Hydro

  • POWER Digest [April 2023]

    New Natural Gas–Fired Plant Approved for Philippines. San Miguel Consolidated Power Corp. (SMCPC), a wholly owned subsidiary of SMC Global Power Holdings Corp., said it received environmental approval to

  • Henry Ford, J.P. Morgan, and FDR: Big Players in U.S. Hydropower History

    When you study the history of hydropower, you expect to learn about people like British-American engineer James Francis, who developed the first modern hydro turbine in 1849. A testament to his genius is that the Francis turbine continues to be the most widely used water turbine in the world today. Or you assume American inventor […]

  • New Coal-Fired Unit Operating at Zimbabwe’s Largest Thermal Power Plant

    The first of two 300-MW units being built as part of the expansion of a coal-fired generating station in Zimbabwe has come online. The Zimbabwe Power Co. (ZPC) said the unit began sending electricity to the national grid late on March 20. ZPC in a statement said, “Power will be progressively fed into the grid […]

  • Voith Hydro and STRUCINSPECT advance monitoring of hydropower civil structures

    Voith Hydro and STRUCINSPECT advance monitoring of hydropower civil structures Strong partnership between experienced equipment supplier and successful corporate start-up from Austria. Digital inspections lead to state-of-the-art digital infrastructure and lifecycle management. First hydropower facility monitoring currently underway in Scotland. HEIDENHEIM/VIENNA. Hydropower is the world’s largest source of renewable energy. In order to make the […]

  • Voith Hydro opens new center of competence for generator components

    Portfolio covers bars, coils, and poles for hydropower generators. Located in central Europe the sate-of-the art facility supplies Voith Hydro’s African and European markets as well as the Americas. Local officials and company representatives inaugurated the new generator component hub by the end of last year. LUKAVAC, BOSNIA AND HERCEGOVINA. Voith Hydro officially opened the […]

  • Trial Operation of Innovative Horizontal Pelton Hydropower Turbine Underway in Austria

    A pioneering horizontal, six-nozzle Pelton turbine developed by Voith Hydro at the 326-GWh Gerlos 1 pumped storage facility in the Ziller Valley, Austria, is setting new benchmarks for the 140-year-old

  • South Africa Energy Crisis at Critical Stage as Load-Shedding Continues

    The energy crisis in South Africa has prompted continued calls for government action, and officials in January said an energy action plan announced last year is starting to be implemented. The plan was laid

  • POWER Digest [March 2023]

    Pakistan Begins Commercial Operation of 1.3-GW Coal Plant. Pakistan on Feb. 7 began commercial operation of a 1.3-GW coal-fired power plant in the Thar Desert in Sindh province, southern Pakistan. The project

  • Madagascar Ready to Ramp Up Hydropower Projects

    Madagascar has significant hydropower potential, but to date less than 20% of the country’s energy comes from hydroelectric facilities. The Economic Development Agency of Madagascar (EDBM) estimates the island nation, located in the Indian Ocean off the cost of Southeast Africa, could produce as much as 7.8 GW of power from hydro resources, but at […]

  • IRENA Says Hydropower Capacity Must Double by 2050 to Meet Climate Goals

    A new report issued this week by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says hydropower, which is already the largest source of renewable electricity in the world, must double in capacity if the world is to meet the climate goals outlined in the Paris Agreement by 2050. The report says installed hydro capacity must reach […]

  • The Big Picture: Off-Grid Power [Infographic]

    An estimated 91% of the world’s population had access to electricity in 2020, marking substantial progress toward goals to ensure universal access to power. Still, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), 733 million people remain unserved. Off-grid and decentralized energy systems may be emerging as an alternative to facilitate energy access and resilience, […]

  • POWER Digest [February 2023]

    Geothermal Plant Planned in Colombia. Colombian petroleum company Ecopetrol in December announced plans to build a 250-kW geothermal power plant in the Apiay oil complex in Meta, Colombia. The power plant will

  • Peninsula Clean Energy Signs Four Contracts Expanding Renewable Power, Storage Capability

    REDWOOD CITY, CA – Jan. 24, 2023 – Peninsula Clean Energy is moving forward with energy storage, geothermal, wind and small hydropower projects that will assist the agency’s industry leading effort to provide customers with renewable power on an hourly basis. Nova III will be Peninsula Clean Energy’s first stand-alone storage project and will provide […]

  • Grid Infrastructure and Renewable Energy Projects Thrive, Workforce and Supply Chain Issues Continue in 2023

    The Inflation Reduction Act will spur growth in clean energy and upgrades to grid infrastructure, but workforce shortages and supply chain constraints are likely to challenge power companies for at least the

  • 10 Near-Term Global Power Sector Trends

    While 2021 provided its own share of extraordinary energy debacles, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 cascaded into full-blown energy turmoil. This year will begin with the world “in the midst of

  • POWER Digest [January 2023]

