In this article, you will obtain additional information regarding the contentious closure of the bridge in Doncaster, which has been an ongoing project that has upset motorists with delays and diversions since the year 2019. In a related development pertaining to the Tampa interchange, the lane will be renovated at a cost of 223 million dollars, and construction is scheduled to begin in 2023. Regarding Bayport Polymers LLC (also known as “Baystar”), they have started their commercial operations and have the capacity to produce one million tons of ethylene annually through ethane cracking. In addition to that, we are going to investigate the current state of the energy transition in the countries of France, Finland, and the United Kingdom.

Building firm updates The Doncaster bridge closure saga

Original Source: Thorne Road: Building firm gives update on ‘controversial’ Doncaster bridge closure saga

Thorne Road between Clay Lane and Edenthorpe is closed to cars for the final phase of a project to replace a railway bridge and enlarge the road to reduce traffic congestion.

Long-running project has irritated motorists with delays and diversions since 2019.

Derek Lewis, a road resurfacing company involved in the £10.65 million scheme, provided an update on the September completion date.

The A18 improvement works in Doncaster are an essential program of construction and maintenance aimed at road safety and service life, a spokesman said.

“Led by Doncaster Council, we’re also involved in the work, and so far everything looks fantastic and is on time.

“Since the road closure, we’ve prepared both sides of the roadway with an in-depth groundworks program that involved a substantial amount of ground excavation and substructure work to prepare the carriageway for a big surface program that started this week.”

“By using a staged approach, everything we’ve accomplished so far will aid future work.”

“Our greater focus on improving the program will keep overall expenses within budget and completion on track.”

“Follow our social feed for the latest information on local and regional projects we’re working on.”

The road was closed in June and will reopen on September 3.

Part of a long-running project to improve access into Doncaster via the West Moor Link, it aims to ease traffic bottlenecks at the railway bridge near Sainsbury’s.

A Doncaster Council spokesman claimed that the A18 Thorne Road and West Moor Link are congested during peak periods. This crowding stifles expansion and prevents housing and job development.

Lane upgrades Tampa interchange for $223m

Original Source: Lane lands $223m Tampa interchange upgrade

Lane will widen and realign on/off ramps, improve signage, and install noise barriers.

Construction starts in 2023.

I-275/I-4 intersection is a significant storm evacuation route for Tampa Bay.

Lane is already working on the I-275 corridor.

This is Lane’s second Florida contract in 2018. It was chosen to upgrade a Panama City air force facility destroyed by Hurricane Michael in May.

Italian construction business Webuild owns Lane; North America represented 21% of group revenue in 2021.

TotalEnergies announces Port Arthur ethane cracker startup

Original Source: United States: TotalEnergies Announces the Start-up of New Ethane Cracker in Port Arthur  

As part of the joint venture between TotalEnergies and Borealis, Bayport Polymers LLC (“Baystar”) has begun commercial operations with a one million ton annual ethylene output capacity for ethane cracking.

This nearly $2 billion project at the TotalEnergies Refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, required 14 million hours and 2,500 people at peak construction.

The cracker’s ethylene will be utilized as feedstock for Baystar’s existing polyethylene (PE) units and a new Borstar® technology polyethylene unit under development in Bayport, Texas.

“After substantial investments in U.S. LNG and renewable electricity in 2022, this new cracker is another milestone in expanding TotalEnergies’ footprint in the U.S.” This investment aligns with our objective to develop petrochemicals on our integrated platforms. “At Port Arthur, we take advantage of the quantity of ethane in the U.S.â€� said Bernard Pinatel, President, Refining & Chemicals, TotalEnergies.

The Baystar JV translates TotalEnergies and Borealis’ US growth aspirations. It comprises:

• The Baystar site in Bayport, Texas has a 400,000-ton-per-year PE capability.
• The 1 million-ton-per-year ethane cracker at the TotalEnergies Port Arthur Refinery has begun operations.
• The under-construction 625,000-metric-ton-per-year PE unit at Bayport will use Borealis’ Borstar® technology to offer a broad range of products to fulfill expanding global demand for plastic products.

A Current Status Report on the Energy Transition

Original Source: Energy Transition Update

UK

Dorset Green H2, a hydrogen fuel project in Poole, Dorset, is due to open this year. A Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership Fund Scheme supplied £3 million, Low Carbon Dorset gave £1.5 million, and a bank loan provided £1.7 million. Solar energy will generate green hydrogen, which will be generated by solar electricity and landfill gas for industrial use in the South West. The site is run by Canford Renewable Energy.

