Could A Highview Power CRYOBattery Be Mounted On An Offshore Platform?
In the early days of North Sea Oil and Gas, I was asked to help two Cambridge University engineering professors, with the mathematics and some of the problems, they were having with a revolutionary design of oil or gas platform.
I was convinced it would have worked, but sadly they were unable to sell the design to even a single customer and the company folded.
I have been following a company called Highview power and their CRYOBatteries, which store electricity as liquid air.
I just wonder, if the Cambridge design could be adapted to hold say a 50MW/300 MWh CRYOBattery, which could then be erected alongside the wind turbines in a wind farm.
This battery would then smooth the output of the wind farm.
Could Centrica Build An Alternative Grid For The UK?
Andy Burnham’s Speech In Liverpool Introduced The Great British Grid
This extract is what he said on energy and the grid.
One of the biggest barriers to growth in the UK is the cost of energy. British businesses and billpayers pay some of the highest energy costs in Europe.
Within 10 years, I want those costs to be in line with our neighbours.
This means reforming a broken energy market so it better serves the public interest.
We are already taking more control of our electricity prices with a massive expansion of home-grown renewables and nuclear. I have asked Miatta to speed up the breaking of the link between what we pay for power at home and the international gas market, to get bills down.
And we will be pragmatic in relation to the North Sea as we build a bridge to a clean energy future and face the climate crisis.
But it’s not just the price. The system needs to work better too. You would not believe how many businesses complain to me they can’t get going because they can’t get connected to the grid.
It pushes costs up. It drags growth down. And it holds Britain back. We won’t get the growth and inward investment we need if we don’t fix it.
So, for the first time, we will have a national energy plan and we will bring back local democratic control through a stronger role for mayors and local leaders.
But we must go further. Today I can announce our plan for Great British Grid. A new branch of Great British Energy. A publicly-owned company that will challenge the private sector operators.
But is Andy Burnham’s plan realisable?
The Great Grid Upgrade From Norwich To Tilbury
National Grid are aiming to replace the grid between Norwich and Tilbury to add extra capacity and the details of the project are on this web site.
This is a map of the route.
To ascertain the level of objections, I asked Google AI “Norwich to Tilbury grid objections” and received this reply.
Local councils, residents, and organizations object to National Grid’s Norwich to Tilbury Project primarily due to the visual and ecological damage of using 50-meter overhead pylons instead of offshore or underground alternatives.
Key Objections and Concerns
Overhead Pylons vs. Alternatives: Opposition to roughly 100 miles (159–183 km) of towering onshore overground lines. Objectors demand fully costed offshore high-voltage direct current (HVDC) or underground cabling options.
Environmental & Landscape Harm: Severe impact on protected and valued landscapes, including the Dedham Vale national landscape and Waveney Valley, alongside extensive tree loss and disruption to local wildlife habitats.
Heritage & Property Impacts: Damage to the settings of historic buildings and significant property or land devaluation, including negative impacts on planned developments like the Dunton Hills Garden Village in Brentwood.
Unrealistic Delivery Timeline: Concern that the targeted 2030/2031 completion deadline is overly ambitious, forcing rushed implementation without proper scrutiny of cumulative effects from multiple East Anglian energy projects.
Community Disruption: Strain on local highways, disruptive weekend and bank holiday working hours, agricultural disruption, and a lack of adequate community compensation or tangible social value.
The Nimbys don’t seem very keen on more and bigger overhead power lines.
Conclusion
I believe building a second set of power lines across the country will be very difficult, if not impossible.
The Investment Of Centrica And Others In innovative Energy Technology
I think we’ll see innovation from the likes of Centrica, Octopus, National Grid and others, as to how we get our energy delivered.
Centrica and others, who include the UK Government, have backed four British companies, that I’m sure will be used in the grid of 2030.
- Ceres have developed a fuel cell that runs on hydrogen, biomethane or natural gas. It was thought it would be used to power data centres, but it could be used to provide power anywhere there is a gas supply, like a big factory or a new housing estate.
- Heata was developed by British Gas Research and is part of a data centre, which sits in a domestic hot water tank and the waste heat gives you affordable hot water.
- Highview Power make liquid-air batteries up to 300 MW/3.2 GWh. Significantly, Andy Burnham performed the groundbreaking for a 50 MW/300 MWh battery in Manchester, when he was Mayor of Greater Manchester.
