Technology
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Renewables
Developments in Offshore Wind Technology
By some estimates, offshore wind energy has the potential to deliver 18 times the current global electricity demand. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has said offshore wind power could develop into a $1 trillion industry over the next two decades, so there’s obviously a lot of growth potential around the world. While the cost for […]
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Top Plant
Darlington’s First Refurbishment: A Model for Nuclear Construction
The successful refurbishment of Unit 2 at the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station marked a pivotal milestone for Ontario Power Generation’s 10-year, C$12.8 billion overhaul of the plant’s four CANDU
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Power
How the Clean Energy Transition Is Intensifying the Energy-Water Nexus
Decarbonization is posing a fundamental dilemma that could have widespread serious implications for the power sector: the clean energy transition, if not properly managed, could increase water stress, or be
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Power
Australia Launches Gas Strategy to Revitalize Power Sector
In a bid to spur economic activity and thwart a COVID-19–related downturn, Australia’s government in September set out a strategy to reset domestic power and gas priorities to tamp down power prices and
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Fuel
JERA Planning to Shift Coal Power Fleet to 100% Ammonia
Japanese firm JERA, a joint venture between TEPCO and Chubu Electric, on Oct. 13 issued a roadmap to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050. The move is notable for the company whose business includes a sizable
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O&M
NETL: Meeting the Needs of the Nation’s Fossil Power Plant Fleet
Through programs such as Transformative Power Generation, High-Performance Materials, and Advanced Coal Processing, the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is conducting research and development
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O&M
How to Examine Generators with Visual Inspection Robots
Inspecting generators has always been a time-consuming and expensive job, yet one that needs to be done at regular intervals. An impressive new visual inspection robot can save owners many days of unnecessary
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Hydro
Understanding Open-Channel Flow Equations for Hydro Applications
Chezy and Manning developed equations that are used to determine the average volumetric flowrate in open channels. This article explains a laboratory method that was developed and tested to further identify
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Commentary
Smart Energy Communities Can Make Our Grid More Human-Centric
For nearly a century, the grid has been one, solid, hulking, inflexible machine. Now, with the rise of technologies like microgrids, distributed renewables, battery storage, and vehicle-to-grid applications, we can reimagine the grids that enclose our communities to be like those fictional spaceships.
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Markets
Shakeup for 720-MW Nuclear SMR Project as More Cities Withdraw Participation
At least eight cities have now dropped shares in the Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP), a 720-MWe NuScale Power small modular reactor (SMR) project proposed by Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS). Despite the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Oct.16–announced $1.4 billion, 10-year award to fund one-time costs for the first-of-a-kind project, four Utah cities withdrew […]
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Nuclear
Fusion Power May Be Closer Than You Think
Fusion research and development have been ongoing for decades, and many people probably believe a fusion power system will remain out of reach for decades longer. But the truth is that more than 100 tokamaks have been constructed and the science behind fusion is well-understood. What has been elusive is generating net energy from a […]
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Press Releases
WPD Becomes First in UK to Install Outage-Mitigation Device
CHICAGO, October 27, 2020 – S&C Electric Company, a leading grid innovator improving power reliability and delivery worldwide, and Western Power Distribution (WPD), a U.K.-based electricity distribution network operator serving 7.9 million customers throughout Wales and England’s Midlands and South West regions, have completed the installation of the first S&C TripSaver® II Cutout-Mounted Recloser in […]
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Connected Plant
Technology for Advanced Asset Inspections
Netze BW GmbH is the largest distribution system operator (DSO) in Baden-Württemberg, which is the third-largest state in Germany. Netze BW is responsible for high-, medium-, and low-voltage networks across the state. Its power lines stretch over 100,000 kilometers (more than 62,000 miles), and like all power utilities, it faces a constant challenge of monitoring, […]
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Energy Storage
Developing a Safer Lithium-Ion Battery
Most consumers know that lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries can get hot. People experience the phenomenon in devices such as cell phones and laptop computers. In extreme circumstances, the heat can cause fires with catastrophic consequences. One company that is working to remedy the problem is Burlington, Washington-headquartered LAVLE. The company’s COO Morten Pedersen and CTO Ben […]
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Renewables
Harvesting Near-Ground Winds with Advanced Compact Turbines
Compact (H-type) vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) are not as familiar as their horizontal-axis, propeller-type cousins. The two have their origins in the windmills of the 12th century, and even earlier, but the former has lacked financing, and research and development resources that have been poured into the latter to produce some of the lowest-cost energy […]
