UK’s Largest Solar Plant Cleve Hill Supplying Full Power To The Grid
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Solar Power Portal.
This is the sub-heading.
Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners has completed construction and started commercial operations of the 373MW Cleve Hill Solar Park, now the largest operational in the UK.
Note.
- According to Quinbrook, during the commissioning phase in May, electricity exports from Cleve Hill peaked at a level equivalent to 0.7% of the UK’s national power demand.
- Construction of the 373 MW solar project began in 2023, and Quinbrook said construction is now underway on a 150 MW co-located battery energy storage system (BESS).
- The gas-fired power stations at Coolkeeragh, Corby, Enfield, Great Yarmouth and Shoreham are all around 410-420 MW for comparison.
- On completion of the BESS, Cleve Hill will go from the largest solar plant in the UK to the largest co-located solar plus storage project constructed in the UK.
- The solar and storage plant was the first solar power project to be consented as a nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP) and is supported by the largest solar + BESS project financing undertaken in the UK.
This Google Map shows the location of the solar farm with respect to Faversham.
Note.
The town of Faversham to the left of the middle of the map.
Faversham station has the usual railway station logo.
The North Kent coast is at the top of the map.
Cleve Hill Solar Park is on the coast to the East of the River Swale.
This second Google Map shows a close up of the solar farm.
Note.
- The large number of solar panels.
- The North Kent coast is at the top of the map.
- The River Swale in the South-West corner of the map.
- It appears that Cleve Hill substation is at the right edge of the map.
- The boxes at the left of the substation appear to be the batteries.
- The 630 MW London Array wind farm, which has been operational since 2013, also connects to the grid at Cleeve Hill substation.
- When completed, the London Array was the largest offshore wind farm in the world.
As a Control Engineer, I do like these Battery+Solar+Wind power stations, as they probably provide at least a reliable 500 MW electricity supply.
Could A System Like Cleeve Hill Solar Park Replace A 410 MW Gas-Fired Power Station?
The three elements of Cleeve Hill are as follows.
- Solar Farm – 373 MW
- BESS – 150 MW
- Wind Farm – 630 MW
That is a total of only 1,153 MW, which means a capacity factor of only 35.6 % would be needed.
How Much Power Does A Large Solar Roof Generate?
Some people don’t like solar panels on farmland, so how much energy do solar panels on a warehouse roof generate?
This Google Map shows Amazon’s warehouse at Tilbury.
I asked Google AI to tell me about Amazon’s solar roof at Tilbury and it said this.
Amazon’s solar roof at the Tilbury fulfillment center is the largest rooftop solar installation at any Amazon site in Europe, featuring 11,500 panels across the two-million-square-foot roof. Unveiled in 2020, it is part of Amazon’s larger goal to power its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025 and reduce its emissions, contributing to its Climate Pledge to be net-zero carbon by 2040.
It generates 3.4 MW, which is less that one percent of Cleeve Hill Solar Park.
A Cool Move To Keep Emissions On Track
The title of this post is the same as that of this press release from Tesco.
This is the body of the release.
- Tesco and DRS partner on a new refrigerated rail freight service that will take 40 lorries off the road for every journey it makes
- Helping Tesco to deliver Christmas, the service will run seven days a week and replace 7.3 million road miles with greener distribution
- New service supports Tesco’s commitment to reach net zero emissions in its operations by 2035
Tesco and Direct Rail Services (DRS) have partnered to introduce a cool new service to Britain’s railways.
The new service will be the first time Tesco has used refrigerated rail freight in the UK, distributing chilled goods from Tilbury to Coatbridge by low CO2 rail twice a day, seven days a week. This means that rail freight will play an even bigger role in helping Tesco to deliver Christmas this year and over the next couple of weeks this new service will transport hundreds of different products, including festive favourites such as sprouts, parsnips, carrots, onions, oranges and lemons just in time for that all important Christmas dinner.
