Technology

  • The POWER Interview: What Is a Digital Twin?

    The term “digital twin” is used frequently by tech-savvy power industry professionals, but what does it really mean? To get an insider’s perspective, POWER posed the question to Akshay Patwal, strategic business manager with Siemens Energy. Patwal leads the development and commercialization of digital business transformation projects, using big data platforms and analytics, to create […]

  • The Rise of Distributed Natural Gas Generation

    The power sector has increasingly turned to various forms of distributed generation to meet growing power demands over the past several decades. Although solar PV and other renewable technologies receive most of the coverage, they represent only a fraction of the distributed market. Diesel generator sets (gensets) have long been the face of distributed generation. […]

  • Future of Solar Energy Brighter Than Sun: Rapid Innovations Pave the Way

    We live in the age of automation and artificial intelligence. We need smartphones with long-lasting battery backup. We demand computers with higher computing power. In short, we require more and more energy. And when it comes to energy, we often turn to the most sustainable power alternative: solar energy. Its abundance is not the only […]

  • Burns & McDonnell Selected by NYPA for Major Control System Modernization Project at One of Largest Hydropower Facilities in North America

    KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Burns & McDonnell will serve as engineer-procure-construct (EPC) contractor for an extensive $134 million electrical control system upgrade and modernization project for the New York Power Authority’s 2,525-megawatt (MW) Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant. The control system project is a crucial component of a recently announced $1.1 billion Next Generation Niagara […]

  • Interest in DOE’s Versatile Test Reactor Heats Up

    GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) and TerraPower are jointly pursuing an opportunity to design and build the U.S. Department of Energy’s Versatile Test Reactor (VTR), an experimental fast neutron nuclear reactor that could start up by 2026. The companies on Jan. 21 announced they collaborated on a response to an expression of interest (EOI) issued […]

  • Deal-Making in Power Sector Dragged in 2019

    Deal-making in the North American power and utilities sector fell for the third year in a row in 2019, and total deal value shrank by 41% compared to 2018, indicating a sustained sluggish financial interest in the sector, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). The international accounting firm’s newly released “North American Power & Utilities deals insights […]

  • FM Global to conduct regular cyber engineering evaluations of industrial control systems for clients

    JOHNSTON, R.I., USA—As part of its continuing commitment to cyber risk assessment, prevention and control, FM Global, one of the world’s largest commercial property insurers, has become one of the first insurance carriers to offer industrial control systems (ICS) evaluations at client locations as part of its routine engineering site visits. The ICS evaluation will […]

  • The world’s most powerful boiler feed pump dispatched

    A boiler feed pump with the largest drive rating worldwide was dispatched by the KSB Group based in Frankenthal in late December 2019. It will be used in the coal-fired power plant Pingshan II that is currently being built in Huaibei, China. The supercritical power station employs a new technology that is said to reach […]

  • EIA: Renewables Will Surge Past Coal, Nuclear to 22% of U.S. Power Mix in 2021

    The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) in its first forecast for 2021 suggests the share of renewables in the utility-scale U.S. power generation mix will surge to 22%, up from 17% last year, while coal and nuclear’s shares will be further diminished. According to the agency’s latest Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), released Jan. 14, coal’s […]

  • Exelon Installs New Accident Tolerant Fuel at Illinois Nuclear Plant

    Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF), a GE-led joint venture with Hitachi Ltd. that supplies boiling water reactor fuel and fuel-related services around the world, said lead test assemblies utilizing its ARMOR-coated zirconium cladding and IronClad Accident Tolerant Fuel solutions have been installed at Exelon’s Clinton nuclear plant in Illinois. “We continue to work with our customers […]

  • Beltran Technologies developing advanced WESP for Flue Gas Desulfurization

    Beltran Technologies Inc. recently announced the development of an advanced Wet Electrostatic Precipitator for wet scrubber Flue Gas Desulfurization at power plants. To control particulate, aerosols and visible emissions from wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD) systems, wet electrostatic precipitators (WESP’s) have to be installed after desulfurization, as the WFGD system is inefficient to remove submicron […]

  • Russelectric, a Siemens Business, Offers Customized Switchgear Simulators

    Ideal for training personnel on automatic and manual operation of Russelectric switchgear Hingham, MA – Russelectric, A Siemens Business, a leading manufacturer of power control systems and automatic transfer switches, announces the availability of Switchgear Simulators designed to train personnel on automatic and manual operation of Russelectric switchgear. Customized to mimic the operation of the […]

  • New York Is Fertile Ground for Clean Energy

    When many people are asked which state is leading the U.S. toward a renewable energy future, California is the first that comes to mind. And while California is worthy of such distinction, it’s not the only state with a progressive clean-energy agenda. New York should also be part of the conversation. On Jan. 8, New […]

  • PJM Stakeholders at Odds on Timing for Next Capacity Auction

    PJM Interconnection will not run a base residual auction (BRA) until the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approves recalculated Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR) floor prices for new and existing resources as directed by the federal entity’s ground-shaking Dec. 19 capacity market order. But when that will occur is still highly uncertain. In a presentation […]

