Business

  • Researchers: $71 Billion of Japan’s Coal Assets at Risk

    Research from the University of Tokyo, along with that of two other groups, shows Japan’s coal-fired power plant fleet is at economic risk as the country adds more generation from renewable energy resources such as solar and wind. The report, called “Land of the Rising Sun and Offshore Wind,” released Oct. 6 and based on […]

  • Protecting DEF from Extreme Cold Is Important

    According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the winter of 2019–2020 will be filled with bitterly cold weather in the eastern parts of the Rockies and east to the Appalachians. The Northeast should also experience very cold temperatures. For municipalities, public utilities, landscapers, and others that are involved in outdoor work and snow removal, there is always […]

  • Last Major Module Received at Vogtle Nuclear Site

    The final major module needed to construct Vogtle Units 3 and 4—the only new commercial nuclear power units currently under construction in the U.S.—has arrived at the site near Waynesboro, Georgia. That means all 1,485 major modules have been manufactured and safely delivered to the project. Georgia Power announced the milestone in a press release […]

  • Small Modular Reactors Gain Momentum in Europe

    GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) and NuScale Power, two leading companies in the race to build small modular reactors (SMRs) for power generation, have recently announced deals that could result to new plants being constructed in Europe. Feasibility Studies in Estonia GEH on Oct. 3 said it had signed an agreement with Fermi Energia OÜ, […]

  • NETL: Coal Chemical Looping Combustion Closer to Commercialization

    Chemical looping combustion (CLC), an advanced coal power technology that could markedly simplify carbon capture at power plants, has moved significantly closer to commercialization, owing to a breakthrough in oxygen carrier durability, the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) said.    The national laboratory, which is part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), revealed on […]

  • TITAN-2 and Framatome-Siemens Consortium sign contract for HANHIKIVI-1 NPP main I&C supply

    CONCERN TITAN-2 JSC, contractor for building and supply of equipment for Hanhikivi-1 NPP construction, has signed today a contract with Framatome-Siemens, the French-German consortium, to supply Main Instrumentation and Control (I&C). The signature followed a competitive procedure with the participation of international companies that are market leaders in the field of integrated I&C solutions at […]

  • CTCI Succeeds in Acquiring Mega Power Plant EPCC Contract in Vietnam

    Taipei, Taiwan — Taiwan’s largest EPC contractor CTCI has been awarded an EPCC contract for Van Phong-1 1,320MW Thermal Power Plant BOT Project in Vietnam in cooperation with IHI Corporation, Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation, and Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction Co., Ltd as consortium. The contract award marks a milestone for the company […]

  • GE Unveils New H-Class Gas Turbine—and Already Has a First Order

    GE on Oct. 1 unveiled the 7HA.03, the newest model in its 2014-launched high efficiency air-cooled (HA) gas turbine line. On Oct. 2, it also announced that Florida Power and Light’s (FPL’s) Dania Beach Clean Energy Center will be the first to showcase two of the “world’s largest, most efficient, and flexible gas turbines” for the 60-Hz […]

  • Siemens signs contract for industrial power plant in Tatarstan

    Siemens Gas and Power and PJSC Kazanorgsintez, one of Russia’s largest chemical companies, signed a contract for the turnkey construction of a 250 megawatt (MW) combined cycle power plant in Tatarstan. Commercial operation is planned to being in 2023. Siemens also signed two service contracts, one with Kazanorgsintez for the new plant and one for […]

  • Taking Charge of Cybersecurity in the Energy Industry

    Delivering energy has centered on the fundamental tenant of being reliably available. As energy providers strive to maintain that availability, they all too often push security to the backburner. Many unsafe practices have fallen into place for the sake of speed and efficiency, including the use of default and shared passwords, open access, and little […]

  • Xcel Announces Deal to Power Steel Mill with Solar

    Xcel Energy has announced an agreement with Lightsource BP and EVRAZ North America to develop a $250-million, 240-MW solar power facility in Pueblo, Colorado. The plant will provide power to the EVRAZ Rocky Mountain Steel facility in Pueblo. Xcel said the plant will be the largest on-site solar facility dedicated to a single company. The […]

  • Peak Power Insolvency Brings Generators to Market

    Material changes to the UK peak power and capacity markets sector has resulted in 3 major reserve power facilities becoming insolvent. As a result, 44MW of standby power generator assets are available for sale either in-situ, to take advantage of STOR, FFR and future capacity markets, or piecemeal for removal. Dan Hurd of Ernst Young, […]

  • How Remote Operation Centers Can Help Companies Transition

    The energy industry is currently moving from a traditional, highly regulated production model dominated by electricity utilities to a decentralized, deregulated model featuring a higher proportion of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. With subsidies in decline, renewables are reaching grid parity—with costs equal to or less than traditional sources. Not surprisingly, […]

  • Show Preview: Distributed Energy Conference 2019

    POWER magazine’s second Distributed Energy Conference will build upon the success of the inaugural event, a sold-out program that brought together utilities, energy industry executives, and companies from across the spectrum of distributed power generation. Insiders from the wind and solar sectors, along with operators of backup and emergency power systems, combined heat and power, […]

