Ørsted Secures Exclusive Access To Lower-Emission Steel From Dillinger
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Ørsted will be offered the first production of lower-emission steel from German-based Dillinger, subject to availability and commercial terms and conditions. The steel plates are intended to be used for offshore wind monopile foundations in future projects.
These three paragraphs outline the deal.
Under a large-scale supply agreement entered into in 2022, Ørsted will procure significant volumes of regular heavy plate steel from 2024, giving the company access at scale to and visibility of the most crucial raw material in offshore wind while supporting Dillinger to accelerate investments in new lower-emission steel production, according to Ørsted.
The Danish renewable energy giant expects to be able to procure lower-emission steel produced at Dillinger’s facility in Dillingen, Germany, from 2027-2028.
Taking the current technology outlook into account, the reduction of the process-related carbon emissions from production is expected to be around 55-60 per cent compared to conventional heavy plate steel production, Ørsted said.
Increasingly, we’ll see lower emission steel and concrete used for wind turbine foundations.
This press release on the Dillinger web site is entitled Historic Investment For Greater Climate Protection: Supervisory Boards Approve Investment Of EUR 3.5 billion For Green Steel From Saarland.
These are two paragraphs from the press release.
Over the next few years leading up to 2027, in addition to the established blast furnace route, the new production line with an electric arc furnace (EAF) will be built at the Völklingen site and an EAF and direct reduced iron (DRI) plant for the production of sponge iron will be built at the Dillinger plant site. Transformation branding has also been developed to visually represent the transformation: “Pure Steel+”. The message of “Pure Steel+” is that Saarland’s steel industry will retain its long-established global product quality, ability to innovate, and culture, even in the transformation. The “+” refers to the carbon-neutrality of the products.
The availability of green hydrogen at competitive prices is a basic precondition for this ambitious project to succeed, along with prompt funding commitments from Berlin and Brussels. Local production of hydrogen will therefore be established as a first step together with the local energy suppliers, before connecting to the European hydrogen network to enable use of hydrogen to be increased to approx. 80 percent. The Saarland steel industry is thus laying the foundation for a new hydrogen-based value chain in the Saarland, in addition to decarbonizing its own production. In this way, SHS – Stahl-Holding-Saar is supporting Saarland on its path to becoming a model region for transformation.
It sounds to me, that Tata Steel could be doing something similar at Port Talbot.
- Tata want to build an electric arc furnace to replace the blast furnaces.
- There will be plenty of green electricity from the Celtic Sea.
- RWE are planning a very large hydrogen electrolyser in Pembroke.
- Celtic Sea offshore wind developments would probably like a supply of lower emission steel on their door-step.
I would suspect, that Welsh steel produced by an electric arc furnace will match the quality of the German steel, that is made the same way.
Japan Expands Offshore Wind Development Into Exclusive Economic Zone
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The Japanese Government has passed an amendment to the “Act on Promoting the Utilization of Sea Areas”, expanding the area for setting up offshore wind to the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
These two paragraphs give more details.
The Japanese government aims to deploy 10 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 and 30-45 GW by 2040, including floating wind, as part of its target to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
The new legislation would allow wind farms to be installed further out to sea from current territorial and internal waters, according to a joint statement by the government, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
The Japanese seem to have devised a simple bid process, that gives rights to generate electricity for thirty years.
But then as a Director of Lockheed told me thirty years ago, the Japanese don’t have the same high levels of lawyers that the US, UK and other countries have, so they can move a lot faster and are easier to do business with.
This Wikipedia entry is entitled Wind Power in Japan.
This is the opening paragraph.
In Japan’s electricity sector, wind power generates a small proportion of the country’s electricity. It has been estimated that Japan has the potential for 144 gigawatts (GW) for onshore wind and 608 GW of offshore wind capacity. As of 2020, the country had a total installed capacity of 4.2 GW.
From the potential of 608 GW of offshore wind capacity, it looks like Japan is in a very similar position to the UK and the Japanese can also reap the wind.
