, a CHP unit is used to heat a large greenhouse and the carbon dioxide is fed to the plants.
- In another, a the gas-fired Redditch power station, the food-grade carbon dioxide is sold to the food and construction industries.
- Grain LNG Terminal can also export gas and is only a short sea crossing from gas-hungry Germany.
- According to this Centrica press release, Centrica will run low-carbon bunkering services from the Grain LNG Terminal.
I analyse the investment in Grain LNG Terminal in Investment in Grain LNG.
On Rough Gas Storage
These are three paragraphs from the article.
O’Shea remains hopeful for plans to develop the Rough gas storage facility in the North Sea, which he re-opened in 2022.
The idea is that Centrica will invest £2 billion to ‘create the biggest gas storage facility in the world’, along with up to 5,000 jobs.
It could be used to store hydrogen, touted as a major energy source of the future, provided the Government comes up with a supportive regulatory framework as it has for Sizewell.
The German AquaVentus project aims to bring at least 100 GW of green hydrogen to mainland Germany from the North Sea.
This map of the North Sea, which I downloaded from the Hydrogen Scotland web site, shows the co-operation between Hydrogen Scotland and AquaVentus
Note.
- The yellow AquaDuctus pipeline connected to the German coast near Wilhelmshaven.
- There appear to be two AquaDuctus sections ; AQD 1 and AQD 2.
- There are appear to be three proposed pipelines, which are shown in a dotted red, that connect the UK to AquaDuctus.
- The Northern proposed pipeline appears to connect to the St. Fergus gas terminal on the North-East tip of Scotland.
- The two Southern proposed pipelines appear to connect to the Easington gas terminal in East Yorkshire.
- Easington gas terminal is within easy reach of the massive gas stores, which are being converted to store hydrogen at Aldbrough and Rough.
- The blue areas are offshore wind farms.
- The blue area straddling the Southernmost proposed pipe line is the Dogger Bank wind farm, is the world’s largest offshore wind farm and could eventually total over 6 GW.
- RWE are developing 7.2 GW of wind farms between Dogger Bank and Norfolk in UK waters, which could generate hydrogen for AquaDuctus.
This cooperation seems to be getting the hydrogen Germany needs to its industry.
It should be noted, that Germany has no sizeable hydrogen stores, but the AquaVentus system gives them access to SSE’s Aldbrough and Centrica’s Rough hydrogen stores.
So will the two hydrogen stores be storing hydrogen for both the UK and Germany?
Storing hydrogen and selling it to the country with the highest need could be a nice little earner.
On X-energy
These are three paragraphs from the article.
He is also backing a £10 billion plan to build the UK’s first advanced modular reactors in a partnership with X-energy of the US.
The project is taking place in Hartlepool, in County Durham, where the existing nuclear power station is due to reach the end of its life in 2028.
As is the nature of these projects, it involves risks around technology, regulation and finance, though the potential rewards are significant. Among them is the prospect of 2,500 jobs in the town, where unemployment is high.
Note.
- This is another bold deal.
- I wrote in detail about this deal in Centrica And X-energy Agree To Deploy UK’s First Advanced Modular Reactors.
- Jobs are mentioned in the This is Money article for the second time.
I also think, if it works to replace the Hartlepool nuclear power station, then it can be used to replace other decommissioned nuclear power stations.
On Getting Your First Job
These are three paragraphs from the article.
His career got off to a slow start when he struggled to secure a training contract with an accountancy firm after leaving Glasgow University.
‘I had about 30, 40 rejection letters. I remember the stress of not having a job when everyone else did – you just feel different,’ he says.
He feels it is ‘a duty’ for bosses to try to give young people a start.
I very much agree with that. I would very much be a hypocrite, if I didn’t, as I was given good starts by two companies.
On Apprenticeships
This is a paragraph from the article.
‘We are committed to creating one new apprenticeship for every day of this decade,’ he points out, sounding genuinely proud.
I very much agree with that. My father only had a small printing business, but he was proud of the apprentices he’d trained.
On Innovation
Centrica have backed three innovative ideas.
- heata, which is a distributed data centre in your hot water tank, which uses the waste heat to give you hot water.
- HiiROC, which is an innovative way to generate affordable hydrogen efficiently.
- Highview Power, which stores energy as liquid air.
I’m surprised that backing innovations like these was not mentioned.
Conclusion
This article is very much a must read.
Canal Water To Heat Some Of Liverpool’s Most Famous Buildings In Hi-Tech Carbon-Cutting Scheme
The title of this post is the same as that of this press release from Liverpool City Region.
These five bullet-points act as subheadings.
