International
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Gas
New Combined Cycle Power Plant in Thailand Features Doosan Škoda Power Technology
Doosan Škoda Power has successfully completed the Rayong project in Thailand (Figure 1). The company delivered a 20-MW steam turbine, including a generator, condenser, and other accessories, to the newly built combined cycle power plant in Rayong Province, near the famous tourist resort of Pattaya. This project is a significant milestone as it is the […]
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Coal
Babcock & Wilcox Secures Major Coal Power Plant Retrofit Contract in Southeast Asia
Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) reported that its B&W Thermal business segment has been awarded a contract valued at approximately $13 million to retrofit boiler cleaning equipment for a power plant in Southeast Asia. B&W Thermal’s scope includes equipment design and supply, installation, integration, and commissioning of its Diamond Power boiler cleaning equipment, including retractable and standard […]
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Renewables
Amazon Supports Three New Wind Farms in Greece
U.S. tech giant Amazon will power operations in Greece with three new utility-scale wind farms that also will provide electricity for the grid in three parts of the country. Company officials in November
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Nuclear
War and Nuclear Energy: Risks Are Enormous for Power Industry and World
Nuclear power can be a highly important component of a country’s energy security strategy. This is true for several reasons. Nuclear plants provide consistent baseload power that is not dependent on weather
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Sustainability
Passive Heat from City Sewer Used to Heat and Cool Museum
Through a cutting-edge heat exchange system, the Museum of Bavarian History in Regensburg, Germany, efficiently heats and cools its building, showcasing a promising solution for urban decarbonization and clean
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Hydrogen
Scaling Production of Green Hydrogen with Water Electrolysis
Green hydrogen is a crucial component in the global effort to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors, like long-haul transportation, construction, and manufacturing. A process first discovered in the early 19th
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Renewables
Saudi Group Announces 1 GW of Renewables as Part of $50 Billion China Investment
Saudi Arabia energy major ACWA Power announced it is developing more than 1 GW of renewable energy projects in China. The company in reports published Dec. 31 said the portfolio includes solar and wind power installations that would be owned jointly by ACWA Power and Chinese renewable energy developers. ACWA Power in a statement to […]
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Nuclear
Second Unit of South Africa Nuclear Plant Back Online After Major Maintenance
Eskom, South Africa’s major utility, said the second unit of the Koeberg nuclear power plant in that country was reconnected to the national grid after a major maintenance project. Eskom officials on Dec. 31 said the Koeberg plant, the only commercial nuclear power plant in Africa, again has about 1,860 MW of generation capacity. Eskom […]
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Nuclear
Pakistan Will Build Another Chinese-Designed Nuclear Power Unit
The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) issued a construction license to Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) for Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit 5 (C-5), on Dec. 26. PAEC applied for the construction license in April this year, along with the preliminary safety assessment report (PSAR) and other licensing submissions covering design and operational aspects of […]
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Interview
Industry Experts Say Storage, Renewables, Transmission Key Parts of 2025 Energy Outlook
The outlook for the power generation sector in 2025 promises a continuation of the energy transition, though there’s plenty of debate about the direction of the industry. Advocates for renewable energy, particularly in the U.S., are concerned about how the incoming Trump administration—with its support for fossil fuels—could impact the growth of clean technologies. Utilities […]
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Coal
India Adds 4 GW of New Coal-Fired Capacity for Second Straight Year
India added 4 GW of coal-fired power generation capacity this year, according to the country’s Central Electricity Authority, about the same amount of new coal-based generation it added in 2023. Last year’s total was the highest level of new coal-fired capacity added in the country since 2019. The Indian government has said the country plans […]
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International
Russia Hits Ukrainian Power Stations with Christmas Day Attacks
DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, reported power outages across large areas of the country after Russia fired missiles against DTEK power stations in strikes on Christmas day. DTEK said it was the 13th massive attack on Ukrainian energy systems this year, and the 10th to target DTEK power stations. At least one long-time power […]
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T&D
GE Vernova Wins Major HVDC Contract for South Korea’s Largest Power Grid Infrastructure Project
GE Vernova said it has been chosen through its joint venture, KAPES, by Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) to deliver its advanced high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) system, based on line commutated converter (LCC) technology, for the 500-kV Donghaean #2 to Dong-Seoul HVDC converter station project (EP2). This project, part of a larger 4-GW HVDC transmission link, […]
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Nuclear
Flamanville 3 Reactor Online in France After 12-Year Delay
The largest nuclear reactor in France is finally providing power to the country’s grid, more than a decade after it was expected to enter commercial operation. Flamanville 3, an EPR reactor located in Normandy, sustained a series of technical setbacks over the past several years. The 1,600-MW unit, now the most-powerful generating unit in France, […]
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Data Centers
Understanding Uptime Institute’s Tier III Standard: A Guide to Data Center Electrical System Design
The Uptime Institute’s Tier standard is a globally recognized framework that classifies data centers into four tiers based on their infrastructure’s reliability, redundancy, and fault tolerance. These tiers—Tier I through Tier IV—provide a benchmark for data center performance, ranging from basic infrastructure (Tier I) to fully fault-tolerant systems (Tier IV). Each tier reflects specific design […]
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Partner Content
Future Electric Power Communication Networks Must Be Robust and Flexible: fgOTN Is the Best Choice
