Hydro

  • History of Power: Duke Energy’s Century-Old Legacy

    Duke Energy, one of the largest energy companies in the world, grew out of a system of lakes and dams along the Catawba River to generate power for the Piedmont Carolinas. While the company has sustained a

  • There’s Value in Old Power Generation Components

    Equipment from both renewable and thermal energy power plants is finding new life in the recycling market. The market for recycled power equipment components is getting a boost due to ongoing global supply

  • Advanced Analytics Applications Power Predictive Maintenance Efforts

    Moving from reactive to predictive maintenance requires the right tools for use by subject matter experts. As the power industry continues to advance from preventative to predictive maintenance, one thing is

  • POWER Digest [May 2022]

    Czech Republic Chooses Site for SMR Development. CEZ Group, a major conglomerate in the Czech Republic, in late March said it had set aside an area at the Temelin Nuclear Power Plant as a possible location for

  • BlackRock-led Group Invests $525M Toward India Renewable Energy

    A group considered the world’s largest asset manager has joined with a United Arab Emirates (UAE) wealth management fund to support an investment in renewable energy development in India. A consortium led by New York-based BlackRock, along with UAE sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Co., on April 14 said it would pay $525 million for […]

  • Aquajet Offers Innovative Solutions For Hydropower Applications

    MONROE, Wash. (April 7, 2022) —  Aquajet, a global leader in Hydrodemolition machine manufacturing, offers a lineup of cutting-edge Hydrodemolition equipment for concrete repair and restoration in hydropower applications. Paired with the highly versatile Aqua Spine, Aquajet’s Aqua Cutter 710V Hydrodemolition robot increases productivity and safety for challenging concrete removal and surface preparation tasks on […]

  • SCOTUS Reinstates Trump-Era Environmental Certification Rule

    The U.S. Supreme Court on April 6 reinstated a Trump-era environmental rule that limited state and tribal roles in enforcing a section of the Clean Water Act (CWA) related to project certification. The order is a temporary triumph for eight states and three energy trade associations, including the National Hydropower Association (NHA). The high court’s […]

  • POWER Digest [April 2022]

    Taiwan Suffers New Blackout. Another massive blackout hit major cities in Taiwan on the morning of March 3, causing disruptions in the capital Taipei, Hsinchu, and Kaohsiung in the south. State-run

  • Michell Bearings secures PTFE conversion at Sir Adam Beck Hydropower Station

    Michell Bearings has secured an order from ANDRITZ Hydro Canada to provide three sets of PTFE thrust pads for the Sir Adam Beck I hydropower station Situated close to Niagara Falls and operated by Ontario Power Generation (OPG), the station diverts water from the Niagara and Welland rivers which is then released into the lower […]

  • Fish Travel from Santee River to Lake Marion for the First Time in 80 Years

    Electric Power Research Institute, Santee Cooper and Whooshh Innovations conduct field study of fish passage portal. PINEVILLE, S.C. – For more than 80 years, the Santee Spillway has helped control water flow between Lake Marion and the Santee River, but it has also blocked the migration of fish swimming upstream to spawn.  Now, a new […]

  • ANDRITZ to supply hydro- and electro-mechanical equipment for Upper Trishuli 1, Nepal

    International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order from Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction Co. Ltd. to supply the hydro- and electromechanical equipment for the 216-MW Upper Trishuli 1 hydropower plant, a run-of-river plant in Nepal owned by Nepal Water & Energy Development Company Pvt. Ltd. Upon completion, which is scheduled for 2026, Upper Trishuli […]

  • CPS Energy Exploring Novel Geomechanical Pumped Storage Technology

    Texas-based CPS Energy, the largest municipally owned electric and natural gas company in the U.S., has entered into a 15-year commercial agreement to explore installing up to 15 MW of geomechanical pumped storage (GPS). The agreement will kick off with a pioneering 1-MW project that will pump water into drilled wells and store it under […]

  • Voith successfully completes the acquisition of all shares in Voith Hydro from former joint venture partner Siemens Energy

    HEIDENHEIM, GERMANY (March 1, 2022) — Following receipt of all the necessary official approvals, Voith today successfully completed the acquisition of the remaining shares in Voith Hydro from its former joint venture partner Siemens Energy. On October 21, 2021, the technology group and its longstanding partner Siemens Energy reached an agreement on Voith taking over […]

  • POWER Digest [March 2022]

    Oman Adds Major Solar Project. A consortium consisting of Saudi Arabia-based ACWA Power, Kuwait-based Gulf Investment Corp., and Kuwait’s Alternative Energy Projects Co. in January inaugurated Ibri 2, the

  • Bilfinger supports VERBUND with the construction of a pumped storage power plant

    Bilfinger will deliver pressure piping and draft tube gates for new Limberg III pumped storage power plant in Austria Order volume of more than €20 million Bilfinger impresses with innovative, time-saving assembly technique Bilfinger is supporting Austria’s leading energy company VERBUND Hydro Power with the construction of the new Limberg III pumped storage power plant […]

  • Ethiopia Produces First Power at GERD Mega-Dam

    Ethiopia began delivering power from a 375-MW turbine at its flagship 5.15-GW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on Feb. 20, marking a significant milestone for the project that could become Africa’s largest hydropower producer. Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed inaugurated the project in a celebration broadcast widely in the East African nation on Sunday. Officials […]

  • Green Hydrogen Economy: Magic Bullet or Mirage for Africa?

