Ramboll To Develop Offshore Wind-To-Hydrogen Concept
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Ramboll has been selected to investigate the feasibility of producing hydrogen offshore at a multi-gigawatt scale with NortH2 in the Dutch part of the North Sea.
Note.
- NortH2 has a web site.
- There is a very rich About NortH2 page.
- NortH2 is a consortium made up of Equinor, Eneco, Gasunie, Groningen Seaports, RWE and Shell Netherlands.
- The consortium aims to use 4 GW to produce hydrogen by 2030 and 10 GW by 2040.
The world needs more ambitious projects like this.
New South Wales Plans Three Batteries
This article on Energy Storage News is entitled Shell Battery Project In New South Wales Would Add 1GWh Energy Storage To Growing Market.
The three batteries are.
- Shell – 500MW/1,000MWh BESS project in Wellington, in Central West NSW.
- Waratah Super Battery 700MW/1,400MWh transmission system “shock absorber”
- A proposed 500MW/2,000 MWh BESS from energy generator-retailer EnergyAustralia.
Note.
- All batteries appear to be lithium ion.
- This gives a total output of 1.7 GW and a total storage capacity of 4.4 GWh.
- The NSW government is targeting 12GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030.
- 3 GW of utility-scale wind and solar in development, construction, or already in operation, in the state.
The state seems to be making a good start.
CIP Picks Stiesdal Floater For 100MW Scottish Offshore Wind Farm
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Offshore Engineering.
These two paragraphs introduce the project.
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) has selected Stiesdal Offshore’s TetraSub floating foundation structure for the 100MW Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm project, to be located off the coast of Dounreay, Caithness, Scotland.
The technology has been said to offer a lightweight and cost-effective floating solution, based on factory-made modules which are then assembled domestically in port to form a complete foundation.
Note.
- The TetraSub seems to have been designed for ease of manufacture.
- One if the aims appears to be to build a strong local supply chain.
- The TetraSub was designed with the help of Edinburgh University.
- The TetraSpar Demonstrator is in operation off the coast of Norway.
- This page on Mission Innovation describes the TetraSpar in detail.
- The TetraSpar foundation, owned by Shell, TEPCO RP, RWE, and Stiesdal.
- It can be deployed in water with a depth of up to 200 metres.
- Currently, they carry a 3.6 MW turbine.
- At that size, they’d need 27 or 28 turbines to create a 100 MW wind farm.
The home page of the Pentland Offshore Wind Farm gives more details.
This article on offshoreWIND.biz is entitled CIP And Hexicon To Halve Pentland Floating Wind Project Area.
- The project area has been halved.
- The number of turbines has been reduced from ten to seven.
- Compact turbines will be used.
- The project will be built in two phases, one turbine in 2025 and six in 2026.
- Effectively, the first turbine will help to fund the second phase, which eases cash flow.
The changes show how the wind farm has changed during development due to local pressures and improved technology.
Conclusion
It does seem that the competition is growing in the field of floating wind turbines.
Given the quality of the research and backing for these floats and the fact they now have an order, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this technology be a success.
Will Our Gas Supplies Hold Up This Winter?
I am prompted to ask this question because of this article in The Times, which is entitled ‘Really High Gas Prices’ Loom For UK As Europe Faces Winter Rationing.
These are a few thoughts.
UK Gas-Fired Power Station Capacity
This entry in Wikipedia is entitled List Of Natural Gas Power Stations In The United Kingdom.
This statement summarises the capacity.
There are currently 32 active gas fired combined cycle power plants operating in the United Kingdom, which have a total generating capacity of 28.0 GW.
This section is entitled Decline Of Gas For Power In The United Kingdom, where this is said.
In 2016 gas fired power stations generated a total of 127 TWh of electricity. Generation has dropped to 119 TWh in 2017, 115 TWh in 2018, 114 TWh in 2019 and 95 TWh in 2020. The decline is largely due to the increase in renewable sources outweighing the decline of coal, and an overall reduction in demand.
Putting these pictures as a table and applying a simple numerical analysis technique gives the following.
- 2016 – 127 TWh
- 2017 – 119 TWh – Drop of 8TWh
- 2018 – 115 TWh – Drop of 4 TWh
- 2019 – 114 TWh – Drop of 1 TWh
- 2020 – 95 TWh – Drop of 19 TWh
In four years the amount of electricity generated each year by gas-fired power stations has dropped by an amazing 8 TWh on average per year.
Factors like the increase in renewables and an overall reduction in demand will still apply.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a continuous reduction of electricity generated by gas of 8 TWh per year.
Figures like these could be possible.
- 2021 – 87 TWh
- 2022 – 79 TWh
- 2023 – 71 TWh
- 2024 – 63 TWh
- 2025 – 55 TWh
- 2026 – 47 TWh
- 2027 – 39 TWh
I have stopped these figures at 2027, as one major event should happen in that year, as Hinckley Point C is planned to switch on in June 2027, which will contribute 3.26 GW. or 28.5 TWh per year.
In Will We Run Out Of Power This Winter?, I also summarised the energy that will be produced by the various projects, that were signed off recently in the Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 4′, where I said this.
Summarising the figures for new capacity gives.
- 2022 – 3200 MW
- 2023 – 1500 MW
- 3024 – 2400 MW
- 2025 – 6576 MW
- 2026 – 1705 MW
- 2027 – 7061 GW
This totals to 22442 MW.