UK Onshore Wind Capacity Hits 15GW
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on reNEWS.BIZ.
This is the sub-heading.
Milestone reached after 30MW West Benhar project entered operations.
These are the first three paragraphs.
RenewableUK has revealed the UK has installed 15,000MW of operational onshore wind capacity.
The project which enabled the UK to cross the threshold was EDF Renewables UK’s 30.1MW West Benhar onshore wind farm in North Lanarkshire, consisting of seven turbines.
The UK now has 2631 operating onshore wind schemes.
These are my thoughts.
I Am Surprised At The Total Of Onshore Wind
The title says it all.
But 15 GW is almost the same power as five big nuclear power stations, the size of the running-late Hinckley Point C.
Should Some Strategically-Placed Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Be Added?
Some wind farms have been built with wind farms and I very much feel, that with some mathematical modelling some excellent BESS sites could be found.
We should also use batteries, so that no wind farm is ever shut down, because too much wind is being generated.
Where Is West Benhar?
West Benhar wind farm has a web site, where this is the sub-heading.
West Benhar is a 7 turbine wind farm capable of powering up to 18,000 homes located near Shotts in North Lanarkshire.
It was opened on 28 February 2024.
This Google Map shows the location of West Benhar between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
West Benhar is North-East of Shotts and just South of the M8.
There’s More Onshore Wind To Come
These onshore wind farms appear to have Contracts for Difference, but have not been completed.
- Arecleoch Wind Farm Extension – 72.8 MW – Completion 2024/25
- Broken Cross – 48 MW – Completion 2024/25
- Chirmorie – 81.6 MW – Completion 2024/25
- Cumberhead West – 126 MW – + 40 MW BESS – Completion 2024/25
- Douglas West Extension – 78 MW – Completion 2024/25
- High Constellation – 50 MW – Completion 2024/25
- Kilgallioch Windfarm Extension – 51.3 MW – Completion 2024/25
- North Kyle – 206 MW – Completion 2024/25
- Stornoway – 200 MW – Completion 2024/25
- Stranoch – 84 MW – Completion 2024/25
- Viking – 443 MW – Completion 2024
All of these are in Scotland.
But that’s another 1,440.7 MW of onshore wind.
Community Wind Funds
Scotland seems to be continuing to build onshore wind farms.
Could it be that communities have seen the benefits of Community Wind Funds?
This is said about the fund at Stronach.
When operational, EDF Renewables will provide a community benefit fund in line with the Scottish Government Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments. The fund value for the community benefit fund would be £5,000 per megawatt for the lifetime of the wind farm. In the coming months we will begin to form a Community Liaison Group with local interested parties to decide how the funds will be disseminated once the wind farm becomes operational.
If the fund is yearly, then £420,000 is not money to be sneezed at!
Conclusion
It looks like in Scotland that Community Wind Funds promote the building of onshore wind.
UK Set To Provide Record GBP 800 Million Support For Offshore Wind Projects
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The UK government has revealed the budget of over GBP 1 billion (approximately EUR 1.2 billion) for this year’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round 6 (AR6) with the majority of it, GBP 800 million (around EUR 936 million), earmarked for offshore wind.
These three paragraphs explain the three pots.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) confirmed that over GBP 1 billion will be set aside for the budget, divided into three pots.
Within the overall budget, GBP 120 million is designated for established technologies like solar and onshore wind in Pot 1, while GBP 105 million is set aside for emerging technologies such as floating offshore wind and geothermal in Pot 2.
According to DESNZ, following an extensive review of the latest evidence, including the impact of global events on supply chains, the government has allocated a record GBP 800 million for offshore wind, making this the largest round yet, with four times more budget available to offshore wind than in the previous round.
I am glad to see the support for geothermal energy.
Whilst, these three paragraphs explain the pricing.
This follows the increase in the maximum price for offshore wind and floating offshore wind in November and will help to deliver the UK’s ambition of up to 50 GW of offshore wind by 2030, including up to 5 GW of floating offshore wind, according to the government.
