LNW-GW Joint
Veteran Member
The government is promoting HS2 in its decarbonisation strategy, claiming it will be "zero carbon from the start of operation".
HS2 to be powered by zero carbon energy from Day One
There are two strands to this, the operation of the railway itself, and the methods used to build and maintain it.
For the UK network as a whole, Network Rail has had a 10-year contract with EDF to supply the railway with low-carbon electricity from nuclear sources for all uses including traction.
NR is said to be the electrical supply industry's biggest single customer and should be able to command the best price on the market.
The EDF contract was signed in 2013, so expires in 2023 - presumably a new contract is in the pipeline (but at what cost, I wonder, with the recent surge in wholesale prices).
I don't know if this contract covers HS1, or will cover HS2 - so far HS2 has been commercially separate from NR.
But I find the claim of zero-carbon deceitful, as the railway will take the same feed as anybody else, with the variable carbon mix offered by the grid system.
If EDF claims the NR feed is "zero carbon", it just means the rest of us take up a larger portion of non-zero power to make up the overall balance in the supply.
Since 2013 the mix of power supply has also shifted towards wind and solar, while nuclear has fallen back with the closure of older sites.
Coal is now insignificant in the supply, while biomass is growing as are feeds from continental Europe with an indeterminate mix of supply (but plenty of zero-carbon content).
But gas is still the dominant form of power in the UK, usually amounting to about 50%.
Then there's the fact that HS2 trains will travel extensively over NR metals away from HS2 itself, so if HS2 has a different supply contract it will only apply to its local services.
The NR press release in 2013 (by David Higgins) makes much of the increasing demand for electric power for new services, as a result of the CP5 electrification plan.
Ten-year deal powers Britain’s biggest rail electrification programme in a generation (networkrailmediacentre.co.uk)
One can only read the list and weep:
Of the six schemes outlined (note: none of those actually completed in Scotland was mentioned), only the NW scheme has been completed.
MML and TP wiring are now back on the agenda after the IRP was published recently, but without any details; partial Welsh Valleys wiring is under way for the South Wales Metro.
But wiring to Oxford, Bristol TM, TV branches and Swansea are stalled, and the Electric Spine has sunk without trace.
While there will have been undoubted increases in electricity consumption from the completed schemes, recent events will have reduced that by quite a chunk - maybe 20%.
It should be interesting seeing how these issues are handled by HS2 Ltd and NR over the next few years.
HS2 to be powered by zero carbon energy from Day One
HS2 trains will be powered by zero carbon energy from day one of operation, offering a cleaner alternative to long distance car journeys and domestic flights, while supporting the government’s 2050 target to tackle climate change.
This commitment will play a key part in HS2 Ltd’s aim to make the project net zero carbon from 2035, with targets of diesel-free construction sites and major reductions in carbon emissions from the steel and concrete used to build the railway
There are two strands to this, the operation of the railway itself, and the methods used to build and maintain it.
For the UK network as a whole, Network Rail has had a 10-year contract with EDF to supply the railway with low-carbon electricity from nuclear sources for all uses including traction.
NR is said to be the electrical supply industry's biggest single customer and should be able to command the best price on the market.
The EDF contract was signed in 2013, so expires in 2023 - presumably a new contract is in the pipeline (but at what cost, I wonder, with the recent surge in wholesale prices).
I don't know if this contract covers HS1, or will cover HS2 - so far HS2 has been commercially separate from NR.
But I find the claim of zero-carbon deceitful, as the railway will take the same feed as anybody else, with the variable carbon mix offered by the grid system.
If EDF claims the NR feed is "zero carbon", it just means the rest of us take up a larger portion of non-zero power to make up the overall balance in the supply.
Since 2013 the mix of power supply has also shifted towards wind and solar, while nuclear has fallen back with the closure of older sites.
Coal is now insignificant in the supply, while biomass is growing as are feeds from continental Europe with an indeterminate mix of supply (but plenty of zero-carbon content).
But gas is still the dominant form of power in the UK, usually amounting to about 50%.
Then there's the fact that HS2 trains will travel extensively over NR metals away from HS2 itself, so if HS2 has a different supply contract it will only apply to its local services.
The NR press release in 2013 (by David Higgins) makes much of the increasing demand for electric power for new services, as a result of the CP5 electrification plan.
Ten-year deal powers Britain’s biggest rail electrification programme in a generation (networkrailmediacentre.co.uk)
One can only read the list and weep:
On Tuesday 8 January 2013, Network Rail set out its plans to build a bigger, better railway for Britain over the 2014-19 funding period.
These plans included the following electrification schemes:
• Great Western Main Line (Maidenhead to Oxford, Newbury, Bristol and Cardiff) and Thames Valley branches
• Cardiff to Swansea and Welsh Valley lines
• Midland Main Line (Bedford to Corby, Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield)
• North-West Electrification Scheme (Liverpool to Manchester, Manchester to Preston and Blackpool)
• Transpennine Electrification Scheme (Manchester to Leeds and York)
• Electric spine (Southampton to Nuneaton and Bedford via Oxford)
Of the six schemes outlined (note: none of those actually completed in Scotland was mentioned), only the NW scheme has been completed.
MML and TP wiring are now back on the agenda after the IRP was published recently, but without any details; partial Welsh Valleys wiring is under way for the South Wales Metro.
But wiring to Oxford, Bristol TM, TV branches and Swansea are stalled, and the Electric Spine has sunk without trace.
While there will have been undoubted increases in electricity consumption from the completed schemes, recent events will have reduced that by quite a chunk - maybe 20%.
It should be interesting seeing how these issues are handled by HS2 Ltd and NR over the next few years.