Power Engineering International articles from December 2006

Power Engineering International archives from December 2006

Looking to the future.(Up Front)(Editorial)
December 1, 2006... It is with great delight that I pen my first 'Upfront' for Power Engineering International (PEi) as its new Senior Editor. I would like to begin by telling you a little about myself. I have been in publishing for eight years, and began my...

Hardwiring Europe's wind power: Europe's transmission operators need more wind power on the wires, but they and the wind industry want Brussels' help for this to happen. We may see an emergence in 2007, writes Heather Johnstone.(Analysis)
December 1, 2006... It was Saturday 4 November that millions across Europe lost power as the grid operators implemented a massive load-shedding operation to avoid a total collapse of the grid. Procedures worked, and power to most was restored within two hours. The...

IEA predicts global energy consumption catastrophe.(international)
December 1, 2006... The International Energy Agency (IEA) has painted a dramatic vision of how world energy consumption will develop if unchecked by governmental action. In the World Energy Outlook 2006 it predicts that without action global energy demand will...

OGK-5 raises $459m in shares offering.(international)
December 1, 2006... The Russian power generating company OGK-5 has raised $459m after offering shares for sale at $0.09 per share. The shares were bought by strategic and institutional investors from around the world. The shares sold account for 14.4 per cent...

Baltic States seek nuclear plant.(international)
December 1, 2006... The Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are examining the possibility of constructing a new nuclear reactor to replace a Russian-built reactor at Ignalina, which is due to shut down by 2009. A feasibility study indicated that a...

Lebanon's power sector privatization.(international)
December 1, 2006... The Lebanese government is considering the privatization of its troubled electricity sector and the secretary general of Lebanon's Higher Council for Privatization (HCP) has admitted that the state-owned electric utility Electricite du Liban is...

Botswana powers South Africa.(CIC Energy Corp and International Power to finance for power plant construction)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... CIC Energy Corp and International Power are to form a joint venture to finance the construction of a $5bn power plant in Botswana, which will export most of its output to South Africa. The Mmamabula Energy Project involves a coal mining...

Proposed grid link-up for Egypt and Saudi Arabia.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Egypt and Saudi Arabia have signed a contract to carry out a feasibility study into the interconnection of the electricity grids within the two countries. The interconnection project could play a key part in a much wider scheme that would...

Baltic States.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have opened a 150 km cable to connect with the European Union grid. Estlink will allow transfers of up to 350 MW with Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

Dubai.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Dubai: The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority is planning to triple the emirate's power generation and water desalination capacity over the next ten years. Total capacity is expected to rise to 13,250 MW over the decade.

Jordan.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Jordan: The National Electric Power Company is evaluating proposals from USA companies for a feasibility study to reduce losses from Jordan's transmission system. The study is being funded by the US Trade and Development Agency.

Kenya.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Kenya: The Kenya Generating Company is planning to increase its generating capacity by 500 MW over five years to meet rising demand in the country. The additional capacity will come from hydro, geothermal, wind, and thermal power sources.

Morocco.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Morocco: The National Electricity Office of Morocco is launching a pre-qualification tender for construction of a $1.5bn coal fired power plant. The station, comprising two 600 MW units, will be constructed in the Cap Rhir area, 40 km north of...

Poland.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Poland: The Polish and Lithuanian governments have signed a letter of intent to set up a company to study the feasibility of an interconnection between the grids of the two countries. The scheme, which could cost up to [euro]650m ($830m), will...

Qatar.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Qatar: The Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation has signed a letter of intent with Marubeni of Japan for a 2000 MW power plant to be built at the Mesaieed Industrial City. The first 1000 MW phase is due to enter service in 2008, and...

OJSC NPO Saturn.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Russia: Russian company OJSC NPO Saturn is to set up a joint venture with GE to build heavy duty gas turbines in Russia. Initially, the two companies hope to build units with capacities of between 40 MW and 150 MW.

Bulgarian National Power.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Russia: The Bulgarian National Power company has selected Russian company Atmostryexport to build a new nuclear power plant at Belene. Two 1000 MW light water reactors will be installed at a cost of [euro]3.9bn ($5bn).

