Diego Baynes

Uniper's plan to expand the existing power station at Connah’s Quay have passed several early approvals, moving closer to realization. The proposed project—Connah’s Quay Low Carbon Power (CQLCP)—would involve demolishing the current gas treatment plant adjacent to the power station and building a low-carbon facility next to it. Two key milestones have been met: ➡ The council determined an EIA is not required for the demolition work. ➡ Planning and Environment Decisions Wales accepted the project’s DCO. The plant is planned as a combined-cycle gas turbine power station with post-combustion carbon capture technology. Maximum planned net electrical output is up to 1.38 GW. The project will be built in two phases, with roughly half capacity (≈ 550-700 MW) delivered in Phase-1 which could be operational by 2030 if all goes to plan. 

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SP Electricity North West Unveils New Name and Identity Under Iberdrola Group On 4 August 2025, Electricity North West officially became SP Electricity North West, marking a new chapter under Iberdrola’s ownership. The rebrand strengthens alignment with ScottishPower and Iberdrola’s wider family, positioning the company as a key UK electricity network operator. Serving around 12 million people and maintaining 170,000 km of infrastructure, this change reinforces a long-term commitment to reliability, sustainability, and innovation in the North West. The refreshed identity featuring the Iberdrola logo’s green leaf, blue drop, and orange flame, will be rolled out across digital channels, depots, fleet, and PPE, reflecting a shared vision for a cleaner energy future. Stephanie Trubshaw, COO at SP Electricity North West, emphasised: “We have always been champions of this wonderful part of the country… with our customers and communities at the heart of everything we do. As part of the Iberdrola and ScottishPower family, we will use our collective strength to be a force for good…” Keith Anderson, CEO of ScottishPower, added: “…the roll-out of the new SP Electricity North West name and logo strengthens the collective identity of all our network licences… building on the history and legacy of Electricity North West as a trusted partner connecting communities…” This move is another sign of the growing momentum in the UK’s electricity distribution sector, as operators align more closely with global energy groups to accelerate the energy transition. #SPElectricityNorthWest #EnergyTransition #PowerAndEnergy #Infrastructure #CleanEnergy #NorthWestUK #Sustainabilit https://lnkd.in/ehWwHE63

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💦💷 Davyhulme Upgrade: United Utilities Submits Plans for £350M Wastewater Investment 💦💷 United Utilities has submitted a planning application for the first phase of a £350 million AMP8 programme to upgrade Davyhulme Wastewater Treatment Works, one of the UK’s largest and most historically significant sewage works. 🏗 Serving over 1 million people across Greater Manchester, the site will undergo a ten-year transformation to meet tougher environmental standards, support population growth, and improve water quality in the Manchester Ship Canal. 📈 ⚗️ New phosphorus removal building using cutting-edge treatment technology 🧫 Further stages to reduce Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) in treated effluent 🧱 Decommissioning and demolition of ageing assets in phased delivery 🕒 Continuous 24/7 operation maintained throughout construction ⚡ Expanded Bioresources Power Generation Centre for increased energy recovery 🔬 Hydrogen and graphene production pilot using biogas (in partnership with Levidian) 🚧 All upgrades remain within the existing site footprint 🤝 Delivered via United Utilities' new Enterprise Delivery Model (7 partners + UU) ------------------------------ Andrew Cunliffe, Wastewater Business Lead, United Utilities: “Many people won’t realise the significance of Davyhulme and the part it has played in pioneering modern sewerage techniques. This huge investment ensures we can meet the city’s growing needs while protecting the environment.” 🗣 ------------------------------ First opened in 1894, the site was the birthplace of the activated sludge process, developed in 1913 by Edward Arden and W.T. Lockett, a method still used in wastewater treatment plants worldwide. 🌍 #waterindustry #watertreatment #wastewater #waterquality #engineering #amp8 #meicahub #grs

