Professor John Robertson OBA
Thanks once more to Dottie for this dramatic alert.
From The Diary 24, the above and:
A green technology company out of Scotland has come up with an industrial solution for offshore hydrogen bunkering and electric charging. The Oasis Marine technology has massive implications as it makes it far easier for marine vessels to switch from emissions-producing diesel systems to green hydrogen if refueling infrastructure is easier to access.
Oasis Marine’s initial product offerings involved small-scale mooring buoys, but it wasn’t long before the renewable energy company branched out into larger, more complex systems. Oasis Marine now offers the Oasis Hydrogen Buoy and Oasis Power Bouy, which provide offshore bunkering for hydrogen refueling and electrical charging for marine vessels, respectively.
The innovative technology is said to be a groundbreaking move for the shipping and hydrogen industries and stakeholders are excited about the future. Another innovative offshore project that’s also revolutionizing offshore energy production but in a completely different way is Midesto’s tidal energy installation in the Faroe Islands.
The production of green hydrogen will be facilitated by offshore wind farms and the network has the potential to be expanded into an offshore “hydrogen highway.” The idea is that the hydrogen fuel will be stored at an offshore location before being transferred via the Oasis Hydrogen Buoy to ships for either transporting to other supply destinations or use as their own fuel source.
The Scottish government fully supported Oasis Marine’s new buoy and bunkering technology by funding the hydrogen buoy testing under the Emerging Energy Technologies Fund (EETF) Hydrogen Innovation Scheme (HIS). The government also facilitated mooring analysis and testing as part of the TestHOTS (Tank Testing of Hydrogen Offshore Transfer System) project demonstration at the Kelvin Hydrodynamic Laboratory in Glasgow.
There are a number of important factors that make Oasis Marine’s buoy technology beneficial to the marine industry:
- Decarbonization: Green hydrogen systems are a viable alternative to carbon emissions-producing diesel systems, which will encourage owners to move over to hydrogen-powered vessels.
- Sustainable refueling: Making hydrogen refueling easier and more accessible is another reason to encourage the use of vessels with hydrogen systems. The production of hydrogen through electrolysis will be renewably powered by offshore wind and solar farms
- Seawater is a renewable resource: The hydrogen will be produced using seawater, which is an abundant resource that cannot be depleted.
- Cost-effectiveness: The buoy technology is cheaper than traditional storage methods involving high-pressure tanks or ammonia.
- Versatility: The Oasis Marine buoys will also offer electrical charging facilities.
Oasis Marine’s buoy technology is poised to open up a whole new avenue for environmental hydrogen production. This is happening in other parts of the world and other industries as well, such as RWE’s new hydrogen production plant in Germany. The clean energy revolution is moving ahead with full force, and the marine industry could do with a boost in the right direction.
Source: https://www.eldiario24.com/en/largest-scotland-energy-underwater-technology/5488/
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
The Record has just covered it.
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still no clue what they discovered nor it being the largest ? misleading headline.
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The system uses electricity generated by offshore wind farms to electrolyse seawater. Electrolysis has been known about for at least two centuries and is used in many industrial processes, like electroplating).
The hydrogen produced by electrolysis could either be transferred on shore via pipeline and distributed by a gas network. Or it could be transferred to gas tankers and sailed to discharging locations on land and then distributed.
Because natural gas, until recently was relatively cheap, hydrogen was not used to any great extent for energy production. However, the increase in price of natural gas, the fact that much originates in Russia and the fact that burning hydrogen does not produce carbon dioxide has meant that better hydrogen-using technology has been developed.
What this device does is enables seagoing vessels with hydrogen powered engines to refuel at sea. A network of such buoys along shipping lanes would enable such vessels to refuel en route. This implies that less space on the ship would be devoted to fuel storage thus increasing cargo space.
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Aye, no surprise who is behind the ” imaginary cancer ‘timebomb’ “, one Sandesh Gulhane, notably the one day a week “imaginary” GP is not rushing to retrain as a specialist as he has a lucrative career in bullshit – This 2023 RCR report gives a reasonable breakdown of the RCR’s very real concerns https://www.rcr.ac.uk/news-policy/latest-updates/2023-clinical-radiology-and-clinical-oncology-workforce-census-reports/ for the UK as a whole – It’s only in the 2024 report where it becomes more granular over shortages, but only a total twat such as Gulhane would try to make a London Tory created shortage a SG problem.
All these specialists and consultants are going overseas so they can finally pay off their humungous student loans (made in England) or escape the nonsense of political interference in their pension rights (made in England), yet here you have a nobody (made in England) trying to politically shit stir with the assistance of James (the suit) Cook.
