Technology
-
Nuclear
EDF Announces More Delays, Cost Overruns for Flamanville 3 Reactor
French utility Électricité de France (EDF)on July 25 said it has pushed fuel loading at its 1.6-GW Flamanville 3 nuclear project to the fourth quarter of 2019 and increased cost estimates for the project by another €400 million (USD $467.1 million). EDF said its current cost for the project has ballooned to €10.9 billion (USD […]
-
Press Releases
TAE Technologies Welcomes Secretary of Energy Rick Perry on Tour of World’s Leading Private Fusion Energy Facility
TAE Technologies’ plasma performance is rapidly ramping up in Norman using advanced active feedback controls, further validating the company’s unique approach to fusion energy. FOOTHILL RANCH, CA, July 19, 2018 — Secretary Rick Perry today joined executives of TAE Technologies, Inc., the world’s largest and most advanced private fusion energy company, at its headquarters in […]
-
O&M
New Damage Mechanism Identified in HRSG T-91
For a decade or more, heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) users have heard that Grade-91 tubing (T-91) is susceptible to microstructure damage from improper heat treatment. Now, a new damage mechanism in T-91 tubing has been identified, which HRSG users heard about at the February 2018 HRSG User’s Group Conference. During the discussion on heat […]
-
Nuclear
First ACPR-1000 Nuclear Unit Begins Commercial Operation in China
China’s first reactor adopting its domestically developed evolutionary third-generation ACPR-1000 design has wrapped up trial operation and begun commercial operation. CGN Power, a subsidiary of China General Nuclear Power Corp., announced that the 1000-MW Unit 5 of the Yangjiang Nuclear Power Plant in Guangdong province completed a 168-hour period of trial operation on July 12. […]
-
Research and Development
Refinery Hydrogen Power Pilot Takes Shape in Australia
An industrial-scale pilot plant that will use surplus hydrogen from refinery operations to produce power is taking shape in Australia. Industrial alkaline fuel cell power company AFC Energy on July 12 said it received its first commercial order for a hydrogen power generation unit in Australia from Southern Oil Refining, a subsidiary of Northern Oil. […]
-
Press Releases
ABB wins $150 million order to grid-connect world’s largest offshore wind farm
Key technologies and ABB Ability digital solutions will integrate wind energy from Hornsea Project Two to the UK grid, powering more than 1.3 million homes. ABB has won orders worth more than $150 million from Danish energy company, Ørsted (previously Dong Energy), to supply a range of technologies that will help integrate and transmit renewable […]
-
Press Releases
Siemens launches performance enhancement for select SGT-800 gas turbines
Siemens has introduced a new SGT-800 performance enhancement that is applicable to all existing SGT-800 units with 43-47.5-MW ratings. The new upgrade is designed to provide owners and operators with significant fuel savings and CO2emissions reduction for improved sustainable energy production. The upgrade offers up to a 3.5 percent increase of simple cycle gas turbine […]
-
Press Releases
EnergyNest launches manufacturing hub for thermal battery technology
Rotterdam (July 11, 2018) – EnergyNest has launched a new hub for manufacturing their thermal battery technology at Europoort in Rotterdam. The cleantech company is responding to Europe’s growing demand for flexible and scalable energy storage solutions. Establishing mass-manufacture capability for their battery modules will allow the company’s energy storage projects to be real- ised […]
-
Nuclear
Small Modular Reactor Project Advances in Canada
A Maryland-based company and its Canadian subsidiary have joined with a Canada utility in a project to develop, license, and build an advanced small modular reactor (SMR). Advanced Reactor Concepts of Chevy Chase, Maryland, along with ARC Nuclear Canada—operating collectively as ARC Nuclear (ARC)—and New Brunswick Power (NB Power) on July 9 said their SMR […]
-
Nuclear
First Commercial AP1000, EPR Reactors Connected to Grid
Two nuclear energy milestones were reached in the past week, as the world’s first commercial AP1000 and EPR reactors were connected to China’s power grid. Westinghouse announced Sanmen 1, the first AP1000 unit, was connected to the grid June 30, one day after Électricité de France (EDF) connected the first EPR reactor—Taishan 1—to the system. […]
-
Press Releases
Siemens supplies SF6-free high-voltage switchgear for English wind farm
Siemens will supply 102 SF6-free, gas-insulated 8VM1 high-voltage switchgear (GIS) to Siemens Gamesa by the middle of next year. The switchgear will protect each wind turbine individually against overloads and short-circuits and make it possible to supply electricity reliably and without interruption. Developed for wind farms, the 8VM1 from the blue GIS portfolio operates with […]
-
Environmental
Top Gadgets to Make Your Appliances More Energy Efficient
You put in a lot of time choosing the most energy efficient appliances you can find, and you work hard to cut back on energy use around the house. But what if there was a way to make your electric bill even lower with very little effort? Introducing the five gadgets you didn’t know you […]
-
Press Releases
ABB Will Upgrade Historic New Zealand HVDC Link
ABB has received an order from Transpower New Zealand Ltd to upgrade its high-voltage direct current (HVDC) link which interconnects the transmission grids of the North and South islands. The link is a vital element of the country’s transmission system and is used as an energy-balancing system, between the two islands. ABB Ability™ MACH control system, […]
-
Renewables