- Energy generated from Leeds and Liverpool canal by one of the UK’s largest water source heat pumps
- Announcement comes as Mersey Heat Energy Centre officially opens
- Scheme to connect Georges Dock, Cunard and the Museum of Liverpool buildings to Mersey Heat Network
- Joint project between Combined Authority, Liverpool City Council and National Museums Liverpool
- Key part of Combined Authority plan to reach net zero by 2035
These introductory paragraphs add more detail.
Three major public buildings on Liverpool’s waterfront are to slash carbon emissions by joining a heat network driven by energy from canal water.
Under the plan, an extended pipeline will connect Georges Dock building, the Cunard building, and the Museum of Liverpool, part of National Museums Liverpool (NML), to the Mersey Heat network.
The newly opened Mersey Heat Energy Centre is already supplying the Liverpool Waters site, the Titanic Hotel and the Tobacco Warehouse apartments.
It uses one of the UK’s largest water source heat pumps to extract energy from the Leeds and Liverpool Canal to power a network of heating pipes.
The project is the latest in the Liverpool City Region’s five-year carbon action plan and journey to reach net zero. The Combined Authority has recently secured an additional £35m to decarbonise dozens of other public buildings from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero.
This map of the Liverpool Waterfront shows the canal and some of the buildings mentioned.
Note.
- In the top-left corner is Everton’s new Hill-Dickenson Stadium, which at the time of this map was under construction.
- The pink arrow to its right indicates the Titantic Hotel.
- The Leeds and Liverpool canal passes on the South side of the hotel.
- On the other bank of the canal is the Tobacco Warehouse.
- The canal goes East and then turns North before going all the way to Leeds. The Wikipedia entry gives full details of the canal.
- From the Titanic Hotel, the Leeds and Liverpool Canal also turns South and boats can go along Liverpool’s famous Waterfront to Canning Dock, in front of the Tate Liverpool.
- The red arrow marks the Liver Building.
- Georges Dock building, the Cunard building, and the Museum of Liverpool are just to the South the Liver Building.
- To the East of the Liver building, there is Liverpool City Centre, with beyond it Liverpool Lime Street station, with another collection of important buildings including St. George’s Hall, the Picton Library, World Museum and the Walker Art Gallery.
The Combined Authority will not have a shortage of buildings to decarbonise with the £35m from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero.
These are my thoughts.
What Is A Water Source Heat Pump?
I asked Google AI this question and received this answer.
A water source heat pump (WSHP) is a highly efficient, low-carbon renewable energy system that extracts heat from a nearby water source like a lake, river, or canal to provide heating and hot water for a building, and can also be used for cooling. It works by using electricity to transfer this thermal energy into the building’s heating system, offering a more efficient alternative to traditional boilers and reducing energy bills. There are two main types: closed-loop systems, which circulate a fluid through pipes submerged in the water, and open-loop systems, which directly pump and then discharge the water.
Is Mersey Heat Energy Centre A Closed Or Open-Loop Water Source Heat Pump?
I asked Google AI this question and received this answer.
The Mersey Energy Heat Centre uses an open-loop water source heat pump system. It abstracts water from the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, extracts heat from it, and then returns the water back to the dock system.
As the Leeds and Liverpool Canal is 127 miles long, and there appears from the map to be a lot of water in the docks at the Liverpool end, I would expect that Liverpool will have more than enough water to extract heat from.
Where Exactly Is The Mersey Heat Energy Centre?
In this article on Place North West, which is entitled Work Begins On Peel’s Mersey Heat Energy Centre, has this image, which is labelled as the Mersey Heat Energy Centre.
Note the large building in the foreground with the circular objects on the roof. Could these be fans or vents?
This Google Map shows the area.
Note.
- The two docks at the top of the map can be picked out in the image.
- The main breakwater on the left, which is marked Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, looks very similar to the one shown in the image.
- The bridge between the two docks on the left appears to be the same in both map and image.
I am fairly sure, that the large building on the breakwater with the three circles on the roof, is the Mersey Heat Energy Centre.
It certainly looks to be a building, that could provide a substantial amount of heat and power .
What Is The Output Of The Mersey Heat And Energy Centre?
I asked Google AI this question and received this answer.
The Mersey Heat and Energy Centre produces low-carbon heat for up to 6,700 homes and 1.3 million square feet of commercial space, aiming to deliver around 20GWh of heat per year. The project is also planned to expand to supply around 45GWh annually. This heat is delivered to buildings for their heating and hot water needs through the Mersey Heat network.
This article on Place North West, also has this similar answer.
Led by district heat network specialist Ener-Vate, the Mersey Heat Energy Centre will feature two 3MW water source heat pumps that would work on an ‘open loop’ system to take heat from water from the Leeds-Liverpool canal. This heat would be used to warm surrounding homes and businesses within six kilometres.
