Coal

  • SCHADE Bridge Reclaimer with Active Harrow to homogenise Coal Mix

    The Australian mining company South32 has awarded SCHADE Lagertechnik GmbH an engineering order for a harrow modification, which became necessary after the alteration of the coal specification at the DMO (Douglas-Middelburg Optimization) coal mine in South Africa. DMO operates a coal mine in the Province of Middelburg, around 160 km east of Johannesburg, to supply […]

  • MHPS Receives Contract for Complete Renovation of Flue Gas Desulfurization System at the Dětmarovice Power Station in the Czech Republic

    Advanced Technology to Comply with Strict European SOx Regulations – Renovation will provide compliance with EU’s Industrial Emissions Directive on SO2, with completion and delivery scheduled for mid-2020 – MHPS’ world-leading market share and reliability significantly contributing to an improvement global environment YOKOHAMA, Japan, May 23, 2019 – (JCN Newswire) – Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, […]

  • [UPDATED] EPA Sets Schedules for Long List of Power Plant Regulatory Actions 

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will act on a spate of power plant rules over the next year, its newly released agenda of regulatory and deregulatory actions shows. The May 23-released “Spring 2019 Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions” lists 35 new actions, along with 57 actions that it considers “deregulatory.” The list includes new […]

  • Xcel Sets Closure of Minnesota Coal Plants

    Xcel Energy on May 20 announced it would close its two remaining coal plants in Minnesota over the next decade, and the utility said it also wants to operate its Monticello nuclear plant in the state until at least 2040. Xcel, which is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and serves electricity and natural gas customers in […]

  • Atom Power Introduces First Digital Circuit Breaker

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. (May 21, 2019) — Atom Power, inventor of the world’s first and only digital circuit breaker, today announced its technology is listed by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the governing standard for consumer safety. This is the first time in the history of commercial power distribution that a digital solid-state circuit breaker has been listed […]

  • The POWER Interview: CleanSpark’s Bryan Huber Talks Microgrids, C&I Installations

    Commercial and industrial (C&I) sites increasingly are looking for ways to increase the reliability and resiliency of their power supply, along with controlling their energy costs. These C&I projects include distribution centers, data centers, office parks, hospitals, college campuses, and also military bases. CleanSpark, a San Diego, California–based technology company which specializes in the optimized […]

  • GE Is Banking on Africa’s Burgeoning Power Market

    Sub-Saharan Africa’s power generation capacity is projected to surge 4% annually through 2040, and its current energy mix—which is today dominated by hydro and coal—will likely be more diversified as interest rises in renewables such as solar and wind, General Electric (GE) said in a white paper surveying market opportunities in the region that it […]

  • Opole Unit 6 Begins to Deliver up to 900 MW of Power to the Polish Grid

    GE Steam Power, PGE (Polska Grupa Energetyczna) and GE-led consortium partners celebrate the synchronization of Opole Unit 6 to the grid With Opole Unit 5 and 6 synchronized to the grid, up to 1.8 GW of power is being delivered to the grid, enough electricity for two million Polish homes The consortium is on track […]

  • Utility Group Under Congressional Investigation Will Disband

    A utility industry coalition that has often challenged stricter air pollution and climate rules for power generation said it will dissolve. The Utility Air Regulatory Group (UARG), which has been under investigation from the House Energy and Commerce Committee due to its relationship with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) top air policy official and his […]

  • EIA: Gas, Renewables Outpacing Coal for Power Generation

    The percentage of coal-fired generation in the U.S. electricity mix will continue to decline, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said May 9, with gas-fired generation accounting for at least 40% of the nation’s power this summer and output from renewables continuing to rise. EIA’s latest Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) said coal-fired units will produce only […]

  • ERCOT Warns of Summer Emergency Conditions as Demand Continues to Soar

    The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has issued a fresh warning that continued “above-normal” growth in electric demand could require it to enter Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) status to maintain system reliability this summer.  As it released its final Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy (SARA) for the upcoming summer season (June to September), a preliminary […]

  • UK Milestone: One Week Without Coal-Fired Generation

    The UK has gone a week without using electricity from coal-fired generation, according to the National Grid Electricity System Operator (NGESO), which oversees the power network in England, Wales, and Scotland. Government officials said it’s the first time the UK has gone without coal in a week-long period since 1882, when a coal-fired plant opened […]

  • Monitoring Solutions Acquires Optimal Air Testing Services

    Announces Expansion into Source & Compliance Testing Services May 7, 2019, Indianapolis, Indiana: Monitoring Solutions, Incorporated is excited to announce the acquisition of Optimal Air Testing Services (“Optimal”), a Casper, Wyoming based provider of stack and source testing to support compliance, guarantee, and engineering services. Addition of the Optimal staff brings tremendous industry knowledge, experience […]