- HiiROC from Hull University have a way to make hydrogen that uses only a fifth of the electricity. Cemex are using HiiROC to make low-carbon cement at Rugby. I also think Jim Ratcliffe has plans for HiiROC, as he is an investor with Centrica and others.
Could Centrica build an innovative Great British Grid from their investments?
I don’t think so because of the problem I indicated earlier with Norwich to Tilbury of putting up more overhead cables.
But all of these four companies can provide support and enhancement to the existing grid.
- Ceres could be used to provide extra power, where it is needed, if there is a suitable gas supply.
- Heata could be used to give a large proportion of houses and flats affordable hot water.
- Highview Power could be used to provide energy storage where too much energy is being generated at times and needs to be stored for a number of hours.
- I believe that many large wind farms will be connected to the grid, with a Highview Power battery at the sub-station.
- I also believe that we could see Highview Power batteries installed offshore to smooth wind farm output.
- HiiROC could produce hydrogen when and where it is needed.
The big problem will be that the grid will get more complicated and will be more difficult to control.
In Centrica And Return Partner To Scale Battery Flexibility In Germany, I ask Google AI if Centrica are good at optimising batteries and received this reply.
Yes, Centrica is considered a strong and established player in grid battery (BESS) optimisation.
Centrica Energy leverages over 15 years of flexible asset trading experience and has actively optimised battery energy storage systems since 2018. They currently manage over 950 MW of grid-scale batteries on contract across the UK and Europe.
It may be difficult to manage all these assets, but it does appear that Centrica have the mathematicians and engineers, who are up to the task.
The Future Of Nuclear
Consider.
- The four nuclear stations at Hartlepool, Heysham 1, Heysham 2 and Torness are to be shut down by March 2030, which will lose approximately 5 GW of zero-carbon electricity.
- Hinckley Point C will deliver 3.2 GW from the early 2030s.
- Sizewell C will deliver 3.2 GW at some time in the future.
Can we rely on solar and wind power to power the UK?
It is not a question of can, but we have to.
But Centrica have made a bold move to link up with X-energy of the US to build a fleet of small modular reactors called an Xe-100.
- I wrote about the initial deal in Centrica And X-energy Agree To Deploy UK’s First Advanced Modular Reactors.
- In Hartlepool Nuclear Reactor Moves To UK Regulatory Assessment, I talk about how the first reactor will be built at Hartlepool.
- In Centrica, X-energy Advance Nuclear Plans As UK Regulators To Begin Design Review For Xe-100, I say more about the design and the parners in the Xe-100.
- In With Federal Funding Windfall, X-energy Advances Small Nuclear Reactor, I talk about US Federal funding for X-energy.
- In TRISO-X Completes Vertical Construction Of TX-1 Fuel Fabrication Facility, I describe how they are cracking on with the fuel facility in the US.
It certainly, seems to be a project that has started with a certain degree of momentum, which says to me, they have got the project management right.
But believe that these 80 MW Xe-100 reactors, if strategically placed around the country will keep us going as older nuclear and gas power stations are retired.
The Relationship Between Andy Burnham And Chris O’Shea
I wrote about this in Have Chris O’Shea And Andy Burnham Met?
I will assume its a good relationship, until proven otherwise.
Conclusion
I wonder whether in the end, the Great British Grid is a series of extensions to the current grid we have.
UK Offshore Wind In 2030 – Calculated September 2026
The next general election is likely to be held in 2029, so how much wind energy will be added before the next Parliament?
The Current Position
The Wikipedia entry for the list of operational wind farms in the UK, says this.
In July 2025, there were offshore wind farms consisting of 2,809 turbines with a combined capacity of 16,035 megawatts.
Due To Be Commissioned In 2026
It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2026.
- Dogger Bank A – 1235 MW – Fixed
- East Anglia 3 – 1372 MW – Fixed
- Sofia – 1400 MW – Fixed
This would add 3 wind farms and 4,007 MW to give a total of 20,042 MW.
Due To Be Commissioned In 2027
It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2027.