Plans form the first phase of Peel NRE’s Mersey Heat network. The initial project could supply 20GWh of heat every year, with planning permission secured to expand to supply around 45GWh – the equivalent of supplying heating and hot water to 17,000 homes.
It looks like we’re getting similar answers from different sources.
Does the Merseyside Area Have Enough Green Electricity To Power A Large Water Source Heat Pump?
In Could Liverpool Develop A Massive Zero-Carbon Data Centre?, I calculated the operational and planned offshore wind power in Liverpool Bay and got these results.
- 2509 MW has been commissioned.
- 3980 MW is being planned.
That is a total of 6489 MW or about twice the output of Hinckley Point C nuclear power station.
This map shows the existing wind farms in the sea between Liverpool, Lancashire and the Isle of Man.
Note.
- Each green arrow is a wind farm.
- There is the 2452 MW Heysham nuclear power complex near Lancaster.
- The Western HVDC Link is a 2250 MW connection between Hunterston in Western Scotland near Glasgow and Connah’s Quay on the Wirral.
- I also suspect more space in Liverpool Bay could be developed with wind farms.
Spinal Tap turned the power up to 11, Liverpool, being Liverpool, they have enough power to go to at least sixteen.
Will Merseyside Have Lots Of Data Centres?
Consider.
- It has the power.
- It has the water.
- The locals speak a form of English.
- Merseyside will be two hours from London by train.
- There are two Premier League football teams.
- The golf courses are good.
- It is a city that is famous all over the world.
I am sure the number of data centres will grow.
Ørsted In Talks To Sell Half Of Huge UK Wind Farm To Apollo
The title of this post, is the same as that as this article in The Times.
This is the sub-heading.
The US investment giant is eyeing a 50 per cent stake in the Danish energy company’s £8.5 billion Hornsea 3 project off the Yorkshire coast
These are the first three paragraphs, which add more detail.
An American investment giant is negotiating a deal to buy half of what will be the world’s largest off-shore wind farm off the coast of Yorkshire from the troubled Danish energy company Ørsted.
New York-based Apollo, which oversees assets of about $840 billion, is in talks with Ørsted about acquiring a 50 per cent stake in Hornsea 3, an £8.5 billion project that started construction in 2023 and will be capable of powering more than three million UK homes.
A transaction would be a boost for Orsted, which has come under pressure in recent months from rising costs and a backlash against renewables in the United States by President Trump. Orsted started the process of selling a stake in Hornsea 3 in 2024 and said last month that it had an unnamed preferred bidder for the asset, which the Financial Times first reported was Apollo.
I have written several times about Ørstedregularly building a large wind farm and then selling it, so they must be doing something right.
In World’s Largest Wind Farm Attracts Huge Backing From Insurance Giant, I wrote about how Aviva bought Hornsea 1 from Ørsted.
One of the guys at Aviva explained that these sort of investments gave the right sort of cash flow to fund insurance risks and pensions.
Now that Trump has attempted to give his kiss of death to wind power in the United States, will US funds be looking for quality investments like Hornsea 3 in the UK and other large wind farms in France, Germany, Norway, Japan and Korea?
Already, Blackrock are investing billions to build a massive data centre at Blyth, where there are Gigawatts of offshore wind power and an interconnector to Norway, so that UK and Norwegian wind can be backed up by UK nuclear and Norwegian hydropower.
Highview Power And Ørsted
I wrote Highview Power, Ørsted Find Value In Integrating Offshore Wind With Liquid Air Energy Storage in November 2023.
I would have thought, that by now a battery would have been announced in one of Ørsted’s many projects.
I asked Google AI if Highview Power and Ørsted were still talking about liquid air energy storage and received this reply.
Yes, Highview Power and Ørsted are still actively involved in Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES), having completed a joint study in late 2023 on combining LAES with offshore wind to benefit the UK grid, and the findings were presented to the government for its long-duration energy storage (LDES) consultation. They believe LAES can reduce wind curtailment, increase energy productivity, and support grid resilience, with potential projects aligned with offshore wind farm timelines.
Perhap’s Ørsted are getting their finances aorted first?
Conclusion
The Times They Are A-Changing!
How Will The UK Power All These Proposed Data Centres?
On Wednesday, a cardiologist friend asked me if we have enough power to do Trump’s UK AI, so I felt this post might be a good idea.
Artificial Intelligence Gave This Answer
I first asked Google AI, the title of this post and received this reply.
The UK will power proposed data centres using a mix of grid-supplied low-carbon electricity from sources like offshore wind and through on-site renewable generation, such as rooftop solar panels. Data centre operators are also exploring behind-the-meter options, including battery storage and potential future nuclear power, to meet their significant and growing energy demands. However, the UK’s grid infrastructure and high energy prices present challenges, with industry calls for grid reform and inclusion in energy-intensive industry support schemes to facilitate sustainable growth.