Saudi Arabia.(power plant to supply electric power and water to utility companies in Jubail and Yanbu)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Saudi Arabia: A 2748 MW power plant to supply electricity to the Power and Water Utilities Company for Jubail and Yanbu is likely to be built by a development company comprising Suez Tractebel, ACWAPower and the Gulf Investment Corp following a...

Climate change will shrink global economy says report.(europe)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... A report commissioned by the UK government argues that if no action is taken global warming, the resulting climate change could lead to a reduction in the size of the global economy of up to 20 per cent. The report by the former World Bank...

Grid disruption affects Western Europe supply.(europe)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... A major disturbance to part of the UCTE grid in Western Europe on 4 November was caused by Eon taking a power line across the river Ems out of operation to allow a cruise ship to pass safely. This action triggered a breakdown in supply with...

National Grid selects partners.(europe)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The UK transmission system operator National Grid has selected its preferred partners to carry out a [pounds sterling]2.8bn ($5.3bn) upgrade. A joint venture between AMEC, Babcock International and Mott MacDonald has been chosen as the...

Centrica acquires clean coal option.(europe)
December 1, 2006... Centrica has acquired an option to participate in an integrated gasification combined-cycle power plant project with carbon dioxide capture and storage in Teesside, UK. Under an agreement with Progressive Energy Ltd, the company has taken...

UBS launches emission index.(europe)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... UBS has launched the UBS World Emissions Index which it claims is the first index for global markets of emissions allowances. Initially Europe-based it will be extended if similar markets develop elsewhere. The index is currently composed...

Eon to build four European plants.(europe)
December 1, 2006... Eon has signed a deal with Hitachi Power Europe for four 1100 MW steam generators. The deal is worth over E1.2bn ($1.5bn) The first supercritical unit, to be installed at Datteln, Germany, will operate with a claimed efficiency of 46 per...

Fortum.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Finland: Fortum is applying to the Finnish Council of State to extend the operating licence for the Loviisa nuclear power plant until the end of 2030. The current licence expires in 2007.

Metso Automation.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Finland: Automation and information management systems for a new gas turbine plant in Olkiluoto will be provided by Metso Automation. The plant, due for summer 2007 start up, will give reserve capacity for the Finnish grid.

Italy.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Italy: Voreas has awarded the EPC contract for construction of a 48 MW wind farm at Pietramontecorvino, southern Italy to Foster Wheeler Italiana. Foster Wheeler holds a 50 per cent equity stake in Voreas.

Norway.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Norway: Statoil has awarded a [euro]42m ($54m) contract for the maintenance of GE LM gas turbines based both onshore and on offshore platforms in the North Sea to MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg.

Portugal.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Portugal: Energias de Portugal has selected Edinfor to provide control and management systems for 48 wind farms across Iberia. The contract is worth more than [euro]2m ($2.6m).

Solel.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Spain: Israeli company Solel has entered a collaboration $890m contract with Sacyr Vallehermoso to build three solar power plants in Spain, based on Solel parabolic trough collector technology, with an aggregate 150 MW of generating capacity.

Parques Eolicos San Lorenzo.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Spain: Spanish developer Parques Eolicos San Lorenzo has ordered 47 wind turbines, each of 2 MW, from Vestas. The units will be installed at two wind farms in Valladolid, Castilla y Leon.

Switzerland.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Switzerland: The European Commission is to start discussions with the Swiss government over integration of the electricity markets in the EU and Switzerland based on EU integrated market legislation.

International Power.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... UK: International Power has acquired the 436 MW Levanto onshore wind farm portfolio from Christofferson Robb & Co for [euro]567m ($726m). The portfolio comprises 286 MW in operation, 126 MW under construction and 24 MW due to be constructed.

Eon.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... UK: Eon has won approval from the Department of Trade and Industry for the construction of a [pounds sterling]350m ($660m) combined-cycle gas turbine plant at its Grain oil fired power station. The 1200 MW plant is set to open in 2009.

