Hydro

  • New ASCE Manual 135 Offers Guidance to Monitor Dam Performance

    Reston, Virginia — July 10, 2018 — Dam performance monitoring is a balance of visual surveillance and instrumental measurements that when combined accurately show how well a dam is performing. Visual surveillance is augmented by measuring geotechnical, structural, hydraulic and geohydraulic indicators.  ASCE’s new manual of practice, Monitoring Dam Performance: Instrumentation and Measurement, presents these […]

  • Hydropower Grows but Industry Is Changing

    New hydropower capacity installed worldwide plunged 36% in 2017 compared to 2016, but the sector remains optimistic about its future despite a transitioning role for hydropower away from baseload power and

  • Dulas Advises On Planning Changes To Power Welsh Hydro Sector In New Government Report

    Leading renewable energy consultancy assesses the likely impact of permitted development rights on Welsh hydro-electric sector Machynlleth, 27 June 2018 – Dulas, a leading renewable energy consultancy, has completed research on behalf of the Welsh Government into the impact of potential changes to permitted development rights for small-scale hydro-electric projects in Wales. The research, recently […]

  • Analysts: Coal Generation Will Plummet More Than 70%

    About half the world’s power will be generated by wind and solar resources by 2050. Generation from coal will drop more than 70% from today’s levels. That’s according to research from energy analysts published June 19 in the “New Energy Outlook 2018” (NEO) from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). The NEO report outlines information from […]

  • West’s Largest Coal Plant Could Get a Lifeline

    The Navajo Generating Station (NGS) in Arizona is scheduled to close by year-end 2019, but intervention by the federal government could keep the West’s largest coal-fired power plant operating. At the same time, more than 300 of the plant’s workers, along with family members, union representatives and tribal leaders, held a rally in Phoenix on […]

  • POWER Digest [June 2018]

    Marking an important milestone in energy storage’s steady charge to become a key element in balancing variability posed by renewables, ACCIONA Energia has received a prototype certificate from DNV GL for a

  • Power in Africa: Prospects for an Economic Foothold

    To sustain unprecedented economic growth, lift hundreds of millions out of poverty, and attract investment, African countries are taking bold steps to expand electricity infrastructure. Are the continent’s

  • Second installation phase at Holyhead Deep completed

    Marine energy developer Minesto has completed the second offshore installation phase of its DG500 project in Wales. Having installed the tether, micro grid system buoy and umbilical, all supporting components and systems needed to deliver the power produced by Minesto’s first system of the unique Deep Green technology in Utility Scale are now in place. […]

  • Pioneer of small hydro technology: Kössler celebrates its 90th birthday

    Numerous guests celebrate anniversary of Voith subsidiary at Kössler headquarters in St. Georgen, Austria Focus of celebration on innovative solutions for small hydro All key areas of expertise from development to services from a single source St. Georgen. Since its establishment in 1928, Kössler has evolved into one of the world’s leading manufacturers for small […]

  • How the Middle East Is Transforming Its Power and Water Industry

    Global demand for power and water is accelerating—and the Middle East is no exception. A burgeoning population combined with multiple industrial diversification programs is fueling a boom in power and water projects. During the first three quarters of 2017, about $30 billion of major power contracts and $20 billion of water projects were awarded across […]

  • East Africa Hub: Voith’s new center for hydropower projects in East Africa

    New facility in Ethiopia will coordinate hydropower projects in nine countries in the east of the continent Strategic position, customer proximity, strong economic growth and hydropower potential were significant factors in the choice of location For more than 70 years, Voith has been actively contributing to the development of infrastructure in the region Addis Ababa. […]

  • Gas-Fired Generation Will Top 2018 Capacity Additions

    The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA’s) latest report on the nation’s power generation inventory expects 32 GW of new capacity will enter commercial service this year, the most in at least at decade. And for the first time in five years, renewable energy sources will not make up the majority of that new generation. Nearly […]

  • Transmitter offers high reliability in temperature measurement

    Dual sensor operation with 4 wire sensor connection Automatic redundancy switching for lossless recordings Wide range of hazardous approvals Versatile use in chemical, oil and gas, marine and power generation applications With Sitrans TH320/420 and TR320/420, Siemens introduces a new generation of reliable HART (Highway Addressable Remote Transducer Protocol) temperature transmitters for a wide range […]

  • Sufficient Blackstart Capability Exists on Grid, Say NERC, FERC

      Despite the recent retirement of “blackstart” units, grid operators have sufficient resources to quickly restore systems in the event of widespread outages, suggests a new report by staff at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC). The report—“FERC-NERC-Regional Entity Joint Review of Restoration and Recovery Plans”—released May […]

  • Power Mix Comes Down to Cost

    It’s not a secret that the North American power mix is changing. Renewable energy and natural gas are picking up market share while coal-fired generation shrinks and nuclear power remains stagnant at best

