Instrumentation & Controls

A New Zealand utility is piloting two software solutions to gauge their efficacy at handling grid constraints. Raglan is a beachside community of just under 4,000 people, about a two-hour drive from Auckland

Compressed air is vitally important to all power plants. Although in some cases it is used simply for convenience, such as when operating certain pneumatic tools, in other cases, compressed air is critical to the operation of the plant, such as for air-operated control valves and some fabric filter cleaning systems. In such cases, a […]

Valves in production plants are exposed to incredibly hazardous operating conditions each day, which are further magnified by pressurized and erosive wet steam. Proper valve specification and maintenance are

The energy sector recorded three times as many operational technology (OT) and/or industrial control system (ICS) cybersecurity incidents as the next closest vertical, according to a study conducted by the Cyentia Institute, a research and data science firm, and sponsored by Rockwell Automation, an industrial automation and information provider. “Energy, critical manufacturing, water treatment, and […]

Clean, green, renewable energy deployments continue to grow each year. A recent statement from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) noted, “By the end of 2022, global renewable generation

Climate change is a threat multiplier. Clean-up costs are ballooning and natural disasters are growing more expensive. In 2022 alone there were 18 natural disasters that caused more than $1 billion in damage, up from only three events in 1980. These are taking a bigger bite out of the energy sector’s operating costs and profits, […]

Energy transition is progressively being adopted globally, pushing combined cycle gas turbines (CCGTs) to embrace flexible operation also on islands. CCGTs are, or will be, ramping loads up and down to accommodate intermittent renewable power inputs into the grid. These maneuvers compromise operational stability and jeopardize plant availability. Plant trips on small to mid-size islands […]

Although the utility industry is the backbone of any economy, it lags in adopting the latest technologies. This is evidenced by the fact that utilities are underperforming in customer satisfaction and retention and are struggling with high operating costs. However, the emergence of new competitors and local threats is forcing utilities to align their priorities […]

Utilities need to modernize their grid infrastructure but face a unique challenge: change is tricky when the stakes are high. Technology is changing faster than ever, from the latest smartphones and devices to automated tools being introduced across industries to ease workloads. For essential mission-critical services such as electric power, failure is not an option. […]

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – June 15, 2023 — Det-Tronics, a global leader in fire and gas safety systems, has formally announced the launch of the Eagle Quantum Premier® ULTRA-FDRS (Ultra-High-Speed Flame Detection & Release System). Committed to setting a new standard in flame and gas detection and mitigation, Det-Tronics will be discussing the product during NFPA […]

Palo Alto, California (June 8, 2023) — Buzz Solutions, an AI company that enables a smart, stable and resilient energy infrastructure, today announced ongoing momentum for its substation surveillance and monitoring solution. Buzz Solution’s AI-powered solution deployed on fixed camera systems provides 24/7, real-time alerts on substation surveillance, monitoring, equipment damage, condition assessments, and fire […]

The power industry’s rapid adoption of digitalization is a striking example of its dynamic innovation—the continuous development and introduction of new ideas, products, or processes to meet shifting

The wealth of data available for today’s power generators is supporting more efficient electricity production, and more reliability and resiliency for the grid. There are many reasons utilities and power

A seismic shift is ongoing in the energy space, as transportation, industry, and other sectors turn toward electricity and away from fossil fuels to supply their power. The push for decarbonization of the

Waste reduction and process efficiencies are key for companies wanting smoother operations. As various industries, including power generation, seek ways to improve operational efficiency, cooling water

High-tech instrumentation and state-of-the-art modeling tools are helping power plant operators achieve best-in-class performance, meet pollution targets, and better predict failures. Calibration management

ATLANTA, Georgia (MARCH 29, 2023) – Honeywell today announced a strategic investment in Redaptive, which will accelerate a collaboration to bring Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) capabilities to private sector-owned commercial and industrial buildings. This investment helps enable the rapid deployment of technologies designed to reduce carbon emissions across a large portfolio of buildings. This collaboration combines Honeywell’s […]