Note that a 1 GW power source would generate 8.76 TWh of electricity per year.
One problem we may have is too much electricity and as we are not blessed with much storage in the UK, where will be able to put it?
In a strange way, Vlad the Mad may solve the problem, by cutting off Europe’s gas.
Jackdaw Gas Field
This document on the Shell web site is the standard information sheet for the Jackdaw field development.
This is the short description of the development.
The Jackdaw field is an uHPHT reservoir that will be developed with a not permanently
attended WHP. Four wells will be drilled at the Jackdaw WHP. Produced fluids will be
exported via a subsea pipeline to the Shearwater platform where these will be processed
before onward export via the Fulmar Gas Line and the Forties Pipeline System.
The proposed development may be summarised as follows:
- Installation of a new WHP
- Drilling of four production wells
- Installation of a new approximately 31 km pipeline from the Jackdaw WHP to the Shearwater platform
- Processing and export of the Jackdaw hydrocarbons via the Shearwater host platform
First production expected between Q3 – Q4 2025.
Note.
- Production could start in just over three years.
- This gas will come ashore at the Bacton gas terminal in Norfolk.
- Bacton has two gas interconnectors to Europe; one to Belgium and one to The Netherlands, so is ideally connected to export gas to Europe.
Given the high gas prices, I am sure any company would pull out all the stops to shorten the project development time.
HyDeploy
I described HyDeploy, which is a project to blend up to 20 % of hydrogen into the distributed natural gas in HyDeploy.
In The Mathematics Of Blending Twenty Percent Of Hydrogen Into The UK Gas Grid, I worked how much electricity would be needed for HyDeploy’s target blending of hydrogen.
It was 8.2 GW, but!
- It would save a lot of carbon emissions.
- Boilers and other appliances wouldn’t have to be changed, although they would probably need a service.
- It would significantly cut the amount of natural gas we need.
- It might even be a product to export in its own right.
I certainly feel that HyDeploy is a significant project.
Gas Imports And Existing Fields
This entry in Wikipedia is entitled Energy in the United Kingdom.
In this section, which is entitled Natural Gas, this is said.
United Kingdom produced 60% of its consumed natural gas in 2010. In five years the United Kingdom moved from almost gas self-sufficient (see North Sea gas) to 40% gas import in 2010. Gas was almost 40% of total primary energy supply (TPES) and electricity more than 45% in 2010. Underground storage was about 5% of annual demand and more than 10% of net imports.
Gasfields include Amethyst gasfield, Armada gasfield, Easington Catchment Area, East Knapton, Everest gasfield and Rhum gasfield.
Consider.
- We know that the amount of gas used for generating electricity is reducing , due to the increase in renewables and an overall reduction in demand.
- The cost of both gas imports and exports are rising.
- In two years time the Jackdaw gas field should be producing gas.
Would it be sensible to squeeze as much gas out of the existing fields, as by the time they run out, renewables, an overall reduction in demand, the Jackdaw gasfield and other factors will mean that we will have enough gas and electricity for our needs.
Shell To Start Building Europe’s Largest Renewable Hydrogen Plant
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Shell.
This is the first paragraph.
Shell Nederland B.V. and Shell Overseas Investments B.V., subsidiaries of Shell plc, have taken the final investment decision to build Holland Hydrogen I, which will be Europe’s largest renewable hydrogen plant once operational in 2025.
Theconstruction timeline for Holland Hydrogen 1 is not a long one.
The next paragraph describes the size and hydrogen production capacity.
The 200MW electrolyser will be constructed on the Tweede Maasvlakte in the port of Rotterdam and will produce up to 60,000 kilograms of renewable hydrogen per day.
200 MW is large!
The next paragraph details the source of the power.
The renewable power for the electrolyser will come from the offshore wind farm Hollandse Kust (noord), which is partly owned by Shell.
These are my thoughts.
Refhyne
Refhyne is a joint project between Shell and ITM Power, with backing from the European Commission, that has created a 10 MW electrolyser in Cologne.
The 1300 tonnes of hydrogen produced by this plant will be integrated into refinery processes.
Refhyne seems to have been very much a prototype for Holland Hydrogen 1.
World’s Largest Green Hydrogen Project – With 100MW Electrolyser – Set To Be Built In Egypt
The sub-title is the title, of this article on Recharge.
It looks like Holland Hydrogen 1, is double the current largest plant under construction.
Shell is certainly going large!
Will ITM Power Be Working Again With Shell?
Refhyne has probably given Shell a large knowledge base about ITM Power’s electrolysers.
But Refhyne is only 10 MW and Holland Hydrogen 1 is twenty times that size.
This press release from ITM Power is entitled UK Government Award £9.3 m For Gigastack Testing.
This is the first paragraph.
ITM Power (AIM: ITM), the energy storage and clean fuel company, announces that the Company has been awarded a contract by The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), under its Net Zero Innovation Portfolio Low Carbon Hydrogen Supply 2 Competition, to accelerate the commercial deployment of ITM Power’s 5 MW Gigastack platform and its manufacture. The award for the Gigatest project is for £9.3m and follows initial designs developed through previous BEIS funding competitions.
Note.
- The Gigastack is 2.5 times bigger, than ITM Power’s previously largest electrolyser.
- Forty working in parallel, in much the same way that the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids, will be needed for Holland Hydrogen 1.
