O&M

  • Improving Field Operations with New Technologies

    Utilizing new technologies in today’s business environment is a necessity for operations leaders looking to optimize their resources. Smartphones, GPS, radio-frequency identification (RFID), on-demand/cloud

  • DLN Upgrade Helps Gas Turbines Meet ‘Blue Sky’ Requirements

    Power plants around the world are being tasked with reducing emissions. In China, Shenzhen Nanshan Power Plant installed an innovative dry low-NOx upgrade on its gas turbines, helping the units meet

  • Hurricane Dorian Provides Real-Life Test of Upgraded Storm Systems

    As Hurricane Dorian made its slow progression up Florida’s east coast in September, the state’s 21.3 million residents waited in anticipation for what the Category 5 storm would bring. While, thankfully, most of Florida was left relatively unscathed except for minor damage due to storm surge and dangerous winds, Jacksonville-based JEA was prepared for the […]

  • Removing Asbestos and Regulated Materials Key to Power Plant Decommissioning

    Retiring and decommissioning coal power plants is becoming a more-frequent occurrence around the world. The job comes with many challenges, but projects in the U.S. and UK have proven that remediation and

  • Northeastern’s Wind Technology Program Receives Donated Nacelle from NextEra Energy Resources

    STERLING, COLO. – Sept. 30, 2019 – NextEra Energy Resources is donating a fully-functional decommissioned wind turbine nacelle to Northeastern Junior College’s Wind Technology program as a learning tool for one of the nation’s top wind technology education programs. A nacelle is the protective shell that houses all of the turbine machinery atop a wind […]

  • Test Your Knowledge: Arm Yourself—A Bulwark FR Quiz

    Most injuries caused during an arc flash result from wearing flammable clothes. That’s why having the proper flame-resistant (FR) clothing is so important. The following quiz will test your knowledge of FR clothing and some of the rules governing its use. Create your own user feedback survey To take more quizzes, go to the Test Your […]

  • Using Data to Improve Power Plant Operations [PODCAST]

    Power plants have an abundance of data. Temperatures, pressures, flows, and various other parameters are all monitored constantly to ensure plants are operating properly. However, a lot of data is not used to its fullest extent. With the right tools, data can be more-thoroughly analyzed and findings can be acted upon to improve efficiency and […]

  • Framatome successfully completes feedwater heater replacement at Palo Verde Generating Station

    Framatome successfully completed the first of 12 low-pressure feedwater heater replacements at Arizona Public Service’s Palo Verde Generating Station Unit 1 on an expedited schedule during the spring 2019 outage. The remaining replacements will take place over a more than seven-year campaign. “It is rewarding to bring our latest technologies and expertise to support Palo […]

  • How to Avoid Common Genset Room Design Mistakes

    Reliable power is essential for all facilities, but it is even more critical for places like hospitals, data centers, and military bases. Therefore, many decision-makers are purchasing power generator sets (gensets) to supply their facilities during emergencies. It is crucial to consider where the genset will be positioned and how it will be operated. If […]

  • Hawk Measurement Systems Launches New Radar Transmitter

    Hawk Measurement releases a new non-contact radar level transmitter that uses FMCW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) technology. Hawk Measurement Systems (HAWK), a global leader in measurement solutions, has announced the release of their new SENATOR™ Radar Level Transmitter product line. The SENATOR™ Radar Level Transmitter is a non-contact sensor that uses FMCW (Frequency Modulated Continuous […]

  • Keeping Track of O&M Costs and Processes in the Field

    Cost. The dirtiest word in clean energy—especially with operations and maintenance (O&M) costs set to rise globally to $17 billion in 2020 in the wind industry. Part of saving on O&M costs means taking a look at the inefficient processes that skilled workers are doing as part of O&M procedures to optimize their time. A […]

  • The X Factor in the Power Market’s New Math

    How power companies are using experience management, or XM, to reshape customer relationships and reveal new revenue opportunities Here was a company with one of the largest investor-owned electric systems in the U.S.—the owner of close to a dozen electricity distribution entities—and a strong desire to pursue new opportunities outside its traditional regulated business. Those […]

  • How to Ensure Plant Reliability and Regulatory Compliance

    Lock in safe, reliable operations by opening the door to third-party expertise There’s still a big takeaway from a 2008 Florida blackout, and it’s not the size of the fine that followed. Although it was the largest penalty levied under the new reliability standards at that time, here’s the bigger elephant in the room: Florida […]

  • Five Inspections Made Easier with Drone Technology

    Today, drones equipped with sensors and cameras are proving their worth in gathering real-time footage that can be stored for later analysis. Uncrewed aerial systems can detect failing structures and equipment

  • The Theory and Application of Acoustic Cleaners

    Sonic sootblowers and acoustic cleaners were once thought to be a last-chance alternative to difficult ash build-up problems. However, the technology has proven to be effective over years of service in

