Hydro

  • POWER Digest [August 2022]

    Emerson Involved in Coal-to-Biomass Switch. Albioma, a French independent energy provider, is working with Emerson, a global technology and software company, on the transition of the Bois Rouge 108-MW

  • Energy Security, Climate Change Initiatives Endure with Surprise U.S. Senate Deal

    The inclusion of an estimated $369 billion in energy security and climate change investments in a July 27–unveiled U.S. Senate budget reconciliation proposal has prompted optimism from a range of energy sectors. Less than two weeks after negotiations on clean energy and climate provisions within the reconciliation package hit an impasse and suggested their demise, […]

  • Experts Say Hydropower Needs to Double by 2050 to Meet Climate Goals

    Global installed hydropower capacity rose by 26 GW in 2021 to 1,360 GW, but that’s far short of the progress needed to achieve the world’s climate change mitigation goals. “We know that to keep climate change below 2°C, or the more challenging 1.5°C net zero target, we will need to see a huge increase in […]

  • Explosion, Fire Reported at Hoover Dam

    A transformer exploded and caught fire at Hoover Dam in Nevada on July 19, according to local officials. Bureau of Reclamation official Jacklynn L. Gould said that at about 10 a.m. local (Pacific) time, the A5 transformer at the site caught fire. The blaze was extinguished at about 10:30 a.m., according to Gould. Gould said […]

  • Wudongde Project Takes Hydro to New Heights

    A multi-year, multibillion-dollar undertaking on China’s Jinsha River has achieved several “firsts” for the hydropower sector, earning POWER’s highest honor thanks to its development, design, and

  • Risks and Opportunities: It’s an Interesting Time to Be in the Power Industry

    War rages in Europe. Natural gas prices are through the roof. Drought threatens hydro production. Weather extremes are becoming commonplace. Supply chains are strained. Demand for electricity is headed

  • Rick Perry Believes in Nuclear Power—Is He onto Something or on Something?

    Rick Perry, the former governor of Texas (2000–2015) and former U.S. Energy Secretary (2017–2019), who has more recently been in the news because of his support for legalizing psychedelic drugs, including

  • California Drought Could Severely Limit Hydropower This Summer

    Drought in California could nearly halve the state’s hydroelectric generation this summer, pushing up wholesale power prices in the West, and forcing the state to rely on natural gas generation and out-of-state imports, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects in a new analysis. The EIA suggests in a supplement to its May 2022–released Short-Term Energy Outlook […]

  • POWER Digest [June 2022]

    Twenty20 Energy Will Build Gas-Fired Plant in Papua New Guinea. Singapore-based Twenty20 Energy Systems in April announced it would design and build a new gas-fired power plant in Hela province, Papua New

  • NERC Warns of Mounting Reliability Risks, Urges Preparation for Challenging Summer

    An unprecedented array of risks—ranging from capacity shortfalls, extreme weather, extended drought, supply chain issues, cybersecurity, solar PV tripping, fuel constraints, to wildfires—could imperil the reliability of nearly every North American bulk power system (BPS) region west of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) this summer, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) warned in […]

  • ERCOT, MISO Warn of Potential Power Supply Shortfalls

    (Updated—May 6, 2022) The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) over the past week separately expressed concerns about power supply uncertainties in the face of upcoming warmer-than-normal temperatures. MISO raised an alarm on April 28 when it said that it projects “insufficient firm resources” to cover the summer […]

  • History of Power: Duke Energy’s Century-Old Legacy

    Duke Energy, one of the largest energy companies in the world, grew out of a system of lakes and dams along the Catawba River to generate power for the Piedmont Carolinas. While the company has sustained a

  • There’s Value in Old Power Generation Components

    Equipment from both renewable and thermal energy power plants is finding new life in the recycling market. The market for recycled power equipment components is getting a boost due to ongoing global supply

  • Advanced Analytics Applications Power Predictive Maintenance Efforts

    Moving from reactive to predictive maintenance requires the right tools for use by subject matter experts. As the power industry continues to advance from preventative to predictive maintenance, one thing is

  • POWER Digest [May 2022]

    Czech Republic Chooses Site for SMR Development. CEZ Group, a major conglomerate in the Czech Republic, in late March said it had set aside an area at the Temelin Nuclear Power Plant as a possible location for

  • BlackRock-led Group Invests $525M Toward India Renewable Energy

    A group considered the world’s largest asset manager has joined with a United Arab Emirates (UAE) wealth management fund to support an investment in renewable energy development in India. A consortium led by New York-based BlackRock, along with UAE sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Co., on April 14 said it would pay $525 million for […]