- Dogger Bank B – 1235 MW – Fixed
- Dogger Bank C – 1218 MW – Fixed
- Inch Cape – 1080 MW – Fixed
- Llŷr 1 – 100 MW – Floating
- Llŷr 2 – 100 MW – Floating
- Norfolk Boreas – 1380 MW – Fixed
This would add 6 wind farms and 5,113 MW to give a total of 25,155 MW.
Due To Be Commissioned In 2028
It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2028.
- East Anglia 2 – 963 MW – Fixed
- Hornsea 3 – 2852 MW – Fixed
This would add 2 wind farms and 3,815 MW to give a total of 28,970 MW.
Due To Be Commissioned In 2029
It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2029.
- Green Volt – 400 MW – Fixed
- Norfolk Vanguard East – 1545 MW – Fixed
- Norfolk Vanguard West – 1545 MW – Fixed
This would add 3 wind farms and 3,490 MW to give a total of 32,460 MW.
Due To Be Commissioned In 2030
It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2030.
- Caledonia – 2000 MW – Fixed
- Erebus – 100 MW – Floating
- Five Estuaries – 1080 MW – Fixed
- MarramWind – 3000 MW – Floating
- Mona – 1500 MW – Fixed
- Morecambe – 480 MW – Fixed
- N3 Project – 495 MW – Mixed
- North Falls – 504 MW – Fixed
- Outer Dowsing – 1500 MW – Fixed
- Pentland – 92.5 MW – Floating
- Ramplion 2 – 1200 – Fixed
This would add 11 wind farms and 11,951.5 MW to give a total of 44,411.5 MW.
Due To Be Commissioned In 2031
It would appear this wind farms will come on-line in 2031.
- Awel y Môr – 775 MW – Fixed
- Berwick Bank Phase B – 1380 MW – Fixed
- Dogger Bank SE – 1500 MW – Fixed
- Dogger Bank SW – 1500 MW – Fixed
- Spiorad na Mara – 840 MW – Fixed
This would add 5 wind farms and 5,995 MW to give a total of 50,406.5 MW.
UK Offshore Wind Summary 2026 And 2031
I can now summarise UK offshore wind for the next few years.
- 2025 – 16,035 MW
- 2026 – 3 – 4,007 MW – 20,042 MW
- 2027 – 6 – 5,113 MW – 25,155 MW
- 2028 – 2 – 3,815 MW – 28,970 MW
- 2029 – 3 – 3,490 MW – 32,460 MW
- 2030 – 11 – 11,951.5 MW – 44,411.5 MW
- 2031 – 5 – 5,995 MW – 50,406.5 MW
Note.
- The first figure after the year is the number of wind farms to be commissioned that year.
- The middle figure is the expected capacity of the wind farms to be commissioned that year.
- The last figure is the expected total offshore wind capacity at the end of that year.
- Typically, we need about 30 to 35 GW to power the UK.
- The next general election must be held by the 15th August 2029.
So whoever wins the election will inherit a windfall of just under 12 GW of offshore wind.
Chinese Offshore Wind Foundation Manufacturer Inks MoU With Scotland’s Ardersier Port
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Dajin Heavy Industry and Haventus, the owner and developer of Ardersier Port in Scotland, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore combining Dajin’s manufacturing and transport capability with Ardersier’s port infrastructure to support both fixed-bottom and floating wind projects in the UK and across Europe.
These two paragraphs add more details.
Dajin and Haventus will also work together to identify potential new commercial opportunities and how Ardersier Port could provide a site for storage, marshalling, assembly and transportation of offshore wind components to the offshore wind foundation manufacturer.
According to Haventus, Ardersier Port’s extensive quayside land, deep-water access and a high-voltage power connection can support the manufacturing, fabrication, assembly and storage of large-scale structures for offshore wind and other energy-related projects.
These are my thoughts.
Where Is Ardesier?
This Google Map shows the location of the Port of Ardesier in relation to Inverness, the Orkneys and Shetlands, and Norway.
The Port of Ardesier would appear to be ideally placed to bring in business for the partnership.
This Google Map shows more detail around Haventus – Ardesier Port.
Note.
- Haventus appears to be located close to Inverness Airport, which has a railway station on the Inverness and Aberdeen Line.
- Inverness is on the Moray Firth.
Are Haventus A British Company?
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this section and received this answer.
Yes, Haventus is a British company.