Google also pointed me at the article on the BBC, which is entitled Data Centres To Be Expanded Across UK As Concerns Mount.
This is the sub-heading.
The number of data centres in the UK is set to increase by almost a fifth, according to figures shared with BBC News.
These are the first three paragraphs.
Data centres are giant warehouses full of powerful computers used to run digital services from movie streaming to online banking – there are currently an estimated 477 of them in the UK.
Construction researchers Barbour ABI have analysed planning documents and say that number is set to jump by almost 100, as the growth in artificial intelligence (AI) increases the need for processing power.
The majority are due to be built in the next five years. However, there are concerns about the huge amount of energy and water the new data centres will consume.
Where Are The Data Centres To Be Built?
The BBC article gives this summary of the locations.
More than half of the new data centres would be in London and neighbouring counties.
Many are privately funded by US tech giants such as Google and Microsoft and major investment firms.
A further nine are planned in Wales, one in Scotland, five in Greater Manchester and a handful in other parts of the UK, the data shows.
While the new data centres are mostly due for completion by 2030, the biggest single one planned would come later – a £10bn AI data centre in Blyth, near Newcastle, for the American private investment and wealth management company Blackstone Group.
It would involve building 10 giant buildings covering 540,000 square metres – the size of several large shopping centres – on the site of the former Blyth Power Station.
Work is set to begin in 2031 and last for more than three years.
Microsoft is planning four new data centres in the UK at a total cost of £330m, with an estimated completion between 2027 and 2029 – two in the Leeds area, one near Newport in Wales, and a five-storey site in Acton, north-west London.
And Google is building a data centre in Hertfordshire, an investment worth £740m, which it says will use air to cool its servers rather than water.
There is a map of the UK, with dots showing data centres everywhere.
One will certainly be coming to a suitable space near you.
Concerns Over Energy Needs
These three paragraphs from the BBC article, talk about the concerns about energy needs.
According to the National Energy System Operator, NESO, the projected growth of data centres in Great Britain could “add up to 71 TWh of electricity demand” in the next 25 years, which it says redoubles the need for clean power – such as offshore wind.
Bruce Owen, regional president of data centre operator Equinix, said the UK’s high energy costs, as well as concerns around lengthy planning processes, were prompting some operators to consider building elsewhere.
“If I want to build a new data centre here within the UK, we’re talking five to seven years before I even have planning permission or access to power in order to do that,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
But in Renewable Power By 2030 In The UK, I calculated that by 2030 we will add these yearly additions of offshore wind power.
- 2025 – 1,235 MW
- 2026 – 4,807 MW
- 2027 – 5,350 MW
- 2028 – 4,998 MW
- 2029 – 9,631 MW
- 2030 – 15,263 MW
Note.
- I have used pessimistic dates.
- There are likely to be more announcements of offshore wind power in the sea around the UK, in the coming months.
- As an example in Cerulean Winds Submits 1 GW Aspen Offshore Wind Project In Scotland (UK), I talk about 3 GW of offshore wind, that is not included in my yearly totals.
- The yearly totals add up to a total of 58,897 MW.
For solar power, I just asked Google AI and received this answer.
The UK government aims to have between 45 and 47 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity by 2030. This goal is set out in the Solar Roadmap and aims to reduce energy bills and support the UK’s clean power objectives. The roadmap includes measures like installing solar on new homes and buildings, exploring solar carports, and improving access to rooftop solar for renters.
Let’s assume that we only achieve the lowest value of 45 GW.
But that will still give us at least 100 GW of renewable zero-carbon power.
What will happen if the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine?
I have also written about nuclear developments, that were announced during Trump’s visit.
- Centrica And X-energy Agree To Deploy UK’s First Advanced Modular Reactors
- Is Last Energy The Artemis Of Energy?
- National Grid And Emerald AI Announce Strategic Partnership To Demonstrate AI Power Flexibility In The UK
- Nuclear Plan For Decommissioned Coal Power Station
- Raft Of US-UK Nuclear Deals Ahead Of Trump Visit
- Rolls-Royce Welcomes Action From UK And US Governments To Usher In New ‘Golden Age’ Of Nuclear Energy
This is an impressive array of nuclear power, that should be able to fill in most of the weather-induced gaps.
In Renewable Power By 2030 In The UK, I also summarise energy storage.
For pumped storage hydro, I asked Google AI and received this answer.
The UK’s pumped storage hydro (PSH) capacity is projected to more than double by 2030, with six projects in Scotland, including Coire Glas and Cruachan 2, potentially increasing capacity to around 7.7 GW from the current approximately 3 GW. This would be a significant step towards meeting the National Grid’s required 13 GW of new energy storage by 2030, though achieving this depends on policy support and investment.
