International

  • Small hydro project leads the way in South Africa on sustainable development

    The Stortemelk hydropower project in South Africa has been recognised as an impressive example of sustainable small hydro development using an industry-leading assessment tool. The 4.3 MW run-of-river plant developed by Stortemelk Hydro, a subsidiary of Renewable Energy Holdings (REH), achieved global good practice across 10 environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance criteria in the […]

  • Brüel & Kjær Vibro introduces VIBROSTORE 100 for quick and easy machine health monitoring

    DARMSTADT, Germany (Jan. 22, 2021) – Brüel & Kjær Vibro (B&K Vibro), one of the leading worldwide independent suppliers of condition monitoring solutions for rotating machinery, has launched VIBROSTORE 100, a palm sized device that provides vibration level and bearing wear monitoring for balance-of-plant machines at the push of a button. The lightweight device can […]

  • Solar Microgrids Offer Pathway to Decarbonize Mining

    Mining is an energy-intensive industry; digging, crushing, and processing minerals takes a lot of power, and mines often operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Like other industries, mining companies are seeking solutions to reduce their emissions; both for the sake of the planet and in response to increasing pressure from customers to […]

  • Voith equips the Ethiopian hydropower plant Gilgel Gibe II with intelligent solutions

    Contract signed for digital solutions, including OnCare.Asset and OnCall.Video, as well as spare parts and training, in order to assist Ethiopian Electric Power to increase the availability further. Last year, comprehensive service and maintenance contracts for the Gilgel Gibe II hydropower plant were signed at the “G20 Investment Summit.” The hydropower plant makes a major […]

  • Valmet to supply a boiler plant for district heat production to Seinäjoen Energia in Seinäjoki, Finland

    Valmet will supply a boiler plant for district heat production to Seinäjoen Energia Oy’s Kapernaum heat plant in Seinäjoki, Finland. The new boiler will enable the company to increase the use of renewable fuels in its district heat production. The order is included in Valmet’s orders received of the fourth quarter 2020. The value of […]

  • Waga Energy and Ferrovial Servicios to deliver massive landfill gas-to-biomethane project in Spain

    JANUARY 19, 2021 — The Ferrovial Servicios group, a leading global service operator, has selected Waga Energy to produce biomethane at the Can Mata landfill, one of Spain’s largest landfill, near Barcelona. The Can Mata site will be the first in Spain to use the WAGABOX® purification technology, developed by Waga Energy to recover landfill gas […]

  • NuScale SMR Chosen for UK Wind-Nuclear Hybrid

    A British company announced it is joining with U.S.-based NuScale Power to develop a hybrid project using wind energy and small modular reactor (SMR) technology to produce power and green hydrogen. Shearwater Energy, a global energy services company, on Jan. 15 said it and NuScale have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on […]

  • Total Grabs U.S. Solar and Storage, Joins Bid for Offshore Wind

    French energy major Total has signed an agreement to develop 12 utility-scale solar and energy storage projects in the U.S., announcing the deal Jan. 14, the same day the company said it has joined with Spain’s Iberdrola in a bid for one of the world’s largest offshore wind projects. The moves continue Total’s diversification from […]

  • Gas-to-Power Emerging as Central to Africa’s Economic, Industrial Future

    The energy industry in Africa is staging a comeback after the pandemic’s significant economic impact over 2020. In 2021 and beyond, according to the Africa Energy Chamber (AEC), the revival will focus heavily on gas for power. While much progress has been achieved in the region’s vast and diverse power space, Africa’s power sector continues […]

  • South Korea Lenders Will End Support for Coal

    Affiliates of one of South Korea’s largest business conglomerates announced they no longer will provide financial support for coal projects, putting in jeopardy plans to finish a 2,100-MW coal-fired power plant project that has been expected to come online in 2024. The six financial affiliates of the Hanwha Group, during a video conference on Jan. […]

  • Wärtsilä to support Denmark’s fossil-free ambition with two large-scale biogas upgrading plants

    JANUARY 5, 2021 — The technology group Wärtsilä will supply two large-scale biogas upgrading plants to different locations in Denmark. The order was placed by Nature Energy, the world’s leading biomethane company. By injecting biomethane – the end product of upgraded biogas – to the gas grid, Denmark will be taking an important step towards […]

  • The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same: Renewable Energy Growth Continues

    Wind and solar power capacity and generation have been growing steadily for years, as efforts to halt climate change and a desire for clean energy have gained public support around the world. As renewable

  • Eight International Power Sector Trends to Watch in 2021 and Beyond

    Roiled over 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic, two much-watched international power market outlooks surveying short-term and long-term implications caution the road ahead will be ridden by complexity. The

  • How the Energy Transition Is Affecting the EPC Business

    Larger changes in the power industry are shaking up the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) business in the U.S. and abroad. Experts explain how the industry is fielding business impacts

  • POWER Digest [January 2021]

    Feasibility Study Set for Netherlands’ CCS Plan. Neptune Energy in mid-December announced a feasibility study to develop a carbon capture and storage (CCS) plan for the Netherlands. The study will look at

