Great Yarmouth Terminal Set For Redevelopment Under Port Of East Anglia Name
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The UK’s Peel Ports Group has decided to invest a further GBP 10 million (approximately EUR 11.3 million) into its Great Yarmouth site, which is being rebranded as the Port of East Anglia.
These four paragraphs add details to the story.
The newly announced GBP 10 million brings this year’s total investment to GBP 70 million across the site and will be used to redevelop the port’s Northern Terminal, helping to accommodate the next generation of offshore wind projects across the region, according to Peel Ports.
Earlier this year, a substantial investment into its Southern Terminal was announced by the port, which has earmarked GBP 60 million to transform capacity and improve efficiencies.
This involves ensuring the port can support multiple hydrogen, carbon capture, offshore wind, and nuclear projects for decades to come.
Its existing terminals service a variety of construction customers, including infrastructure projects such as Sizewell C and offshore energy projects based in the southern North Sea.
Note.
- In Yarmouth Harbour To Be ‘Completed’ In £60m Project, I talk about the work to be done on the Southern Terminal.
- The work on the Southern Terminal includes a roll-on roll-off (RORO) lift ramp and a large storage area.
- Start on the work on the Southern Terminal will start in 2026.
With all the construction work mentioned in the last two paragraphs, I suspect that the Port of Great Yarmouth will be busy?
These are some further thoughts.
Why Is The Port Of Great Yarmouth Being Renamed?
The article says this.
The new name, which will come into effect in early 2026, also aligns with the creation of a new combined authority for Suffolk and Norfolk, according to Peel Ports.
Peel Ports name change is fairly sensible, but as I was conceived in Suffolk and I’m an Ipswich Town supporter, I don’t feel that the two counties should be merged.
Does The Mention Of Hydrogen Mean That The Port Of Great Yarmouth Will Be Hosting A Hydrogen Electrolyser, To Fuel Trucks And Ships?
I asked Google AI, “If A Hydrogen Electrolyser is To Be Built In The Port Of Great Yarmouth?”, and received this answer.
While there are no current public plans for an immediate construction of a large-scale hydrogen electrolyser within the Port of Great Yarmouth, significant port expansion and infrastructure upgrades are underway to ensure it can support future hydrogen projects and related clean energy initiatives.
Note.
- If technology to handle hydrogen, is copied from North Sea gas, there is certainly a lot of proven technology that can be used again.
- There may even be depleted gas fields, where captured carbon dioxide, hydrogen or North Sea gas can be stored.
I find the most exciting thing, would be to send hydrogen to Germany.
Why Would Anybody Export Hydrogen To Germany?
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this answer.
Countries would export hydrogen to Germany because Germany has a large, growing demand for hydrogen to power its heavily industrialised economy and achieve its decarbonisation goals, but lacks sufficient domestic renewable energy capacity to produce the required amounts.
Germany also, uses a lot of bloodstained Russian gas and indigenous polluting coal.
How Could Anybody Export Hydrogen To Germany?
- Wilhelmshaven is one of the main import ports for hydrogen in North West Germany.
- Great Yarmouth is probably the closest larger port to Germany.
- Great Yarmouth and Wilhelmshaven are probably about 300 miles apart, by the shortest route.
- Great Yarmouth would need to build infrastructure to export hydrogen.
The easiest way to transport the hydrogen from Great Yarmouth to Wilhelmshaven, is probably to use a gas tanker built especially for the route.
This Google Map shows the route between Great Yarmouth and Wilhelmshaven.
Note.
- The North-East corner of East Anglia with Great Yarmouth to the North of Lowestoft, is in the bottom-left corner of the map.
- Wilhelmshaven is a few miles inland in the top-right corner of the map.
- Could a coastal tanker go along the Dutch and German coasts to Wilhelmshaven?
I have no skills in boats, but would Great Yarmouth to Wilhelmshaven to take hydrogen to Germany?
RWE Are Developing Three Wind Farms To The North-East of Great Yarmouth
RWE are a large German Electricity company and the UK’s largest generator of electricity.
The company is developing three wind farms to the North-East of Great Yarmouth.
- Norfolk Boreas – 1.2 GW – 45 miles offshore
- Norfolk Vanguard West – 1.2 GW – 29 miles offshore
- Norfolk Vanguard East – 1.2 GW – 28 miles offshore
Note.
- The electricity for all three wind farms is to be brought ashore at Happisburgh South, which is about 22 miles North of Great Yarmouth.
- The original plan was to take the electricity halfway across Norfolk to the Necton substation to connect to the grid.
- The natives will not be happy about a 4.2 GW overhead line between Happisburgh and Necton.
- RWE have built offshore electrolysers before in German waters.
- Could an electrical cable or a hydrogen pipe be laid in the sea between Happisburgh South and the Port of Great Yarmouth?
- The electrolyser could either be offshore at Happisburgh or onshore in the Port of Great Yarmouth.
As I don’t suspect these three wind farms will be the last connected to the Port of Great Yarmouth, I would expect that RWE will put the electrolyser offshore at Happisburgh and connect it by a hydrogen pipeline to the Port of Great Yarmouth.
Could There Be A Connection To The Bacton Gas Terminal?
Consider.
The Bacton Gas Terminal, which feeds gas into the UK Gas Network, is only 4.2 miles up the coast from Happisburgh South.
Some climate scientists advocate blending hydrogen into the gas supply to reduce carbon emissions.
In Better Than A Kick In The Teeth – As C Would Say!, I disclosed that I now have a new hydrogen-ready boiler, so I’m not bothered, if I get changed to a hydrogen blend.
So could hydrogen from the Norfolk wind farms be fed into the grid to reduce carbon emissions?
Could The Port Of Great Yarmouth Become A Hydrogen Distribution Centre?
Thinking about it, the port could also become a distribution centre for green hydrogen.
Consider.
- Hydrogen-powered ships, tugs and workboats could be refuelled.
- Hydrogen-powered trucks could also be refuelled.
- Tanker-trucks could distribute hydrogen, to truck and bus operators, farms and factories, that need it for their transport and operations.
- I believe, that construction equipment will be increasingly hydrogen-powered.
In my life, I have lived at times in two country houses, that were heated by propane and there are about 200,000 off-grid houses in the UK, that are heated this way.
The two houses, where I lived would have been a nightmare to convert to heat pumps, but it would have been very easy to convert them to a hydrogen boiler and power it from a tank in the garden.