- ITM Power have the world’s largest electrolyser factory, with a capacity of one GW. They have plans to create a second factory.
ITM Power would probably be Shell’s low-risk choice.
My company dealt with Shell a lot in the 1970s, with respect to project management software and we felt, that if Shell liked you, they kept giving you orders.
The Hollandse Kust Noord Wind Farm
This wind farm is well described on its web site, where this is the introduction on the home page.
CrossWind, a joint-venture between Shell and Eneco, develops and will operate the Hollandse Kust Noord subsidy-free offshore wind project.
Hollandse Kust Noord is located 18.5 kilometers off the west coast of the Netherlands near the town of Egmond aan Zee.
CrossWind plans to have Hollandse Kust Noord operational in 2023 with an installed capacity of 759 MW, generating at least 3.3 TWh per year.
This Google Map shows the location of Egmond aan Zee.
Note that the red arrow points to Egmond aan Zee.
Will The Electrolyser Be Operational In 2025?
If Shell choose ITM Power to deliver the electrolysers, I don’t think Shell are being that ambitious.
I would suspect that connecting up an electrolyser is not the most complicated of construction tasks.
- Build the foundations.
- Fix the electrolyser in place.
- Connect power to one end.
- Connect gas pipes to the other.
- Switch on and test.
Note.
- If ITM Power deliver electrolysers that work, then the installation is the sort of task performed on chemical plants all over the world.
- ITM Power appear to have tapped the UK Government for money to fund thorough testing of the 5 MW Gigastack electrolyser.
- Enough wind power from Hollandse Kust Noord, should be generated by 2025.
I feel it is very much a low risk project.
Shell’s Offshore Electrolyser Feasibility Study
This is mentioned in this article in The Times, which describes Holland Hydrogen 1, where this is said.
Shell is also still involved in a feasibility study to deploy electrolysers offshore alongside the offshore wind farm. It has suggested this could enable more efficient use of cabling infrastructure.
I very much feel this is the way to go.
Postscript
I found this article on the Dutch Government web site, which is entitled Speech By Prime Minister Mark Rutte At An Event Announcing The Construction Of Holland Hydrogen 1.
This is an extract.
By building Holland Hydrogen 1, Shell will give the Dutch hydrogen market a real boost.
So congratulations are in order.
And this is only the beginning.
Because countless companies and knowledge institutions are working now to generate the hydrogen economy of tomorrow.
The government is supporting this process by investing in infrastructure, and by granting subsidies.
Because we want to achieve our climate goals, though the war in Ukraine won’t make it any easier.
We want to reduce our dependence on Russian gas.
We want the Netherlands to lead the way in the European energy transition.
And all these ambitions are combined in the Holland Hydrogen 1 project.
Mark Rutte seems to believe in hydrogen.
Conclusion
This is a very good example of the sort of large electrolyser, we’ll be seeing all over the world.
In fact, if this one works well, how many 200 MW electrolysers will Shell need all over the world?
Will they all be identical?
Shell’s Jackdaw Gas Field Given Go-Ahead By Regulators
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Development of a major North Sea gas field has been approved by regulators.
The Jackdaw field, east of Aberdeen, has the potential to produce 6.5% of Britain’s gas output.
This is Greenpeace’s response
But environmental campaigners have condemned the move.
The activist group Greenpeace said it believed the approval could be unlawful and it was considering legal action.
“Approving Jackdaw is a desperate and destructive decision from Johnson’s government, and proves there is no long-term plan,” said Ami McCarthy, a political campaigner for Greenpeace.
I have my thoughts.
The Short Term Problem
We are all paying the high gas price, brought about by Vlad the Mad’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
On the other hand, I am all for cutting carbon emissions, but stopping the development of the Jackdaw gas field will do nothing to cut total emissions in the short term.
In my view, the only way to cut carbon emissions is to replace the use of natural gas with hydrogen or electricity produced by renewable sources like solar, tidal, wave or wind power.
This change to every heating system and important industries like cement, chemicals, glass and steelmaking to hydrogen and renewable energy is not a short term or low-cost project. Especially whilst we’re still recovering from the pandemic and trying to handle Vlad the Mad.
We will need a supply of natural gas for a few years and if we don’t have enough gas will Greenpeace and their ilk, be happy to see everybody freezing and a large increase in unemployment?
The Government is between a rock and a hard place, where they can either bow to Greenpeace or buy Putin’s bloodstained gas, where there are two alternatives.
- Buy liquified natural gas (LNG) from countries like Australia, Canada, Qatar or the United States.
- Develop our own proven resources.
The advantages of taking the second route include.
- Some of the countries from where gas is available, have bizarre views on human rights and keeping their people safe.
- Gas is transported over long distances in a liquid form. Liquifying natural gas uses a lot of energy. Is that energy renewable?
- Countries from where gas is available are thousands of miles away. How much carbon dioxide will be emitted liquifying and transporting it?
- Gas from our own resources is delivered by pipeline.
- Development of gas fields like Jackdaw, will surely create employment in the UK.
At a first look, I feel that developing Jackdaw and other similar fields, may well be a sensible option to help us through these difficult times.
Exporting Gas To Europe
If you look at the geographical position, you would feel, that the gas will be landed at St. Fergus gas terminal, which is to the North of Aberdeen.