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Press Releases
The future of SGRE turbine performance tests offshore and onshore is the ZX TM nacelle Lidar
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) statement of testing and approval of nacelle based wind Lidar ‘ZX TM’ from ZX Lidars for the purpose of Power Performance Testing on Siemens Gamesa wind turbines released In connection with a power curve campaign, Siemens Gamesa has tested a new technology together with the well-known company ZX Lidars. Based […]
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Connected Plant
Schneider Electric Releases ArcFM Mobile 11.2.1
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (Oct. 13, 2020) – Schneider Electric, the industry leader in Geographic Information System (GIS) solutions for utilities and communication providers, announced the latest release of ArcFM Mobile XI, the utility-scale mobile GIS solution designed for field crews. ArcFM Mobile 11.2.1 now supports a full digital design-construction workflow in the ArcFM XI ecosystem […]
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Nuclear
Natrium, Xe-100 Are DOE’s Picks for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Demonstrations
TerraPower and X-energy will each receive $80 million in initial federal funding under the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) to build their two distinct advanced nuclear reactors and begin operating them within seven years. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette made the much-awaited announcement about the first ARDP awards in a brief Twitter […]
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IIOT
The Energy-Sector Threat: How to Address Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities
Electric-power and gas companies are especially vulnerable to cyberattacks, but a structured approach that applies communication, organizational, and process frameworks can significantly reduce cyber-related risks. In our experience working with utility companies, we have observed three characteristics that make the sector especially vulnerable to contemporary cyberthreats. First is an increased number of threats and actors […]
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Nuclear
DOE Has Chosen Advanced Nuclear Reactor Demonstration Winners
The Department of Energy (DOE) on Oct. 7 notified Congress that it has chosen recipients for its Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) and will make its selections public “next week.” The ARDP program, which the DOE officially launched on May 14, will essentially focus DOE and non-federal resources (through cost-shared agreements with industry) to enable […]
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POWER Podcasts
Taking Lithium-Ion Batteries to the Next Level
Although the first lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery was conceived more than 50 years ago, the technology continues to be refined and improved today. Scientists and engineers are constantly modifying and testing electrolytes, anodes, and cathodes in an effort to make Li-ion batteries more energy-efficient, cost-effective, and safer. Chicago, Illinois-based NanoGraf Technologies is one company working to […]
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IIOT
ABB digitalizes process safety lifecycle management
ABB has launched ABB Ability™ SafetyInsight™ a suite of digital software applications that support companies across the energy and process sectors throughout the entire lifecycle of process safety management (PSM). Operating as a central source of information the software digitalizes early Engineering Technology (ET) data to create a process safety digital twin, using this […]
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Nuclear
In Boost to Canada’s Nuclear Roadmap, OPG Advances Work with Three SMR Developers
Ontario Power Generation (OPG) took another step to bolster plans to deploy small modular reactors (SMRs) in Ontario, announcing it is advancing engineering and design work with three major advanced nuclear reactor developers: GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH), Terrestrial Energy, and X-energy. The announcement on Oct. 6 stems from a “due diligence” process OPG held […]
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Press Releases
InEight Reimagines Capital Project Document Management with All-New InEight Document
InEight simplifies document management and collaboration for capital projects with new capabilities and a streamlined user experience available now with InEight Document SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – October 6, 2020 – InEight Inc., a global leader in capital project management software, today unveiled the all-new InEight Document featuring a host of new capabilities as well as a ground-up […]
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Supply Chains
Mixed Reactions on Looming DOE NOPR for Bulk Power System Security
The Department of Energy (DOE) will issue a notice of proposed rule-making (NOPR) to implement President Trump’s broad bulk power system (BPS) security executive order (EO) “later this fall,” a DOE official confirmed to POWER on Oct. 5. Though the NOPR is delayed beyond the 150-day timeframe set by the EO, various BPS stakeholders are […]
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News
Microgrids Increase Reliability, Resiliency
Increasing the reliability and resiliency of the electricity supply is a focus of today’s power generation industry. In concert with that, more and more utilities, companies, and institutions are establishing internal clean energy goals, wanting to reduce their carbon footprint while ensuring a consistent supply of power for their operations. An (date) session of Experience […]
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Connected Plant
A Holistic Model for Industrial Gas Power: Dearborn Central Energy Plant
DTE’s new Central Energy Plant will energize a flexible and high-tech revamp of Ford Motor Co.’s Research and Engineering campus in Dearborn, Michigan. Because it goes beyond the envelope of modern