There will also be smaller lithium-ion batteries and long duration energy storage from companies like Highview Power.
But I believe there will be another source of energy that will ensure that the UK achieves energy security.
SSE’s Next Generation Power Stations
So far two of these power stations have been proposed.
Note.
- Both power stations are being designed so they can run on natural gas, 100 % hydrogen or a blend of natural gas and hydrogen.
- Keadby will share a site with three natural gas-powered power stations and be connected to the hydrogen storage at Aldbrough, so both fuels will be available.
- Ferrybridge will be the first gas/hydrogen power station on the Ferrybridge site and will have its own natural gas connection.
- How Ferrybridge will receive hydrogen has still to be decided.
- In Hydrogen Milestone: UK’s First Hydrogen-to-Power Trial At Brigg Energy Park, I describe how Centrica tested Brigg gas-fired power station on a hydrogen blend.
- The power stations will initially run on natural gas and then gradually switch over to lower carbon fuels, once delivery of the hydrogen has been solved for each site.
On Thursday, I went to see SSE’s consultation at Knottingley for the Ferrybridge power station, which I wrote about in Visiting The Consultation For Ferrybridge Next Generation Power Station At Knottingley.
In the related post, I proposed using special trains to deliver the hydrogen from where it is produced to where it is needed.
Could HiiROC Be Used At Ferrybridge?
Consider.
- HiiROC use a process called thermal plasma electrolysis to split any hydrocarbon gas into hydrogen and carbon black.
- Typical input gases are chemical plant off gas, biomethane and natural gas.
- Carbon black has uses in manufacturing and agriculture.
- HiiROC uses less energy than traditional electrolysis.
- There is an independent power source at Ferrybridge from burning waste, which could be used to ower a HiiROC system to generate the hydrogen.
It might be possible to not have a separate hydrogen feed and still get worthwhile carbon emission savings.
Conclusion
I believe we will have enough electricity to power all the data centres, that will be built in the next few years in the UK.
Some of the new power stations, that are proposed to be built, like some of the SMRs and SSE’s Next Generation power stations could even be co-located with data centres or other high energy users.
In Nuclear Plan For Decommissioned Coal Power Station, I describe how at the former site of Cottam coal-fired power station, it is proposed that two Holtec SMR-300 SMRs will be installed to power advanced data centres. If the locals are objecting to nuclear stations, I’m sure that an SSE Next Generation power station, that was burning clean hydrogen, would be more acceptable.
Is Last Energy The Artemis Of Energy?
In Raft Of US-UK Nuclear Deals Ahead Of Trump Visit, I quoted from this article on World Nuclear News.
The article also contains, these two paragraphs, with talk about an MoU between Last Energy and DP World.
An MoU has also been signed between US-based micro-nuclear technology developer Last Energy and DP World, a global leader in logistics and trade, to establish the world’s first port-centric micro nuclear power plant at London Gateway. A proposed PWR-20 microreactor – to begin operations in 2030 – would supply London Gateway with 20 MWe of electricity to power the logistics hub, with additional capacity exported to the grid.
“The initiative represents a GBP80 million (USD109 million), subsidy-free investment for the development of Last Energy’s first unit, unlocking clean power supply for DP World’s ongoing GBP1 billion expansion of London Gateway,” Last Energy said. “The partnership is closely aligned with both UK and US ambitions to increase nuclear capacity and strengthen long-term energy security.”
Note.
- Last Energy are proposing a micro-reactor of just 20 MW.
- DP World own and/or operate sixty ports in over forty countries, so should know their energy requirements well.
- It appears that DP World are investing £80 million in Last Energy’s first unit.
- Thurrock Storage is a 300 MW/600 MWh battery close to London Gateway and the Port of Tilbury.
This Google Map shows London Gateway and the Port of Tilbury.
Note.
- DP World London Gateway is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The A13 road runs across the North-West corner of the map and links the area to London and the M25.
- Thurrock Storage is next to the Tilbury substation, which is marked by the red arrow.
- The Port of Tilbury is to the West of the substation.
I wonder if DP World London Gateway have had power supply problems.
The Design Of The First Artemis Project Management Software System
Before Artemis, project management was usually done on a large mainframe computer like an IBM-360-50, that I’d used extensively for solving simultaneous differential equations in a previous job at ICI.
Mainframe computers worked on complex problems, but to put it mildly, they were slow and needed a team to operate them and a big air-conditioned room to keep them happy.
When the four of us decided to create Artemis, our vision was something simpler.
- A processor – something like a PDP-11, which I judged would be big-enough for the computing.
- A visual display unit.
- A printer.
- A standard-size desk to hold the hardware.
- Ability to run from a 13-amp socket.
When it came to writing the software, I took few risks.
- Much of the data decoding software, I’d developed when I left ICI to write a program to solve up to a thousand simultaneous differential equations.
