The Anonymous Widower

News From Four Big Projects On The 15th May 2026

Are things hotting up in the offshore wind business in the UK? Or is it just a coincidence?

But these four projects were all announced on the 15th May 2026.

Aberdeenshire Council Greenlights Onshore Plans For 1 GW Scottish Floating Wind Project

The Buchan Offshore Wind consortium, comprising BayWa r.e., Elicio, and BW Ideol, has received planning consent from Aberdeenshire Council for the onshore infrastructure that will connect the proposed 1 GW Buchan floating wind farm to the grid. Commissioning in 2033.

Ocean Winds Receives Full Onshore Planning Consent for 2 GW Caledonia Offshore Wind Farm

Ocean Winds, a 50-50 joint venture owned by EDP Renewables and ENGIE, has received full onshore planning consent for its 2 GW Caledonia offshore wind farm following approval by Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee on 14 May. Commissioning in 2032.

UK Grants Development Consent For 3 GW Dogger Bank South Offshore Wind Project.

The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has granted development consent for two Dogger Bank South (DBS) offshore wind farms, Dogger Bank South West and Dogger Bank South East, which are planned to have a combined installed capacity of 3 GW. Commissioning in 2031 (DBS West) and 2032 (DBS East).

RWE and SSE Secure Consent For 1 GW North Falls Offshore Wind Farm

The North Falls Offshore Wind Farm joint venture between RWE and SSE Renewables has been granted development consent for its 1 GW project by the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DSNEZ). Commissioning in 2030.

It looks like another 7 GW of onshore wind is on its way! The commissioning dates are my best estimates based on past history.

 

May 15, 2026 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

UK Offshore Wind In 2030 – Calculated May 2026

The next general election is likely to be held in 2029, so how much wind energy will be added during 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.

  • Doggerbank A – 1235 MW – Fixed
  • Sofia – 1400 MW – Fixed

This would add 2635 MW to give a total of 18,670 MW.

Due To Be Commissioned In 2027

It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2027.

  • Doggerbank B – 1235 MW – Fixed
  • Doggerbank C – 1218 MW – Fixed
  • East Anglia 1 North – 800 MW – Fixed
  • East Anglia 2 – 900 MW – Fixed
  • East Anglia 3 – 1372 MW – Fixed
  • Hornsea 3 – 2852 MW – Fixed
  • Llŷr 1 – 100 MW – Floating
  • Llŷr 2 – 100 MW – Floating
  • Norfolk Boreas – 1380 MW – Fixed
  • Pentland – 100 MW – Floating
  • Whitecross – 100 MW – Floating

This would add 10157 MW to give a total of 28,827 MW.

Due To Be Commissioned In 2028

It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2028.

  • Morecambe – 480 MW – Fixed

This would add 480 MW to give a total of 29,307 MW.

Due To Be Commissioned In 2029

It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2029.

  • West Of Orkney – 2000 MW – Fixed

This would add 2000 MW to give a total of 31,307 MW.

Due To Be Commissioned In 2030

It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2030.

  • Ramplion 2 Extension – 1200 MW – Fixed
  • Norfolk Vanguard East – 1380 MW – Fixed
  • Norfolk Vanguard West – 1380 MW – Fixed
  • Awel y Môr – 1100 MW – Fixed
  • Berwick Bank – 4100 MW – Fixed
  • Outer Dowsing – 1500 MW – Fixed
  • Caledonia – 2000 MW – Fixed
  • N3 Project – 495 MW – Fixed/Floating
  • North Falls – 504 MW – Fixed

This would add 14,659 MW to give a total of 45.966 MW.

Due To Be Commissioned In 2031

It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2031.

  • Awel y Môr – 775 MW – Fixed
  • Berwick Bank – 1380 MW – Fixed
  • Dogger Bank SW – 1500 MW – Fixed
  • Spiorad na Mara – 840 MW – Mixed

This would add 4,495 MW to give a total of 50,461 MW.

Due To Be Commissioned In 2032

It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2032.

  • Caledonia – 2000 MW – Fixed
  • Dogger Bank SE – 1500 MW – Fixed

This would add 3,500 MW to give a total of 53,961 MW.

Due To Be Commissioned In 2033

It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2033.

  • Ayre 1008 MW – Fixed
  • Bowdun – 1008 MW – Fixed
  • Buchan – 960 MW – Floating

This would add 2,976 MW to give a total of 56,937 MW.