Last year, CfD Round 5 attracted no investors with the former maximum strike prices set at GBP 44/MWh for offshore wind with fixed-bottom foundations, which was too low for the developers who were facing the consequences of inflation and supply chain challenges. The maximum bid price for floating wind was GBP 114/MWh.
Now, the maximum price available for offshore wind projects with fixed-bottom foundations has risen by 66 per cent, from GBP 44/MWh to GBP 73/MWh. The maximum strike price for floating offshore wind projects increased by 52 per cent, from GBP 116/MWh to GBP 176/MWh ahead of AR6 which will open on 27 March.
Prices have certainly risen, but this paragraph explains a limiting mechanism, which is straight out of the Control Engineer’s Toolbox.
The funding for the support will be sourced from energy bills rather than taxation. However, if the price of electricity surpasses the predetermined rate, additional charges will be applied to wind power, with the excess funds returned to consumers.
I would hope that extensive mathematical modelling has been applied to test the new pricing structure.
SolarDuck, Green Arrow Capital And New Developments S.R.L. Sign Collaboration Agreement For A Grid-Scale Offshore Hybrid Wind-Solar Project In Italy
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from SolarDuck.
These three bullet points, act as sub-headings.
- 540 MW hybrid offshore wind-solar farm offshore Corigliano, Calabria
- Milestone project to accelerate scaling of Offshore Floating Solar Photovoltaic (OFPV)
- Strategic collaboration proves the potential of the technology in Italy and the wider
Mediterranean region
These three paragraphs outline the project.
SolarDuck, leader in OFPV technology, Green Arrow Capital, leading Italian Independent Asset
Manager in the alternative investment world, and New Developments s.r.l., one of Italy’s
most experienced developers, have agreed to collaborate on the development of a landmark
120MWp OFPV farm integrated with 420MW Floating Offshore Wind (FOW).The project will install SolarDuck’s unique elevated platform technology that allows PV panels
to be deployed in significant wave heights whilst maintaining a safe working environment for
access and maintenance and minimizing environmental impact. In addition, the collaboration
will also allow the harnessing of the complementarity of wind and solar energy resources.“With the current momentum, we believe this is a unique opportunity for the offshore
renewable energy industry to help shape a favorable regulatory framework and facilitate the
scaling of OFPV. This is not just important for Italy, but also for other countries in the
Mediterranean. Our collaboration with New Developments and Green Arrow Capital can also
serve as a catalyst for OFPV in Italy”, says SolarDuck CEO, Koen Burgers.
This Google Map shows the location of Corigliano at the foot of Italy.
Note.
- Corigliano is indicated by the red arrow.
- There is an explanatory video of their technology on SolarDuck’s web site.
Opposite Corigliano on the other side of the can be seen the Italian Naval Base of Taranto, which was the scene of the Battle of Taranto, which was one of the most significant naval battles of Second World War, if not the most significant.
- This web page has the Fleet Air Arm’s account of the battle.
- I have a book, that shows the Japanese visiting Taranto after the battle.
- Did the Japanese use what they learned to plan their successful raid on Pearl Harbor?
- Without Pearl Harbor, would the Americans have stayed out of the Second World War?
I visited Taranto in the 1980s and stood on the Dockside. Perhaps, it is time to go again?
Conclusion
I have a feeling that a hybrid offshore wind-solar farm can generate more electricity in a given area, by making better use of the space available.
It will be interesting to see how this hybrid wind farm performs.
In an area with plenty of sun and wind, it could be a better solution.
Only the mathematics will tell.
Why Firms Are Racing To Produce Green Ammonia
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
In the 19th Century, Europeans realised what the Inca had known long before. Bird droppings, or guano, made a fantastic fertiliser.
These are the first three paragraphs.
And so sprang up a gigantic industry dedicated to the harvesting of guano from Latin American bird colonies, where there were huge piles of the stuff.
