The Anonymous Widower

Murphy Starts Work On £2.5bn Eastern Green Link 1

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

This is the sub-heading.

Murphy has started work on its first package on the vast £2.5bn Eastern Green Link 1

These two paragraphs add more detail.

The joint venture between SP Energy Networks and National Grid Electricity Transmission will see the installation of a 196km, high voltage, subsea electricity cable between Torness in East Lothian, Scotland, and Hawthorn Pit in County Durham.

Murphy is one of the main works contractors alongside Metlen, GE Vernova and Prysmian.

Murphy’s task seems to be to design and build the new substation, integrate it with the existing one and connect it all to Eastern Green Link 1 and other assets. Work is expected to complete in March 2028.

Google AI predicts that Eastern Green Link 1 will be commissioned by 2029, so it should be up and running before the expected election helping to balance and stabilise Scottish and English wind power at a rate of up to 2 GW day and night.

June 5, 2026 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Future Of Drax Power Station

This first paragraph from the Wikipedia entry for Drax power station gives a factual  description of the power station.

Drax power station is a large biomass power station in Drax, North Yorkshire, England. It has a 2.6 GW capacity for biomass and had a 1.29 GW capacity for coal that was retired in 2021. Its name comes from the nearby village of Drax. It is situated on the River Ouse between Selby and Goole. Its generating capacity of 3,906 megawatts (MW), which includes the shut down coal units, is the highest of any power station in the United Kingdom, providing about 6% of the United Kingdom’s electricity supply.

This second extract from Wikipedia gives details of its current biomass contract and subsidy.

Drax’s subsidy scheme was scheduled to end in 2027, with Drax arguing for an extension to 2030. In February 2025, the UK government extended its operation from 2027 to 2031, but at a reduced 27% maximum load factor using 100% sustainable wood, so it would run “less than half as often as it currently does”, generally only at times of high electricity demand. Drax was given a contract for difference at £113/MWh in 2012 pounds, CPI inflation linked so about £155/MWh in 2025.

Note.

  1. Rishi Sunak’s Government extended the contract.
  2. It will now run on 100% sustainable wood, which includes sources like sawmill residues, forest thinnings and certain agricultural products.
  3. It has a similar type of contract to wind farms and energy storage.

I asked Google AI,”Does Drax Power Station Provide Grid Stability?, and received this answer.

Yes, Drax Power Station—along with its affiliated hydro assets—provides critical grid stability to the UK. As the UK’s power grid shifts toward intermittent renewables like wind and solar, Drax’s dispatchable generation and specialized system support services help maintain a secure electricity network.

The key stability services provided by the Drax portfolio include:

Inertia: Drax’s large spinning turbines and pumped hydro facilities provide vital inertia to the grid. This acts like a shock absorber, helping to control changes in frequency (maintaining 50Hz) and preventing power cuts.

Reactive Power: The facilities help manage voltage support and move power efficiently across different parts of the network.

Dispatchable Power: Unlike weather-dependent generation, Drax’s biomass and hydro plants can be ramped up or down on demand, providing firm capacity and flexible response to real-time grid needs.

Pumped Storage Support: Through its subsidiary Cruachan Power Station in Scotland, Drax operates a pumped hydro storage plant that actively balances supply and demand and holds specialized stability contracts with the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO).

So if you love or loathe the power station, it does a lot more than burn biomass to generate electricity.

Drax Power Station And Eastern Green Link Two

The Eastern Green Link Two web site is here.

This is the sub-heading

Eastern Green Link 2 (known as EGL2) is one of the most significant strategic energy infrastructure developments the UK has seen in recent years, connecting the north of Scotland to Yorkshire via the sea.

These two initial paragraphs gives more details.

EGL2 is a 505km electricity superhighway which will enable the transfer of power from Scotland to England (and vice versa) via a subsea cable. This two-gigawatt high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable is connecting Peterhead in Aberdeenshire and Drax in North Yorkshire and once operational, will carry enough electricity to power two million homes.

EGL2 will scale up the UK’s capacity to transport home-produced clean energy, predominantly from offshore wind, from where it is generated to where there is demand. By doing so it will increase the security, resilience, and stability of the UK’s transmission network.

EGL2 is the second of a planned seven interconnectors between Scotland and the South.

The first was the Western HVDC Link between Hunterston in Scotland and Flintshire Bridge in Wales, which became operational in 2013.

