Norway’s Sovereign Wealth Fund Acquires Stake In 573 MW Race Bank Offshore Wind Farm
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
A consortium made up of investment funds belonging to Australia-headquartered Macquarie Asset Management and Spring Infrastructure Capital has reached an agreement to divest a 37.5 per cent stake in the 573 MW Race Bank offshore wind farm in the UK to Norges Bank Investment Management.
These four paragraphs give more details of the deal.
The stake was sold to the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund for approximately GBP 330 million (about EUR 390.6 million).
According to Norges Bank Investment Management, the fund acquired Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 5’s 25 per cent stake and Spring Infrastructure 1 Investment Limited Partnership’s 12.5 per cent interest in the Race Bank offshore wind farm.
A Macquarie Capital and Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 5 consortium acquired a 50 per cent stake in Race Bank during the construction phase in 2016. Macquarie Capital divested its 25 per cent stake in the wind farm in 2017.
With the deal, Arjun Infrastructure Partners will remain co-investor for 12.5 per cent of the wind farm and Ørsted will remain a 50 per cent owner and operator of Race Bank.
These are my thoughts.
The Location of Race Bank Wind Farm
This map from the Outer Dowsing Web Site, shows Race Bank and all the other wind farms off the South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk coasts.
From North to South, wind farm sizes and owners are as follows.
- Hornsea 1 – 1218 MW – Ørsted, Global Infrastructure Partners
- Hornsea 2 – 1386 MW – Ørsted,Global Infrastructure Partners
- Hornsea 3 – 2852 MW – Ørsted
- Hornsea 4 – 2600 MW – Ørsted
- Westernmost Rough – 210 MW – Ørsted and Partners
- Humber Gateway – 219 MW – E.ON
- Triton Knoll – 857 MW – RWE
- Outer Dowsing – 1500 MW – Corio Generation, TotalEnergies
- Race Bank – 573 MW – Ørsted,
- Dudgeon – 402 MW – Equinor, Statkraft
- Lincs – 270 MW – Centrica, Siemens, Ørsted
- Lynn and Inner Dowsing – 194 MW – Centrica, TCW
- Sheringham Shoal – 317 MW – Equinor, Statkraft
- Norfolk Vanguard West – 1380 MW – RWE
Note.
- There is certainly a large amount of wind power on the map.
- Hornsea 1, 2 and 3 supply Humberside.
- Hornsea 4 will supply Norwich and North Norfolk.
- Norfolk Vanguard West would probably act with the other two wind farms in RWE’ Norfolk cluster.
- Ignoring Hornsea and Norfolk Vanguard West gives a total around 4.5 GW.
- There are also two 2 GW interconnectors to Scotland (Eastern Green Link 3 and Eastern Green Link 4) and the 1.4 GW Viking Link to Denmark.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a large offshore electrolyser being built in the East Lincolnshire/West Norfolk area.
The primary purpose would be to mop up any spare wind electricity to avoid curtailing the wind turbines.
The hydrogen would have these uses.
- Provide hydrogen for small, backup and peaker power stations.
- Provide hydrogen for local industry, transport and agriculture,
- Provide hydrogen for off-gas-grid heating.
- Provide methanol for coastal shipping.
Any spare hydrogen would be exported by coastal tanker to Germany to feed H2ercules.
Do We Need Wind-Driven Hydrogen Electrolysers About Every Fifty Miles Or so Along The Coast?
I can certainly see a string along the East Coast between Humberside and Kent.
- Humberside – Being planned by SSE
- East Lincolnshire/West Norfolk – See above
- North-East Norfolk – See RWE Goes For An Additional 10 GW Of Offshore Wind In UK Waters In 2030.
- Dogger Bank – See RWE Goes For An Additional 10 GW Of Offshore Wind In UK Waters In 2030.
- Sizewell – See Sizewell C And Hydrogen.
- Herne Bay – Under construction
I can see others at possibly Freeport East and London Gateway.
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.
Reform UK leader Richard Tice To Stand In Boston And Skegness
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC,
This is the sub-heading.
The leader of Reform UK has announced he is to stand as a candidate in Boston and Skegness at the general election.
Anr this is the first paragraph.
Richard Tice announced his intention to stand in the Lincolnshire constituency on social media on Thursday morning.