It is registered in the UK with its corporate headquarters in London, and its primary operations focus on redeveloping the Ardersier Port in the Scottish Highlands to support offshore wind energy.
Company Details
Registration: Registered in England and Wales (Haventus Limited).Head Office: London, United Kingdom.
Project: Transforming the former fabrication yard at Ardersier Port near Inverness, Scotland, into an energy transition facility for offshore wind.
Key Backing: Funded by British institutions like the UK Infrastructure Bank and the Scottish National Investment Bank, alongside major private equity investment from US-based Quantum Capital Group.
Could The Port Of Ardersier Have A Rail Connection?
This OpenRailwayMap shows the Port of Ardersier, the Aberdeen and Inverness Line and Inverness Airport.
Note.
- The heavy black track is the Aberdeen and Inverness Line.
- The Port of Ardersier is above it in the middle of the map.
- Inverness Airport is marked by the blue arrow.
There seems to be a lot of space in the area.
Could A Steel Mini-Mill Be Built In The Area?
Consider.
- Dajin Heavy Industry could need a lot of steel.
- A steel mini-mill would need a lot of energy.
- The UK has a lot of scrap steel, that could be of good enough quality to make the steel gubbins needed for offshore wind components.
- Scrap could be brought in by sea or rail.
- That part of Scotland has lots of offshore wind power.
- Three pumped storage hydro systems are being built in the Scottish Highlands to store electricity.
- Workers could be brought in by train from as far as Aberdeen.
The Port of Ardersier could be an ideal place for a steel mini-mill.
How Many Acres Do You need for a Small Steel From Scrap Mill?
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this section and received this answer.
A small scrap-based steel mini-mill requires roughly 5 to 20 acres of land for basic production, casting, and rolling units.
If you include a dedicated on-site scrap yard and heavy inventory storage buffers, the requirement expands closer to 25 to 50+ acres.
Core Space Breakdown
Melt Shop & Electric Arc Furnace (EAF): 2 to 4 acres for the core melting furnace, ladle metallurgy furnace, and pollution control equipment.
Casting & Rolling Mill: 2 to 5 acres for continuous casting (billets or blooms) and the hot re-rolling lines.
Scrap Yard & Raw Materials: 5 to 20 acres depending on how much local scrap inventory you need to stockpile.
Finished Goods & Logistics: 3 to 10 acres for cooling beds, product staging, truck loading docks, and internal roadways.
From this crude analysis with Google AI, I believe that there is enough space to put a small steel mill in the area.
Ideas Borrowed From Failures During The Years Of North Sea Oil and Gas
I suspect there are a few of these, which might be possible to develop at Ardersier.
Conclusion
The Port of Ardersier has lots of possibilities,
Why Monopile Lowering Is Becoming A Critical Load Case For Jack-Ups
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
As offshore wind monopiles continue to increase in size, the installation phase is emerging as a key structural design consideration for jack-up vessels. According to a recent GustoMSC study, loads generated during monopile lowering can approach — and in some cases exceed — those associated with extreme survival conditions.
This paragraph adds more detail.
With monopile diameters now exceeding 10 metres and weights surpassing 2,000 tonnes, installation dynamics are becoming increasingly complex. The challenge is no longer simply about crane capacity. Instead, the interaction between the suspended monopile and the supporting jack-up is becoming a governing factor.
In the 1970s, I worked on a similar problem as a consultant to a Cambridge company called Balaena Structures.
I described the Balaena in The Balaena Lives, but I believe the design could be applied to a large monopole foundation for a large wind turbine.
- The idea came from two Cambridge University engineering professors, who were much older than me, so they’ve probably passed on.
- The design was patented.
- None were built, as no-one ordered one.
- The computer, that I ran the simulation on doesn’t exist anymore.
- But, I’m fairly certain, I could create a design of XXL Monopile for the world’s largest wind turbine.
- The Balaena was designed to be reuseable.
- I did all the calculations and I believe that the Balaena could be turned into an easier-to-handle XXL Monopole.
None of the details of this project are written down, but they are locked safely in my head.
Hornsea 3 Battery Energy Storage To Start Operations Next Year, Ørsted Selects Arenko’s Platform to Operate BESS
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Arenko has been selected by Ørsted to deploy its Nimbus optimisation, asset management and trading platform at the 300 MW/600 MWh Iceni battery energy storage system (BESS) that will be part of the 2.9 GW Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm in the UK. The BESS project is scheduled to enter operations in the first quarter of 2027.
