Wind Farms Generate Record Power On Cold November Evening
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
This is the sub-heading.
Turbines produced record high of 22.7 gigawatts of electricity at 7.30pm on Tuesday last week, accounting for 55 per cent of Britain’s electricity mix.
These two introductory paragraphs add more detail.
Britain’s wind farms generated a record 22.7 gigawatts of electricity on Tuesday evening last week, enough to power more than 22 million homes.
The National Energy System Operator (Neso) said the new high was set at 7.30pm on November 11, beating a previous record of 22.5 gigawatts on December 18, 2024.
In addition.
Yesterday, I wrote Ocean Winds Secures Third Celtic Sea Floating Wind Site, which will add 4.5 GW by 2035.
In Renewable Power By 2030 In The UK, I calculated these pessimistic offshore wind power totals for 206-2030.
- 2025 – 1,235 MW
- 2026 – 4,807 MW
- 2027 – 5,350 MW
- 2028 – 4,998 MW
- 2029 – 9,631 MW
- 2030 – 15,263 MW
This adds up to a total of 58,897 MW.
Conclusion
We shall be needing some new ways to export electricity to Europe.
UK, French, And Irish Ports Join Hands In Global Floating Wind Collaboration
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The UK’s Associated British Ports (ABP) has teamed up with France’s BrestPort and Ireland’s Shannon Foynes Port to establish the Global Floating Offshore Wind Ports Alliance (FLOW Ports Alliance) to help bring together major floating offshore wind ports across the world and unlock the technology’s full potential.
These first two paragraphs add more detail.
The FLOW Ports Alliance aims to recruit ports in Europe to collaborate on FLOW port design, standardisation, and best operational practices.
It plans to strengthen and accelerate compliant knowledge and experience exchange between ports, share best practices as they emerge through demonstration projects, and share innovations to the benefit of the global FLOW network.
Surely, a global network of ports that can handle construction, operation and maintenance of a range of floating wind platforms, is an excellent idea.
All Recyclable Blades Installed At RWE’s 1.4 GW UK Offshore Wind Farm
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
All 150 recyclable blades have been installed at the 1.4 GW Sofia offshore wind farm, with more than half of the wind turbines now in place at the UK construction site.
These three paragraphs add more details.
All 150 recyclable blades are now installed, with each turbine utilising 50 sets of three blades, marking the UK’s first large-scale use of this technology at an offshore wind farm, RWE, the developer, said.
The recyclable rotor blades used at Sofia are manufactured by Siemens Gamesa at its Hull factory and use a unique resin that enables easy separation of component materials at the end of each blade’s operational life cycle.
In addition, 62 out of 100 Siemens Gamesa 14 MW turbines have now been installed at the site located 195 kilometres off the UK’s east coast. Each turbine features 108-metre blades and a 222-metre rotor diameter. Cadeler is responsible for the installation of the wind turbines.
Note.
- The Sofia wind farm has a hundred turbines, each with the customary three blades.
- Currently the 13 MW Siemens Gamesa turbines in Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B are the largest turbines in British waters.
- Sofia’s at 14 MW will be larger.
- But 15 MW monsters are on their way, with RWE’s Norfolk zone appearing to favour 15 MW Vesta turbines.
At the present time, turbine size seems to be creeping up. I would expect this to happen, as turbines become more affordable.
Danish CIP To Pour USD 3 Billion Into Philippines’ Offshore Wind Push
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Denmark’s Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) will commit USD 3 billion (approximately EUR 2.6 billion) to build its first offshore wind farm in the Philippines.
This opening paragraph gives a few more details.
In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said that the company is committed to investing in the Philippines through its partner, ACEN – Renewable Energy Solutions.
It does seem that the Philippines are putting out the red carpet for Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and no wonder if you look at the first paragraph of the Danish firm’s Wikipedia entry.
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners P/S (“CIP”) is a Danish investment firm specializing in infrastructure investments, particularly wind power.[1][2] CIP is one of the world’s largest dedicated renewables investment firms with €32 billion raised and a project pipeline of 120 GW.
But, are these two articles on offshoreWind.biz hinting at delay in the approval of UK projects?