On the hydrogen concept, I’m highly sceptical on anything to do with it even though much promoted as the future (yet again) – eg it’s not any old water which is suitable for electrolysis, and seawater is not one of them.
I’m not averse to investing in research or further development, but it does strike me as a fossil fuel lobby backstop….
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The comments above may all be good and true, but they distract the media from ‘the ferries’.
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WE INDEPENDENCE SEEKING PEOP
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What of the ‘cancer time bomb’ that is headline news in several newspapers in Scotland and above the BBC News website’s ‘Scotland’s papers’ feature and also in a separate BBC Scotland article on the the same website?
This has all been catalysed by the following Royal College of Radiology (RCR) reports: (i) ‘Clinical Radiology – Workforce Census 2024’ and (ii) Clinical Oncology – Workforce Census 2024.
Both reports cover all four nations of the UK although one would be hard pressed to realise this from the newspapers front pages. One would not know of the UK-wide scope EVEN after careful reading the BBC Scotland piece in FULL
I can find no reference to these reports – and this ‘time-bomb’ – anywhere else in the BBC News website. Not even in the Health section – at least up till c.6pm this evening. So can we find the ‘time-bomb’ – is it located only in Scotland?
The RCR issued a press statement (June 5) to accompany the publication of its reports. It has this title: ‘Staff shortages are a ‘ticking time bomb’ for cancer patients, doctors warn’. It also has this: ‘Cancer patients are facing dangerous delays to life-saving scans and treatment as the chronic shortage of doctors threatens to derail cancer care across the UK, new data reveals.’
And: ’A patient’s risk of death can increase by 10% for every month cancer treatment is delayed. Despite this strong evidence, in 2024 every radiology leader in the UK reported delayed diagnostic scans due to staff shortages. Worryingly, 9 in 10 cancer centre leaders reported delays to patients starting treatment, and 7 in 10 were concerned about staff shortages putting patient safety at risk.‘
So the ‘ticking time-bomb’ and the RCR’s more measured statements in the two reports expressing concerns for the state of the cancer-related NHS workforce, are directed clearly, explicitly at NHS management and responsible governments in all four nations of the UK!
The BBC Scotland piece on the BBC News webs site referred to above – ‘Cancer care ‘time-bomb’ warning over doctor shortage’ (it has a ‘Scotland politics’ tag) – provides quotes from Dr Katharine Halliday, president of the RCR. These were lifted from the RCR’s press release on its two new reports: Dr Halliday was commenting on UK-wide issues, not Scotland-only issues as the BBC article either deliberately or though flawed journalism/editing implies.
So candidly, there are specific metrics that reveal Scotland in a less favourable light, specifically concerning aspects of the oncology workforce: there are others which reveal Scotland to be ‘best’.
The BBC News article notes that Scotland currently has a 25% shortage of radiologists. What does the actual RCR report state about the radiologist workforce?
‘Northern Ireland has a 27% workforce shortfall, Scotland a 25% shortfall, England a 30% shortfall and Wales a 32% shortfall.’
Adding: ‘There are also variations at the regional level. Some areas have below-average shortfalls, such as the 6% shortfall in South East Scotland.
‘Some regions’ shortfalls are significantly higher; North and West Wales’ workforce is almost half of what it should be, with a 46% shortfall.’
These substantially worse statistics outside Scotland are seemingly unremarkable, not newsworthy and irrelevant to BBC Scotland which is a context and perspective desert!
Are Scotland’s voters being ‘played’ by BBC Scotland and others – are these media organisations attempting deceit and/or manipulation?
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How to ‘play’ Scotland’s voters – how to attempt deceit or manipulation for political advantage? Is there a recurring mainstream news reporting pattern in Scotland?
Step 1: mainstream media outlet/s make ‘judicious’ selection of a ‘newsworthy’ item about Scotland – to qualify, it must be a negative story and ideally linked to a topic of natural concern to many;
2: report this on newspaper front page with a ‘scary’ headline – big black font visible from metres away on a supermarket rack and visually impactful when the front page is pictured on the BBC News website’s Scotland page;
3. avoid giving context or perspective: at the very least, this must be avoided within what’s visible to read on the front page;
4. don’t be squeamish about using a headline which implies (even if wrongly) a Scotland-only ‘bad’ story, few readers will check the source document;
5. more generally, avoid comparisons with other parts of the UK UNLESS (of course) unfavourable to Scotland;
6. rely on BBC Scotland to amplify the story further, including in the BBC News website’s daily reproduction of Scotland’s newspaper front pages. Remember for its ‘newspapers in Scotland’ website feature, the BBC has the opportunity to borrow for its own headline an abbreviated version of a ‘scary’ newspaper headline;
7. get quotes from opposition party spokespersons in Holyrood – the more ‘outraged’ in tone the better. (If they supply a press statement so much the better.) Again, don’t be squeamish about amplifying views of opposition politicians whose own party in government elsewhere in the UK have presided over similar or much worse situations than is being reported – that’s called ‘perspective’ and that’s not relevant;
8. there is a high probability that BBC Scotland will latch on and publish and/or broadcast its very own version of the ‘scary’ newspaper story. BBC Scotland favours the use of heart-rending, highly personal accounts from individual members of the public (the ‘salient exemplar’ device): by coincidence, the British Labour Party leadership in Holyrood favours this as a political tactic.