Using rail has significant environmental benefits. The 415-mile route will use DRS’s Class 88 bi-mode electric locomotives which can run on electricity and produce zero exhaust and greenhouse gas emissions. This service alone will take at least 17,000 containers off the road each year, saving Tesco 7.3 million road miles and nearly 9,000 tonnes of CO2e.
Note.
- This is Tesco’s first use of refrigerated rail freight.
- It starts from the new Tilbury 2 freight terminal.
- All services seem to be run using bi-mode Class 88 locomotives, running for most of the route using electricity.
Tesco seem to be following the rule, that every little helps when it comes to decarbonisation and climate change.
This Google Map shows Tilbury.
Note.
- The Port of Tilbury is in the West.
- Tilbury Town station on the Tilbury Loop Line is on the North side of the Port.
- There is a cruise ship at the London Cruise Terminal on the river.
- Next to the terminal is the Gravesend Tilbury Ferry. I can remember the car ferries on this route.
- Then there is Tilbury Fort.
- The Tilbury 2 Terminal is in the East.
I took these pictures in 2017.
I suspect it’s a bit different now!
Electricity Shake-Up Could Save Consumers ‘up to £40bn’
The title of this post is the same as that of this article in the BBC.
The electricity shake-up was forecast in yesterday’s Sunday Times and I wrote about it in Giant Batteries To Store Green Energy.
In We Need More Electricity, I talked about what RWE are doing to create an all-purpose Energy Centre at Tilbury.
The Tilbury Energy Centre will feature.
- Efficient energy generation from natural gas.
- Substantial energy storage.
- Peak energy production from natural gas.
- Load balancing of wind power with storage and generation from natural gas.
But I suspect, it will get involved in other advanced techniques, like using carbon dioxide to get greenhouse fruit and vegetables to grow quicker.
The electricity market is changing.
Exploring Tilbury Riverside
The idea was simple. I would walk from Tilbury Town station to the site of the former Tilbury Riverside station and have a look at the London Cruise Terminal and Tilbury Fort, before taking a ferry to Gravesend to come home.
But things didn’t quite work out as planned, as although I had a good walk in the wind to river, that wind was so bad the ferries had got themselves cancelled.
But I did find a nice place with a welcoming pub to go to in better weather!
The area does need a bit of improvement.
- The London Cruise Terminal looks as welcoming as a prison from the outside.
- Connections to Tilbury Town station are simple and spasmodic.
- Tilbury Fort certainly needed some more information.
- The chimneys behind the Fort are those of the Tilbury B power station, which burns biomass.
- The Ferry Terminal to Gravesend was also short of information. Especially, something like an electronic Next Ferry Indicator.
- There needs to be extension of the pedestrian routes.
- It would also help, if the trucks kept to the speed limit.
But most importantly, the area would get more visitors if Tilbury Riverside station was still being used.
Failing that a decent cycle route, with bicycle hire stations at either end.
Tilbury Town Station
Tilbury Town station shows how you can take a basic station and by trying hard can make it acceptable to most visitors.
I never visited the station in say the nineteen-sixties, but I suspect it is a lot better now!
I very much liked the step-free bridge that is available to everybody who wants to cross the line easily and safely, whether they intend to travel on the trains or not.
What I didn’t like was that the A1089 road outside the station, from where you walk to Tilbury Fort or the Ferry Terminal, as it is a race-track for heavy trucks.
The Google Map shows Tilbury Town station and its position with respect to the Port, the London Cruise Terminal, the Ferry Terminal and Tilbury Fort.
Tilbury
Tilbury Town station is at the top of the map by the A1089 road and the London Cruise Terminal is on the river. Conveniently there is a cruise ship alongside.
The railway to Tilbury Riverside station, which was next to the London Cruise Terminal was removed in 1992.
I would suspect that quite a few movers and shakers in the Tilbury area, feel that the closure of Riverside station was something that shouldn’t have been done, when they look back.
The Anonymous Widower 