Fine grain Optical Transport Network (fgOTN) technology is optimal for future electric power communication networks. Developed under highly regarded international standards, fgOTN addresses limitations in traditional communication network systems by efficiently handling small-bandwidth services while providing high reliability and low latency. The global electric power industry is undergoing a remarkable transformation through the deployment of […]
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Gas
Why LVOE May Be a Better Decision-Making Tool Than LCOE for Power Companies
Most POWER readers are probably familiar with levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and levelized value of energy (LVOE) as metrics used to help evaluate potential power plant investment options. LCOE measures the average net present cost of electricity generation over a facility’s lifetime. It includes capital costs, fuel costs, operation and maintenance (O&M) costs, financing […]
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Coal
IEA Says Global Coal Use at All-Time High, Will Remain Strong
The International Energy Agency (IEA) in a new report said global use of coal, including for power generation, is expected to reach a record 8.77 billion tonnes this year. The group said China’s continued use of coal in its power plants, along with the impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on global gas markets, means […]
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Hydro
200-MW Hydropower Project in Congo Will Support Mining Companies
An African banking group announced it will finance development of a 200-MW hydropower installation along the Lufira River in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The project is the African Export-Import Bank’s (Afreximbank) first private-sector renewable energy initiative in the DRC. Afreximbank is partnering with Kipay Investments SAS (Kipay). Officials on Dec. 18 said the […]
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Offshore Wind
2-GW Offshore Grid Connection Takes Shape in the German Baltic Sea
50Hertz, the transmission system operator (TSO) for eastern Germany, has awarded its Ostwind 4 project to GE Vernova, in consortium with Drydocks World, a DP World company that provides marine and offshore services to the renewable energy sector, among others. The project involves the design, construction, and commissioning of a 2-GW high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) electric […]
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Renewables
Vestas Will Supply Turbines for 1.1-GW Scottish Offshore Wind Project
Wind turbine manufacturer Vestas said the company will supply, install, and commission dozens of the company’s 15-MW turbines for the 1.1-GW Inch Cape offshore wind project in Scotland. The company on Dec. 16 said the order is for 72 of Vestas’ V236-15.0-MW turbines. The Inch Cape site is in the North Sea, about 9 miles […]
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O&M
Explosion at Coal Power Plant in South Africa Injures Nine
A transformer explosion at Eskom’s coal-fired 3.6-GW Matla Power Station in Mpumalanga, South Africa, on Dec. 12 injured nine employees, including one critically. The incident, caused by a ruptured high-pressure steam pipe, has underscored challenges faced by Eskom’s generating fleet, even as the state-owned maintains its suspension of load-shedding. The incident, reported at 5 p.m. […]
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Solar
Best Practices for Mitigating Hail Damage to Solar Projects
Mitigating against the risk of hail for solar projects is both extremely complicated and more straightforward than you may think. Natural catastrophes (NatCat), particularly hail, pose a significant risk for solar projects and can lead to severe damage with cost impacts for projects and insurers. In this article, we look at the risk that hail […]
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Connected Plant
Why Power Companies Are Turning to Refurbished Parts for Plant System Upgrades
Amid growing pressure to optimize costs, dependability, and green initiatives, some power companies are beginning to reconsider their approaches to upgrading dated equipment. Refurbished elements provide a viable option to realize these objectives, enabling companies to address the challenges of power plant maintenance and upgrade. All plants need to be updated at some point in […]
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T&D
GE Vernova to Provide Grid-Stabilizing Technology for German Transmission System Operator
GE Vernova secured a contract with 50Hertz Transmission GmbH to deliver advanced STATCOM technology, supporting Germany’s transition to a renewable energy future The 300 Mvar FACTSFLEX GFM solution, with Grid Forming Control, will enhance grid stability and resilience as Germany integrates more renewable energy sources STATCOM units will be deployed at key substations in Germany, […]
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Renewables
Study Finds 21 Regions with High Potential for the Development of Wind Farms in Cuba
Cuban researchers have identified 21 areas in the country with favorable conditions for the installation of wind farms. These areas are mainly located on the north-central-eastern coast, from the provinces of Camagüey to Holguín, in the south of the eastern region and in the westernmost southern portion of Pinar del Río province. Alfredo Rodríguez, coordinator […]
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Nuclear
Russia Advances REMIX Fuel Trials in Boost for Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle
Russia has launched its third cycle of testing innovative uranium-plutonium REMIX fuel at the Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant in Saratov Oblast, a key step that advances the closed nuclear fuel cycle technology. Designed to recycle spent nuclear fuel (SNF), the REMIX assemblies could significantly expand the raw material base for nuclear energy while reducing radioactive […]
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Energy Security
Cuba Hit by Nationwide Blackout, Restoration Achieved in 24 Hours
Cuba suffered another massive blackout on Wednesday, Dec. 4—the latest in a series of devastating grid disruptions that have plagued the island in recent years. While authorities reported swift restoration—completed just after midnight on Dec. 5—the event has further underscored the growing strain on the island’s fragile energy system. Since 2020, Cuba has endured more […]
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Connected Plant
AI-Driven Big Data Platform Revolutionizes Power Plant Operations
The surge in adoption of renewable energy driven by carbon neutrality policies has created operational challenges for large thermal power plants. These plants must now accommodate rapid load fluctuations and offer flexible operation, which involves adjusting their outputs rapidly as the renewable generators’ outputs fluctuate. However, operating beyond original design specifications places additional stress on […]
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Renewables
Shoring Up the Future of Wind Power
Wind power is one of the UK’s most abundant sources of renewable energy. Ensuring wind turbines operate reliably and extending their useful lifetimes are important to achieving a sustainable energy future