Scottish Power.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... UK: Scottish Power has placed an [euro]350m ($450m) order for 140 wind turbines for the Whitelee wind farm in Scotland with Siemens Power Generation. The 2.3MW turbines will provide a combined installed capacity of 322 MW. The contract includes...

Philippines set for more deregulation.(asia-pacific)
December 1, 2006... The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has approved in principle acceptance of a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) of $450m that would be used to support further deregulation and privatization of the power sector in the Philippines. The...

Iran to build power plants in Sri Lanka.(asia-pacific)
December 1, 2006... Sri Lanka is to sign an agreement with Iran for the construction of two power plants. The projects include Sri Lanka's first gas fired power plant. The 300 MW project will be built at Mirissa, southern Sri Lanka, as part of Columbo's...

Joint venture plans lignite plant.(asia-pacific)
December 1, 2006... A joint venture which includes the Japanese trading house Sojitz Corp, US company AES and a local Indonesian company are planning to construct lignite-fired power plant in Indonesia. Sojitz is expected to provide around 25 per cent of the...

Chinese province of Hunan chosen for nuclear plant.(asia-pacific)
December 1, 2006... The Chinese province of Hunan is to be home to a $7.5 bn, 6000 MW nuclear power plant. The project, aprroved by the State Power Design Institute, will involve construction of six nuclear reactors and be built at Xiaomoshan Hill, Yueyang City, a...

Consortium to build 700 MW Thai plant.(asia-pacific)
December 1, 2006... The Thailand state power company EGAT has ordered a 700 MW combined-cycle plant from a consortium of German and Japanese companies. The power station, designated Bang Pakong CCPP 5, is scheduled for completion in March 2009. The plant will...

State funding supports Australian solar power plant project.(asia-pacific)
December 1, 2006... A 154 MW solar power plant being built in the Australian state of Victoria at a cost of $318m is being supported with grants worth $96m from federal and state government sources. It is due to start operating in 2008 and reach full capacity...

Longyuan Pingtan Wind Power Co and Huaneng Shantou Wind Power Co.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... China: State-owned companies Longyuan Pingtan Wind Power Co and Huaneng Shantou Wind Power Co have, between them, ordered 103 wind turbines from Danish company Vestas. The units, with a combined capacity of 145 MW, will be installed at two...

Three Gorges.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... China: The fourteen turbine generators already installed at the Three Gorges power plant are officially operating at full capacity after the water level in the reservoir rose sufficiently for them to provide their rated outputs of 700 MW....

The Indian government has given its approval, in principle, for a 1000 MW pithead power plant in the state of Orissa.(News digest)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... India: The Indian government has given its approval, in principle, for a 1000 MW pithead power plant in the state of Orissa. To be built by GMR Energy, the project is expected to be constructed in two stages. The first is due to commence...

Bharat Heavy Electricals.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... India: Bharat Heavy Electricals will provide three circulating fluidized bed combustion boilers for a 99 MW power plant to supply power to Bharat Oman Refinery Ltd. The plant, which will burn petroleum coke, will be built at Bine in Madhya...

POWER-GEN India and Central Asia.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... India: POWER-GEN India and Central Asia attracted 230 companies from across the world for the three-day event held in October in New Delhi.

Areva.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Japan: Areva is to supply MOX fuel to the Genkai nuclear power plant operated by Kyushu using plutonium derived from nuclear fuel recycled from the same Japanese power company's nuclear stations.

Tsukishima Kikai.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Japan: A 100 kW biomass cogeneration plant burning cedar and cypress thinnings will be built by Tsukishima Kikai for the city of Chichibu in Saitama Prefecture.

Nepal.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Nepal: The Indian government has agreed to support construction of a 240 MW hydropower scheme in Nepal. The Naumure project will be constructed on the West Rapti river, 500km west of Kathmandu.

Philippines.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Philippines: Eleven companies have entered an auction to acquire the assets of Mirant Philippines Corp. The company's $3bn assets, include the 1218 MW Sual coal fired and 735 MW Pagbilao plants.