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£15.6M substation energised in East London, doubling local capacity A £15.6M #substation at Nelson Street in East London, owned by UK Power Networks and delivered by Clancy, has been energised, doubling #electricaldistribution capacity for local users. The project in East Ham launched in 2020 and was designed to improve the resilience and capacity of #electricity provision for local end users. In a statement shared before the project was finished, contractor Clancy said it would “install and connect three #132kV transformers inside a newly constructed substation, as part of UK Power Networks’ long-term project to provide a modern, resilient network which will support new housing and electric vehicle charging in the area. “The project involved demolishing the existing substation, including diverting live cabling and removing 400m of redundant #cabling, and the construction of a new substation on site.” The contractor added that it had “made alterations to the project design to minimise risk, especially when the creation of the new substation required a massive 40m by 35m excavation at a depth of 2.5m – equating to 3,500 cubic metres of removed soil.” Also speaking ahead of project completion, Clancy project manager Andy Cherrett said: “Each transformer weighs 54,000kg, that meant deploying a large lorry loader with a vehicle crane in busy streets and safely transferring the equipment with specialist lifting machinery." Referring to the excavation work, Cherrett added that “any excavation work required within a live substation is always a challenge in itself, but to find the room to facilitate an excavation of this extent was an extremely difficult task due to the clusters of existing services underground in this type of location. “We used trial holes to initially expose the underground cables and sheet piling and allow us to reach the required depth of the building. The scanning equipment was used throughout this process to ensure the safety of our team at all times” Announcing energisation of the substation today [28 August], UK Power Networks said: “The upgrade doubles the total capacity of the substation for local residents,” and it marks “a key milestone in the company’s ongoing investment in a smarter, more reliable energy network for thousands of residents in the East Ham and Barking area.” UK Power Networks project manager Awaise Umar said: “This £15.6M investment is a pivotal step towards ensuring a more resilient and efficient energy network for East London." Clancy site manager Tony Campbell said: “This upgrade demonstrates the power of effective partnership in strengthening vital community infrastructure. “Working closely with UK Power Networks, our teams navigated complex engineering challenges and delivered enhanced capacity for East London." https://lnkd.in/e6jWvuS5

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Data Centre Campus Planned For Former Oil Rig Factory In Dunoon, Scotland! The location, known as the Killellan AI Growth Zone on the Cowal Peninsula, is aiming to secure UK government AI Growth Zone status, which would provide incentives for data center developments. Land preparation is expected to begin within weeks, according to The Herald. The site once operated as a factory and quarry producing rigs for the oil and gas industry, employing around 3,000 people at its peak. Plans for the first phase include delivering 100MW–600MW of data center capacity, with the long-term goal of reaching 2GW. Led by Argyll Data Development Ltd, the project is intended to run entirely on-site renewable energy, using a combination of solar, wind, hydro, and hydrogen power, supported by vanadium flow battery storage. Specific technical details have yet to be disclosed. Chairman Peter Griffith told The Herald that the initial data centre will also manage a microgrid project connecting up to 32 edge data centers across the UK, optimising the use of energy generated at those facilities. The scheme is expected to require around £15 billion ($20.3bn) in total investment, with the first stage targeted for completion by 2027. Partner companies listed include Schneider Electric, Aveva, and Lenovo, with political support from Argyll and Bute MSP Jenni Minto. While Scotland has not been a major hub for data centers historically, the launch of the AI Growth Zone programme has prompted multiple bids from regions including North Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway, and Glasgow. #ai #news #datacenters #datacentres