These are the first three paragraphs.
Named Iceni, the battery storage project is being developed as one of the UK’s first large-scale co-location projects under the Offshore Transmission Network Review (OTNR).
Iceni is designed to share transmission infrastructure and an onshore grid connection with Hornsea 3, rather than securing a separate grid connection. According to Arenko, this makes it the world’s first utility-scale battery to be directly integrated into offshore transmission infrastructure.
Under the agreement with Ørsted, Arenko’s Nimbus software will be used to forecast market and asset conditions, determine how battery capacity should be allocated in real time and automate trading across power markets. The platform will also support the technical, data and controls integration required to operate the battery alongside the offshore wind farm through their shared connection.
Note.
The Offshore Transmission Network Review (OTNR) has a web site.
The Hornsea 3 wind farm has a capacity of about ten times that of the battery.
Gwynt Glas Offshore Wind Project Strengthens Development And Welcomes New Partner, Sumitomo
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Gwynt Glas.
These three initial paragraphs add some detail.
The Gwynt Glas offshore wind project has today announced a significant strengthening of its joint venture with Sumitomo Corporation joining as an equal partner alongside EDF power solutions UK and Ireland and ESB. Each partner now holds a 33.33% stake, while DP Energy continues to provide critical development support, leveraging its expertise in early stage project delivery and local engagement.
This strategic collaboration brings together three global leaders in renewable energy combining deep expertise in large scale development and delivery. The partnership positions Gwynt Glas to advance confidently through its next phases, reinforcing its role in delivering clean, homegrown energy for Wales and the UK while supporting energy security and economic growth.
Gwynt Glas is a proposed innovative floating offshore wind farm in the Celtic Sea. The up to 1.5 GW project continues to make strong progress and successfully submitted its Scoping Report to the Planning Inspectorate this summer.
Are Sumitomo Involved In Offshore Wind?
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this answer.
Since making its first investment in a European offshore wind project in 2014, Sumitomo Corporation
has accumulated extensive expertise throughout the development, construction and operation phases of offshore wind projects.This marks Sumitomo Corporation’s first participation in a floating offshore wind project.
Are Sumitomo learning about floating offshore wind, by participating in a major project or are they up to something very innovative technically?
In Is Sumitomo Heavy Industries Highview Power Energy Storage System On Line At Hiroshima?, I talked about how Sumitomo’s engineers had taken Highview Power’s ideas for energy storage using liquid-air and downsized it to improve the efficiency of an LNG Terminal at Hiroshima, by adding a 4MW/20 MWh battery.
I just wonder, if some of the steel floats that will support the wind turbines, will also be used for liquid-air tanks as part of one of Highview Power’s batteries. As initially, there will be 66 turbines at Gwynt Glas, the battery could be a monster, but a very environmentally-friendly one!
1.5 GW Morgan Offshore Wind Site Up For Grabs Again As Crown Estate Launches Accelerated Tender
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The Crown Estate has launched an accelerated tender process to select a new developer for the up to 1.5 GW Morgan offshore wind project in the Irish Sea after the previous developer discontinued the project earlier this year.
These two paragraphs add more detail.
The Morgan site was originally awarded through Offshore Wind Leasing Round 4 in 2021 and was held by a joint venture between EnBW and JERA Nex BP. Its development was discontinued in January 2026 after EnBW decided to exit the Morgan and Mona offshore wind projects in the UK. JERA Nex BP then acquired EnBW’s stake in 1.5 GW Mona, while the joint venture discontinued the development of the Morgan project and returned the lease rights to the Crown Estate.
The Crown Estate announced in March 2026 that it would re-tender the site.
Given, that the article mentions an accelerated tender process, is the Crown Estate expecting the developer to put the hammer down.
Google AI says this about the original connection date.
Expected to be operational in 2028/2029 at the earliest, or by 2030 according to initial scheduling.
If it made 2030, that would mean a total offshore wind fleet of 55.15 GW and the Government’s 50 GW target of offshore wind power by 2030 would have been achieved.
That would do nicely.
