Business

  • 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 […]

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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 […]

  • NuScale Partners with ČEZ to Explore SMR Deployment in the Czech Republic

    The companies will share technical expertise and explore potential of NuScale’s SMR as a long-term clean energy option for ČEZ PORTLAND, Ore. — Today, NuScale Power announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with ČEZ Group, a leading Czech utility conglomerate, to explore applications for NuScale’s small modular reactor (SMR) as a […]

  • Signal Energy Creates Subsidiary To Serve The Distributed Generation Energy Market

    CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., Sept. 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Signal Energy, the Chattanooga-based leading engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firm in the renewable energy industry, has created a new subsidiary called Signal Energy DG to serve the distributed generation energy market. Distributed generation power is generated by energy sources like solar panels or wind turbines to create electricity […]

  • ENGIE, Microsoft Seal Innovative ‘Firm Power’ PPA for 230 MW Wind and Solar in Texas

    ENGIE, the world’s largest independent power producer, has signed an innovative volume firming agreement (VFA) with Microsoft that will allow the technology giant to buy “firm” power from wind and solar projects in Texas under a specially structured power purchase agreement (PPA).  The companies on Sept. 24 said the long-term PPA will allow Microsoft to […]

  • NRG Aligns Carbon Goals with 1.5-Degree-C Climate Trajectory

    NRG Energy has joined a growing list of major U.S. coal generators that want to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050.  The Princeton, New Jersey-based energy company on Sept. 24 said it would accelerate carbon goals it set in 2014 to reach its 50% GHG reduction target (from a 2014 baseline) by 2025—not […]

  • Using Data to Improve Power Plant Operations [PODCAST]

    Power plants have an abundance of data. Temperatures, pressures, flows, and various other parameters are all monitored constantly to ensure plants are operating properly. However, a lot of data is not used to its fullest extent. With the right tools, data can be more-thoroughly analyzed and findings can be acted upon to improve efficiency and […]

  • Curtiss-Wright Debuts NRC-Approved Digital Safety Platform

    BREA, CA – Curtiss-Wright Corporation has announced the expansion of its digital control systems portfolio with the addition of the Curtiss-Wright Digital Safety System. Built on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)-approved RadICS platform, the Digital Safety System is fully-qualified for nuclear safety-related applications. Curtiss-Wright’s Digital Safety System is an internally diverse, fully-qualified field programmable gate […]

  • GE Announces Second Order for Its New GT26 HE Solution to Boost Efficiency at Drax’s Shoreham Power Station

    GE’s GT26 HE upgrade is expected to increase combined-cycle efficiency by about 2.5% and add 44 megawatts of power at baseload at Drax’s Shoreham Power Station GE to implement gas turbine upgrade in 2021 Upgrade unleashes full performance of the GT26 platform through advanced technology from GE’s H-Class, F-Class and additive manufacturing GE’s hardware and […]

  • Tri Global Energy and TERNA ENERGY Announce Commercial Operations of Texas Wind Project

    DALLAS, Sept. 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Tri Global Energy, LLC, the leading wind developer in Texas and a dominant wind leader in the U.S., and the managers of the Fluvanna Renewable Energy Project, LLC, announced today that project owner and partner, TERNA ENERGY, S.A., has achieved commercial operations on the 158 megawatts (MW) Gopher Creek Wind […]

  • Clean Tech Leaders Honored at North America Smart Energy Week

    Winners of The Cleanie Awards—the only comprehensive awards program focused exclusively on the clean energy industry—were unveiled on Sept. 24 during North America Smart Energy Week in Salt Lake City, Utah. “The Cleanie Awards honors companies and individuals at the forefront of innovation for the clean technology and renewables industries,” said Elyssa Haynes, program director for […]

  • Framatome successfully completes feedwater heater replacement at Palo Verde Generating Station

    Framatome successfully completed the first of 12 low-pressure feedwater heater replacements at Arizona Public Service’s Palo Verde Generating Station Unit 1 on an expedited schedule during the spring 2019 outage. The remaining replacements will take place over a more than seven-year campaign. “It is rewarding to bring our latest technologies and expertise to support Palo […]

  • SEIA Unveils ‘Roadmap’ for Increased Solar Power Generation

    The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) on Sept. 23 released what it calls a roadmap for solar power, among the group’s first steps into a 10-year period that SEIA has dubbed the “Solar+ Decade.” SEIA on Monday in a news release said its initiative puts solar power on a path to provide at least 20% […]

  • E.ON Signs Innovative Virtual Power Purchase Agreement with Honda for Offtake from Oklahoma Wind Farm

    AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 23, 2019 — As part of the largest-ever renewable energy purchase by the automotive industry, E.ON today announced that it has signed an agreement with Honda for offtake from E.ON’s Boiling Springs Wind Farm. Under the terms of the Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA), Honda has contracted for 120 megawatts (MW) of […]

  • Schneider Electric Cuts Five Years from its Carbon Neutrality Goal, Establishing Roadmap for the Carbon Neutral World

    New York City (September 23, 2019) — Schneider Electric announced today at Climate Week NYC 2019 that it is drastically stepping up its commitment to carbon neutrality with three new actions: (1) accelerating its 2030 goal of carbon neutrality by demonstrating carbon neutrality in its extended ecosystem by 2025, bringing forward its objective by 5 years […]

  • Ansaldo Energia Selected by UAE Independent Power Producer for Full-Scope Combined Cycle Power Plant Service Agreement

    Independent Water and Power Producer (IWPP) Taweelah Asia Power Company (TAPCO), one of the largest IWPPs in the Middle East, has awarded Ansaldo Energia a 10-year structured service agreement for their Taweelah New B Extension (TNBE) combined cycle power plant in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. TNBE generates upward of a net 947 MW of […]