Consultation On Plans For Keadby Hydrogen Power Station To Begin
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from SSE.
These four paragraphs outline the project
SSE and Equinor will consult on plans for a new hydrogen-fired power station in North Lincolnshire which would provide vital new reliable and flexible capacity to the electricity system.
Keadby Hydrogen Power Station is a proposed 900MW plant which could be operational from 2030 – bolstering security of supply and supporting the UK’s long-term decarbonisation by providing back-up low-carbon power to variable renewable generation.
The project will enter environmental scoping in April before SSE and Equinor launch a public consultation ahead of a full planning application being made in due course.
Under plans, the new power station will be designed to run on 100% hydrogen. The ambition is that this would be the case from inception, with Government already committed to deploying low-carbon infrastructure in the Humber – the UK’s most carbon intensive cluster.
Note.
- The hydrogen for this power station will be produced by electrolysis or one of the new turquoise methods.
- It will be stored in Aldborough or Rough gas storage.
- This will be the fourth power station at Keadby after Keadby 1 (734 MW), Keadby 2 (893 MW) and Keadby 3 (910 MW)
- Keadby 3 will be fitted with carbon capture.
- These total up to 3.4 GW.
The Keadby cluster of power stations will make good backup to the wind farms in the North Sea.
SSE Renewables Partners With Fluence And OCU Energy To Deliver Its Battery Storage Project At Fiddler’s Ferry
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from SSE Renewables.
This is the sub-heading.
*The 150MW / 300MWh battery energy storage system will be built on the site of the former SSE-owned coal fired power station*
These four paragraphs give full details of the project.
SSE Renewables has announced its principal contractor and battery supplier for its 150MW battery storage project at Fiddler’s Ferry, Warrington.
OCU Energy – who are Stockport-based and are currently working with SSE Renewables on its Ferrybridge battery storage project – will be the principal contractor at Fiddler’s Ferry.
Fluence, a global leader in energy storage technology, digital solutions and services, has been selected as the supplier of the battery-based energy storage system.
Construction is set to begin at the site in the coming weeks after SSE Renewables took a final investment decision back in December 2023.
Note.
- This will be a two-hour battery.
- Good to see a press release with both battery output and battery capacity shown in the appropriate units.
It’s also good to see, SSE adding to the fleet of the UK’s battery storage.
This page on the SSE Renewables web site is entitled About Solar And Battery.
This is the sub-heading.
SSE Renewables is progressing a 1.2GW secured pipeline of utility-scale solar and battery projects across the UK and Ireland and a further 1.3GW of other prospective sites under development. These assets complement SSE’s existing portfolio of other low carbon infrastructure such as wind and hydro.
This is the first paragraph.
Our solar projects will be capable of harnessing the abundant power of the sun to bring renewable power onto the grid, while our battery projects will be able to store renewable power when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow. The delivery of these projects is part of our commitment to a net zero transition.
What follows is a job advert.
As an electrical and control engineer, who has enjoyed over fifty years exploring the mathematics of big engineering projects, I don’t regret the choice of career I made.
Price Framework Paves Way For Vast Electricity Storage Scheme
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
This is the sub-heading.
SSE welcomes step forward in plans to build the £1.5bn Coire Glas hydroelectric project
These two paragraphs outline the article.
Ministers have provisionally agreed to a power pricing framework that could pave the way for more pumped storage hydroelectricity projects in Britain, including a gigantic £1.5 billion scheme from SSE that is starting to take shape in the Scottish Highlands.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said it intended to develop a “cap and floor” pricing mechanism that would advance the Coire Glas storage project being developed by SSE, the energy company, and could unlock further pumped storage power stations.
Coire Glas will be one of the largest renewable power projects ever built in the UK.
- It will have a power output of 1.5 GW, which is comparable with some of the large wind farms in the North Sea or four gas-fired power station or Rolls-Royce SMRs.
- It will be able to store 30 GWh of electricity and provide 1.5 GW for twenty hours.
- Coire Glas has a web site.
- Coire Glas will more than double pumped storage hydroelectric capacity in the UK.
Bath County Pumped Storage Station in Virginia, US claims to be the world’s largest battery, but Coire Glas will be able to store more electricity.
You wait decades for one of these monsters to come along in the UK and SSE also have another on the way.
- Loch Sloy hydroelectric power station is the largest conventional hydroelectric power station in the UK.
- It has an output of 152 MW.
- It opened in 1950 and was largely built by German and Italian prisoners-of-war.
SSE plan to convert Loch Sloy power station into a pumped storage hydroelectric power station.
- It will be able to store 25 GWh of electricity.
- Loch Sloy will be the upper lake.
- Loch Lomond will be the lower lake.
- The existing dam, upper lake, pipes and powerhouse will be retained.
- The developments have a web page.
The project is aimed at a commissioning date of 2028.
This paragraph explains how the ‘cap and floor’ mechanism works.