EGL2 will go between Peterhead in Scotland and Drax power station.

So electricity from Scotland will be able to replace up to two GW of the biomass, that Drax power station currently uses as fuel.

Drax And Solar Power

This Google Map shows Drax power station.

If Drax wanted to add solar power to the site, I’m sure it would be possible.

  • There is plenty of space.
  • There is a substantial connection to the electricity grid.

After the purchase of Bluefield Solar Income Fund, Drax probably are well-placed to develop as much solar-power as they need.

 

 

 

 

 

June 3, 2026 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Energy Storage | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Does Scotland Have A Plan To Build A Railway With Invisible Electrification?

There is an article in Rail Technology Magazine, which is entitled £20m Upgrade Secures Future Of Scotland’s First Electrified Railway.

This is the sub-heading.

A £20 million investment is underway to renew overhead power infrastructure on Scotland’s original electrified railway, safeguarding one of the country’s most operationally critical commuter networks for decades to come.

These two paragraphs give more details.

The programme focuses on key sections of the North Clyde lines, which operate from Helensburgh, Balloch and Milngavie through Glasgow’s west end and low‑level stations. As the busiest suburban railway outside London, the corridor plays a pivotal role in keeping Scotland’s wider rail network moving.

First electrified in 1960, the North Clyde routes marked the beginning of modern rail travel in Scotland. More than six decades on, that early investment continues to influence today’s network, underpinning electric services on routes including East Kilbride and Barrhead, with further electrification projects progressing across Fife and the Scottish Borders.

Surely at over 65-years-old, the electrification needs pensioning off and replacing with the best that the mid-2020s can provide.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the 1960s electrification.

Note.

  1. The red tracks are electrified with 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
  2. The black tracks are not electrified.
  3. Helensburgh Central station is in the North-West corner of the map and marked with a blue arrow.
  4. The City of Glasgow is in the South-East corner of the map.
  5. The branch going North in the middle of the map terminated at Balloch station.
  6. Milngavie station is the terminus of the branch going North from the Glasgow area.
  7. The circular pink track is the Glasgow Underground.

I wonder if this is the start of a cunning Scottish electrification extension , that has been designed by Baldrick’s Scottish cousin?

Onward From Helensburgh

This OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks North of Helensburgh.

Note.

  1. The red tracks are electrified with 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
  2. The black tracks are not electrified.
  3. Helensburgh Upper station is in the South-East corner of the map and marked with a blue arrow.
  4. The two electrified lines from Glasgow to Helensburgh Central and Balloch stations are just visible in red.
  5. Oban station is at the Western end of the first branch line going North.
  6. Mallaig station is at the Western end of the first branch line going North.
  7. Helensburgh Upper and Oban stations are 76.1 miles apart.
  8. Mallaig station is at the Western end of the second branch line going North.
  9. Helensburgh Upper and Mallaig stations are 137.5 miles apart.
  10. The Mallaig branch also goes through Fort William station.
  11. Helensburgh Upper and Fort William stations are 97.4 miles apart.
  12. There is a Caledonian Sleeper that runs both ways between Helensburgh Upper and Fort William stations, which is hauled by a Class 66 diesel locomotive.
  13. There also appear to be paths for MOD trains hauled by GB RailFreight.

I feel that at some point in the next ten years, battery-electric trains or hydrogen locomotives, will be taking passengers and/or cargo to Cruachan, Fort William, Mallaig and Oban.

  • Battery-electric trains and battery locomotives  will charge their batteries between Helensburgh Upper and Glasgow at the Southern end of the route.
  • Battery-electric trains and battery locomotives  will charge their batteries at terminal stations at the Northern end of the route, using offshore wind power.
  • Hydrogen trains and locomotives would probably fill up in the Glasgow area.

It could be a zero-carbon line. What would be the effect of a zero-carbon line on tourism?

Could Class 99 Locomotives Be Used On The Caledonian Sleeper?

Ever since the Class 99 locomotive was announced, there has been speculation, that these powerful bi-mode locomotives could handle the routes without an engine change.

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

Yes, Class 99 locomotives could eventually be used on the Caledonian Sleeper, as the bi-mode locomotives were designed with potential passenger use in mind. However, the standard Class 99 models cannot currently pull the sleeper trains off-the-shelf and would require specific modifications to do so.

