South Korea, UK Strengthen Offshore Wind Ties
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The Republic of Korea (ROK) and the UK have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) concerning cooperation on offshore wind energy
These three paragraphs outline the MoU.
The UK and ROK already have a proven relationship in offshore wind, with large-scale investments in the UK’s supply chain and in the development of ROK’s offshore wind sector.
This MoU emphasises the will to build on this existing cooperation to accelerate deployment, address barriers to trade, and encourage mutual economic development through regular government-to-government dialogue and business-to-business cooperation, according to the partners.
The participants will support the UK and ROK’s offshore wind deployment by sharing experience and expertise from their respective sectors.
These are my thoughts.
The British And The Koreans Have A Long Record Of Industrial Co-operation
My own experience of this, goes back to the last century, where one of the biggest export markets for Artemis; the project management system, that I wrote was South Korea.
We had started with Hyundai in Saudi Arabia, where the Korean company was providing labour for large projects.
I can remember modifying Artemis, so that it handled the Korean won, which in those days, came with lots of noughts.
The Korean, who managed their Saudi projects returned home and luckily for us, wanted a system in Korea.
Paul, who was our salesman for Korea, used to tell a story about selling in Korea.
Our Korean friend from Hyundai had setup a demonstration of Artemis with all the major corporations or chaebols in Korea.
Paul finished the demonstration and then asked if there were any questions.
There was only one question and it was translated as “Can we see the contract?”
So Paul handed out perhaps a dozen contracts.
Immediately, after a quick read, the attendees at the meeting, started to sign the contracts and give them back.
Paul asked our friendly Korean, what was going on and got the reply. “If it’s good enough for Hyundai, it’s good enough for my company!”
The King Played His Part
King Charles, London and the UK government certainly laid on a first class state visit and by his references in his speech the King certainly said the right things.
I always wonder, how much the Royal Family is worth to business deals, but I suspect in some countries it helps a lot.
With Artemis, we won two Queen’s Awards for Industry. Every year the monarch puts on a reception to which each company or organisation can send three representatives. I recounted my visit in The Day I Met the Queen.
For the second award, I suggested that we send Pat, who was the highest American, in the company.
Later in his career with the company, when he was running our US operations, Pat. found talking about the time, he met the Queen and Prince Philip, very good for doing business.
I wonder how many business and cooperation deals between the UK and Korea, will be revealed in the coming months.
This Deal Is Not Just About The UK And Korea
This paragraph widens out the deal.
In addition, participants accept to promote business activities and facilitate opportunities for UK and ROK companies to collaborate in ROK and the UK, as well as joint offshore wind projects in third countries, according to the press release from the UK Government.
An approach to some countries without the usual bullies of this world may offer advantages.
Has One Secondary Deal Already Been Signed?
This paragraph talks about a recent deal between BP, Dutch company; Corio and the South Koreans.
The news follows the recent announcement from South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy that two UK companies, Corio Generation and BP, submitted investment plans for offshore wind projects in South Korea totalling about EUR 1.06 billion.
This deal was apparently signed during the state visit.
There’s A Lot Of Wind Power To Be Harvested
These last two paragraphs summarise the wind potentials of the UK and Korea.
The UK has the world’s second-largest installed offshore wind capacity, with a government target to more than triple this capacity by 2030 to 50 GW, including 5 GW of floating offshore wind.
Back in 2018, the South Korean Government set a 2030 offshore wind target of 12 GW in its Renewable Energy 3020 Implementation Plan, which was reaffirmed by the now-former South Korea’s president Moon Jae-in in 2020. Since 2022, it has been reported that the country has a target of reaching 14.3 GW of offshore wind power by 2030.
Note that the UK’s population is almost exactly 30 % bigger than Korea’s.
So why will the UK by 2030, be generating three-and-half times the offshore wind power, than Korea?
Twenty days ago, I wrote UK And Germany Boost Offshore Renewables Ties, where I believe the sub-plot is about long-term power and energy security for the UK and Germany.
Long term, the numbers tell me, that UK and Irish seas will be Europe’s major powerhouse.
Australia’s Offshore Wind Market Could Significantly Benefit from Collaboration with UK Suppliers, Study Says
The title of this section, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
A new study has been launched that highlights significant opportunities for the UK to share its wind farm expertise with Australia’s emerging offshore wind market
These three paragraphs outline the study.
The Australian Offshore Wind Market Study, conducted by Arup, evaluates potential Australian offshore wind markets and analyses the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for UK support.
Key findings indicate that the Australian offshore wind market could “substantially” benefit from collaboration with the UK suppliers, given the UK’s 23 years of experience and its status as the second largest offshore wind market globally, boasting 13.9 GW of installed capacity as of 2023, according to the UK Government.
Currently, Australia has over 40 offshore wind projects proposed for development.
