Power Engineering International articles from December 2004

Power Engineering International archives from December 2004

Renewing old ties.(Up Front)
December 1, 2004... Well it has been a long time coming but last month, after 13 years, the South-East Europe grid has been re-synchronised with the rest of Europe. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A press release issued by the UCTE (Union for the Coordination of...

Wind passes the tipping point: "wind is not a hobby any more, it's a serious business" says Herbert Peels of GE. The evidence backs him up, as Janet Wood reports.(Analysis)
December 1, 2004... Back in June, speakers at the British Wind Power Association's annual meeting speculated that the industry was reaching the "tipping point": soon it would be holding its own within the power industry. Just five months later, that shift was in...

African countries agree joint power project.(international)(Western Power Corridor Project)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The five African countries of Angola, Botswana, Congo, Namibia and South Africa have agreed to establish a joint power project aimed at boosting the supply of low cost electricity. The venture will be called the Western Power Corridor Project...

Utilities seek Ignalina shutdown delay.(international)(Ignalina nuclear power plant)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Utility companies from countries neighbouring Lithuania have written to the Lithuanian Prime Minister, asking for a postponement in the planned shutdown of Unit One of the Ignalina nuclear power plant. The 15000 MW unit is due to be switched...

SE Europe grid reconnected.(international)(South East)(Union for the Co-ordination of Transmission of Electricity )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The Union for the Co-ordination of Transmission of Electricity (UCTE), the organization that co-ordinates the interests of transmission system operators in 22 European countries, has announced that, as of 1 November, South East Europe's power...

Gazprom, E.ON cooperation.(international)(E.ON AG expands with OAO Gazprom)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... German utility group E.ON is looking to further its natural gas and power generation interests in Russia through expanded cooperation with Gazprom. For its part, Gazprom is seeking to branch out into power generation activities through the...

Pebble Bed investment.(international)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... South Africa has agreed to additional finance of R500m ($83.2m) for the state-backed Pebble Bed Modular Reactor company for new turbine machinery and running costs. The nuclear reactor development programme is part of South Africa's drive to...

Bulgaria.(News digest)(mergers and acquisitions)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Bulgaria: Germany's E.ON has acquired the Bulgarian regional electricity utilities Gorna Oryahovitza and Varna, which together have a 25 per cent market share. E.ON has taken a 67 per cent stake in each company for a total of [euro]141m...

Ghana.(News digest)(sustainable power supply)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Ghana: The Electricity Company of Ghana has begun a five-year government-backed exercise to replace its entire power transmission systems in order to ensure sustainable power supply in the country.

Iran.(News digest)(hydropower plant built)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Iran: Iran began filling its biggest reservoir dam with water in November. The hydropower plant that will be built beside the Karoun 3 dam will have an installed capacity of 2000 MW and produce 4 TWh of electricity each year.

Ben Gurion International Airport.(News digest)(Ben Gurion International Airport is to build its own 80 MW private power station )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Israel: Ben Gurion International Airport is to build its own 80 MW private power station as part of the airport's new Terminal 3. Construction of the plant is dependent on a link-up with the national natural gas pipeline and surplus power would...

Israel Electric Corporation.(News digest)(contracts)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Israel: Israel Electric Corporation has awarded a $2.5m contract to Emerson Process Management for the modernization of turbine and boiler feed pump control systems at the four unit 1400 MW Maor David Power Station A in Hadera. Emerson is to...

Oman.(News digest)(Areva's Transmission and Distribution division )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Oman: Areva's Transmission and Distribution division has won an $18m contract in Oman for the supply of high-voltage gas insulated switchgear. Areva will build and install three 220 kV substations for Bahwan Engineering Company, subcontracted...

Syria.(News digest)(Public Establishment of Electricity for Generation & Transmission )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Syria: Syria's Public Establishment of Electricity for Generation & Transmission has selected Germany's Fichtner to evaluate bids to build a 750 MW combined cycle power plant at Deir Ezor in the North East. The turnkey contract for the...