  • Environmental Legislation and Stationary Gas Engines

    As countries around the world set more stringent emissions standards, stationary gas engine operators are often required to incorporate new technology into their equipment. The changes can affect lubricants

  • Iran, Siemens Bring First of Several New Gas-Fired Plants Online

    An official with Iran’s Thermal Power Plants Holding Co. (TPPH) said the country’s first government-owned F-class power plant has entered operation, part of Iran’s continuing plan to add more natural gas-fired power generation. The plant is located in Iran’s southern Hormozgan Province, which is across the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman from Oman and […]

  • 12 Big Power Stories You May Have Missed in 2020

    With COVID-19 filling the news throughout 2020, it’s very likely you missed some of the most important developments that occurred in the power sector this year. Here’s a look at some of the highlights and big stories covered by the POWER staff this year. MOX Nuclear Fuel Loaded In January, Russian engineers announced the loading […]

  • Renewables and Distributed Energy Resources Take Center Stage as Power Is Transferred to the People

    2021 Predictions for Energy, Utilities, and Resources Even if the climate crisis is currently having to share headline space with the global pandemic, it has by no means lost its traction. Nor have the perils of climate change lost any of their urgency. Taking a global stance, I would say that the charge to lower […]

  • 5 Reactors Connected to the Grid, 5 Removed in 2020

    Nuclear power capacity continues to grow worldwide, as larger reactors are added to the grid while smaller units are retired. Furthermore, uprates to some existing reactors have also added to the world’s nuclear power capacity. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports the total net installed capacity is about 393 GW today. Nuclear reactor additions […]

  • Rosatom Will Build SMR Project in Republic of Sakha

    Russia’s state-owned nuclear power company Rosatom has signed an agreement confirming its participation in construction of a small modular nuclear reactor project in the Russian Republic of Sakha. Officials from Sakha—an area also known as Yakutia—on Dec. 23 signed a deal with Rosatom outlining the formation of “electric power tariff principles” for an SMR power […]

  • China Suffers Widespread Blackouts Amid Coal Supply Shortage

    Provinces across China are reportedly grappling with crippling power shortages prompted by a surge in power demand from a stunning ramp up in industrial activity, an especially harsh winter, and tight coal supplies, which may be exacerbated by a ban on Australian coal.  Power shortages have been reported in Zhejiang province, an economic powerhouse in […]

  • Siemens Gamesa strikes 465 MW mega deal in Brazil for its most powerful onshore wind turbine

    São Vitor Wind Farm is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2022 and will consist of 75 SG 5.8-170 turbines, boasting one of the largest rotors on the onshore market Deal is largest ever for the Siemens Gamesa 5.X platform and for the company in Brazil, and includes a service and maintenance agreement […]

  • Why Under Base Layers Are Important in Arc Flash Hazard Environments

    Electrical environments are extremely dangerous for workers, with arc-flash hazards on the rise due to an increased demand in electricity and energy, meaning that workers are at risk now more than ever. In these environments, personal protective equipment (PPE) such as arc-flash clothing acts as essential protection for workers while performing jobs, from maintenance checks […]

  • Statement: EU sustainable finance rules would undervalue hydropower

    The International Hydropower Association (IHA) has responded to a public consultation by the European Commission on new rules to define sustainable finance. While the association welcomes and supports the need for an EU Taxonomy on sustainable activities in order to drive investment in renewable energy, IHA believes the proposal as drafted “raises serious concerns” for […]

  • The 5 Steps Utilities Should Take in 2021 to Prepare for a Carbon-Neutral Future

    We’re at the electric tipping point as electric stoves, vehicles, and construction equipment displace the fossil fuel guzzlers of the past. Yet, before a carbon-neutral future can truly take off, utilities and the electric grid need to innovate. For the world to hit net-zero emissions targets by 2050, grid investments need to almost triple to […]

  • Solar Takes Lead Role in Latest China Five-Year Plan

    China is the largest manufacturer and installer of solar photovoltaic power systems in the world, and the country appears ready to increase its solar installations based on information contained in the country’s 14th Five-Year Plan (FYP). The plan, covering the period 2021-2025, is being developed and expected to be implemented beginning in March 2021. The […]

  • Ansaldo Energia Signs a 50 Million Euro Contract in Poland with Synthos for a New Gas Turbine

    Genoa, 21st December 2020 – Ansaldo Energia has been awarded a contract for the supply of an 80 MW AE64.3 gas turbine and the related maintenance contract for a value of approximately 50 million EUR from the customer Synthos, a Polish chemical company leader in the production of rubbers and polymers. The turbine, being a […]

  • The Airgap Is Not Enough: The Failed Security Perimeter Paradigm in OT Networks

    Operational technology (OT) electronics and networks for manufacturing, energy production, and virtually every other industrial application, are targets for cyberattacks. For infrastructure-related companies, such as power producers, transportation, and water plants, the OT networks are not only the revenue producers, but also important targets for destabilizing national security. Successful attacks can be destructive and costly, […]