It was so rich in ammonia, the key ingredient, that a mere whiff could induce coughing and sneezing. Not exactly a pleasant cargo to ferry across the world.
As demand for fertiliser rose in the early 1900s, someone began to think, “Perhaps there’s another way?” That someone was Fritz Haber, a German chemist who, along with Carl Bosch, developed the Haber-Bosch process for synthesising ammonia.
This Wikipedia entry describes the Haber-Bosch process.
This is the first paragraph.
The Haber process, also called the Haber–Bosch process, is the main industrial procedure for the production of ammonia. The German chemists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch developed it in the first decade of the 20th century. The process converts atmospheric nitrogen (N2) to ammonia (NH3) by a reaction with hydrogen (H2) using an iron metal catalyst under high temperatures and pressures. This reaction is slightly exothermic (i.e. it releases energy), meaning that the reaction is favoured at lower temperatures and higher pressures. It decreases entropy, complicating the process. Hydrogen is produced via steam reforming, followed by an iterative closed cycle to react hydrogen with nitrogen to produce ammonia.
These companies are mentioned in the BBC article.
Starfire Energy
This is their web site.
Their home page has a title of Modular, Variable-Rate Ammonia (NH3) Production and this description of their technology.
We are scaling up technologies to make and use carbon-free ammonia fuel. Rapid Ramp is a variable-rate ammonia production process engineered into a modular plant design. Prometheus Fire is a lower temperature, high flow ammonia cracking process that allows ammonia to be used like natural gas, but with no CO2 emissions.
According to the co-founder of the company, Starfire’s process can use intermittent power, like wind and solar.
Could a farmer make their own fertiliser with a containerised system and say a 5MW wind turbine or a small solar farm?
Atmonia
This is their web site.
This description of their process is on their home page.
Atmonia is developing a nitrogen electrolyser with our patented catalyst. The technology uses only air, water and electricity for direct ammonia production. This enables zero carbon ammonia production, when applying renewable electricity.
Could a farmer make their own fertiliser with a containerised system and say a 5MW wind turbine or a small solar farm?
Jupiter Ionics
This is their web site.
Their home page has an endless video and this statement.
We’re commercialising carbon-neutral, electrochemical technology for sustainable agriculture, ammonia-fuelled transport and renewable energy exports.
These three paragraphs in the BBC article, say more about the process used by Jupiter Ionics.
Jupiter Ionics is currently planning to build an ammonia production module on the megawatt scale, which could produce a tonne per day.
Jupiter Ionics’ technology differs from Starfire Energy and Atmonia’s in that it uses lithium as a mediator to break apart nitrogen molecules, which naturally exist as strongly bonded pairs of nitrogen atoms, to form lithium nitride. This then reacts with hydrogen to make the ammonia.
Within the next 12-18 months, Jupiter Ionics aims to scale up its equipment so that it can produce a kilogram of ammonia per day. A grape farmer in the state of Victoria who has solar panels on his land is hoping to trial the system, says Prof MacFarlane.
It appears that Starfire Energy, Atmonia and Jupiter have containerised systems, that can take air, water and electricity and can create sizeable quantities of ammonia for fertiliser or a fuel.
This page on the Ammonia Energy Association web site is entitled Amogy: Ammonia-Powered Tractor, where this is said, alongside a picture of a standard John Deere tractor.
Earlier this month, Amogy demonstrated a new ammonia-powered tractor in Stony Brook, New York. A 100 kW ammonia-to-power system was successfully integrated into a John Deere mid-size standard tractor, which can operate on liquid ammonia fuel for a period of several hours. The tractor conversion demonstration was made possible by significant seed funding secured in late 2021.
The unique system is comprised of a standard liquid-storage tank and highly efficient ammonia-cracking modules integrated into a hybrid fuel cell system, which can provide consistent primary power for several hours per refueling. Therefore, the pioneering vehicle maintains the functionality and duration requirements operators rely on to support farming tasks, which has never been offered with other alternative energy solutions. The ammonia-powered tractor was driven for separate periods, with a refueling session in between. Refueling a tractor with liquid ammonia is fast and simple, similar to gas or diesel refueling.