But no! The gas will be landed at Bacton in Norfolk through the SEAL pipeline, which is 475 km. long
Could this be because Shell want to make sure the South of England gets its gas?
Possibly, but much of the UK’s gas imports arrive at LNG terminals in the South.
But Bacton has other assets, in that it has two undersea gas pipelines to the Continent. One is to Belgium and the other is to the Netherlands.
Surely, if we export our gas to other countries, then it is their business what they do with the carbon dioxide.
Not our’s or Shell’s!
Perhaps, we should develop other proven gas fields, as they will create employment in the UK and valuable exports. It will also help our friends out in Europe, in their time of need!
Will Shell Play The Market?
I have just been informed, that recently, improvements have been made to the pipelines in the area and Jackdaw’s gas could now go to St. Fergus.
This surely would give the gas from Jackdaw three destinations.
- Scotland via St. Fergus.
- England via Bacton
- Europe via Bacton and the undersea pipelines.
So will Shell play the markets?
If in the future, we start to produce massive amounts of green hydrogen, I’m sure Europe, will be happy to buy that instead.
Powering Platforms With Renewable Energy
The BBC article says this.
And it plans also to re-power its offshore platforms with renewable electricity rather than burning gas.
Looking at the map, Jackdaw will not be far from the 2 GW wind farm, that Shell are developing.
Will they build a short interconnector from this wind farm to the gas platforms of Jackdaw and other nearby fields?
Will Shell Produce Hydrogen Offshore?
This article on Gas Processing And LNG is entitled Construction Of World’s Largest PEM Electrolyzer Completed.
This is the first two paragraphs.
Air Liquide has completed the construction of the world’s largest PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) electrolyzer. Supplied with renewable energy, this unit is now producing up to 8.2 tons per day of low-carbon hydrogen in Bécancour, Québec. With this large-scale investment, the Group confirms its long-term commitment to the hydrogen energy markets and its ambition to be a major player in the supply of low-carbon hydrogen.
The new 20 MW PEM electrolyser, equipped with Cummins technology, is the largest operating unit of its kind in the world and will help meet the growing demand for low-carbon hydrogen in North America. Bécancour’s proximity to the main industrial markets in Canada and the United States will help ensure their supply of low-carbon hydrogen for industrial use and mobility. The commissioning of this electrolysis unit increases by 50% the capacity of Air Liquide’s Bécancour hydrogen production complex.
Note.
- This article is about a year old and electrolysers will get larger.
- 20 MW of electricity will produce 8.2 tons per day of low carbon or green hydrogen.
- It may surprise some, that the electrolyser has been built by Cummins, who are diesel engine manufacturers. They are a company, who appear to have seen the way the wind is blowing and are making sure they lead the revolution.
How much hydrogen could a 2 GW wind farm produce?
- Wind farms have a capacity factor, which is how much energy they actually produce compared to their rating.
- Shell’s 2 GW wind farm will be a floating wind farm and these typically have a capacity factor of at least 50 percent.
- I will assume the capacity factor of 50 percent.
This will give 8,200 tonnes per day of green hydrogen. This is nearly three million tons per year.
How Will The Hydrogen Be Brought Ashore?
The HyDeploy project is investigating blending of hydrogen into our natural gas grid.
- It appears that up to 25 % of hydrogen can be added without the need to change boilers and appliances.
- This blending of hydrogen into our natural gas supply, would cut our carbon emissions by a worthwhile amount.
So will we see gas piped to nearby gas platforms like Jackdaw for blending with fresh virgin natural gas?
This would have the following advantages for Shell.
- They wouldn’t need to install an electric cable to the shore with all its associated onshore and offshore substations.
- The hydrogen could be brought ashore at either Bacton or St. Fergus gas terminals.
- Shell could invite other local wind farms to share their electrolyser.
- Shell would need to new onshore installations.
If Shell get this right, they could cut the project cost.
Will Shell Produce Blue Hydrogen Offshore?
I wonder if Shell have a cunning plan.
- It is known, that Shell have developed a catalyst-based blue hydrogen process, which splits natural gas into hydrogen and carbon dioxide, with the addition of oxygen from the air.
- I suspect the process could need a lot of energy to work. But at least a GW from the nearby wind farm will probably be a good start.
- Could that carbon dioxide be captured and stored in a depleted gas field.
- The hydrogen could be piped to either Bacton or St. Fergus, as I previously described.
This hybrid method might be a more economic way to produce zero-carbon hydrogen.
Conclusion
I wouldn’t be surprised if Shell will produce hydrogen offshore.
Affordable Blue Hydrogen Production
The title of this post, is the same as that of this page on the Shell Catalysts & Technologies web site.
This is said at the top of the page.
Natural gas producers are at a crossroads. They face a shifting regulatory landscape emphasising emissions reduction and an economic environment where cash preservation is critical. Shell Catalysts & Technologies offers resource holders a phased approach to diversifying their portfolios towards clean hydrogen fuels by leveraging proven and affordable capture technologies and catalysts.
My knowledge of advanced chemical catalysts is small, but I did work in the early 1970s on a project with one of ICI’s experts in the field and he told me some basics and how he believed that in the future some new catalysts would revolutionise chemical process engineering.
Wikipedia’s definition of catalysis, or the action of catalysts is as follows.
Catalysis is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst.
