Technology

  • Siemens Studies Hydrogen Production, Storage at Utah Plant

    Siemens Energy said it is joining with a power generation cooperative on a plan to integrate hydrogen production and storage at a Utah power plant. Siemens on March 1 said it has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to support a conceptual design study, which is set to begin […]

  • 1.6-GW Coal Plant May Get New Life as Green Hydrogen Hub

    Global technology heavyweights Shell and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Swedish state-owned energy firm Vattenfall, and German municipal heat generator Wärme Hamburg are teaming on a massive project to repurpose a 2015-commissioned 1.6-GW coal plant in northern Germany as a massive green hydrogen hub.  The four companies in January said they signed a letter of intent to […]

  • The Allure of TRISO Nuclear Fuel Explained

    Tristructural isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel has long been used in high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactors, but it is seeing a resurgence as a result of other applications. Modern TRISO fuel designs are

  • The Hydropower Industry’s Sustainability Conundrum

    Hydropower makes up the majority of the world’s renewable energy capacity, but it’s not necessarily an environmentally friendly form of power. However, groups are working to improve hydropower technology

  • Fukushima’s Decade-Long Shadow Made Nuclear Safer

    Koji Okamoto, director general of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency’s (JAEA’s) Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science (CLADS), can pinpoint the specific moment that cemented his

  • Innovative Engineering Results in Successful Steam Blowing Operation

    Experience gained by a project team during a steam blowing operation for a combined cycle power project in Indonesia is described in this article. A specific challenge faced by the commissioning team is

  • Ecuador’s Power Grid Gets a Massive Makeover

    Over the past two decades, Ecuador has added a lot of hydroelectric power to its mix. Going forward, natural gas generation is expected to play more of a role in maintaining reliability and adding flexibility

  • How to Put the Power Grid to Work to Prevent Wildfires

    While not a new occurrence, in recent years wildfires have wreaked havoc across the western U.S. We have also seen Mother Nature batter coastlines and landscapes around the globe, and the ever-mounting pace of

  • Exelon to Split Business, Spin Off Generation Segment

    Responding to rapid changes in the power industry, Exelon Corp. plans to cleave its business into two publicly traded companies: one comprising its six regulated electric and gas utilities, and the other, which it plans to spin off, comprising its 31-GW competitive generation fleet and customer-facing businesses.  The separation—which the company’s Board of Directors approved […]

  • Hydrogen and the Energy Transition

    Power systems around the world are changing. Renewable energy, mainly in the form of wind and solar generation, is being added everywhere, while more traditional forms of power, such as coal-fired and nuclear generation, are being retired from the grid. Meanwhile, natural gas-fired generation has taken the lead role in facilitating the transition by providing […]

  • LineVision’s V3 Transmission Line Monitoring System installed in Colorado, Minnesota and Wisconsin to Increase Grid Capacity and Safety

    LineVision’s Unique, Non-Contact Overhead Line Monitoring Systems Can Add Upwards of 40% Additional Capacity to Congested Power Lines  February 25, 2021; Somerville, MA – LineVision, Inc., the world’s only provider of non-contact overhead line sensor solutions to monitor, optimize and protect critical energy delivery infrastructure has been hired by Xcel Energy Inc., a major energy provider that […]

  • GE Debuts Giant 9HA.02 Gas Turbines at 1.4-GW Plant in Malaysia

    Two GE 9HA.02 gas turbines—the largest model of GE’s second-generation H-class heavy-duty gas turbine fleet and one of the largest gas turbine models on the global market—on Feb. 24 began commercial operation at Southern Power Generation’s (SPG’s) 1,440-MW Track 4A Power Plant in Pasir Gudang, Johor, Malaysia.  The combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant, built […]

  • 2020 Was a Turning Point: The year of Transparency in the Grid

    2020 was a lot of things, most of them sombre. However, there is one positive way I believe we in the distribution grid sector can describe the year, as an inflection point. In years to come, we may well look back on 2020 as the year when terms like “energy transition” and “digitalization” finally began […]

  • How to Optimize Online Meeting Communication and Collaboration

    Are we prepared for what the future of work holds? According to a recent McKinsey report, that answer will depend on our ability to adapt to a hybrid workforce. The report, which analyzed more than 2,000 activities across 800 occupations, found that hybrid models of remote work will accelerate and continue after the COVID-19 pandemic […]

