Power Engineering International articles from December 2005

Power Engineering International archives from December 2005

Still cooking.
December 1, 2005... Despite a doubling of gas prices and a looming energy shortage in the UK, I am still cooking hot meals--unlike the lady in Texas (see last month's Upfront). For a man with a hearty appetite, who would expect anything else? But while my appetite...

All eyes on the Middle East: investment opportunities in the Middle East abound as the region strives to keep up with rapidly growing demand. But can this growth be sustained, asks Sian Green?
December 1, 2005... One need only take a glance at PEi's news pages--on-line and in print--to realise that the electricity sector in the Middle East is booming. Each month, several key project contracts are signed and sealed in the power generation and the...

No rest on pebble bed.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The 165 MW pebble bed modular reactor demonstration project in South Africa will be ready to generate in 2010, according to the company leading its construction after it awarded two contracts. PMBR Ltd awarded a joint venture between...

First Saudi IWPP goes to Malaysian syndicate.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The first independent power and water project in Saudi Arabia has been awarded to a consortium including three Malaysian companies and a company based in the kingdom itself. Shuaibah Phase 3 is projected to cost $2.5bn and begin commercial...

Sembcorp leads the pack for latest ADWEA privatization.(international)
December 1, 2005... At just over $1.3bn, Singapore's Sembcorp Utilities has submitted the highest bid for the sixth power plant to be privatized by Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA). In total, ADWEA received bids from four parties that included...

Contracts awarded for GCC grid.(GCC Interconnection Authority )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Dammam based GCC Interconnection Authority has signed all 14 contracts for the first phase of the GCC electricity grid project. ABB was awarded six substation contracts, worth a total of around $470m. The company was the lowest bidder on...

New model to help competition.(RAO Unified Energy System )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... New power plant capacity could be added in Russia after Fortum, RAO Unified Energy System and KES-holding agreed to develop a joint operating model to improve the competitiveness of electricity generation firms in Russia. The territorial...

World Bank funds Kazakh project.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The World Bank has approved a $100m loan to finance Phase II of the Kazakhstan North-South electricity transmission line, a project that will help promote national and regional competition as well as provide a more stable power supply across...

Georgia.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Georgia: Power Machines has signed a $2.7m contract to reconstruct four hydro turbines and generators at the Gumati-1 hydropower plant. The new equipment will be supplied in July 2006.

Iraq.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Iraq: Over 2500 homes in northern Baghdad will receive a more reliable power supply following the installation of 4 km of underground power cable that will connect two new substations.

Lithuania.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Lithuania: Five 300 MW units at the Elektrenai power plant are to receive flue gas desulphurization technology from Alstom to reduce the plant's emissions below the levels specified in the EU Large Combustion Plant Directive.

Nigeria.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Nigeria: The Power Holding Company of Nigeria is to receive power from a new 480 MW simple cycle plant in Alaoji that will use four GE Frame 9E gas turbines for generation.

Poland.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Poland: Construction of an ultra modern coal fired power plant that had been stalled for two years will now be completed by SNC-Lavalin within 28 months. The total project cost is estimated to reach $600m.

Serbia.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Serbia: The Kosovo Energy Corporation has warned its customers to expect severe power cuts this winter, as it will not be able to generate sufficient capacity. The company has also advised that the last of its coal reserves will be gone in...

Ukraine.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Ukraine: The European Bank of Reconstruction and Development has provided the Ukrainian Energy Service Company with a $20m loan to finance energy efficiency projects in one of the developed world's most energy intensive countries.

South Africa.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... South Africa: An independent power plant developer has purchased an 18 MW combined heat and power plant in the UK for a cost of $3.85m and begun work to ship it to a site in KwaZulu Natal.

Russia.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Russia: Uralkali JSC has contracted Siemens is to supply four industrial gas turbine generators for installation in cogeneration plants at two potassium mines in Berezniki.

Tunisia.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Tunisia: The first generator set sold by Centrax into Tunisia will see the company supply its new 5.2 MW indoor package, the CX501-KB7, to a paper mill 30 km away from Tunis.

Hungary.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Hungary: Pannonpower is to spend $140m constructing two biomass fuelled generator blocks by 2009. The company's chief executive said it was also considering building new capacity in Slovakia and Romania.

Bulgaria.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Bulgaria: Honeywell has signed an $11m contract to supply the country's largest thermal power plant, Maritza East 2, with its Experion Process Knowledge system.