When I heard that Velocys were going to develop a catalyst-based system to turn household waste into sustainable aviation fuel, I did make a small investment in the company, as I thought the project could have legs.
Shell’s process takes natural gas and converts one molecule of methane (CH4) into two molecules of hydrogen (H2) and one of carbon dioxide (CO2) using one molecule of oxygen (O2) from the air.
In the Shell Blue Hydrogen Process, does a clever catalyst extract the carbon atom from the methane and combine it with two oxygen atoms to create a molecule of carbon dioxide? If it does, then this would leave the four atoms of hydrogen to form two molecules of H2 and the catalyst to go and repeat its magic on another methane molecule.
The video on the Shell site claims to do the conversion 10-25 % cheaper than current carbon intensive methods like steam reforming.
For every two molecules of hydrogen produced, both the Shell Blue Hydrogen Process and steam reforming will produce one molecule of carbon dioxide.
If you look at steam reforming it is an endothermic process, which means heat has to be added. The classic endothermic process is dissolving ice cubes in a glass of water.
Shell don’t say, but does their process need less energy to be added, because their clever catalyst does a lot of the work?
I wouldn’t be surprised if the reaction takes place in a liquid, with hydrogen and carbon dioxide bubbling out.
- The two gases would be separated by using their different physical properties.
- Carbon dioxide is heavier for a start.
Whatever Shell have done, it is probably pretty impressive and has probably taken many years to develop.
If as I suspect, it produces pure carbon dioxide, that would be an added bonus, as some uses of carbon dioxide wouldn’t want impurities.
Uses of pure carbon dioxide include.
- Feeding it to soft fruits, flowers, salad vegetables and tomatoes growing in large greenhouses.
- Dry ice.
- Mineral Carbonation International can use carbon dioxide to make building products like blocks or plasterboard.
- It can be added to concrete.
The more of the carbon dioxide that can be used rather than stored the better.
Shell To Develop Blue Hydrogen Plant
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in The Times.
The article is based on this press release from Shell, which is entitled Shell And Uniper To Work Together On Blue Hydrogen Production Facility In The UK.
These are the three bullet points of the press release.
- Shell and Uniper sign co-operation agreement to progress plans for low-carbon hydrogen production at Uniper’s Killingholme site in North Lincolnshire
- Hydrogen produced could be used to decarbonise heavy industry, transport, heating and power across Humber and beyond.
- Project recently passed eligibility phase for UK Government’s Phase-2 carbon capture, usage and storage Cluster Sequencing Process.
Note.
- The Killingholme site is currently occupied by the 900 MW gas-fired Killingholme power station.
- Heavy industry on Humberside includes chemicals and oil refineries and the Scunthorpe steelworks.
This Google Map shows the location of Killingholme power station.
Note.
- Killingholme power station is marked by the red arrow.
- The river is the Humber.
- The Port of Immingham is on the power station side of the river.
- Cleethorpes Beach is marked by the green dot in the bottom-right hand corner.
- Grimsby is to the North of Cleethorpes.
- Between Grimsby and Killingworth power station is a mass of chemical works.
This second Google Map shows the area to the South-East of the power station.
Note.
- Killingholme power station is marked by the red arrow.
- The Hornsea 02 substation to the North of the power station.
- The large Uniper site to the South of the power station.
- The large number of tanks inland from the port and the chemical works.
I have some thoughts.
A Full Description Of The Project
This paragraph from the press release described the project.
Uniper has signed an agreement with Shell to progress plans to produce blue hydrogen at Uniper’s Killingholme power station site in the East of England. The hydrogen produced could be used to decarbonise industry, transport and power throughout the Humber region.
The Humber Hub Blue project includes plans for a blue hydrogen production facility with a capacity of up to 720 megawatts, using gas reformation technology with carbon capture and storage (CCS).
The captured carbon would be fed through the proposed Zero Carbon Humber onshore pipeline, part of the East Coast Cluster, recently selected as one of two CCS clusters to receive initial government support under the government’s cluster sequencing process.
I suspect that a lot of the plant from the existing Killingholme power station will be repurposed.
This is the specification of the power station.
The Uniper (Formerly E.ON UK) plant consists of two 450 MW Siemens V94.2 gas turbine modules each connected to a heat recovery steam generator using only a single steam turbine in a 2 into 1 configuration. Gas is supplied from a 26-mile pipeline from Theddlethorpe.
When it was built by Powergen (now called Uniper) and opened in April 1993 it was only the second gas-fired power station built in the UK. It was taken out of service in 2002 due to the lower price of electricity and was then restored to full service in August 2005, with one of the 450 MW units returning to service in April 2005.
It was announced that the power station will be closed in 2015.
Will The Project Use The Shell Blue Hydrogen Process?
Will the plant use the Shell Blue Hydrogen Process, that I described in Shell Process To Make Blue Hydrogen Production Affordable?
It appears the Shell Blue Hydrogen Process offers advantages.
- Shell are claiming, that with carbon dioxide costing $25-35/tonne, that their process is more economic than grey or green hydrogen.
- Steam reforming also needs steam, but this new process actually generates steam as a by-product, which further improves the economics, as integrated chemical plants use a lot of steam. Killingholme’s neighbours would probably welcome the steam.
- Shell are reporting capturing 99% of the carbon.
- It looks like savings of between 10 and 25 % are possible.
The most-fervent greens, may claim blue hydrogen is totally wrong.