  • Siemens-Gamesa Bags Deal for Mammoth 2.64-GW Virginia Offshore Wind Project

    Dominion Energy’s proposed 2.64-GW Virginia Offshore Wind project—the world’s largest single offshore wind project proposed to date—will likely feature turbines supplied by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE). A Jan. 7-announced preferred supplier agreement signed by the two companies could give the wind turbine maker a stronghold in the burgeoning offshore wind U.S. market. While the […]

  • Solar Installations to Grow by Additional 142 GW in 2020 – Seven Times the World’s Total Solar Installations a Decade Ago

    LONDON (January 7, 2020) – Global solar installations will continue double-digit growth rates into the new decade, according to the new 2020 Global Photovoltaic (PV) Demand Forecast by IHS Markit (NYSE: INFO), a world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions. New annual installations in 2020 will reach 142 gigawatts (GW), a 14 % rise […]

  • A Guide to Total Performance™ for Condensers & Heat Exchangers

    Sponsored by:
    Conco

    Conco enables power plants, refineries and industrial production facilities to improve profitability, productivity and reliability through a uniquely integrated platform of products and services for condensers and heat exchangers.

    With Total Performance™ you can anticipate problems and keep your condenser tubes at optimum efficiency. The three part process identifies the status of condenser tubes, detects equipment fatigue that can cause inefficiency, and cleans the tubes to improve flow and heat transfer. Together, Conco’s Total Performance™ platform can increase efficiency by as much as 4%.

  • Pushing Plant Performance to the Next Level

    Sponsored by:
    Siemens

    Welcome to the next level of performance and efficiency: The Siemens combined cycle solution merges best-in-class gas turbine technology with industry leading steam turbines. With the development of the HL-class, Siemens continues its leadership in large air-cooled gas turbines by pushing plant efficiencies beyond 63%, with a clear roadmap to even higher values. The focus of the webinar will be the SCC-9000HL power plant for the 60Hz markets, which provide a 1×1 combined cycle power output of ~577 MW. The HL-class is designed for highest operational reliability and flexibility to fulfill the requirements of base load units while also being a perfect fit for flexible applications. This makes the HL-class turbines a versatile solution for operators who anticipate energy systems with a rapidly increasing share of fluctuating production by renewables.

  • Technology’s Role in Shaping 2020—and Beyond

    In the year 2020, the energy sector will continue to undergo major changes. From doubling-down on alternative energy sources—as the world places more importance on sustainability—to the large number of workers retiring in droves, there will be substantial shifts in the way energy companies, including power generators and oil and gas producers, prioritize in the […]

  • THE BIG PICTURE [Infographic]: Solar’s Explosive Growth

    According to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) World Energy Outlook 2019, solar photovoltaic (PV) is set to become the largest source of installed electrical capacity in about 2035, if countries pursue policies as planned. By 2040, solar could make up 24% of global installed capacity—up from 7% in 2018—but its share of generation could hover […]

  • Why America Must Let Go of Coal and Avoid Renewable Subsidies

    The 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25), held in December in Madrid, Spain, showcased politicians and activists vying for the title of the world’s climate savior. In particular, youth

  • Equipment Showcase: Diesel and Gas Generators

    The need for reliable and resilient power generation, including backup power, means the market for mobile and smaller-scale power generation continues to grow. Commercial and industrial sites are using

  • Is Hydrogen the Power Industry’s Holy Grail?

    Some power industry insiders believe hydrogen offers a solution to large-scale energy storage problems. The concept generally revolves around utilizing electricity generated by renewables when supply is high

  • U.S. Company Has Deal with Jordan for Nuclear Technology

    There have long been grand plans for developing nuclear power in the Middle East. After Iran brought the Bushehr plant online in 2011, the country talked of building another dozen or so reactors. Saudi Arabia

  • Power Industry Disrupters: Gas, Renewables, and Storage

    The power industry is experiencing significant changes. Natural gas, wind, solar, and battery storage seem to be the wave of the future. What’s compelling the transformation? Some people point to

  • Evolution of the Smart Grid at Forefront of Transformative Change

    The power industry is in the midst of a shake-up, a revolution in how electricity is generated and distributed. Smart grid technology is changing the way utilities and customers interact, and providing support

  • Transformative Coal Power Technologies Take Shape

    The coal power industry acknowledges that to play a stable role in future power markets, it needs to modernize, and perhaps even overhaul its long-held status as a “conventional generator.” Could new

  • Innovation Propels Nuclear Power on New Trajectory

    Innovation is ushering in a new age for nuclear power. As well as boosting plant economics, efficiency, and flexibility, advanced technologies could open up new markets to meet soaring demand for heat and

  • Water Chemistry: Power Plant Life and Death

    Power plants that use steam to generate electricity need water. Without it, they can’t do their job. But water and steam are complicated, much as is blood in our veins and arteries. So, water chemistry is a

  • Hydraulic Stability of Surge Tanks

    When needed, surge tanks can provide a critical feature to the hydraulic design of hydropower projects. Principally, they can mitigate the overpressure effects of pressure transients or water hammer and allow