- UK Delays Permit Decision for CIP’s Morecambe Offshore Wind Farm
- Permit Decision Delayed for 1.5 GW UK Offshore Wind Farm
Although the second project, which is the Outer Dowsing Wind Farm, is not a Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners project delaying decisions surely doesn’t give confidence to investors.
So have Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners decided to test the new virgin waters of the Philippines?
Iberdrola Looking To Sell 49 Pct Stake In UK Offshore Wind Farm – Report
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Iberdrola has begun exploring the sale of 49 per cent of its East Anglia Two offshore wind farm project in the UK, according to a report by the Spanish media outlet Cinco Días citing unnamed sources.
These four paragraphs give more details.
The renewable energy developer has already engaged Bank of America and BBVA as financial advisors to assist with the potential transaction, Cinco Días writes.
Iberdrola’s interest in selling a nearly half stake in East Anglia Two mirrors previous deals in the East Anglia portfolio, where the company has brought in financial partners in two other phases, East Anglia One and East Anglia Three.
The 714 MW East Anglia One offshore wind farm is owned by Iberdrola’s UK arm ScottishPower Renewables and Macquarie’s Green Investment Group (GIG), with Octopus Energy having acquired a 10 per cent stake from GIG this April. East Agnlia One has been in operation since 2021.
In July this year, Iberdrola and UAE clean energy company Masdar announced what the companies said was the largest offshore wind transaction of the decade as they signed an agreement to co-invest in the 1.4 GW East Anglia Three project, currently under construction.
But then being bought and sold is the way of life for an offshore wind farm.
In 2018, I wrote World’s Largest Wind Farm Attracts Huge Backing From Insurance Giant, which contains this extract from the Times says this about the funding of wind farms.
Wind farms throw off “long-term boring, stable cashflows”, Mr. Murphy said, which was perfect to match Aviva policyholders and annuitants, the ultimate backers of the project. Aviva has bought fixed-rate and inflation-linked bonds, issued by the project. While the coupon paid on the 15-year bonds, has not been disclosed, similar risk projects typically pay an interest rate of about 3 per cent pm their bonds. Projects typically are structured at about 30 per cent equity and 70 per cent debt.
Darryl Murphy is Aviva’s head of infrastructure debt. The article also says, that Aviva will have a billion pounds invested in wind farms by the end of the year.
I wonder how long it will be before individual investors can fund their pensions, with a direct investment in a wind farm?
- The wind farm would surely be a better investment if it had an integrated battery to supply power, when the wind didn’t blow.
- It would probably also be a safer investment, if it had been generating electricity for some years.
After all, at the present time, you can invest in batteries through companies like Gresham House and Gore Street.
UK Offshore Wind Farm Now Equipped With Scour Protection Doubling As Marine Life Habitat
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
RWE has installed around 75,000 reef cubes developed by the nature-inclusive technology designer ARC marine at the Rampion offshore wind farm in the UK, in what the Rampion owner says is a “global first”. The cubes are a specially eco-engineered scour protection solution for wind turbine foundations, and this represents their first full-scale deployment at an offshore wind farm.
These four paragraphs add more details.
The solution is designed to protect the energy infrastructure from strong currents in the subsea environment, while creating new and extending existing living marine habitats, RWE says.
The reef cubes, ranging in size from 15 to 35 centimetres, were installed over the last few days at the base of one of the Rampion turbines by the project’s contractor Rohde Nielsen. It is the first real-world deployment of ARC marine’s patented Reef cubes as scour protection at an operational wind farm, according to RWE.
The developer says that at just one of the Rampion turbines, the reef cubes are providing a habitat surface area of 25,000 square metres.
The deployment is part of the Reef Enhancement for Scour Protection (RESP) pilot that RWE and ARC marine announced in July this year.
ARC marine’s reef cubes have their own comprehensive web site, which show all aspects of this fascinating technology.
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 Raises EUR 7.98 Billion In Oversubscribed Rights Issue
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Ørsted has completed its rights issue, raising DKK 59.56 billion (approximately EUR 7.98 billion) with a subscription rate of approximately 99.3 per cent, the company said on 6 October.
These two introductory paragraphs add more details.
Existing shareholders were offered new shares at DKK 66.60 (EUR 8.92) each. The demand for shares not taken up via the rights issue was “extraordinarily high,” according to the developer’s announcement of the Rights Issue results, and allocations were capped per application, meaning no subscriptions were required under the underwriting bank syndicate.