This is Amogy’s web site.
I can also see a problem, if every farmer of a certain size wants to make their own ammonia for both fertiliser and fuel.
The NIMBYs will have a field day, but at least the countryside’s low-life won’t be nicking your diesel.
Nitricity
The BBC article also talks about Nitricity.
As Josh McEnaney, president and chief executive of Nitricity in the US, explains, spreading ammonia on fields results in greenhouse gas emissions that could be avoided if we took a more direct approach to applying nitrogen, the crucial element that promotes plant growth, to the soil.
His company is developing a system that uses solar-powered plasma cells to fix nitrogen from the air. This is then used to make nitric acid, which can be applied to the soil. Early experiments with tomato plants yielded success and the company is now trialling its technology with suppliers for the US fast food chain Chipotle.
“We don’t require any hydrogen production,” says Dr McEnaney. “We go straight for the fertiliser.”
This is the Nitricity web site.
Two Experts Give Their Views
The BBC article finishes with the views of two experts.
Bill David at the University of Oxford points out that, around the world, there is already lots of infrastructure designed to store and transport ammonia.
He praises large projects for manufacturing ammonia using renewable energy, such as the one in Uzbekistan that will reportedly spew out 454,000 tonnes of ammonia per year with the help of 2.4 gigawatts of wind energy.
While ammonia can be used as a fuel, it can also be cracked to release hydrogen, which may itself be burned as a fuel, points out Lindsey Motlow, senior research associate at Darcy Partners, a technology firm that works with the oil and gas industry.
“We’re seeing real progress in [the] development of ammonia cracking technology,” she says.
Conclusion
According to the BBC article, two percent of the carbon dioxide emitted on the planet comes from the creation of fertiliser.
So it looks like we can either fry or starve, if we don’t address the problem of zero-carbon fertiliser.
But the downside could be every farm having its own wind turbine.
The BBC article and the related web sites are a must-read.
UK Can Secure Record Number Of Offshore Wind Farms In This Year’s Auction For New Projects
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from RenewableUK.
The first five paragraphs, should be read as a whole and are a good summary of, where the UK is with offshore wind.
A new report published today by RenewableUK shows that the Government has an opportunity to secure a record number of new offshore wind farms, and record amount of new capacity, in this year’s summer’s auction for contracts to generate clean power (Contracts for Difference). In a huge boost to the UK’s energy security, the Government has the potential to double the country’s offshore wind capacity in this year’s auction alone.
RenewableUK’s latest EnergyPulse Insights Offshore Wind report reveals that 14 wind farms are already eligible to bid into this year’s CfD auction (Allocation Round 6), providing nearly 10.3 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity. The previous records were set in 2022 when 8.5GW was eligible across 7 projects.
In addition to this, a further 4.7GW of new offshore wind capacity (out of 8.7GW in the planning system) could become eligible before applications open for AR6 at the end of March. If these projects were to receive consent from the Government, 14.9GW of offshore wind capacity would be eligible for this year’s auction. The report notes that being eligible does not mean that projects will choose to bid in – but they have the potential to do so.
To put this 14.9GW of potential new capacity into context, we currently have 14.7GW of fully operational offshore wind which generates 14% of the UK’s entire electricity needs. Just one gigawatt of offshore wind generates enough electricity to power over a million British homes for a year.
The report also shows that a further 5.2GW are already under construction in UK waters, and it forecasts that nearly 45GW could be fully operational by the end of 2030.
It is certainly worth reading through to the last paragraph.
The press release also lists the projects eligible to bid into AR6.