  • Aquajet Offers Innovative Solutions For Hydropower Applications

    MONROE, Wash. (April 7, 2022) —  Aquajet, a global leader in Hydrodemolition machine manufacturing, offers a lineup of cutting-edge Hydrodemolition equipment for concrete repair and restoration in hydropower applications. Paired with the highly versatile Aqua Spine, Aquajet’s Aqua Cutter 710V Hydrodemolition robot increases productivity and safety for challenging concrete removal and surface preparation tasks on […]

  • SCOTUS Reinstates Trump-Era Environmental Certification Rule

    The U.S. Supreme Court on April 6 reinstated a Trump-era environmental rule that limited state and tribal roles in enforcing a section of the Clean Water Act (CWA) related to project certification. The order is a temporary triumph for eight states and three energy trade associations, including the National Hydropower Association (NHA). The high court’s […]

  • POWER Digest [April 2022]

    Taiwan Suffers New Blackout. Another massive blackout hit major cities in Taiwan on the morning of March 3, causing disruptions in the capital Taipei, Hsinchu, and Kaohsiung in the south. State-run

  • Michell Bearings secures PTFE conversion at Sir Adam Beck Hydropower Station

    Michell Bearings has secured an order from ANDRITZ Hydro Canada to provide three sets of PTFE thrust pads for the Sir Adam Beck I hydropower station Situated close to Niagara Falls and operated by Ontario Power Generation (OPG), the station diverts water from the Niagara and Welland rivers which is then released into the lower […]

  • Fish Travel from Santee River to Lake Marion for the First Time in 80 Years

    Electric Power Research Institute, Santee Cooper and Whooshh Innovations conduct field study of fish passage portal. PINEVILLE, S.C. – For more than 80 years, the Santee Spillway has helped control water flow between Lake Marion and the Santee River, but it has also blocked the migration of fish swimming upstream to spawn.  Now, a new […]

  • ANDRITZ to supply hydro- and electro-mechanical equipment for Upper Trishuli 1, Nepal

    International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order from Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction Co. Ltd. to supply the hydro- and electromechanical equipment for the 216-MW Upper Trishuli 1 hydropower plant, a run-of-river plant in Nepal owned by Nepal Water & Energy Development Company Pvt. Ltd. Upon completion, which is scheduled for 2026, Upper Trishuli […]

  • CPS Energy Exploring Novel Geomechanical Pumped Storage Technology

    Texas-based CPS Energy, the largest municipally owned electric and natural gas company in the U.S., has entered into a 15-year commercial agreement to explore installing up to 15 MW of geomechanical pumped storage (GPS). The agreement will kick off with a pioneering 1-MW project that will pump water into drilled wells and store it under […]

  • Voith successfully completes the acquisition of all shares in Voith Hydro from former joint venture partner Siemens Energy

    HEIDENHEIM, GERMANY (March 1, 2022) — Following receipt of all the necessary official approvals, Voith today successfully completed the acquisition of the remaining shares in Voith Hydro from its former joint venture partner Siemens Energy. On October 21, 2021, the technology group and its longstanding partner Siemens Energy reached an agreement on Voith taking over […]

  • POWER Digest [March 2022]

    Oman Adds Major Solar Project. A consortium consisting of Saudi Arabia-based ACWA Power, Kuwait-based Gulf Investment Corp., and Kuwait’s Alternative Energy Projects Co. in January inaugurated Ibri 2, the

  • Bilfinger supports VERBUND with the construction of a pumped storage power plant

    Bilfinger will deliver pressure piping and draft tube gates for new Limberg III pumped storage power plant in Austria Order volume of more than €20 million Bilfinger impresses with innovative, time-saving assembly technique Bilfinger is supporting Austria’s leading energy company VERBUND Hydro Power with the construction of the new Limberg III pumped storage power plant […]

  • Ethiopia Produces First Power at GERD Mega-Dam

    Ethiopia began delivering power from a 375-MW turbine at its flagship 5.15-GW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on Feb. 20, marking a significant milestone for the project that could become Africa’s largest hydropower producer. Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed inaugurated the project in a celebration broadcast widely in the East African nation on Sunday. Officials […]

  • Green Hydrogen Economy: Magic Bullet or Mirage for Africa?

    Africa has approximately 600 million people without access to clean, reliable, and affordable electric power (80% of the global total). On the flip side, the continent has some of the fastest growing economies in the world. Countries like Egypt and Ethiopia have recorded more than 6% annual growth in gross domestic product (GDP) with the […]

  • Groups Grapple with Labor Logistics as Energy Evolves

    The continuing transition in the power generation sector means workers need new skills. The challenge for utilities and other power producers is finding the top talent at a time the labor pool is shallow

  • Blueprint Underway for Commercial Mine Energy Storage Facility in Sweden 

    A blueprint for what could become the world’s first commercial underground mine storage facility has garnered financial backing from Swedish Mining Innovation.