It should be noted, that the new boiler in my house in London is hydrogen-ready.
So the Port of Great Yarmouth could be the major centre for hydrogen distribution in Norfolk.
In the 1960s, I used to work in ICI’s hydrogen plant at Runcorn. If you ride in a hydrogen bus in England, it is likely that the hydrogen came from the same plant. Handled correctly, hydrogen is no less safe and reliable than natural gas or propane.
Man Finds Prehistoric Handaxe On His Tea Break
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
A man discovered a prehistoric handaxe while he was “kicking his feet” on the ground during a tea break.
These are the first three paragraphs, which add some detail to the story.
Colin Cooley, 57, from Otley, Suffolk, works as a dumper driver on the Sizewell C excavation site.
Toward the end of a tea break, he noticed a piece of rock that he believed looked like a handaxe.
“All hell broke loose” when it was confirmed to be between 36,000 and 59,000 years old, and Hadley Sharman, an archaeologist working on the site, added it was a “blinder” of a find.
I suppose that the Nimbies will use the find to stop the power station getting built!
On the other hand Crossrail has used archaeology to make friends with the public, as I pointed out in Bison To Bedlam Or How To Make Friends.
Yarmouth Harbour To Be ‘Completed’ In £60m Project
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
A major port is set to expand to prepare for construction work linked to several national infrastructure projects.
These first two paragraphs, which give more details.
Peel Ports said it would invest between £50m and £60m in Great Yarmouth’s Outer Harbour by developing the southern terminal, creating a roll-on roll-off (RORO) lift ramp and a large storage area.
Port director Richard Goffin said the construction work, which is set to begin in 2026, would “complete” the port as laid out in a business case in the early 2000s.
This image from Peel Ports Group shows how the Port of Great Yarmouth will look after the the proposed development.
And this Google Map shows the port as it is today.
Note.
- The large triple shed, with the cross-wise middle section can be picked out in both the image and the map.
- The label by the shed says Origin Fertilisers, so I suspect the three objects on the quayside, which are visible in both the image and the map could be conveyors for loading and unloading ships with fertiliser.
- The two breakwaters are visible in both the image and the map.
It looks like the development would mainly involve filling in the Southern part of the current harbour.
With only a quick look and scant details, it looks to me, that it is a development that could be easily realised.
I have some thoughts.
Rail Access To The Port
There is no rail access to the port and I couldn’t see how it could be provided, without demolishing half of the town.
But there are carriage sidings at Great Yarmouth station, which are described in this Wikipedia entry like this.
New sidings were provided at the western end of the station to cope with the additional services operating into the station, following the closure of the M&GN system. It is a crescent-shaped site between the A47 road and Wherryman’s Way at the northernmost point of the River Yare, about 1⁄4 mi (400 m) north-west of the station. It had fallen out of use in the 1980s when Norwich Crown Point depot was built.
In 2010, the unused sidings were purchased by Great Yarmouth Borough Council; they were intended for use as a freight terminal, despite the lack of rail connection to the town’s port. It was hoped that 10,000 tonnes of sugar cane per week would be carried from Yarmouth to Cantley. The need to use a lorry shuttle between the docks and the rail yard, along with a £3.2 million quote for replacing the sidings at Cantley, saw the plan dropped.[19]
In May 2020, Eastern Rail Services commenced a lease with Norfolk County Council and Network Rail for Yarmouth Vauxhall sidings. Managing director James Steward said the siding “matched ERS’s requirement for an East Anglian site to base its rolling stock.” Following extensive de-vegetation works, Direct Rail Services 37402 became the first locomotive in 19 years to run into the sidings on 26 May 2020, followed the next day by it delivering five former Greater Anglia Mark 3 coaches for storage. On 6 July 2020, ERS was authorised a licence exemption permitting them to operate trains within the site
The Port of Great Yarmouth appears to be keen to do its part in the construction of Sizewell C. Could components for the power station, be brought into the port through the new roll-on/roll-off berth and then transferred to rail in the former carriage sidings?
This 3D Google Map shows the carriage sidings.
Most of the rolling stock appears to be retired Mark 2 and M3 coaches.
Road Access To The Port
This Google Map shows Great Yarmouth and the Port and roads in the area.
Note.
- The red arrow indicates Great Yarmouth station.
- The Port of Great Yarmouth is in the South-East corner of the map.
- The A 47 runs down the West side of the town.
- The River Yare runs from the railway station to the sea, just below the port.
There is a road on the East bank of the River Yare, that connects to the A 47 and could easily connect to a rail cargo terminal to the North-West of the station in the derelict carriage sidings.
I can certainly see Nimbies not liking the new roll-on/roll-off ferry creating traffic in the town.
The Construction Of Sizewell C
Sizewell C is very similar to Hinckley Point C and this extract from the Wikipedia entry for Hinckley Point C describes some of that power station’s construction.
In March 2017, EDF, after the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) gave approval to start building, the building of the first parts of the plant proper began with a network of tunnels to carry cabling and piping. Work was also under way on a jetty to land building materials, a seawall, and accommodation blocks.
In January 2018, EDF said that they were on track to start generating electricity by 2025 and that they planned to start constructing above-ground structures for the power station by June 2019.
The approximate 2,000 cubic metres (71,000 cu ft) concrete pour for the first reactor started on 11 December 2018. It was completed over a 30-hour period, creating the first part of the unit one 4,500 tonne base, a platform 3.2 metres (10 ft 6 in) thick. The reactor building will be built on the (to be completed) platform. This construction start marks the first new reactor build in the UK after a 30-year break, and the second PWR in the UK, after Sizewell B.
Completion of the base for the first reactor, the final 8,954 cubic metres (316,200 cu ft) of concrete, was achieved in June 2019. Completion of the base for the second reactor, 8,991 cubic metres (317,500 cu ft) of concrete, was achieved in June 2020.
Construction utilises the world’s largest crane, the Sarens SGC-250 double ring crane, which is responsible for lifting Hinkley Point C’s heaviest components. More than 600 heavy fabrications, including the five major parts of each unit’s steel containment liner and dome, are positioned by the SGC-250. The crane, named Big Carl, was delivered in modular form, consisting of over 400 deliveries.
In February 2023, the first nuclear reactor pressure vessel was delivered to site via the Bristol Channel Hinkley-dedicated wharf at Combwich. The pressure vessel was built in France in 2022 by Framatome.
In May 2024, the first of the 520 tonne steam generators was delivered to site in the same manner as the reactor pressure vessel.