Due To Be Commissioned In 2036

It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2033.

  • Havbredey – 1,500 MW – Fixed

This would add 1,500 MW to give a total of 58,437 MW.

Capacity Summary

  • 2025 – None – 16,035 MW
  • 2026 – 2635 MW – 18,670 MW
  • 2027 – 10157 MW – 28,827 MW
  • 2028 – 480 MW – 29,307 MW
  • 2029 – 3500 MW – 31,307 MW
  • 2030 – 14155 MW – 45.462 MW
  • 2031 – 4,495 MW – 50,461 MW
  • 2032 – 3,500 MW – 53,961 MW
  • 2033 – 2,976 MW – 56,937 MW
  • 2036 – 1,500 MW – 58437 MW

We’re still be adding capacity into the 2030s.

 

 

 

May 14, 2026 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Gas-Fired Power Still Looks A Safe Bet For Centrica In The Renewables Era

I feel rather surprisingly, the title of this post, is the same as this article on the Guardian.

You’d think, that they would be critical of Centrica for keeping the gas power stations going.

But this is the sub-heading.

There will still be a need to have gas in the wings to keep the lights on, so the financials stack up on Severn plant purchase.

So why should Centrica buy a 832 MW closed cycle gas fired power station?

These posts describe, what Centrica have done at Brigg with another closed cycle gas fired power station.

Will Centrica be taking closed cycle gas fired power stations and making them more efficient to provide the back up to wind farms, when wind is having an off day?

I wouldn’t be surprised, if Centrica put a big battery on the two sites, as after all they are a godparent to Highview Power.

Are there any more closed cycle gas fired power stations, that they can acquire?

I asked, Google AI,”How many closed cycle gas fired power stations are there in the uk?” and received this answer.

As of early 2026, there are approximately 35 active combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power stations—often referred to as closed-cycle—in the UK.

These plants provide the bulk of the UK’s gas-fired capacity, totaling roughly 30-35 GW along with smaller, single-cycle (OCGT) plants which are used for backup.

Total Capacity: The total capacity of all gas-fired generation (CCGT and others) is approximately 35.7 GW.

Role in Power Mix: CCGTs are highly efficient and provide baseload power, while OCGT plants (about 14+ sites) are typically used for peak demand.

Key Locations: Major plants include Pembroke (RWE), Staythorpe (RWE), Didcot B (RWE), and Connah’s Quay (Uniper).

These plants remain the largest single source of electricity generation on the UK grid, though they are increasingly being paired with carbon capture proposals.

I think, that Engineer Baldrick is now working for Centrica and he has a cunning plan to use efficient CCGT power stations to back up the wind.

Consider.

  • Severn power station is an 832 MW combined cycle power plant running on natural gas, which is located near Newport in South Wales.
  • 4.5 GW of offshore wind is to be built near Port Talbot.
  • Will some hydrogen generated by HiiROC be used to part-fire Severn power station and reduce its carbon footprint.
  • South Wales can easily find space for a couple of Highview 300 MW/3.2 GWh CRYOBatteries.
  • It would be useful to have a good-sized hydrogen store in South Wales.

That mix would surely provide enough reliable power for green steelmaking and a few data centres.

 

 

 

May 8, 2026 Posted by | Energy Storage, Hydrogen, Energy, Artificial Intelligence | , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

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

These four bullet points act as sub-headings.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I have some thoughts.

Reconductoring Is Mentioned

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

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

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

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

More And Better Sensors Will Be Developed

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

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

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

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

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

Consider.

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

 

 

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

Europe: New Fund To Upgrade Solar And Wind Assets With Battery Storage

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

This is the sub-heading.

The Aream Group has launched a new European investment vehicle targeting the renewable energy sector, with a strategy that combines power generation, storage and electricity marketing.

These three paragraphs add more details to the story.

The Clean Energy Future Fund II (CEFF II) will focus on integrating renewable generation assets with battery storage systems to improve the use of grid connections, which are increasingly scarce across European markets. According to Markus W. Voigt, Executive Chairman of aream Group, the hybrid model is designed to respond to growing volatility in electricity markets.

“With this hybrid approach, we are leveraging the changes and increased volatility in the European electricity markets for the benefit of our investors,” Voigt said.