  • Combustion Optimization to Improve Heat Rate and Lower NOx

    Power plant operators are always looking for ways to boost performance. A combustion optimizer designed to improve efficiency and lower emissions could help. It supports more flexible operation of boilers by

  • Heavy Hauling: Moving 300-Ton Gas Engines from Europe to Michigan

    Two new power plants in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (U.P.) came online earlier this year, supplying power for customers of Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corp. (UMERC), a subsidiary of WEC Energy Group. WEC

  • Shock Pulse Generators Help Clean Supercritical Power Plant Boilers

    Economic power plant operation includes keeping maintenance costs under control, and operating the plant efficiently. Boiler surfaces need to be kept as clean as possible to increase heat transfer and decrease

  • Consecutive Agreement for Long Term Service Agreements in Morocco IHI Group Continues to Expand Life Cycle Business for Power Plant

    IHI Corporation (IHI), in cooperation with Steinmüller Engineering GmbH (SE), a wholly-owned subsidiary of IHI having a profound technical knowledge of boilers for thermal power generation, has concluded a Long Term Service Agreement (LTSA) for a period of 6 years with Safi Energy Company (SafiEC)(*1), a power generation company in the Kingdom of Morocco (Morocco). […]

  • Hope for the Blue Sky, Plan for the Storm

    Organizations operating within a mission-critical environment must adopt appropriate technology to mitigate potentially life-threatening problems. As we acknowledge National Preparedness Month this September, we need to remember what is important to electric power customers. They expect to be kept safe, to be heard, and to receive realistic estimated restoration times—especially when a power line is […]

  • Endress+Hauser Announces Two Analyzers for the Power Market

    The CA76NA and CA80SI analyze boiler feedwater, steam, condensate and ion exchangers — making them a great fit for power industry applications. August 15, 2019—Endress+Hauser announces two analyzers for power industry applications: the CA76NA monitors sodium, while the CA80SI analyzes for silica in boiler feedwater, steam, condensate and ion exchangers. Each analyzer can accept up […]

  • ASGCO® Announces Their Improved Line of Sure Grip™ Belt Clamps!

    Allentown, PA.: ASGCO® “Complete Conveyor Solution’s” unveils their newly enhanced series of Sure Grip™ Conveyor Belt Clamps in their line of Safe-Guard® safety conveyor products. Designed to secure the belt for safe repair, the BC6 (6 Tons) and BC8 (8 Tons) Sure Grip™ Belt Clamps were created for maximum grip! Capable to handle more weight […]

  • Siemens performs first large gas turbine exchange in the U.S.

    Brownfield Engine Exchange (BEX) delivers cleaner energy, long-term reliability, improved efficiency and more powerful performance Making Energy Greener is one of Siemens’ continuing core focus areas as the global energy landscape evolves and changes Over 30 engine exchange projects worldwide to date with several recent new orders Siemens Gas and Power is focused on helping […]

  • Next-Generation HRSGs Start Fast and Reduce Emissions

    Today’s heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) are suffering reliability problems, mainly because they’re being operated in the cycling mode instead of the baseload mode for which they were designed. The good news is HRSG suppliers are adapting to the market demands and are designing the next generation of HRSGs to have cycling-friendly—also called fast-start—features. One […]

  • Doosan Škoda Power to upgrade the heating plant at the Opatovice CHP

    Pilsen (08/06/2019) – Doosan Škoda Power, a Czech manufacturer and supplier of steam turbines and components for power-generating operations, has won a contract to upgrade the TG5 heating plant at the Opatovice Power Station, which supplies heat to several thousand households in the north-east region of the Czech Republic. Doosan Škoda Power will supply a […]

  • The Power of a ‘Green’ Decommissioning, Remediation, and Redevelopment Plan

    Economic pressures coupled with new and proposed regulations to reduce air emissions and regulate cooling water use and the management and disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCRs) continue to drive the

  • SCR Project Upgrades Two Units at Four Corners

    The numbers tell the story of how the addition of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology helped an iconic New Mexico coal-fired plant reduce its emissions, keeping the plant in operation and continuing

  • How to Make Shutdown, Turnaround, and Outage Events Successful

    Shutdown, turnaround, and outage events are extremely complex, with multiple stakeholders all focused on minimizing the time assets are offline, delivering their scope on budget, and ensuring zero safety

  • Automated Plant Startups Reduce Fixed and Fuel-Related Costs

    State-of-the-art automation systems are common at power plants these days. Still, many plants start up units in a very manual way. When startups were rare, the implications were minimal, but as units cycle

  • Adding Fog for Power Augmentation and Emission Reduction

    A pilot project was initiated by China’s largest energy provider to test the effectiveness of fog-based power augmentation for a gas turbine at a compressor station. The system provided a significant