South Korea.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... South Korea: Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co has awarded a contract to carry out refuelling equipment upgrades at the Ulchin 3 & 4 nuclear power units to Westinghouse subsidiary PaR Nuclear Inc. Work will include modifications to the...

Vietnam.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Vietnam: Harbin Power Engineering Co has awarded the contract for two 150 MW circulating fluidized bed boilers for the Cam Pha Power plant to Foster Wheeler North America.

FPL-Constellation merger abandoned.(americas)(FPL Group Inc.)(Constellation Energy Group Inc.)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... A proposed merger between the Florida-based FPL Group and Constellation Energy, based in Maryland has been abandoned, the two companies have announced. The decision to abandon plans to merge was taken after a request from Constellation...

NERC's concern over capacity shortage.(americas)
December 1, 2006... The North American Electricity Reliability Council (NERC) has expressed concern at the limited additional capacity planned for the USA power grid between 2010 and 2014 after the release of USA Energy Information Administration (EIA) figures...

GE Energy predicts US carbon trading.(americas)
December 1, 2006... The president and CEO of GE Energy, John Krenicki believes that a system of carbon emission control system similar to the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) will be introduced into the USA. "It may not be the same but our sense is...

Transmission line auction attracts 32 companies.(americas)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... An auction of licences to build and operate transmission lines in Brazil has attracted interest from 32 companies, according to the companies power regulator Aneel. The licences are for six blocks of transmission lines with a total length of...

Chubut complex with combine gas and wind.(americas)
December 1, 2006... The Argentine president and the governor of Chubut Province had signed a deal for construction of a 550 MW power generation complex in the town of Dolavon. The $402m project will comprise a 450 MW combined-cycle plant and a further 100 MW...

Oxyfuel project proposed in Saskatchewan.(americas)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... A proposed clean coal project in Saskatchewan, Canada, will use the Oxyfuel process to enable capture and removal of carbon dioxide (C[O.sub.2]) after combustion. The project is being developed by SaskPower, Babcock and Wilcox (B & W)...

Canada.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Canada: Uranium prices are predicted to rise over the next two years, following the flooding of the Cigar Lake uranium project. Cigar Lake is expected to produce around 15 per cent of global mine supply.

Honduras.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Honduras: State-owned Empresa Nacional de Energia Electrica is to install 35 000 smart meters for residential, commercial and industrial applications supplied by the US company Elster Electricity. The EnergyAxis units will be installed over a...

Japan Bank for International Cooperation.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Mexico: Construction of a 648 MW coal fired power plant in Mexico is being co-financed by Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Caylon Corporate and Investment Bank and ING Bank NV. The plant is being built by...

Mexican.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Mexico: The Mexican state utility CFE has awarded contracts worth $50 million to improve the transmission and distribution system in the country to ABB. The two contracts involve installation of substations and switchgear.

AquaEnergy Group Ltd.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... USA: An offshore wave energy project being developed by AquaEnergy Group Ltd has completed its Environmental Assessment process. The proposed wave plant will use modular AquaBuoy devices to convert wave energy into electricity. Each buoy has a...

Indiana Gasification LCC.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... USA: Indiana Gasification LCC is developing plans for a substitute natural gas plant in Indiana that will convert coal into pipeline quality natural gas. Construction is due to start in 2008, for completion in 2011. The plant could supply 15-20...

GenPower.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... USA: Merchant power developer GenPower has joined forces with private equity company First Reserve to form a joint venture to develop merchant power plants. The joint venture will take control of GenPower's proposed 695 MW Longview coal-fired...

Department of Energy.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... USA: The Department of Energy is to provide $450m to support the development of carbon sequestration technologies in North America. The funding, over the next ten years, will support seven demonstration projects.

Venezuela.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Venezuela: Venezuelan power company EDC is planning two new share issues to help finance its investments. The latter include the La Raisa thermal power plant outside Caracas which will add 200 MW to its existing 2600 MW of generating capacity...

Eon in court over Endesa.(companies)(Acciona)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The German utility Eon has filed a lawsuit in the USA against the Spanish company Acciona in an attempt to prevent the latter building a stake to nearly 25 per cent in the electricity company Endesa which Eon wants to buy for [euro]36.8bn...

