Technology

The power industry has been all abuzz lately about the potential role hydrogen could play in decarbonizing the energy sector. POWER was quick to notice the excitement surrounding hydrogen, and launched

The vision sounds far-fetched: If a kilometer-scale satellite could be outfitted with a hybrid array of photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) panels and launched into orbit 22,400 miles above

Many coal-fired power plants are being asked to ramp output up and down regularly, and often to levels less than units were originally designed to operate at. Implementing a Unit Flexibility and Asset

Today’s electric power grids are evolving at an alarming pace. Distributed energy resources are quickly taking the place of central power stations, making grid operators’ jobs of managing power flows in

A survey of chief information security officers revealed great insight on cyber risks and perceived vulnerabilities. While some insiders may think working hand-in-hand with government agencies to develop sound

Hydrostor, developer of a 400-MW, 8-hour long-duration advanced compressed air energy storage (A-CAES) facility, has filed an application for certification (AFC) with the California Energy Commission (CEC) for its first project in the state, envisioning its commercial operation as early as 2026. If the 3,200-MWh Pecho Energy Storage Center is built as planned in San […]

Fusion occurs when two atoms slam together to form a heavier atom, such as when two hydrogen atoms fuse to form one helium atom. A tremendous amount of energy is released in the process. This is the same process that powers the sun. In the sun’s core, where temperatures reach 15,000,000C, hydrogen atoms are in […]

Total expansion adds 40,000 square feet of space for additional staff, training, manufacturing, a clean room, and outdoor grid distribution testing lab CORNING, NEW YORK, (November 19, 2021) – Micatu Incorporated, a leader in cutting-edge optical sensing technology, finalized Phase I of its expansion with the completion of a new office and training space in upstate New York. The […]

NET Power, developer of the novel Allam-Fetvedt supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycle, says its 50-MWth test facility in La Porte, Texas, delivered power to the grid overnight on Nov. 16. The achievement marks a major milestone for the potentially revolutionary technology for which several commercial power plants are already under development. NET Power, a business venture […]

A site at PacifiCorp’s retiring 600-MW coal and gas–fired Naughton Power Plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming, will house the Natrium demonstration, a pioneering commercial-scale 500-MW project that will pair a 345-MW sodium-cooled fast reactor with a molten salt-based energy storage system. Project stakeholders on Nov. 16 unveiled the site for the federally backed demonstration, which will validate […]

Globally the energy transition is addressed through policy frameworks that target energy-related CO2 emissions reductions and power grid digitalization and automation, achieving a more efficient use of our resources. That is, as long as that electrification is based on clean, renewable energies. Renewable energies both help us to solve a planetary problem and introduce new […]

By Paul Muir, CRO, Mobideo Why are Turnarounds So Challenging “A large turnaround can include up to 150,000 individual activities. With this level of complexity, approximately half of all shutdown projects are delayed by more than 20% and 80% go over budget by more than 10%. Frequently, the work scope increases unexpectedly by up to […]

Nuclear power opponents often point to radioactive waste as one of their main concerns. However, most people don’t realize that problems associated with long-lived waste can actually be solved in an economic way with technology that’s already well-proven. Long-lived actinides can be “burned” in a thorium molten salt reactor (MSR), or a breeder reactor. They […]

The first complete accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) assembly is now operational at Exelon’s Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 in Maryland, bringing an industry-led quest to accelerate commercialization of the new nuclear technology closer to fruition. Inserted during the plant’s recent spring refueling outage, the lead fuel assembly (LFA) features a Framatome PROtect fuel design […]

The Biden administration has a goal to make half of all new vehicles sold by 2030 zero-emission. Washington and California plan to ban sales of new gas-powered cars by 2030 and 2035, respectively. The surge in electric vehicle (EV) sales is not only an issue for automakers. Gas filling stations also face a brutal reality […]

November 8, 2021: Framatome today announced the completion of its purchase of Rolls Royce Civil Nuclear Instrumentation and Control (I&C). Through this transaction, Framatome builds on its engineering expertise, enlarges its industrial footprint, and expands its global I&C systems development and deployment capabilities. “I&C systems serve as the ‘central nervous system’ of a nuclear power […]

Experts claim power grid infrastructure needs to be upgraded to accommodate the vast amount of renewable energy expected to be added to the system in coming decades. That could require billions of dollars in investments, millions of hours of planning and permitting work, and years of construction in the field. Another option that could help […]

Solar power has emerged as one of the most promising solutions to the world’s energy problems, enabling countries to find the proper balance between energy security, economic progress, and environmental sustainability. Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology, which began as an experimental method of energy production by Bell Labs in 1954, is now poised to change the […]

Digitalization, driven by big data, the industrial internet of things (IIOT), and even artificial intelligence (AI), has made its mark on the power industry, allowing for greater transparency into operations

The power sector has been evolving for years and technology has been instrumental in the change. Today, asset performance management and predictive maintenance tools can help power companies avoid outages

With more countries announcing net-zero plans for 2050 or sooner, hydrogen’s time has come to play a major and integrated role in our energy infrastructure. The energy industry has shown an increased interest in understanding the opportunities, challenges, and economic realities in integrating hydrogen into their energy portfolios. The March 2020 BloombergNEF Hydrogen outlook estimates […]

Following the European Green Deal, the European Union has set the objective to become climate-neutral by 2050, much like the U.S. and many other countries that joined the Paris Agreement. To meet this goal, greenhouse gas emissions cannot exceed capture and storage, meaning that fossil fuels will unavoidably need to be phased out. In power […]

The decarbonization of our global economies is a must to arrest climate change and create a sustainable future for everyone. Yet, the transition off fossil fuels to a more sustainable economic foundation will be rocky. Recent events underscore both the need and the challenge. This year, Europe experienced its warmest summer in history, with almost twice as […]

In January 2021, a hacker accessed the digital infrastructure controlling the water supply for Oldsmar, a Florida city of 15,000 people. The bad actor attempted to manipulate the city’s water supply, exploiting a vulnerability in the company’s IT-grade remote access software to alter levels of sodium hydroxide in the water supply, raising its concentration to […]

Insiders have long been talking about the energy transition taking place within the power industry. Most of the chatter has revolved around renewable energy, specifically wind and solar power, and the shift from coal- to gas-fired generation in the U.S. However, one expert from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) told POWER that carbon capture […]

Construction of the 10-MWe Supercritical Transformational Electric Power (STEP) pilot plant, a public-private collaboration to demonstrate and test supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power generating technology, is making marked progress toward a mid-2022 startup date.  Attendees from Experience POWER, HydrogeNext, and the Distributed Energy Conference, three of POWER’s annual in-person events, which took place last week in […]

The grid must accommodate more inverter-based generation and adequately handle the bi-directional flow of electricity, but it must also apply alternative grid configurations and coordinate planning and operations across multiple participants and jurisdictions. That’s the vision Michael Pesin, deputy assistant secretary for the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Grid Research and Development division, outlined in […]