This article on The Times is entitled What are Reform UK’s Policies — And How Is The Party Polling?
The article has these two paragraphs on energy, decarbonisation and net-zero.
Energy and net zero is another major area of focus. Tice has referred to net zero as “net stupid” and wants to accelerate the granting of oil and gas licences in the North Sea.
Reform has said all existing carbon emissions targets should be abandoned, due to what it says is an unfair burden being placed on taxpayers and consumers.
I shall do some arithmetic to give a few pointers to the constituency he hopes to win.
The Boston and Skegness constituency is a large green energy hub, where in a few years electricity from various source will be collected for distribution to East Anglia and the South of England.
Currently, in operation, under construction or in planning, are the following sources of green electricity.
- Viking Link is a 1.4 GW interconnector between Bicker Fen in Lincolnshire and Denmark.
- EGL3 is a 2 GW interconnector between Lincolnshire and Peterhead in Scotland.
- EGL4 is a 2 GW interconnector between Lincolnshire and Westfield in Scotland.
- Lincs is a 270 MW wind farm.
- Lynn and Inner Dowsing is a 194 MW wind farm.
- Outer Dowsing is a 1500 MW wind farm.
- Triton Knoll is a 857 MW wind farm.
- Race Bank is a 573 MW wind farm.
Note.
- The three interconnectors can send electricity in both directions.
- The wind farms are in North-South order.
- There would appear to be space in the sea for more wind farms.
- The 950 MW Spalding gas-fired power station is available locally, when the wind is on strike.
- The owners of Spalding power station are rumoured to be putting a large battery alongside the power station.
The totals are as follows.
- 1.4 GW – Interconnector to Denmark
- 4 GW – Interconnector to Scotland
- 3.4 GW – Wind farms
- 1 GW – Gas-fired power station.
These total up to 9.8 GW of power.
Conclusion
Consider.
- It would appear that Richard Tice of Reform UK, has decided to stand in a constancy with one of the highest levels of green energy and energy security in the UK.
- It is also likely to be a constituency, which in the future will benefit from investment and employment, as more wind farms are developed in the North Sea.
It looks to me, that he’s a politician with very little mathematical ability.
RWE And the Norfolk Wind Farms
In March 2024, I wrote RWE And Vattenfall Complete Multi-Gigawatt Offshore Wind Transaction In UK, which described how Vattenfall had sold 4.2 GW of offshore wind farms, situated off North-East Norfolk to RWE.
This map from RWE shows the wind farms.
Note.
- The Norfolk Zone consists of three wind farms; Norfolk Vanguard West, Norfolk Boreas and Norfolk Vanguard East.
- The three wind farms are 1.4 GW fixed-foundation wind farms.
- In Vattenfall Selects Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone O&M Base, I describe how the Port of Great Yarmouth had been selected as the O & M base.
- Great Yarmouth and nearby Lowestoft are both ports, with a long history of supporting shipbuilding and offshore engineering.
The wind farms and the operational port are all close together, which probably makes things convenient.
So why did Vattenfall sell the development rights of the three wind farms to RWE?
Too Much Wind?
East Anglia is fringed with wind farms all the way between the Wash and the Thames Estuary.
- Lincs – 270 MW
- Lynn and Inner Dowsing – 194 MW
- Race Bank – 580 MW
- Triton Knoll – 857 MW
- Sheringham Shoal – 317 MW
- Dudgeon – 402 MW
- Hornsea 3 – 2852 MW *
- Scroby Sands – 60 MW
- East Anglia One North – 800 MW *
- East Anglia Two – 900 MW *
- East Anglia Three – 1372 MW *
- Greater Gabbard – 504 MW
- Galloper – 353 MW
- Five Estuaries – 353 MW *
- North Falls – 504 MW *
- Gunfleet Sands – 172 MW
- London Array – 630 MW
Note.
- Wind farms marked with an * are under development or under construction.
- There is 4339 MW of operational wind farms between the Wash and the Thames Estuary.
- An extra 6781 MW is also under development.
If all goes well, East Anglia will have over 11 GW of operational wind farms or over 15 GW, if the three Norfolk wind farms are built.
East Anglia is noted more for its agriculture and not for its heavy industries consuming large amounts of electricity, so did Vattenfall decide, that there would be difficulties selling the electricity?
