Business

Nucor Corp., a manufacturer of steel and steel products, and Helion, a fusion energy company, are collaborating to develop a 500-MW fusion power plant to supply baseload electricity to a steelmaking facility. The companies are working together to set a firm timeline, saying they are “committed to beginning operations as soon as possible with a […]

Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ), Poland’s designated entity tasked with developing the country’s first nuclear plant in Pomerania, has signed an engineering services contract with a Westinghouse-Bechtel consortium, allowing site-specific work to begin on the AP1000 power plant. The companies announced the “historic” contract on Sept. 27, one week after nuclear technology giant Westinghouse and global […]

It’s pretty easy to understand how the weather affects certain forms of power generation and infrastructure. Sunlight is obviously needed to generate solar power, wind is required to produce wind energy, and extreme storms of all kinds can wreak havoc on transmission and distribution lines, and other energy-related assets. Therefore, having accurate and constantly updated […]

Are the benefits of digital integrated power transformers worth it? Smart transformers with exciting new technologies like Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) are among the next generation of energy equipment hitting the market today. Many organizations are considering switching to these cutting-edge transformers, but are unsure about the pros and cons. What […]

There are many reasons to be optimistic about the prospects for nuclear energy. As a carbon-free energy source, it is a great option for power generation in a world trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stop climate change. The fact that nuclear reactors can operate at baseload with capacity factors regularly greater than 90% […]

Energy consumption is continually escalating at a remarkable rate, with current statistics showcasing the gravity of the situation. Global energy demand has risen by approximately 50% over the past two decades, and projections indicate that this upward trajectory will persist. Additionally, concerns about climate change have reached a peak, solidifying the need for immediate and […]

The energy sector recorded three times as many operational technology (OT) and/or industrial control system (ICS) cybersecurity incidents as the next closest vertical, according to a study conducted by the Cyentia Institute, a research and data science firm, and sponsored by Rockwell Automation, an industrial automation and information provider. “Energy, critical manufacturing, water treatment, and […]

The energy sector has been characterized in recent years by a crisis that affects the globe. As fossil fuel-based energy production decreases in popularity due to its negative effects on the environment and human health, other means of production are added to the grid. Nevertheless, the new methods, with emphasis on renewable energy forms, are […]

Sustainable, efficient, and powerful—many energy experts agree that hydrogen power has the potential to be a major force in the coming years. Hydrogen fuel provides all the convenience and power of fossil fuels (particularly of natural gas) without the carbon dioxide residue. Hydrogen doesn’t require soil-scarring mining projects or deep wells; it’s literally all around us, and can […]

Holtec International, a diversified energy technology company, and Wolverine Power Cooperative, a not-for-profit power generation cooperative based in Michigan, announced that they have entered into a long-term agreement that will “pave the way” for the restart of the 800-MW Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in Covert Township, Michigan (Figure 1). The Palisades reactor was taken offline […]

BWX Technologies (BWXT) said it was awarded a “two-phase, two-year contract” with the Wyoming Energy Authority (WEA) to assess the viability of deploying small-scale nuclear reactors in the state to augment existing power generation resources. The WEA says it combines the existing scopes of the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority, Wyoming Pipeline Authority, and the State Energy […]

India has begun commercial operation of its first domestically designed 700-MWe pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) at the Kakrapar nuclear power plant in Gujarat, state-owned Nuclear Power Corp. of India Ltd. (NPCIL) reported on Aug. 30. Commercial operation of  Unit 3 at Kakrapar Atomic Power Project, which is located near the city of Vyara in the […]

In the fast-evolving world of industrial lithium batteries, extending cycle life—the number of charge and discharge cycles a battery can endure before significant degradation occurs—is one of the key advantages over the incumbent lead-acid technology. A battery management system (BMS) plays a pivotal role in supporting the long cycle life of a lithium battery. Low-priced […]

In order to meet decarbonization goals and limit the impacts of climate change, national power systems need to reach 100% renewable power generation without delay. Renewables like solar and wind will be needed in vast amounts, alongside flexible technology solutions, such as engine power plants and energy storage, to balance the intermittency of these power […]

