International
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Renewables
IEA Says Southeast Asia Will Keep Coal Demand High
The International Energy Agency (IEA) says the need for cheap electricity in Southeast Asia will drive global demand for coal for power generation through 2040, even as many countries continue to retire coal-fired plants and cancel projects for new coal facilities. IEA, which is set to release its World Energy Outlook 2017 on November 14, […]
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IIOT Power
DHS, FBI Identify Tactics in Cyberattack Campaign Targeting Industrial Control Systems
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warned in an e-mail on October 20 that an ongoing cyberattack campaign is targeting the nuclear, energy, and other critical infrastructure sectors since at least May 2017—with results ranging from cyber espionage to the ability to disrupt energy systems in the event of […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Citizens’ Jury Recommends Resuming Nuclear Construction in South Korea
Construction of two nuclear plants in South Korea, halted this July by President Moon Jae-in’s announced policy to phase out nuclear power, will continue after a citizens’ jury voted to resume the projects. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) was building Shin Kori 5 and 6, two AP1400 units, but the company decided to suspend […]
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Gas
Siemens Reportedly Downsizing Power and Gas Business
Stricken by falling orders for large gas turbines, global technology conglomerate Siemens AG is reportedly moving to downsize its Power and Gas segment. The changes may include closure or sale of major sites globally and result in thousands of job cuts. The company will likely embark on a reorganization plan this November that could result […]
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Renewables
Droneweek [PODCAST]
[Ed. note: This post was first published on October 5, 2017, and was updated on October 17, 2017, with embedded video from the DRONEWEEK television show.] DRONEWEEK is a television program that will air on the Viceland network beginning Monday, October 9, 2017, and continuing each night throughout the week. Each episode will feature footage […]
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Renewables
The Netherlands to Quit Coal Power; UK and Canada Champion Global Transition Away from Coal
The Netherlands, a country that recently commissioned three state-of-the-art coal plants and has been reluctant to close them, on October 10 moved to phase out coal power by 2030. Meanwhile, the UK and Canada this week jointly urged other nations to drop coal from their power profiles. The countries are part of a growing list […]
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Legal & Regulatory
How Power Sector Deregulation Is Affecting Mexico [PODCAST]
Mexico’s energy reform began in 2013. It has opened up key parts of the country’s electricity sector to new market participants, foreign investors, and innovative technology. Prior to the reform, Mexico operated under a traditional, vertically integrated model with the state-owned Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) responsible for all power supply functions from generation to distribution. […]
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Distributed Energy
Siemens Rolls Out MVDC Transmission System to Bolster Distributed Generation
Siemens has launched a new direct-current (DC) transmission system for alternating current (AC) grids of between 30 kV and 150 kV. The medium-voltage system that can bridge distances of up to 125 miles is designed to help grid entities handle ever-growing volumes of power fed into the distribution system from distributed and renewable power. The […]
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Water
GE Power Sells Lucrative Water & Process Technologies Division to SUEZ in $3.4B Deal
Less than a week after GE struck a $2.6 billion deal with ABB for GE’s electrification business, GE Power completed the $3.4 billion sale of its lucrative water and process technologies division to multinational water management firm SUEZ. The sale of GE Water & Process Technologies, a systems and services provider of water, wastewater and […]
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Legal & Regulatory
The U.S.’s War on Coal Is Purported to Be Over—What About the Rest of the World?