UAE.(News digest)(first wind power plant in the UAE has been opened)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... UAE: The first wind power plant in the UAE has been opened. The experimental plant on Sir Bani Yas island, Abu Dhabi, cost Dh9.33m ($2.54m) and has a capacity of 850 kW. If successful, more such plants are planned.

Zimbabwe.(News digest)(Zimbabwe's Electricity Supply Authority )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe's Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) has reported a record annual loss of $163bn in 2003. Power tariffs, a rising bill for power imports and a huge debt burden were blamed. ZESA has been criticised for being without a board...

Areva set for partial privatization.(europe)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... France's Finance Minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, has confirmed the intention to partially privatize French nuclear group Areva. A stake of between 35 per cent and 40 per cent will be offered to the market in the first half of 2005. Areva's...

EDF strategy banks on growth.(europe)(EDF Energy)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... A report on a financial and industrial strategy for Electricite De France (EDF) has indicated that it favours a European deployment of EDF rather than a radical contraction that would confine it to the German marketplace. The Roulet...

French site favourite for ITER.(International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The French site of Cadarache now seems the most likely to house the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, according to sources in the European Commission. Negotiations are still underway but the Commission has said...

German wind farm to treble capacity.(europe)(contract to repower the Windpark Hartmannshain )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... GE Energy has been awarded a contract to repower the Windpark Hartmannshain in Germany, which will triple the capacity of the site from 2.5 MW to 7.5 MW. GE Energy will replace seven smaller wind turbines that were built in the early 1990s...

Swedish wind goes offshore.(europe)(Vattenfall plans to publish tenders)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Vattenfall plans to publish tenders early next year for Sweden's first full scale off-shore wind farm, to be sited 7 km offshore at Orestad. The wind farm will have 48 turbines rated at 2.5-3 MW. The SEK 1.5bn ($218m) project is expected to...

Siemens enters wind market.(europe)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Siemens and Danregn Vindkraft A/S have entered into an agreement whereby Siemens will acquire Bonus Energy A/S. The purchase of one of the world's five major suppliers of wind energy systems will see Siemens take its first step into the...

France.(News digest)(EDF Energy )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... France: The French Commission for Energy Regulation (CRE) has reported that since industrial and commercial companies and organisations have been allowed to choose their electricity supplier, EDF remains dominant. It has lost only 11 per cent...

PowerLight Corp.(News digest)(photovoltaic generation system)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Germany: The world's largest solar park is to be built in Germany with Siemens to supply all of the electrical equipment to run the photovoltaic generation system. Made up of 57 600 solar panels, the 10 MW photovoltaic system, built by...

E.ON.(News digest)(E.ON AG plans to build coal fired power station )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Germany: German energy group E.ON is considering the construction of a new coal fired power station at Datteln at a cost of [euro]800m ($1bn). The project would replace the existing plant at Datteln and mark the start of a programme to renew...

Hungary.(News digest)(Eon AG acquired a majority stake Hungarian oil and gas wholesale enterprise )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Hungary: Eon AG has acquired a majority stake in the Hungarian oil and gas wholesale enterprise MOL. The group's gas subsidiary has taken a 75 per cent share in MOL's gas trading and storage enterprises and a 50 per cent interest in its gas...

Portugal.(News digest)(International Power PLC acquires 75 per cent shares of RWE Power AG)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Portugal: International Power (IPR) has successfully completed the acquisition of a 75 per cent share-holding in the 990 MW combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) turbogas power station in Portugal from RWE Power AG. The purchase price of [euro]205m...

Spain.(News digest)(electricity company reported higher profits in third quater)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Spain: Spanish electricity company Union Fenosa has reported a 6.2 per cent rise in net profits in third quarter 2004 to [euro]135.5m ($17m), due largely to increased electricity sales to Mexico and Colombia. Sales in the third quarter went up...

UK.(News digest)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... UK: Energy Minister Mike O'Brien has published the UK government's plans for the review of the Renewables Obligation (RO). The RO ensures all electricity suppliers produce a specified and increasing amount of energy from renewable sources.