East Anglia’s Nimbies
East Anglia’s Nimbies seem to have started a campaign against new overground cables and all these new wind farms will need a large capacity increase between the main substations of the National Grid and the coast.
So did the extra costs of burying the cable make Vattenfall think twice about developing these wind farms?
East Anglia and Kent’s Interconnectors
East Anglia and Kent already has several interconnectors to Europe
- Viking Link – Bicker Fen and Jutland – 1.4 GW
- LionLink – Suffolk and the Netherlands – 1.8 GW – In Planning
- Nautilus – Suffolk or Isle of Grain and Belgium – 1.4 GW – In Planning
- BritNed – Isle of Grain and Maasvlakte – 1.0 GW
- NeuConnect – Isle of Grain and Wilhelmshaven – 1.4 GW – Under Construction
- GridLink Interconnector – Kingsnorth and Warande – 1.4 GW – Proposed
- HVDC Cross-Channel – Sellinge and Bonningues-lès-Calais – 2.0 GW
- ElecLink – Folkestone and Peuplingues – 1.0 GW
- Nemo Link – Richborough and Zeebrugge – 1.0 GW
Note.
- Five interconnectors with a capacity of 6.4 GW.
- A further four interconnectors with a capacity of 6 GW are on their way.
At 12.4 GW, the future capacity of the interconnectors between South-East England and Europe, is nor far short of South-East English wind power.
There are also two gas pipelines from the Bacton gas terminal between Cromer and Great Yarmouth to Europe.
The Wikipedia entry for the Bacton gas terminal gives these descriptions of the two gas pipelines.
Interconnector UK – This can import gas from, or export gas to, Zeebrugge, Belgium via a 235 km pipeline operating at up to 147 bar. There is a 30-inch direct access line from the SEAL pipeline. The Interconnector was commissioned in 1998.
BBL (Bacton–Balgzand line) – This receives gas from the compressor station in Anna Paulowna in the Netherlands. The BBL Pipeline is 235 km long and was commissioned in December 2006.
It would appear that East Anglia and Kent are well connected to the Benelux countries, with both electricity and gas links, but with the exception of the Viking Link, there is no connection to the Scandinavian countries.
Did this lack of connection to Sweden make convincing the Swedish government, reluctant to support Vattenfall in their plans?
Bringing The Energy From The Norfolk Wind Farms To Market
It looks to me, that distributing up to 4.2 GW from the Norfolk wind farms will not be a simple exercise.
- Other wind farms like the 2852 MW Hornsea 3 wind farm, may need a grid connection on the North Norfolk coast.
- The Nimbies will not like a South-Western route to the National Grid at the West of Norwich.
- An interconnector to Denmark or Germany from North Norfolk would probably help.
But at least there are two gas pipelines to Belgium and the Netherlands.
RWE, who now own the rights to the Norfolk wind farms, have a large amount of interests in the UK.
- RWE are the largest power producer in the UK.
- They supply 15 % of UK electricity.
- They have interest in twelve offshore wind farms in the UK. When fully-developed, they will have a capacity of almost 12 GW.
- RWE are developing the Pembroke Net Zero Centre, which includes a hydrogen electrolyser.
RWE expects to invest up to £15 billion in the UK by 2030 in new and existing green technologies and infrastructure as part of this.
Could this be RWE’s plan?
As the Norfolk wind farms are badly placed to provide electricity to the UK grid could RWE have decided to use the three Norfolk wind farms to produce hydrogen instead.
- The electrolyser could be placed onshore or offshore.
- If placed onshore, it could be placed near to the Bacton gas terminal.
- There are even depleted gas fields, where hydrogen could be stored.
How will the hydrogen be distributed and/or used?
It could be delivered by tanker ship or tanker truck to anyone who needs it.
In Developing A Rural Hydrogen Network, I describe how a rural hydrogen network could be developed, that decarbonises the countryside.
There are three major gas pipelines leading away from the Bacton gas terminal.
- The connection to the UK gas network.
- Interconnector UK to Belgium.
- BBL to The Netherlands.
These pipelines could be used to distribute hydrogen as a hydrogen blend with natural gas.