But if it is more affordable than both grey and green hydrogen and all but one percent of the carbon dioxide is captured, I believe that this should be an option, that is fully investigated.
This appears to be a victory for top-class chemical engineering.
Northern Endurance Partnership
The Northern Endurance Partnership is described on this page of the Equinor web site, where this is said.
BP, Eni, Equinor, National Grid, Shell and Total today confirmed they have formed a new partnership, the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP), to develop offshore carbon dioxide (CO2) transport and storage infrastructure in the UK North Sea, with bp as operator.
This infrastructure will serve the proposed Net Zero Teesside (NZT) and Zero Carbon Humber (ZCH) projects that aim to establish decarbonised industrial clusters in Teesside and Humberside.
There is also a map.
Note.
- One facility would appear to serve the Tees and the Humber.
It looks like the depleted gas fields could hold a lot of carbon dioxide.
Carbon Capture
Some points from the Equinor press release about carbon capture.
- Blue hydrogen production at Killingholme could see the capture of around 1.6 million metric tonnes (Mt) of carbon a year through CCS.
- The UK Government has set a target to capture 10 Mt of carbon a year by 2030.
- NEP has submitted a bid for funding through Phase 2 of the UK Government’s Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge, aiming to accelerate the development of an offshore pipeline network to transport captured CO2 emissions from both NZT and ZCH to offshore geological storage beneath the UK North Sea.
These projects could could decarbonise a lot of businesses on Teesside and the Humber.
Carbon Capture And Use
The Equinor press release says this about carbon capture and use.
The Northern Endurance Partnership will channel the extensive experience of its members to develop and deliver the offshore transport and storage infrastructure we need to unlock the enormous benefits of deploying CCUS across the Humber and Teesside. We’re delighted to start working together with five really world class energy companies to deliver a solution that will play a critical role in decarbonising the UK’s largest industrial heartland and protecting tens of thousands of jobs in the process.”
Uses include.
- Feeding to salad vegetables, tomatoes, soft fruit and flowers in giant greenhouses.
- Creating sustainable aviation fuel.
- Creating building products like blocks and plaster board.
- Making better concrete.
This is a list that will grow.
Making Hydrogen With An Electrolyser
The Shell press release says this.
Uniper continues to develop a separate green hydrogen project, using electrolytic hydrogen production technology, as part of the overall Humber Hub development at Uniper’s Killingholme site. Uniper, along with its project partners, will shortly complete the Project Mayflower feasibility study, part funded by the Department for Transport’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, administered by InnovateUK, looking at the decarbonisation of port related activities at the Port of Immingham.
Note that the sub station for the 1.4 GW Hornsea 2 wind farm is close to both Killingholme power station and the Uniper web site.
What Will Happen To Shell’s Blue Hydrogen Plant?
I think there are two possible scenarios.
- It will be closed when Uniper’s electrolyser is fully on stream.
- It will become an emergency hydrogen source, when the wind is not blowing.
In both cases it will produce less carbon dioxide, thus leaving more space in the Northern Endurance Partnership.
Conclusion
It looks like there could be a comprehensive hydrogen production facility at Killingholme.
ScotWind Offshore Wind Leasing Delivers Major Boost To Scotland’s Net Zero Aspirations
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release on the Crown Estate Scotland web site.
This is the first two paragraphs.
Crown Estate Scotland has today announced the outcome of its application process for ScotWind Leasing, the first Scottish offshore wind leasing round in over a decade and the first ever since the management of offshore wind rights were devolved to Scotland.
The results coming just months after Glasgow hosted the global COP26 climate conference show the huge opportunity that Scotland has to transform its energy market and move towards a net zero economy.
Some highlights are then listed.
- 17 projects have been selected out of a total of 74 applications.
- A total of just under £700m will be paid by the successful applicants in option fees and passed to the Scottish Government for public spending.
- The area of seabed covered by the 17 projects is just over 7,000km2.
- Initial indications suggest a multi-billion pound supply chain investment in Scotland
- The potential power generated will move Scotland towards net-zero.
This map shows the position of each wind farm.
Note, that the numbers are Scotwind’s lease number in their documents.
Fixed Foundation Wind Farms
These are the six fixed foundation wind farms.
- 1 – BP Alternative Energy Investments – 859 km² – 2.9 GW
- 6 – DEME – 187 km² – 1.0 GW
- 9 – Ocean Winds – 429 km² – 1.0 GW
- 13 – Offshore Wind Power – 657 km² – 2.0 GW
- 16 – Northland Power – 161 km² – 0.8 GW
- 17 – Scottish Power Renewables – 754 km² – 2.0 GW
Adding up these fixed foundation wind farms gives a capacity of 9.7 GW in 3042 km² or about 3.2 MW per km².
Floating Wind Farms
These are the ten floating wind farms.
- 2- SSE Renewables – 859 km² – 2.6 GW
- 3 – Falck Renewables Wind – 280 km² – 1.2 GW
- 4 – Shell – 860 km² – 2.0 GW
- 5 – Vattenfall – 200 km² – 0.8 GW
- 7 – DEME Concessions Wind – 200 km² – 1.0 GW
- 8 – Falck Renewables Wind – 256 km² – 1.0 GW
- 10 – Falck Renewables Wind – 134 km² – 0.5 GW
- 11 – Scottish Power Renewables – 684 km² – 3.0 GW
- 12 – BayWa r.e. UK – 330 km² – 1.0 GW
- 14 – Northland Power – 390 km² – 1.5 GW
Adding up the floating wind farms gives a capacity of 14.6 GW in 4193 km² or about 3.5 MW per km².