- Norfolk Vanguard West and Norfolk Vanguard East (2,760MW) – RWE
- Hornsea Four (2,600MW) – Ørsted
- Awel y Môr (1,100MW) – RWE
- East Anglia Two (900MW) – Iberdrola
- East Anglia One North (800MW) – Iberdrola
- Hornsea Three (753.1MW) – Ørsted
- Seagreen 1A (500MW) – SSE Renewables, TotalEnergies
- East Anglia Three (318MW) – Iberdrola
- Inch Cape (270MW) – Inch Cape Offshore
- Pentland (floating project) (100MW) – Highland Wind Limited
- Erebus (floating project) (100MW)
- Blyth 2 (floating project) (58MW)
- Forthwind (test and demonstration site) (8MW) – Forthwind Limited
These make a total of 10,267MW
Currently, as I write this the UK is generating 29 GW, so 45 GW with a lot of energy storage, should be enough to power the country.
Iberdrola Preparing Two East Anglia Offshore Wind Projects For UK’s Sixth CfD Round
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
ScottishPower Renewables, Iberdrola’s company in the UK, is getting the East Anglia One North and East Anglia Two offshore wind projects ready for the upcoming auction round for Contracts for Difference (CfD).
These three paragraphs give more details.
This is according to project updates Iberdrola published as part of its financial results for 2023.
Iberdrola says “good progress is being made in the key engineering and design work” for the two projects and, while they were not presented in the UK’s fifth CfD Allocation Round (AR5), preparations are being made to take part in Allocation Round 6 (AR6).
The two offshore wind farms are part of the GBP 6.5 billion (around EUR 7.6 billion) East Anglia Hub project, which also includes East Anglia Three, currently in construction and expected to start delivering electricity in 2026. The 1.4 GW East Anglia Three was awarded Contract for Difference in July 2022.
It is now possible to build a table of Iberdrola’s East Anglian Hub.
- East Anglia One – 714 MW – Commissioned in 2020.
- East Anglia One North – 800 MW – To be commissioned in 2026.
- East Anglia Two – 900 MW – To be commissioned in 2026.
- East Anglia Three – 1372 MW – To be commissioned in 2026.
Note.
- East Anglia One is the largest windfarm in Iberdrola’s history
- These four wind farms are connected to the shore at Bawdsey on the River Deben.
These wind farms are a total of 3786 MW.
In addition there are RWE’s three Norfolk wind farms.
- Norfolk Boreas – 1386 MW – To be commissioned in 2027.
- Norfolk Vanguard East – 1380 MW – To be commissioned before 2030.
- Norfolk Vanguard West – 1380 MW – To be commissioned before 2030.
These wind farms are a total of 4146 MW, with a grand total of 7932 MW.
What Will Happen To The Electricity?
Consider.
- It is a lot of electricity.
- The good people of Norfolk are already protesting about the cables and pylons, that will connect the electricity to the National Grid.
- The good people of Suffolk will probably follow, their Northern neighbours.
- The wind farms are owned by Spanish company; Iberdrola and German company; RWE.
I wonder, if someone will build a giant electrolyser at a convenient place on the coast and export the hydrogen to Europe by pipeline or tanker.
- The ports of Felixstowe, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft could probably handle a gas tanker.
- The Bacton gas terminal has gas pipelines to Belgium and The Netherlands.
In addition, there are various electricity interconnectors in use or under construction, that could send electricity to Europe.
- National Grid’s Lion Link to the Netherlands.
- NeuConnect to Germany from the Isle of Grain.
Whoever is the UK’s Prime Minister in 2030 will reap the benefits of these East Anglian and Norfolk wind farms.
In addition.
- The Hornsea wind farm will have tripled in size from 2604 MW to 8000 MW.
- The Dogger Bank wind farm will have grown from 1235 MW to 8000 MW.
- There is 4200 MW of wind farms in Morecambe Bay and around England.
They would be so lucky.
Tregoss Passing Loop On The Atlantic Coast Line
To increase the frequency of trains on the Atlantic Coast Line between Par and Newquay stations, from two-hourly to hourly, Network Rail are proposing to add a passing loop at Tregoss Moor.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the railway as it runs across the moor.
Note.
- Roche station in the North-East corner of the map.
- The red and blue crosses indicating level crossings on the route.