Europe climate conference backs technology approach.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... A conference attended by energy and environment ministers from the 20 most industrialized nations has agreed on a cleaner, low-carbon technology-driven approach to tackling climate change after 2012 when the Kyoto Protocol expires. In the...

EU probe finds flaws in energy market.(European Union)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Preliminary findings from a European Commission investigation set up in June into the liberalized EU gas and electricity markets has uncovered restrictive business practices and abuse of dominant positions. The findings revealed that some...

E.ON plans Italian power plant.(europe)
December 1, 2005... E.ON has announced plans to build its first ever power plant in Italy. The 800 MW combined cycle gas fired plant, costing [euro]400m ($472m), will be built by Siemens and is expected to go on line in late 2007. Siemens will supply two gas...

Micro CHP trialled in the Netherlands.(combined heat and power )
December 1, 2005... A newly designed compact wall-hung micro combined heat and power (CHP) appliance has been installed on a trial basis in the Netherlands in a joint project between Microgen Energy of the UK and Dutch gas supplier Gasunie. The device incorporates...

Britain posed for nuclear comeback.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... A series of reports and pressure from business leaders and scientists backing a new civil nuclear building programme in the UK has prompted a the government to review the future direction of the country's energy industry. News reports...

Offshore tests for 5 MW turbine.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... REpower Systems has begun offshore trial operations of its 5 MW wind turbine in a North Sea test field. The investor and operator is EWE AG, the energy service provider for Germany's Ems-Weser-Elbe region. The 5M turbine has a rotor...

Denmark.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Denmark: Elsam has applied to the Danish Energy Agency for permission to build a large straw fired power plant at Fynsaerket at a cost of DKK700m ($111m). Ownership of the plant will in due course pass to Vattenfall.

Germany.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Germany: E.ON Rhurgas is to build the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) landing terminal in Germany at a site in Wilhemshaven at an estimated cost of [euro]500m ($590m).

Germany.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Germany: MTU CFC Solutions and RWE Fuel Cells have commissioned a power plant incorporating technology from FuelCell Energy of the USA to run a municipal wastewater treatment facility in northeastern Germany.

Greece.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Greece: Siemens Power Generation has secured orders for 13 wind power systems for the domestic market plus a further 14 destined for two wind farms in Greece

Iceland.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Iceland: Independent transmission company Landsnet has place an order with American Superconductor Corporation for a 40 MVAR Dynamic Compensator system for a transmission grid in Iceland.

Netherlands.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Netherlands: E.ON is to invest [euro]240m ($283m) in order to modernize its generating fleet in the Netherlands, including a ten-year life extension to the coal fired Benelux Maasvlakte power station.

Portugal.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Portugal: Portugal has granted an operating permit to BP Solar for the world's largest solar power site. Located at Moura the plant will have 350 000 solar panels with a capacity of 49.6 MW.

Spain.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Spain: The Aceralia factory in Aviles, Spain, one of the world's first cogeneration power plants utilizing waste gas generated by the production of steel, has been in operation for over a year using GE Jenbacher engines.

Sweden.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Sweden: Vattenfall is to receive a compensation payment of Skr5.6bn ($695m) from the Swedish government following the political decision to close its second Barseback nuclear reactor plant

UK.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... UK: A Biomass Task Force report has concluded that the use of forestry, crops and waste could reduce the UK's carbon emissions by almost three million tonnes a year if used to provide heating.

UK.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... UK: Formal consent for the third of three large-scale offshore wind farms planned for the Thames Estuary has been submitted to the Department of Trade and Industry. The Thanet Offshore wind park would have a capacity of 1800 MW

UK.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... UK: The Department of Trade and Industry has consented to wave and tidal demonstration projects in England and Wales. A [pounds sterling]50m ($69m) package of financial support was granted to the industry earlier in the year.

Vietnam finalises Ca Mau power plant contracts.(asia-pacific)
December 1, 2005... Construction has started on what will be Vietnam's largest power plant amid calls from the country's prime minister for its generation output to be raised from a planned 750 MW to 1440 MW to help meet rising electricity demand. Details for...

Grid projects approved.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... President Arroyo has approved major power transmission line projects that will provide a more comprehensive power supply to the Philippine islands. Two 138 kV transmission projects, projected to cost over Php2bn ($37m) will boost supply to...

Foreign investors still keen on Thailand power IPO.(asia-pacific)
December 1, 2005... The president of Thailand's state owned electricity company, EGAT, has said he has been overwhelmed with interest from foreign investors in the company's initial public offering (IPO), which was suspended last month by the Supreme...