Doosan buys Mitsui Babcock for $169m.(companies)
December 1, 2006... South Korean company Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction Co has purchased Mitsui Babcock from its present owner Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co for $169m. Once the deal is complete the company is expected to be known as Doosan...

MHI and Areva to cooperate for midsize nuclear power plant.(companies)
December 1, 2006... Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and the French nuclear group Areva have announced plans to jointly develop a midsize nuclear power plant ready to be marketed as early as 2010. The 1000 MW plant will be targeted at the USA. The...

Schneider Electric bags APC for $6bn.(companies)(Schneider Electric S.A.)(American Power Conversion Corp.)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Schneider Electric has agreed to acquire uninterruptible power supply (UPS) specialist American Power Conversion (APC) for $6bn. APC will be merged with Schneider Electric's subsidiary MGE UPS Systems. However the transaction is still subject...

Borsig snaps up Hamburg-based boiler maker.(companies)
December 1, 2006... Berlin-based Borsig Group has acquired Hamburg boiler construction company DIM Kraftwerks-Engineering for an unspecified sum. The move returns Borsig to a market that used to form a major part of its business. The Hamburg company will...

Municipal utilities to take stake in RWE coal plant.(companies)
December 1, 2006... A group of German municipal utilities will take a stake in a coal fired power plant to be built by RWE. The 26 municipal utilities will participate in a joint company and the deal will give them access to 350 MW of the plant's generating...

Suez climbs.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Suez climbs: Suez Energy Resources has been ranked third largest retail electricity provider to commercial and industrial customers in the USA by tracking organization KEMA. The company supplies a peak load of 3850 MW.

Babcock credit.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Babcock credit: Babcock Power has agreed a new five-year, $95m revolving credit facility. The new facility increases the company's borrowing capacity by $45m.

Vycon listing.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Vycon listing: Californian flywheel energy storage company Vycon has announced plans to list on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM). The investment raised will be used to develop higher capacity flywheel based products in the 500kW and...

Sharp efficiency increase.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Sharp efficiency increase: Japanese company Sharp Corporation has developed a new solar cell product that boasts an energy conversion efficiency of over 37 per cent. The new solar panel uses gallium arsenide instead of silicon to improve...

B & Q turns to wind.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... B & Q turns to wind: The UK Do-It-Yourself chain B & Q has claimed that its wind turbine, which sells in its store for [pounds sterling]1498 ($2864), has become its top selling item in terms of cash revenue.

Iberdrola eyes Scottish Power.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Iberdrola eyes Scottish Power: Spanish power company Iberdrola is believed to have made an offer for Scottish Power which values the UK company at around [pounds sterling]11bn ($21bn). The bid has been made in conjunction with a private equity...

EDF invests.(News digest)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... EDF invests: French utility EDF is to invest [euro]40bn ($51bn) to 2010 in activities across the group, but with particular interest in power generation. Around [euro]3.3bn ($4.2bn) will be invested in wind energy and the company is already...

Suez-GdF structure.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Suez-GdF structure: Suez and Gaz de France have agreed a management structure for their merged companies, but still have to agree the value to be placed on Suez for the proposed share swap scheme.

Toshiba deal.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Toshiba deal: Toshiba has finally completed its deal to acquire Westinghouse. As a result it now owns Westinghouse UK and BNFL USA Group Inc, and has established two holdings companies, one in the UK and one in the USA to carry though the...

Iberdrola wind contract.(News digest)
December 1, 2006... Iberdrola wind contract: Iberdrola has signed a deal with Gamesa for 2700 MW of turbine capacity for its wind farms in Europe, the USA and Mexico between 2007 and 2009. Iberdrola will also purchase Gamesa's US wind farms.

Diary dates.(Calendar)
December 1, 2006... 2007 January POWER-GEN Middle East 2007 22nd-24th January Manama, Bahrain www.power-gen-middleeast.com Water Middle East 2007 22nd-24th January Manama, Bahrain www.water-middle-east.com Bangladesh...