Correction.(Correction Notice)
December 1, 2004... The article titled "Tisza sets new standards" in the November issue of PEI, (p39-43) incorrectly stated that two boilers had been equipped with low NOx emission burners from RGM, USA. The equipment was in fact supplied by RJM Corporation (EC)...

New Zealand regulator steps in to smooth the way.(asia-pacific)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... New Zealand Electricity Commissioner Roy Hemming-way will become the first regulator of the country's deregulated oil and gas industry, now that the Electricity and Gas Industries Bill has become law. When the electricity industry in New...

Solar-hydro project launched.(asia-pacific)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Mindanao, in the Philippines is to be the site of a unique solar-hydro tandem project backed by the International Finance Corp, the investment arm of the World Bank, and local utility Cagayan de Oro Electric Power & Light Co (Cepalco). The...

New plant for Melbourne.(asia-pacific)(Origin Energy announced plans for a gas fired power station)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Australian electricity supplier Origin Energy has announced plans for a gas fired power station to be built in western Victoria at a cost of A$1bn ($723m). If approved, work would begin on the 1000 MW station in two years, with construction...

GE hydro wins in China.(asia-pacific is to supply four turbine generator sets for the Xi Xia Yuan hydro power plant)(GE Energy)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... GE Energy is to supply four turbine generator sets for the Xi Xia Yuan hydro power plant, under construction on the Yellow River in China's Henan Province, in a contract worth $35m. The hydro plant, owned and operated by Yellow River Water...

Gas shortages halt proposed Pakistan projects.(asia-pacific)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Pakistan has rejected six fast track power plant proposals from foreign and local investors, including two from the US, citing lack of gas availability. All six projects were in the Karachi area. The decision comes at a time when the...

China rise.(News digest)(electicity consumption)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... China rise: Electricity consumption in China will rise by 14.6 per cent in 2004, compared to 2003, according to a forecast from the China Electric Power Enterprises Federation and the Guodian Power Economy Research Centre.

China.(News digest)(China to prioritise hydropower development)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... China: Zhang Ghuobao, China's vice minster at the State Development and Reform Commission, said China would prioritise hydropower development. Another minister noted China's hydro development stood at 24 per cent of potential, compared to more...

Bharat Heavy Electricals.(News digest)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... India: Bharat Heavy Electricals is to construct a 1000 MW coal fired plant in Chhattisgarh. The four 250 MW units will be commissioned in two phases, the first in late 2007.

LNJ Bhilwara Group.(News digest)(partnerships)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... India: India's LNJ Bhilwara Group is to partner with Statkraft Norfund on hydro projects in India. The 192 MW Allain Duhangan project in Himachal Pradesh may be the first joint project.

The Indonesian government.(News digest)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Indonesia: The Indonesian government has granted a licence for a 219 MW hydro power plant in north Sumatra. The $250 million plant should start up in 2008.

The Asian Development Bank.(News digest)(financial support)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Indonesia: The Asian Development Bank has offered financial support to build a transmission line from Sarawak to Kalimantan. The 150 kV line would transport power from Sarawak hydro plants.

Borang.(News digest)(gas fired power stations built)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Indonesia: Three new gas fired power stations are to be built in South Sumatra, Indonesia. The largest, Borang, will provide 100 MW using gas from the Borang field. Two more plants will use gas from other fields to generate some 50 MW jointly.

Pakistan.(News digest)(reduce the term of agreements for new oil)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Pakistan: Pakistan is to reduce the term of agreements for new oil and gas based power projects to 15 to 20 years, compared to the current 25 to 30 years. Hydro projects would remain at 25 to 35 years.

Philippines.(News digest)(investment in the power sector)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Philippines: Data from the Philippines Department of Energy (DOE) has shown that the country needs to invest around PHP359bn ($6.3bn) in power generation projects until 2014.

