Power Engineering International articles from February 2006

Power Engineering International archives from February 2006

Pass the parcel.(Westinghouse's nuclear business)
February 1, 2006... If the sale of Westinghouse to Toshiba goes through as expected, Westinghouse's nuclear business will have changed hands twice in the last eight years. Add to this the sale of its power generation business to Siemens in 1998 and you get the...

The changing climate of coal: equipment manufacturers are predicting a switch away from natural gas to coal fired generation. This may address security of supply issues, but seems at odds with environmental goals, writes Sian Green.(Analysis)
February 1, 2006... The share of equipment for coal fired power plants in orders for new power plants is to rise significantly in the next ten years, according to Philippe Joubert, president of Alstom Power. Coal's share in the generating mix will therefore...

Oil used to shield Iran from nuclear fall-out.(international)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Iran has threatened to raise oil prices if it is called before the UN Security Council and made to face economic sanctions for its nuclear research programme. The country is OPEC's second largest oil producer. The latest threat came as...

Russia restricts as negotiations continue.(international)
February 1, 2006... Gazprom has resticted gas supply to a number of power plants in Moscow by 50 per cent at a time when freezing temperatures have sparked record energy demand. The Russian gas giant has recently been renegotiating supply contracts with...

Saudi signs Siemens for Shuaibah.(international)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... A consortium including Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction and Siemens PG is to construct the world's largest desalination plant and an associated power plant in Saudi Arabia after it was awarded a [euro]1.8bn ($2.2bn) contract. The...

Poland fosters new CFB technology.(international)(circulating fluidized bed)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Foster Wheeler is to build the world's first supercritical circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler island for a new $550m, 460 MW power plant at Lagisza in southern Poland. The boiler will not only represent the world's first use of...

Algerian deal opens African gateway.(international)(Mubadala Development Company and SNC Lavalin )(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... A partnership involving Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Development Company and SNC Lavalin has said its first power venture in North Africa will pave the way for further deals. The two companies recently announced they are to build a 1200 MW power...

EDF sells Egyptian assets.(international)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Malaysia's Tanjong Public Limited Company is to almost double its power generating assets with the acquisition of the entire power plant fleet of EDF International in Egypt. The RM1.16bn ($310m) deal will see the Malaysian company take...

Bulgaria.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Bulgaria: The World Bank has issued [euro]99m ($119.5m) in risk insurance for the construction of a new [euro]1.1bn 600 MW coal fired power plant near Galabovo.

Iraq.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Iraq: Mass Jordan Trading Company is to construct a 500 MW LNG fired power plant 80 km east of Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, after it signed a $250m deal with the Iraqi government.

Latvia.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Latvia: State owned power company, Latvenergo, has contracted Fortum Service to upgrade three units at the Plavinas hydropower plant on the Daugava River by 2012.

Morocco.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Morocco: The country's third rural electrification project will be funded from part of a $8.1m loan issued by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.

Nigeria.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Nigeria: The Afam VI combined cycle power plant at Port Harcourt will be powered by three Alstom GT13E2 gas turbines, each rated at 167 MW after the plant developer, Daewoo, awarded Alstom a contract worth over [euro]200m ($241m).

Qatar.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Qatar: Siemens is to supply two 220 kV/66 kV/11 kV transformer substations and one 66 kV/11 kV transformer substation in the state's capital Doha to help provide power for the new Westbay development.

Wartsila.(News digest)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Russia: Wartsila has been awarded contracts to provide two power plants in the Russian Arctic that will generate a total of 52 MW. The first project will be powered by crude oil from the Varandey oil terminal and the second will provide...

Rosenergoatom and BasEI AB.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Russia: A 15-year power supply agreement has been reached between Rosenergoatom and BasEI AB, adding to the momentum behind the proposed construction of a 1000 MW transmission link between Russia and Finland.

Russian Federal Agency for Atomic Energy.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Russia: Construction of a floating nuclear power plant will begin in Severodvinsk this year, according to a recent statement issued by the Russian Federal Agency for Atomic Energy.

Saudi Arabia.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Saudi Arabia: Two separate Saudi cement works have contracted Wartsila to provide generating sets that will generate 45.3 MW and 49 MW for them by 2007.

Serbia and Montenegro.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Serbia and Montenegro: Illegal tapping of the grid between 2000 and 2004 contributed to the [euro]538m ($649m) worth of power losses suffered by the Serbian power company EPS.

Slovakia.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Slovakia: CEZ has submitted a bid for the heating company Teplarna Kosice and has opened an office in the country as it seeks to capitalize on government efforts to sell heating plants in five cities.