Note.
- A good proportion of the power station and the materials to build it were brought in by sea.
- The size of everything is huge.
- Big Carl seems to make appearances in all big projects.
- According to the BBC, Peel Ports are spending £60million on a new roll-on/roll-off terminal, 350 metres of quay and ten hectares of high quality storage space.
I wouldn’t be surprised, if they have the contract for Sizewell C’s logistics, that Peel Ports will be laughing all the way to the bank.
If nothing else, after Sizewell C is completed, they will have a high-class port facility at the end of the A 47 from Birmingham, Leicester, Peterborough and Norwich, which could open up possible ferry routes to Europe.
Between Great Yarmouth And Sizewell
If the components come in to Great Yarmouth on trailers on the RORO ferries from France, they could be taken to Sizewell on the A 12 road.
Smaller components may be taken by road, but I wouldn’t rule out a transfer to rail in the carriage sidings at Great Yarmough, as I indicated earlier.
Centrica Really Can’t Lose At Sizewell
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in The Times.
This is the sub-heading.
Centrica’s £1.3 billion investment in Sizewell C guarantees substantial returns, even with cost overruns.
These two-and-a-half paragraphs explain the funding.
Now we know what Ed Miliband means by his “golden age of nuclear” — golden for the companies putting their money into Sizewell C. Yes, reactor projects have a habit of blowing up private investors. But maybe not this one. It looks more like an exercise in transferring risk to consumers and the taxpayer.
Sure, nobody builds a £38 billion nuke on a Suffolk flood plain without a frisson of danger. But the energy secretary and his Treasury chums have done their bit to make things as safe as possible for the companies putting in equity alongside the government’s 44.9 per cent stake: Canada’s La Caisse with 20 per cent, British Gas-owner Centrica (15 per cent), France’s EDF (12.5 per cent) and Amber Infrastructure (7.6 per cent).
For starters, nearly all the debt for the 3.2 gigawatt plant, three-quarters funded by loans, is coming from the state-backed National Wealth Fund. It’s bunging in up to £36.6 billion, with £5 billion more guaranteed by a French export credit agency.
It looks to me that between them the British and French governments are providing £41.5 billion of loans to build the £38 billion nuke.
These are my thoughts.
Hydrogen And Sizewell C
This page on the Sizewell C web site is entitled Hydrogen And Sizewell C.
Under a heading of Hydrogen Buses, this is said.
At Sizewell C, we are exploring how we can produce and use hydrogen in several ways. We are working with Wrightbus on a pilot scheme which, if successful, could see thousands of workers transported to and from site on hydrogen double decker buses. You can read more about the pilot scheme in our press release
Firstly, it could help lower emissions during construction of the power station. Secondly, once Sizewell C is operational, we hope to use some of the heat it generates (alongside electricity) to make hydrogen more efficiently.
This would appear to be a more general statement about hydrogen and that the following is planned.
- Hydrogen-powered buses will be used to bring workers to the site. A press release on the Sizewell C web site, talks about up to 150 buses. That would probably be enough buses for all of Suffolk.
- Hydrogen-powered construction equipment will be used in the building of the power station.
- It also talks about using the excess heat from the power station to make hydrogen more efficiently. I talk about this process in Westinghouse And Bloom Energy To Team Up For Pink Hydrogen.
This is a substantial investment in hydrogen.
Centrica And Electricity From Sizewell C
The article in The Times, also says this.
Even so, there’s a fair bit of protection for the likes of Centrica, which has also agreed a 20-year offtake deal for its share of Sizewell’s electricity. The price of that is not yet known.
Nothing is said in the article about the size of Centrica’s electricity offtake.
- If they get 15 % of Sizewell C, that would by 480 MW.
- If they get 15 % of Sizewell B + C, that would by 660 MW.
If they use their share to generate hydrogen, Suffolk would have a massive hydrogen hub.
To power the buses and construction of Sizewell C, Sizewell B could be used to provide electricity to create the hydrogen.
How Would The Hydrogen Be Produced?
Centrica, along with other companies, who include Hyundai and Kia, are backers of a company in Hull called HiiROC, who use a process called Thermal Plasma Electrolysis to generate hydrogen.
On their web site, they have this sub-heading.
A Transformational New Process For Affordable Clean Hydrogen
The web site also describes the process as scalable from small modular units up to industrial scale. It also says this about the costs of the system: As cheap as SMR without needing CCUS; a fraction of the energy/cost of water electrolysis.
If HiiROC have achieved their objective of scalability, then Centrica could grow their electrolyser to meet demand.
How Would The Hydrogen Be Distributed?
Consider.
- Currently, the Sizewell site has both road and rail access.
- I can still see in my mind from the 1960s, ICI’s specialist articulated Foden trucks lined up in the yard at Runcorn, taking on their cargoes of hydrogen for delivery all over the country.
- As that factory is still producing hydrogen and I can’t remember any accidents in the last sixty years, I am fairly sure that a range of suitable hydrogen trucks could be developed to deliver hydrogen by road.
- The road network to the Siewell site is being updated to ensure smooth delivery of workers and materials.
- The rail access to the Sizewell site is also being improved, for the delivery of bulk materials.
I believe there will be no problems delivering hydrogen from the Sizewell site.
I also believe that there could be scope for a special-purpose self-propelled hydrogen tanker train, which could both distribute and supply the hydrogen to the vehicles, locomotives and equipment that will be using it.
Where Will The Hydrogen Be Used?
I have lived a large part of my life in Suffolk and know the county well.
In my childhood, there was quite a lot of heavy industry, but now that has all gone and employment is based on agriculture, the Port of Felixstowe and service industries.
I can see hydrogen being used in the following industries.
Transport
Buses and heavy trucks would be powered by hydrogen.
The ports in the East of England support a large number of heavy trucks.
Large Construction Projects
Sizewell C is not the only large construction project in the East of England, that is aiming to use low-carbon construction involving hydrogen. In Gallagher Group Host Hydrogen Fuel Trial At Hermitage Quarry, I talked about a hydrogen fuel trial for the Lower Thames Crossing, that involved JCB and Ryse Hydrogen.
Hydrogen for the Lower Thames Crossing could be delivered from Sizewell by truck, down the A12.
Rail
We may not ever see hydrogen-powered passenger trains in this country, but I do believe that we could see hydrogen-powered freight locomotives.
Consider.