In UK – Hydrogen To Be Added To Britain’s Gas Supply By 2025, I describe the effects of adding hydrogen to the UK’s natural gas network.
National Grid Shares Proposals For Green Electricity Projects In Lincolnshire And West Norfolk, Needed To Boost Home-Grown Energy Supplies And Progress Towards Net Zero
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from National Grid.
These four bullet points, act as sub-headings.
- National Grid is inviting communities in East Lindsey, Boston and South Holland in Lincolnshire, and King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, to view proposals for two new primarily offshore electricity infrastructure projects.
- National Grid will consult communities from 23 April – 17 June to introduce the proposed project and ask for local peoples’ opinions.
- Eastern Green Link 3 (EGL 3) and Eastern Green Link 4 (EGL 4) will be able to transport enough clean energy generated in Scotland to power up to four million homes in the Midlands and South of England.
- The projects form part of The Great Grid Upgrade, the largest overhaul of the grid in generations, with new infrastructure across England and Wales helping the UK to meet its net zero ambitions, reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and contribute to lower energy bills over the long-term.
These five paragraphs outline the two projects.
National Grid is inviting communities to comment on early proposals for two green electricity infrastructure projects which will help deliver the UK’s energy security strategy and net zero targets.
The eight-week initial consultation, which begins on 23 April, shares proposals for Eastern Green Link 3 (EGL 3) and Eastern Green Link 4 (EGL 4) projects – two new, primarily subsea high voltage direct current (HVDC) electricity links, with associated infrastructure, between Scotland and England.
National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) is jointly developing EGL 3 with SSEN Transmission (SSEN) and EGL 4 with SP Energy Networks (SPEN).
EGL 3 would run from Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, under the North Sea via marine cables to a potential landfall location on the Lincolnshire coastline, either at Theddlethorpe or Anderby Creek. EGL 4 would run from Westfield, Fife, also via marine cables under the North Sea to the same landfall location as EGL 3.
After making landfall, both projects’ cables will run underground for approximately 100km to two proposed converter stations in the Walpole, King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, area. Underground cables would then connect the converter stations to the transmission network via a new proposed substation, also within the Walpole area.
Note.
- These would appear to be early proposals.
- National Grid appear to be planning and consulting on two interconnectors at once.
- There would appear to be a lot of underground cable on land. But then the cables will be dug into good Fenland soil.
- All the electrical gubbins seem to be in the Walpole area.
These paragraphs invite people to comment.
Throughout our initial consultation, we are holding a series of face-to-face events to consult on the electrical infrastructure required in England.
Our consultation events are being held across the project area. Information about our proposals will be on display and copies of maps and technical documents will be available to view. Members of the project team will be available to talk through our proposals and answer any questions.
National Grid have also announced dates of when public information events are being held.
- Tuesday 30 April 2024 – 2pm-7pm – Dunes Complex, Central Promenade, Mablethorpe, LN12 1RG
- Wednesday 1 May 2024 – 2pm-7pm – Anderby Village Hall, Sea Road, Anderby, Skegness, PE24 5YD
- Thursday 9 May 2024 – 12:30pm – 6pm – Alford Corn Exchange, 9 Market Place, Alford, LN13 9EB
- Monday 13 May 2024 – 2pm-7pm – Leverington Village Hall, Gorefield Rd, Leverington, Wisbech, PE13 5AT
- Wednesday 15 May 2024 – 2pm-7pm – Eastville, Midville and New Leake Village Hall, Station Rd, Eastville, PE22 8LS
- Thursday 16 May 2024 – 2pm-7pm – Poachers Country Hotel, Swineshead Road, Kirton Holme, PE20 1SQ
- Monday 20 May 2024 – 2pm-7pm – Walpole Community Centre, Summer Close, Walpole St Andrew, PE14 7JW
- Wednesday 29 May 2024 – 2pm-7pm – The Holbeach Hub, Boston Rd South, Holbeach, PE12 7LR
- Wednesday 5 June 2024 – 2pm-7pm – Burgh le Marsh Village Hall, Jacksons Lane, Burgh le Marsh, Skegness, PE24 5LA
I would have hoped, that some of the venues would have been easier to get to by public transport.
I have some thoughts and observations.
What Will Be The Capacity Of Green Link 3 And Green Link 4?
