construction

Construction activity on wind projects across the U.S. surged to a record level of more than 20 GW in the third quarter of 2018, and about 35.1 GW of new wind capacity was under construction or in advanced development at the end of 2018, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).  In 2018, the […]

As a vote by owners on the fate of the Vogtle nuclear expansion project hangs in the balance, the City of Jacksonville, Florida, and JEA—the city’s municipal utility that serves about 458,000 electric customers—filed a complaint in the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida on September 11 asking for declaratory judgment on a power purchase […]

Several milestones have been reached at nuclear power plant construction sites around the world including on the Leningrad II-2, Novovoronezh II-2, Barakah, and Plant Vogtle projects. Russian Progress At the Leningrad site, Rosatom—the Russian state atomic energy corporation—reported on August 7 that the main turbine equipment installation for Phase II Unit 2 was completed. The […]

A coal-fired plant in Colorado needed to further reduce its emissions to comply with more-stringent regulations. The work presented several challenges, and the owner and contractors worked together to complete

Santee Cooper executives doubted SCANA Corp.’s ability to properly manage the V.C. Summer nuclear expansion project for years before the project was ultimately abandoned in July 2017, according to an article published by The Post and Courier, a Charleston, S.C., newspaper. Santee Cooper—a state-run utility—partnered with SCANA as owners of the project; SCANA holds a […]

Schedule delays and cost overruns can pose problems for complex power plant construction and retrofit projects. Sound planning, accurate modeling, and good communication can lead to successful projects for all

A recent article in The Wall Street Journal heralded the following: “Power Plants Bloom Even as Electricity Prices Wilt.” Understandably, the WSJ editors are excited about the current spate of combined cycle construction projects. I’m also pleased about the growth in our sector (Figure 1). But I’m less sanguine about our ability to execute all […]

Constructing a nuclear power plant is not for the faint of heart. The process is lengthy, even when there aren’t delays. To understand some of the hurdles, it’s worth reviewing the Plant Vogtle expansion

In two actions on August 15, the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) signaled its support for the Vogtle nuclear expansion project, provided it can be done economically, Georgia Power must show revised cost and schedule estimates to finish the costly Vogtle nuclear expansion as well as indicate whether it intends to finish the much-delayed construction […]

China has brought 24 of its 36 operating nuclear reactors online at a breakneck pace since 2010, but there are signs it may roll out future plants that are still under construction more slowly, owing in part

Nine workers were killed and two others were injured when a platform collapsed at a power plant under construction in Guangdong Province, China. The accident happened at about 8 a.m. local time on March 25 at the No. 7 Thermal Power Plant located in the provincial capital Guangzhou, according to Xinhua (the official news agency […]

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (December 9, 2016) – After collaborating on projects for several decades, Burns & McDonnell, ranked No. 1 in the power industry by Engineering News-Record, is acquiring AZCO INC., one of the nation’s premier industrial contractors. The acquisition creates one of the most comprehensive environmental, engineering, procurement, and direct-hire construction and fabrication companies […]

Nine people, including the chairman and chief engineer of the Fengcheng power plant, have been arrested following a scaffold collapse that killed 74 construction workers on November 24. The scaffold platform had been erected to facilitate work on a cooling tower that was being constructed at the plant located in Yichun City, Jiangxi Province. According […]

Lausanne – In mid-November, Stadtwerke Kiel gave the go-ahead for the construction of a pioneering gas engine cogeneration plant and commissioned the general contractor Kraftanlagen München (KAM) with the implementation. The cooperation contracts were signed back in August 2015. The power station is scheduled to be connected to the grid in the autumn of 2018. […]

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) board of directors voted on May 5 to surplus the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant property in northern Alabama so it can be offered for sale and potentially put to better use. The decision comes after months of consideration. On February 16, the TVA notified employees, customers, economic development interests, other stakeholders, […]

According to Steve Byrne, COO of South Carolina Electric and Gas Co. (SCE&G), 85% of the major equipment necessary to build V.C. Summer Units 2 and 3 is onsite, and of the remaining components, a lot of them are physically constructed waiting to be transported or are already loaded on ships headed to South Carolina. […]

It’s looking less and less likely that the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) will ever finish construction as it was once envisioned for its Bellefonte Nuclear Plant. POWER confirmed through a media spokesperson that the TVA has notified federal authorities that it is withdrawing its application for two combined construction permits and operating licenses for Units […]

Portland General Electric (PGE) assumed engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) responsibility for the Carty Generating Station on Dec. 18, following the original EPC contractor’s default on its construction agreement. Construction began on the Carty plant on Jan. 9, 2014. It is being built in Oregon next to PGE’s existing Boardman Plant, which is scheduled for […]

Gas-fired power is hot, at least in North America, and quite a few smaller utilities and generators that have never owned a gas turbine plant have begun looking at building one. For large investor-owned companies with plenty of institutional experience in power plant construction, it may be business as usual, but for smaller firms that […]

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) inspectors reported that the Tennessee Valley Authority’s performance during a recent assessment conducted at Watts Bar Unit 2 indicated that the plant is ready to startup and conduct power operations. The news was conveyed at a public meeting hosted by the NRC on July 27 in Athens, Tenn., to review results […]

More trouble has been reported at one of the four European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR) units currently under construction. AREVA announced on April 7 that chemical and mechanical testing conducted on a reactor vessel head and bottom similar to that of the Flamanville EPR (a 1,630-MW unit under construction on the west coast of the […]

Delays and other contested costs are expected to push the price for two new units being constructed at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Generating Station up by $980 million, a petition freshly filed by South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. (SCE&G) with the Public Service Commission of South Carolina (SCPSC) shows. SCE&G made the filing to […]

Have you ever been surprised to have a nice gift rejected? Well, that’s what happened to the POWER team this summer. This spring, we chose an interesting and diverse set of plants from around the world to