Gas
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O&M
Best Practices for Welding Critical Power Plant Systems
Innovative welding techniques can produce consistently better-quality joints. Special alloys, appropriate pre- and post-weld heat treatment, and proper weld procedures can all help prevent catastrophic failure
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O&M
Duke Hit Hard by Exorbitant O&M Costs at Edwardsport IGCC Facility
Duke Energy will swallow $30 million in runaway costs associated with operating its five-year-old 618-MW integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) facility in Edwardsport, Indiana, if a settlement the company reached with Indiana consumer groups last week is approved. Duke declared Edwardsport Generating Station “in service” in June 2013, despite a series of hiccups that delayed […]
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Press Releases
Garlock Launches ABRA-SHIELD™, an Expansion Joint Material Designed for Abrasion Protection
PALMYRA, N.Y., Sept. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Garlock – a leading manufacturer of high-performance fluid sealing products – has launched ABRA-SHIELD™, a proprietary expansion joint liner material designed for abrasion resistance and sustainability in demanding high temperature operating conditions. As the newest addition to Garlock’s family of abrasion resistant expansion joint materials, ABRA-SHIELD™ will join […]
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Commentary
Increasing Sustainability in the Power Industry Through Proactive Maintenance
According to a recent maintenance study published by Plant Engineering, more than 50% of respondents said their plants are still heavily relying on reactive maintenance. However, organizations and industries (including the power industry) have slowly started to move toward a more proactive maintenance approach because of the numerous benefits its implementation provides. This article addresses […]
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Gas
Siemens Cutting 2,900 Jobs, Vying with GE for $15B Iraqi Contract
Siemens on September 24 said it would cut about 2,900 jobs, mostly from its Power and Gas division in Germany, as it continues restructuring to achieve cost savings amid a tough global market for turbine manufacturers. Siemens on Monday said the cuts will save the company about €270 million ($318 million) and is part of […]
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Press Releases
APR Energy Commissions 300MW Power Plant in Pangaon, Keraniganj, Bangladesh
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — APR Energy, a global leader in fast-track power solutions, today announced that it has successfully completed the installation and 100-hour commissioning test of a 300MW power project for the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB). The company will operate as an independent power producer (IPP) for a term of five years at its […]
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Press Releases
MHPS J-Series American Fleet Leader Passes 8,000 Hours Of Reliable Operation In Oklahoma
10 more J-Series currently being commissioned in North America Lake Mary, Florida – (September 20, 2018) Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS), the global market share leader in heavy duty gas turbine sales so far in 2018, today announced that Grand River Dam Authority’s power plant in Oklahoma recently surpassed 8,000 hours of commercial operation with […]
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Gas
3-D Printed Gas Turbine Technology Marks ‘Game Changing’ Milestone
The world’s first 3-D printed burner for an industrial gas turbine has been in operation for one year with no reported issues. Siemens, which installed the burner for the 32.8-MW SGT-7000 gas turbine at E.ON’s combined cycle power plant in Philippsthal in the German state of Hessen said on September 19 that it has been […]
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Gas
GE Gas Turbine Blade Issue Concerns Analyst
Lead analyst Stephen Tusa lowered J.P. Morgan’s rating on GE stock after “checks on two initial U.S. installations revealed failures of the first stage blade of GE’s H-frame gas turbine,” thestreet.com reported on September 20. Tusa—who has long been critical of GE’s prospects—reportedly wrote, “The impact on ‘asset value’ from a failure at GE’s U.S. […]
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Press Releases
The Original Rapid Dry-Out Product
Plastic Refractories: Tried-and-True Materials That Meet Quick-Turn Demands NORTHBROOK, IL, SEPTEMBER 19, 2018 — Increased production pressures have sparked a rise in inquiries regarding rapid dry-out materials. Often times, the inquirer wants to use a rapid-fire material to reduce the down-time of their furnace equipment. The faster a furnace can be brought back online, the faster […]
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Renewables
How Independence Power & Light Saves Ratepayers $100k a Year Using Artificial Intelligence Technology
At this moment, the lights are on around the country in homes and workplaces. Most don’t realize, perhaps take it for granted, that those lights come on because of the hard work of dispatchers operating one of the most important manmade systems ever built, the national electric power grid. Without oversimplifying the process too much, […]
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Press Releases
Siemens and E.ON reach milestone with 3D-printed burner for SGT-700 gas turbine
Siemens and E.ON have reached a significant milestone in the area of 3D-printing for the energy sector. The world’s first 3-D printed burner for an SGT-700 gas turbine has been in operation for one year at E.ON’s combined cycle power plant in Philippsthal in the German state of Hessen and the results are impressive. The […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Appeals Court Backs Illinois’ Nuclear Subsidies
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on September 13 upheld subsidies offered by Illinois to help struggling nuclear power plants. The court rejected arguments from power producers and some Illinois energy consumers that so-called zero-emission credits (ZEC) are preempted by the Federal Power Act. Opponents argued the program violates the Commerce Clause […]
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Renewables
EIA Report Says Coal Still King on State-by-State Basis
A report this week from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows coal-fired power was still the major source of generation on a state-by-state basis in 2017, though natural gas-fueled electricity production slightly outpaced coal overall The EIA’s report, published September 10, said 18 states relied on coal for the bulk of their power generation […]
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Legal & Regulatory
EPA Schedules One Hearing on Proposed ACE Rule
