Research and Development

Nearly half of the $2.66 billion spent by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) since 2010 to develop advanced fossil energy technologies was dedicated to nine carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration projects—but only three were active at the end of 2017, and only one was at a power plant. In a report prepared for […]

ATLANTA, Georgia (Oct. 3, 2018) — Siemens is acquiring the specialized software company Electrocon International Inc. (EII) to uniquely enhance simulations of power grids and strengthen the company’s electrical digital twin efforts. EII, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, develops and markets CAPE (Computer-Aided Protection Engineering) software which focuses on the protection of electricity systems and […]

Natural gas combined cycle, wind, and residential solar photovoltaic technologies may be the least-expensive way to generate power across a wide swathe of the U.S., an interactive map published and recently updated by the University of Texas (UT) at Austin’s Energy Institute shows.  The interactive chart (Version 1.4.0, retrieved on October 4, 2018), first published […]

DHAKA, Bangladesh (October 1, 2018) — In its continued efforts to provide the most advanced energy solutions to Bangladesh, GE Power (NYSE: GE) today announced that it has been selected by Unique Group, to develop the 600 megawatt (MW) natural gas based combined cycle power plant at Meghnaghat, near Dhaka, Bangladesh. Unique Meghnaghat Power Limited […]

Corrosion products can form quickly in power plant systems if water, air, and metal are allowed to occupy the same space. Localized corrosion can take any of several distinct forms, such as stress corrosion

Lead analyst Stephen Tusa lowered J.P. Morgan’s rating on GE stock after “checks on two initial U.S. installations revealed failures of the first stage blade of GE’s H-frame gas turbine,” thestreet.com reported on September 20. Tusa—who has long been critical of GE’s prospects—reportedly wrote, “The impact on ‘asset value’ from a failure at GE’s U.S. […]

At this moment, the lights are on around the country in homes and workplaces.  Most don’t realize, perhaps take it for granted, that those lights come on because of the hard work of dispatchers operating one of the most important manmade systems ever built, the national electric power grid. Without oversimplifying the process too much, […]

Siemens and E.ON have reached a significant milestone in the area of 3D-printing for the energy sector. The world’s first 3-D printed burner for an SGT-700 gas turbine has been in operation for one year at E.ON’s combined cycle power plant in Philippsthal in the German state of Hessen and the results are impressive. The […]

  Scientists appear to have unraveled the mystery of uranium ore found at a mine in Oklo region of the Central African state of Gabon that exhibits a lower proportion of uranium-235 (U-235)—the fissile sort. According to an August 10 bulletin from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the first response that physicists had when […]

Terrestrial Energy USA, a company that is developing a fourth-generation molten salt nuclear reactor, has joined forces with Southern Co. and several U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national labs, in a research and development (R&D) project that seeks to pin down whether its reactor technology can produce hydrogen efficiently using nuclear heat and power.  The […]

The Solar Energy Industries Association, the national trade association for the U.S. solar industry, reports that solar power has grown in the U.S. at a compounded annual rate of 59% since the solar investment

Though tidal energy is still considered by many to be in its nascent stages, power generated from turbines harnessing fast tidal flows in the same way wind turbines catch the wind has entered the commercial

Energy industry experts speaking at the MEGA Symposium in Baltimore, Maryland, on August 21 agreed that storage is becoming more important to the overall mix of U.S. power sources. They also said utility-scale storage solutions remain “years away,” even as technology advancements in battery systems occur more rapidly. Panelists at the session entitled “The Transformation […]

OAKLAND, Calif. (August 7, 2018)—California can retire at least 28 of its natural gas plants because they are no longer needed to meet the state’s electricity needs nor its carbon emissions reduction goals, according to an analysis released today by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). The study analyzed the operations of all 89 natural gas plants […]

High-voltage power contractor Smith Brothers has secured an Independent Connection Provider (ICP) contract with sustainable energy specialist P3P Partners, marking the electrical engineering firm’s first foray into the fast-growing combined heat and power (CHP) market. A leading provider of CHP services, P3P develops energy-efficient centres across the UK and has previously delivered state-of-the-art solutions to […]