I can find references to the capacity of Eastern Green Links 1-4 and it appears that all four have a capacity of 2 GW.
A Map Of Green Link 3 And Green Link 4
I have found this map of Green Link 3 and Green Link 4.
National Grid are going to be busy, as they’re also building Green Link 1 and Green Link 2.
Will Green Link 3 And Green Link 4 Share A Route Between The Coast And Walpole?
There is only one green HVDC onshore cable on the map. But surely laying two 2 GW cables in the same trench will cost less, than digging two cable routes.
Looking at the three converter stations would appear to confirm that Green Link 3 and Green Link 4 share a route.
Will Landfall Be At Theddlethorpe Or Anderby Creek?
This Google Map shows the coast between Theddlethorpe and Anderby Creek.
Note.
- The decommissioned Theddlethorpe gas terminal is indicated by the red arrow.
- The seaside resort of Mablethorpe lies between the two possible landing sites.
- Anderby Creek is in the South-East corner of the map.
This second Google Map shows the Theddlethorpe Gas Terminal and the North of Mablethorpe.
Note.
- The decommissioned Theddlethorpe gas terminal is indicated by the red arrow.
- Mablethorpe beach appears to be on a high quality.
Both sites would appear to be strong possibilities.
Both sites have plenty of space, but the Theddlethorpe gas terminal is a large brownfield site.
The Anderby Creek site would probably be a shorter underground cable across Lincolnshire.
The Triton Knoll Wind Farm
The Wikipedia entry for the Triton Knoll wind farm starts with these two paragraphs.
Triton Knoll Wind Farm is an 857 MW round 2 offshore wind farm 33 kilometres (21 mi) off the coast of Lincolnshire, in the North Sea, England.
RWE Npower Renewables were awarded the lease to the development area in 2003. The offshore elements of the wind farm of up to 1200MW power gained planning consent in 2013; RWE reduced the scope of the wind farm to 900MW or under in 2014, to reduce cost per MW.
Note.
- The wind farm was commissioned in January 2022.
- The wind farm cables make landfall at Anderby Creek.
- They then travel underground to Bicker Fen substation.
This Google Map shows Bicker Fen and Anderby Creek.
Note.
- Bicker Fen substation is in the South-West corner of the map and is indicated by a red arrow.
- Anderby Creek is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The cable is underground.
- This page on the Murphy Group website, describes the work the company did to install the cables.
- It appears from the Murphy document, that there are six cables between Anderby Creek and Bicker Fen.
This Google Map shows Anderby Creek.
Could the scar across the land to the West of Anderby Creek, be the connection to the offshore Triton Knoll wind farm?
I think it is! And I also think that it can carry more than just the 857 MW Triton Knoll wind farm!
I am suspicious, that one of Baldrick’s ancestors has been at work and the Triton Knoll export cable system could be used to connect Green Link 3 and Green Link 4 to Bicker Fen and Walpole substations.
This would surely allow Scottish wind power to be sold to Denmark and then sold onward to Germany.
The VikingCCS Project
The VikingCCS project is a carbon capture and storage project, that is proposed to be based at the decommissioned Theddlethorpe gas terminal.
The VikingCCS project has a web site.
Would the use of the Theddlethorpe gas terminal mean that it is more likely that Green Link 3 and Green Link 4 will make a Southern landfall at Anderby Creek?
Will There Be A Connection To Viking Link?
The Viking Link is a 1400 MW at 525 KV electricity interconnector between Bicker Fen in Lincolnshire and Revsing in Jutland, Denmark.
This Google Map, shows the location of Bicker Fen, about halfway between Boston and Sleaford.
This second map shows the position of the current Walpole substation with respect to the Wash.
Note.
- Bicker Fen is in the North-West corner of the map.
- The current Walpole substation is marked by the red arrow.
- King’s Lynn is in the South-East corner of the map.
I suspect, if National Grid wanted to connect Green Link 3 and Green Link 4 to the Viking Link, then this would be possible.
If the Viking Link were to be connected to Green Link 3 and Green Link 4, this would allow surplus Scottish renewable energy to be sent to Denmark and on to Germany.
Green Link 3, Green Link 4 And Viking Link Appear To Be Underground In Lincolnshire
I can’t find any trace of overhead cables for the Viking Line in Lincolnshire and the press release says this about Green Link 3 and Green Link 4.