The Trump administration unabashedly supports coal, and regulations designed to phase out its use in U.S. power production are being reviewed. But while other nations continue to rely on coal for much of their power, they also are increasing their use of natural gas and renewables, including heavyweight coal users such as China and India. […]
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Environmental
Reports: Electric Vehicles Are Poised to Reshape Global Power Consumption
The rapid adoption of electric vehicles (EVs)—both battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs)—is expected to transform global electricity consumption through 2040, three
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Coal
POWER Digest (October 2017)
Construction Scheduled for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Plant in South Korea. Hanwha Energy on August 25 approved formation of a subsidiary, Daesan Green Energy , to build a 50-MW hydrogen fuel cell plant in the
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Nuclear
Thorium Molten Salt Reactor Experiment Underway in the Netherlands
Scientists at the Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG) in Petten, Netherlands, have commenced the world’s first thorium molten salt reactor (TMSR) experiment in more than 45 years (Figure 1). The
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Renewables
OPG, First Nations Group Partner on Ontario Hydro Project
A partnership between Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and Coral Rapids Power, a wholly owned subsidiary of Taykwa Tagamou Nation (TTN), a Cree nation in northeastern Ontario, in late August announced the
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Renewables
Heterojunction Solar Technology Being Deployed at Siberian Site
A joint venture of two Russian companies is building a solar power project in southern Siberia based on heterojunction technology (HJT), which is touted as a high-efficiency solar cell concept. Researchers
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Renewables
Green Climate Fund Makes Largest Investment Yet
In its largest investment to date, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) is teaming up with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to contribute $1 billion to the Egyptian Government’s
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Coal
Rihand: A Model for India’s Coal Transformation
The country’s ever-increasing need for electricity means coal will continue to be a large part of its power generation, and this NTPC facility is at the forefront of expanding capacity while improving its
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Coal
Major Engineering and Equipment Company Builds-to-Own Its First Coal Plant
Given the opportunity to help India’s bread basket alleviate a chronic power shortage, a major engineering, construction, and manufacturing firm built its first 1,400-MW coal-fired power plant in just 54
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Research and Development
Microturbine Market Ready to Expand
Deployment of microturbine energy technology has been slow to develop, but analysts predict growth on the horizon as more businesses use the small units to power their facilities and reduce their carbon
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Partner Content
Faster Power Plant Cycling
Rapid startup is critical for modern power plants, as peaks and valleys in demand fluctuate with the increased use of alternative, renewable sources. But power plant cycling comes with risks to expensive equipment. Maintaining control of water cycle chemistry is vital to help mitigate them.
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Renewables
EIA: Chinese Coal Use Will Plateau as Renewables Gain
Chinese coal-fired electricity generation is expected to flatten through 2040 as renewables fill the gap caused by increased energy demand, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) International Energy Outlook 2017. According to the study, coal accounted for more than 72% of China’s energy generation in 2015. By 2040, however, coal’s share of generation […]
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Partner Content
Eliminating lab-based water cycle chemistry measurements
Power plants are under pressure to accurately measure critical water quality parameters like chloride, sulfate and organics with shrinking budgets for equipment and staffing. How can they achieve this?
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Renewables
Can Angela Merkel, the So-Called “Climate Chancellor,” Hold Germany to Its Greenhouse Targets?
On Sunday, September 24, Germany finalized voting in its 2017 federal elections. Citizens were able to vote by mail ahead of Sunday’s election or they could chose to efficiently breeze through a voting center, make a physical “X” next to, first, the local direct candidate of their choice. And then make a second mark next […]
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Legal & Regulatory
ITC: Imported PV Cells Hurting U.S. Solar Industry
In a unanimous decision, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) on September 22 found that photovoltaic (PV) solar cells being imported into the U.S. are causing “serious injury, or threat of serious injury, to the domestic industry.” The decision comes in a highly contested case filed by bankrupt solar panel manufacturer, Suniva, and SolarWorld. The […]
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Legal & Regulatory
UK Supreme Court Rules on Robin Rigg Wind Farm Case [PODCAST]
The UK Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of E.ON in a long-running dispute over foundation problems identified at the 174-MW Robin Rigg offshore wind farm located between Scotland and England. The judges said Danish contractor MT Højgaard must bear the approximate €26 million cost of remedying failed grouted connections between monopiles and transition pieces […]
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Renewables
Dubai Awards Contract for Phase 4 of Massive Solar Park
Dubai’s government on September 16 said its state energy utility has awarded a $3.9 billion contract for construction of a 700-MW solar power plant at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. The government said the project includes an 850-foot-tall tower that will receive focused sunlight, the world’s tallest such structure in a solar […]
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Solar
Trade Case Causes Stir at International Solar Conference
Hanging like a thick fog over the proceedings of the annual Solar Power International (SPI) conference in Las Vegas, an ongoing trade case cast uncertainty on the industry. The case, which pits two solar manufacturers against just about everybody else in the industry, was the focus of several panels and nearly all side conversation at […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Japan Regulatory Group Gives Conditional Support for TEPCO Restart
Japan’s nuclear watchdog agency has given Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) conditional approval to restart two reactors at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant. The units were taken offline after the Fukushima Daiichi meltdown in March 2011. The country’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) on September 13 said TEPCO could restart the units after it provides a detailed plan […]
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Commentary
Power Market Deregulation Transforms Mexico
Mexico’s energy reform, which began in 2013, has opened up key parts of the country’s electricity sector to new market participants, foreign investors, and innovative technology. Prior to the reform
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Renewables
POWER Digest (September 2017)
Canadian Solar Expands Solar Power in Japan. Canadian Solar in July started commercial operation of its latest group of photovoltaic solar power plants in Japan as it continues to build its solar presence in