Gas fears fuel nuclear debate.(europe)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... New opinion polls show that support for nuclear power is growing in Europe. The recent Russian-Ukraine dispute over natural gas, which has been followed by temperature-induced supply restrictions to some parts of Europe, has added new impetus...

Emerald Isle builds green capacity again.(europe)
February 1, 2006... Airtricity is to build four new wind farms in Ireland, two years after the country's national grid operator called for a halt on wind farm development. The new onshore developments, which range in size from 7.5 MW to 50 MW, will double...

Grant breathes life into 1 MW underwater windmill.(europe)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... A 1 MW tidal energy turbine is to be installed in Northern Ireland's Strangford Lough later this year after its developer Marine Current Turbines received a [pounds sterling]4.3m ($7.5m) grant from the British government. The company has...

EU to launch rival to GPS.(europe)(Global Positioning System)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Utilities will soon have access to 30 commercial satellites for applications that use global navigation systems, according to the latest details given by the EU-backed Galileo project. All 30 satellites should have been launched by 2010,...

First Frame 6C enters operation.(europe)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... The world's first power plant to use GE Energy's Frame 6C gas turbine technology has entered commercial operation in Turkey after successfully completing all tests. A 130 MW 206C package, which includes two Frame 6C gas turbine-generators...

UK to get first new coal fired power plant in 30 years.(europe)(E.ON )(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... E.ON has pledged to build a 450 MW coal fired power plant in the UK as part of a [euro]3.7bn ($4.5bn) investment plan it has outlined to improve its security of supply in the country. To be spent before 2009, the capital will also see the...

Europe.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Europe: The European UPS services market will grow from its current [euro]393.7m ($476.5m) per year to [euro]556.8m per year in 2011, according to new research conducted by Frost & Sullivan.

Austria.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Austria: Salzburg AG has ordered a [euro]19m ($23m) pumped storage unit for the second generator at its hydropower plant in Hintermuhr. The plant was originally designed for two Pelton units, but will now only feature one.

Germany.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Germany: Vestas has received orders for 40 of its V90 2 MW wind turbines as well as ten of its V80 2 MW and one of its V100 2.75 MW machines for use at several new wind farm developments in eastern Germany.

Italy.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Italy: ABB has won a [euro]26m ($31.5m) contract to fit a heavy fuel thermal power plant near Rome with control systems so that it will burn fuel in a more environmentally friendly manner.

Endesa.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Spain: Endesa has been given permission to build an 800 MW gas fired combined cycle power plant at the site of its 1400 MW coal fired power station in the northwest region of Galicia.

Santander and Climate Change Capital.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Spain: Santander and Climate Change Capital have launched a carbon fund focused on the acquisition of emission rights from clean development projects in developing countries and economies in transition.

Spanish government.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Spain: The Spanish government is studying two major reports from national bodies into the impact that the proposed takeover of Endesa by Gas Natural will have on the energy markets.

Sweden.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Sweden: Echelon is to provide Vattenfall with an intelligent metering service that will cover 13 per cent of a national residential market that is in the early stages of transitioning to fully automated metering.

International Power.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... UK: A 1000 MW coal fired power station is to be fitted with flue gas desulphurization equipment after International Power decided to make its Rugeley power plant compliant with the EU's Large Combustion Plant Directive.

A public-private partnership.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... UK: A public-private partnership has been established to compete for nuclear decommissioning contracts that will be available when the [pounds sterling]56bn ($99bn) industry is liberalized later this year.

EU and China.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... UK: The UK is leading the first phase of a new project between the EU and China that aims to have built a coal fired power plant with carbon capture and storage capabilities by 2020.

Scottish and Southern Energy.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... UK: Scottish and Southern Energy has awarded Hochtief AG a [pounds sterling]126m ($222m) contract to construct a new 100 MW hydroelectric power plant near Loch Ness.

Link doubles ties to land.(asia-pacific)(Provincial Electricity Authority)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... A submarine high voltage electricity link is to more than double the available capacity on Thailand's third largest island after Nexans was awarded an [euro]18m ($22m) contract for the project by the Provincial Electricity Authority. The...

Spending up, profits down at EVN.(asia-pacific)(Electricity of Vietnam )(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) has reiterated its intention to invest around $2.15bn in 2006 in improving its power infrastructure after revealing that profits had fallen again in the last year to just three per cent. Profits at the state...

China develops surge protection.(asia-pacific)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... The first high voltage surge protector to operate on China's electricity grid has been declared a success by the project's developer, China's Institute of Electrical Engineering. Since it was first installed in an electrical substation near...