Taiwan.(News digest)(Taiwan Power Co.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Taiwan: Taiwan Power Co. will invest more than NT$10bn ($299m) in developing wind power generation in the next 10 years. Under the plan, Taipower will install at least 200 wind power generators with a total installed capacity of 300 000 kW. The...

Vietnam.(News digest)(Vietnam Coal Corp. builds power plants)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Vietnam: Vietnam Coal Corp. plans to build a power plant in Quang Nam Province next year. The 30 MW power plant near Nong Son coal mine in Que Son District will cost VND600bn ($38m) and will be completed in 2007.

US power companies await mandatory carbon cuts.(americas)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... More than half the US power industry believes the US will enact mandatory limits on carbon dioxide emissions in the next ten years, according to a survey carried out by PA Consulting Group. Nearly half the respondents believed mandatory limits...

Brazilian bank plans bailout.(americas)(Brazilian national development bank)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Four Brazilian distribution network operators (DNOs) are expected to receive formal approval early 2005 for loans totalling Reals2bn ($695m). The loans, from Brazilian national development bank BNDES, are part of an extensive bailout for the...

EPRI boost for clean coal.(americas)(Electric Power Research Institute)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is to join with 18 US utilities with coal-fired generation interests to accelerate work on cleaner, more efficient coal power stations. The initiative, "CoalFleet for Tomorrow", also aims to develop...

Dynegy acquires Sithe Energies.(americas)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Dynegy is to increase its generating capacity in the northeast US by acquiring Sithe Energies from ExelonCorp. The acquisition will bring Dynegy the 1042 MW Independence combined cycle plant, along with four gas-fired merchant plants in New...

Argentina.(News digest)(Edenor has approved a cash offer for its entire $500m debt)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Argentina: Argentine distributor Edenor has approved a cash offer for its entire $500m debt, according to Business News Americas. The offer is part of a strategy to reduce debt.

Brazil.(News digest)(consortium of Brazillian companies has jointly won an auction with Spanish engineering company )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Brazil: A consortium of Brazillian companies has jointly won an auction with Spanish engineering company Abengoa for the construction and 30-year operating licences of transmission lines. The auctions were held by Brazil's electricity...

Canada.(News digest )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Canada: Irving Oil has announced plans to build a 500-750 MW gas fired power plant in New Brunswick, tieing in the approval it has gained for an LNG terminal near Saint John harbour. The plant could supply one-third of the province's power...

Central America.(News digest)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Central America: Bids may be called in April next year for a transmission line that will connect six central American countries, according to the Regional Commission for Electricity Interconnection. The 300 MW, 1800 km line, is due in operation...

LG & E Energy.(News digest)
December 1, 2004... USA: Jerry Abramson, mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, discussed the future of LG & E Energy with E. ON chairman Wulf Bernotat. There have been rumours the German parent wanted to sell the company; Bernotat said the company has not decided whether...

Santa Rita Jail.(News digest)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... USA: Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, California, is to be powered by fuel cell. The jail will be the site for Fuel Cell Energy's first 1 MW unit, which will be installed in partnership with Chevron Energy Services.

Nevada Power Company.(News digest)(contract to Flour Corp to complete a combined cycle power station in Clark County)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... USA: Nevada Power Company has selected Flour Corp to complete a combined cycle power station in Clark County. Work ceased on the 1200 MW plant in 2003; now the first unit should start up in late 2005.

The US DOE.(News digest)(United States. Department of Energy)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... USA: The US DOE is to award $75 million in grants in its new Hydrogen Fuels Initiative. The grants follow recommendations in a recent National Research Council report on the hydrogen economy.

Las Vegas Valley Water District.(News digest)(contracts for the construction of a 3.1 MW photovoltaic solar energy project)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... USA: Las Vegas Valley Water District has approved a $22.6m contract to initiate the development and construction of a 3.1 MW photovoltaic solar energy project that will be one of the largest ever built by a public agency in the US.