Mixed Wind Farms
This is the single wind farm, that has mixed foundations.
15 – Magnora – 103 km² – 0.5 GW
This wind farm appears to be using floating wind turbines.
I have a few general thoughts.
Are Floating Wind Farms Further Out?
There does appear to be a pattern, where the wind farms that are further from the land tend to be floating wind farms and those closer to the land appear to be fixed.
Consider.
- As the water gets deeper, fixed wind turbines will surely get more expensive.
- Floating wind turbines are the newer and more unproven technology, so only those bidders, who have done their research and are happy with it, will have bid.
Falck Renewables Wind Seem To Be Working With BlueFloat Energy
In the three Falck Renewables successes with leases 3, 8 and 10, BlueFloat Energy is a partner in the lease.
According to their web site, BlueFloat Energy were very much involved in WindFloat Atlantic, where this is said.
Top members of our team were key contributors to the development and construction of the WindFloat Atlantic project from concept to Final Investment Decision to commissioning. This 25 megawatt (MW) floating offshore wind project in Portugal marked a turning point in the offshore wind industry as it was the first floating offshore wind project to secure bank financing. With 3 x MVOW’s 8.4 MW turbines, the WindFloat Atlantic project was the world’s first semi-submersible floating wind project and continental Europe’s first floating wind project.
So do Falck Renewables intend to use WindFloat technology in their areas, which are to produce a total of 2.7 GW?
Perhaps a fleet of two hundred floating wind turbines based on WindFloat technology each with a capacity of 14 MW would be ideal.
- Wind turbines would be interchangeable between all three farms.
- There could be a few standby turbines to allow for maintenance.
- It would be possible to borrow a turbine to explore a new site.
All it would need is technology to be able to position and connect a turbine into the wind farm and disconnect and remove a turbine from the wind farm, with simple procedures.
Did BP Avoid the Floating Wind Farms?
BP, who are relatively new to offshore wind, only had one success, for a large fixed wind farm. So did they avoid the floating wind farms?
Do Shell and Scottish Power Have A Bigger Plan?
Shell and Scottish Power were successful with leases 4 and 11, which are reasonably close together.
They also won lease 17, which I wrote about in MacHairWind Wind Farm, where I concluded this.
The MacHairWind wind farm seems a well-positioned wind farm.
- It is close to Glasgow.
- It can be used in tandem with the Cruachan pumped hydro power station.
- It will have access to the Western HVDC Link to send power to the North-West of England.
Is Scotland replacing the 1.2 GW Hunterston B nuclear power station with a 2 GW wind farm, with help from Cruachan and other proposed pumped storage hydro schemes to the North of Glasgow?
So did Shell and Scottish Power get the pick of the bunch and will build two large floating wind farms close together?
Shell and Scottish Power seem to be using French company; Eolfi’s floating wind technology.
Why Do Floating Wind Farms Have A Higher Density?
The floating wind farms have an average energy density of 3.5 MW per sq. km, whereas the fixed wind farms only manage 3.2 MW per sq. km.
It may be only ten percent, but does that help the economics? It certainly, wouldn’t make them worse.
I do wonder though, if the reason for the higher density is simply that a floating turbine can be bigger, than a corresponding fixed turbine.
I also have a few more specific thoughts about individual farms.
Lease 15 – The Odd Bid Out
In any design competition, there is usually at least one design, that is not look like any of the others.
In the successful bids for the ScotWind leases, the bid from Magnora ASA stands out.
- The company has an unusual home page on its offshore wind web site.
- This page on their web site outlines their project.
- It will be technology agnostic, with 15MW turbines and a total capacity of 500MW
- It will use floating offshore wind with a concrete floater
- It is estimated, that it will have a capacity factor of 56 %.
- The water depth will be an astonishing 106-125m
- The construction and operation will use local facilities at Stornoway and Kishorn Ports.
- The floater will have local and Scottish content.
- The project will use UK operated vessels.
- Hydrogen is mentioned.
- Consent is planned for 2026, with construction starting in 2028 and completion in 2030.
This project could serve as a model for wind farms all round the world with a 500 MW power station, hydrogen production and local involvement and construction.
I discuss this project in more detail in ScotWind N3 Offshore Wind Farm.
A Conclusion About Floating Wind
The various successful bids in this round of Scottish wind farm leases can be split by capacity into two groups.
- Floating + Mixed – 15.1 GW – 61 %
- Fixed – 9.7 GW – 39 %
Note that I have included Magnora’s successful mixed bid with the successful floating bids, as it uses floating wind turbines to generate electricity.
The over 60 % of successful bids involving floating wind farms, indicates to me, that the day of floating wind farms has arrived.
Shell And ScottishPower Win Bids To Develop 5 GW Of Floating Wind Power In The UK
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Shell.
This is three paragraphs from the press release.
Shell and ScottishPower have secured joint offers for seabed rights to develop large-scale floating wind farms as part of Crown Estate Scotland’s ScotWind leasing. The partners have won two sites representing a total of 5 gigawatts (GW) off the east and north-east coast of Scotland.