- The latest electro-diesel Class 99 locomotives from Stadler have a Cummins diesel engine.
- The diesel engine is used, when there is no electrification.
- Cummins have developed the technology, that allows them to convert their latest diesel engines to hydrogen or natural gas power, by changing the cylinder head and the fuel system.
- Access to the Port of Felixstowe and London Gateway needs a locomotive with a self-powered capability for the last few miles of the route.
A Class 99 locomotive converted to hydrogen would be able to run with out emitting any carbon dioxide from Felixstowe or London Gateway to Glasgow or Edinburgh.
Ports
Ports have three main uses for hydrogen.
- To power ground-handing equipment, to create a pollution-free atmosphere for port workers.
- To fuel ships of all sizes from the humblest work-boat to the largest container ships.
- There may need to be fuel for hydrogen-powered rail locomotives in the future.
There are seven ports with excellent road and/or rail connections to the Sizewell site; Felixstowe, Great Yarmouth, Harwich, Ipswich, London Gateway, Lowestoft and Tilbury.
The proposed Freeport East is also developing their own green hydrogen hub, which is described on this page on the Freeport East web site.
Airports
Airports have two main uses for hydrogen.
- To power ground-handing equipment, to create a pollution-free atmosphere for airport workers.
- In the future, there is likely to be hydrogen-powered aircraft.
There are three airports with excellent road and/or rail connections to the Sizewell site; Norwich, Southend and Stansted.
Agriculture And The Rural Economy
Agriculture and the rural economy would be difficult to decarbonise.
Consider.
- Currently, most farms would use diesel power for tractors and agricultural equipment, which is delivered by truck.
- Many rural properties are heated by propane or fuel oil, which is delivered by truck.
- Some high-energy rural businesses like blacksmiths rely on propane, which is delivered by truck.
- Electrification could be possible for some applications, but ploughing the heavy land of Suffolk, with the added weight of a battery on the tractor, would probably be a mathematical impossibility.
- JCB are developing hydrogen-powered construction equipment and already make tractors.
- Hydrogen could be delivered by truck to farms and rural properties.
- Many boilers can be converted from propoane to run on hydrogen.
I feel, that hydrogen could be the ideal fuel to decarbonise agriculture and the rural economy.
I cover this application in detail in Developing A Rural Hydrogen Network.
Exports
Consider.
- Sizewell B and Sizewell C nuclear powerstations have a combined output of 4.4 GW.
- A rough calculation shows that there is a total of 7.2 GW of wind farms planned off the Suffolk coast.
- The East Anglian Array wind farm alone is said in Wikipedia to be planned to expand to 7.2 GW.
- The Sizewell site has a high capacity connection to the National Grid.
Nuclear plus wind should keep the lights on in the East of England.
Any excess electricity could be converted into hydrogen.
This Google Map shows the location of Sizewell B in relation to Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands.
The Sizewell site is indicated by the red arrow.
The offshore oil and gas industry has used technology like single buoy moorings and coastal tankers to collect offshore natural gas for decades.
I don’t see why coastal hydrogen tankers couldn’t export excess hydrogen to places around the North Sea, who need the fuel.
It should be born in mind, that Centrica have a good reputation in doing natural gas trading. This expertise would surely be useful in hydrogen trading.
Conclusion
I believe that a hydrogen hub developed at Sizewell makes sense and I also believe that Centrica have the skills and technology to make it work.
Wrightbus Hydrogen Buses Trial Begins At Sizewell C
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Route One.
This is the sub-heading.
An order of 150 more StreetDeck Hydroliners, plus battery-electrics, could follow, says the manufacturer
These three paragraphs give more details.
A trial of four Wrightbus StreetDeck Hydroliner hydrogen fuel cell-electric buses at Sizewell C nuclear power plant in Suffolk was launched this week.
The three double-deckers and one single-decker are transporting workers at the under-construction site to test operational performance of the clean technology.
Wrightbus says a successful pilot scheme could lead to an order of 150 hydrogen buses from Sizewell, which would represent the UK largest fleet using that technology.
These zero-carbon buses are to ensure that transporting workers to the site for the project, has the lowest possible carbon footprint.
MP Pushes For Tidal Lagoon In Bristol Channel
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Building a tidal lagoon in the Bristol Channel could provide clean energy for 120 years, an MP has said.
These three paragraphs give more details.
The proposed West Somerset Lagoon, which would cost £10bn to build, would run nine miles (14km) from Minehead to Watchet in Somerset.
Its lifespan would be twice that of a nuclear power plant, said Tiverton and Minehead MP Rachel Gilmour.
Mrs Gilmour said she will soon be discussing the proposal with ministers. If the project is pursued, it could be up and running by 2038 – bringing jobs and financial benefits to the area.
The project already has a web site, with this mission statement.
The West Somerset Tidal Lagoon is a proposed Tidal Range power scheme, that aims to harness the energy of the tides to provide zero carbon renewable energy. It is strategically located on the southern coast of the Bristol Channel Basin between Minehead and Watchet to take advantage of the world’s second highest tidal range and will become the UK’s largest sustainable energy project.
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the coast between Minehead and Watchet.
Note.
- Minehead station is indicated by the blue arrow in the North-West of the map.
- Watchet station is indicated by the blue lettering on the Eastern edge of the map.
- The West Somerset Railway links the two stations and connects them to the Bristol and Exeter Line at Norton Fitzwarren station.
It looks like the sea wall of the lagoon will curve between Minehead and Watchet.
The West Somerset Railway
This OpenRailwayMap shows the whole West Somerset Railway.
Note.
- Minehead station is in the North-West corner of the map.
- Norton Fitzwarren station is indicated by the blue arrow in the South-East corner of the map, where the West Somerset Railway joins the main line between Exeter and Bristol.
- Taunton station on the main line with trains all over the country is a few miles to the East of Norton Fitzwarren station.
I believe that for the lagoon project to be completed, the West Somerset Railway needs to be turned into a fully-operational branch line from Taunton to improve access for residents, visitors and workers to Minehead and other places in West Somerset.
Large projects like these need large numbers of workers to be completed.
Less disruption to local residents and businesses is caused if a park and ride site is set up. Sizewell C is setting up two from the nearby East Suffolk Line, using hydrogen-powered buses.
Sizewell C also intends to bring in heavy equipment and construction materials by rail from Ipswich and Lowestoft.
The West Somerset Tidal Lagoon could use the railway to bring in heavy loads.