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on September 10 announced it will hold one hearing to get input from the public and stakeholders on its Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule, the Trump administration’s replacement for the Obama-era Clean Power Plan (CPP). The EPA said it has scheduled an all-day hearing October 1 at the Ralph […]
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Legal & Regulatory
California Mandates 100% Renewable Energy
California Gov. Jerry Brown on September 10 signed into law a measure requiring the state to produce all its electricity from renewable sources by 2045. It’s a goal that also has been set by Hawaii and is being discussed by other states. Environmental groups and renewable energy advocates immediately praised Brown’s action. Utilities operating in […]
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Commentary
Searching for Relief from the Headaches Facing the Merchant Power Sector
Unlike their regulated counterparts, merchant power generators have increasingly struggled to compete over the last few years and the outlook for many is that this won’t change any time soon. While regulated power companies often enjoy near monopolies in their respective markets, merchant power companies build out their power generating capacity on a speculative basis […]
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Gas
Demonstration Advances to Produce Hydrogen Using Molten Salt Reactor Nuclear Technology
Terrestrial Energy USA, a company that is developing a fourth-generation molten salt nuclear reactor, has joined forces with Southern Co. and several U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national labs, in a research and development (R&D) project that seeks to pin down whether its reactor technology can produce hydrogen efficiently using nuclear heat and power. The […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Several States Urge Federal Court to Rule on Clean Power Plan
Seventeen states have asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to reject the Trump administration’s efforts to further delay the court’s decision on legal challenges to the Clean Power Plan. In a filing with the court on September 4, the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, […]
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Press Releases
New OPTALIGN touch to become the game changer in laser alignment
PRUFTECHNIK single-laser technology – the key for easy and high accuracy measurement Ismaning, September 2018 – The world market leader of laser alignment instruments PRUFTECHNIK proudly announces the launch of the new OPTALIGN touch system. The OPTALIGN touch by PRUFTECHNIK is the equipment of choice for simple, fast and precise daily alignment jobs – a tool […]
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Legal & Regulatory
THE BIG PICTURE: Trump’s Regulatory Targets
President Trump campaigned on a promise to reduce regulation and control regulatory costs. One of his first actions after taking office was to issue an executive order calling for the elimination of two existing regulations for every one new regulation issued. Toward that end, the Trump administration has acted or sought to reverse more than […]
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O&M
Select Boiler Chemistry in the Design Phase of Project Life
On many combined cycle projects, the major decisions about boiler chemistry are left until after the plant has been designed, equipment is procured, and construction is well underway. However, the best time to make these chemistry decisions is in the design phase of the project. That enables the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor to […]
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Renewables
POWER Digest [September 2018]
Israel Embarks on a Major Electricity Reform. Under a law passed on July 19, Israel will break up a monopoly held by state-owned Israel Electric Corp. (IEC) and open the country’s electricity sector to new
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Renewables
Australia Braces for Power System Transformation, Disruptions
The inaugural integrated system plan (ISP) released by Australia’s Energy Market Operator (AEMO) in mid-July warns that the country is in the midst of a “transformative and unprecedented” rate of change
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Renewables
Egypt Brings New Natural Gas and Wind Power Plants Online
New natural gas-fired power plants and wind farms are part of Egypt’s strategy to increase the country’s power generation by at least 50%. It began delivering on that plan in July as it brought three
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Press Releases
Clarke Energy to Supply GE’s Jenbacher Gas Engines to Power New Algerian ‘Mega Mosque’
Clarke Energy to Deliver Four of GE’s Jenbacher J320 Gas Engines to Power Trigeneration Plant at Djamaâ el Djazaïr Mosque being Built in Mohammadia, Near Algiers Jenbacher Trigeneration Units to Supply Reliable, Lower-Emission Power, Heating and Cooling Project Highlights Growing Industrial Demand for Advanced Trigeneration Technologies ALGIERS, ALGERIA—August 30, 2018—GE’s Distributed Power business (NYSE: GE) […]
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Gas
MHPS Marks Third Major U.S. Gas-Turbine Milestone in Recent Months
NTE Energy on August 28 formally began operations of its 475-MW Kings Mountain Energy Center (KMEC) natural gas–fired plant in Cleveland County, North Carolina, marking the third major milestone in recent months for gas-turbine giant Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) Americas. The $500 million KMEC facility features MHPS G-Series advanced-class gas turbine technology. Owned and […]
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Coal
As More Power Companies Announce Decarbonization Initiatives, EEI Makes Sustainability Reporting Easier
A spate of major power companies—including American Electric Power (AEP) and Southern Co.—have acquiesced to investor pressure and announced drastic cuts to their generating fleet carbon emissions over the long term. Industry group Edison Electric Institute (EEI) this week launched an official industry-designed template to help its member utilities better inform investors about their environmental, […]
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Renewables
Oklahoma Coal Plant Sets Closing Date After Losing PPA
An executive with the AES Shady Point coal-fired power plant in Oklahoma said the facility could close as soon as January after being notified its power purchase agreement (PPA) will not be extended. Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co. (OG&E) this month said it will not execute another five-year extension of a PPA between the two […]
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Press Releases
MHPS, NTE Energy Open Second Clean Power Plant In Three Months
Lake Mary, Florida (August 28, 2018) — Officials from Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Americas joined with NTE Energy executives today to mark the formal start of operations at a new North Carolina clean power plant featuring MHPS technology. MHPS executives helped cut the ribbon on NTE Energy’s $500 million Kings Mountain Energy Center (KMEC); located […]