European Commission Greenlights France’s EUR 63 Billion Aid Scheme To Build 11 Offshore Wind Farms
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The European Commission has approved a EUR 63 billion French scheme to support the construction and operation of eleven offshore wind farms, in line with the objectives of the Clean Industrial Deal.
These three paragraphs add more detail.
The scheme was approved under the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF) adopted by the Commission on 25 June 2025.
France notified the Commission, under the CISAF, a scheme to support offshore wind energy to contribute to the objectives of the Clean Industrial Deal. The scheme will run for 25 years and has a maximum budget of EUR 63 billion.
The wind farms, located in the North Sea, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, are expected to have a combined capacity of up to 11.1 GW and to generate up to 47.8 TWh of renewable electricity per year, or around 10.6 per cent of France’s annual electricity consumption.
I have highlighted this article, as it gives a lot of true figures about the cost of offshore wind farms in France.
The scheme costs in subsidy € 227027/GW/year.
Poland Receives Its First Electricity from Offshore Wind As Baltic Power Starts Delivering
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Electricity generated by the Baltic Power offshore wind farm has entered Poland’s national power grid, marking the first time the electricity generated by offshore wind turbines is added to the country’s energy mix.
This first paragraph gives more details of the project.
54 of 76 turbines have already been installed at Poland’s first offshore wind farm, with the first now generating electricity. Construction is scheduled for completion this autumn, ORLEN and Northland Power, the owners of the project, said.
When complete, the Baltic Power wind farm will generate up to 1.2 GW.
How Much Offshore Wind Does Poland Have Planned?
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this reply.
Poland has massive offshore wind plans in the Baltic Sea.
The country targets 5.9 GW by 2030 and 18 GW by 2040. To meet these goals, the government is pursuing two primary development phases to transition the national grid away from coal.
A breakdown of Poland’s offshore wind rollout includes:
Phase I (Advanced Projects): Includes 5.9 GW of capacity.
Baltic Power: Poland’s first offshore wind farm (1.2 GW), developed by Orlen and Northland Power, officially connected to the national grid in July 2026.
Bałtyk 2 & 3: Equinor and Polenergia have finalized financing for an additional 1.4 GW, slated for commercial operation around 2028.
Phase II (Auction-Backed): Poland recently allocated over 3.4 GW in new capacity through competitive offshore wind auctions, pushing development well into the next decade.
Long-Term Outlook: Industry groups estimate the total technical potential in Poland’s portion of the Baltic Sea could reach up to 33 GW.
Will Poland Be Welcoming Any Invading Germany Wind Farms?
In New Study Shows How North Sea Offshore Wind Can Yield More While Costing Less, I talked about how Germany doesn’t have enough sea in which to place the wind farms it needs to generate the green electricity and hydrogen it needs.
This map from Wikipedia shows Exclusive Economic Zones in the North Sea, but it also shows who has control of the sea in the Baltic.
Note.
- Yellow is France.
- Mauve is Belgium, who drew the short straw.
- Light Blue is The Netherlands.
- Black is Germany, who despite their large land area, don’t have as much sea as the UK.
- Red is Denmark.
- Dark Blue is Norway.
- Green is The UK.
- Germany and Poland seen to share the Southern Baltic.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Germany and Poland co-operating to maximize the wind power capacity of the Southern Baltic.
A Visit To Poland’s Coal Capital
On one of my trips to Poland, I went to Katowice, which is in Poland’s coal-mining region. I wrote about it in An Excursion In Katowice.
Google AI produced this snapshot of Katowice.
Katowice is historically known as the “Polish Coal Capital” and served as the absolute backbone of the region’s heavy industry. First transforming into an industrial powerhouse in the mid-19th century due to rich local coal and metal reserves, the city’s economy and rapid growth were entirely reliant on coal mining and steel.
While coal and heavy industry historically anchored its identity, the city of Katowice has aggressively transformed into a modern cultural, technological, and business hub. The wider Silesia region remains heavily tied to coal mining, but the municipality itself has shifted its focus to avoid reliance on it.
My visit to Katowice was an excellent pit-stop on a train ride between Krakow and Prague, when I did my Home Run From Krakow.
If you like your food and like me, you’re coeliac, I would certainly recommend Poland for a few days away.
Strangely, the language is not a problem, as if you get three Poles together, one will speak English better than what you do.