After making landfall, both projects’ cables will run underground for approximately 100km to two proposed converter stations in the Walpole, King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, area.
The connection to the Triton Knoll wuind farm is also underground.
It does appear that National Grid, are going for a Nimby-friendly approach for cables between Walpole and the coast.
Hopefully putting the cables underground will save money in legal arguments and fees.
Denmark Launches Massive Offshore Wind Auction
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Denmark has opened a new offshore wind tender, the country’s largest ever, offering a minimum of 6 GW of new capacity spread over six wind farms, with the overplanting option allowing for 10 GW or more of new capacity to be added.
These are two paragraphs from the article.
The offshore wind farms must deliver at least 6 GW, and as a new element, there will be freedom to establish as much offshore wind as possible on the tendered areas, with the exemption of Hesselø with a maximum capacity of 1.2 GW.
If the market utilizes this freedom to optimize the usage of the areas, it could result in the construction of 10 GW offshore wind or more, the agency said.
Recently, some wind farms in the UK have been increased in size after the auction.
In Crown Estate Mulls Adding 4 GW Of Capacity From Existing Offshore Wind Projects, I note how 4 GW of overplanting could be employed to raise the total capacity from 4.6 GW to 8.6 GW.
So have the Danes decided to build expansion into the tender?
One of the wind farms in the auction is called Nordsøen I.
- It will be about 50 km. from the West Coast of Denmark.
- It appears it will have a capacity of at least 1 GW.
- It could connect to the shore, not far from where the Viking Link between Lincolnshire and Denmark connects to the Danish grid.
- There is a 700 MW interconnector between the area and Eemshaven in The Netherlands.
- There is 1.5 GW of overland transmission lines to Germany.
All these connections, increase energy security for Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.
Could the Danes be building the Nordsøen I, so it could work with the all the connections in Southern Jutland and improve energy security?
National Grid Launches Viking Link, The Next Step Towards A North Sea Super-Grid
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from National Grid.
These four bullet points act as sub-headings.
- The £1.8bn project connecting the UK with Denmark was launched today.
- With a capacity of 1.4GW, Viking Link will be able to power up to 2.5 million UK homes and is the longest land and subsea cable in the world.
- Viking Link will deliver £5.2bn in benefits to UK consumers.
- As the UK’s first connection with renewable energy-rich Denmark, Viking Link will be instrumental in both countries achieving net zero carbon emissions.
The press release then gives all the details of the latest of National Grid’s sixth interconnector.
As a Control Engineer, I like this interconnector.
- Denmark and the UK are both importers of electricity.
- The UK has 30 GW of wind power and Denmark has 7 GW.
- The UK has almost 15 GW of solar power and Denmark has 3.5 GW.
- The UK has 6 GW of nuclear and Denmark banned nuclear in 1985.
- Both the UK and Denmark use large amounts of biomass to generate electricity.
- As the sun goes East to West, Denmark will produce its daily peak solar before the UK.
- If the prevailing winds go West to East, the UK will produce its daily peak wind before Denmark.
It looks to me that a UK-Denmark interconnector could perform a valuable job, by balancing the UK’s electricity peaks and troughs with those of Denmark.
The system could be improved in two ways.
- If Southern England has a sunny, windy day, there may be need for substantial energy storage.
- The route between the UK and Denmark could be via a large offshore wind farm in the North Sea.
Vind∅ is a proposed Danish energy island in the North Sea.
There’s more about the Viking Link on its web site.
This is the introduction on the home page.
Viking Link is a 1400 MW high voltage direct current (DC) electricity link between the British and Danish transmission systems connecting at Bicker Fen substation in Lincolnshire and Revsing substation in southern Jutland, Denmark.
The project involves the construction of converter sites and installation of onshore and offshore cable in each country. These are then connected to the substations.
Viking Link is approximately 765 km long and allows electricity to be exchanged between Great Britain and Denmark.
The interconnector enables the more effective use of renewable energy, access to sustainable electricity generation and improved security of electricity supplies. It also benefits the socio economy of both countries.
This is going to be a very valuable interconnector for the UK, Denmark and those that own it.