As reported in August, the company appointed a syndicate of BNP PARIBAS, Danske Bank A/S and J.P. Morgan SE as Joint Global Coordinators, next to Morgan Stanley & Co International, to jointly underwrite the rights issue for the approximately 49.9 per cent that would not be subscribed to by Ørsted’s majority shareholder, the Danish state (50.1 per cent).
I dread to think what spiteful punishment that Trumpkopf will inflict on Ørsted.
But the oversubscribed Rights Issue may be good news for the UK.
Ørsted has only one major project under development or construction in the UK.
But it is the large Hornsea Three wind farm, which has this opening paragraph on its web site.
Hornsea 3 Offshore Wind Farm will deliver enough green energy to power more than 3 million UK homes. An £8.5 billion infrastructure project, Hornsea 3 will make a significant contribution toward UK energy security, as well as the local and national economy.
Note.
- Ørsted are raising £7.98 billion and spending £8.5 billion, which must do something for the UK’s economy.
- Hornsea 3 will have a generating capacity of 2.9 GW.
- Ørsted are now delivering the world’s single largest offshore wind farm.
- Hornsea 3 will connect to the National Grid at Swardestone in Norfolk.
In Grid Powers Up With One Of Europe’s Biggest Battery Storage Sites, I describe how the 300 MW/600 MWh Swardestone BESS will be built, where Hornsea 3 connects to the grid.
As Swardestone will have 2.9 GW from Hornsea 3 and a powerful battery, I would expect someone will be looking to site a data centre or something with a need for a lot of stable electricity at or near Swardestone.
In Opportunity For Communities To Have Their Say On National Grid Proposals For Norwich To Tilbury Project, I talk about a line of pylons between Swardestone and Tilbury and show this map of the route.
This page on the National Grid web site has an interactive version of this map.
Note.
- The mauve line indicates the route of the Norwich to Tilbury project.
- Swardestone is at the Northern end of the project a few miles South of Norwich.
- Tilbury is at the Southern end of the project on the Thames estuary.
- The project connects Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester and Chelmsford to Hornsea 3 at Swardestone.
- I suspect the project will connect to Ipswich at the Bramford substation.
- The Sizewell nuclear site is to the North-East of Woodbridge and connects to the grid at the Bramford substation.
I know East Anglia well and I would suspect that Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester, Chelmsford and Southend-on-Sea could support one or more data centres.
Conclusion
I asked Google AI, who owns Hornsea 1 and received this reply.
Hornsea 1 is owned by a partnership including Ørsted, Equitix, TRIG, GLIL, Octopus, and Brookfield, with Ørsted also providing the operational management. A 2018 agreement between Ørsted and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) originally established the 50/50 joint venture for the project.
I then asked Google AI, who owns Hornsea 2 and received this reply.
The ownership of the Hornsea 2 wind farm is shared between several entities, including a 37.55% stake held by Ørsted, a 25% stake each by AXA IM Alts and Crédit Agricole Assurances, and a 12.45% stake held by Brookfield. The wind farm is located offshore in the UK’s North Sea, approximately 89 km off the Yorkshire coast.
In November 2019, I also wrote World’s Largest Wind Farm Attracts Huge Backing From Insurance Giant.
It does seem to me that Ørsted are past masters of developing a wind farm, then selling it on and using that money to develop the next wind farm.
The Rights Issue just makes that process easier.
America’s Looming Electricity Crisis Is Trump’s Achilles’ Heel
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in the Telegraph.
This is the sub-heading.
Culture war banter and point-scoring have left Maga facing a self-inflicted energy shortage
These are the first three paragraphs.
The US is in danger of losing the global AI race for the most banal and careless of reasons: it is critically short of electricity.
The country is sitting on a neglected pre-modern grid that cannot meet surging power demand for data centres, cryptocurrencies, the reshoring of semiconductor plants and the proclaimed revival of the American industrial base.
Nor can it meet the needs for air conditioning through hotter and more humid summers. While we all talk about AI, the chief cause of rising electricity use last year was for cooling. Bitcoin mining took another 2pc of US power, for no productive purpose.
It looks like we can add simple arithmetic to the skills the Trump Administration lacks.