Uruguay.(News digest)(UTE has asked for revised bids on the turnkey contract )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Uruguay: UTE, Uruguay's state owned power company, has asked for revised bids on the turnkey contract to build a 350-400 MW combined cycle thermoelectric plant after none of the companies proposals complied with the technical requirements. The...

Enel wins tender for SE.(companies)(Slovenske Elektrarne)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The Slovak government has approved a recommendation by Economy Minister Pavol Rusko that Italian utility Enel be named the winner of a tender for a 66 per cent stake in Slovenske Elektrarne (SE), Slovakia's dominant power producer. Czech power...

FuelCell Energy to combine operations with Versa.(companies)(Versa Power Systems )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... US-based FuelCell Energy, Inc has announced that it has entered into an agreement to combine its Canadian solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) operations into Versa Power Systems (Versa). In exchange, FuelCell Energy will receive stock in Versa,...

Two replacements for Westinghouse.(companies)(Pacific Gas and Electric Co.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Westinghouse is to supply eight replacement steam generators for the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, sited in San Luis Obispo county, California. According to Westinghouse, the new generators being supplied are a "technically advanced"...

Nordic and Energy Nevada sign turbine agreement.(companies)(Nordic Windpower)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Nordic Windpower has signed an exclusive agreement with Energy Nevada to establish Nordic's US manufacturing activity in Carson City, Nevada, USA. The agreement will make the Nevada plant Nordic's first manufacturing site in the US, and it...

Bahrain power deal signed.(companie)(Al Ezzel Power Company)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Financing for Bahrain's first independent power project has been completed, according to Al Ezzel Power Company (EPC). EPC is jointly owned by the Belgian-Gulf consortium Tractebel EGI and the Gulf Investment Corporation. The $500m, 900...

APT's fifth.(News digest)(APT Hungaria has launched its fifth European branch)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... APT's fifth: APT Hungaria has launched its fifth European branch, planned to target the south east of the continent. Recent figures have suggested that it is an area for growth, due the further liberalization of the region's energy market. For...

Wabag sells.(News digest)(closing of the sale of the domestic business of Wabag Germany and Wabag France)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Wabag sells: VA Technologie AG has announced the closing of the sale of the domestic business of Wabag Germany and Wabag France. The sale of locations Veolia Water Systems, a division of Veolia Environment, follows VA Tech's announcement in...

EnBW in black.(News digest)(sales and profits)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... EnBW in black: German electricity group EnBW emerged from the red in the first nine months of this year with net profits of [euro]183.7m ($239.7m), compared with a net loss of [euro]1bn in the same period of 2003. Sales fell 4.2 per cent to...

Forced sale.(News digest)(E.ON AG is expected to acquire Yougansneftegaz)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Forced sale: German energy group E.ON AG is expected to acquire Yougansneftegaz, the natural gas subsidiary of the Russian oil company Yukos, according to the Russian deputy minister for economic development, Andre Charonov. The sale of 76.8...

Capstone contracts.(News digest)(Capstone Turbine has received new orders for MicroTurbine energy systems )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Capstone contracts: Capstone Turbine has received new orders from distributors in Japan and France for MicroTurbine energy systems totalling 2 MW. The company said Takuma Company, one of three major Capstone distributors in Japan, placed an...

Iberdrola boosted.(News digest)(profits)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Iberdrola boosted: Spanish electricity group Iberdrola has posted a 13 per cent increase in third quarter profits to [euro]282m ($368m). It said it had benefitted from extra power from its windfarms and a new gas fired power plant in Mexico....

Siemens Power Generation.(News digest)(contracts)(Shanghai Electric Group )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... China: Siemens Power Generation is to join with Shanghai Electric Group to build nine gas turbines for four combined cycle plants in China. The company said the [euro]210 million order would be delivered in late 2005.

African or African't? Investing in Africa can offer four times the rate of return in G-7 coutries and double that in Asia. So why is it that more companies are not rushing to unleash Africa's vast untapped potential?(REPORT)
December 1, 2004... At around 450 kWh p.a., Africa has the lowest per capita electricity consumption in the world. Perhaps this reflects the fact that only 10 per cent of the continent's population has access to electricity. The northern and southern regions...

