International
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O&M
New enhanced digital smart positioner available from Rotork
Suitable for all markets, the new digital smart positioner is appropriate for both control and on/off valve applications where enhanced diagnostics are required. It is ideal for highly critical applications in chemical/petrochemical processes. The YT-3700 and YT-3750 pneumatic smart positioners employ continuous monitoring and graphic display of valve position, set point target over time and […]
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News
Need for Resilience Supports Energy Storage
Independent power producer Neoen Australia said an expansion of the world’s largest lithium-ion battery system has completed its network connection, bringing the Tesla-supported Hornsdale Power Reserve, adjacent to a wind farm in South Australia, to a rated size of 150 MW/193.5 MWh. It’s the latest in a series of projects being developed worldwide to add […]
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Press Releases
Siemens Gamesa secures 184 MW of wind power at latest auction round in Poland
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has continued its winning streak in Poland following the award of three projects totaling 184 MW at the country’s last auction round held in December 2019. The company will supply 63 wind turbines to several customers including independent private investors to national and international utility companies. These contracts help to consolidate […]
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Renewables
Powering the Future: Renewables, New Technology, and Diversification Are Forecast for Energy Sector in 2020 and Beyond
2020 will be a year dominated by environmental issues. Governments are under increasing pressure from climate activists and protest groups to address carbon emissions and reduce fossil fuel consumption. The effect of this scrutiny has been largely felt in the energy sector. This decade organizations within this industry will have to manage new environmental taxes […]
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Gas
Wärtsilä gas engine power plant begins commercial operations bringing greater efficiency and flexibility to Mississippi electric coop
A 22.7 MW flexible gas power plant delivered to Benndale, Mississippi, USA by the technology group Wärtsilä commenced commercial operations on 8 April, 2020, allowing electricity to be sold to the grid. The plant is owned by Cooperative Energy, a member owned electric cooperative, and was supplied by Wärtsilä on a full Engineering, Procurement & […]
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Interview
The POWER Interview: Powering Through a Pandemic
It’s an unprecedented time for power generators worldwide. Utilities, grid operators, equipment manufacturers, and others working to keep the lights on know that a reliable supply of electricity is more important than ever as the world battles through the coronavirus pandemic. Dino Barajas, who recently joined the finance arm of DLA Piper in Los Angeles, […]
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News
Siemens Group Reopens Plants; GE Closing U.S. Factory
Global wind turbine manufacturers Siemens Gamesa and Vestas have restarted work in their facilities in Spain, after that country eased some of the restrictions in place as part of the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The move comes at the same time that General Electric announced it would close a subsidiary’s wind turbine manufacturing […]
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Press Releases
Framatome signs long-term service contract to support operation at Taishan EPRs in China
April 14, 2020 — Framatome signed a long-term service contract with the Taishan Nuclear Power Joint Venture Company Limited (TNPJVC) to support operations of two EPRs at the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant in China. This contract covers nuclear plant outage and maintenance work, including spare parts supply and engineering services for eight years. “This contract […]
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News
Siemens CEO: No Job Cuts Due to Coronavirus
Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser told a German newspaper the company will not reduce its workforce despite the economic downturn due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Kaeser, in an interview published April 11, said the company would likely continue having some employees work fewer hours at some of its facilities in Germany, and could extend that […]
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News
At Least Two Dead in Coal Ash Breach in India
A dike at a coal ash pond at a power plant in India gave way on April 10, killing at least two people while four others are missing, according to a local official. The spill covered several acres of cropland in the area. K.V.S. Choudary, the district collector and the top public official in the […]
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Gas
Renewable Fuels Will Help Pave the Way to a 100% Renewable Energy
The need to reduce carbon emissions is real. In 2018, the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported that global emissions would need to reach net-zero (or carbon-neutral) by 2050 to prevent severe climate change impacts. Electricity is a major contributor—electricity generation was responsible for approximately 33% of total CO2 emissions in the U.S. in […]
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News
Rosatom Groups Help Medical Workers Battle Coronavirus
Scientists at SSC RF TRINITI JSC, a subsidiary of Rosatom’s science division, this week announced they have developed a method of disinfecting and sterilizing medical instruments, clothing, equipment, and facilities using mobile devices for the production of concentrated ozone. The action is one of several initiatives undertaken by Rosatom, the Moscow-based Russian state nuclear corporation, […]
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News
Chart Shows Rise in Wind, Solar; Overall Drop in Energy Use
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL’s) latest annual energy flow chart suggests that in 2019, for the second year in a row, wind and solar made up the largest increases in U.S. energy supply, but American consumption of energy fell after a record year in 2018. The national lab’s annual U.S. energy flow chart, or Sankey […]
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Press Releases
Framatome to deliver reactor protection system to Kursk Nuclear Power Plant II in Russia
April 8, 2020 – Framatome was awarded a contract to deliver the reactor protection system for units 1 and 2 at the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant II in Russia. The contract includes planning, designing, manufacturing and implementing the system. This contract builds on the 2018 memorandum of understanding Framatome signed with Rusatom Automated Control Systems (RASU), a […]
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Gas