Double plant award for GE.(GE Energy)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... GE Energy has been contracted to supply both equipment and maintenance services for a new 100 MW combined cycle plant being built in Malaysia by an independent power producer. The natural gas fired plant is being built at the Kota Kinabalu...

US firm selected for HTS project.(asia-pacific)
December 1, 2005... Korea's programme to develop advanced power systems will use high temperature superconductor wire supplied by American Superconductor after it was selected by Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute as partner. American Superconductor...

China changes nuclear approach.(asia-pacific)
December 1, 2005... The Chinese government is likely to award contracts for just two of the four third-generation nuclear power plants it sought bids for in September 2004. It is believed that Chinese authorities want to examine the performance of the new...

Australia.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Australia: One of the country's largest energy companies, Australia Gas Light Company, is to demerge into two listed businesses by separating its retail and merchant energy assets from its infrastructure assets.

Bangladesh.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Bangladesh: Representatives from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have met in Dhaka to discuss establishing a common power grid that could reduce power shortages through greater use of hydropower.

Bangladesh.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Bangladesh: Unit 1 of the country's first coal fired power plant has entered operation adding 250 MW to the national grid. The second unit will add a further 125 MW when it is completed in early 2006.

China.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... China: A $1.5bn transmission project that will export electricity from Anhui province to the power hungry east has been included in Anhui state government's five-year plan that runs from 2006 until 2010.

China.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... China: Energy company Gohua has contracted Power Machines to service the power plants it supplied equipment for between 1993 and 2000. The 1000 MW Panshan plant and the 1600 MW Suizhong plant are China's two largest thermal power stations.

India.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... India: The national government plans to move to a competition based power system by inviting bids for the creation of four power projects that would each have a minimum capacity of 5000 MW.

India.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... India: Neyveli Lignite Corporation and Tamil Nadu Electricity Board are to build a 1000 MW thermal power plant that will use imported coal when it enters operation in 2009.

Indonesia.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Indonesia: PT Chevron Pacific has reached an agreement with Garut district administrators over profit share from the Darajat geothermal power plant. The company will build a third unit to generate 110 MW at a cost of over $100m.

Japan.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Japan: GE is to install its 2.5 MW wind turbines in Japan at three sites during 2006 and 2007. The projects will add 85 MW of wind energy to the national electricity grid.

Pakistan.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Pakistan: The 73 per cent privatization of the Karachi Electric Supply Company has finally been completed with a Saudi-led consortium paying $435m for the stake. The share sale had been delayed after the original highest bidder pulled out.

South Korea.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... South Korea: Alstom is to provide the design for two 400 MW pump-turbine generator units and share the manufacturing of components with Doosan for the Yecheon pumped storage plant.

Vietnam.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Vietnam: The country's second 500 kV high voltage transmission line has entered operation ahead of schedule. The 1600 km line runs from outside HCM City to a transformer in the province of Ha Tay.

Venezuela secures $750M IDB development finance.(americas)
December 1, 2005... A 2160 MW hydropower plant is to be built in Venezuela after the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) agreed to loan the South American country $750m towards its construction. The Tocoma plant will be the fourth hydropower station...

Sao Paulo plans power grid expansion project.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Sao Paulo's state power supply company has contracted a consortium including Siemens, VA Tech and the Brazilian firm Alusa to expand its power grid. Companhia de Transmissao de Energia Electrica Paulista awarded the [euro]81m ($95m)...

Peru welcomes crucial new hydropower capacity.(americas)
December 1, 2005... The president of Peru has switched on one of the most important power projects in the country in the last ten years, a 130 MW hydropower plant. Commissioned in February 2004, EnerSur, Suez Energy International's Peruvian electricity...

Renewable boom in Ontario.(americas)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Nine new renewable energy projects are set to boost the Canadian province of Ontario's clean energy portfolio by 975 MW. The eight wind projects and one hydro project will contribute to the state government's goal of having ten per cent of...

LNG to take larger role on world stage.(Liquefied natural gas)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The LNG industry is to grow more in the next seven years than it did in its first 40 as high oil and natural gas prices take hold, according to new research from Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA). As well as high fuel prices,...

Two wave power stations deployed.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Ocean Power Technologies has deployed two of its PowerBuoy wave power stations off the coasts of Hawaii and New Jersey, USA. Deployment of the Hawaii project took one day. The US navy contracted Ocean Power Delivery to deliver 40 kW of wave...

