Safety

  • Three Solutions to Fire Safety Challenges: Lessons from the Energy Storage Industry

    The world’s energy landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by the increasing demand for resilient, cost-effective, and net-zero sources of energy. Policymakers and regulators now can’t ignore the fundamental role that the energy storage industry is playing in the clean energy transition—stabilizing the grid as more renewable energy assets come online. This recognition is creating huge […]

  • Digitalization Is Now a Power Sector Imperative: Takeaways from Connected Plant Conference 2023

    Digitalization is now so firmly embedded in the power sector that if participants haven’t yet begun their digital journey, they’ve inherently fallen behind. That was a message repeated at the three-day 7th annual Connected Plant Conference (CPC), which took place this week in New Orleans, Louisiana. POWER magazine and Chemical Engineering magazine’s conference this year […]

  • NRC Completes Safety Review for Kairos Nuclear Test Reactor Within 18 Months

    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has wrapped up a final safety evaluation for Kairos Power’s 35-MWth Hermes “non-power” demonstration reactor, which the firm has proposed to build at the East Tennessee Technology Park Heritage Center site in Oak Ridge, and plans to begin operating by 2026. The NRC’s review, which concluded “no safety aspects that would […]

  • Det-Tronics Drives Innovation in Ultra-High-Speed Flame Detection and Release Systems and Fire Safety for Renewable Energy Facilities

    BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – June 15, 2023 — Det-Tronics, a global leader in fire and gas safety systems, has formally announced the launch of the Eagle Quantum Premier® ULTRA-FDRS (Ultra-High-Speed Flame Detection & Release System). Committed to setting a new standard in flame and gas detection and mitigation, Det-Tronics will be discussing the product during NFPA […]

  • Four Ways to Protect the Energy Sector from Cybersecurity Threats

    It’s been two years since the historic Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack shut down one of the largest and most vital oil pipelines in the U.S. While this hasn’t been the nation’s only attack on power infrastructure, it’s the largest publicly disclosed and, at $4.4 million, it was also the most-costly. Since then, we’ve learned that […]

  • Strategies for Operating Safely within Power Construction Zones

    Temporary work zones are often required when constructing or rehabilitating power generation facilities and infrastructure. Safety is the essential factor in any industrial setting, and this is especially true when it comes to activities that disrupt normal operations. The introduction of vehicles, equipment, materials, and personnel to any environment can necessitate new strategies for keeping […]

  • Dynamic Innovation in Power Sector Digitalization

    The power industry’s rapid adoption of digitalization is a striking example of its dynamic innovation—the continuous development and introduction of new ideas, products, or processes to meet shifting

  • A Long Time Coming: Rawhide Unit 1 Is Coal Users’ Group Plant of the Year

    After years of upgrade and retrofit projects, and a keen focus on safety and continuous improvement, the Coal Users’ Group board of directors selected Platte River Power Authority’s Rawhide Unit 1 as the

  • Improving the U.S. Electric Power Grid: Mitigating Vulnerabilities and Enhancing Operation

    The U.S. power grid has many vulnerabilities, but power companies, with additional support from the government, are investing in the system and enhancing its operation through new innovative technology. The

  • New Technologies Are Making Nuclear Energy Safer and More Efficient

    It’s been nearly seven decades since the first nuclear power station began operating. Thanks to digital transformation, this form of energy generation has never been safer—or more efficient. While the

  • Rethinking Energy Reliability with Modern Power Systems

    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

  • New Steam Generators Help Extend Operation of Surry Nuclear Power Plant

    Dominion Energy will replace the steam generators at its Surry Nuclear Power Station in Virginia. The project further supports the company’s Subsequent License Renewal (SLR) program to extend the long-term operation of Surry Units 1 and 2 through 2052 and 2053, respectively, when the units’ current licenses expire. Westinghouse Electric Co. will design and manufacture […]

  • Understanding Ultrasonic Examination in the Power Industry

    Nondestructive testing (NDT) refers to the inspection of materials to ensure their integrity and serviceability without damaging the components in the process. There are various NDT methods used by inspectors

  • GE Invests Heavily in Improving Gas Turbine Repair Processes and Combustor Performance

    On the east side of Greenville, South Carolina, sits a 413-acre site with more than one and a half million square feet of manufacturing space and another 70,000 square feet of labs. This is one of the locations where GE Gas Power is working to improve gas turbine technology and repair processes, among other things. […]

  • How Low-E Valves Can Reduce Costly Fugitive Emissions

    Though discussions of fugitive emissions are not new in power and processing facilities, they remain a focal point of most plants’ operational plans because they can harm profitability if they are not addressed. As governmental agencies like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) aim to curb fugitive emissions, it becomes ever more important to make […]