    Brazil Formally Restarts Construction of Angra 3 Nuclear Reactor. Eletronuclear, a mixed-ownership subsidiary of Brazilian state-run power group Eletrobras, has resumed construction of Angra 3, a 1.4-GW

  • Biden Administration Rolls Out ‘Durable’ WOTUS Definition in Final Rule

    The Biden administration has rolled out in a final what it says is a “durable” definition of “waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS), potentially capping a legal and political battle that has raged for nearly two decades. The final rule issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of the Army on […]

  • Glenfarne Energy Transition and Partners Group Joint Venture EnfraGen Announces Acquisition of Four Run-of-River Hydro Assets in Southern Chile

    NEW YORK – December 30, 2022: EnfraGen, LLC (“EnfraGen”), a developer, owner, and operator of specialized sustainable, renewable power and grid stability assets in Latin America owned by Glenfarne Energy Transition, LLC, a global energy transition company providing critical solutions to lower the world’s carbon footprint addressing the “here and now” energy transition and leading […]

  • The 12 Most-Read POWER Global Monitor Articles of 2022

    Every month, POWER magazine publishes several articles in its Global Monitor section covering topics important to the electric power generation industry. The articles typically feature interesting updates on progress made at notable projects around the world, big policy changes, or promising research and development (R&D) news. Short notes about major contracts are also touched on […]

  • The POWER Interview: What Energy Consumers Want from Utilities

    EY earlier this month released the findings from its Energy Consumer Survey 2022. The report is “focused on how energy impacts the lifestyles and wallets of consumers,” according to the company. EY is the trade name for Ernst & Young, the multinational professional services group headquartered in London, UK. The report is based on a […]

  • Hybrids Combine Technologies to Enhance Electricity Production

    Solar + wind, solar + storage, wind + storage—even fossil fuels combined with renewable energy—are supporting the growth of hybrid power plants that are breaking the norms of traditional power generation

  • Large Hydro Station Wins POWER’s Highest Honor, 21 Additional Outstanding Projects Recognized in 2022

    It’s always difficult to select winners from the field of nominations submitted to POWER for its annual awards, and this year was no exception. The Wudongde Hydropower Station was the big winner, while

  • Reduce Plant Fuel Use, Emissions, and Operating Cost with Performance Models and Predictive Maintenance

    Thermal power generation has to adapt new methods to thrive as renewables transform dispatch. Now used more often as a bridge source of power rather than the main source of power, many fossil fuel plants

  • NERC Warns of Tight Generation Resources, Fuel Supply Issues This Winter

    Power shortfalls could be rife over the next three months across a large portion of the North American bulk power system (BPS), particularly during extreme and prolonged cold conditions, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) has warned. The nation’s designated Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) in its latest Winter Reliability Assessment, issued on Nov. 17, said […]

  • Fish Friendly Hydro: Natel Energy Is Proving It’s Possible

    Hydropower projects frequently face resistance from environmental groups for a variety of reasons. One of the more common objections to hydro is the high turbine-induced mortality of fish. The passage of fish through hydroelectric turbines can quickly prove fatal—a danger that increases with the size of the fish. Furthermore, if several hydropower plants are located […]

  • Sustainable hydropower collaborates with other renewables on climate change

    The sustainable hydropower sector is at the heart of two new initiatives that aim to accelerate the clean energy transition, both announced at COP27 today. Planning for Climate Commission aims to accelerate hydropower and other renewables The Planning for Climate Commission is a new global forum focused on speeding up planning and approvals for the massive […]

  • LS Power Will Acquire U.S. Portfolio of Hydro Facilities

    NEW YORK, NY – November 15, 2022 – LS Power, a leading development, investment and operating company focused on the North American power and energy infrastructure sector, today announced it has reached an agreement to acquire 42 run-of-river hydro facilities across 11 states, totaling 334 MW, from Hull Street Energy. The acquisition is expected to […]

  • Egypt, Hosting COP27, Renews Call for Resolution on GERD Hydro Project

    The world’s largest event centered around climate change is shining a spotlight on one of the most-pressing debates in the Arab world—what to do about the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Egypt is the host for this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP27 (Conference of Parties), in Sharm El Sheikh, running Nov. 6-18. […]

  • Six Major Electric Utilities Join Forces to Pursue a Southeastern Hydrogen Hub

    Marking intent interest from the power sector in hydrogen’s decarbonization potential, six major utilities—Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Louisville Gas & Electric Co. (LG&E), Kentucky Utilities Co. (KU), Southern Co., and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)—have announced they will jointly pursue federal financial support for a Southeast Hydrogen Hub. The utilities, along with Battelle, an independent […]

  • Webinar Brief: Clearing the Air with GE Digital

    Sponsored by:
    GE

      Daniel Hynum discussed operational challenges that utilities face as the power grid shifts to renewables, and how GE Fleet Orchestration can help address those challenges. KEY TAKEAWAYS Market shifts create challenges for vertical integration of utilities’ operations. There is a major energy transition taking place in power grids around the world. As the market moves toward […]