Amprion Reveals Energy Corridor Project To Bring 8 GW of Offshore Wind To North Rhine-Westphalia
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Amprion Offshore has started working on an energy corridor project that would bring electricity produced by up to 8 GW of offshore wind farms in the North Sea directly to the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
This is the first paragraph.
Named Windader West, the energy corridor involves building four offshore grid connection systems that would use the new-generation 2 GW offshore grid technology. Each of the four connections (NOR-15-1, NOR-17-1, NOR-19-1 and NOR-21-1) would have a transmission capacity of 2 GW and, together, the grid connections would transmit enough electricity to cover the energy needs of eight million households in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The linked article has an excellent large scale map.
What Are The UK Doing?
There is a Wikipedia entry for Eastern HVDC, where these are the opening paragraphs.
Eastern HVDC and Eastern HVDC projects are the names used by Ofgem for two planned HVDC submarine power cables from the East coast of Scotland to Northeast England to strengthen the National Grid. The two links combined will deliver 4 GW of renewable energy from Scottish wind farms to England.
Ofgem state that “At an estimated cost of £3.4 billion for the two links, the Eastern HVDC projects would be the largest electricity transmission investment project in the recent history of Great Britain.”
The two links are called.
Note.
- SEGL1 will run from Torness in Southeast Scotland to Hawthorn Pit substation in Northeast England.
- EGL2 will run from Sandford Bay, at Peterhead in Scotland, to the Drax Power Station in Yorkshire, England.
- Both links have a capacity of 2 MW and the DC voltage will be +/-525 kV.
National Grid are also developing Eastern Green Links 3 and 4 and this is the web site.
These paragraphs describe EGL3 and EGL4.
The EGL 3 project will be a new offshore High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) electrical link from Peterhead to the south Lincolnshire area.
EGL4 will be a new offshore HVDC electrical link from east Scotland, also to the south Lincolnshire area.
Where offshore projects such as these connect with the land, we also have to build onshore infrastructure to enable the clean energy to be transported, to homes and businesses. The onshore infrastructure required for each of these projects will include new converter stations and substations (in both Scotland and England), as well as underground cables to connect everything together.
Together, these projects will transfer 4GW of electricity between Scotland and England. This means that once operational, these projects will provide enough energy to power around 3 million homes.
Note.
- As with the German cables, each carries 2 MW.
- Consultation for EGL3 and EGL4 starts in early 2024.
- Both cables terminate in South Lincolnshire.
In The Lincolnshire Wind Powerhouse, I publish this map of the wind farms in the South of Lincolnshire.
Note.
- The completed Hornsea wind farm will be over 6 MW.
- The future of Norfolk Vanguard is uncertain.
- These wind farms total up to 13524 MW, but without Norfolk Vanguard the total is 11724 MW.
- According to Wikipedia, the Viking Link to Denmark will open on the 1st of January 2024.
I wrote about the Viking Link in Work Begins On New Substation For World’s Longest Electricity Cable Between Denmark and Lincolnshire.
The German And UK Cables Compared
Consider.
- Both have 4 x 2 MW capacity.
- SEGL1 and EGL2 have a cost of £3.4 billion.
- The four German cables are quoted at a total of €16-18 billion here.
- The first two UK cables have planned completion dates of 2027 and 2029.
- German completion dates are given as 2032-2036.
This leads me to this conclusion.
Building interconnectors in the sea is quicker and more affordable than building them on land.
Vattenfall Stops Developing Major Wind Farm Offshore UK, Will Review Entire 4.2 GW Zone
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Vattenfall has stopped the development of the Norfolk Boreas offshore wind power project in the UK and will review the way forward for the entire 4.2 GW Norfolk Zone, the Swedish energy company revealed in its interim report.
This is the first paragraph.
The developer said that the decision to stop the project was made due to ”challenging market conditions”, adding that ”financial frameworks have not adapted to reflect the current market conditions” so far.
Vattenfall are also complaining about inflation and cost increases if up to 40 %.
I have my thoughts.
Great Yarmouth Support Base
In some ways, I find this decision to pull out strange, as it was only in March this year that Vattenfall signed a contract with Peel Ports to build a support base for their Norfolk wind farms at Great Yarmouth.
