POWER
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T&D
Viking Link: The Epic Build of the World’s Longest Onshore and Subsea HVDC Interconnector
A marvel of modern engineering, Viking Link—the world’s longest onshore and subsea interconnector—began commercial operations in December 2023. The project garners POWER’s inaugural Transmission and
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Commentary
It’s the End of the World as We Know It — Do You Feel Fine?
I thought the title from R.E.M.’s 1987 song was a fitting headline for this article. I contemplated using Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” but I thought R.E.M.’s “stream of
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International
South Africa Announces Bold Shift to Renewables and Nuclear
Emerging from a historic election that stripped the African National Congress (ANC) party of its majority, South Africa’s new government has indicated it will accelerate the transition to renewable power to
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O&M
Tips for Improving Power Plant Valve Performance
Managers know that valves are important to plant operation. That’s why keeping them in top condition is a priority. Upgrading to advanced valve designs and reducing stress on valve materials are just a
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O&M
Forced Outage Parametric Insurance Solutions for CCGTs
Combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plants started appearing on a larger scale in the late 1990s and have since then been a very efficient supplier of baseload and lately peaking capacity to the power grids. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently reported that natural gas–fired capacity additions are increasing in the U.S. again […]
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Legal & Regulatory
EU Mandates Biodiversity Restoration, Setting Up New ‘Green’ Requirements Alongside ‘Clean’ Ones for Power Sector
This June, the European Council formally adopted a first-of-its-kind regulation that sets out to restore at least 20% of the European Union’s (EU’s) land and sea areas by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of
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Fiction
Marnie Surfaceblow: What Helped Make Marnie, Marnie
Negativity can push you off your course in life. This is when Marnie first pushed back. “Any signal, Maya?” asked Marnie Surfaceblow, vice president of Surfaceblow & Associates International, as she
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Hybrid Power
Applying Photovoltaic Charging and Storage Systems: Challenging the Limits of PV Technology
To achieve net-zero goals and accelerate the global energy transition, the International Energy Agency (IEA) stated that countries need to triple renewable energy capacity from that of 2022 by 2030, with the development of solar photovoltaics (PV) playing a crucial role. Additionally, the comprehensive electrification of combustion engine vehicles is an indispensable measure for reducing […]
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Commentary
Looking Through ‘Green-Colored’ Glasses: Hydrogen in the Energy Transition
Transitioning the world towards cleaner and greener energy is proving to be more challenging than we once all hoped. There are real concerns about what impact the slower speed of uptake is having on our
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Trends
POWER Digest [August 2024]
Malaysia Slightly Moves Up Timeframe for Coal Phaseout. Malaysia will halve its coal use by 2035 and phase out coal generation by 2044, slightly earlier than previously anticipated by the country’s National
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Waste to Energy
Empowering Waste-to-Energy Solutions with Steam Turbines
Sustainable municipal waste management solutions often involve waste-to-energy plants that can produce electricity while also providing steam to district heating systems. Efficient steam turbines are important
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Sustainability
The Role of FRP Structures in Mitigating Workplace Hazards
Power companies understand the importance of safety and incorporate many safeguards into plant designs. Yet, the materials used in these defenses also matter, and fiberglass-reinforced polymer (FRP) is an
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T&D
Achieving Operational Flexibility with Voltage Control
Using voltage data down to the consumer level is essential for grid optimisation and operational flexibility in the new era of intermittent generation and fast-changing user demand. Power grids were designed
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Connected Plant
Unseen Heroes: Cutting-Edge Sensors Combatting Air Pollution
There is an urgent need for accurate and efficient emissions monitoring technologies to ensure air pollution is adequately controlled. Infrared spectroscopy and precision infrared filters play a critical role
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O&M
Fighting Scale and Corrosion on Balance of Geothermal Plant Equipment
There are three main types of geothermal power plants: dry steam plants that send geothermal steam directly from the ground into the turbine, flash steam power plants that convert hot groundwater to steam
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Legal & Regulatory
Post-Chevron Ushers in ‘New Normal’ For Regulated Community
The U.S. Supreme Court recently overturned the longstanding Chevron doctrine, a foundation of administrative law for 40 years, when it ruled on Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo . The impacts on a wide
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Offshore Wind
Ireland’s Energy Strategy Embraces Offshore Wind
The global wind industry is entering a new phase of accelerated growth as both companies and countries adopt ambitious sustainable energy goals. 2023 was a record year for wind installations, with a 50%
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Commentary
Connecting Infrastructure’s Dots to Solve Today’s Urban Management Issues
Connected infrastructure offers a holistic approach to creating a smarter, greener, and more livable world. More people are moving to urban areas than ever before, even as the impacts of climate change are
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Nuclear
Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 Win POWER’s Plant of the Year Award
Adding new reactors to the U.S.’s fleet of nuclear power plants doesn’t happen every day. In fact, prior to the addition of Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4, it hadn’t been done from scratch in decades
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Top Plant
Morrow Reinvented: HL-Class Gas Turbine Powers a Coal Plant’s Rebirth
The Morrow Repower Project, winner of POWER’s 2024 Reinvention Award, exemplified a strategic coal-to-gas conversion at a brownfield site that masterfully combined cutting-edge advanced technology with a
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Hydrogen
Efficiency in Production at Heart of Bloom Technology
Decarbonization of power generation and other industrial sectors relies on hydrogen, and a Bloom Energy demonstration project is supporting the fuel’s production through an advanced electrolyzer system. The
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Top Plant
Epasa Breakthrough Transforms Heavy Fuel Oil Sludge into Resource Stream
Brazilian independent power generator Epasa faced significant environmental and operational challenges with heavy fuel oil sludge. Through innovative engineering and problem-solving, the company developed a
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Renewables
Hydropower Remains Renewable Leader Despite Climate Challenges
As the oldest renewable energy resource, hydropower is well-established as a reliable source of dispatchable energy. Yet, it is often overlooked and taken for granted. It’s commonly believed that hydro’s
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Trends
Energy Evolution: What Technologies Are Leading the Way Today
It’s not uncommon to hear people talk about the energy transition. Yet, throughout its history, the power industry has almost always been transitioning in one way or another. There are constantly new
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Gas
Mexico Increases Reliance on Natural Gas to Support Electricity Demand
Mexico is ramping up its use of natural gas for power generation, with several plants coming online in recent years, and at least 10 more (Table 1) expected to come online this year, next year, or in 2026. The
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Hydrogen
POWER Digest [July 2024]
Economics Could Bring Early Closure for Slovenia Coal-Fired Plant. Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob in May said the Termoelektrana Šoštanj (TEŠ) facility, the country’s only remaining coal-fired
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Wind
Measuring the Prospects for Wind Energy in 2024 and Beyond
The wind energy industry has been on an exponential growth curve for more than a decade. POWER looks at the drivers behind the growth and predictions for the future. Nearly 200 countries made major collective
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Fiction
Marnie Surfaceblow: Bitter Rivalry Ends in Collaboration
Never forget the human factors that can impact safety and success at every level of a project. Marnie Surfaceblow, vice president of Surfaceblow & Associates International, watched the Maharashtra
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Combined Heat and Power
The Heating Sector: A CO2 Headache or a Hidden Treasure?
The combination of combined heat and power plants with thermal energy storage and industrial heat pumps provides a sustainable and efficient heating sector option. In recent years there has been a growing
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O&M
Tips for HRSG Maintenance and Upgrade Success
The heyday of combined cycle plant construction (especially in the U.S.) was at the start of the millennia. Between 2000 and 2005, about 130 GW of natural gas–fired combined cycle plants opened in the U.S.