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National Grid names contractors for £8bn substation drive National Grid has selected seven contractors for its £8bn Electricity Transmission Partnership. National Grid's 400kV Sandford substation, built as part of the Hinkley connection project Balfour Beatty plc, Burns & McDonnell, Linxon, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, M Group Energy, Murphy and OTW (a joint venture of Omexom and Taylor Woodrow) have been chosen to deliver £8bn worth of substation #infrastructure across #England and #Wales over the next five years for #NationalGrid. The Electricity Transmission Partnership (ETP) is a new way of working for National Grid, following on from the Great Grid Partnership it announced in May 2024. The initiative awards regional exclusivity of substation work to ETP contractors based on how well they perform and their commitment to expanding their capacity. The aim is to strengthen the UK supply chain, encourage long term investment and support the development of local skills and capability, National Grid said. Around 130 projects are expected to be procured through the ETP. It also marks a major boost to National Grid’s RIIO-T3 investment plan, which proposes up to £35bn investment in the transmission network in England and Wales over the five years to March 2031, including to build new substations or upgrade existing ones. Balfour Beatty has been allocated the northeast region, Morgan Sindall the northwest, Murphy southwest (region one) and London & southeast region, M Group Energy for southwest (region two) and OTW has the central west region The contractors will have first refusal of future substation work in the pipeline in their region. Two national suppliers, Linxon and Burns & McDonnell, will support delivery of substation work that falls outside the scope of the regional partners’ portfolios. The ETP complements other pioneering initiatives in National Grid’s evolving supply chain ecosystem, including the Great Grid Partnership (GGP) and a new high voltage direct current (HVDC) supply chain framework. Together, these programmes are designed to provide greater capacity and resilience across multiple infrastructure construction portfolios. National Grid said that the ETP model has the potential to be expanded beyond substations in future to include other network infrastructure. Alice Delahunty FREng, president of National Grid Electricity Transmission, said: “Our Electricity Transmission Partnership marks a bold shift in how we deliver vital electricity infrastructure. By adopting a regional, long term approach, we’re giving our supply chain the certainty to invest in people, skills and innovation. It’s a key step in turning our RIIO-T3 investment ambitions into action and building a resilient grid to support Britain’s clean energy future.” https://lnkd.in/eqx-wtSP

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Grid Connections in Germany: What This Means for Companies seeking Top Talent Germany's grid connection bottlenecks are creating real opportunities. BNetzA is cutting connection costs by up to 80% for batteries in areas with excess renewable power, and new flexible connection rules launched in March make project development easier. BESS projects now benefit from "cable pooling": sharing connection points with other technologies. Makes sense considering how storage capacity jumped from 1.4 GWh to 1.8 GWh in just 7 months during 2024. Wind developers face longer waits, but new legislation allows combined wind-solar-battery projects at single connection points. The gap between policy reform and execution is where smart companies are hiring now. Grid engineers, project managers who understand regulatory timelines, and specialists in storage integration are in high demand. With €360 billion in grid investments coming, the companies that build these teams first will win the best projects. Sources: BNetzA, Clean Energy Wire, IEA

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Big news for UK energy ☢️ The US and UK have signed the Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy, a multi billion pound agreement to accelerate nuclear power development. The deal will see up to 12 advanced modular reactors built in Hartlepool by Centrica and X-energy, enough to power 1.5 million homes and create around 2,500 jobs. Holtec Britain, EDF, and Tritax Group will also invest £11bn to develop advanced data centres in Nottinghamshire, powered by small modular reactors (SMRs). The agreement also expands Rolls-Royce and BWXT collaboration, with a  focus on SMRs and AMRs, smaller, factory-built reactors designed to be quicker, cheaper, and lower risk than traditional plants. The timing is key. Much of the UK’s nuclear fleet is near retirement. Temporary extensions at Hartlepool and Heysham help bridge the gap, but new low-carbon capacity is needed fast. For the UK, this means jobs, investment, and reliable clean power. For the US, stronger exports and commercial ties. A joint step in reshaping energy for an AI-driven, high-demand future. Now is a pivotal moment for the UK nuclear sector, with investment, innovation, and opportunity converging at scale. #nuclear #uknuclear #astute #nuclearnews

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Offshore wind is finding a new survival strategy, and it might just work. After a bruising couple of years marked by cancellations and cost blowouts, two multibillion-dollar deals, Orsted in Taiwan and Iberdrola/Masdar in the UK, signal a cautious but clever rebound. By expanding existing sites and locking in inflation-proof revenue via contracts like CfDs and feed-in tariffs, developers are showing that offshore wind can still be bankable without relying on traditional tax subsidies. The message? If the demand is strong enough, the right financial structures can bring offshore wind back to life. 2023: Project cancellations and tumbling share prices 2025: 11GW+ already financed, more than all of 2024 A turning point, or just a patch? Time will tell.

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Some would argue for, some against. Do you have a view? Is this the start of something? A major setback for US clean energy: Ørsted’s Revolution Wind project has been frozen at 80% completion. With 45 of 65 turbines already installed, the project was set to power 350,000 homes. Now, Ørsted faces mounting financial strain and may resort to legal action. Industry leaders warn that halting projects at this stage undermines jobs, investment, and the future of offshore wind—all at a time when the sector is already grappling with rising costs and delays. https://lnkd.in/esQfyWTi

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