  • How an EMP or GMD Could Destroy the Power Grid and Create Chaos

    Perhaps the most devastating thing that could happen in any developed country would be widespread catastrophic damage to its electric power grid. Nearly everything in an industrialized nation relies on electricity to function. Without it, normal water supplies, sewer systems, and communication services are cut off. Furthermore, things like food and transportation are quickly affected […]

  • Optimizing Combined Cycle Power Plant Operations

    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

  • Cameras Are an Important Security Tool for Power Plants and Substations

    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

  • China Begins Operation of First CGN Hualong One Nuclear Reactor

    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, […]

  • Voith Hydro and STRUCINSPECT advance monitoring of hydropower civil structures

    Voith Hydro and STRUCINSPECT advance monitoring of hydropower civil structures Strong partnership between experienced equipment supplier and successful corporate start-up from Austria. Digital inspections lead to state-of-the-art digital infrastructure and lifecycle management. First hydropower facility monitoring currently underway in Scotland. HEIDENHEIM/VIENNA. Hydropower is the world’s largest source of renewable energy. In order to make the […]

  • Ingersoll Rand® 2922 Series Pneumatic Impact Wrenches Combine Power, Durability, Savings

    Available in ¾” and 1” models, the 2922 Series power 2,000 ft-lbs of nut-busting torque and 1,450 ft-lbs of max breakaway torque to easily take on tough jobs. Weighing in at just 12 lbs., these wrenches offer the best-in-class raw power and power-to-weight ratio at an unmatched value. The pressure feed lubrication ensures better distribution […]

  • Framatome inks contract with ČEZ to Modernize Instrumentation and Control Systems

    February 14, 2023 – Framatome announced today it has signed a contract with ČEZ to modernize the existing instrumentation and control (I&C) Spinline testers for safety systems installed on four VVER type reactors at Dukovany Nuclear Power Station, located in Czech Republic. “We commend ČEZ for its high standards of safety and vigilance in fortifying […]

  • Floating Nuclear Power Buoyant on New Prospects

    In July 1968, the U.S. Army sent the world’s first floating nuclear power plant, the Sturgis, to the Panama Canal to help overcome a regional hydroelectric power plant shortage, which was driven by a severe

  • Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF) receives grant funding for three projects, serving in advisory role for five additional grants

    January 13, 2023 – The Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF), the research affiliate of the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®), has received grant funding for four projects, including two funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency Assistance to Firefighters Grants (FEMA AFG) and two funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). In […]

  • Jacobs to Plan Dismantling of Soviet-era Nuclear Reactors

    Project in Lithuania could offer important lessons for U.K. power station cleanup DALLAS – A consortium comprising Westinghouse Electric Spain, Jacobs (NYSE:J) and the Lithuanian Energy Institute was selected to plan dismantling and waste management at the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) in Lithuania. Soviet-designed Ignalina could be the first graphite-moderated reactor plant to be […]

  • Being Pro-Nuclear Won’t Be Enough—Here’s Why

    Nuclear energy—not just nuclear power—is seeing a burst of innovation unlike anything seen since the 1950s. While the strong momentum for the dispatchable zero-carbon energy source is promising, prominent pitfalls threaten necessary progress.

  • Covering More with Less: Securing Renewable Energy Sources

    A wide range of industries fall under the umbrella of critical infrastructure, and they are all—as the name implies—critical. From energy production and water treatment to transportation and data storage, everything within critical infrastructure serves an essential purpose when it comes to the continued functioning of the nation. Unfortunately, that makes critical infrastructure sites a […]

  • Small Modular Reactors Aren’t Difficult Nuclear Waste Generators

    Many experts believe small modular reactors (SMRs), which are generally classified as nuclear power reactors with an electrical output of 300 MW or less, offer great promise for supplying the world with carbon-free energy. Several SMR designs are under development by companies around the world including NuScale Power, GE-Hitachi, Terrestrial Energy, TerraPower, Toshiba, X-energy, and […]

  • The Tales of Battery Energy Storage System Permitting Process

    According to Elon Musk, solar and batteries go together like peanut butter and jelly. The sustainability of renewable energy relies on the deployment of energy storage systems for the storage of energy harnessed by renewable sources. The reduction in the cost to manufacture battery energy storage systems (BESSs) has catapulted the use of these types […]

  • Nuclear Power Is Finally Poised to Ramp Up Again in Japan

    The Japanese have been hesitant to re-embrace nuclear power following the triple reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in 2011, but there are indications that nuclear power could ramp up again in