US President Trump Issues Executive Order Suspending Offshore Wind Leasing
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the guts of the article.
US President Donald Trump has issued an Executive Order pausing offshore wind leasing on the US Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and mandating a review of the federal government’s leasing and permitting practices for wind projects. The Order also stops all relevant agencies from issuing approvals, either new or renewed, for both onshore and offshore wind projects until the review is completed.
The following was the response from someone with intelligence, sense and authority.
After the White House issued the Executive Order, Liz Burdock, founder and CEO of the US offshore renewable energy industry organisation, Oceantic Network, said.
Today’s executive order pausing offshore wind leasing and permitting is a blow to the American offshore wind industry and hurts the hundreds of U.S. supply chain companies and thousands of workers already building more American energy. While under a National Energy Emergency created by an unprecedented rise in energy demand, we should be working to quickly bring generation online instead of curtailing a power source capable of providing base load generation and creating new jobs across 40 states.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of those companies and their equipment ending up in the UK and Scotland in particular.
‘Europe’s Biggest Battery Farm’ Built On Coal Mine
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Work is under way to create what has been described as Europe’s largest battery storage project at Coalburn in South Lanarkshire.
These three paragraphs add a bit more detail.
Developers say the two huge neighbouring battery farms – one at the site of a former opencast coal mine – will store enough electricity to power three million homes.
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are being built across the UK to help balance the electricity grid, which is becoming increasingly powered by renewables.
Almost 90% of the electricity generated in Scotland last year was from low carbon sources like wind, solar or nuclear, according to figures from the Scottish government.
A search of the Internet found this paragraph describing the size of the battery.
The CIP BESS portfolio (Coalburn 1, Coalburn 2, and Devilla) will have total power capacity of 1.5GW and will be able to store and supply the grid with a total of 3GWh of electricity, equivalent to the electricity demand of over 4.5 million households, across a 2-hour period.
Note.
- CIP is Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, who are a large developer of energy infrastructure.
- It appears there are three separate 500 MW/ 1 GWh batteries being developed together.
- The batteries can supply electricity for two hours.
This looks like a sensible project in an area, where there could be plenty of spare electricity.
Competition With Highview Power
Highview Power’s web site has a Projects section, where this is said.
Scotland And The North-East, UK
Highview Power’s next projects will be located in Scotland and the North East and each will be 200MW/2.5GWh capacity. These will be located on the national transmission network where the wind is being generated and therefore will enable these regions to unleash their untapped renewable energy potential and store excess wind power at scale.
I can see Highview Power’s 200MW/2.5GWh liquid air batteries and 500 MW/ 1 GWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) competing for the same projects.
However, it does appear at Trafford Energy Park, both types of battery appear to be being installed.
- Carlton Power Secures Planning Consent For World’s Largest Battery Energy Storage Scheme
- Centrica Invests In Renewable Energy Storage Capabilities To Boost UK’s Energy Security And Accelerate Transition To Net Zero
Perhaps the two together give the best response?
Scotland To Get New Intercity Fleet
The title of this post is the same as that of this press release from Transport Scotland.
These eight paragraphs make up the body of the press release.
The Scottish Government announced today that procurement will begin to replace the trains in its Intercity fleet.
The procurement will seek a replacement for the High Speed Train (HST) fleet of 25 trains which operates on its InterCity routes between Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Inverness.
Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop said:
“Resilient, reliable ScotRail services are key to encouraging more people to choose to travel by train for work, leisure and learning.
“Over 4 million passengers travelled on InterCity trains between our key cities in the last year – we want to encourage even more people to do so. This procurement will enable us to replace the current Intercity fleet with trains which provide improved facilities and accessibility.
“Any replacement fleet is expected to be more energy efficient and therefore will significantly reduce emissions, reduce operating costs and be more in line with current passenger expectations, including for accessibility. The procurement process ensures Scottish suppliers will be able to offer to provide their services to potential bidders.
“This latest milestone in our rolling programme of decarbonisation will ensure the reliability of our Intercity routes for the long-term, making Scotland’s railway a more attractive and greener travel choice.”