Unique renewable energy project will support the national effort to decarbonize New Zealand’s energy sector AUSTIN, Texas (March 14, 2023) – Global technology and software leader Emerson (NYSE: EMR) will provide advanced automation solutions to help ensure the safety and reliability of New Zealand’s first large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) power project. Emerson’s renewable power generation […]

Integrity Mobile enables improved and safer field inspections, connecting data collected to operations decisions. The Integrity Mobile interface gathers all relevant information and recommendations in a single dashboard, helping to improve outcomes and facilitating regulatory compliance across the enterprise. SAN RAMON, Calif. – March 13, 2023 – GE Digital, an integral part of GE Vernova’s […]

Valmet will deliver a turbine automation system to Statkraft’s gas power plant in Emden, Germany. The new system will replace an obsolete third-party turbine controller on a gas turbine. Modern automation will ensure the future availability of the gas turbine to produce peak energy to the local grid. The order was included in Valmet’s orders […]

Transformative initiative creates clean energy hub for western United States, extends digital foundation for green hydrogen production, storage and power generation PITTSBURGH (Feb. 14, 2023) – Emerson (NYSE: EMR), a global software and engineering leader, has been selected to automate operations at Intermountain Power Agency’s IPP Renewed power plant, a regional energy hub that uses […]

February 14, 2023 – Framatome announced today it has signed a contract with ČEZ to modernize the existing instrumentation and control (I&C) Spinline testers for safety systems installed on four VVER type reactors at Dukovany Nuclear Power Station, located in Czech Republic. “We commend ČEZ for its high standards of safety and vigilance in fortifying […]

If you’ve been in the power industry workforce for any significant length of time, you may have asked your supervisor at some point “Why am I doing this?” regarding a task that you were assigned, only to have them respond, “We’ve always done it this way.” That’s because the power industry has a reputation for […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 7, 2023) — The Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) today released the 2023 Utility Transformation Profile, providing unique insights and recommendations that all utilities can utilize to accelerate their transition to carbon-free energy. SEPA is a non-profit member organization of over 1,100 utilities, corporations, and government entities singularly focused on, accelerating the transformation to a […]

Ovation Green will help producers navigate the emerging sustainable energy economy PITTSBURGH (Feb. 2, 2023) – Emerson has combined its comprehensive power expertise and renewable energy capabilities into the Ovation™ Green portfolio to help power generation companies meet the needs of customers navigating the transition to green energy generation and storage. By uniting the recently […]

As plant owners accelerate the Industry 4.0 digital transformation, attention is increasingly being focused on the evolution of Distributed Control Systems (DCS) to enable them to become more flexible and adaptable. There are many key initiatives that are helping to set the standard for systems offering new levels of openness, security and interoperability. COMMENTARY Originally […]

Ongoing process steam leakage in power plant control valves due to erosion from wet steam must be addressed to maximise uptime at a critical time for industry, says a power industry expert. Continually rising gas prices caused by geopolitical events have put pressure on facilities to ensure continued, uninterrupted performance, and further heightened the impact […]

In this fresh series, POWER’s editors choose a multifaceted topic that may have myriad applications or implications, and ask an array of key industry stakeholders for their perspectives. This month’s

SAN RAMON, Calif. – December 13, 2022 – GE Digital, an energy software leader, today announced that ELPEDISON S.A., the first independent energy producer in Greece, has chosen its cloud-based Asset Performance Management (APM) Reliability application to improve the reliability of its combined cycle fleet. The software will be installed at ELPEDISON’s Thisvi and Thessaloniki power plants, […]

Are today’s Distributed Control Systems ready for what tomorrow could bring? Johan Björklund of leading global technology company ABB believes they are. Here he looks at how the DCS is adapting to meet the changing demands of users. Distributed Control Systems (DCS) have been around for nearly half a century. Of course, both industrial processes […]