  • The Earth’s Energy: Switching Geothermal Power On

    Although geothermal energy supplies a very small percentage of the electricity used around the world currently, geothermal advocates aren’t letting the seeming insignificance of the existing power generation capacity detract from their enthusiasm about the future. After years of relative obscurity compared to other renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, geothermal energy is […]

  • EnergyHub bolsters DERMS platform with Mercury Edge Connect, enabling utilities to integrate with any DER provider

    BROOKLYN, N.Y. and San Carlos, CA, February 18, 2021:EnergyHub today announced the release of Mercury Edge Connect, a standardized integration framework for connecting DER providers with EnergyHub’s Mercury DERMS. Mercury Edge Connect allows utilities to manage devices from any DER provider to deliver grid services. The addition of Mercury Edge Connect strengthens the ability of […]

  • Dirty Electricity, but Not the Kind You Think

    When most people hear the term “dirty electricity,” they probably think of power generated from sources considered more-polluting, such as coal, natural gas, or other fossil fuels. However, Satic Inc., an electronics manufacturer and professional engineering firm based in Missoula, Montana, says electricity in homes and businesses is filled with “electrical pollution” that is not […]

  • Is Nuclear Power Poised for a Resurgence?

    Since 1990, nuclear power has consistently supplied about 19% to 20% of the electricity used in the U.S. However, very few nuclear plants have been added to the U.S. fleet over that time. Currently, the only new nuclear project in the U.S. is Southern Company’s Plant Vogtle expansion, which is expected to add two new […]

  • Bayshore Networks and GE Digital Expand Partnership to Secure Industrial and Critical Infrastructure Networks

    GE Digital’s OpShield technology to be integrated into Bayshore Networks’ solutions DURHAM, N.C., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Bayshore Networks and GE Digital today announced an expansion to their partnership to integrate their solutions to address the growing need to secure industrial and critical infrastructure networks. GE Digital’s OpShield technology will be integrated into Bayshore Networks’ advanced […]

  • Boston Dynamics Expands Spot® Product Line

    New self-charging Enterprise robot, remote operation software, and robot arm enhance Spot’s capabilities for autonomous site monitoring  Waltham, MA – February 2, 2021 – Boston Dynamics, the global leader in mobile robotics, today announced an expanded product line for its agile mobile robot Spot. The new products include a self-charging Enterprise Spot, web-based remote operations […]

  • Using Data for Smarter Power Generation

    Power plant operators continually search for ways to make electricity production and transmission more efficient. With more generation sources coming online, the use of artificial intelligence and machine

  • Countries Roll Out Green Hydrogen Strategies, Electrolyzer Targets

    Countries are increasingly embedding green hydrogen’s potential to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors within ambitious strategies. In December, Canada joined a long list of countries, which includes France

  • Fending Off Forced Power Plant Outages

    The changing profile of the power system has added new stressors on conventional power generation and may have raised the potential for forced outages. Addressing them requires a closer look at traditional and

  • How NRG Energy Uses IIoT Technology to Optimize Asset Performance and Predict Failures

    Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology is changing how power plants operate. One generating station incorporated new wireless vibration sensors with data from its existing historian system to better

  • Cleaning Boiler Superheaters with a Mobile Shockwave Method

    One of the keys to boiler efficiency in thermal power plants is ensuring fouling and clinkers formed on superheater bundles are routinely removed. A mobile shockwave cleaning method offers one innovative

  • Flame-Resistant Clothing: Everything You Need to Know

    Flame-resistant (FR) garments are an important safety item for workers in the power industry. However, protection varies based on the arc rating of the clothing. Wearers must understand how the FR clothing

  • Supporting Grid Demand with Renewables

    Internet of Things (IoT)-based energy management systems centered around edge controllers provide the functionality required to match renewable energy output with power requirements. Traditional baseload power

  • POWER Digest [February 2021]

    Power generation news briefs from around the world.

  • The POWER Interview: The Importance of AI and Machine Learning

    Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are becoming synonymous with the operation of power generation facilities. The increased digitization of power plants, from equipment to software, involves both thermal generation and renewable energy installations. Both AI and ML will be key elements for the design of future energy systems, supporting the growth of smart […]

  • Inline Oil Condition Analysis on Power Generation Engines

    Oil and lubricants play a critical role in the operation of natural gas and biogas power generation engines, for example, in combined cycle (CC) and combined heat and power (CHP) plants. The oil condition gives valuable insight in the running status of the engine and many critical failures can be flagged. Benefits of Real-time Monitoring […]