If the West Somerset Railway is going to be used to ease the construction of the lagoon , then this should be properly to connected to Taunton first.
UK Investment Summit Latest: Starmer Announces £1.1bn Expansion Of Stansted Airport
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
The Times has this sub-heading about Stansted
Analysis: Stansted Deal Prioritises Growth Over Climate
There are four paragraphs of analysis.
Over the weekend, Sir Keir Starmer made clear that his commitments to boost workers’ rights would not get in the way of his desire to bring in cash from the owners of P&O. As ministers now trumpet a deal to upgrade Stansted airport, it seems that growth and jobs also trump concerns about emissions.
Louise Haigh, the transport secretary who prompted the row with DP World by calling P&O a “rogue operator”, praised the Stansted deal as a “clear signal that Britain is open for business”. She argued that Stansted could be upgraded “while also meeting our existing environment obligations”, with the airport promising a new solar farm to generate electricity. But environmentalists will be dismayed by the prospect of more plane journeys and associated emissions.
The deal also raises fresh questions about a third runway at Heathrow after years of dithering under the Conservatives. No 10 has previously said it is “not opposed” to expansion if it can meet tests on emissions, climate change, noise pollution — and growth.
Starmer has said he will not duck decisions because they are “too difficult”. A decision on Heathrow offers a very clear test of that promise.
Is Hydrogen The Reason For The Choice Of Stansted?
I wonder if the choice of Stansted for expansion is down to the likelihood, that East Anglia will be a big centre for the generation of zero-carbon green and pink hydrogen, with gigawatts of offshore wind farms for the green and nuclear at Sizewell for the pink.
Aircraft of the future will surely need hydrogen for flying to their destinations.
Already, the massive construction of Sizewell C is going to be performed using zero-construction methods involving electricity and hydrogen, as far as is possible.
Large construction at Stansted Airport could be done in a similar manner, using perhaps a hydrogen pipeline between Sizewell and Stansted running along the A 14. This would probably be built anyway, so that East Anglia’s large numbers of heavy trucks could be converted to hydrogen.
Already the hydrogen buses to bring workers to the Sizewell C site have been ordered from Wrightbus in Ballymena.
Airbus, are planning to have their hydrogen-powered Boeing 737/A 320-size airliner in service by the mid-2030s. From visualisations released by Airbus, the Zeroe hydrogen Turbofan looks very much like a redesigned version of the current A320 neo, with two hydrogen turbofans (hopefully with RR on the side!) Converting an existing proven airliner, only means that the new parts need to be certified, so this would bring the plane into service quicker.
Airbus’s infographic shows the Zeroe hydrogen Turbofan will seat up to 200 passengers and have a range of 2,000 nautical miles or 3,700 km.
Discover the three zero-emission concept aircraft known as ZEROe in this infographic. These turbofan, turboprop, and blended-wing-body configurations are all hydrogen hybrid aircraft.
A typical A 320 neo will fly 165 passengers up to 3,500 nautical miles or 6.500 km.
A few distances from Stansted include.
- Athens – 2,400 km.
- Berlin – 905 km.
- Cairo – 3514 km.
- Copenhagen 913 km.
- Dublin – 470 km.
- Edinburgh – 509 km.
- Gander 3,800 km
- Geneva – 760 km.
- Glasgow – 540 km.
- Istanbul – 2480 km.
- Madrid – 1300 km.
- Milan – 960 km.
- Munich – 909 km.
- Palma de Mallorca – 1,400 km.
- Reykjavík – 1870 km.
- Rome – 1,442 km.
- Stockholm – 1,400 km.
- Tel-Aviv – 3,564 km.
- Tenerife North – 2944 km.
- Tenerife South – 2999 km.
- Warsaw 1,412 km.
These distances would mean, a lot of current European destinations could be reached, if the plane were filled at both airports, but a surprising number of popular places could be reached by only refuelling at Stansted.
It also appears to me, that with refuelling in Iceland and perhaps a stopover, in that delightful and different country, zero-carbon flights across the Atlantic would be possible.
If a hydrogen-powered aircraft has the 3,700 km. range that Airbus are promising, it will be an aircraft with a lot of possibilities!
Short Flights
- Amsterdam – 541 km.
- Cardiff – 253 km.
- Exeter – 284 km.
- Jersey – 344 km.
- Liverpool – 264 km.
- Newcastle – 373 km.
- Newquay – 399 km.
- Ronaldsway – 408 km.
- Southampton – 151 km.
Some of these flights would be competing with trains.
Flights Around The British Isles
One of the longest flights around the British Isles would be between Stansted and Sumburgh Airport in the Shetland Isles.
But this is only 894 kilometres, so a return trip would be possible.
I also feel that arranging hydrogen refuelling on Shetland will not be a difficult task, as the islands are likely to have copious supplies of green hydrogen.
Flights From Stansted To Europe
Applying a ten percent reserve probably means a safe one-way range of around 1,700 km.
This would mean that.
- Amsterdam – 541 km.
- Berlin – 905 km.
- Copenhagen – 913 km.
- Madrid – 1300 km.
- Milan – 960 km.
- Munich – 909 km.
- Palma de Mallorca – 1,400 km.
- Rome – 1,442 km.
- Stockholm – 1,400 km.
- Warsaw 1,412 km.
Should all be in range. of an out-and-back flight, after fully fuelling the plane at Stansted Airport.
Others like.
- Athens – 2,400 km.
- Bucharest – 2070 km.
- Cairo – 3514 km.
- Istanbul – 2480 km.
- Lisbon – 1630 km.
- Malta – 2107 km.
- Marrakech – 2350. km.
- Sofia – 2010 km.
- Tel-Aviv – 3,564 km.
- Tenerife North – 2944 km.
- Tenerife South – 2999 km.
Could be handled by refuelling at the destination.
Hopping Across The Atlantic
Consider.
- My great aunt Beatrice used to fly the Atlantic in the 1950s, although it was usually a succession of small hops between Heathrow Shannon and Gander Airports. I think she regularly used ships like the Queen Mary and Elizabeth, as she found them less stressful.
- Icelandair offer short stopovers in Reykjavik and I suspect they will offer this with hydrogen-fuelled aircraft.
- British Airways used to offer a London City Airport to New York flight via Shannon using an Airbus A 318.
I would certainly be interested to hop across from Stansted to New York in a hydrogen-powered aircraft, and I suspect others would do it for the environmental brownie points.
Legs could be.