Further details on this announcement will be shared when the contract is awarded in 2025. It is also expected that the refreshed Decarbonisation Action Plan will be published in Spring 2025, and this will detail updated targets for replacing ScotRail’s existing diesel fleets.
It is a press release full of good intentions, but very few facts.
Is this what Scots get from their political party?
I have a few questions.
Will The Trains Be Built In The UK?
This must surely give some advantages, but will it get the best trains at the best price?
What Will Be The Number And Capacity Of The Trains?
Transport Scotland could go for a like for like number and capacity replacement.
- But there have been capacity problems in Scotland, which have meant using diesel Class 153 trains as baggage cars.
- They might also want to add extra services.
- Will they replace the train lost at Stonehaven?
They could add a few options.
Other Companies May Need Similar Trains
Consider.
- GWR will need to replace their similar Castles.
- CrossCountry will need new trains.
- Grand Central will need new trains.
- South Western Railway may need new trains for services between Cardiff and Devon.
- Transport for Wales may need new trains.
Hull Trains and Lumo have recently ordered a selection of new Hitachi Class 802 and 803 trains, which I wrote about in Fourteen New Trains To Drive First Rail Open Access Growth.
I can see an argument for buying more Hitachi Class 80x trains, as it will surely save Great British Railways costs in the long time.
Should The New Trains Be A Forever Solution?
When British Rail electrified to Brighton, Crewe, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Portsmouth, Southampton, Weymouth and many other places from London, they saw it as a mode of traction, that would be used forever.
As the trains wore out or got outdated, they would be replaced with trains, which at least could run using the same mode of traction.
Generally, on electrified routes, when British Rail’s electric trains have been replaced, they have been replaced by more modern new electric trains.
The one major exception was on the East Coast Main Line where some InterCity 225 trains were replaced with Hitachi Class 800 and Class 802 diesel bi-mode trains.
But as the Class 800 and Class 802 diesel bi-mode trains were also replacing InterCity125 trains, they were a pragmatic replacement.
The Hitachi trains can be considered a Forever Solution, as bi-mode trains will always be able to work some routes that will never get electrified.
But Hitachi are developing the successor to their diesel bi-mode train, which is the tri-mode train, capable of running on electrification, diesel or battery power.
- Diesel power-packs can be swapped for battery packs.
- The battery packs have the same weight and power as a diesel power-pack.
- Existing diesel bi-mode trains can be converted to tri-mode or battery-electric bi-mode trains.
- A range of over forty miles on a single battery pack has been demonstrated.
Could Hitachi tri-mode trains be The replacements for the Inter7City trains?
Will Some Trains Have A Battery Electric Capability?
I very much believe so, as some routes in Scotland could be decarbonised by battery-electric trains.
What Top Speed Would The Trains Have?
Most of the routes in Scotland, where new modern quality rolling stock is needed, has a top speed of less than 100 mph, but in places the top speed is 125 mph.
I suspect, if trains can run at 125 mph in the places, where it is allowed, could probably save a few minutes on journey times.
Take the Borders Railway.
- The electrification runs out at Brunstane. Batteries would be charged between Edinburgh and Brunstane using the existing electrification.
- To go from Brunstane to Tweedbank and return to Brunstane is 63 miles.
- To work the Borders Railway would need a battery range of 63 miles.
I suspect every route in Scotland could have an electrification strategy for use with battery-electric trains. Some of which would have short lengths of extra electrification.
What Lengths Would The Trains Be?
In my example I used the Borders Railway.
A typical service is run by a three-car Class 170 train or two such trains running as a pair.
Perhaps, a single four- or five-car train could work the service all day and still provide enough capacity?
Conclusion
I believe, that Scotrail services could be electrified line-by-line.
Some lines would need more or longer trains and an update to the electrification.
First Commercial-Scale Seaweed Farm Between Wind Turbines Fully Operational In Netherlands
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The world’s first commercial-scale seaweed farm within the Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore wind farm in the Netherlands is fully operational.
These initial three paragraphs fill out the details.