The main factors influencing their deployment on the route include:

Equipment Needs: To haul sleeper carriages, the locomotives must be fitted with Electric Train Supply (ETS/ETH) to power lighting, heating, and air conditioning, as well as specific Dellner couplers to mate with the modern Mk5 carriages.

Sub-Class Fleet Order: While GB Railfreight (GBRf) ordered 30 Class 99s, the standard versions have a top speed of 75 mph (intended strictly for freight).

A specific sub-class (the 99/4) has been proposed to include passenger-standard acceleration, higher speeds of 100 mph to fit into existing timetable paths, and the required ETS equipment.

Bi-Mode Flexibility: Because they operate as bi-mode (using 25kV overhead electric wires and an onboard diesel engine), Class 99s could potentially run the entire route—from London to the Scottish Highlands—without requiring a locomotive change at electrified/non-electrified boundaries.

In Cummins Fuel-Agnostic X Series Platform, there is a Cummins video, which explains their philosophy of building engines that can run on diesel, hydrogen or natural gas.

With those engines, Class 99 locomotives could take the Caledonian Sleeper, or any other luxury or heavy freight train for that matter, anywhere.

 

 

May 29, 2026 Posted by | Transport/Travel, Hydrogen | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Does The UK Need More Passenger Train Capacity Between London And Scotland?

I went from London Euston to Wigan North Western and Blackpool North stations on Wednesday.

Just after the Bank Holiday, the train to the North, which was going to Glasgow Central,  seemed fairly busy, but I suspect that a few more souls could have been squeezed in.

Coming South in the early evening, there was a lot more space, but those that had gone to Scotland for the Bank Holiday weekend had probably returned.

At the moment, I am getting a lot of adverts like this, when I read The Times on-line.

It looks to me, that Avanti West Coast, are ecouraging travellers to use trains to travel to and from Glasgow.

How Many Anglo-Scottish Trains Are There?

  • Avanti West Coast – 6 tpd – London Euston to Edinburgh Waverley via Birmingham New Street
  • Avanti West Coast – 6 tpd – London Euston to Glasgow Central via Birmingham New Street
  • Avanti West Coast – 1 tph  – London Euston to Glasgow Central via Trent Valley
  • CrossCountry – 1 tph – Plymouth to Edinburgh Waverley
  • LNER – 2 tph – London King’s Cross to Edinburgh Waverley
  • Lumo – 6 tpd – London King’s Cross to Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street
  • Lumo – 4 tpd – London Euston to Stirling
  • TransPennine Express – 1 tp2h – Manchester Airport to Glasgow Central
  • TransPennine Express – 1 tp2h – Manchester Airport to Edinburgh Waverley
  • TransPennine Express – 4 tpd – Liverpool Lime Street to Glasgow Central

Note.

  1. tpd is trains per day.
  2. tph is trains per hour.
  3. tp2h is trains per two hours.
  4. The two Avanti West Coast services via Birmingham New Street alternate.
  5. The Avanti West Coast London Euston to Glasgow Central via Trent Valley service runs 15 tpd.
  6. The two TransPennine Express services from Manchester Airport to Scotland alternate.

My initial estimate is that there are 5 x 15 tph +16 tpd or 91 tpd.

How Many Anglo-Scottish Trains Are There On HS2?

In the original design for HS2, this was the service pattern.

Note.

  1. Train 10 runs hourly between London and Scotland via Old Oak Common and Preston and splits at Carlisle with one train serving Edinburgh Waverley and the other Glasgow Central.
  2. Train 11 runs hourly between London and Scotland via Old Oak Common, Birmingham Interchange and Preston and splits at Carlisle with one train serving Edinburgh Waverley and the other Glasgow Central.
  3. Train 12 runs hourly between Birmingham Curzon Street and Scotland and serves Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central alternatively.

It looks like HS2 contributes 5 tph between England and Scotland or 75 tpd.

But as HS2 is currently configured, these Anglo-Scottish trains will still run.

  • CrossCountry – 1 tph – Plymouth to Edinburgh Waverley
  • LNER – 2 tph – London King’s Cross to Edinburgh Waverley
  • Lumo – 6 tpd – London King’s Cross to Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street
  • Lumo – 4 tpd – London Euston to Stirling
  • TransPennine Express – 1 tp2h – Manchester Airport to Glasgow Central
  • TransPennine Express – 1 tp2h – Manchester Airport to Edinburgh Waverley
  • TransPennine Express – 4 tpd – Liverpool Lime Street to Glasgow Central

If these trains continue to run my estimate is that there will be 4 x 15 tph +14 tpd or 74 tpd by classic routes.