Diary dates.(Calendar)
December 1, 2004... December POWER-GEN International, 30 November-2 December 2004, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, USA Details from: PennWell Power Group, 1421 S. Sheridan Road, Tulsa, OK 74112, USA Tel: +1 918 832 9286 Fax: +1 918 831...

Shipshape solution for offshore wind: the UK's first high-voltage offshore substation connects the Barrow wind farm to the transmission grid, and is also an important component in helping manage wind's contribution to the network.(Transmission and Distribution)
December 1, 2004... In recent years, the wind energy market has grown from small medium-voltage wind farms connecting to the distribution network to large high-voltage parks connecting directly to the transmission grid. Areva T & D has already carried out...

ASEAN ripe for Cogen: biomass residues are in plentiful supply across most of the ASEAN region and its use in small scale power generation is established. The European Commission-backed ASEAN COGEN 3 Programme is spearheading biomass cogeneration, showing how modern cogeneration systems can achieve big efficiency and fuel utilization savings.(Cogeneration)(Association of South East Asian Nations)
December 1, 2004... Many Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) industries such as sugar, palm oil, rice and wood have been utilising biomass as a fuel to cover some or all of their energy requirements. Biomass is one of the most important sources of...

SBS Injection fights off S[O.sub.3]: sulphur trioxide emissions have been the subject of increasing attention from a spectrum of observers, but a new injection technology is working to help wipe plumes from the sky.(Emission Control)(sodium bisulphite)
December 1, 2004... Control of sulphur trioxide (S[O.sub.3]) emissions from coal fired power plants has recently been the subject of attention from utility management, the public living near the plants, and environmental regulators. What once was an aggravating...

Building the intelligent electricity network: as increasing demand pushes ageing grids to the breaking point, new technology capabilities are making it possible for electricity distribution companies to make informed decisions about asset replacement, upgrades, network security and regulatory approvals for investment.(IT FOCUS)
December 1, 2004... Today many distribution network operators (DNOs) find themselves struggling to power a 21st century world using the technologies and management concepts of the 20th century. Under pressure from ageing assets, growing peak demand, the emergence...

CFCL widens fuel feedstock options.(EquipmentRoundup)
December 1, 2004... Australia-based Ceramic Fuel Cells (CFCL) has announced preliminary findings that its fuel cell offering can be operated using ethanol fuel. The company said it had carried out a preliminary feasibility study and modeling that had shown...

China's fuel cell UPS.(EquipmentRoundup)
December 1, 2004... MGE China is to join with its US-based parent, MGE, and Ballard Power Systems, to offer fuel cell uninterruptible power systems (UPSs) in China. The UPS is powered by Ballard Power Systems' Nexa RM Series fuel cell modules, which have been...

Berlin's bi-fuel cell.(EquipmentRoundup)
December 1, 2004... MTU CFC Solutions, part of DaimlerChrysler, has installed a bi-fuel fuel cell at a "fuel cell innovation park" in Vattenfall, Berlin. Known as HotModule, the fuel cell is being tested in operation as part of a programme of field trials....

Standard published.(EquipmentRoundup)
December 1, 2004... The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has published its first fuel cell standard. IEC 62282-2: Fuel cell technologies--Part 2: Fuel cell modules covers the safety and performance of five types of fuel cell modules: alkaline,...

A turn for the better.(EquipmentRoundup)
December 1, 2004... Bespoke insulation design and re-balancing were part of the package when UK-based Wyko overhauled nine 30MW turbo rotors at a UK site. According to Wyko, the company was asked to assess if repairs would be economic for one of the rotors....

Small hydro design grows up.(EquipmentRoundup)
December 1, 2004... VA Tech Hydro has announced the commissioning of two Ecobulb small hydro units, the first to be rated at 1 MW, at a site in Paullo, Italy. The two units were built for STE Energy. The Ecobulb unit uses a bulb turbine and direct-driven...