According to the non-profit organisation North Sea Farmers (NSF), the final deployment step was completed one week ago by deploying the seeded substrate.
North Sea Farm 1, initiated by NSF with funding from Amazon’s Right Now Climate Fund, is a floating farm located in the open space between wind turbines where seaweed production can be tested and improved.
The seaweed farm is located within the Hollandse Kust Zuid wind farm, nearly 22 kilometres off the coast of Scheveningen. The 1.5 GW project is owned by Vattenfall, BASF, and Allianz.
I find this an interesting concept.
I can remember reading in the Meccano Magazine in the 1950s, about the production of alginates from seaweed in Scotland.
Surprisingly, Wikipedia has very little on alginates, except for this illuminating Wikipedia entry for alginic acid.
This is the opening paragraph.
Alginic acid, also called algin, is a naturally occurring, edible polysaccharide found in brown algae. It is hydrophilic and forms a viscous gum when hydrated. When the alginic acid binds with sodium and calcium ions, the resulting salts are known as alginates. Its colour ranges from white to yellowish-brown. It is sold in filamentous, granular, or powdered forms.
But it does appear that the Scottish production of alginates is very much of the past. Unless someone else can enlighten me!
Perhaps Scottish seaweed farming can be revived to produce alginates, which appear to have a surprising number of uses, as this section of the Wikipedia entry shows.
Alginates do appear to be remarkably useful.
These are a few uses.
- As of 2022 alginate had become one of the most preferred materials as an abundant natural biopolymer.
- Sodium alginate is mixed with soybean protein to make meat analogue.
- They are an ingredient of Gaviscon and other pharmaceuticals.
- Sodium alginate is used as an impression-making material in dentistry, prosthetics, lifecasting, and for creating positives for small-scale casting.
- Sodium alginate is used in reactive dye printing and as a thickener for reactive dyes in textile screen-printing.
- Calcium alginate is used in different types of medical products, including skin wound dressings to promote healing,
Alginates seem to have some rather useful properties.
Four years ago, I tripped over in my bedroom, which I wrote about in An Accident In My Bedroom. I wonder if the Royal London Hospital used calcium alginate skin dressings to restore my hand to its current condition.
Paul Daniels would have said, “It’s magic!”
In the future these dressings may be produced from UK-produced seaweed.
Pumped Storage Hydro In The Highlands – Is Anywhere Still Off Limits?
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on UK Climbing.
This is the sub-heading.
Are the enormous Earba and Fearna hydro projects merely the thin end of an ever bigger wedge? Thanks to a relaxed developer-friendly planning regime, is anywhere in Highland Scotland now safe from energy projects designed to feed an insatiable demand down south? In pursuit of clean power, do we risk permitting huge and irreparable harm across our remaining wild habitats and scenic land? And if so, what (and who) is it all really in aid of? It’s not too late to shed light on the murky world of Highland mega-energy, says Jane Meek, but time is running out for our mountain heritage.
These are the first three paragraphs.
In case you haven’t heard, Earba is the codename for a massive pumped storage hydro scheme to be hosted by Ardverikie Estate of Monarch of the Glen fame on behalf of Gilkes Energy, a Lakes-based engineering firm hitherto better known as a developer of small-scale run-of-river hydro schemes on Scottish burns and rivers. Some of these may be familiar to you: they include Pattack on Ardverikie Estate, Ben Glas on Glen Falloch Estate near Crianlarich, and Neaty Burn in Glen Strathfarrar, to name just three.
Gilkes Energy has now moved up into the big league of pumped storage hydro (PSH). Visit their homepage to admire a brief slide show of projects past, present and in planning. It’s glossy professional stuff, just what you’d expect from the self-styled “leading independent developer” of conventional hydro and PSH in the UK.