  • India Starts Up Its First-Ever USC Coal Unit

    NTPC Ltd., one of India’s largest power generating companies, on Sept. 3 announced it had commissioned the country’s first ultrasupercritical (USC) coal-fired unit at the two-unit 1,320-MW Khargone plant that is under construction in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The development marks a major milestone for India, which depends on coal for 56% of its […]

  • A Busy Summer for New Nuclear Power Plants

    Several new nuclear plants around the world marked important milestones over the summer. Among notable projects are those that began second units of new third-generation reactor designs—such as the EPR

  • Public vs. Private: The Boulder Case

    In my “Speaking of Power” column last month, I explained that JEA, a community-owned utility in northeast Florida, is contemplating privatization. One of the reasons JEA is considering the change is that

  • Hurricane Dorian Provides Real-Life Test of Upgraded Storm Systems

    As Hurricane Dorian made its slow progression up Florida’s east coast in September, the state’s 21.3 million residents waited in anticipation for what the Category 5 storm would bring. While, thankfully, most of Florida was left relatively unscathed except for minor damage due to storm surge and dangerous winds, Jacksonville-based JEA was prepared for the […]

  • Removing Asbestos and Regulated Materials Key to Power Plant Decommissioning

    Retiring and decommissioning coal power plants is becoming a more-frequent occurrence around the world. The job comes with many challenges, but projects in the U.S. and UK have proven that remediation and

  • Competitive Advantages: Power Plant Wins with Low Fuel Costs, High Efficiency

    The cost of fuel is one of the most important factors affecting power plant profitability, but flexibility and efficiency are also vitally important to success. One impressive new plant in Ohio—the Lordstown

  • Redefining Modern Gas Power: Lackawanna Energy Center

    To endure a highly competitive and rapidly changing marketplace, Invenergy made the bold choice as it developed the 1,480-MW Lackawanna Energy Center in Jessup, Pennsylvania, to pair a first-of-its-kind

  • Investing in African Energy—Weighing Risks and Rewards

    Foreign energy companies are investing in Africa as that continent builds out its power generation infrastructure. But there are risks to those investments, as some governments—Angola, Tanzania, and Libya

  • Upward Trajectory: Energy Storage Paired with Renewables

    The growth of distributed power generation worldwide is increasingly reliant on microgrid systems incorporating several technologies, including solar power plus battery storage. The move toward more commercial

  • A New Technology for Bottom Ash Conversion Emerges

    New environmental regulations have forced many coal power plant operators to consider alternative options for handling their boiler bottom ash. Although mechanical drag systems can often meet regulatory

  • POWER Digest—October 2019

    First Unit at 2-GW Coal Plant in Malaysia Begins Operation. The first of two proposed 1-GW coal-fired power plants in Port Dickson, Negi Sembilan, Malaysia, began commercial operation on Aug. 22, expanding

  • Almost No Heat Is Wasted at This Highly Efficient German CHP Facility

    This modern Bavarian factory produces 105,000 tons of wood pellets, enough to heat tens of thousands of homes. To help manufacture them, it integrates a uniquely designed combined heat and power facility that

  • Terna and Ansaldo Energy Together for a More Innovative and Sustainable Electricity System

    This partnership will allow for the development of supporting energy transition technologies and initiatives to make consumption more efficient Genoa, 30 September 2019 – Today in Genoa, Terna’s Chief Executive Officer and General Manager Luigi Ferraris and Ansaldo Energia’s Chief Executive Officer Giuseppe Zampini signed a Memorandum of Understanding in order to identify, assess and […]

  • Northeastern’s Wind Technology Program Receives Donated Nacelle from NextEra Energy Resources

    STERLING, COLO. – Sept. 30, 2019 – NextEra Energy Resources is donating a fully-functional decommissioned wind turbine nacelle to Northeastern Junior College’s Wind Technology program as a learning tool for one of the nation’s top wind technology education programs. A nacelle is the protective shell that houses all of the turbine machinery atop a wind […]

  • DYNAMIC to perform the ITER Tokamak Assembly (TAC2)

    The ITER Organization has awarded a contract, for a global value above 200 M€, for the Tokamak Assembly (TAC2) to DYNAMIC, a company created specifically for the purpose of guaranteeing the seamless execution of the work by the collective contributions of its founding members: Ansaldo Nucleare, Endel Engie, Orys Group ORTEC, SIMIC, Leading and Ansaldo […]

  • Westinghouse Will Acquire Rolls-Royce’s Civil Nuclear Business 

    Westinghouse Electric Co. will acquire Rolls-Royce’s Civil Nuclear Systems and Services businesses in North America for an undisclosed amount under a “definitive agreement” announced on Sept. 26.  The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, will see Westinghouse absorb Rolls-Royce’s civil nuclear service businesses in the U.S. and Canada, along with […]