Suffolk: Sizewell C To Explore ‘Innovative’ Waste Heat Lido
The title of this post, is the same as that, of this article on the East Anglian Daily Times.
This is the sub-heading.
The developers of the new Sizewell C nuclear power station have expressed an interest in an “innovative” plan to use waste heat from the plant to heat a new lido.
And this is the first paragraph.
Creating the outdoor pool was one of a number of ideas contained within the Leiston masterplan – a blueprint for transforming the Suffolk town – and now the Sizewell C company has pledged to explore the proposal with the town council.
This map shows the town of Leiston and the Sizewell power stations site.
Note.
- Leiston is in the South-West corner.
- The power station site is in the North-East corner.
I have a few thoughts.
Pink Hydrogen
Pink hydrogen is zero-carbon hydrogen produced using nuclear power.
The production of hydrogen is already part of the plans for Freeport East, which I wrote about in Ryze Hydrogen’s Suffolk Freeport Hydrogen Vision Takes Shape.
In that article, I said this.
This would mean that Sizewell’s 6 MW electrolyser could be producing around a thousand tonnes of hydrogen per year or 2.6 tonnes per day.
The more efficient high temperature electrolysis can be used, using some of the waste heat from the nuclear power station. I wrote about this in Westinghouse And Bloom Energy To Team Up For Pink Hydrogen.
I also suspect that it may be more efficient to use seawater to produce the hydrogen.
District Heating
The waste heat can also be used for district heating.
A Train Service To Ipswich
This Google Map shows the railway through Leiston, which is currently used to bring fuel to Sizewell B power station and remove waste.
Note.
- The railway starts in the North-West corner of the map.
- The green dot in that corner marks Leiston cemetery.
- The railway then goes East before turning to the South-East corner of the map.
- In that corner, there are two sidings for loading and unloading the flasks.
Surely, Leiston also needs a new railway station, with at least an hourly service to Saxmundham, Wickham Market, Woodbridge and Ipswich. And possibly even Aldeburgh!
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the route of the Aldeburgh branch.
Note.
- The North-South yellow line is the East Suffolk Line.
- Their were three stations; Leiston, Thorpeness Halt and Aldeburgh.
- Leiston station was in the North of the town.
The intact section of the branch is shown in yellow.
There would be no need for any electrification, as Stadler, who built Greater Anglia’s Class 755 trains, are the masters of battery-powered trains and could convert these trains to battery operation. Recently, one of the smaller metro trains, that Stadler are building for Liverpool, ran for nearly 90 miles on battery power alone, which I wrote about in New Merseyrail Train Runs 135km On Battery.
An hourly train service would double the frequency of the train service between Saxmundham and Ipswich.
Does the Leiston masterplan include a train service?
And if it does, does it terminate at a new Aldeburgh station?
Conclusion
Integrating development around a nuclear power station could be a way of levelling up.
It would bring electricity, heat, a rail link and jobs to an area.
Will Rolls-Royce use these benefits to sell one of their SMRs to those living around a site?
The Swimming Pool In The Sky
This must be the most unusual swimming pool in London.
Not for me though, as I can’t swim!
It is just to the South of the United States Embassy.
Swimming Pool Panorama
I took these pictures from the rooftop swimming pool of the hotel.
At least I got some time sitting in the sun.
The Blue Lagoon
As I got off the plane in Iceland, I thought that my taxi would take me straight to the hotel. But we went by the most amazing paddling/swimming pool called the Blue Lagoon.
I don’t swim, but waddling around in chest-deep water at blood temperature is a different and very pleasurable experience. The steam in the background of some of the pictures is a geothermal power station.
My itinerary didn’t say I would be going on the way to the hotel and it was more by luck than judgement that my swimming trunks were packed at the top of my case. If I’d known of this detour, I would have arranged a massage.
As the Blue Lagoon is on the road between Keflavik Airport and Reykjavik, make sure your plans include the visit on the journey to and/or from the airport and your hotel.
The Beach At Sodot
It surprised me that the sea-front at Sodot had such an amazing beach.
C would have loved to go swimming there. The sea must have been a bit cold, as I didn’t see one hardy soul venturing in.
A Walk In Hyde Park
I went for a walk this afternoon in Hyde Park.
I had gone to see the awful statue that someone had put in the Serpentine to publicise a new TV channel. But I couldn’t find it. There’s a picture here from the Belfast Telegraph.
But I did take a few pictures.
It turned out that the statue had been removed. Judging by the quality of the statue, I hope it’s been recycled.
I did have a very nice ice cream in the Lido Cafe by the Serpentine. I t might have been a bit expensive, but it was good. And I had it in a tub.
Thinking about the walk later, I reckon it must be nearly forty years since I have been to that part of Hyde Park. We occasionally used to go swimming in the Serpentine with the boys, although, I don’t think I ever ventured in. But C did, as she was a manic swimmer. I don’t have any pictures of that time, but the park has been spruced up a lot since.
They were difficult but happy times!
The London Aquatic Centre Is Changing!
The London Aquatic Centre is changing.
It will be opened fully in the summer of 2014.
Note how a lot of the seats have been reserved.
The picture was taken from a train on the East Anglian main line.
And Now The LidoLine
I found this article in the Guardian, whilst looking for something else.
It proposes a linear swimming pool along the Regent’s Canal.
C might have liked it. But it’s not for me!
Should We Build Floating Houses?
The BBC web site muses about floating houses in this article. After all our floods, it could be one of the answers to building in areas likely to flood.
But myself, I’d prefer to live well away from water. I can’t swim and after what I’ve been through, to drown would be complete failure.
C Swam In The Serpentine
I’ve said before that my late wife, C, was a manic swimmer. One summer when we lived in St. John’s Wood, we went to the Serpentine to swim. Or in my case, just stand and sit around.
Now, there’s swimming the triathlon in the same lake, over forty years later.
The Anonymous Widower 