O&M

  • Increasing Automation for Fossil Energy Plants

    An Electric Power Research Institute study has developed a systematic process for introducing sequence automation to fossil power plants. Researchers are now exploring its implementation in case studies. As

  • Predicting the Future? There’s an App for That

    Power plant operators are turning to predictive maintenance applications to monitor equipment and collect performance data. Asset management systems, using artificial intelligence and other methods, are part

  • Using Self-Service Analytics to Improve Power Plant Efficiency

    There is a widespread movement to reduce carbon emissions around the world. One way to do so is by improving plant efficiency, but that can be easier said than done. However, self-service analytics could play

  • Seal Design Key as ORC Turbine Manufacturer Enters Geothermal Market

    When a global leader in the design, manufacture, and maintenance of binary Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) power systems entered the geothermic energy market, company engineers knew its existing turbines would be

  • Minimizing Exposure: RVI Videoscopes Take Radiation Exposure to a New Low

    For personnel in nuclear power plants, time and distance are critical measurements when it comes to safe inspections. When workers need to enter a high-radiation area to examine a potential problem or make a

  • Winsted Releases Paramount Technology Credenza

    New Technology Hub Organizes and Protects Control Room Electronics Minnetonka, Minn. – Winsted Control Room Solutions unveiled the newest item in their line of technical furniture, the Paramount technology credenza. Paramount is designed to integrate into boardrooms, conference rooms, control rooms or any other high-tech space. “Paramount is an elegant and functional addition to our technical […]

  • MOX Nuclear Fuel Loaded in Russian Reactor, More to Come

    Power plant engineers have loaded 18 mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel assemblies in Unit 4 at the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia. Distinct from traditional nuclear fuel with enriched uranium, MOX fuel pellets are based on the mix of nuclear fuel cycle derivatives, such as plutonium oxide bred in commercial reactors and uranium oxide […]

  • Bradley Pulverizer Acquired by Lancaster Products Owner

    Allentown, Pennsylvania – Bradley Pulverizer is pleased to announce new ownership.  Lancaster Products & Kercher Enterprises’ owner Curt Snyder acquired the assets of Bradley Pulverizer through an affiliate effective on January 14th, 2020. Bradley Pulverizer specializes in the design, manufacture, and supply of pulverizing systems for fine and semi-fine grinding of hard, friable, abrasive materials for […]

  • How Utilities Can Manage Supplier Risk [PODCAST]

    Power companies are turning to external suppliers and contractors now more than ever. Utilities are getting help with tasks ranging from the relatively simple, such as vegetation management and the handling of customer calls, to the complex, including turbine repair and large infrastructure projects. Although the benefits of utilizing contractors are often obvious, the dangers, […]

  • Burns & McDonnell Selected by NYPA for Major Control System Modernization Project at One of Largest Hydropower Facilities in North America

    KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Burns & McDonnell will serve as engineer-procure-construct (EPC) contractor for an extensive $134 million electrical control system upgrade and modernization project for the New York Power Authority’s 2,525-megawatt (MW) Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant. The control system project is a crucial component of a recently announced $1.1 billion Next Generation Niagara […]

  • FM Global to conduct regular cyber engineering evaluations of industrial control systems for clients

    JOHNSTON, R.I., USA—As part of its continuing commitment to cyber risk assessment, prevention and control, FM Global, one of the world’s largest commercial property insurers, has become one of the first insurance carriers to offer industrial control systems (ICS) evaluations at client locations as part of its routine engineering site visits. The ICS evaluation will […]

  • SNC-Lavalin awarded nuclear contract in Romania to assess Cernavoda Unit 1 for continued operation

    MONTREAL: January 21, 2020 – Candu Energy Inc., a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group (TSX:SNC), was awarded a $10.8 million (7.3M EUR) contract by Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica S.A. (SNN) for engineering analyses and assessments on the Cernavoda Unit 1 CANDU® nuclear reactor. The contract is focused on the fuel channel and feeders assemblies with the […]

  • The world’s most powerful boiler feed pump dispatched

    A boiler feed pump with the largest drive rating worldwide was dispatched by the KSB Group based in Frankenthal in late December 2019. It will be used in the coal-fired power plant Pingshan II that is currently being built in Huaibei, China. The supercritical power station employs a new technology that is said to reach […]

  • B&W Subsidiary Awarded Retrofit Boiler Equipment Installation Contract for U.S. Power Plant

    (AKRON, Ohio – January 16, 2020) – Babcock & Wilcox Construction Co., LLC (BWCC), a subsidiary of Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. (B&W) (NYSE: BW), has been awarded a contract for more than $5 million to install retrofit boiler equipment at a U.S. coal-fired power plant. BWCC’s project scope includes the removal and installation of […]

  • Exelon Installs New Accident Tolerant Fuel at Illinois Nuclear Plant

    Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF), a GE-led joint venture with Hitachi Ltd. that supplies boiling water reactor fuel and fuel-related services around the world, said lead test assemblies utilizing its ARMOR-coated zirconium cladding and IronClad Accident Tolerant Fuel solutions have been installed at Exelon’s Clinton nuclear plant in Illinois. “We continue to work with our customers […]