The aerial shots are particularly fine but… hang on a minute… isn’t that Loch a’ Bhealaich Leamhain down there, gleaming like a pearl in the high pass between Munros Beinn a’ Chlachair and Mullach Coire an Iubhair (Geal Charn as was)? And … oh dear, isn’t that Loch Fearna, the glittering shelf lochan below Spidean Mialach, immortalised in countless photographs by walkers crossing the col between Spidean and neighbouring Gleouraich? From the slopes above Fearna, the views across Loch Quoich to Gairich and beyond are simply stunning. After watching the slide show, you may feel simply stunned.
The author of the article makes a statement and asks a question.
It’s industrialisation on a vast scale. Are these truly the right schemes in the right places?
The author may have a point, but environmentalists will argue that saving the planet is more important and that pumped storage hydroelectricity is one of the technologies, that will help us do that!
The MailOnline’s View Of Pumped Storage Hydroelectricity
The MailOnline gives their view on Pumped Storage Hydroelectricity on the front page of their web site today.
This is the bold title.
Scotland is littered with windfarms. Now the impact of billion-pound hydro projects to store energy they produce threatens our scenic landscapes… and led critics to brand the plans – The Loch Ness Monstrosity
To my mind, the site’s language leaves no doubt that they are not keen on either windfarms or the hydro projects to store energy.
Calling the plans the Loch Ness Monstrosity, is an insult to the engineers, who have devised the plans.
The journalist, who wrote the article has made the same mistake, that many do when they write about any form of energy storage – They only give the output of the battery and not the output and the storage capacity.
Thus Red John Pumped Hydro is described in the article like this.
The £550million Loch na Cathrach venture (formerly known as Red John, after a popular local lochan), is one of the biggest renewable energy projects in the North and was granted consent by the Scottish Government in June 2021 despite strong objections from campaigners and Highland Council but has yet to be built in the hills near Dores.
The 450MW project owned by Norwegian state firm Statkraft hopes to start construction next year and be operational by 2030.
Note.
- Red John is a 450 MW project with a storage capacity of 2,800 MWh, which is conventionally shown as a 450 MW/2,800 MWh battery.
- A battery of this size can supply 450 MW for 6.2 hours, which is more than a lithium-ion battery of the same cost could manage.
- 450 MW is about the average size of a gas-fired power station.
Where the geography is suitable, pumped storage hydroelectric stations may be able to replace gas-fired power stations.
- There would be no cooling towers.
- There would be no chimneys or associated pollution.
- The electrical gubbins to connect to the grid would be the same and could probably be refurbished.
The new lake could be used for water-based activities like fishing, sailing skiing and swimming.
Conclusion
Obviously, playing the Nimby-card sells newspapers.
Highview Power Releases More Details Of The Hunterston LDES
In a long and detailed press release, these are the first two paragraphs.
London, 15 October 2024: The First Minister for Scotland, John Swinney MSP, welcomed Highview Power Executives to Scotland House in London today as the company announced its intention to develop its Hunterston project in Scotland as part of its multi-billion-pound LDES programme. Hunterston will deliver five times Scotland’s current operational battery storage capacity and is strategically placed in the grid transmission network to maximise the use of Scottish-produced renewable electricity. This follows Highview Power’s funding round in June where it secured a £300 million investment for its 300MWh proprietary Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) technology at Carrington, near Manchester.
Supported by the Scottish Government, Hunterston is the first project in Highview Power’s second phase, which comprises four projects across Scotland and Northern England. The 2.5GWh LAES plant at Hunterston will deliver an 8-fold increase in storage capacity on Carrington – to deliver enough power 650,000 homes for 12.5 hours.
Note these important points.
- The Hunterston battery will be the first of four 200 MW/2.5 GWh batteries.
- Together, these four batteries will have a distributed 1600 MW/10 GWh capability.
- For comparison, Dinorwig pumped storage hydroelectric power station, in Snowdonia, which opened in 1984, has a 1600 MW/9.1 GWh capability.
- The second battery will be in Aberdeenshire.
- The Hunterston project will support 1,000 jobs onsite during construction and 650 jobs in the supply chain.
John Swinney, who is First Minister for Scotland, summed the project up like this.
The creation of the largest liquid air energy facility in the world, in Ayrshire, demonstrates just how valuable Scotland is in delivering a low carbon future as well as supporting the global transition to net zero.