The fund will primarily invest in Europe, with a particular focus on Germany, and will build on an existing portfolio of operational assets. A central element of the strategy is the addition of battery storage to solar and wind farms, allowing them to evolve from pure generation assets into providers of grid services.

I have a Google Alert which looks for “Energy Storage Fund” and this story was one of nine substantial stories.

This story talks about €400 million and two others talk about €300 million and AU $ 1.4 billion, respectively.

So hopefully, this money will help to mop up some of the energy wasted, when wind farms are curtailed.

Certainly, these funds don’t seem to have difficulty finding money to invest.

April 30, 2026 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage, Finance & Investment | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Could A Feeder Network Of Local Trains Be Developed For HS2 At Lancaster Station?

Lancaster station is one of the less important stations that will be served by High Speed Two.

I visited in May 2025 and afterwards wrote Lancaster Station – 23rd May 2025.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the railway network around Lancaster.

Note.

  1. The red track on the East side of the map is the electrified West Coast Main Line.
  2. The location of Lancaster station is indicated by a blue arrow.
  3. Morecambe, where the Eden Project North is being developed and the important port of Heysham are on the coast to the West of Lancaster.
  4. Oxenholme station is towards the North-East corner of the map, on the main line.
  5. The Windermere branch connects to the main line at Oxenholme station.
  6. HS2 will use the West Coast Main Line and call at Lancaster and Oxenholme.

North of Oxenholme, HS2 calls at Penrith and Carlisle, before going on to Glasgow and Scotland.

West of the main line, the map is dominated by the waters of Morecambe Bay, which in recent decades has produced a lot of our gas, but is now transitioning to an area, that will produce a few gigawatts of wind power.

North of Morecambe Bay, there is the Lake District, with the shipbuilding at Barrow and the nuclear waste processing at Sellafield on the coast.

It is an important area of England, where there is a lot going on!

Tying it all together is the yellow ribbon of the Cumbrian Coast Line, which connects Carnforth and Carlisle on an hourly basis.

  • The service calls at Grange-over-Sands, Barrow-in-Furness, Millom, Ravenglass, Drigg, Seascale, Sellafield, St Bees, Whitehaven, Workington, Maryport, Aspatria, Wigton and other places.
  • Four services a day link Carlisle and Lancaster stations.
  • Carlisle and Lancaster stations are 120.5 miles apart via the coast and according to Google AI, the journey takes between three and three-and-a-half hours.
  • In  From Barrow-in-Furness To Ravenglass, From Ravenglass to Sellafield and From Sellafield To Carlisle, there are some images, that give a flavour of the route.

This is a route, that is worth decarbonising.

Consider.

  • There is a couple of gigawatt of wind power in the bay to charge any batteries with green electricity or make green hydrogen.
  • There is a project called BARROW GREEN HYDROGEN, which is located in Barrow-in-Furness.
  • Both hydrogen and battery-powered trains could handle the hundred and twenty miles of the Cumbrian Coast Line.
  • A zero-carbon train running silently round the Lake District could be a tourist attraction in its own right.
  • Hydrogen-powered buses could provide the local transport.

Given the scenery and the closeness to the Lake District and High Speed Two, I suspect that major train manufacturers like Alstom, CAF and Siemens will be keen to bid.

 

April 20, 2026 Posted by | Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

No Panic At The Pumps … South Koreans Just Stop Driving On Wednesdays

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

This is the sub-heading.

President Lee Jae-myung has urged the public to ‘save every drop of fuel’ and introduced a number-plate rotation to keep drivers off the road

These first three paragraphs deeply illustrate the differences between the energy situation in North and South Korea.

From the lookout point atop Mount Dora, in the heart of the demilitarised zone that has separated the peninsula since 1953, you can clearly see where South Korea ends and North Korea begins.

The trees that proliferate across Korea’s undulating topography come to an abrupt halt. On the land that sits beyond, a farmer can be seen guiding an ox pulling a plough.

Sealed off from the world economy for 73 years, communist North Korea has resorted to cutting down much of its vegetation to burn for fuel. Democratic South Korea, by contrast, has established deep global trading ties that allow the country to import vital natural resources it cannot produce domestically.

North Korean communism certainly can’t be considered green.

I find these two paragraphs extremely significant.