- Stansted and Reykjavík – 1870 km.
- Reykjavík and Gander – 2568 km
- Gander and New York – 1767 km.
A stop could possibly be squeezed in at Boston.
It could be an interesting way to cross the Atlantic.
Hydrogen Production In East Anglia
I said earlier that East Anglia could produce a lot of zero-carbon green and prink hydrogen from wind and nuclear and this would be used for the following.
- Aviation out of Stansted and Southend Airports.
- Shipping out of the Port of Felixstowe, London Gateway and other smaller ports.
- Providing energy for heavy transport in East Anglia.
- Providing energy for Freeport East at Felixstowe and Harwich.
- Refuelling passing shipping.
- Supplying off-grid energy to rural properties and businesses in the East of England, which I wrote about in Developing A Rural Hydrogen Network.
Any spare hydrogen could always be sold to the Germans.
Decarbonisation Of The Railways In East Anglia
Undoubtedly, some hydrogen will be used to decarbonise some parts of East Anglia’s railways.
Many passenger trains are electrified, but some rural and cross-country services still use diesel. However, the Class 745 trains, that were built by Stadler for these services could be converted to hydrogen or battery-electric.
Similarly, locomotives that haul the freight trains out of the ports of East Anglia will be replaced with hydrogen or battery-electric locomotives.
I am fairly certain, that by 2040, all railways in East Anglia will be zero-carbon.
The East-West Rail Link
It is not known yet, whether the current government will continue to build the East West Rail Link, but it could be invaluable in connecting Stansted Airport to the West of England.
Connecting Stansted Airport To The North Of England and Scotland By Rail
If Stansted is developed as a zero-carbon airport, based on the new hydrogen-powered aircraft, travellers between say the North of England and Scotland, will surely want to travel to Stansted in a carbon-free manner.
So would it be sensible to run rail electric services between the North and Stansted?
Conclusion
Stansted could develop into the UK’s zero-carbon airport.
RWE Goes For An Additional 10 GW Of Offshore Wind In UK Waters In 2030
This press release from RWE is entitled RWE And Masdar Join Forces To Develop 3 Gigawatts Of Offshore Wind Projects Off The UK Coast.
This is the last paragraph.
The UK plays a key role in RWE’s strategy to grow its offshore wind portfolio RWE is a leading partner in the delivery of the UK’s Net Zero ambitions and energy security, as well as in contributing to the UK build-out target for offshore wind of 50 GW by 2030. RWE already operates 10 offshore wind farms across the UK. Following completion of the acquisition of the three Norfolk offshore wind projects from Vattenfall announced at the end of 2023, RWE is developing nine offshore wind projects in the UK, representing a combined potential installed capacity of around 9.8 GW, with RWE’s pro rata share amounting to 7 GW. Furthermore, RWE is constructing the 1.4 GW Sofia offshore wind project in the North Sea off the UK’s east coast. RWE’s unparalleled track record of more than 20 years in offshore wind has resulted in 19 offshore wind farms in operation, with a goal to triple its global offshore wind capacity from 3.3 GW today to 10 GW in 2030.
Note.
- Nine offshore wind projects in the UK, representing a combined potential installed capacity of around 9.8 GW
- RWE are saying they intend to add 6.7 GW in 2030.
The eight offshore wind farms, that RWE are developing in UK waters would appear to be.
- Sofia – 1,400 MW
- Norfolk Boreas – 1380 MW
- Norfolk Vanguard East – 1380 MW
- Norfolk Vanguard West – 1380 MW
- Dogger Bank South – 3000 MW
- Awel y Môr – 500 MW
- Five Estuaries – 353 MW
- North Falls – 504 MW
This is a total of 9897 MW, which ties in well with RWE’s new capacity figure of 9.8 GW.
The Location Of RWE’s Offshore Wind Farms
RWE’s wind farms seem to fit in groups around the UK.
Dogger Bank
This wind farm is on the Dogger Bank.
- Dogger Bank South – 3000 MW – Planned
This wind farm would appear to be rather isolated in the middle of the North Sea.
RWE could have plans to extend it or even link it to other wind farms in the German area of the Dogger Bank.
Lincolnshire Coast
This wind farm is along the Lincolnshire Coast.
- Triton Knoll – 857 MW – 2022
As there probably isn’t much heavy industry, where Triton Knoll’s power comes ashore, this wind farm can provide the power needed in the area.
But any excess power in the area can be exported to Denmark through the Viking Link.
Norfolk Coast
These wind farms are along the Norfolk Coast.
- Norfolk Boreas – 1380 MW – Planned
- Norfolk Vanguard East – 1380 MW – Planned
- Norfolk Vanguard West – 1380 MW – Planned
These three wind farms will provide enough energy to provide the power for North-East Norfolk.
North Wales Coast
These wind farms are along the North Wales Coast.
- Awel y Môr – 500 MW – Planned
- Gwynt y Môr – 576 MW – 2015
- Rhyl Flats – 90 MW – 2009
- North Hoyle – 60 MW – 2003
These wind farms will provide enough energy for the North Wales Coast.
Any spare electricity can be stored in the 1.8 GW/9.1 GWh Dinorwig pumped storage hydroelectric power station.
Electric Mountain may have opened in 1984, but it is surely a Welsh giant decades ahead of its time.
Suffolk Coast
These wind farms are along the Suffolk Coast.
- Five Estuaries – 353 MW – Planned
- Galloper – 353 MW – 2018
- North Falls – 504 MW – Planned
These wind farms will provide enough energy for the Suffolk Coast, which except for the Haven Ports, probably doesn’t have many large electricity users.
But if the area is short of electricity, there will be Sizewell B nuclear power station to provide it.
Teesside
This wind farm is along the Teesside Coast
- Sofia – 1,400 MW – Planned
Teesside is a heavy user of electricity.
These six areas total as follows.
- Dogger Bank – 3,000 MW
- Lincolnshire Coast – 857 MW
- Norfolk Coast – 4140 MW
- North Wales Coast – 1226 MW
- Suffolk Coast – 1210 MW
- Teesside – 1,400 MW
Backup for these large clusters of wind farms for when the wind doesn’t blow will be provided as follows.
- Dogger Bank – Not provided
- Lincolnshire Coast- Interconnectors to Denmark and Scotland
- Norfolk Coast – Not provided
- North Wales Coast – Stored in Dinorwig pumped storage hydroelectric power station
- Suffolk Coast – Sizewell B and Sizewell C
- Teesside – Interconnectors to Norway and Scotland and Hartlepool nuclear power stations
Note.