This will mean 149 Anglo-Scottish tpd in total.

How Do You Get Between Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and Hull, and Scotland?

If you look at the diagram, which shows the service pattern for HS2, note the following.

  • HS2 does not provide a service between Leeds, York, Durham, Darlington and Newcastle, and Scotland.
  • HS2 doesn’t connect to Bradford.
  • HS2 doesn’t go past Leeds, but the current LNER services also serve Bradford Forster Square, Harrogate, Shipley and Skipton stations.

There is also no direct trains from the Leeds/Bradford area to Glasgow.

But Consider.

  • The Settle and Carlisle Line runs between Skipton and Carlisle and used to host the Thames-Clyde Expresses that were run by the London Midland & Scottish Railway.
  • The Wikipedia entry for the Thames-Clyde Express is an interesting read.
  • Bradford Forster Square station was recently extended with two platforms , that can handle 10-car trains.
  • Bradford Forster Square station has seven trains per day from London via Leeds.
  • With a reverse at Bradford Forster Square station trains can call at Leeds, Bradford Forster Square and Skipton stations before taking the Settle and Carlisle Line to Carlisle.
  • The Thames-Clyde Express used to take the Glasgow South Western Line to Glasgow Central calling at Dumfries and Kilmarnock.
  • LNER’s Class 897 tri-mode trains will probably be able to handle the Settle and Carlisle and the Glasgow South Western Line, without using the diesel engines.
  • East Midlands Railway’s Class 810 trains, when fitted with batteries, should probably be able to do the same.

There are a lot of possibilities of how the Settle and Carlisle Line can be used to increase zero-carbon connectivity between Glasgow and London.

The route wouldn’t be the fastest route, but it could be one of the most scenic.

 

May 9, 2026 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Lumo Targets Drivers With ‘Pump-Primed’ Campaign Showing How To Travel To London For Less

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Business Daily.

These three paragraphs outline the story.

Motorists driving to London are being shown how taking the train could save up to half the cost of their journey – as they fill-up at the fuel pumps.

Lumo has launched digital screens at a filling station to display real-time travel information and ticket prices.

Lumo believes the bold new trial, a first-of-its-kind partnership with the Smart Outdoor digital advertising firm, will give motorists a timely reminder of a greener and often more affordable alternative to driving between Scotland and England.

Note.

  1. Displaying real-time travel information is done regularly all over the transport network, for buses and trains.
  2. Adding ticket prices would not be difficult.
  3. All filling stations must have good enough broadband.
  4. I suspect, it could work best, where the train operator sells good value walk-up tickets. This is done at LNER stations on the East Coast Main Line and in An Affordable Trip To Doncaster, I told how I went to Doncaster for the day for £46.45 with a Senior Railcard, buying the tickets on a walk-up basis.

But who knows, where this technology will lead?

As a non-driver, if anybody sees the system in action, I’d love a comment and a photo.

A Ticket Buying App

I also think, I could specify a ticket buying app for trips someone needs to make.

The app would keep a list of train journeys you want to make.

Every day, it would look up the best prices available and if you wanted to go somewhere, you could buy a ticket.

April 24, 2026 Posted by | Computing, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , | 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

Vestas Unveils Plans For V236-15.0 MW Nacelle Factory In Scotland

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

This is the sub-heading.

Vestas plans to build a nacelle and hub assembly facility in Scotland to support offshore wind projects in the UK and across Europe.

These four paragraphs give what looks to be a full outline of a more or less comprehensive plan.

The proposed factory would require a capital investment of more than EUR 250 million and is planned to manufacture nacelles and hubs for the company’s V236-15.0 MW offshore wind turbine. The new facility is expected to create up to 500 direct jobs, with additional employment across the supply chain.

According to Vestas, the plan to set up the factory follows the results of the Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 7 (AR7) in January 2026, the company’s growing offshore wind order book in the UK, and strategic discussions with the UK and Scottish governments on the next steps to develop and co-invest in the facility.

The plan also includes the potential co-location of suppliers producing other major turbine components, as part of a broader manufacturing setup.

The final investment decision (FID) on the new factory will depend on Vestas securing sufficient UK-based orders for the AR7 projects and those from the upcoming AR8. Subject to the timing of those results and the planning process, the facility could begin production by 2029 or 2030, Vestas said on 25 March.