- The scheduling software was generic and I’d first used it for different purposes in two programs at ICI.
- The aggregation software had been devised, whilst I was a consultant at Lloyds Bank over several bottles of wine with their Chief Management Accountant, who was a wizard with numbers. I suspect, but can’t prove it, that if the idiots that programmed the Horizon system for the Post Office had used that algorithm, the problems there would have been much smaller.
- I also spent a lot of time reading old papers from the 1950s in IBM’s library on the South Bank, looking for better algorithms.
- I also made sure, I chose the best hardware and I believe HP did us proud.
- I used HP’s operating system and proprietary database to cut down, what could go wrong.
- Almost all of the first system was written by one person – me!
But we also put the right features into how we supported, delivered and trained users of the system.
I certainly, think we made few mistakes in the design of that first system.
Have Last Energy Used A Similar Cut Back Approach?
Reading their web site, I think they have.
They have obviously chosen, the 20 MW unit size with care.
But from worldwide experience with wind turbines, linking smaller power sources together, is not as difficult as it once was.
These are some of the statements on their web site’s introductory screens.
- Fully Modular, Factory Made
- A Scalable Solution
- <24 Month Delivery
- 100+ Supply Chain Partners
- 300+ Pressurised Water Reactors Operating Globally
- 0.3 acre – Plant Footprint Fits Within A Football Field
But a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
It should be noted, that I have been over several nuclear power stations.
Three were a tour to show me how Artemis was being used to track and sign off, the problems identified after the Three Mile Island incident.
The other was a trip over Sizewell A, a couple of years before it was decommissioned.
Comparing these experiences with some of the chemical plants, that I’ve worked on, I would prefer to be close to a nuclear power plant.
Rolls-Royce Welcomes Action From UK And US Governments To Usher In New ‘Golden Age’ Of Nuclear Energy
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Rolls-Royce.
These three paragraphs introduce the press release.
The agreement between the UK and US Governments to deepen cooperation in advanced nuclear technologies and make it quicker for companies to build new nuclear power stations sets the stage for a significant step forward in the energy security and resilience of the two nations. The Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy will help ensure the accelerated development and deployment of advanced nuclear reactor technologies in the US and UK. Building a bridge between the world’s first and world’s largest civil nuclear power markets.
The global market for advanced nuclear technologies is estimated to be worth many trillions up to 2050. Secure, scalable and reliable power across civil, defence, industrial and maritime sectors is needed to meet growing demands in digital and AI. In the US alone, demand for nuclear power is forecast to grow from 100GWe to 400GWe by 2050.
Rolls-Royce stands ready to seize the opportunity to further innovate and partner in the development of advanced nuclear technologies which will deliver thousands of skilled jobs, attract investment and support the economic growth of both the US and the UK.
Note.
- Rolls-Royce have several partners for the SMR, who include Siemens and a couple of American companies.
- Rolls-Royce are involved with US company; BWXT, in one of the consortia developing a micro-reactor for the US Department of Defense, which I wrote about in Rolls-Royce To Play Key Role In US Department Of Defense Nuclear Microreactor Program.
- Rolls-Royce also has a large design, development and manufacturing presence in the United States.
- The new engines for the B-52s are from Rolls-Royce.
Rolls-Royce has a very strong footprint in the United States.
Nuclear Plan For Decommissioned Coal Power Station
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Nuclear power could be generated on the site of a former coal power station in Nottinghamshire.
These first four paragraphs add details.
Cottam Power Station was decommissioned in 2019, and in August its eight 114m (375ft) cooling towers were demolished.
Three businesses – American energy firm Holtec International, EDF UK, and real estate manager Tritax – have now signed an agreement to set up a small modular reactor (SMR) to power “advanced” data centres at the 900-acre site.
Holtec said the project could create “thousands of high-skilled manufacturing and construction jobs”, as well as “long-term roles”.
The SMR at Cottam would be the second of its kind, following the creation of a plant at Palisades in Michigan, in the US.
Note.
- Cottam was a 2,000 MW power station, that could run on coal, oil and biomass.
- If a nuclear power station is built at Cottam, it will be one of the first nuclear stations not close to the coast.
I asked Google AI for details of the plant at Palisades in Michigan and received this reply.
The Palisades SMR project at the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan will feature two Holtec SMR-300 units, each producing at least 300 megawatts of power, for a combined total of at least 600-640 megawatts of net power. This project aims to have the first US dual-unit SMR 300 system operational by 2030, and the SMRs are designed to produce electricity and provide steam for other industrial purposes.
It does appear that the new generation of reactors from Holtec, Rolls-Royce and X-energy are smaller than many nuclear reactors built in the last twenty years.
This Google Map shows the Cottam site.
Note.
