International
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Hydro
Jinzhai Pumped-Storage Hydro Facility Helps Integrate Renewable Energy and Solve Grid Stability Challenges
Pumped-storage hydropower is seen as a key technology in China to balance the grid and store excess energy from intermittent sources like wind and solar. The 1.2-GW Jinzhai pumped-storage project is a model
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Power
Market for Energy Storage Growing Across Europe
The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union (EU), in 2023 issued recommendations on how member states should proceed with deployments of energy storage. The group said EU countries should
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Solar
POWER Digest [September 2024]
Investment Fund Buys Spanish Solar Projects. NextEnergy Capital, an investment fund focused on renewable energy, in August said it had an agreement to buy 12 solar power projects in Spain. The installations in
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Hydrogen
Can Utility-Scale Power Boilers Safely Fire Hydrogen?
There is plenty of enthusiasm around hydrogen as a possible alternative fuel to natural gas in combustion processes. Some hope it can eventually replace natural gas in applications such as utility boilers. However, any transition to 100% hydrogen has plenty of challenges to overcome due to it having such fundamentally different combustion characteristics. This gives […]
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Gas
Original Approach to Fogging Regains Popularity
MeeFog’s very first installation of inlet air fogging was done at Harbor Cogen in Southern California in 1991 on a GE 7EA turbine where it continues to be used for power augmentation to this day (Figure 1). When it was installed, the fogging arrays were placed upstream of the air filters. Since that time, more […]
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Sustainability
Navigating the Transition to Sustainable MV Switchgear Amidst Decarbonization Initiatives
The push for decarbonization in Europe is reshaping the power sector. Stringent environmental regulations and ambitious renewable energy targets have necessitated the expansion and upgradation of the electricity distribution network. This is to accommodate the increased adoption of distributed energy resources (DERs) and electrification across sectors. These factors are expected to significantly drive the demand […]
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Connected Plant
Enhancing the Potential of Condition Monitoring Using Vibration Information
Condition monitoring can transform how power plants operate and maintain their assets. This article argues that to exploit the full potential of condition monitoring, it’s necessary to use data to acquire
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Offshore Wind
Mingyang Says 20-MW Offshore Wind Turbine Installed in South China Sea
China’s Mingyang Smart Energy said it has completed installation of the company’s MySE18.X-20MW offshore wind turbine at a project in Hainan, according to a statement posted on the group’s LinkedIn page. The company said the turbine, which it calls “the world’s largest single-capacity offshore wind turbine,” was installed at the Hainan site on August 28. […]
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Nuclear
China Approves 11 New Nuclear Reactors, Including Fourth-Generation Design
State-run China Energy News reported that officials on August 19 approved construction of 11 nuclear reactors across the country, part of a wave of new reactors that could see China surpass both the U.S. and France in terms of operating reactors by the end of the decade. CGN Power Co., a subsidiary of China’s state-owned […]
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Nuclear
Canadian Groups Invest Millions to Support Commercial Fusion Energy
A leading nuclear science and technology group in Canada, along with the investment arm of one of the country’s top banks, said they together would invest about CA$20 million ($14.6 million) to support development of commercial fusion energy. Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and BDC Capital, part of the Business Development Bank of Canada, on August 8 […]
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Gas
Myanmar Gas-Fired Plant Shut Down Amid Civil Unrest
Civil unrest in Myanmar has led Singapore-based Sembcorp Industries to at least temporarily shut down operation of the 225-MW Sembcorp Myingyan natural gas-fired power plant in Mandalay. Sembcorp, part of Singapore-based and government-owned Temasek, a global investment company, on August 12 said operations at the Sembcorp Myingyan Independent Power Plant would be suspended until further […]
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Connected Plant
3 Major Cybersecurity Challenges Facing Critical Infrastructure and OT
Let’s be honest. Operational technology (OT) security issues are expected. Traditional OT systems were designed for specific functional—operational—purposes. Plus, they were designed to last for many decades. The power grid, the water supply, the manufacturing plant floor, these ubiquitous 24/7/365 operations fuel daily activities—and they power as much business as they do hospitals that care […]
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Sustainability
Fuel Cells: What They Are, How They Work, and Why They’re Important
Fuel cells are not some novel new technology. In fact, most history books credit the invention of the fuel cell to Welsh chemist and physicist William Grove, who, in the late 1830s and early 1840s, conducted experiments proving that electric current could be produced from an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen over a platinum […]
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Nuclear
India’s Prototype Fast Breeder Nuclear Reactor Moves Closer to Criticality
India’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) will allow the country’s flagship 500-MWe/1,250-MWth prototype fast-breeder reactor (PFBR) in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, to approach criticality. The nuclear energy safety watchdog on July 30 granted state-owned Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd. (BHAVINI) permission to embark on the final stage of core loading following assessments, extensive safety reviews, and plant […]
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Connected Plant
Vietnamese Distribution Grid Automation System a Winning Project
Vietnam Electricity Group’s Ho Chi Minh City Power Corp. (EVNHCMC) deployed a distribution automation system that facilitates automatic—and very quick—fault detection and handling with a success rate of
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Commentary
It’s the End of the World as We Know It — Do You Feel Fine?
