Gordon Stein, CFO of CleanTech Lithium, explains why CTL acquired the 23 Laguna Verde licenses. Watch the video here.
Report on BBC about Pentalina which mentions that the vessel had been rushed into service after drydocking, does not say where, but assume H&W in Belfast, which is worrying. Engine room fires are often caused by burst, or leaking injector lines on the diesel engines. Some engines are fitted with double walled injector pipes to deal with the former. The latter, as small leak in an injector line is possibly the most troubling. The diesel oil seeps out and builds up on cylinder heads then drips onto the exhaust, and whoosh! That is the result of poor fitting. So hope that H&W are exonerated in any inquiry.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-65441218
BBC provides reasonably balanced view of protest swim at IMG site where people swim in the sea all year round, just as they do on the Humberside coast where the Hornsea salt cavity site discharged brine during its construction phase in the 1980s. There were no complaints that I'm aware of from bathers in Humberside, or harm to marine life that I'm a aware of. But then the environmental campaigners need something to keep them occupied. Probably got nothing else to do! Worth remembering Brent Spar, when the storage buoy was brought ashore, at vast cost as the result of a campaign, only to discover that it did not contain a fraction of the waste oil that the campaigners claimed - but did they apologise - no!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65314291
Assume all aware of the Bains Field gas storage proposal across the Irish Sea in Morecambe Bay. It involves redeveloping a depleted gas field from the (giant) Morecambe Bay facilities. Not a direct challenge to IMG for Irish gas supply, but could be a factor.
https://www.nstauthority.co.uk/news-publications/news/2023/award-of-gas-storage-licence-april-2023/
NI environmental campaigners at it again with challenge to gas conversion at Kilroot power station near IMG site
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65271199
The (short) article 'Titanic shipyard in crunch talks to reduce energy prices' that appeared in today's edition (page 23) in the business section) should be read in the context with an an article entitled Ireland's Energy Crisis Threatens Blackout by Rachel Millard, on28 February (page 20). That (longer) article says 'Ireland's single electricity market covers both the Republic and Northern Ireland. ....... and 'imports gas via pipelines from Scotland'. While focusing on electricity it also mentions the Corrib Field. Neither of those two articles mentions that plans for ILM are stalled due to judicial review.
Seems that problem with HMS Prince of Wales was due to shaft misalignment, as many engineers predicted. An elementary fault! How can that happen on a £3 billion warship? Further strengthens the case for new blood in the UK shipbuilding industry.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/02/04/hms-prince-wales-departure-hit-elementary-blunders/
As a long time holder of Infrastrata (now H&W). I appreciate these posts, which provide a wider perspective on naval policy . The RFA have two new vessels for their fleet. Interesting to see how they will be manned. You may be interested in the following. which is somewhat dated.
The Ministry of Defence announced on the 7 November 2022 that it was going to accelerate plans to acquire a Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance (MROS) ship to protect subsea cables and pipelines. The announcement followed shortly after the sabotage of the four Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. The need for such vessels was anticipated in a paperback called South Coast Shenanigans, published in 2021, available online from most major booksellers. It is a light-hearted tale. But it revolves about facts such as the Kursk disaster and fuel cells in German built submarines 20 year ago.
The Irish government has been consulting on gas security (see link). The consultation document mentioned possible re-opening of Kinsale field for gas storage but made no mention of IMG. Consultation ended 28 Oct 2022.
https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/624f3-department-of-the-environment-climate-and-communications-launches-consultation-on-the-review-of-the-security-of-energy-supply-for-irelands-gas-and-electricity-systems/
Southern Ireland has introduced a ban on peat fuel, apparently. Peat was used in some of their power stations, if my memory serves. This will only add to their power problems. and provides further reasons for gas storage. See BBC link below for possible extension of peat ban to NI. Woth investigating
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-63588575
The history of gas in the UK outlined by the BBC article is much like one that appeared in the Sunday Telegraph some weeks ago. It mentions that Gateway project in the Irish Sea. The project was proposed by Stag Energy. My recollection Is rusty, but I believe it was much like Rough, making use of depleted gas fields, with platforms, to store vast quantities of gas. The proposed IMG is smaller, akin to the Hornsea salt cavity storage site in Humberside, which is still operational to my knowledge. I also recall the Labour MP Wilson as one of the few sensible energy ministers.
Does anyone know where the infrastructure protection ships are being built. Seems that they will be operated by RFA which seems a bit out of their league, with delivery of first ship due Jan 2023, see link. H&W should have been in on this!
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/royal-navy-infrastructure-protection-ship-accelerated
Ferguson shipyard forgot to buy sensors for the LNG propulsion, see BBC link. They have had years to correct that elementary error! Another reason why Appledore should be considered for future work?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-63445479
Scottish government owned CalMac needs more Scottish ferries, as shown in BBC link below. The Ferguson yard in Glasgow made a mess of the last order. The BAE yards in Glasgow are busy with naval work. How does Appledore stand for the new contract?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-63399160
Link below for Rough re-opening. The BBC is also reporting today that the Scottish government is about to order a £115 million ferry despite the fiasco at the Ferguson yard.
https://www.centrica.com/media-centre/news/2022/centrica-re-opens-rough-storage-facility/
The link shows the gas distribution system in the Island of Ireland with link from Belfast to Dublin. There was cross border co-operation in the wake of the Peace Agreement, but not sure what the situation is with current political stalemate in NI.
https://www.vermilionenergy.com/our-operations/europe/ireland.cfm
More information about LNG tankers waiting to discharge off Spai
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/dozens-lng-laden-ships-queue-off-europes-coasts-unable-unload-2022-10-17/
The supply of natural gas was one area where there has been co-operation between north and south, on an operational level at least.
There was an interesting report in Offshore Mag (www.offshore-mag.com) recently about 25 LNG tankers queuing in the Med to discharge,, to highlight the fact that the six Spanish LNG terminals (the most in Europe) are full. up. Once again highlighting the lack of storage space. Sadly could not find the article when checked the site this morning.
The BBC business has news story about possible black-out in NI. The story focuses on the (currently) coal-fired Kilroot power station. The link shows plan to pipe gas supplied to Kilroot. This will increase NI gas demand dramatically. The gas will be used as fuel for a modern gas turbine plant, but it is feasible to convert old steam generating stations to fire coal, gas and oil in any combination. I believe the station is close to the IMG site.
https://kilrootenergypark.co.uk/our-initiatives/gas-pipeline
The risk of sabotage has been a source of concern, largely ignored by politicians, with exception of the present defence minister who has called for a review of naval priorities. The birds have now come home to roost, providing even greater pressure for gas storage.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-63057966
The University of Edinburgh has been doing research into H2 storage sites in cooperation with a French company called CGG. This looks at suitability of different sites, as described in the ink below.
https://www.cgg.com/newsroom/news/cgg-and-university-edinburgh-commence-game-changing-hydrogen-storage-research