Business
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Hydrogen
Hydrogen, Ammonia–Fired Gas Turbine Development Gets U.S. Government Fast-Track Boost
The U.S. government has set out to fast-track technology development enabling hydrogen and ammonia combustion in power-generating gas turbines, furnishing six novel industry-led projects with a combined $24.9 million on May 19. Projects include development of hydrogen-ready combustion technologies for F-class retrofits, more efficient hydrogen and ammonia burners, and a potential demonstration of a rotating […]
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Trends
NERC Warns of Mounting Reliability Risks, Urges Preparation for Challenging Summer
An unprecedented array of risks—ranging from capacity shortfalls, extreme weather, extended drought, supply chain issues, cybersecurity, solar PV tripping, fuel constraints, to wildfires—could imperil the reliability of nearly every North American bulk power system (BPS) region west of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) this summer, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) warned in […]
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Press Releases
SNC-Lavalin to carry out performance optimization work for CANDU nuclear reactor in Romania
MONTREAL: May 19, 2022 – Candu Energy Inc., a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group (TSX: SNC), has been chosen by Nuclearelectrica S.A. (SNN), operator of the Cernavoda Nuclear Generating Station in Romania, to conduct optimization work on the Unit 1 CANDU® reactor at the facility. SNC-Lavalin will perform axial channel shifting for several fuel channels in […]
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Nuclear
Russians Achieve Milestone with New Nuclear Fuel
Rosatom announced that it has started the fourth irradiation cycle of fuel assemblies with VVER-type fuel rods in the MIR research reactor (Figure 1) at the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors in Dimitrovgrad, Ulyanovsk Region. The reactor tests have been ongoing since early 2019. The rods have four combinations of cladding and fuel matrix materials. […]
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Gas
SRP Warns Arizona Regulator Reliability at Risk by 2024 Without Gas Plant Expansion
Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District (SRP) is seeking a rehearing and reconsideration of the Arizona Corporation Commission’s (ACC’s) denial of a major gas power plant expansion, which the public power utility has stressed will be crucial for near-term system reliability and long-term renewable integration. In a filing on May 16, SRP urged […]
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Press Releases
Jacobs Selected by TEPCO to Support Fukushima Clean-up
Framework to tackle environmental challenges at world’s most complex decommissioning site DALLAS – Jacobs (NYSE:J) was selected by Tokyo Electric Power Company Inc. (TEPCO) to support decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. Under a five-year framework agreement, Jacobs will draw on deep domain knowledge and decades of experience on major U.S. […]
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Press Releases
MAN PrimeServ Commences Service Contract for German Power Plant
MAN Energy Solutions’ after-sales brand aids reliable operation of 51 MW gas-engine power plant MAN PrimeServ, the after-sales brand of MAN Energy Solutions, has begun a five-year service contract for a new 51 MW gas-engine power plant in the German city of Frankfurt (Oder). Operated by Stadtwerke Frankfurt (Oder), the CHP plant is powered by […]
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Distributed Energy
Enel Launches Gridspertise Business to U.S. Market, Expects to Accelerate Digital Transformation of Power Grids
Enel, a multinational power company with operations in 30 countries and more than 90 GW of power generation capacity in its portfolio, is leveraging its global expertise as the world’s largest privately owned operator of digitally managed power distribution grids, by expanding its Gridspertise business to the U.S. market. First launched in Europe and Latin […]
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Nuclear
DOE’s Decision to Build Versatile Test Reactor Coming Soon
(Updated—May 19, 2022): The Department of Energy (DOE) is poised to decide whether it will build the 300-MWth Versatile Test Reactor (VTR), a fast neutron national user facility that could provide the nuclear industry with a much-needed high-performance testing capability for advanced reactors and existing commercial reactors. The DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) on […]
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Wind
How Developments in Electrical System Design Are Helping to Tackle the Challenges of Wind
As a clean and renewable power source, wind offers massive potential for alleviating some of the growing challenges that countries worldwide are looking to address through the development of new forms of energy generation. At ABB, we look at how developments in electrical system design are helping to turn wind into a major source of […]
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Offshore Wind
California, Again Facing Summer Supply Vulnerabilities, Eyes 20-GW Offshore Wind Goal
The California Energy Commission (CEC) is mulling a preliminary planning goal for 3 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and potentially expanding it to 10 GW to 15 GW by 2045. If finalized, California’s offshore wind goals would be the most ambitious in the U.S., surpassing even New York’s, which calls for 9 GW by […]
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T&D
DOE Launches $2.5B Fund to Upgrade and Build New Transmission Lines
The Biden administration has launched efforts to shape the $2.5 billion Transmission Facilitation Program (TFP), a key Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) initiative dedicated to building out critical new transmission lines and related facilities across the country. The Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office on May 10 issued a joint notice of information (NOI) […]
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Business
Blue Star and Volvo Penta Build Successful Business Partnership Based on Shared Values
Close collaboration plays key role as companies achieve growth milestones and tackle new opportunities. When Volvo Penta first approached Blue Star back in 2011, the companies immediately found common ground in their commitment to business ethics. These were the seeds of a fruitful partnership that has only grown stronger over the past decade. “Right from […]
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Commentary
Three Ways Utilities Can Accelerate EV Adoption
Electric vehicles are coming. Do you hear them? (Probably not.) The exact speed of our collective embrace of electric vehicles (EVs) will vary around the country—due to factors such as EV familiarity, vehicle availability, purchase prices and incentives—but the cars are coming down the road at a steady clip. In the immediate future, U.S. President […]
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Coal
Keeping Coal Relevant: University of Wyoming Leads the Way
To say the coal industry faces challenges is an understatement. Coal-fired power plants are being retired around the globe as efforts to decarbonize the world’s power supply have intensified due to climate change concerns. That’s a problem for people working in the coal industry, as well as for states and governments that rely on coal […]
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Trends
ERCOT, MISO Warn of Potential Power Supply Shortfalls
(Updated—May 6, 2022) The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) over the past week separately expressed concerns about power supply uncertainties in the face of upcoming warmer-than-normal temperatures. MISO raised an alarm on April 28 when it said that it projects “insufficient firm resources” to cover the summer […]
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Press Releases
Reduce Your Concrete Carbon Footprint while Enhancing Concrete Durability!