Japan’s New Energy Plan Commits to Renewables—And Nuclear and Coal, Too
Japan’s government on July 3 approved a new Basic Energy Plan for the country, saying it is committed to increasing the role of renewable resources for power generation while also confirming it wants nuclear power to remain a vital part of the nation’s energy strategy. Japan issues a revised Basic Energy Plan, which outlines the […]
-
Press Releases
Market for Dispatching Services: Be Power and ABB together for first projects of VPP and Demand Response
Milan, Italy (July 2, 2018) — Be Power and ABB will cooperate in the Dispatching Service Market (MSD). Be Power is the Digital Green Utility of the Building Energy Group with a trailblazing business model based on the synergies between the markets of energy and mobility. This model aims at integrating the opportunities arising from the […]
-
Press Releases
Minesto initiates DG500 commissioning program
Marine energy developer Minesto has initiated the commissioning program of its first tidal energy project in commercial scale in North West Wales, with initial sea trials of the company’s DG500 tidal energy converter taking place in Holyhead harbour and the Holyhead Deep site. “The activities in Holyhead are progressing well and we are pleased to […]
-
Press Releases
Fast-track delivery of Wärtsilä gas-fired power plant will help alleviate Myanmar’s electricity shortage in Kyaukse
The technology group Wärtsilä has been selected to provide the generating equipment for a new gas-fired power plant needed to alleviate the shortage of electricity in Myanmar. The power plant will operate on eight Wärtsilä 50SG gas-fueled engines, and the electricity generated will be fed into the national grid. The 145-MW plant is being built […]
-
O&M
Using Drones to Increase Net Safety in the Utility Sector
Across the country, energy and utility companies are adopting and using drone technology to increase their business operations and improve overall safety of their workforces. Many companies are also discussing the risks and rewards of implementing new safety technology on job sites. With workplace fatalities in the transportation, warehousing, and utilities sectors comprising 17.3% of […]
-
O&M
Benefits of Single-Shaft Combined Cycle Power Plants
In recent years, the use of single-shaft combined cycle power plants has steadily increased in the U.S. While multi-shaft configurations are advantageous in certain scenarios—for example, when layout flexibility or phased installation is needed—single-shaft designs have proven to be a highly efficient and cost-saving option for power plant owners and operators seeking to maximize the […]
-
IIOT Power
Innovative Tool Monitors for Damaging Impacts and Vibration
The safe transportation of transformers, gas turbines, generators, and other electrical production equipment is a vital component in suppliers’ current business models and future growth potential. Equipment
-
Commentary
Electric Vehicles—Subsidies for an Environmental Pretender
On May 22, the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the American Public Power Association (APPA), and two groups representing U.S. and foreign automakers sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
-
Hydro
Hydropower Grows but Industry Is Changing
New hydropower capacity installed worldwide plunged 36% in 2017 compared to 2016, but the sector remains optimistic about its future despite a transitioning role for hydropower away from baseload power and
-
Coal
Water-Capturing Cooling Tower Technology Makes Headway at MIT
A cooling tower water recovery system designed by engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) could capture water from power plant fogs and plumes, potentially rendering them into a source
-
O&M
Lubrication: Optimizing the Performance of Today’s Gas Turbines
Modern gas turbines are designed to deliver more power and greater efficiencies. Several manufacturers, including GE, Siemens, and others, have established new marks for efficiency over the past year, reaching
-
O&M
Commitment, Teamwork, and Perseverance Pay Off as Nuclear Unit Wins Plant of the Year
The Tennessee Valley Authority’s Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Unit 2 was the first new nuclear unit added to the U.S. fleet in more than 20 years. There were challenges along the way, but the colossal effort
-
Renewables
More Efficient with Fewer Emissions: Cement Factory Finds Sugar-Based Biomass a Sweet Solution
Environmental regulations and a need to reduce its fuel consumption provide the incentive for an Egyptian plant to change its manufacturing process. Energy companies constantly grapple with controlling the
-
IIOT Power
NYPA’s iSOC: The Path to a Digital Utility
The New York Power Authority’s Integrated Smart Operations Center (iSOC) is the first step in the public power utility’s goal to become the first end-to-end digital electricity system. And it’s a big
-
O&M
Sustainable from the Start: Tech Company a Model of Efficient Power Management
OWC is known in the tech field for its computer hardware. It’s also known for its on-campus power generation, which sets it apart from others in the high-tech field, showcasing a commitment embraced by the
-
Renewables
Floating Solar Panel Industry Makes a Splash
Floating solar panel technology has been gaining traction as a favorable and cost-effective alternative to land-based photovoltaic systems. Thriving on the cusp of a massive inclination toward renewable energy
-
O&M
Innovative Narrowband Solution for SCADA Communications
Great River Energy rolled out an extensive 700-MHz point-to-multipoint communications project within its 56,000-square-mile service area. Using high-order modulation, combined with full-duplex