Barbados.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Barbados: After it was awarded an $18m contract, ABB will use its underground cables to upgrade the power network in the north of the island to help protect it from future damage from hurricanes.

Bolivia.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Bolivia: Three new 230 kV transmission lines began operating in Bolivia in November. The lines doubled the country's capacity for high voltage electricity transmission and opened the possibility of connecting the isolated grid in Tarija to the...

Brazil.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Brazil: EcoSecurities has completed the sale of its Brazilian subsidiary's 50 per cent interest in the NovaGerar landfill gas project, the first project to be registered under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism.

Brazil.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Brazil: Wartsila has signed a [euro]45m ($52.7m) turnkey contract to build a power plant in the city of Manaus. The plant will generate 83 MW from five 18V46 gensets.

Dominican Republic.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Dominican Republic: Man B&W will supply two 9L32/40 diesel engines to generate 9 MW of electricity for a steel hot rolling plant in Santo Domingo.

Mexico.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Mexico: BP has contracted Nexans to supply the world's first subsea service umbilical to integrate an HV cable in the Gulf of Mexico as part of a project to retrofit two existing subsea wells with multi phase pumps.

USA.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... USA: A record amount of wind power will be installed in the US this year. According to the American Wind Energy Association, 2500 MW of new wind energy capacity will be added.

USA.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... USA: Excelon has awarded GE's nuclear business a multi-year $17m contract to supply reactor control components to its fleet of 12 boiling water reactors.

USA.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... USA: FuelCell Energy has expanded the combined heat and power capabilities of its Direct FuelCell by successfully demonstrating that it can be used as an air conditioner when applied with an absorption chiller.

USA.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... USA: Seven projects have been selected by the Department of Energy as part of a $5m plan to explore how best to reduce the amount of freshwater needed by coal fired power plants.

USA.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... USA: The Department of Energy has charged Babcock & Wilcox and BOC Group with the task of demonstrating the feasibility of new low cost technology for capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide from coal fired power plants.

USA.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... USA: Three British bankers due to be extradited to the US in connection to the Enron scandal are to apply to the UK's High Court for action to prevent them being trialled in the US.

Endesa takeover twists again.(companies)
December 1, 2005... After weeks of wrangling the EU and Spanish government may not have to step in to sort Gas Natural's hostile takeover bid for Endesa after it emerged that the gas company could have acted illegally in selling [euro]9bn ($10.6bn) of Endesa's...

France finally floats EDF.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... One week after the French government floated 15 per cent of EDF on the stock market, shares were trading at around [euro]31.50 ($37), just under the price investors paid. A record 4.8m private investors paid [euro]32/share after the...

Austrian firm acquires Alstom industrial boilers division.(Austrian Energy & Environment )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Austrian Energy & Environment (AE&E) is set to acquire significant parts of Alstom's industrial boilers and plants division in a deal that will see the Austrian company become one of Europe's largest plant manufacturers. The Alstom...

Solid fuel cell partnership formed.(Precision Flow Technologies )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Australia-based Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited has formed an alliance with US company Precision Flow Technologies to manufacture and market solid oxide fuel cell test systems. Under the agreement, Precision Flow Technologies will build systems...

Babcock Power fully clad.(Cladding Technology)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Babcock Power has acquired all of the assets of US-based Cladding Technology, a specialized welding firm that deals exclusively with the application of hard metals to surfaces that are subject to destructive wear. Ted Maliszewski,...

Siemens spies wind growth in Germany.(AN Windenergie)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Siemens has acquired AN Windenergie, a German company that specializes in wind energy sales and servicing, as it seeks to capitalize on future offshore wind energy projects in the country. Siemens believes that Germany is one of the world's...

Acta doubles output.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Acta doubles output: A 55 MW/c[m.sup.2] direct alcohol fuel cell is now available after Acta announced it had more than doubled the power output of its catalyst. The platinum-free cell is now among the highest reported of any self breathing...

Alstom wins.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Alstom wins: Alstom has been named Energy Company of the Year at the 2005 Frost & Sullivan Excellence in Energy awards in which 11 companies were commended for outstanding performance.

Ceramic approval.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Ceramic approval: Ceramic Fuel Cell's demonstration combined heat and power unit has received the European safety approval required for field trials to begin in Europe with German energy company, EWE AG.

Deutz record.(News digest)
December 1, 2005... Deutz record: German engine company Deutz has set a new company record for the number of engines sold for the first nine months of a year. Over 145 000 engines were sold, equating to a 9 per cent rise on the previous year's sales revenue.