  • EPA Will Issue Final Carbon Rules for Power Plants in June

    The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to take final action to repeal the Clean Power Plan in June 2019, a federal court filing shows. The agency told the D.C. Circuit—in a May 6 status report—review of the Obama-era rule that sets the first carbon dioxide limits for existing power plants “continues to be a high […]

  • POWER Digest [May 2019]: News Briefs From Around the World

    MHPS Receives Order for UAE Power Plant. Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) has been tabbed to build a 1,026-MW gas turbine combined cycle power plant for the Emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab

  • Advancements in Water Ultrafiltration Technology

    Strained water resources across the world necessitate innovative ways for power plants to more efficiently use, and reuse, the water that is available. At the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National

  • Enhanced Wastewater Treatment Technology for Ash Transport Water

    Evolving environmental regulations have forced many coal power plant operators to re-evaluate how they handle water and ash. Many units have been retrofit with dry handling systems, but there are other

  • Pitfalls and Promises: Power Sector Decarbonization

    Decarbonization is becoming firmly entrenched in utility business strategies to address risks and opportunities posed by climate change. But setting out a sound plan amid so many uncertainties poses a number

  • The Dark Side of the Smart Grid

    The smart grid offers great promise to transform the electric system, enabling two-way communication between providers and consumers over the network, and allowing new services that can save electricity and

  • Double-Tube-Sheet Heat Exchangers: A Solution to Cross Contamination

    Heat exchangers are vital equipment for power plant operation. Many different types of heat exchangers exist, but for applications that cannot afford cross contamination of shell-side and tube-side fluids

  • Equipment Showcase – CEMS, Analyzers, and Sensors

    A continuous emissions monitoring system (CEMS) is required in the U.S. under Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations to continuously collect, record, and report emissions data from industrial

  • Utility Business Model Reform and the Role of Big Data

    Stories about seismic changes ready to hit utilities and transform their century-old business models fill power industry newsletters and media. But rarely do I see any purveyors of industry news provide a

  • Iraq Chooses Siemens as Partner in $15 Billion Power Deal

    Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi and Germany-based Siemens on April 30 confirmed reports that Iraq has chosen Siemens as its main partner in what it calls a “roadmap” agreement to develop power generation projects in the country. Siemens in a news release Tuesday confirmed that the document was signed by Joe Kaeser, president and […]

  • POWER Notebook: Duke Energy Sells Renewable Assets in $1.25 Billion Deal

    Duke Energy this week said it has a definitive agreement to sell a minority interest in part of its commercial renewable energy portfolio owned and operated by its affiliate, Duke Energy Renewables, to the John Hancock Infrastructure Fund and John Hancock Life Insurance Company. Duke in an April 24 release said the interest is valued […]

  • Rocky Mountain Power Considers Early Closure of Coal Units

    Rocky Mountain Power (RMP) on April 24 said an updated analysis of its operations suggests the company could lower costs for customers if it accelerates the retirement of four coal-fired units in Wyoming. Gary Hoogeveen, president and CEO of RMP, which is part of Pacificorp, told state and local officials the company has not made […]

  • Ex-GE Power Engineer Implicated in Turbine Technology Theft for China’s Benefit   

    A former GE Power engineer and a Chinese businessman conspired to steal General Electric (GE) trade secrets related to gas and steam turbine technologies to benefit China, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has alleged in an indictment unsealed on April 23.  The 14-count indictment charges Xiaoqing Zheng, 56, of Niskayuna, New York, and Zhaoxi […]

  • Sempra Energy Exits U.S. Renewables Sector

    Sempra Energy on April 22 marked its complete exit from the U.S. renewables business as it completed the sale of 724 MW of operating wind generation and battery assets to American Electric Power (AEP) for $1.05 billion.  The San Diego–headquartered utility holding company, which says it has the largest U.S. customer base, said the move […]

  • Indiana Regulators Reject Vectren Plan for Gas Plant

    The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) on April 24 rejected Vectren’s proposal to build an 850-MW natural gas-fired power plant to replace two coal-burning units at its A.B. Brown Generating Station, along with another coal unit at a nearby plant. The commission said it based its decision on the potential financial risk to ratepayers who they said […]

  • PURE SAFETY GROUP UNVEILS LATEST SELF-RETRACTING LIFELINES

    HOUSTON (Apr. 22, 2019) — Pure Safety Group (PSG), the largest company dedicated solely to fall protection, has unveiled a new lineup of three self-retracting lifelines (SRLs). The SRLs are part of the company’s robust schedule of new product launches in 2019, during which it will release more than 20 new products for keeping workers […]

  • Federal Court Vacates Parts of Obama EPA’s ELG Rule 

    In a legal victory for environmental groups, a federal court has vacated key portions of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) November 2015-promulgated effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) for steam electric power plants, deeming them “unlawful.”  The decision adds a dramatic new element of uncertainty in timing of the rule, which the Trump administration has said it […]