Concrete is the world ’s most widely used construction material—and also one of its greatest contributors to greenhouse gas. The root cause is cement production, which alone accounts for approximately 8% of global CO2 emissions. At this rate, successful strategies to lower concrete carbon output are especially significant. MCI® Technology is one of those simple […]
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Gas
Siemens Energy Sells 100th H-Class Gas Turbine—Fleet Exceeds 2.5 Million Operating Hours
In late March, Siemens Energy announced separate agreements with Guangdong Energy Group Co. Ltd. and Shenzhen Energy Group Co. Ltd., in which the gas turbine giant will deliver a total of four SGT-8000H units for installation in power plants located in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in southern China. The deals mean Siemens Energy […]
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Press Releases
Esco Introduces MILLHOG® Boiler Tube Panel Replacement System that Offers Fast, Accurate Cutting & Membrane Removal
A saw and track system that rapidly cuts through water wall boiler tube up to 4″ O.D. to produce highly accurate and perfectly straight cuts with no HAZ (heat affect zone) has been introduced by Esco Tool HOLLISTON, Mass., May 3, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Esco Tool has introduced a saw and track system that rapidly […]
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History
History of Power: Duke Energy’s Century-Old Legacy
Duke Energy, one of the largest energy companies in the world, grew out of a system of lakes and dams along the Catawba River to generate power for the Piedmont Carolinas. While the company has sustained a
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Hydrogen
Large-Scale Hydrogen Projects Take Shape as Technology Continues to Evolve
If hydrogen-based power technology and decarbonization schemes seem like a novelty to you, you may not be paying close enough attention to developments happening around the world. While some hydrogen pilot
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Offshore Wind
Dramatic Innovation-Driven Ramp Up of Floating Offshore Wind Anticipated by 2030
A drumbeat of floating offshore wind–related developments this year suggests the pipeline for the long-nascent wind technology sub-sector may be finally beginning to grow. While floating wind’s current
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Legal & Regulatory
UK Leans Heavily on Nuclear in Bold New Energy Strategy
A long-awaited energy strategy published by the UK government on April 6 lays out bold commitments that tackle Great Britain’s multi-pronged challenges, including achieving net-zero carbon emissions while
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Nuclear
Small Modular Reactors Provide Opportunity to Rethink Automation for Nuclear Generation
An emerging generation of small modular reactors is encouraging suppliers and regulators alike to consider new digital instrumentation and control approaches. While instrumentation and control (I&C)
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Legal & Regulatory
Administration, NRC, Nuclear Industry Look Ahead to Uncertain Territory
The Biden administration is fully behind development of new nuclear power technology. It is encouraging the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to look at “new approaches to regulation” as advanced
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News
How State-of-the-Art Monitoring Technology Will Be Used at a Turkish Nuclear Power Plant
Turkey has considered adding nuclear power plants to its fleet of generators since at least 1970; yet, no commercial reactor units have ever been completed. That is likely to change soon. The country’s first nuclear power plant commenced construction in April 2018 at Akkuyu. When the planned four-unit facility is finished, about 10% of Turkey’s […]
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IIOT
Boosting Productivity in the Utility Industry with Mobile Solutions
In the utility industry, downtime and outages—from losing power to water shortages and burst pipes—can impact a customer’s day-to-day life, causing safety concerns and costly damages. This is especially true during sweltering summer months or freezing winter seasons caused by extreme weather and climate change. Today, digital transformation is shifting customer expectations as they demand […]
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IIOT
The Growth of Renewables Calls for Scalable Approaches to OT System and Device Integration
Reports from U.S. agencies indicate the use of renewable energy continues to grow. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the U.S. consumed a record amount of renewable energy in 2020. In addition, renewable energy in the U.S. grew for a fifth consecutive year, accounting for 12% of the total U.S. energy consumption. It was […]
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Nuclear
INL Mulling Building New Nuclear Reactor to Energize Net-Zero Campus Microgrid
Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is exploring designing, building, and operating an onsite nuclear reactor resource as part of a broader effort to achieve net-zero emissions at its sprawling campus in Idaho Falls by 2031. Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA), an entity that manages and operates the Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory, on April 29 launched […]
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Hydrogen
ACES Delta’s Giant Utah Salt Cavern Hydrogen Storage Project Gets $504M Conditional DOE Loan Guarantee
The Advanced Clean Energy Storage Project, a much-watched project under development in Delta, Utah, that is shaping up to be the largest renewable hydrogen energy hub in the U.S., has garnered a conditional commitment for a $504.4 million loan guarantee from the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) federal loan guarantee program. The conditional loan guarantee commitment […]