I believe that the Australians could be a partner in the deal between the UK and Korea, as all three countries have similar objectives.
Conclusion
The Korean and German deals. and a possible Australian deal should be considered together.
Each country have their strengths and together with a few friends, they can help change the world’s power generation for the better.
- Just as the UK can be Europe’s powerhouse, Australia can do a similar job for South-East Asia.
- Any country with lots of energy can supply the green steel needed for wind turbine floats and foundations.
I would have felt the Dutch would have been next to join, as their electricity network is solidly connected to the UK and Germany. But after this week’s Dutch election, who knows what the Dutch will do?
Google Does A Tasteful Search Page
This was the heading on Google’s Search Page today.
If you moved the mouse over it, it just said “Queen Elizabeth II 1926-2022”
Nothing more was needed.
Battersea Power Station To London Bridge – 18th September 2022
I took a Thames Clipper from Battersea Power Station to London Bridge.
Note.
- The South Bank is generally to the left in the pictures.
- I took a Northern Line train to Battersea Power Station pier.
- As I finished at London Bridge pier, it was convenient for the Northern Line.
- I took these pictures from the back of the boat in the open as the windows were so dirty.
- In some pictures you can see the power of the boat, as it pulls away from the stops.
- The boat passed three of the super sewer sites.
- There were large numbers on the South Bank queuing to pay their respect to The Queen.
The fare was £7.70 on my Oyster card and the journey took under forty minutes.
London Bridge Station – 16th September 2022
I went to London Bridge station, to see how the queue was going.
At the time, it was reaching all the way to Southwark Park and it was taking about 15 hours to go through.
When I went through overnight on Wednesday night it took me about eight hours.
Bermondsey To London Bridge – 17th September 2022
I took these pictures as I travelled from Bermondsey To London Bridge on the lower deck of a 381 bus.
Note.
- It was busy in Bermondsey station.
- Dome of the bus information was poor.
- The queue for the lying-in state was going slowly.
It looks like the lying-in state may be called off. I’m not surprised.
Marble Arch To Lambeth Palace – 16th September 2022
I took these pictures as I travelled from Marble Arch to Lambeth Palace on the top deck of a 148 bus.
Note.
- This sequence starts at the London Hilton Park Lane Hotel, just to the North of Marble Arch.
- Constitution Hill was busy with visitors to Buckingham Palace
- The route goes past the long wall, that encircles the palace.
- The route meanders its way through Victoria to approach the river along Horseferry Road.
- The sequence ends after the bus has crossed Lambeth Bridge by Lambeth Palace.
To take these pictures, I had boarded the 148 bus at Lancaster Gate station and I got off at Lambeth North station.
Paying My Respect To The Queen
Last night, I paid my respect to Queen Elizabeth.
At around 23:15, I took a 141 bus from near my house and walked to the end of the queue near Southwark Cathedral.
It was a two-and-a-half mile walk, but I managed it reasonably well.
But I did have problems, as it was a bit dark.
- I did have a problem with my boot laces, which I had difficulty tying up again.
- I did trip a couple of times, but didn’t really hurt myself.
- It didn’t help, that some of the pavements on the South Bank aren’t the best.
When I arrived into Victoria Gardens, prior to entry into Westminster Hall, the queue was meandered about twenty times for control purposes.
- It was on a heavily-textured rubber matting and some of the turns played havoc with my feet.
- I now have a large blister on the bottom of my right foot.
- After I left the lying-in state, I was asked by a Red Cross lady about my visit and she said others had suffered how I did.
I would suggest that if you go to the lying-in state, you choose your footwear with care.
I’ve been to Westminster Hall before and I wrote about it, in To a Reception at the House of Lords, which includes this picture.
The hall did the Queen proud today.
If you get a chance to attend, do it! But be careful about your footwear!
Also note, that from the time I joined the queue until the time I left Westminster Hall was over eight hours.
The Queen Was Well-Briefed
Lord Lloyd-Webber has just said this on the BBC. But he has not been the first, in the last few days.
Some years ago, I had lunch with a Hewlett-Packard engineer, who had done some work in Buckingham Palace.
It was probably in the mid-1980s, as the lunch was just after the Queen and Prince Philip had visited San Francisco in 1983, which is reported in this article on NBC.
He told a fascinating tale about how the Queen was well-briefed.
In those days, there was a detailed card index of everybody she had ever met.
So say, she was going to meet the Mayor of Norwich, her staff might brief her with the knowledge that they had met in 1975, when his father had been the Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk.
The purpose, was so that the Queen could start a conversation, with an appropriate topic.
Will The Queen Enable One Last Important Result?
Would it be too much to hope, that the world leaders coming to the Queen’s funeral, might find that swapping their uplifting memories creates goodwill that helps to solve at least one of the pressing problems of the world?
The Anonymous Widower 