Hydro

Renewable energy sources increased their share of the UK’s electricity supply in 2018, with new wind farms and biomass plants helping renewables contribute a record 33% of the country’s power in the past year. Coal-fired units, meanwhile, saw a 25% drop in their output, with coal providing about 5% of the country’s total generation. The […]

Digital technology is everywhere today including in most power plants. Computer hardware and software are changing the way plants are operated and maintained. Many technology experts will tell you that

Heavy loads must often be moved at power plants of all types. Air bearing-based vehicles can make the process safer, faster, and cheaper. Cask relocation at a nuclear waste facility offers one successful

Heidenheim / Skopje. Technology group Voith has won an order for the manufacture, supply and commissioning of two StreamDivers for the small hydropower plant Gradiste in Macedonia. The company will also supervise installation and supply the gate valves. The power plant is set to go into operation early in 2020 and will supply clean power […]

Applied Flow Technology Releases New Version of Their Waterhammer and Surge Analysis Software Bordeaux, France – November 14, 2018 – Applied Flow Technology President, Trey Walters, P.E., announced the release of AFT Impulse™ 7 to help engineers visualize more at the prestigious Pressure Surge Conference in Bordeaux, France where AFT joins top authorities to discuss global advancements on […]

France will shut down 14 of its 58 nuclear reactors by 2035 as well its remaining four coal power plants by 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron said November 27 in a lengthy speech that sought to clarify the country’s future energy direction. According to the World Nuclear Association, France’s nuclear power share has steadily expanded […]

Despite increased resilience actions, extreme weather events due to climate change are projected to increasingly threaten the nation’s energy infrastructure, and create fuel availability and demand imbalances, the Trump administration’s sprawling climate report released on November 23 suggests.  The Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4) released by the Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) is clear in […]

ABB Ability™ digital control technology is optimizing the remote support of Enel Generación’s hydropower fleet across Chile, improving coordination and information-sharing and ultimately helping the country reach its renewable energy targets. With electricity demand set to grow considerably, Chile’s generation capacity has more than tripled over the past two decades. Poised to become a potentially […]

A series of strikes at French nuclear plants owned by power giant EDF have caused fluctuating electricity supplies, prompting concerns as the country prepares for a prolonged cold snap. Workers are reportedly protesting wage negotiations and a possible plan by the French government to restructure EDF. The energy branch of French trade union CGT on […]

ABB has signed a contract worth about $20 million with Furnas – Centrais Elétricas S.A. to supply electrical systems that will enable existing alternating current (AC) lines to transmit higher levels of power to the densely populated Southeast of Brazil. The installation is located close to Brasilia, Brazil’s capital. The order was booked in the […]

Entergy Louisiana, Cleco Power, and Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO) have secured a power sales agreement (PSA) to buy power generated by the 80-MW Toledo Bend hydroelectric plant—but only for five years.  The Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) on October 26 approved the PSA, providing new life, albeit briefly, for the 1963-licensed Toledo Bend project, […]

Proper valves, pipes, and fittings are important for successful operation of power generation facilities. This equipment includes products with versatile designs to establish effective joining and sealing

Hybrid power approaches are becoming increasingly important for the generation and storage of clean, renewable energy The Voith Hydro Holding GmbH & Co. KG and the Siemens Energy Management Division sign Letter of Intent for collaboration in appropriate hybrid power projects containing hydropower Starting point of the collaboration will be the integration of hydropower into […]

Test Your Knowledge The quizzes provided here offer an easy way to test your knowledge of various power-related subjects. If you want to learn more about the quiz topics, follow links to articles from the POWER archive, which are provided on each individual quiz webpage. Competitive Maintenance Strategies Quiz https://www.powermag.com/test-your-knowledge-competitive-maintenance-strategies/ Scaffold Safety Quiz https://www.powermag.com/test-your-knowledge-scaffold-safety/ Monitoring and Treatment of Closed-Loop […]

The U.S. Senate has cleared a major water infrastructure bill that contains several provisions promoting hydropower development, sending it to the president’s desk. The Senate passed S. 3021, “America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018,” on October 10 through a bipartisan vote of 99–1. Because the House of Representatives unanimously passed the bill in a voice […]

The Laotian government in August said the approval process for new hydroelectric dams in the country should be suspended as it continued to review construction practices. The move came after more than three

Silicon Valley Power implemented a system using machine-learning technology to monitor critical power plant components. The solution has proven to reduce downtime and save money. Furthermore, its wireless

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

The California Independent System Operator’s Energy Imbalance Market (EIM) is a real-time energy market, the first of its kind in the western U.S. EIM’s advanced market systems automatically find low-cost

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Hydropower is Brazil’s major source of electricity. The country is moving toward more generation from solar and wind, and away from so-called “mega dams,” but what could be a final mammoth hydro project

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

The Frades II pumped-storage hydro project in Portugal took advantage of existing dams to incorporate a scheme that includes the largest variable-speed reversible units installed in Europe. The facility

BETHESDA, Md. (Aug. 27, 2018) — Hull Street Energy, LLC (“Hull Street Energy”) is pleased to announce it has closed on the previously-announced acquisition of nine hydroelectric power facilities in New Hampshire from Eversource through a special purpose affiliate. The transaction consists of nine facilities with approximately 68 MW of power generation capacity. The plants are […]

It is safe to say that every power plant in the world uses scaffolding in some way, shape, or form. It is a critical component for many maintenance activities where permanently installed access is not possible or practical. Therefore, the dangers associated with scaffolding should not be overlooked by the industry. Often, plant maintenance personnel […]

LEWISTON–The New York Power Authority has moved a step closer toward becoming the nation’s first all-digital electric utility by testing an array of sensors at its Robert Moses-Niagara Power Plant that will help determine the life expectancy of key equipment and head off potential problems before they can affect operations. Data from about 100 sensors […]

More than two dozen people have died in southeastern Laos after part of a newly built hydroelectric dam broke on July 23, flooding nearby villages. Government officials on July 25 said it had confirmed 26 deaths, with fears the death toll will rise with more than 130 people officially listed as missing and heavy rain […]