Highview Power Plans To Develop 2.5GWh LDES Project In Scotland
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Power Technology.
This is the sub-heading.
The liquid air energy storage plant at Hunterston is set to deliver a substantial increase in storage capacity
These first three paragraphs add a few more details.
Highview Power has announced plans to develop a long-duration energy storage (LDES) project in Ayrshire, Scotland, with a capacity of 2.5 gigawatt hours (GWh).
The project will be built at Peel Ports’ property at Hunterston, North Ayrshire and will provide five times the existing battery storage capacity of Scotland.
It is supported by the Scottish government and its strategic location optimises the use of renewable electricity produced in the country.
Note.
- Highview Power talks of 200MW/2.5GWh capacity batteries in Scotland on its web site, so I suspect this battery is one of those.
- This battery is as large as some pumped storage hydro systems.
- In UK Infrastructure Bank, Centrica & Partners Invest £300M in Highview Power Clean Energy Storage Programme To Boost UK’s Energy Security, I described the funding now behind Highview Power. The funding appears to be solid, as it includes the UK Infrastructure Bank, Centrica, Goldman Sachs and Rio Tinto.
This is a good start for Highview Power.
Donald Trump To Open Second Aberdeenshire Golf Course In 2025
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
These opening two paragraphs introduce the course.
The 18-hole links MacLeod Course – named after the former US president’s Lewis-born mother, Mary – will welcome players at the Trump International resort in Menie from the Summer of 2025.
The resort claimed the course would feature the “largest sand dunes in Scotland” and form “the greatest 36 holes in golf” alongside the original course, completed in 2012.
It sounds to me that the environmental aspects could be rather detrimental. But then Trump has form for a poor record in this area, as I wrote in Trump Forgot The Ace Of Clubs!
SSE And Gilkes Energy Announce Joint Plans To Progress Loch Fearna Pumped Storage Hydro Project
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from SSE Renewables.
These five paragraphs from the press release outline the scheme.
SSE has announced plans to progress a new pumped storage hydropower scheme at Loch Fearna in Scotland’s Great Glen, in a 50:50 development joint venture with a consortium led by Gilkes Energy.
The proposed co-development is located at the western end of Glengarry around 25km west of Invergarry and adjoins SSE Renewables’ existing Loch Quoich reservoir in the Great Glen hydro scheme.
SSE Renewables already operates the largest fleet of hydro-electric power and pumped storage hydro assets in Scotland. It is now progressing development plans for new pumped storage hydropower projects in the Highlands to complement its existing fleet and deliver the large-scale, long-duration electricity storage (LDES) needed as part of Britain’s future energy mix.
The Fearna Pumped Storage Hydro (PSH) project envisages the development of tunnels and a new power station connecting SSE Renewables’ existing reservoir at Loch Quoich with an upper reservoir at Loch Fearna.
Under the terms of the joint venture being announced today, Gilkes Energy will lead the project’s development under a development services agreement with SSE Renewables.
I wrote about the Great Glen hydro scheme in Repurposing The Great Glen Hydro-Electric Scheme, where I included this map, from the SSE Renewables web site shows the layout of the dams and power stations.
The sizes of the power stations in the scheme are as follows.
- Ceannacroc – 20 MW
- Livishie – 15 MW
- Glenmoriston- 37 MW
- Quoich – 18 MW
- Invergarry – 20 MW
- Mucomir – 1.7 MW
This gives a total power of 112.7 MW.
This five paragraph from the press release details the size of the scheme.
It is envisaged the proposed development would be up to 1.8GW in generating capacity and capable of producing around 37GWh of stored energy capacity. The project has already secured a grid connection offer totalling 1,795MW.
The 1.8 GW/37 GWh Fearna pumped hydro scheme will dwarf the Great Glen hydro scheme.
it is now seventy years since some of these hydro-electric systems were built in Scotland.
As an engineer, I wouldn’t be surprised to a see a fair amount of updating in the Highlands to upgrade Scotland’s hydro-electricity.
The Anonymous Widower 