Voith Hydro in 2022 replaced four vertical Pelton turbines at Verbund’s 75-year-old 326-GWh Gerlos 1 pumped storage facility in Austria with a first-of-its-kind horizontal six-nozzle Pelton turbine

Marking a significant inroad to establish a South Korean foothold in the world’s gas turbine technology market, heavy industrial company Doosan Enerbility this summer began commercial operation of its first

California’s summertime energy challenges are well-documented. While energy shortfalls appear less likely in 2023, thanks to the series of atmospheric rivers that drenched the Golden State this winter, we

Power grids around the world require upgrades to accommodate growth and incorporate new clean energy resources. Transformers are a necessary component in the modernization. Estimates suggest hundreds of

While using low-carbon hydrogen is not a viable economic option in most markets today, the wheels are set in motion for hydrogen to support the decarbonization of the world’s energy supply. It is a journey

The U.S. Air Force’s first nuclear microreactor planned for Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska under a federal nuclear microreactor pilot program will be an Oklo liquid metal-cooled fast reactor. The Defense of Logistics Agency (DLA), acting on behalf of the Department of Air Force (DAF), on Aug. 31 issued a Notice of Intent to Award […]

Kenya’s government is pinning a nationwide blackout on Aug. 25 to the loss of 270 MW from the 310-MW Lake Turkana Wind Power Plant (LTWP), though the wind generator has denied it was the cause. The blackout, which lasted more than 20 hours, began at about 9:45 p.m. on Friday, plunging the East African country’s […]

A number of companies with ties to the power industry revealed new projects and other interesting developments this week. The following are some the more noteworthy announcements that POWER has been monitoring. BWXT to Manufacture HALEU Feedstock for Advanced Reactors BWX Technologies Inc. announced on Aug. 30 that it had entered into a contract to […]

While power outages are not uncommon in the U.S., widespread blackouts that last more than a couple of hours are pretty rare. However, this summer marks the 20th anniversary of one of the most significant blackouts in North American history. The incident didn’t just affect the U.S., but also major parts of Canada. The blackout […]

Energy transition is progressively being adopted globally, pushing combined cycle gas turbines (CCGTs) to embrace flexible operation also on islands. CCGTs are, or will be, ramping loads up and down to accommodate intermittent renewable power inputs into the grid. These maneuvers compromise operational stability and jeopardize plant availability. Plant trips on small to mid-size islands […]

Centrus, a firm poised to demonstrate high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) production, will partner with microreactor technology developer Oklo on several pioneering steps to build out the HALEU front-end supply chain, including pivotal commercial deconversion capabilities. The landmark collaboration could also make Centrus one of Oklo’s first commercial power off-takers for two reactors planned in Southern […]

Westinghouse Electric Company signed a long-term agreement with Slovenské elektrárne to license and supply VVER-440 fuel assemblies to its nuclear power plants in Slovakia. Westinghouse said the agreement “supports Slovakia’s energy security and diversification of nuclear fuel.” Slovakia has five operating nuclear reactors (Bohunice 3 and 4, and Mochovce 1, 2, and 3) and one […]

The North American Reliability Corporation (NERC) will for the first time consider “energy policy” among five significant evolving and interdependent risks to grid reliability. In its latest biennial ERO Reliability Risk Priorities Report, the designated North American Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) identifies energy policy as a new risk priority alongside grid transformation, resilience to extreme […]

Canada’s federal government has committed C$74 million ($55 million) to support SaskPower’s potential deployment of a 300-MW small modular reactor (SMR) in the mid-2030s. Federal agency Natural Resources Canada on Aug. 19 confirmed that up to C$50 million is designated for SaskPower from the agency’s C$250 million Electricity Predevelopment Program. Another C$24 million will be […]

The writer Lewis Carroll famously said, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.” Well, the road the utility industry is currently on is perhaps the bumpiest and most circuitous one it has ever seen, and knowing where it is going, or needs to go, is paramount. Utilities find […]

Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) said the company’s new 1.2-GW Three Rivers Energy Center in Illinois has entered commercial operation. The natural gas-fired facility, built in collaboration with GE Vernova’s Gas Power business, features two generating blocks, each with a GE 7HA.02 gas turbine, an STF-A650 steam turbine, a W84 generator, and GE’s integrated Mark* Vle […]