  • Landsvirkjun, Voith Launch Joint Hydro Noise Pilot Project in Iceland

    Budarhals hydropower plant to be fitted with intelligent acoustic monitoring system Voith tests new remote data-analysis service Optimized mode of operation and intelligent scheduling of maintenance work for power plant operators The national Power Company of Iceland Landsvirkjun and Voith have launched a joint pilot project on intelligent noise analysis in hydropower plants. Voith is […]

  • Investments in Renewables Dwarf New Coal, Gas Generation

    A report from groups including the United Nations environmental arm and Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) shows renewable energy installations were responsible for 61% of the world’s net power capacity additions in 2017, more than double the new-builds from fossil fuel-powered generation. The Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2018 report, compiled by BNEF, the […]

  • Voith modernizes high-performance machine in pumped storage power plant in Vianden, Luxembourg

    More efficient electricity production: New motor-generator from Voith increases potential output of complete generating set by more than seven percent Faster response to changes in load requirements from the grid Special design for energy transfer saves rebuild costs Heidenheim, Germany. Voith has won the order to modernize a motor-generator in the Vianden pumped storage plant […]

  • Power Industry Continues to Face Uncertainty and Change [PODCAST]

    Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) CEO Bill Johnson in an exclusive interview with POWER suggested that the power industry continues to face an uncertain future.  Johnson said that during his 40-year career, he has seen more change in the last five years than in the previous 35 combined. Several indicators imply that will continue going forward. […]

  • THE BIG PICTURE [INFOGRAPHIC]: Changing Fleets

    The generating fleets owned by some of the largest companies in the U.S. (ranked here by capacity in 2017) have transformed over the past four years, in some cases dramatically, as total revenues fluctuated. Sources: Fidelity Investments (revenue data standardized by S&P Capital IQ); EIA-860 detailed data; SEC 10-K filings, and company websites. —Copy and artwork by Sonal Patel, a […]

  • The 4M Approach to a Connected Plant

    Technology is being incorporated into operations and maintenance schemes at an ever-increasing pace. New digital tools are helping optimize assets, improve performance, and reduce overall costs. Big Data Best

  • Williamson College of the Trades Energy Island: Time-Honored Innovation

    Williamson College of the Trades’ Power Plant Technology program provides hands-on training for learners within its student-run power plant—known as the “Energy Island.” Through the program, students

  • Resource Diversification a Key for TVA [PODCAST]

    Joe Grimes, executive vice president of generation with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), gave the keynote presentation during the ELECTRIC POWER Conference and Exhibition, which was held March 19–22 in Nashville, Tennessee. His presentation focused on steps TVA is taking to diversify its generation portfolio in order to reduce risks and keep costs as low […]

  • Increase of Electricity in Pakistan: First Unit of Tarbela IV Hydro Plant Connects to Grid

    Voith delivers complete electromechanical equipment for hydropower plant extension project Voith’s asset management solution OnCare AM in use for the first time at a hydropower plant Expansion of hydropower potential to increase Pakistan’s independence from fuel imports Islamabad (March 14, 2018) — In the presence of numerous guests from the areas of politics, industry, and […]

  • Human Errors Contributed to Oroville Spillway Failure

    Damage to the main and emergency spillways of the Oroville Dam in California, triggered in February 2017 by heavy rain that was part of Northern California’s wettest winter in almost 100 years, has brought

  • Michigan Utility Will Phase Out Coal-Fired Generation

    Coal-fired power generation has taken another punch, as Consumers Energy—which along with DTE Energy supplies most of Michigan’s power—has announced it will phase out coal burning over the next two decades, with a plan to generate at least 40% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2040. Patti Poppe, Consumers’ president and CEO, made the […]

  • Growth in Renewables Matching U.S. Nuclear Generation

    A business group geared toward sustainable energy says renewable sources of energy for the first time are generating nearly as much power as the entire fleet of U.S. nuclear reactors. The Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE), along with Bloomberg New Energy Finance, on February 15 released the sixth edition of its Sustainable Energy in […]

  • Trump Budget Backs Nuclear, Coal; Cuts Funding for Renewables

    The Trump administration’s fiscal year 2019 budget request released February 12 asks for more money to support fossil fuel-based power systems, but seeks funding below current levels for other energy initiatives, including renewable energy and energy efficiency. The energy funding is part of a $4.4 trillion budget that features large increases in military spending, along […]

  • Hydropower technology from Voith plays crucial role in Central Asia and the Caspian Sea region

    Voith to be gold sponsor of congress and exhibition “Hydropower Caspian and Central Asia” in Georgia More than 150 projects realized in Central Asia and around the Caspian Sea In this region, technology from Voith supplies more than 95 million people with environmentally-friendly electricity Heidenheim, Germany. For more than 80 years, Voith has been building […]

  • Pipeline Project Prompts Plan for Nigeria Power Plants

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. (NNPC) in December 2017 announced a plan to build three natural gas-fired power plants in the country, thanks to a $2.8 billion pipeline project that would bring natural gas from the southern part of the African nation to its northern region. The plants, sited in Abuja, Kaduna, and Kano, would […]