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 7, 2018 — SparkCognition, a global artificial intelligence (AI) company, announced its collaboration with Siemens to deploy SparkCognition’s AI solutions on MindSphere, the Internet of Things (IoT) operating system from Siemens. SparkCognition is also joining the global MindSphere Partner Program, which will further enable them to enhance operations for companies in the Industrial IoT (IIoT) market. “SparkCognition […]

Maintaining a reliable supply of power in Delhi, India, has been a major issue for the area as local demand for electricity continues to increase. The city in June repeatedly set new records for electricity

The Samcheok Green Power Plant requires less maintenance and is more cost-effective than conventional coal plants, and more environmentally friendly with its use of once-through ultrasupercritical boilers

A patented Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) technology uses superheated steam—instead of an open flame—and mineralizing additives to treat and immobilize radionuclides in a water-insoluble matrix

Wind farms are not all created equal. During the previous 12 months ending February 2018, the average capacity factor for U.S. wind turbines—virtually all of which were located on land—was 36.9%. Danish

Cheap and abundant electric power from nuclear fusion—power “too cheap to meter”—has been a dream for more than a half-century. But as time passes, practical fusion appears to be moving further into

In Beijing, China, on July 20, at a ceremony attended by the Ambassador of Italy to the People’s Republic of China Ettore Francesco Sequi, and the President of Shanghai Electric Group Huang Ou, SPIC (State Power Investment Corporation Limited) Chairman and Party Secretary Qian Zhimin and Ansaldo Energia CEO Giuseppe Zampini signed a Cooperation Memorandum […]

LEWISTON–The New York Power Authority has moved a step closer toward becoming the nation’s first all-digital electric utility by testing an array of sensors at its Robert Moses-Niagara Power Plant that will help determine the life expectancy of key equipment and head off potential problems before they can affect operations. Data from about 100 sensors […]

A project at the Centre for Fine Print Research (CFPR) based at the University of the West of England, (UWE) Bristol UK is looking at 3D printing from a totally different angle – where the emphasis is placed on meaningful expression, rather than the accurate reproduction of digital data. A flexible Mitsubishi Electric MELFA RV-Series […]

TAE Technologies’ plasma performance is rapidly ramping up in Norman using advanced active feedback controls, further validating the company’s unique approach to fusion energy. FOOTHILL RANCH, CA, July 19, 2018 — Secretary Rick Perry today joined executives of TAE Technologies, Inc., the world’s largest and most advanced private fusion energy company, at its headquarters in […]

An industrial-scale pilot plant that will use surplus hydrogen from refinery operations to produce power is taking shape in Australia. Industrial alkaline fuel cell power company AFC Energy on July 12 said it received its first commercial order for a hydrogen power generation unit in Australia from Southern Oil Refining, a subsidiary of Northern Oil. […]

Siemens has introduced a new SGT-800 performance enhancement that is applicable to all existing SGT-800 units with 43-47.5-MW ratings. The new upgrade is designed to provide owners and operators with significant fuel savings and CO2emissions reduction for improved sustainable energy production. The upgrade offers up to a 3.5 percent increase of simple cycle gas turbine […]

A Maryland-based company and its Canadian subsidiary have joined with a Canada utility in a project to develop, license, and build an advanced small modular reactor (SMR). Advanced Reactor Concepts of Chevy Chase, Maryland, along with ARC Nuclear Canada—operating collectively as ARC Nuclear (ARC)—and New Brunswick Power (NB Power) on July 9 said their SMR […]

Siemens on July 9 said it has a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to work with China’s State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) on heavy-duty gas turbines. Siemens said it will support SPIC’s research and development of the turbines and provide training and technical consultation. “The signing today will expedite finalization of a technology cooperation agreement in […]

Japan’s government on July 3 approved a new Basic Energy Plan for the country, saying it is committed to increasing the role of renewable resources for power generation while also confirming it wants nuclear power to remain a vital part of the nation’s energy strategy. Japan issues a revised Basic Energy Plan, which outlines the […]