In the scheme, operators would be guaranteed a minimum level of revenue, while consumers would be protected by a price ceiling, above which surplus revenue would be returned to them.
And these two paragraphs give SSE’s reaction.
Finlay McCutcheon, 46, director of onshore Europe at SSE, said the pricing framework was welcome news. He said that a deal for Coire Glas was needed by the end of this year to secure a firm investment decision by early 2026. Planning for the project started in 2007.
“Given the time taken to reach this point, much work is now needed to ensure an effective mechanism is finalised and put in place as early as possible to enable Coire Glas to take final investment decisions and move into construction,” he said.
I believe that the negotiations between the Government and SSE will lead to a monster on Loch Lochy and another one on Loch Lomond.
Conclusion
There are also these pumped storage hydroelectric schemes under development.
- Balliemeanoch Pumped Hydro – 1.5 GW/45 GWh
- Balmacaan Pumped Hydro – 600 MW/15-20 GWh
- Corrievarkie Pumped Hydro – 1.5 GW/14.5 GWh
- Fearna Pumped Hydro – 1.8 GW/37 GWh
- Glenmuckloch Pumped Hydro – 400 MW/1.6 GWh
- Loch Earba Pumped Storage Hydro – 900MW/33 GWh
- Loch Kemp Pumped Storage Hydro – 300MW/9 GWh
- Loch Na Cargeach/Red John Pumped Storage Hydro – 450 MW/2.8 GWh
These total up to 7.4 GW/100+ GWh.
This page on the Strathclyde University web site, gives these GWh figures for the possible amounts of pumped-storage that can be added to existing schemes.
- Errochty – 16
- Glasgarnock – 23
- Luichart – 38
- Clunie – 40
- Fannich – 70
- Rannoch – 41
- Fasnakyle – 78
- Tummel – 38
- Ben Lawers – 12
- Nant – 48
- Invermoriston – 22
- Invergarry – 41
- Quoich – 27
- Sloy – 20
That is a total of 514 GWh.
Scotland will be the Saudi Arabia of energy storage.
SSE Comments On COP28
The title of this post is the same as that of this press release from SSE.
SSE Chief Executive, Alistair Phillips-Davies, said:
“We knew going into COP28 that the world wasn’t moving fast enough to decarbonise. The commitment to triple renewables by 2030 is welcome, as is the inclusion, for the first time, of explicit language on the need to transition away from fossil fuels.
“Codifying and securing international endorsement for ambitions like these is very welcome; however, the challenge now is to deliver the tangible actions needed to make them a reality.
“In the power sector, this means speeding up policy and decision-making so that it is easier to invest and build the infrastructure we need to actually deliver net zero, from offshore wind farms to electricity grids and flexible power plants.
“At COP28 there was no shortage of businesses willing to invest but there was a common frustration at the pace of progress on the ground, and this is something we need to address for all our sakes.”
I would agree with what he said.
- Especially about speeding up policy and decision-making and delivering more electricity grids.
- The last paragraph probably applies to a lot of countries.
Surprisingly, energy storage is not mentioned.
Could that be because SSE are going down the route, where hydrogen is created and that is either used in gas-guzzling industries to reduce their carbon-emissions or stored until needed?
Rolls-Royce And Zero Petroleum Join Forces To Develop Sustainable Future
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Rolls Royce.
This is the sub-heading.
Rolls-Royce has entered a landmark agreement with breakthrough Energy company Zero Petroleum to promote further development of the company’s power and propulsion solutions with fossil-free synthetic fuels.
These two paragraphs outline the agreement.
The new agreement will see the two parties collaborate to demonstrate Rolls-Royce engines for aviation, marine and defence with Zero® synthetic fuels.
This has the potential to include Zero’s entire range of synthetic fuels – petrol, diesel and jet fuel – with data gathered from engine testing used to prove the credentials required to achieve international fuel certification standards. Synthetic fuels deployed by Rolls-Royce in engine tests will directly reduce associated carbon emissions.
Are Rolls-Royce going to do their engine testing using synthetic fuels to reduce their carbon emissions?
It certainly looks like they might and I suppose it does two tests at the same time.
Rolls-Royce Seem To Be Using Technology To Save The Company
Big companies like Rolls-Royce, who are very much toed up with fossil fuels have two options; give up or fight using the only weapons they have; superb technology and a lot of experience.
There are only a small group, that seem to be fighting to succeed. To Rolls-Royce, I would add Cummins, Fortescue Future Industries, Ricardo and SSE, and possibly BP and Centrica.
SSE And RWE Tweak North Falls Project Following Public Input, DCO Application Now Expected In 2024
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
RWE and SSE Renewables have made a number of changes to the North Falls offshore wind project in the UK, a proposed extension to the existing 504 MW Greater Gabbard, whose implementation will likely move the planned date for filing a development consent order (DCO) application into 2024. The most significant changes to the project plans include removing the northern array area and reducing the number and height of wind turbines.