- The interconnectors will typically have a 2 GW capacity.
- The 1.9 GW/9.1 GWh Dinorwig pumped storage hydroelectric power station must be one of the best wind farm backups in Europe.
There is a very solid level of integrated and connected assets that should provide a reliable power supply for millions of electricity users.
How Will Dogger Bank And The Norfolk Coast Wind Clusters Work Efficiently?
The Dogger Bank and the Norfolk Coast clusters will generate up to 3 and 4.14 GW respectively.
So what purpose is large amounts of electricity in the middle of the North Sea?
The only possible purpose will be to use giant offshore electrolysers to create hydrogen.
The hydrogen will then be transported to point of use by pipeline or tanker.
Feeding H2ercules
I described H2ercules in H2ercules.
H2ercules is an enormous project that will create the German hydrogen network.
The H2ercules web site, shows a very extensive project, as is shown by this map.
Note.
- Hydrogen appears to be sourced from Belgium, the Czech Republic, The Netherlands and Norway.
- RWE’s Dogger Bank South wind farm will be conveniently by the N of Norway.
- RWE’s Norfolk cluster of wind farms will be conveniently by the N of Netherlands.
- The Netherlands arrow points to the red circles of two hydrogen import terminals.
For Germany to regain its former industrial success, H2ercules will be needed to be fed with vast amounts of hydrogen.
And that hydrogen could be in large amounts from the UK sector of the North Sea.
Uniper’s Wilhelmshaven Hydrogen Hub
This page on the Uniper web site is entitled Green Wilhelmshaven: To New Horizons
This Uniper graphic shows a summary of gas and electricity flows in the Wilhelmshaven Hydrogen Hub.
Note.
- Ammonia can be imported, distributed by rail or ships, stored or cracked to provide hydrogen.
- Wilhelmshaven can handle the largest ships.
- Offshore wind energy can generate hydrogen by electrolysis.
- Hydrogen can be stored in underground salt caverns.
I suspect hydrogen could also be piped in from an electrolyser in the East of England or shipped in by a hydrogen tanker.
All of this is well-understood technology.
Sunak’s Magic Money Tree
Rishi Sunak promised a large giveaway of tax in his manifesto for the 2024 General Election.
As we are the only nation, who can provide the colossal amounts of hydrogen the Germans will need for H2ercules, I am sure we will be well paid for it.
A few days ago we celebrated D-Day, where along with the Americans and the Canadians, we invaded Europe.
Now eighty years later, our hydrogen is poised to invade Europe again, but this time for everybody’s benefit.
This document on the Policy Mogul web site is entitled Rishi Sunak – Conservative Party Manifesto Speech – Jun 11.
These are three paragraphs from the speech.
We don’t just need military and border security. As Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has shown, we need energy security too. It is only by having reliable, home-grown sources of energy that we can deny dictators the ability to send our bills soaring. So, in our approach to energy policy we will put security and your family finances ahead of unaffordable eco zealotry.
Unlike Labour we don’t believe that we will achieve that energy security via a state-controlled energy company that doesn’t in fact produce any energy. That will only increase costs, and as Penny said on Friday there’s only one thing that GB in Starmer and Miliband’s GB Energy stands for, and that’s giant bills.
Our clear plan is to achieve energy security through new gas-powered stations, trebling our offshore wind capacity and by having new fleets of small modular reactors. These will make the UK a net exporter of electricity, giving us greater energy independence and security from the aggressive actions of dictators . Now let me just reiterate that, with our plan, we will produce enough electricity to both meet our domestic needs and export to our neighbours. Look at that. A clear, Conservative plan not only generating security, but also prosperity for our country.
I believe that could be Rishi’s Magic Money Tree.
Especially, if the energy is exported through electricity interconnectors or hydrogen or ammonia pipelines and tankers.
Will This Be A Party Anyone Can Join?
Other wind farm clusters convenient for the H2ercules hydrogen import terminals on the North-West German coast include.
- Dogger Bank – SSE, Equinor – 5008 MW
- East Anglian – Iberdrola – 3786 MW
- Hornsea – Ørsted – 8056 MW
That totals to around 16.5 GW of wind power.
I can see offshore electrolysers producing hydrogen all around the coasts of the British Isles.
What Happens If Sunak Doesn’t Win The Election?
RWE and others have signed contracts to develop large wind farms around our shores.
They didn’t do that out of the goodness of their hearts, but to make money for themselves and their backers and shareholders.
Conclusion
I believe a virtuous circle will develop.
- Electricity will be generated in the UK.
- Some will be converted to hydrogen.
- Hydrogen and electricity will be exported to the highest bidders.
- European industry will, be powered by British electricity and hydrogen.
- Money will be paid to the UK and the energy suppliers for the energy.
The more energy we produce, the more we can export.
In the future more interconnectors, wind farms and electrolysers will be developed.
Everybody will benefit.
As the flows grow, this will certainly become a Magic Money Tree, for whoever wins the election.
Sizewell C And Hydrogen
The Sizewell C web site has a page with a title of Hydrogen and SZC.
The page asks this question.
Why Does Sizewell C Want To Produce Hydrogen?
It gives this answer.
Nuclear is a great way of producing hydrogen as it generates huge amounts of reliable, low-carbon energy. Nuclear and hydrogen are also two clean technologies that can help us make big reductions in carbon emissions. While both technologies are vital on their own, at Sizewell C we have an exciting vision to bring them together.
The page is worth a read about how they will use the hydrogen, which will include.
- Providing Wrightbus hydrogen-powered buses to link the main construction site with Park-and-Ride sites on the A 12 at Darsham and Wickham Market.
- Powering vehicles and machinery on the main construction site.
- Supplying hydrogen to Freeport East.
- Refuelling hydrogen vehicles.
I have a few thoughts.
Supplying Hydrogen To Users
On my last stud farm, we had three fuel deliveries.
- Propane to heat the house.
- Red diesel to power the farm machinery.
- Road diesel to power the horse box and a couple of diesel cars, that went on the roads.
Note.
- Like most farms in East Anglia, we didn’t have mains gas.
- The local low-life of whom you never speak their name, used to regularly steal the diesel.
- We had two boilers, that ran on the propane.
- All farm vehicles and machinery will in the future use hydrogen.
- Propane and diesel would be replaced by clean hydrogen.