South Korea may have to import almost all of its crude oil, but the country plays a huge role in refining it into petrol, diesel and jet fuel before shipping it around the world. This means that demand from overseas for Korea’s refined products is greater than ever, which has forced the government to step in. The country’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has implemented mandatory caps on refined petroleum products.

Of all South Korea’s refined products, kerosene, or jet fuel, is the most in demand. The country is one of the biggest exporters of jet fuel in the world. The US, for instance, relies on it for 70 per cent of its total jet fuel imports.

They could also be problematical for the country, as they will surely need to replace these jet fuel exports with exports of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Most viable processes, that I’ve seen need the following ingredients.

  • Lots of hydrogen or masses of GWhs of electricity to make it.
  • Some carbon atoms, which can even be captured from the air or a gas-fired power station.
  • Some form of Fischer-Tropsch process to force the atoms to make sustainable aviation fuel.

There are several companies that can do this, with British ones seeming to often to be connected to Oxford University.

There is also this Anglo-Korean connection over hydrogen.

I asked Google AI, who are investors in innovative hydrogen production company; HiiROC, which is a spin-out of the University of Hull, and received this answer.

HiiROC, a UK-based developer of “turquoise” hydrogen technology, is backed by a consortium of major industrial and financial players, including Centrica, Melrose Industries, HydrogenOne Capital Growth, Hyundai, Kia, Wintershall Dea, VNG, and Cemex Ventures. The company has raised over £40 million to develop its thermal plasma electrolysis technology.

Note the presence of two of the biggest Korean companies ; Hyundai and Kia.

HiiROC is also five times more efficient than traditional electrolysis.

Google AI says this about South Korean offshore wind.

South Korea is aggressively developing its offshore wind sector, targeting 14.3 GW to 15 GW of installed capacity by 2030, with over 116 projects and 44 GW of capacity under development. The country aims for a 2030 renewable energy share of 20-30%, leveraging floating technology for massive projects like the 3.2 GW Jindo project.

It appears to me, that South Korea will replace their market share of the jet fuel market with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

I’m also sure, that if the Koreans need to produce more hydrogen to make more SAF to power the world’s aircraft, Centrica will help them to rent some of our empty seas.

I can see the Koreans, with a little help from their friends, including the UK, dominating the SAF market.

 

April 18, 2026 Posted by | Energy, Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ocasio-Cortez, Markey Ask Trump Admin To Explain Paying TotalEnergies USD 1 Billion ‘In Taxpayer Money’ To Drop Offshore Wind Projects

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

This is the sub-heading.

US lawmakers Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ed Markey have sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum on the plan by the Trump administration to pay nearly USD 1 billion to TotalEnergies to cancel offshore wind projects off the US East Coast, calling on the administration to stop the payment and explain the legal basis and funding source for the proposed transfer.

These four paragraphs add detail to the story.

As reported recently, the US government’s agreement with TotalEnergies concerns the company’s exit from offshore wind development in the country by relinquishing leases for projects off New York/New Jersey and North Carolina, for which the administration intends to pay approximately USD 928 million.

The agreement also stipulates that TotalEnergies would redirect that money to oil & gas projects in the US. The company, in a press release issued after signing the agreement with the government, indicated that it would invest proceeds from the payment into a liquefied natural gas export facility in Texas and other oil and gas activities in the US that will support both domestic supply and the demand in Europe.

As reported recently, the US government’s agreement with TotalEnergies concerns the company’s exit from offshore wind development in the country by relinquishing leases for projects off New York/New Jersey and North Carolina, for which the administration intends to pay approximately USD 928 million.

The agreement also stipulates that TotalEnergies would redirect that money to oil & gas projects in the US. The company, in a press release issued after signing the agreement with the government, indicated that it would invest proceeds from the payment into a liquefied natural gas export facility in Texas and other oil and gas activities in the US that will support both domestic supply and the demand in Europe.

Trump may have got what he wanted and stopped development of wind farms, but at what cost to US taxpayers?

Out of curiosity, I asked Google AI, “Which LNG Terminal In Texas Have TotalEnergies Agreed To Develop”, And Received This Answer.

TotalEnergies has agreed to develop and invest in the Rio Grande LNG (RGLNG) project located in South Texas.

Key details regarding TotalEnergies’ involvement include:

Partnership: In June 2023, TotalEnergies signed a framework agreement with NextDecade Corporation to participate in the development of the Rio Grande LNG project.