The Telegraph article and myself have some other thoughts.
The Planned Increase In Electricity Is A Fifth Of What’s Needed
This is a paragraph from the Telegraph.
The US Energy Department said in its Resource Adequacy Report in July that the planned increase in firm electricity supply is a fifth of what is needed by 2030.
In Renewable Power By 2030 In The UK, I stated that by 2030, the UK would add nearly 59 GW of offshore wind.
Surely, using the population size difference of four times, 240 GW of offshore wind, would do the USA nicely?
But, Trump doesn’t like wind turbines.
Texas Has A Shortage Of Electricity
These are two paragraphs from the Telegraph.
The Texas grid operator Ercot expects peak power demand in its region to soar from 87 gigawatts (GW) this year to 138 GW by 2030. This is physically impossible.
Texas passed a law in June giving the state emergency authority to cut off power to data centres. Ercot is already having to deploy “mobile generation plants” at exorbitant cost to avert blackouts even today.
It sounds pretty desperate.
Texas needs another 51 GW by 2030, which is less than we intend to delivery from just offshore wind.
If Little Great Britain can do it, then surely Texas can? After all, Texas is three almost times larger than the UK.
I get the idea, that someone isn’t doing any planning.
The United States Needs A Lot Of Transformers
These are three paragraphs from the Telegraph.
The National Infrastructure Advisory Council (Niac) says the average age of America’s 60 million large power transformers is 38 years. Many are beyond their design life.
The US supply chain is not capable of delivering the 12 million new transformers needed each year to keep the show on the road. The backlog has risen to four years. The cost of transformers has jumped 80pc since the pandemic.
There is an acute shortage of electrical steel needed to make them. This comes mostly from China, Japan, Korea or Germany. In his infinite wisdom, Trump has imposed 50pc tariffs on steel, aluminium and copper. That cost shock has yet to feed through.
The Niac says it is a similar tale for “other critical grid components such as conduit, smart meters, switchgear and high-voltage circuit breakers”.
It looks like, there’s another fine mess, you’ve got us in, Donny!
Maga Wants More Coal
These are three paragraphs from the Telegraph.
The quickest way to generate more power is to roll out wind and solar. Trump is actively intervening to obstruct this. Maga wants coal instead.
This week the administration announced $625m of taxpayer subsidy to “expand and reinvigorate” the coal industry. It will open new federal lands, slash the royalty fees for extracting coal, and lift curbs on mercury pollution.
“In addition to drill, baby drill, we need to mine, baby, mine,” said Doug Burgum, the interior secretary.
When it should be spin, baby, spin.
Conclusion
Read the article in full.
We certainly, don’t want anybody, with an energy policy like Trump, influencing the UK’s energy policy.
If Trump carries on like this, he’ll end up in a terrible mess.
MoU Signed To Develop Scottish Highlands As Offshore Wind And Renewables Hub
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport (ICFGF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UK and Scottish governments and The Highland Council, creating a formal framework for cooperation in developing the Highlands as a major international hub for the offshore wind and renewable energy sector
This is the first paragraph.
The agreement is said to unlock GBP 25 million (approximately EUR 29 million) in funding from the UK government, which ICFGF plans to use to support the delivery of significant infrastructure projects and its partner ports.
These are some points from the rest of the article.
- Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport aims to bring up to 11,300 jobs to the Highlands.
- Significant investments we’ve already include the Sumitomo subsea cable plant at Nigg and the Haventus energy transition facility at Ardersier.
- Over the next 25 years, ICFGF is expected to attract over GBP 6.5 billion of investment.
- The Green Freeport includes three tax sites: Cromarty Firth, which includes Port of Nigg, Port of Cromarty Firth, and Highland Deephaven.
- Ardersier Energy Transition Facility has secured a GBP 100 million joint credit facility to create nationally significant infrastructure for industrial-scale deployment of fixed and floating offshore wind.
- It has placed contracts with more than 110 local firms as part of the development.
These investments will setup the long-term future of Inverness and the Highlands of Scotland.
The Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport (ICFGF) has this web site, with these messages on the home page.
Europe’s strategic hub for renewable energy
Transforming the Highland economy and delivering national energy security
Conclusion
This area will become one of the most vibrant places in Europe.
The Anonymous Widower 