  • V236-15.0 turbines are 15 MW turbines, for which Vestas have 256 orders in the UK for Inchcape, Norfolk Vanguard East and Norfolk Vanguard West.
  • In addition to new wind farms, will these large turbines be used for refitting to older wind farms?
  • If other manufacturers or components could be involved, this would surely be sensible.

The picture in the original article shows the large size of these nacelles, which would suggest a site with good access to water might be good to ease transport.

Did The Help For Steel, Six Days Ago Help?

On the 19th March, I wrote UK Steel Industry Backed By Major New Trade Measure And Strategy. Did this help for steel to formulate Vestas’s plans? I wouldn’t be surprised, if the steel can be taken to the site Vesta chooses by rail or water.

March 29, 2026 Posted by | Energy, Finance & Investment, Manufacturing | , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Liquid Air Alternative To Fossil Fuels

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC Future Web Site.

It is also one of the best articles, I’ve read on the economics of liquid-air energy storage.

This is the sub-heading.

An overlooked technology for nearly 50 years, the world’s largest liquid air energy storage facility is finally set to power up in 2026. It’s hoping to compete with grid-scale lithium batteries and hydro to store clean power, and reduce the need to fall back on fossil fuels.

These three introductory paragraphs add detail to the project.

As the world’s use of renewable electricity soars, surpassing coal for the first time, the need to store that energy when the Sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing is growing in step. While some turn to grid-scale lithium batteries and others to pumped hydro, a small but growing industry is convinced there’s a better solution still: batteries that rely on air.

Near the village of Carrington in north-west England, the foundations are being laid for the world’s largest commercial-scale liquid air energy storage facility, one of the first of its kind. The site will eventually become an array of industrial machinery and a number of large storage tanks, filled with air that has been compressed and cooled so much it has become a liquid, using renewable energy surplus to demand. The stored energy can be discharged later when demand exceeds supply.

If the project succeeds, more will follow. The site’s developers Highview Power are confident that liquid air energy storage will make it easier for countries to replace fossil fuels with clean renewable energy – though at present, the technology is expensive. But as the need for clean energy storage surges, they’re betting the balance will tip in favour of liquid air.

The BBC article, seems to have been written with input from Shaylin Cetegen, a chemical engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who studies energy storage systems.

Topics discussed include.

  • The intermittency problem of renewables and how this gives problems for the stability of electricity grids.
  • The switchable nature of fossil-fuel power generation.
  • A big part of the solution is to store the surplus energy so that it can be released when it’s needed. Think of it like an electricity deposit account!
  • For decades, the main form of energy storage has been pumped hydro. In 2021, the world had 160 GW of pumped hydro capacity. The UK has a total of just 3 GW in Scotland and Wales! But more is on the way!
  • Recently, large-scale battery storage systems have risen to the challenge and installed capacity has risen from 55.7 GW in 2023 to 150 GW / 348 GWh in 2025.
  • The liquid air solution is then explained.
  • A grid-scale stop-gap, that is the 30 MW/300 MWh Manchester hybrid liquid-air battery, is then described.
  • In August 2026, the battery is set to begin operating.
  • An alternative way of stabilising the grid will be provided.
  • It will come online in two stages, says Highview Power CEO Richard Butland.
  • Then in 2027 the liquid air storage is expected to begin fully operating.

Highview Power will make money by trading electricity, as pumped storage operators do.

The penultimate section of the article looks at the bottom line and comes to these conclusions.

Instead, she says governments could support the technology. In her study, subsidising the initial capital costs to set up the systems “could be a viable approach to achieve economic viability in the short term”, she says.

Furthermore, faster uptake of renewables would increase energy price volatility, making energy storage more economically viable.

Cetegen makes a final point in favour of liquid air energy storage: it’s cheap. Energy storage technologies are often assessed using a metric called the “levelised cost of storage”, which estimates how much each unit of stored energy costs over the lifespan of the project. For liquid air, this can be as low as $45 (£34) per megawatt-hour – compared to $120 (£89) for pumped hydro and $175 (£130) for lithium-ion batteries.

“While none of these storage methods are likely economically viable right now without policy support, liquid air energy storage stands out as a particularly cost-effective option for large-scale storage,” Cotegen says.