Ownership and Phase 1: TotalEnergies holds a 16.67% stake in the first phase of the project, which includes three liquefaction trains with an annual capacity of 17.5 million tons per annum (Mtpa).

Offtake Agreement: TotalEnergies has agreed to purchase 5.4 million tons per annum (Mtpa) of LNG from Phase 1 for 20 years.

Expansion (Train 4): As of September 2025, TotalEnergies has reached a Final Investment Decision (FID) for a 10% stake in the joint venture developing Train 4 of the Rio Grande LNG facility.

NextDecade Stake: TotalEnergies also acquired a 17.5% stake in NextDecade Corporation, the developer of the project.

The Rio Grande LNG project is located in Brownsville, Texas, and is expected to contribute to TotalEnergies’ goal of expanding its U.S. LNG export capacity to 15 million tons annually by 2030.

I shall be watching this project. Especially, as several new techniques have come forward in the last few months.

 

 

 

April 3, 2026 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Finance & Investment | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

TenneT, National Grid Ink Joint Development Agreement For LionLink Offshore Wind Interconnector

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

This is the sub-heading.

Transmission system operators (TSOs) TenneT and National Grid Ventures (NGV) have signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to advance LionLink, a hybrid interconnector linking the UK and the Netherlands via a future offshore wind farm in the Dutch North Sea.

These three paragraphs add more details.

The agreement sets out how the two partners will jointly develop LionLink towards a final investment decision (FID), including arrangements on procurement, governance, and planning, while also aiming to increase transparency on project costs ahead of construction.

LionLink is designed to integrate cross-border electricity interconnection with offshore wind by establishing a direct connection between the two countries through a grid link to the planned Nederwiek 3 offshore wind farm. According to the developers, this approach will maximise the use of offshore wind, provide additional system flexibility, and reduce the overall amount of required offshore infrastructure.

The LionLink project was launched in April 2023, when the Netherlands and the UK unveiled their plan to build the interconnector, a first-of-its-kind electricity link to connect offshore wind between the two countries via interconnections.

The same article also said these two paragraphs about the operation of the BritNed interconnector.

While the companies move forward with LionLink, their existing BritNed interconnector is marking 15 years of operation. Since entering service in 2011, the 1 GW subsea link has enabled nearly 93 TWh of electricity trading between Great Britain and the Netherlands.

Over the past five years, BritNed has exchanged enough electricity annually to power around 1.4 million households. The 260-kilometre interconnector remains a key part of both countries’ energy systems and has generated around EUR 1 billion in auction revenues on the Dutch side during its operational lifetime, TenneT said in a press release on 1 April.

It looks like BritNed has been a good investment for all stakeholders.

Note.

  1. LionLink will be a 2 GW interconnector.
  2. LionLink will land at Walberswick in Suffolk.
  3. LionLink has a web site.
  4. BritNed is a 1 GW interconnector.
  5. BritNed lands at the Isle of Grain in Kent.
  6. BritNed has a web site.
  7. NemoLink is an interconnector between Kent and Belgium.
  8. NeuConnect will be a 1.4 GW interconnector between the Isle of Grain and Wilhelmshaven, which will be operational by 2028.
  9. There are two actual and two proposed interconnectors between the UK and France.

The List of high-voltage transmission links in the United Kingdom in Wikipedia is growing.

The Wikipedia entry says this about the Rise of UK Interconnection.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s Digest of UK Energy Statistics reports that the UK was a net importer of electricity in 2024, with net imports of 33.4 TWh, up 40% from 2023.

Interconnectors allow the trade of electricity between countries with excess generation (for example, intermittent renewable) and those with high demand. Interconnectors play a key part in balancing variable renewable generation, for example the 1.4 GW North Sea Link allows the UK to export excess power to Norway during windy periods to conserve Norwegian hydro stocks, and import Norwegian hydro power on less windy days.

During the 2022 energy crisis, the UK exported record amounts of power to mainland Europe, helping to alleviate the effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on European security of supply.

As of 12 November 2024, Great Britain had nine operational international electricity interconnectors.

The UK is becoming an offshore energy substation on Europe’s North-West coast.

 

 

April 2, 2026 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

EU, France Grant EUR 126 Million For BW Ideol’s Floating Foundation Factory

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

This is the sub-heading.