I thought the title from R.E.M.’s 1987 song was a fitting headline for this article. I contemplated using Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” but I thought R.E.M.’s “stream of
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International
South Africa Announces Bold Shift to Renewables and Nuclear
Emerging from a historic election that stripped the African National Congress (ANC) party of its majority, South Africa’s new government has indicated it will accelerate the transition to renewable power to
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O&M
Tips for Improving Power Plant Valve Performance
Managers know that valves are important to plant operation. That’s why keeping them in top condition is a priority. Upgrading to advanced valve designs and reducing stress on valve materials are just a
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O&M
Forced Outage Parametric Insurance Solutions for CCGTs
Combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plants started appearing on a larger scale in the late 1990s and have since then been a very efficient supplier of baseload and lately peaking capacity to the power grids. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently reported that natural gas–fired capacity additions are increasing in the U.S. again […]
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Hybrid Power
Applying Photovoltaic Charging and Storage Systems: Challenging the Limits of PV Technology
To achieve net-zero goals and accelerate the global energy transition, the International Energy Agency (IEA) stated that countries need to triple renewable energy capacity from that of 2022 by 2030, with the development of solar photovoltaics (PV) playing a crucial role. Additionally, the comprehensive electrification of combustion engine vehicles is an indispensable measure for reducing […]
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Commentary
Looking Through ‘Green-Colored’ Glasses: Hydrogen in the Energy Transition
Transitioning the world towards cleaner and greener energy is proving to be more challenging than we once all hoped. There are real concerns about what impact the slower speed of uptake is having on our
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Trends
POWER Digest [August 2024]
Malaysia Slightly Moves Up Timeframe for Coal Phaseout. Malaysia will halve its coal use by 2035 and phase out coal generation by 2044, slightly earlier than previously anticipated by the country’s National
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Waste to Energy
Empowering Waste-to-Energy Solutions with Steam Turbines
Sustainable municipal waste management solutions often involve waste-to-energy plants that can produce electricity while also providing steam to district heating systems. Efficient steam turbines are important
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Sustainability
The Role of FRP Structures in Mitigating Workplace Hazards
Power companies understand the importance of safety and incorporate many safeguards into plant designs. Yet, the materials used in these defenses also matter, and fiberglass-reinforced polymer (FRP) is an
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T&D
Achieving Operational Flexibility with Voltage Control
Using voltage data down to the consumer level is essential for grid optimisation and operational flexibility in the new era of intermittent generation and fast-changing user demand. Power grids were designed
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Connected Plant
Unseen Heroes: Cutting-Edge Sensors Combatting Air Pollution
There is an urgent need for accurate and efficient emissions monitoring technologies to ensure air pollution is adequately controlled. Infrared spectroscopy and precision infrared filters play a critical role
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Offshore Wind
Ireland’s Energy Strategy Embraces Offshore Wind
The global wind industry is entering a new phase of accelerated growth as both companies and countries adopt ambitious sustainable energy goals. 2023 was a record year for wind installations, with a 50%
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Commentary
It’s Time for the U.S. to Get Smart on Critical Minerals to Advance Clean Energy Goals
As governments adapt to ongoing clean energy goals, such as the Paris Agreement, green technologies have become more important than ever. The U.S. government has confirmed such goals, striving to implement 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. We are further seeing demand for critical minerals for these green technologies grow, as copper, zinc, […]
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Nuclear
China Starts Construction of More Reactors as Part of Rapid Nuclear Buildout
Updated data from the China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA) shows the country has 55 nuclear reactors in operation, ranking third globally behind the U.S. and France. The CNEA said China at present has a world-leading 26 nuclear power units under construction, including Unit 5 of the Ningde Nuclear Power Plant in Fujian Province, where the […]
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Gas
Japan Utility Will Bring 2.34-GW Gas-Fired Plant Online Ahead of Schedule
Japan’s largest utility said it will start the first of three units at a new natural gas-fired power plant near Tokyo in an effort to provide more electricity during the peak summer demand season. JERA on July 26 said the 780-MW Unit 1 at the Goi site in Chiba will enter service August 1. The […]