- The map seems to indicate a number of power cables.
I took these pictures from the train, as I came down to Par station.
Note.
- I was sitting on the right-hand-side of the train, looking West.
- In addition to the cables, there are about half a dozen wind turbines.
- Roche station is typical of the intermediate stations on the line – Small, functional and tidy, with a few car parking spaces.
On past form, I suspect that Network Rail could squeeze in a passing loop, that wouldn’t stir up too many antis.
I have one thought,
The St. Austell Link Road
This Google Map shows where the A30 to St. Austell Link Road is being built.
Note.
- The station at the top of the map by the area called Victoria and to the West of Higher Town is Roche station.
- The station at the right edge of the map about halfway down is Bugle station.
- The South of the map is covered by white china clay workings.
- Running diagonally across the map is the A30 to St. Austell Link Road.
This page on the Cornwall web site, says this about the road.
The St Austell to A30 link road will connect the old A30 near Victoria to the north and the A391 at Stenalees roundabout to the south. It will be a new 3.9 mile single carriageway road. It is a vital link to bring opportunities to the area.
This Google Map shows the area, where the Link Road will connect to the A30.
Note.
- The A30 running across the top of the map.
- The Victoria area and Roche station in the North-East corner of the map.
- In the South-West corner of the map their is the site office of the Link Road.
- The current end of the construction scar of the Link Road can be seen at the edge of the map.
- I would assume that the new road joins the roundabout to the North-East of the Construction Office.
- Traffic could be routes North-East from here along the B3274 to join the A30 at Cornwall Services.
- The railway sneaks between the A30 and the construction site.
I hope there’s been a bit of joined up thinking here and the road and the railway have been given the best joint design possible.
Energy / Sullom Voe Terminal To Be Connected To The Grid By The End Of Next Year
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Shetland News.
This is the sub-heading.
POWER supply to the Sullom Voe Terminal is set to be provided by two 43-kilometre underground power lines from the Gremista substation by the end of next year.
These four paragraphs outline some of EnQuest’s plans.
The on-site gas-fired power station, operated by Equans, is due to be switched off in the fourth quarter of 2025 as it no longer meets stringent carbon emission standards.
EnQuest, the operator of the terminal, gave an update on its plans for the 1,000-acre site during a Shetland suppliers forum held at Mareel on Wednesday morning.
The company was keen to present itself as one that is seeking collaborative working with the local businesses and the community as Sullom Voe transitions from an oil terminal to a green energy hub.
The company is in the middle of a “right-sizing” project that involves some significant decommissioning of equipment no longer needed to make space for long-term aspiration such as carbon capture and storage, green hydrogen production and offshore electrification.
Note.
- Two underground cables will be coming from Gremista to Sullom Voe.
- Up to seven wind turbines could fit on the site to produce power needed for green hydrogen production.
- Shetland is set to be connected to the UK national grid later this year thanks to a new 600MW HVDC subsea transmission link which will run to Caithness.
- The Sullom Voe power station, once switched off, could be “repurposed” to continue producing energy using clean fuels.
- EnQuest are certainly doing a comprehensive job on the transition.
- It looks to be a well-thought out plan to convert existing oil and gas infrastructure to a modern green asset.
This Google map shows Gremista to Sullom Voe.
Note.
- Sullum Voe is at the top of the map.
- Gremista is marked by the red arrow.
- It looks like the cable could take mainly a straight North-South route.
This second Google map shows Sullum Voe
Note.
- The Sullum Voe terminal is at the top of the map.
- Sullum Voe is a 1,000-acre site.
- In the South-West corner is the closed Scatsta airport.
This third Google map shows Lerwick.
Gremista is marked by the red arrow.
I do have some thoughts.
Scatsta Airport
Consider.
- It takes takes over three hours on a bus between Lerwick and Sullum Voe
- Scatsta Airport only closed in 2020.
Is there an opportunity for an air taxi between Lerwick and Scatsta?
The Anonymous Widower 