BP will invest £18 billion in the UK’s energy system by 2030. Offshore wind, electric vehicle charge points, hydrogen, and CCS (carbon capture and storage) are areas BP wants to explore.

UK-based Lightsource BP is proposing a solar farm near Wrexham, North Wales. The solar farm will generate 80 MWp annually, enough to power 22,222 houses. Plas Power Solar Farm will connect to the local energy network and reduce annual emissions by 22,991 tonnes. This is equivalent to removing 12,000 gasoline-powered cars from the road or powering 50,000 electric vehicles.

Off-shore wind farms are under development and will soon begin operating. This strategy boosts energy security while cutting pollution. The Dogger Bank Wind Farm in Yorkshire, North East England, will open in 2025. This project is a joint venture of SSE Renewables, Equinor, and Eni Plenitude.

The Dolphyn Project will be the world’s first floating green hydrogen facility off Aberdeen, Scotland, UK. Green hydrogen will power existing transportation and domestic heating. Investments total £10.77 billion. ERM will lead the project, which will begin in the summer of 2023.

German energy provider RWE has nearly built a large wind farm off the coast of Lincolnshire, UK. Triton Knoll Wind Farm is led by RWE. When operations begin, 800,000 UK homes will have power. Between £2 billion and £4 billion will be invested in this project.

Inch Cape Wind Farm will shortly go live off Scotland’s Angus Coast. This is a Red Rock Power-ESB joint venture. The 15-km-from-shore facility has 72 wind turbines and can power 1 million homes.

Finland

A Finnish energy business, Ilmater, has begun building four wind farms with 135 million euros from AIP Management, a Danish infrastructure investment platform. 200 million euros are needed to finish construction. Operations should start in 2024 and power 100,000 households.

Finland plans to build a hydrogen and renewable methane plant next to the Kemijarvi power plant. Finnish green energy investment company Lahti Energy Ltd and Finnish clean energy producer Nordic Ren-Gas Ltd is conducting a feasibility study on the technical and commercial aspects of viability. All the energy produced at this site will clean heavy transport and provide waste heat for the regional district heating network.

France

A 496 MW wind farm is being built in Pays-de-la-Loire, Western France. This is a cooperative effort between Engie, EDP Renewables, Sumitomo, and Caisse Des Dépôts et Consignations. 2 billion euros will be invested. The wind farm will power 800,000 homes.

France will build 14 new nuclear reactors by 2050 to become carbon neutral and end fossil fuel imports. 70% of France’s electricity is from nuclear power.

The French government inked an offshore wind industry pact. Under the arrangement, 50 sites will produce 40 GW of offshore wind power by 2050. France will auction 2 GW of offshore wind capacity annually through 2025. The French offshore wind industry has invested 40 billion euros to expand clean offshore wind energy.

French renewable energy startup Votalia is building a 3.7-megawatt solar panel factory in Provence Alpes Vote d’Azur. The Montclar project will use 8,600 solar panels to power over 2,500 people.

Four French regions have asked for hydrogen-powered trains. In 2023 or 2024, 3 trains will be sent to the following regions for trial runs: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes; Burgundy-Franche-Comte; Grand-Est; Occitanie

Summary of today’s construction news

In today’s post, the stretch of road between Clay Lane and Edenthorpe is no longer accessible by car due to the conclusion of a project to repair a railroad bridge and widen Thorne Road to reduce traffic congestion. Doncaster Council is in charge of this project, and thus far, everything appears to be running smoothly and on time. The highway will be reopened to traffic on September 3.

In related news, US contractor Lane Construction has been granted a design-and-build contract for the I-275/I-4 interstate highway interchange in Tampa, Florida. Construction will begin in 2023. 

Meanwhile, the nearly $2 billion refinery expansion project in Port Arthur, Texas, required 14 million hours of labor and 2,500 personnel. “This new cracker is another milestone in growing TotalEnergies’ footprint in the United States, following big investments in US LNG and renewable electricity in 2022,” the company stated. 

However, in the United Kingdom, the Dorset Green H2 hydrogen fuel project, which will be located in Poole, Dorset, will be launched this year. In Finland, Ilmater, an energy firm located in Finland, has begun construction on four wind farms with funding from AIP Management, a Danish infrastructure investment platform. A wind farm with a capacity of 496 MW has commenced construction in the western area of France known as Pays-de-la-Loire. This project is a collaboration between Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, Engie, and EDP Renewables.