Recognise the pattern – wish to add or subtract from it, or refute it?
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Hi John O/T I know, thought this might be of interest!!!
125 seat passenger ferry in Bali sinks!!?
This is officially on their website as classified as a passenger ferry!!!
Terrifying moment tourist ferry sinks off coast of Bali
Terrifying moment tourist ferry sinks off coast of Bali | news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site for latest headlines
Bali Fast Boat Sinks Carrying 89 Tourists In Nusa Lembongan – The Bali Sun
THE TANIS FAST CRUISE
Tanis Lembongan Express: Ferry Tickets, Timetables, and Prices
The Mail online make the positive spin that “ thankfully no-one was hurt” imagine that had been in Scotland, say the Millport ferry?
JB
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I tend to avoid comparisons with less-developed regions.
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Big thanks to the 7957 people who voted SNP yesterday in the by-election.
To those who voted Labour , know that there are some people , probably quite a lot actually, all over the UK who said, or thought, when they heard the result …….WTF .
To those who voted Reform UK , well , who knew so many masochists lived in that area , either that or there must be something in the water in certain parts of that area.
Actually combining those who voted Labour , Reform UK and also the 1621 people who voted Tory , it was not only a masochistic act it was also an act of self harm.
(Same thing yes, but really what was their rationale, if there was one) .
Some people are saying that SNP voters “stayed at home” or they “didn’t come out”, however maybe in staying at home and not coming out then they, as voters, are no longer actually SNP voters.
So much at stake , which included the assumed threat of Reform UK and so supposed “SNP voters” decided to forgo this pre 2026 opportunity to show:
a) Labour that they have betrayed Scotland and have also lied to us.
b) Scotland does not want Reform UK or it’s vile politics.
Given also that some of us heard the Labour candidate in an interview with STV’s Colin Mackay it looks as if, for the election yesterday, that a monkey with a red rosette really was the winner.
The polls were wrong as too was some of the media as was John Swinney, in him being perhaps a tad presumptuous in declaring it was between the SNP and Reform UK.
I think next year we need a vote in the Scottish elections where the SNP have independence at the forefront of their campaign, they are already down so they need to test the water and go for it.
(What have they now got to lose, other than another election , but come on we need clarity and a message communicated on the positives of independence against the negatives of us still being within the UK).
If nothing else in doing that then at least we will know the real feelings of people in Scotland in respect to independence , we will then also see if those voters whom people say are ‘SNP voters staying at home in elections’ really are still (those who formerly were disenchanted and demotivated) “SNP voters” but who will then answer the call for independence and become galvanised to (finally) come out and vote for the SNP in future elections.
The post election post-mortem by some Indy voters also seems to conclude on yesterday’s result that some of ‘Scotland’s shame’ yet again let Scotland down and so they will now have something else to celebrate when they march. Their votes are not dictated by policy or (lack of) policy results by UK parties , but are mostly dictated by pure hatred of anything and anyone who dares to challenge their UK.
Of course today we will witness some ‘people’ elsewhere within the UK all fail to mention that above fact in yesterday’s result .
However I guess we also need to ask how come so many are now so unprepared to forgive the SNP for what is promoted by the media and opposition as #SNPBAD , yet they are willing to forgive Labour for all they have done since coming to power in the UK last year.
They are also it seems willing to ignore what Nigel Farage said four days ago about what he intends to do to Scotland, if he becomes PM, as in he will “slash the handouts to Scotland”, how did that statement go down so so well in much of the constituency yesterday with many of the voters , as in 7088 of them voting for it.
It’s times like these when I think of that line in Trainspotting when the character says:
“It’s Sh*te being Scottish”…..
Well that’s how I feel today as a gut reaction, however as the day unfolds and more analysis is done (as in done by those whom we trust within Scotland and not the ‘spinned within an inch of it’s life’ type of analysis done by most of the UK media and opposition parties) I may then be able to begin to feel less “Sh*te” at “being Scottish” today and then also feel less pessimistic for the future.
However the ball is now in the SNP’s court, they can now either go all out for independence or allow others to keep taking the momentum and so keep ‘winning’ elections , while Scotland will then keep losing (out) in their UK.
Liz S
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