HVDC Interconnectors

[dan_b]

Thanks Dan always enjoy these. Think more will appear as yet unplanned? Feels like we will need even more interconnectors.

I've not yet gone near the X-Link proposal to Morocco in these updates, but I suppose that is the big one from left field and perhaps I should add it to the list- a 3.6GW set of 3800km HVDC interconnectors linked to a 10GW solar and wind farm with 20GWh of battery storage to provide 24/7 transmission.

Although I'm highly sceptical that it'll get built.
16billion in construction cost - half of which is the cabling.
Even with HVDC, transmission losses will be in the order of 15%

China has a 3400km HVDC transmission line running cross-country. It operates at 1.1million volts and has a transmission capacity of 12GW.
This is longer, and up to 700m below the sea.

[Mart]

I think that's a sensible decision Dan. It's such a monster scheme it's hard to believe it will happen, but if it does, what a beauty.

Not trying to be difficult here, but a thought has ocurred to me. I'm wondering if that's an interconnector in the same sense as we are discussing? As it's a one way, almost constant power supply, then it seems to me to be more akin, to say an offshore wind farm, just with a near 100%cf. So more of a constant power, power station, just located a rather long way away.

First weird thought of the day for me!

[dan_b]

That's a good point. It's really "just" a far away power station with a private wire. I've seen nothing to suggest that UK power would flow in the other direction, or that the power generated at the renewable park would go anywhere else.

[Bugtownboy]

Thanks Dan always enjoy these. Think more will appear as yet unplanned? Feels like we will need even more interconnectors.

I've not yet gone near the X-Link proposal to Morocco in these updates, but I suppose that is the big one from left field and perhaps I should add it to the list- a 3.6GW set of 3800km HVDC interconnectors linked to a 10GW solar and wind farm with 20GWh of battery storage to provide 24/7 transmission.

Although I'm highly sceptical that it'll get built.
16billion in construction cost - half of which is the cabling.
Even with HVDC, transmission losses will be in the order of 15%

China has a 3400km HVDC transmission line running cross-country. It operates at 1.1million volts and has a transmission capacity of 12GW.
This is longer, and up to 700m below the sea.

I suppose compared to Sizewell C at 20 Billion and similar output, it’s a reasonable proposal. Energy security issues exist with both projects.

Perhaps the Morocco project would be delivered far quicker than Sizewell too ?

[Oldgreybeard]

I suppose compared to Sizewell C at 20 Billion and similar output, it’s a reasonable proposal. Energy security issues exist with both projects.

Perhaps the Morocco project would be delivered far quicker than Sizewell too ?

Slightly off topic, but I am starting to have grave concerns about big, new, generation or transmission projects, as a consequence of what has been happening in Ukraine. It seems far too easy for big interconnectors or power stations to be knocked off line, leaving millions without power.

I can't help thinking that lots of smaller generators, well distributed around the country, might make for better energy security. The Rolls Royce SMR concept seems a sound one, given that we are likely to need baseload generation for a few decades to come. I've often thought it would be nice to have one of the portable nuclear generators we had at Harwell, when I first started work. They were completely sealed steel finned things that would output around 50W to 100W (IIRC) for many decades. Be neat to have one as a home battery trickle charger, although I dare say the H&S mafia might not approve. I think these things used Sr90 as the heat source, with the heat just coming from normal radioactive decay.

[nowty]

I've often thought it would be nice to have one of the portable nuclear generators we had at Harwell, when I first started work. They were completely sealed steel finned things that would output around 50W to 100W (IIRC) for many decades. Be neat to have one as a home battery trickle charger, although I dare say the H&S mafia might not approve. I think these things used Sr90 as the heat source, with the heat just coming from normal radioactive decay.

I want one !

Hoping in the future for a similar output from a home fuel cell using something like ethanol or hydrogen.

[Oldgreybeard]

I've often thought it would be nice to have one of the portable nuclear generators we had at Harwell, when I first started work. They were completely sealed steel finned things that would output around 50W to 100W (IIRC) for many decades. Be neat to have one as a home battery trickle charger, although I dare say the H&S mafia might not approve. I think these things used Sr90 as the heat source, with the heat just coming from normal radioactive decay.

I want one !

Hoping in the future for a similar output from a home fuel cell using something like ethanol or hydrogen.

I think there are loads of them stored as waste, plus lots of old Russian ones that they used in lighthouses just lying around, like these ones:

[dan_b]

RTGs are used on some spacecraft which operate in deep space where solar power isn't going to be sufficient.
But I'm not sure they're related to HVDCs!

[smegal]

Small Viking Link Construction update

25% of the UK-Denmark cable has now been laid, and construction is about to commence on the two HVDC converter stations in Bicker Fen and Revsing. Start date now firmed up a little from "Q4 2023" to December 2023

It's moving along

https://www.balfourbeatty.com/news/balf ... entId=1212


successfully delivers final land cable pull on the Viking Link electricity interconnector project

05 December 2022

Balfour Beatty has laid the final piece of UK land cable for National Grid’s new Viking Link electricity interconnector.
Work is a key milestone for the project which will stretch 470 miles to join Lincolnshire with Denmark.
Cable will now be joined to the sea cable which will ultimately link the UK with Denmark

[dan_b]

Small update.

AQUIND may not yet be totally dead - the developers have had a Judicial Review Hearing at the High Court of then Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng's decision to kill the AQUIND Interconnector.

This has upset the good folk of Portsmouth as they seem to be quite opposed to the whole scheme.

We'll see what Mrs Justice Lieven has to say in due course.