- The River Trent surrounds the site.
- Could the Trent be used for cooling water?
- The cooling towers are still in place, so the image must have been taken before August.
- The sub-station is in the South-West corner of the site.
- The railway over Torksey viaduct is disused.
It would appear that there is generous space for the SMRs and a few data centres.
The Cottam Solar Project
In DCO Decision On 480MW West Burton Solar NSIP Delayed Until 2025, I wrote about three large solar projects in Eastern England.
The Cottam Solar Project was one of the projects and wants to use the Cottam site.
- The Cottam Solar Project has a web site.
- It will have a capacity of 600 MW, with a battery, with a battery with a 600 MW output and a 600 MWh capacity.
- The solar farm will use the grid connection of the former coal-powered Cottam power station.
- The project is massive and will cover 1270 hectares.
Will this solar project lease space for the SMR, so they can co-exist?
Conclusion
It does appear that there are more than one use for old coal-fired power station sites.
Centrica And X-energy Agree To Deploy UK’s First Advanced Modular Reactors
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Centrica.
This is the sub-heading.
Centrica and X-Energy, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of X-Energy Reactor Company, LLC, today announced their entry into a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to deploy X-energy’s Xe-100 Advanced Modular Reactors (“AMR”) in the United Kingdom.
These three paragraphs add more details.
The companies have identified EDF and Centrica’s Hartlepool site as the preferred first site for a planned U.K. fleet of up to 6 gigawatts.
The agreement represents the first stage in a new trans-Atlantic alliance which could ultimately mobilise at least £40 billion in economic value to bring clean, safe and affordable power to thousands of homes and industries across the country and substantive work for the domestic and global supply chain.
A 12-unit Xe-100 deployment at Hartlepool could add up to 960 megawatts (“MW”) of new capacity, enough clean power for 1.5 million homes and over £12 billion in lifetime economic value. It would be developed at a site adjacent to Hartlepool’s existing nuclear power station which is currently scheduled to cease generating electricity in 2028. Following its decommissioning, new reactors would accelerate opportunities for the site and its skilled workforce. The site is already designated for new nuclear under the Government’s National Policy Statement and a new plant would also play a critical role in generating high-temperature heat that could support Teesside’s heavy industries.
This is no toe-in-the-water project, but a bold deployment of a fleet of small modular reactors to provide the power for the North-East of England for the foreseeable future.
These are my thoughts.
The Reactor Design
The Wikipedia entry for X-energy has a section called Reactor Design, where this is said.
The Xe-100 is a proposed pebble bed high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactor design that is planned to be smaller, simpler and safer when compared to conventional nuclear designs. Pebble bed high temperature gas-cooled reactors were first proposed in 1944. Each reactor is planned to generate 200 MWt and approximately 76 MWe. The fuel for the Xe-100 is a spherical fuel element, or pebble, that utilizes the tristructural isotropic (TRISO) particle nuclear fuel design, with high-assay LEU (HALEU) uranium fuel enriched to 20%, to allow for longer periods between refueling. X-energy claims that TRISO fuel will make nuclear meltdowns virtually impossible.
Note.
- It is not a conventional design.
- Each reactor is only about 76 MW.
- This fits with “12-unit Xe-100 deployment at Hartlepool could add up to 960 megawatts (“MW”) of new capacity” in the Centrica press release.
- The 960 MW proposed for Hartlepool is roughly twice the size of the Rolls-Rpoyce SMR, which is 470 MW .
- Safety seems to be at the forefront of the design.
- I would assume, that the modular nature of the design, makes expansion easier.
I have no reason to believe that it is not a well-designed reactor.
Will Hartlepool Be The First Site?
No!
This page on the X-energy web site, describes their site in Texas, which appears will be a 320 MW power station providing power for Dow’s large site.
There appear to be similarities between the Texas and Hartlepool sites.
- Both are supporting industry clustered close to the power station.
- Both power stations appear to be supplying heat as well as electricity, which is common practice on large industrial sites.
- Both use a fleet of small modular reactors.
But Hartlepool will use twelve reactors, as opposed to the four in Texas.
How Will The New Power Station Compare With The Current Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station?
Consider.
- The current Hartlepool nuclear power station has two units with a total capacity of 1,185 MW.
- The proposed Hartlepool nuclear power station will have twelve units with a total capacity of 960 MW.
- My instinct as a Control Engineer gives me the feeling, that more units means higher reliability.
- I suspect that offshore wind will make up the difference between the power output of the current and proposed power stations.
As the current Hartlepool nuclear power station is effectively being replaced with a slightly smaller station new station, if they get the project management right, it could be a painless exercise.
Will This Be The First Of Several Projects?
The press release has this paragraph.