    Africa has approximately 600 million people without access to clean, reliable, and affordable electric power (80% of the global total). On the flip side, the continent has some of the fastest growing economies in the world. Countries like Egypt and Ethiopia have recorded more than 6% annual growth in gross domestic product (GDP) with the […]

  • Groups Grapple with Labor Logistics as Energy Evolves

    The continuing transition in the power generation sector means workers need new skills. The challenge for utilities and other power producers is finding the top talent at a time the labor pool is shallow

  • Blueprint Underway for Commercial Mine Energy Storage Facility in Sweden 

    A blueprint for what could become the world’s first commercial underground mine storage facility has garnered financial backing from Swedish Mining Innovation.

  • Voith Hydro starts new year with expansion of operation and maintenance business for hydropower plants by acquiring majority stake in Green Highland Renewables

    HEIDENHEIM, GERMANY/PERTH, SCOTLAND (Jan. 19, 2022) — Voith Hydro acquired a majority shareholding of Green Highland Renewables (GHR) at the end of 2021. With this step the company expands its business in the field of maintenance as well as operation and development of hydropower facilities. The German full-line supplier for hydropower equipment and the Scottish […]

  • Ethiopian GERD Mega-Dam Readying to Test Power Production

    Ethiopia is reportedly gearing up to begin testing hydropower generation at its flagship 5.2-GW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), despite a continued diplomatic row about its potential implications on water consumption on the Blue Nile. Citing unnamed project sources, Capital, a weekly Ethiopian business newspaper, reported this week that work to begin test power generation […]

  • Former Coal Mine Will House New Pumped-Hydro Storage Project

    A company active in the hydropower sector is working on a new project to build a pumped-hydro storage facility at the site of a former coal mine in Kentucky. Boston, Massachusetts-based Rye Development, which has a current in-design or operational portfolio of 25 projects in 10 states, on Jan. 4 announced it was developing the […]

  • Disorderly Transitions: Eight Enduring Global Power Sector Trends

    While 2021 unfolded with some relief from the chaotic global pandemic that jolted the world in 2020, the year may be remembered for its extraordinary series of energy crises. After a cold snap prompted mass

  • POWER Digest [January 2022]

    Israeli Group Enters JV for Renewable Energy in Poland. Israeli renewables developer Nofar Energy in late November announced formation of a joint venture (JV) with Poland’s Electrum S.P. Z O.O to develop as

  • 2021: A Dark Year for Electricity Security, Reliability

    While 2021 kicked off short on optimism given chaos from the COVID-19 pandemic, the year was characterized by an extraordinary series of critical energy crises. Power blackouts, brownouts, interconnection mismatches, severe fuel shortages, and near-misses affected nearly every region in the world. Here’s a brief look back at some of the events that characterized 2021. […]

  • Siemens Gamesa hits deal with Eolus and Hydro REIN to install Stor-Skälsjön hydro project in Sweden

    DEC. 30, 2021 — Siemens Gamesa has tightened its partnership with Swedish developer Eolus and Hydro REIN with a deal to supply the 260MW Stor-Skälsjön project in central Sweden. The contract takes deals signed with Eolus to just over 450MW as they work to stimulate an energy transition across the Nordics. Hydro REIN is co-owner […]

  • Top 10 Power Industry News Stories of 2021

    It’s been another news-filled year in the power industry. The following stories were the top 10 traffic-getters posted in 2021 on POWER’s website. Did you see them all as they were released? 10. Mitsubishi Power Developing 100% Ammonia-Capable Gas Turbine Mitsubishi Power is developing a 40-MW class gas turbine that can directly combust 100% ammonia […]

  • Grand Coulee Dam overhaul project ensures another 30 years of clean, renewable hydropower in the Pacific Northwest

    GRAND COULEE, Wash. – Today, the Bureau of Reclamation and the Bonneville Power Administration announced the completion of the major overhaul of hydroelectric power generating units 22, 23 and 24 inside the Nathaniel “Nat” Washington Power Plant at Grand Coulee Dam. Located on the Columbia River about 90 miles west of Spokane, Wash., the Grand […]

  • ISO-NE Warns Fuel Supply Issues May Threaten Winter Power System Reliability

    New England faces a precarious fuel supply risk that could necessitate emergency actions if a severe prolonged cold snap hits the region this winter, ISO New England (ISO-NE) has warned.  The regional grid operator expects power demand will peak at 19,710 MW during average winter weather conditions of 10F, but if temperatures plunge below 5F, […]