  • Russelectric, a Siemens Business, Offers Customized Switchgear Simulators

    Ideal for training personnel on automatic and manual operation of Russelectric switchgear Hingham, MA – Russelectric, A Siemens Business, a leading manufacturer of power control systems and automatic transfer switches, announces the availability of Switchgear Simulators designed to train personnel on automatic and manual operation of Russelectric switchgear. Customized to mimic the operation of the […]

  • A Decade of Turmoil: How Nuclear and Coal Have Struggled to Survive

    The past 10 years have been filled with trials and tribulations for both the nuclear and coal power industries. From accidents to plant closures there has been little to cheer about. Still, nuclear and coal power continue to provide reliable baseload generation to billions of customers around the globe. Here’s a look back at the […]

  • Electric Power Generation: Coal Is Currently a Vital Component

    Over the past decade, there has been a significant change in the U.S. system of power generation in the lower 48 states. The major factors that resulted in these changes were the discovery of new natural gas

  • Is Hydrogen the Power Industry’s Holy Grail?

    Some power industry insiders believe hydrogen offers a solution to large-scale energy storage problems. The concept generally revolves around utilizing electricity generated by renewables when supply is high

  • Well-Planned Retirement: Keys to Successful Coal Plant Decommissioning

    Hundreds of coal-fired power plants are now retired or facing retirement in the near future, and utilities face a number of decisions. Are there commercial reuse options for the plant or the site itself? Are

  • Power Industry Disrupters: Gas, Renewables, and Storage

    The power industry is experiencing significant changes. Natural gas, wind, solar, and battery storage seem to be the wave of the future. What’s compelling the transformation? Some people point to

  • Water Chemistry: Power Plant Life and Death

    Power plants that use steam to generate electricity need water. Without it, they can’t do their job. But water and steam are complicated, much as is blood in our veins and arteries. So, water chemistry is a

  • Hydraulic Stability of Surge Tanks

    When needed, surge tanks can provide a critical feature to the hydraulic design of hydropower projects. Principally, they can mitigate the overpressure effects of pressure transients or water hammer and allow

  • Good Water Treatment Systems Need Both Equipment and Chemistry [PODCAST]

    Proper water treatment is vital to successful power plant operation. The water treatment system must be designed appropriately, implementing a suitable water chemistry program, and operated and monitored correctly. Having adequate training and utilizing the services of a knowledgeable partner can be invaluable. Three water industry experts from U.S. Water, a Kurita company, were recent […]

  • Top 6 Nuclear Power Achievements of 2019

    The past year has been filled with firsts for the nuclear power industry. Three power plants sporting first-of-a-kind reactors entered commercial operation, while the first U.S. AP1000 nuclear project reached key milestones on its path to completion. Furthermore, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) granted the first early site permit for a utility to construct […]

  • EES Acquires Novinda’s Amended-Silicate Technology for Mercury Control from Utility & Industrial Power Plants

    SANDY HOOK, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Environmental Energy Services, Inc. (EES), a privately held clean energy company utilizing innovative chemistry for energy efficiency, air pollution control, and water treatment for utility and industrial power plants announced today, that it has acquired the exclusive intellectual property rights and all associated assets for Amended-Silicate Technology from Novinda Holdings, Inc. The […]

  • Successfully empowering professionals with sought-after welding qualifications through Work-Based Learning (WBL) opportunities

    The WoW project has proven the concept effectiveness and developed a practical guide to assist other training centers on their initiatives to better leverage Vocational Education and Training (VET) for businesses Porto Salvo, 20 December 2019 – As materials and technologies quickly evolve, welders are required to step up their skillset, as they must perform […]

  • The POWER Interview: What Is Big Data?

    The term “Big Data” is used frequently by tech-savvy power industry professionals, but what does it really mean. To get an insider’s perspective, POWER posed the question to Akshay Patwal, strategic business manager with Siemens Energy. Patwal leads the development and commercialization of digital business transformation projects, using big data platforms and analytics to create […]

  • GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy Completes Reactor Decommissioning Project in Sweden

    WILMINGTON, North Carolina (December 18, 2019) —GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) announced today that it has completed its work supporting the decommissioning of the Oskarshamn Nuclear Power Plant (OKG) in Oskarshamn Municipality in Sweden. GEH recently completed the segmentation of reactor internals at OKG Unit 1. The company’s work at the Oskarshamn site began in […]

  • RED WING TRADESWOMAN BOOT: DESIGNED BY WOMEN FOR WOMEN

    Tradeswoman offers women in the trades enhanced comfort and fit RED WING, Minn. (Dec. 19, 2019) — Red Wing Shoe Company has unveiled the Tradeswoman (models 2328, 2329, 2345, 2346), a new work boot designed for women in the trades, available now. Designed for women in construction, light manufacturing and warehouse or distribution industries, Tradeswoman work […]