# Skerry Alpha operations log, January 2034

> Seven days of the Long Calm, when the wind stopped and the training ring kept going on batteries, hydro and hydrogen.

Part of [Oil Rigs to Training Rigs](https://blind-ant.com/pieces/oil-rigs-to-training-rigs/index.md), a Piece.

Operations log, 16 to 23 January 2034. Extract.

Seven days of the Long Calm, when the wind stopped and the training ring kept going on batteries, hydro and hydrogen.

*Extract. Shift supervisor entries during the "Long Calm" high-pressure event, 16 to 23 January 2034.*

**16 Jan 06:00** Met Office confirms blocking high settling over North Sea. Wind forecast below 4 m/s for 5 to 7 days. Initiating calm-weather protocol.

**16 Jan 09:00** Farm output 31% and falling. Scheduler moving lower-priority training jobs to checkpoint. Ring at 70% load.

**16 Jan 18:00** Farm output 6%. Batteries carrying ring at 40% load. Estimate 9 hours battery at current draw.

**17 Jan 03:00** Battery at 20%. Requesting onshore pumped hydro allocation from grid operator. Granted, 18 hours at reduced rate.

**17 Jan 04:00** Ring at 30% load on hydro. Pods running cold and quiet. D. Okafor reports chord "thin but clean."

**18 Jan 12:00** Hydro allocation ending 22:00. Wind forecast unchanged. Preparing hydrogen turbines on process deck.

**18 Jan 22:00** Switched to hydrogen generation from Skerry reservoir. Ring held at 25% load. Reservoir at 81% of autumn fill. Burn rate sustainable for 3+ weeks at this load.

**19 Jan 14:00** Office has asked whether we can increase load for a client deadline. Answer: no. We follow the wind. Client informed. Client unhappy.

**20 Jan 08:00** Day 5 of calm. Haar this morning, visibility 200 m, flights cancelled. Crew in good spirits. Someone has set up a pub quiz.

**21 Jan 16:00** Grid operator asks whether we can export power from hydrogen to the mainland during evening peak. Agreed: 2 hours at 15 MW. First time the rig has supplied power to the shore since gas production ended.

**22 Jan 23:00** Barometer falling. Front approaching from the west.

**23 Jan 07:00** Wind 11 m/s and rising. Farm output 58%. Hydrogen turbines off. Restarting checkpointed jobs.

**23 Jan 12:00** Farm output 94%. Ring at full load. Surplus to battery recharge and electrolysers. D. Okafor reports chord "loud and happy." Pub quiz won by the ROV team, who are insufferable about it.

**23 Jan 12:05** Calm-weather protocol stood down. Seven days. Never stopped. Logged for the record.

[Next: The Cooling Capital](https://blind-ant.com/pieces/oil-rigs-to-training-rigs/the-cooling-capital/).