The new wind farms will be delivered through two joint ventures called MarramWind and CampionWind. They bring together ScottishPower’s and Shell’s decades of experience working offshore and significant presence in Scotland, as well as their strong innovation capabilities for delivering world-class offshore energy projects.
The development, construction and operation of ScotWind projects is set to bring new skilled jobs and manufacturing opportunities and boost local supply chains.
ScottishPower are actually involved in three large ScotWind projects; one by themselves and two in partnership with Shell.
MacHairWind
MachairWind is a project that Scottish Power is developing alone.
- It has its own page on the ScottishPower Renewables web site.
- It will be a 2 GW wind farm to the North-West of Islay.
- The turbines will be on fixed foundations.
I wrote about this project in MacHairWind Wind Farm.
MarramWind And CampionWind
These two wind farms are being developed in partnership with Shell.
They both have their own web sites.
MarramWind’s web site has this introduction.
ScottishPower and Shell have joined forces to develop the MarramWind offshore windfarm following success in the recent ScotWind auction process by Crown Estate Scotland.
Located 75 kilometres off the North East coast of Scotland in water depths averaging 100 metres, the proposed MarramWind floating offshore windfarm could deliver up to 3 gigawatts (GW) of cleaner renewable energy.
This map clipped from the MarramWind web site, shows the location of the wind farm.
CampionWind’s web site has this introduction.
ScottishPower and Shell have joined forces to develop the CampionWind offshore windfarm following success in the recent ScotWind auction process by Crown Estate Scotland.
Located 100 kilometres from the east coast of Scotland, in water depths averaging 77 metres, the proposed CampionWind floating offshore windfarm could deliver up to 2 gigawatts (GW) of cleaner renewable energy.
This map clipped from the CampionWind web site, shows the location of the wind farm.
Note.
- The two wind farms will be within a few miles of each other.
- Both wind farms will use floating wind turbines.
- The water is a bit deeper at MarramWind, but this surely doesn’t bother a floating turbine.
- MarramWind and CampionWind will have a total capacity of 5 GW.
- Hywind Scotland is the world’s first commercial wind farm using floating wind turbines, situated 29 kilometres off Peterhead. This wind farm is only 30 MW, but in its first years of operation has achieved a capacity factor of over 50 %.
- The proposed turbines at Northern Horizons‘ 10 GW wind farm, which is 130 kilometres to the North-East of Shetland will be 20 MW giants and nearly as tall as The Shard in London.
So will Scottish Power and Shell design and build a combined field, similar in concept to Northern Horizons’ wind farm, using an armada of 250 floating wind turbines?
- The wind turbines might be moored around a fixed or floating mother platform or structure, that will collect the electricity and deliver it to the shore.
- Turbines could be serviced in situ or moved into port, as needed.
- Extending the wind farm could just be a matter of mooring the extra turbines in position and then connecting them to the mother platform.
- Is there a convenient disused oil or gas platform, that could be repurposed as the mother platform?
It certainly would appear to be a way of building large offshore fields in deep waters.
Where Would The Combined MarramWind And CampionWind Rank In Terms of UK Wind Farms?
Consider.
- MarramWind and CampionWind will have a total capacity of 5 GW.
- Phase one of the Hornsea Wind Farm is the largest offshore wind farm in the world, with a capacity of just over 1.2 GW and when complete it will have a capacity of 6 GW.
- Northern Horizons is planned to be 10 GW.
- The East Anglian Array could be as large as 7.2 GW.
- The Dogger Bank Wind Farm is planned to be as large as 4.8 MW.
- Norfolk Vanguard and Norfolk Boreas are a pair of 1.8 GW wind farms.
- MacHairWind will be a 2 GW wind farm.
Note.
- This is not a complete list of large wind farms in the development pipeline.
- BP have obtained leases, but have not published their plans.
- Most farms under development are at least one GW.
- These farms are a total of 38.6 GW.
The Combined MarramWind and CampionWind would be one of several large wind farms around 5 GW.
There Is A Desperate Need For Energy Storage
If we are generating upwards of 40 GW of wind and solar energy in the UK, there will be a desperate need for energy storage to cover for the times, when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine.
Scotland should be OK, as there are various energy storage projects in development.
- The 1.5 GW/ 30 GWh Coire Glas project is according to SSE shovel-ready and has planning permission.
- The 450 MW/2.8 GWh Red John project is being constructed.
- Drax, ILI Group and SSE have several other projects under development.
So what would happen in the South?
The government appears to be on the case as I wrote in Ministerial Roundtable Seeks To Unlock Investment In UK Energy Storage.
But there is also the possibility of using hydrogen.
- Hydrogen could be created by a series of giant electrolysers.
- It could be blended with natural gas to eke out our natural gas and save carbon. According to HyDeploy, it appears that up to 20 % can be added, without needing to change boilers and appliances.
- It can be stored in depleted offshore gas fields.
- It can be used to power heavy transport like buses, trucks, trains and ships.
- It can be burned in gas-fired power stations to generate electricity.
Hydrogen can also be used as a feedstock or green energy source for the making of chemicals, concrete and steel.
Conclusion
We are approaching the end of the first phase of the development of renewable energy in the UK.
Massive floating wind farms using armadas of floating wind farms, a large expansion of pumped storage hydro and a huge expansion of the use of hydrogen will see us through to a carbon-free future.
The Anonymous Widower 