Ultimately, Butland expects electricity grids to rely on a mix of storage technologies. Pumped hydro is extremely effective and works for decades, but it’s location-dependent because it needs a water supply. Meanwhile, batteries are highly efficient and can be placed anywhere, but need to be replaced after about 10 years. Liquid air has the advantage that it can store energy for longer than batteries, with minimal losses.

As any country enters the green transition, its electricity grid needs to be remodelled to cope. “We’re rebuilding all grids globally, based on new generation,” says Butland. And that could well mean a lot of liquid air energy storage.

 

March 21, 2026 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage | , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

How Much Pumped Storage Hydro Will Be Operational In The UK By 2030?

Pumped Storage Hydro is the Bank of England-standard for energy storage.

I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this post and received this answer.

The UK currently has approximately 3 GW (roughly 26-28 GWh) of operational pumped storage hydro (PSH) capacity. By 2030, this capacity is expected to increase, driven by new projects in the pipeline that aim to meet a government goal of up to 8 GW of long-duration energy storage by that year.

Key Projects Expected Online by 2030-2031:

Coire Glas (SSE): A major project in Scotland with a planned capacity of 1.3 GW / 30 GWh, expected to be operational around 2030–31.

Cruachan Expansion (Drax): A 600MW plant in Scotland that has received approval, with construction expected to contribute to the 2030 goal.

Glenmuckloch: Projected to be operational by 2029. In 

Other Developments:

Total Pipeline: Developers have identified up to 10 GW of potential projects in the Scottish Highlands and Wales, though not all will be operational by 2030.

Future Growth: The total installed capacity of PSH is expected to grow significantly, with one projection suggesting a rise from 26.7 GWh currently to over 122 GWh by 2034.

To support these projects, the UK government has confirmed a “cap and floor” investment framework to stimulate development of long-duration energy storage (LDES).

For a relatively small island we do seem to be an ideal place to develop pumped storage hydro!

The Coire Glas Pumped Storage Scheme

In The Coire Glas Pumped Storage Scheme, I give more details of this scheme.

The Glenmuckloch Pumped Storage Scheme

In The Glenmuckloch Pumped Storage Scheme, I give more details of this scheme, which is based on a disused open cast coal mine.

Addition Of Pumped Storage Hydro By 2030

This looks to be around 5 GW, but it is just a foretaste of the shape of things to come!

February 28, 2026 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Energy Storage | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Man In Seat 61: My Nail-Biting Journey To Orkney By Train And Ferry

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

This is the heading.

Now the Caledonian Sleeper connects the Midlands to Scotland in style. Mark Smith travels to the UK’s most northerly rail station and beyond

These are the first two paragraphs.

In January the Caledonian Sleeper added Birmingham to its route from London to Scotland — its first new stop in 30 years. With a ticket for one of the first departures and a bucket-list desire to see the historic naval anchorage that is Scapa Flow, I would ride the sleeper to Inverness, take Scotland’s scenic Far North Line to Britain’s northernmost station and then sail across the Pentland Firth to Stromness. I could leave my Buckinghamshire home in the evening and reach Orkney 24 hours later without setting foot on a plane. It sounded like a plan.

The Highland sleeper (which travels to the Highlands; there is also a Lowland sleeper that travels to Edinburgh and Glasgow) rolled into Birmingham International at 10.42pm on the dot. I was greeted at the door by a steward with a friendly Scottish accent and my room key. He jotted down my breakfast reservation and I headed for room 4 in car L. The Cal Sleeper is rightly proud of its Scottish-made mattresses and fluffy duvets and I drifted off to sleep in my cosy berth to the sound of steel wheel on steel rail.

I feel adding a Birmingham International stop is a masterstroke, as it gives so many travel options.

  1. You could of course still join in London.
  2. I might go to Birmingham on Chiltern, as I prefer the trains to Avanti West Coast.
  3. There are lots of shows and exhibitions in Birmingham.
  4. If you had a relative in Scotland and you lived in the far South-East of England and Wales, half of the journey would be in a comfortable bed.
  5. Birmingham International has regular connections to Aberystwyth, Bournemouth, Pwllheli, Shrewsbury and Wrexham General.
  6. Some journeys might be easier with a change between plane and sleeper train at Birmingham International.

The list is endless and will grow as travellers have other ideas.

More imagination needs to be added to train journeys.

My first thoughts are.

There needs to be a Lumo-style service between Birmingham and Scotland and a sleeper between Birmingham and Penzance.

February 20, 2026 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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