I believe companies like Centrica, will develop the technology so that farms and businesses could have their own hydrogen system, that would be topped-up accordingly, by road tankers, which themselves would be fuelled by hydrogen.
One set of tankers would be replaced by another zero-carbon set.
Sizewell sits on the Suffolk Coast and it appears, there will be a new road link to the A 12, which connects to Suffolk’s main road system.
This map shows Sizewell C and East Suffolk.
Note.
- The Sizewell site is outlined in pink on the coast, about halfway up the map.
- The A 12 road and the East Suffolk Line run almost parallel to the coast between Ipswich in the South and Lowestoft and Yarmouth in the North.
Energy use in East Suffolk would be transformed and all because there will be a plentiful supply of zero-carbon hydrogen.
Hydrogen And The Arts
Suffolk has been an artistic county for hundreds of years and some works of art, like casting bronzes, firing pottery or working with glass or wrought iron need a lot of energy. Local hydrogen networks supplied by tanker, as propane is now could help to decarbonise one of the most difficult of professions.
Pink Hydrogen
This page on the National Grid web site explains the various hydrogen colours.
It describes pink hydrogen like this.
Pink hydrogen is generated through electrolysis powered by nuclear energy. Nuclear-produced hydrogen can also be referred to as purple hydrogen or red hydrogen.
In addition, the very high temperatures from nuclear reactors could be used in other hydrogen productions by producing steam for more efficient electrolysis or fossil gas-based steam methane reforming.
I also call it Barbie hydrogen.
Sizewell C would be an ideal place to create pink hydrogen.
Before Sizewell C is up and running, the electrolyser at Sizewell could be powered by Sizewell B or even offshore wind.
Sizewell C – South Park And Ride
This document on the Planning Inspectorate web site, is a description of the Southern Park and Ride for the Sizewell C Project.
This Google Map shows the area of the Park-and-Ride site.
Note.
- Wickham Market is in the South-West corner of the map.
- The dual-carriageway is the Wickham Markey by-pass, which is part of the A12 between Ipswich and Lowestoft.
- Close to Lower Hacheston is the Northern junction of the by-pass which connects the B1116 and B 1078 roads to the A 12.
- If my memory serves me correctly, there is a small roundabout to the North of the A12, where the B 1116 and B 1078 cross, which is referred to as Fiveways Roundabout in some of the documentation.
- Wickham Market station is in the South-East corner of the map.
I know the area well, as I used to live less than ten miles to the West of Fiveways roundabout.
This shows the area to the North of Fiveways roundabout to a large scale.
The document on the Planning Inspectorate says this about the site.
The site comprises approximately 26.4 hectares (ha) of predominantly
agricultural land and highway land located north-east of Wickham Market.
The part of the site which would contain the parking and buildings, postal
consolidation building and Traffic Incident Management Area (TIMA) is
approximately 18ha in size, and located to the east of the B1078/B1116, to
the north of the A12. The remainder of the site encompasses a section of
the A12, and an associated slip road where highway improvements are
proposed to form the site access, and associated signage and road
markings, see Chapter 1, Figure 1.1 of this volume.
These are my thoughts.
There Is No Rail Connection
I wrote about the Northern Park-and-Ride in Sizewell C – North Park And Ride and there is one big difference.
The Northern Park-and-Ride is an easy walk from Darsham station.
- Darsham station has an hourly four-car train to Lowestoft and Ipswich.
- Some or all trains could be doubled in capacity as Greater Anglia has enough stock to do this.
- If required, trains could be run to and from London and intermediate stations.
- In the past, Network Rail have developed plans to extend the service as far as Yarmouth.
I believe that a rail connection at the Southern Park-and-Ride could have added flexibility for workers in Ipswich travelling to the Sizewell site.
Bus Routes
The frequency and timing of park and ride buses would depend on the
working patterns adopted during construction of the Sizewell C main
development site, and the number of workers to be moved during the shift
changeover periods. More frequent services would operate during staff
changeover and shift start/end periods. It is anticipated that there would be
three to nine buses from the proposed development per hour during shift
changeover period, and an hourly service outside shift changeover periods.There would be a maximum of 100 daily bus arrivals and 100 daily bus
departures from the proposed development to the Sizewell C main
development site. These buses would use the A12, two village bypass and
Sizewell link road once operational to travel to and from the Sizewell C main development site.
This Google Map shows the A 12 between the South Park-and-Ride site and Yoxford.
Note.
- Yoxford is in the North-East corner of the map.
- Wickham Market is in the South-West corner of the map.
- The A 12 is the cream road linking the two villages.
- The Southern Park-and-Ride will be to the North-East of Wickham Market.
- The Northern Park-and-Ride is a couple of miles North of Yoxford.
- Yoxford and Wickham Market are 11.8 miles apart.
This third Google Map shows the route between Yoxford and Sizewell.
Note.
- Yoxford is in the North-West corner of the map.
- Sizewell is in the South-East corner of the map.
- Leiston Abbey is indicated by the arrow to the North of Leiston.
The B 1122 can be picked out through Middleton Moor and Theberton and then as it skirts Leiston Abbey.
It appears that both Park-and-Ride sites, use the same connection between the A 12 and Sizewell C.
Objections To The Park-and-Ride
This petition on change.org is entitled Stop Sizewell C Park and Ride at Wickham Market.
The petitioner is objecting on the following grounds.
- The size of the site.
- Spoiling of views.
- Disturbance to walkers and horse riders.
- Terrestrial ecology and ornithology will be affected by the site.
- Increase in traffic.
This was the petitioner’s conclusion.
In conclusion I oppose the Sizewell C southern park and ride site at Wickham Market and believe it should be sited further south on the A12 away from residential areas and near the A14.
The Ipswich Northern By-Pass
There is another large project scheduled for Ipswich in the next few years; the Ipswich Northern By-Pass.
This map clipped from the Ipswich Borough Council web site shows possible routes.
Note.
- Wickham Market is in the North-East corner of the map.
- One of the aims of the Northern by-pass is to open up land for housing.
- The railway between Ipswich and Darsham stations goes via Westerfield, Wiidbridge, Melton andWickham Market.
- Perhaps by phasing the developments, an area could be used for a Park-and-Ride, which has a road connection to the A 12.
- When the need for Park-and-Ride for Sizewell has decreased, the site could be handed over to housing.
It would certainly help, if the route of the Northern by-pass was settled soon.
The Anonymous Widower 