World’s First HL-Class Gas Turbine Starts Successfully
Siemens Energy completed “first fire” at Duke Energy’s Lincoln Combustion Turbine Station near Denver, North Carolina, on April 6. The accomplishment is a major milestone for the world’s first SGT6-9000HL gas turbine, confirming the engine and auxiliary systems, including the gas supply, lube oil system, control system, and startup systems, all work as designed. During […]
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Connected Plant
ABB accelerates remote connectivity for customer operations during COVID-19 crisis
Company expedites rollout of and access to remote service tools and digital solutions across critical industry “During the COVID-19 crisis, governments and companies are having to make difficult choices, balancing people’s safety with economic livelihood. ABB is committed to supporting both: protect people, while helping businesses to stay operational during these challenging times,” said Peter […]
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Gas
Our Response to COVID-19: Helping the World Power Through
This moment is like nothing we’ve seen before in our lifetimes—impacting all our communities and disrupting lives everywhere. We are all concerned for our loved ones and our future. In our business, given the nature of what we do and, in turn, the basic but essential actions we help enable others to do—turn on the lights, refrigerate […]
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O&M
TensionPro launches HYCOBOLT, the next generation hydraulic coupling bolt
UK-based bolt tensioning experts TensionPro has launched HYCOBOLT, an advanced hydraulic coupling bolt designed to deliver high performance torque transmission for critical load rotating shafts and couplings.HYCOBOLT is direct retrofit replacement to conventional fitted bolts on rotating machinery, providing significant benefits through both operational improvements in coupling performance and time saving during plant maintenance periods. Unlike conventional […]
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News
Installation of CVL linear actuators at Didcot B Power Station
Rotork recently installed and commissioned CVL linear control valve actuators at Didcot B Power Station, which supplies electricity to the National Grid. Rotork’s CVL1500 and CVL5000 actuators now control the supply of the spray water that is used as an emergency quench in the condensers should the steam turbine trip. The CVL actuator installation was […]
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News
MHPS Grid-Connects T-Point 2 Advanced Gas Turbine Validation Facility
Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS) has begun commissioning T-Point 2, its newest combined cycle power plant validation facility that will eventually host the company’s much-watched autonomous combined cycle power project. The 566-MW facility at Takasago Works in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, will replace the iconic T-Point facility, which MHPS’s parent company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) completed […]
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Press Releases
B&W SPIG to Supply Cooling Towers for Petrochemical Plant in Belgium
PARUZZARO, Italy (April 1, 2020) – SPIG S.p.A. (SPIG), a subsidiary of Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. (B&W) (NYSE: BW), has been awarded a contract by BASF Antwerp NV for more than $3 million to design and supply two cooling towers for the company’s plant in Antwerp, Belgium. BASF Antwerp NV is one of the […]
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Water
Kurita Water Industries Announces Merger of Its U.S. Subsidiaries
Newly formed Kurita America aims to change how water treatment solutions are designed and delivered (April 1, 2020) Nakano-ku, Japan – Kurita Water Industries, (Kurita), a leading global provider of water treatment products and services, today announced the completion of the merger of its consolidated subsidiaries in the United States, including U.S. Water Services, Inc., […]
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Instrumentation & Controls
Yokogawa announces Ethernet capability on its ADMAG Total Insight (TI) AXG Series Flowmeters in North America
Ethernet bi-directional digital communication performance makes it possible for the field instruments and control devices to be a complete on-line system handling large data volumes at high speed Yokogawa Corporation of America announces the release of its EtherNet/IP capability for the ADMAG Total Insight (TI) Magnetic Flowmeter. EtherNet/IP (Industrial Protocol) is an industrial network protocol […]
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News
International Monetary Fund Suggests Economic Policies for the COVID-19 ‘War’
This blog is part of a special series from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the response to the coronavirus. The IMF is an organization of 189 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic […]
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Press Releases
Global reach of new Siemens Gamesa onshore platform on display following first order in Brazil
April 1, 2020 — Siemens Gamesa’s first order in Brazil for its next-generation platform, the Siemens Gamesa 5.X, demonstrates the global reach and versatility of the technology. Following recent deals to supply both the 155 and the 170-meter rotor variants of the platform in Sweden, this benchmark technology arrives in Brazil thanks to an order […]
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News
POWER Digest [April 2020]
Group Readies Hydrogen Production Plant in Japan. A consortium including Toshiba, Tohoku Electric Power, and Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) in March said it has
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Hydro
Water-Lubricated Bearings Offer Benefits for Hydropower Plants
Significant operating and economic benefits can be realized by replacing a poorly functioning or damaged oil-lubricated turbine guide bearing with a water-lubricated design (Figure 4), as part of a
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News
Electrification: Too Much of a Good Thing?
Electrification has been a much-touted driver for the global energy transition toward decarbonization. But though an all-electric future could have vast implications for the power and gas sectors, achieving it
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Nuclear
The Quest for Next-Generation Nuclear Fuels
In Part 1 of this series, published in the March 2020 issue, POWER explored how existing reactors may leverage advances in nuclear fuel to boost power generation safety and economics. This installment surveys
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Hydro
Hydropower: Meeting Growing Needs with Improved Reliability and Efficiency
Hydropower delivers a range of benefits to society and the environment. However, there are two major challenges that face hydroelectric power plant operators—efficient use of water and high availability. To