These two paragraphs introduce the article.
The developers are tweaking the project following a review of the feedback received from the North Falls statutory consultation held during the summer.
Initially, North Falls comprised two offshore array areas totalling 150 square kilometres and will now have a single array occupying 95 square kilometres. This also moves the wind farm farther offshore, with its closest point to shore now being 42 kilometres, 20 kilometres farther out at sea than proposed originally.
It looks like RWE and SSE Renewables have listened to the public and acted.
But then the developers are two of the most experienced in the UK.
SSE Becomes First Utility To Trial First Hydrogen Fuel Cell EV Van
hydrThe title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Hydrogen Central.
This is the first two paragraphs.
The low-carbon energy infrastructure company will be the first utility to trial the hydrogen-powered vehicle – and the first to put it to the test in real-life fleet operations by deploying the vehicle with SSE engineers.
The project will enable First Hydrogen’s team to gather data on fuel consumption, usage, and efficiency. The trials are being used to inform development of First Hydrogen’s Generation II series, currently in development, and will help enhance Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) data.
The deployment will take place in Aberdeen, as the city has some of the UK’s best hydrogen infrastructure.
The Mayor of London please note how being a hydrogen denier causes London to have more pollution.
SSEN Transmission Signs Debut £750m Sustainability-Linked Facility
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from SSE.
This is the sub-heading.
SSEN Transmission has signed its first ever sustainability-linked Revolving Credit Facility (RCF), further reinforcing the company’s commitment to sustainability in line with its Sustainability Action Plan.
This is the first paragraph.
The facility has been upgraded to include four key performance indicators, which have been designed to align with SSEN Transmission’s commitment to sustainability, and each indicator will be assessed annually during the term of the loan, thus bringing greater alignment between SSEN Transmission’s sustainability and financing strategies.
It seems to be that SSEN Transmission are benefitting from some innovative financing.
As someone, who benefited from innovative financing from a bank manager in the past, I’m all for more of this, if it helps development of our renewables.
Japanese Companies To Invest GBP 14.2 Billion In UK’s Offshore Wind, Green Hydrogen
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Japanese giants Marubeni Corporation, Sumitomo Corporation, and Sumitomo Electric Industries have committed to investing a total of GBP 14.2 billion (approximately EUR 16.3 billion) in offshore wind and green hydrogen projects, and the offshore wind supply chain in the UK
These two paragraphs add a bit of context and flesh to the deal.
Ahead of the UK Prime Minister’s business reception in Tokyo on 18 May, the UK government announced that leading Japanese businesses have committed to invest GBP 17.7 billion (approx. EUR 20.3 billion) in businesses and projects across the UK.
Of this, GBP 14.2 billion has been committed by Marubeni, Sumitomo and Sumitomo Electric for projects in offshore wind, green hydrogen and offshore wind supply chain.
SSE’s Berwick Bank Wind Farm will have a capacity of 4.1 GW and is budgeted to cost just short of £18 billion. Doing a quick calculation, indicates that £14.2 billion would only finance £3.23 GW of offshore wind.
But the Japanese say they will invest in offshore wind, green hydrogen and offshore wind supply chain. Investing in the offshore wind supply chain, would surely attract more money as the developers placed orders for foundations, floaters, electrical gubbins and support vessels.
Note.
- In Japanese Giant Sumitomo Heavy Invests In Liquid-Air Energy Storage Pioneer, I wrote about Sumitomo’s investment in English energy storage. company; Highview Power.
- Electrolyser company; iTM Power has also sold a 1.4 MW electrolyser to Sumitomo and signed an agreement over American sales with another Japanese company.
I can see other similar co-operative deals being developed. Possible areas could be cables, transformers and support vessels.
SSE To Help Decarbonise 5000 Homes In Major London Retrofit Project
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item on SSE.
These three paragraphs outline the work.
SSE Energy Solutions has agreed a deal with Berkeley Homes that will help to decarbonise a heat network for up to 5,000 homes in London, thought to be one of the largest retrofits of its kind in the country.
An Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) system will be installed to supply the homes on an existing district heating network at the Woolwich Arsenal site after several options were considered, including the use of waste heat and ground and river source solutions. An ASHP was chosen as the best low carbon, low tariff option over the length of the supply contract.
The system will be installed in nearby Wellington Park where a new landscape will be created through a unique planting scheme that broadens the biodiversity of the area by responding to the microclimate. The ASHP will connect directly to the existing district heating network pipes, reducing the carbon content of the heat provided by the network.
It strikes me, that no new housing estates or blocks of flats, should be built without a district heating system.
In this example, SSE are able to decarbonise a large number of houses and flats, by just replacing a boiler with an air source heat pump.
Just imagine the hassle if five-thousand individual boilers had to be replaced.
The Anonymous Widower 