Plant Design

Power projects are filled with risk. One of the biggest risks today for clean energy developers involves interconnection constraints. And according to Sarp Ozkan, vice president of Commercial Product at

Corrosion is a constant battle for infrastructure of all kinds—the natural response of materials like metals to their environment, causing damage to everything from turbines to oil pipelines and vehicles. The costs are vast. A National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) IMPACT study published in 2013 claims that corrosion causes damage valued at $2.5 trillion […]

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the first round of awardees of the Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program. The program is the latest in a series of efforts designed to align public and private sectors toward fusion commercialization. “The Biden administration obviously sees enormous potential in fusion—harnessing the power of the sun and the stars […]

As the energy transition to inverter-based resources continues, reliability risk increases and requires additional investment to mitigate threats. But what measures should be put in place, what are the

Solenoid valves play a crucial role in power generation applications, providing reliable and efficient control over fluid and gas flow. Their ability to operate quickly and precisely makes them indispensable in power plants, ensuring seamless operations and enhanced safety. In this article, we will look into the fundamentals of solenoid valve operation, explore their significance […]

Building a nuclear power plant is a difficult job. It takes years of planning and sometimes more than a decade to complete. The risk of schedule delays is great, especially on first-of-a-kind projects, and the financial implications of such setbacks can ruin a company. Yet, the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA’s) president and CEO, Jeff Lyash, […]

With governments and industry engaging more frequently and decisively on how nuclear energy can help meet their climate, electrification, and economic goals, attention is now turning to how we get the needed capacity built. While extending the operating lives of existing nuclear plants, some countries will need to build new nuclear capacity to meet their […]

PORTLAND, Ore. – NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE: SMR) and Nucor Corporation (Nucor) today announced the two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore co-locating NuScale’s VOYGR™ small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) power plants to provide clean, reliable baseload electricity to Nucor’s scrap-based Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steel mills. The companies will also […]

Westinghouse has officially unveiled the AP300, a “downsized” version of the company’s flagship AP1000 Generation III+ pressurized water reactor (PWR) technology. While the small modular reactor (SMR) will enter a nuclear market already rife with development, the AP300’s “nth-of-a-kind” basis positions it as a strong competitor, the company told POWER. The 300-MWe/900-MWth AP300, launched on May 4, […]

Over the last three years, electricity generation from fusion has moved from the realm of science fiction to the brink of serious development. A lot has happened, but challenges remain before fusion arrives on

It might surprise many people to learn that nearly every operating reactor in the world has technological roots in Idaho. The fact is, the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), which was known as the National

Turbine bypass valves are one of the most difficult applications in a power plant. Keeping these valves operating efficiently and avoiding unexpected failures is critical for plant operation. When engineers

The term “nuclear renaissance” was very popular in the early 2000s. Nuclear power plant operators had substantially improved existing plant performance, and many new plants were being considered around the

Cogentrix Energy and Siemens Energy have partnered to optimize 8000H-class gas turbine reliability and outage planning. Under Cogentrix’s management, the Patriot site successfully upgraded one of its

Physical security of plants and substations has become a real concern for power companies. In an interview with NPR, Puesh Kumar, director of the U.S. Energy Department’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy

Waste reduction and process efficiencies are key for companies wanting smoother operations. As various industries, including power generation, seek ways to improve operational efficiency, cooling water

The first Hualong One unit, a 1,180-MWe nuclear reactor designed by China General Nuclear (CGN), is now operational at the company’s Guangxi Fangchenggang Nuclear Power Station in western China’s Guangxi Autonomous Region. Fangchenggang Nuclear Power Plant is 39% owned by Guangxi Investment Group and 61% by CGN. The plant plans to house six 1,000-MWe reactors, […]

El Salvador is taking steps to add nuclear power to the country’s energy mix, as the nation of about 6.5 million people looks to diversify its electric power generation fleet. In support of that effort, the government of El Salvador and the Thorium Energy Alliance, a Harvard, Illinois–based non-profit advocacy group that endorses thorium-fueled reactors, […]

Sampling is a technique in which samples are drawn at random (without any favor or bias). For this, suitable measures or procedures may be laid down and adopted according to the nature and configuration of parts under inspection for ensuring complete randomness in sample selection. The term sample implies a subset chosen from the population. […]

The Enel Group and nuclear technology company newcleo signed an agreement under which they will work together on Generation-IV (Gen-IV) nuclear technology projects. Under the deal, Enel will collaborate with newcleo by providing “specialized expertise” through the sharing of “a number of the company’s qualified personnel.” newcleo, for its part, will secure an option for […]

It’s not uncommon for nuclear power plants to be sited relatively close to large metropolitan areas (within 50 miles, for example), after all, that is where the biggest loads are, but reactors are rarely placed near the center of large cities. This is mainly due to the risks associated with a meltdown, or even a […]

Ontario Power Generation (OPG), GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH), SNC-Lavalin, and Aecon have signed a trailblazing six-year alliance agreement designed to bolster the deployment of a BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) at the Darlington New Nuclear Project (DNNP) in Clarington, Ontario. The contract unveiled on Jan. 27—a year after OPG selected GEH’s BWRX-300 for the […]

The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) said it will build a new 190-MW peaker power plant in central Texas to provide additional dispatchable power to the state’s electric grid. A peaker plant is one that is typically used only for brief periods during times when the demand for power approaches or surpasses the amount of […]

Distributed generation stands out in the Cuban power system, where there are hundreds of units dispersed throughout the country. In times of contingency, and as usually happens when a hurricane hits the country, distributed generation ensures the vitality of electrical service through interconnected systems in the form of “islands.” Of the slightly more than 6,000 […]

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced on Dec. 13 “the achievement of fusion ignition.” The milestone is a major scientific breakthrough, decades in the making. Fusion, of course, is the process by

Microgrids are small, self-sustaining local power systems that provide big benefits to the communities they serve. As extreme weather events become more common, microgrids will become more important not only

JERA Co. Inc., Japan’s largest power generation company, announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) “for potential collaboration for the joint project development and sales & purchase of clean ammonia” with CF Industries Holdings Inc., the world’s largest producer of ammonia. Under the MOU, JERA and CF Industries have agreed “to jointly study […]

A prototype fusion power plant designed by a UK-based architectural and design firm has been approved by local regulators. The South Oxfordshire District Council’s planning committee on Jan. 11 gave the go-ahead to a project led by renowned architect Amanda Levete. Levete’s AL_A group is expected to build the prototype, developed by Canada’s General Fusion, […]

Power generators are exploring how they can retrofit coal-fired power plants to enable co-firing with ammonia, part of their strategy to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). The latest project to look at the concept is led by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), which on Dec.  7 announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) […]

GE has been operating a monitoring and diagnostics center for the power generation sector for more than 25 years. From modest beginnings, the facility now monitors about 1,000 power plants around the world