I don’t think that Peel Ports will be too bothered, as they are a well-funded company and there are plenty of wind farm proposals in the sea around Norfolk, who could use a base at Great Yarmuth.
Cable Routes And Nimbys
These Norfolk wind farms have suffered opposition from Nimbys to the cable route, that will be taking the electricity away from the coast. This may have increased the cost of delivery of the electricity to market.
An Offshore Cable Route
In January 2022, I wrote Is There A Need For A Norfolk-Suffolk Interconnector?, where I analysed the amount of energy, that will be produce in Norfolk and Suffolk.
This was my conclusion.
I believe there are a lot of possibilities, that would meet the three objectives, I stated earlier.
-
- Avoid as much disruption on the land as possible.
- Create the capacity to deliver all the energy generated to customers, either as electricity or hydrogen.
- Create an expandable framework, that would support all the wind farms that could be built in the future.
In addition, simple mathematics says to me, that either there will need to be extra capacity at both Bicker Fen and Bullen Lane substations and onward to the rest of the country, or a large electrolyser to convert several gigawatts of electricity into hydrogen for distribution, through the gas network.
Note.
- An offshore Multiple Purpose Interconnector (MPI) could be built between Bicker Fen in Lincolnshire and the Isle of Grain.
- An electrolyser could be built offshore, joined to the MPI and connected to the Bacton gas terminal.
- There could be local offshore hydrogen storage.
- Bicker Fen is connected to the Viking Link to Denmark.
- An offshore link could have its Southern end at the Isle of Grain, from where the electricity can be exported to Germany, by the NeuConnect interconnector, that is under construction.
There must be sufficient capacity, so that all energy is delivered to customers, as either electricity or hydrogen.
I’ve always favoured delivering electricity from these and other East Anglian wind farms with an offshore cable route away from the coast between perhaps Bicker Fen in Lincolnshire and the the Isle of Grain, from where the electricity can be exported to Germany, by an interconnector, that is being built.
Competition From Scotland
National Grid are improving the offshore grid between Scotland and Humberside, so perhaps Vattenfall might have a competition problem, when it comes to selling their electricity.
If you have no market for a product, then the price drops.
Is East Anglia A Bad Place To Have Surplus Electricity?
Consider.
- It should also be remembered that East Anglia has no heavy electricity users.
- There are also no substantial mountains for building large pumped-storage hydro schemes, as Scotland is proposing to do.
- The construction of Sizewell C will add more electricity to the area.
In my view the best thing to do would be to build a giant electrolyser near the Bacton gas terminal.
Was It A Mistake For Vattenfall To Make A Bid?
Looking at the delivery problems for the Norfolk wind farms, I think that Vattenfall made a bad decision to bid for them.
- The wind farms are too far North to serve London and the South-East and to export the electricity to the Continent.
- They are also too far South to serve the industry in the North around the Humber and the Tees.
It looks an obvious case of wrong Location, Location and Location.
Could Norfolk Boreas And Norfolk Viking Work Economically?
I suspect these ideas could help.
- A Multiple Purpose Interconnector (MPI) would be built between Bicker Fen in Lincolnshire and the Isle of Grain.
- The MPI would connect to any wind farms on the route.
- An offshore electrolyser opposite Bacton would be connected to the MPI to use surplus electricity to generate hydrogen, which would be distributed through the gas grid.
The whole network of wind farms, interconnectors, electrolysers and storage needs to be comprehensively designed, so that it provides the South-East corner of England, with enough reliable electricity and hydrogen.
GeoPura’s Construction World First
On the GeoPura web site there is a case study, which is entitled Construction World First.
These two paragraphs outline what was done.
Working in partnership with Siemens Energy our hydrogen fuel cell system, has provided off grid power and heat to National Grid’s UK Viking Link construction site.
The fuel cell system removes the need for diesel generators and provides innovative, sustainable, low carbon energy to the Viking Link interconnector project site.
The interesting thing, is that the heat that the hydrogen fuel cell gives out is collected and used to heat the remote site.
This last paragraph, explains the need for off grid power.
Off grid power is needed as this site didn’t have a grid connection for at least six to eight months, and the fuel cell system provided enough heat and power for the construction village during that time, removing the need for diesel generators.
There’s more in this Siemens Energy report.
The Anonymous Widower 