BW Ideol has signed the final grant agreement for up to EUR 74 million from the EU Innovation Fund for a factory in Fos-sur-Mer, France, that will produce concrete floating wind foundations. The factory, dubbed Fos3F, has also secured up to EUR 52 million from the French State.

These three paragraphs add more detail.

The final agreement for the EU Innovation Fund grant was signed on 19 March, after BW Ideol revealed in November 2025 that the Fos3F was selected for up to EUR 74 million in funding by the European Commission.

The French government awarded support for the project at the end of 2025 through the C3IV tax credit scheme, dedicated to supporting leading French companies in the Green Industry. The funding from the French State will cover up to EUR 52 million to partially fund development and capital expenditures.

According to BW Ideol, if built, the Fos3F will be a first-of-its-kind factory dedicated to the serial production of concrete floating wind foundations based on the company’s patented Damping Pool.

The factory is stated to have a capacity of thirty foundations per year.

This Google Map shows the location of Fos-sur-Mer.

Note.

  1. Arles is in the North-West corner.
  2. Marseille is in the South-East corner.
  3. The mouth of the Rhône River is in between.
  4. Fos-sur-Mer is outlined by the red-and-white border.

Google AI says there is significant steel making at the mouth of the Rhône River.

I also asked Google AI, “What turbines will BW Ideol floating foundations support?  and received this reply.

BW Ideol’s floating foundations are designed to be universal, supporting all major 15 MW+ offshore wind turbines currently on the market, with scalability to future 20 MW+ platforms. Their concrete barge-type technology—using the Damping Pool® design—is compatible with both existing and next-generation turbine manufacturers.

Key Compatibility Details:

15 MW+ and 20 MW+ Turbines: The foundations are engineered for current large-scale turbines (15 MW+) and are ready to accommodate upcoming 20 MW+ turbines, with designs already certified by DNV.

Proven Technology: The technology has been in operation since 2018 at the Floatgen site in France (using a Vestas V80 2 MW turbine) and in Japan, covering both shallow and deep-water applications.

Universal Application: The design is tailored for diverse metocean conditions and is designed to support the commercial deployment of large turbines in projects like the Buchan Offshore Wind project in Scotland.

Production Scalability: The concrete floating platforms are designed for mass production, capable of being manufactured quickly in a factory setting, such as the proposed Fos-sur-Mer site, to meet the schedules of major developers.

These foundations have received Design Certification from DNV, confirming their suitability for large-scale, commercial floating wind farms.

My Thoughts:

Concrete v. Steel: I used to work with someone, who was a big advocate of concrete yachts. Also check out the Wikipedia entry for the Troll A platform, which is a concrete Norwegian gas platform.

Zero-Carbon: I wouldn’t be surprised if concrete manufacture emits less carbon, than steel.

Port Talbot: Will BW Ideol build a similar factory at Port Talbot? I wrote about the Port Talbot factory in Port Talbot To Become Offshore Wind Hub For Celtic Sea. Both sites are next to a large bay, which would be ideal for parking completed floats and a world-class steelworks.

Buchan: Buchan’s web site says it will use seventy BW Ideol floats and generate I GW, 75 km. to the North-East of Fraserburgh. Google AI said the floats will be built at the Port of Ardersier.

Will A Mini-Steel Mill Be Built At The Port Of Ardersier?

I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this reply.

Yes, a £300 million green steel mill is planned for the Ardersier Port redevelopment as part of its transformation into a circular Energy Transition Facility. This facility aims to process scrap steel from decommissioned oil rigs into new materials to support offshore wind developments, alongside creating a concrete production plant.

Key details regarding the development:
Purpose: The mill is intended to process scrap from offshore decommissioning.

Technology: It is planned as a green steel plant.

Integration: It is aimed to be integrated into a new, fully circular “Energy Transition Facility”.

Context: While the facility aims for circular steel production, the port is primarily focused on becoming a hub for offshore wind and manufacturing.

Recent developments as of March 2026 suggest a focus on a “scaled back,” more achievable vision by new owners/managers, focusing on floating concrete wind turbine bases. Additionally, recent UK government intervention restricted a large Chinese-backed manufacturing plan at the site due to security concerns.

 

 

March 31, 2026 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Finance & Investment, Manufacturing | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment