Plant Design

  • Second-Life EV Batteries: The Future of Grid-Scale Energy Storage Systems

    Does it really make sense to manufacture new batteries for energy storage systems when a much better alternative is already available? How second-life electric vehicle (EV) batteries can enhance energy

  • Overcoming Engineering Challenges in Energy Generation

    This whitepaper from SimuTech Group explores how multiphysics simulation helps engineers solve performance and reliability challenges across the energy generation industry. Covering structural, thermal, fluid, and electromagnetic domains, it highlights practical applications across fossil, nuclear, hydro, wind, solar, and hydrogen systems. Backed by 40+ years of experience, SimuTech Group offers proven strategies to accelerate innovation […]

  • The Virtual Nuclear Reactor

    The current fleet of nuclear reactors are based in huge imposing facilities generally located in isolated locations away from population centers.  This need not be the case. In the near future nuclear reactors will be regarded as portable, modular sources of safe and clean energy. Rather than being located in remote facilities hundreds of miles […]

  • Trump Administration Backs $1.52B Loan for Palisades Nuclear Restart

    The Trump administration has released a second loan disbursement of $56.8 million to Holtec International as part of an up to $1.52 billion loan guarantee for the restart of the 800-MW Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan. The funding, a key step in reviving the shuttered facility, reinforces a loan guarantee initially issued under the Biden […]

  • Best Maintenance Practices for Ball Valves in High-Pressure Systems

    Among the various types of valves on the market, ball valves are critical in high-pressure systems, enabling precise fluid control in industries like power generation, chemical processing, and oil and gas. Although they’re designed to handle extreme operational demands, the intense conditions of high-pressure environments make regular maintenance or replacement essential to minimize downtime, extend […]

  • Electric Hydrogen, Titan Join to Manufacture Electrolyzer Plants

    Electric Hydrogen, a global manufacturer of high-power electrolyzer plants, on March 6 announced a strategic partnership with Titan, a Texas-based process equipment manufacturing group, for the fabrication and assembly of its 100-MW electrolyzer plant product.

  • Nuclear Power Renaissance Underway in West Texas

    When you think of innovative advancements in nuclear power technology, places like the Idaho National Laboratory and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology probably come to mind. But today, some very exciting nuclear power development work is being done in West Texas, specifically, at Abilene Christian University (ACU). That’s where Natura Resources is working to construct […]

  • Reciprocating Engine Technology Supports Grid Flexibility and Renewables Integration

    Modern reciprocating engines are enabling reliable power generation while balancing renewable energy growth. Their rapid-response capabilities and multi-fuel flexibility are crucial to grid stability

  • Siemens Energy Will Supply Turbines for Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactors

    Siemens Energy and Rolls-Royce SMR have entered into a partnership agreement that is expected to lead to the exclusive supply of conventional technology for future small modular reactors (SMRs). Under this agreement, Siemens Energy is to be the sole supplier of steam turbines, generators, and other auxiliary systems for the British manufacturer’s planned Generation III+ […]

  • Curtiss-Wright Secures TerraPower Contracts for Natrium Nuclear Reactor Simulation and Control Systems

    Curtiss-Wright Corp. said it has been awarded two contracts from TerraPower to design and supply plant simulation and digital control solutions for the Natrium advanced nuclear reactor design. Under the contracts, Curtiss-Wright will design and deliver the training simulator (TSN) and distributed control systems (DCS) for the Natrium plant. The TSN is a full-scope simulator that […]

  • Geothermal Energy Storage: The Clean Power Solution You Haven’t Heard Of

    Geothermal energy has been utilized by humans for millennia. While the first-ever use may be a mystery, we do know the Romans tapped into it in the first century for hot baths at Aquae Sulis (modern-day Bath, England). Since then, many other people and cultures have found ways to use the Earth’s underground heat to […]

  • Space-Based Solar Power: The Future of 24/7 Clean Energy Generation

    Imagine a field of solar panels floating silently in the endless day of Earth’s orbit. Unlike their terrestrial cousins, this space-based solar array never faces nighttime, clouds, or atmospheric interference. Instead, they bathe in constant, intense sunlight, converting this endless stream of energy into electricity with remarkable efficiency. But the true innovation lies in how […]

  • Generate a Cleaner Future with Air Products

    Let Air Products be your decarbonization partner through the transition to sustainable energy. We can help you utilize oxygen to improve your natural gas efficiency, find a potential carbon capture and sequestration solution, or introduce hydrogen to your process to reduce emissions. Download to read our latest content to learn more and take the first […]

  • TVA, Type One Energy Ink Deal to Develop Commercial Fusion Power Plant

    The pursuit of energy from fusion technology has taken another step forward, with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) entering into a cooperative agreement with Type One Energy to jointly develop a fusion power plant project in TVA’s territory. The companies announced plans to collaborate on a 350-MWe Infinity Two power plant that use Type One’s […]

  • ERCOT and CAISO market trends and successful bid optimization

    Battery energy storage systems (BESS) play an essential role in balancing grids with high renewable energy. They can charge during low price hours and discharge during high price hours in the wholesale markets, or support grid stability participating in the ancillary markets. It is important for BESS owners to maximise their profit by deciding how […]

  • Building for Solar Growth—Selecting the Right Foundation for Any Site

    Solar builds are becoming more complex. “Perfect” sites with the ideal topography and terrain profile are less available, and sites that remain pose additional challenges for developers and EPCs alike. Selecting the right foundation is key to mitigating risks, overcoming hurdles, and constructing a project that delivers reliable solar power on budget and on time. […]

  • Focused Energy, Livermore Lab Join in Support of Fusion Research

    Focused Energy and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California have announced the signing of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to develop a model simulating the behavior of low-density foams wetted with liquid deuterium and tritium during implosion. The agreement supports the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s INFUSE project. Focused, based in the San […]

  • Could Space Solar Power Play a Key Role in Disaster Relief?

    The Los Angeles wildfires of January 2025 highlight a critical vulnerability in disaster response: power failure. With insured losses potentially reaching $45 billion and more than 170,000 residents displaced, reliable power could have supported essential emergency services and potentially saved lives. Space Solar Power (SSP), which can beam energy directly to disaster zones from space, […]

  • Xcel Says Coal-Fired Texas Plant’s Conversion to Natural Gas Nearly Complete

    Xcel Energy said the company’s coal-fired Harrington Generating Station in Amarillo, Texas should fully complete its transition to burning natural gas in May. Harrington, whose three units have 1,018 MW of generation capacity, was Xcel’s first coal-fired power plant in Texas. It came online in 1976. The utility in 2020 made the decision to convert […]

  • Building a Safer Storage Industry After the Moss Landing Fire

    The recent fire at the Moss Landing battery storage facility in California, operated by Vistra, has raised concerns in the energy industry, raising critical questions about the safety and future of this burgeoning technology. The recent fire was the latest in a series of incidents at the site since it opened in 2020. The lessons […]

  • District Energy Systems: The Invisible Giant of Urban Efficiency

    District energy systems employ a centralized facility to supply heating, cooling, and sometimes electricity for multiple buildings in an area through a largely underground, mostly unseen network of pipes. When district energy systems are utilized, individual buildings do not need their own boilers, chillers, and cooling towers. This offers a number of benefits to building […]

  • Colorado Co-op Signs PPA for Power from New Solar Installation

    United Power, an electric cooperative serving Colorado’s northern front range, on Jan. 21 said the company had a power purchase agreement for its latest solar power project, the 150-MW Byers Solar Farm in Adams County. The installation, located 10 miles northeast of Byers and about 50 miles east of Denver, is being developed in partnership […]

  • 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 […]

  • 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 […]

  • The Solid-State Shift: Reinventing the Transformer for Modern Grids

    Transformers have been the backbone of power grids for over a century, but today’s demands for renewable energy, electric vehicles, and smarter grids are exposing their limits. Enter solid-state transformers—compact, efficient, and intelligent power solutions poised to revolutionize how electricity is distributed and managed. The push to modernize the grid is exposing critical shortcomings of […]

  • 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

  • Texas Coal Plant Will Convert to Solar Plus Storage with Help of Fed Funding

    San Miguel Electric Cooperative Inc. (SMECI), a not-for-profit generation and transmission rural electric cooperative located in Atascosa County, Texas, was awarded more than $1.4 billion through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program. With the money, SMECI, which operates a mine-mouth lignite-fired power plant, said it will convert its lignite […]

  • 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 […]

  • 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 […]

  • Virginia Officials Say State Will Be Home to World’s First Fusion Power Plant

    Virginia’s governor and other officials on Dec. 17 said the state has a plan for the world’s first nuclear fusion power plant. Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) on Tuesday announced it will build a 400-MW fusion facility on a 100-acre site at the James River Industrial Park in Chesterfield County. Massachusetts-based CFS, founded in 2018, and […]