Centrica will provide initial project capital for development with the goal of initiating full-scale activities in 2026. Subject to regulatory approval, the first electricity generation would be expected in the mid-2030s. Centrica and X-energy are already in discussions with additional potential equity partners, as well as leading global engineering and construction companies, with the goal of establishing a UK-based development company to develop this first and subsequent projects.
This approach is very similar to the approach being taken by Rolls-Royce for their small modular reactors.
Will Centrica Use An X-energy Fleet Of Advanced Modular Reactors At The Grain LNG Terminal?
This press release from Centrica is entitled Investment In Grain LNG Terminal.
This is one of the key highlights of the press release.
Opportunities for efficiencies to create additional near-term value, and future development options including a combined heat and power plant, bunkering, hydrogen and ammonia.
Note.
- Bunkering would be provided for ships powered by LNG, hydrogen or ammonia.
- Heat would be needed from the combined heat and power plant to gasify the LNG.
- Power would be needed from the combined heat and power plant to generate the hydrogen and ammonia and compress and/or liquify gases.
Currently, the heat and power is provided by the 1,275 MW Grain CHP gas-fired power station, but a new nuclear power station would help to decarbonise the terminal.
Replacement Of Heysham 1 Nuclear Power Station
Heysham 1 nuclear power station is part-owned by Centrica and EdF, as is Hartlepool nuclear power station.
Heysham 1 nuclear power station is a 3,000 MW nuclear power station, which is due to be decommissioned in 2028.
I don’t see why this power station can’t be replaced in the same manner as Hartlepool nuclear power station.
Replacement Of Heysham 2 Nuclear Power Station
Heysham 2 nuclear power station is part-owned by Centrica and EdF, as is Hartlepool nuclear power station.
Heysham 2 nuclear power station is a 3,100 MW nuclear power station, which is due to be decommissioned in 2030.
I don’t see why this power station can’t be replaced in the same manner as Hartlepool nuclear power station.
Replacement Of Torness Nuclear Power Station
Torness nuclear power station is part-owned by Centrica and EdF, as is Hartlepool nuclear power station.
Torness nuclear power station is a 1,290 MW nuclear power station, which is due to be decommissioned in 2030.
I don’t see why this power station can’t be replaced in the same manner as Hartlepool nuclear power station.
But the Scottish Nationalist Party may have other ideas?
What Would Be The Size Of Centrica’s And X-energy’s Fleet Of Advanced Modular Reactors?
Suppose.
- Hartlepool, Grain CHP and Torness power stations were to be replaced by identical 960 MW ADRs.
- Heysham 1 and Heysham 2 power stations were to be replaced by identical 1,500 MW ADRs.
This would give a total fleet size of 5,880 MW.
A paragraph in Centrica’s press release says this.
The companies have identified EDF and Centrica’s Hartlepool site as the preferred first site for a planned U.K. fleet of up to 6 gigawatts.
This fleet is only 120 MW short.
Does Nuclear Power Not Sell Newspapers?
Five days ago, In Rolls-Royce SMR Advances To Final Stage In Swedish Nuclear Competition, I wrote about Rolls-Royce being one of two successful bids to advance to the ext stage to build Small Modular Reactors for Vatenfall in Sweden.
Since then, Rolls-Royce’s Swedish success has not featured in any newspaper in the UK, not even the Financial Times.
I can only assume, that good news stories about nuclear power, don’t sell newspapers.
Rolls-Royce SMR Advances To Final Stage In Swedish Nuclear Competition
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Rolls-Royce.
This is the sub-heading.
Rolls-Royce SMR has been selected by Vattenfall as one of only two companies to reach the final stage in the process to identify Sweden’s nuclear technology partner.
These are the first two paragraphs, which add details.
After being shortlisted in 2024, Rolls-Royce SMR has progressed through a detailed assessment and will now work with Vattenfall through the final technology selection which could initially result in Rolls-Royce SMR delivering three SMRs.
This positive news is testament to Rolls-Royce SMR’s transformative approach to delivering proven nuclear technology in an innovative way through modularisation and builds on our successful selection in both the United Kingdom and Czech Republic.
Some other points from the press release.
- Sweden is initially looking to build three SMRs.
- Each SMR will supply 470MWe of clean low-carbon electricity.
- They are expected to have a lifetime of sixty years. Sizewell B was originally expected to have a lifetime of forty years, but appears to be being extended to sixty years, so I will accept Rolls-Royce’s expected lifetime.
- The first units will be at the Ringhals site on the Värö Peninsula, where there is an existing nuclear power station.
This Google Map shows the Ringhals site in relation to Gothenburg.
The site is marked by the red arrow.
On taking a closer look, it appears to be a site with expansion possibilities.
The British Media Don’t Seem Very Interested
It is now the 31st of August and the only paper to report the story has been the Financial Times.
The Anonymous Widower 