Engineering

The solar industry is on a continuous innovation curve — driving advancements, pushing boundaries, and harnessing solar energy’s power to increase returns and drive down the lower levelized cost of energy (LCOE). Stakeholders across the solar value chain have a variety of ways to optimize solar photovoltaic (PV) throughout the project lifecycle. And for each […]

EPRI, in collaboration with Southern Company and Storworks, has recently completed testing of a pilot concrete thermal energy storage (CTES) system at Alabama Power’s Ernest C. Gaston Electric Generating plant (Gaston) marking the largest such pilot in the world. The technology was developed by Storworks. The 10-MW-hour-electric (MWhe) energy storage solution (Figure 1) is charged […]

For more than a century, fossil fuel companies have drilled oil and gas wells to increase the production, consumption, and export of fossil fuels. These wells are often abandoned once they are no longer profitable, and are sometimes left unplugged or improperly plugged, causing local environmental hazards and contributing to global climate change. There are […]

The market for customizable, scalable, turnkey energy storage solutions continues to evolve, as companies look at providing systems that will work from an individual application level all the way to grid and utility-scale deployment. Kontrolmatik, an Istanbul, Turkey-headquartered systems integrator and global engineering, procurement, and construction leader in power generation, transmission, and distribution, and its […]

Representatives from the Japanese technology company Asahi Kasei and its partners including the Japanese government recently celebrated the official opening of a new hydrogen pilot plant in Kawasaki, Japan. Asahi Kasei said the trial operation of four 0.8 MW modules at the site (Figure 1) is another milestone toward the realization of a commercial multi-module […]

British officials said the UK government will invest about £200 million (more than $251 million) for a project to build Europe’s first production facility for high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU). Officials have said the fuel will be needed to supply the coming generation of nuclear power, including advanced nuclear reactors. Britain has said it wants to […]

It’s no secret that power grids around the world need to expand to accommodate more renewable energy and the so-called “electrification of everything.” The latter, of course, refers to the growing trend of using electricity to power various sectors and applications that have traditionally relied on fossil fuels, such as natural gas or petroleum-based products. […]

Enhancements will enable research into the physics of advanced fusion reactors and accelerate the drive to commercial fusion energy. The DIII-D National Fusion Facility has completed a series of important enhancements, providing researchers with several first-of-a-kind tools for controlling and understanding the function of fusion plasmas. These upgrades will further strengthen DIII-D’s standing as one […]

The U.S. was one of the world leaders in solar equipment manufacturing a few decades ago, but then the Chinese stole the show. Now, however, American companies are finding a lot of new opportunities as a

Japanese firms JERA and IHI Corp. have launched the world’s first large-volume fuel ammonia demonstration testing at JERA’s 1-GW Unit 4 of its 4.1-GW Hekinan Thermal Power Station in Aichi Prefecture

Efficiency, safety, and providing support for optimal performance are key considerations when choosing equipment to move water and fuels through a power plant. Power plant operators know the importance of

Big data holds many secrets to help operate your power plant safer and more efficiently. But are you really seeing the entire landscape of your problem? Don’t miss the forest while focusing on the trees

Energy transition is the “new normal” (or the only way forward in some peoples’ minds), which aims to reduce emission levels through various forms of decarbonization. Some of the key drivers are increased penetration of renewable energy into the energy supply mix and battery energy storage systems. While these measures contribute incrementally to decarbonization, the […]

Schneider Electric today announced a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) designed and engineered to be a part of a flexible, scalable, and highly efficient architecture. BESS is the cornerstone for a fully integrated microgrid solution that is driven by Schneider Electric’s controls, optimization, and world-renowned digital and field services. Graybar, a leading distributor of electrical, […]

The United Nations has gone on record to spotlight the negative effects of climate change that have affected the world in recent years. The group stated, “destructive storms have become more intense and more frequent in many regions … while the frequency and extent of tropical storms has led to destroyed homes and communities, causing […]

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) will partner with GE Vernova to complete a 15-year project to refurbish the iconic 1.7-GW Sir Adam Beck I and II hydroelectric complex near Niagara Falls. The C$1 billion ($724 million) project unveiled on April 16 will comprise the first phase of OPG’s larger plans to overhaul all five of its […]

BGEN, one of the UK’s largest engineering firms, has been awarded an £84 million project by GE Steam Power Systems to provide electrical and instrumentation solutions to Hinkley Point C (HPC), which is a two-unit EPR nuclear power station under construction in Somerset, England. When complete, Hinkley Point C is expected to deliver 7% of […]

Support for battery energy storage, and manufacturing of equipment for the electrification of transportation, is spurring construction of battery factories across the U.S. American Battery Factory, a leader in development of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells, recently announced a partnership with Lead Intelligent Equipment (LEAD) to secure custom automation equipment and machinery that will […]

The future of gas turbines and hydrogen are intricately intertwined. Gas turbine manufacturers know that they need their equipment to be ready to operate on higher levels of hydrogen as electrolysis technology

As power generation embraces digitization, and looks for more reliability and flexibility, the need for advanced instrumentation and control systems grows. Power plant operators know the importance of

Engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracts are agreements in which a contractor is given major project responsibilities under a single contract established with an owner or developer. A

Turbines are by far the single most-costly piece of equipment for many energy businesses, which highlights the importance of lubrication for these assets. Although turbine oil could last for more than a

The UK government has ambitions for 24 GW of nuclear energy by 2050 to help in providing energy security for the UK and for meeting its net-zero goals. Among groups helping to revive and expand the UK’s nuclear industry is the University of Sheffield Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC), part of the High […]

Utilities and other power generators recognize the importance of proper data management and the use of data analytics. Maximizing the value of data enables utilities to draw operational insights, including identifying current or potential issues at power plants and along the transmission and distribution system. Power generators are adopting communications networks to improve their operations, […]

The 2.6-GW Drax Power Station in northeastern England—once Western Europe’s largest coal-fired power plant—is poised to pioneer bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), a negative emissions

The importance of a reliable and resilient power supply continues to grow, and so does the need to control energy costs. That’s why more institutions want power systems that support operational efficiency

Small clues can sometimes help reveal larger problems. Don’t ignore unusual events and remember not to let history repeat. “One unit’s offline, and it’s about to become two, right as power prices and

Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing involves simulation of power plant behavior using the actual site-specific power plant controls before the commissioning stage. HIL testing can benefit all project

Several solutions are needed to support deployment of renewable energy and enable continued growth in the use of distributed energy resources. The structure of energy systems everywhere is changing fast

A new natural gas-fired peaker plant being built on Colorado’s eastern plains will feature aeroderivative gas power packages from GE Vernova. The Mountain Peak Power Plant, which will be managed and operated by Princeton, New Jersey-based Kindle Energy, and will serve the United Power electric cooperative, is expected to come online in 2025. GE Vernova’s […]