MHI tests carbon capture technology.(asia-pacific)(Mitsubishi Heavy Industries )(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has announced that construction has started of a large-scale recovery plant that will collect carbon dioxide from flue gas emitted at J-Power's coal fired power station in Kyushu, Japan. Mitsubishi aims to begin...

Cement cos set for 50DF.(asia-pacific)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Two Pakistan-based cement companies have ordered a Wartsila 50DF engine to provide captive power for their daily operations. The contracts will see the first commissioning in Pakistan of the most powerful dual-fuel engine currently on the...

AP6 outlines emission mission.(asia-pacific)(Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate )(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Australia and the US have pledged a combined $127m to help cut emissions through the development of new technology at the first meeting of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (AP6). Senior ministers from the...

Australia.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Australia: American Superconductor is to install its D-VAR voltage regulation systems at the first two phases of the Lake Bonney II wind project near Millicent. The two phases will have a combined installed capacity of 159 MW.

Green Coal Power Company.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... China: A new state owned company has been created to develop a near zero emission coal fired power plant. Green Coal Power Company has a budget of $716m for the project.

REpower.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... China: REpower has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to install five of its 5 MW wind turbines in 2008. One of the first offshore wind farms in Asia will be next to the venue of the 2008 Olympic sailing events.

State Power Grid Development Company.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... China: The chief engineer of the State Power Grid Development Company has forecast that operation of additional generation units this year will bring the maximum shortage of electricity in the country to below 9 GW.

Myntdu River.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... India: A new 84 MW hydroelectric plant on the Myntdu River will feature two VA Tech Hydro 42 MW Francis turbines and generators after the company was awarded a contract worth $14.7m.

The government intends to invite companies to express their interest in building five 'ultra mega' thermal power plants.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... India: The government intends to invite companies to express their interest in building five 'ultra mega' thermal power plants, each have a capacity of 4000 MW. The contracts for the proposed projects will be awarded by the end of 2006.

World Bank.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... India: The private sector arm of the World Bank has invested $600000 in a Bangalore based designer and manufacturer of small, high-efficiency gas and steam turbines for cogeneration applications to help develop its product and manufacturing...

Japan.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Japan: A ceramics manufacturing company has purchased a 250 kW Direct Fuel Cell power plant from FuelCell Energy's Asian distributor, Marubeni Corporation. The ceramics company has plans to reduce its C[O.sub.2] emissions by 24 per cent over...

US firm.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... South Korea: A US firm is to work with the South Jeolla provincial government to construct the world's largest solar power facility that will generate 17 MW of electricity, more than three times larger than the current record holder.

Yonghung.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... South Korea: Yonghung, the supercritical and largest coal fired power plant in South Korea will have Emerson Process Management's PlantWeb digital plant architecture installed at two of its units.

Sri Lanka.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Sri Lanka: The country's power demand is growing at a rate of 7.6 per cent per year, according to a joint survey conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Ceylon Electricity Board.

Wind energy soars in the States.(americas)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... A record of around 2500 MW of new wind power capacity was added to the USA's generation mix in 2005, a figure that will continue to rise for the foreseeable future, according to a new study. Emerging Energy Research's (EER) study expects...

El Paso sells Central American assets.(americas)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... El Paso Corporation is to sell the majority of its Central American power assets to a subsidiary of Globeleq for approximately $141m as it attempts to raise the funds it has outlined for debt reduction. The energy firm has been shedding...

Duke sells for princely sum.(americas)(Duke Energy Corp.)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Duke Energy has signed an agreement with a subsidiary of LS Power Equity Partners to purchase Duke Energy North America's entire fleet of power generation assets outside the Midwest for between $1.48bn and $1.54bn. The sale follows Duke's...

Utility plans uprate of nuclear plant.(americas)
February 1, 2006... A Mexican utility plans to uprate the output its nuclear power plant by up to 20 per cent and has contracted GE Energy to support the next phase in its preparations. Originally designed by GE, each of Laguna Verde's two boiling water...

Funds found for hydro project.(americas)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Paraguay's state owned power company Ande has secured the necessary finance to build the country's second hydroelectric power plant, on the Iguazu River. The Japan Bank for International Cooperation agreed to provide a $180m loan for the...

Planned IGCC projects mount.(americas)(integrated gasification combined cycle)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Construction of one of the cleanest coal fired power plants in the world is scheduled to begin in 2007, according to the project management company Burns & McDonnell. The $1.1bn Taylorville integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plant...

Argentina.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Argentina: The 500 kV transmission line linking the national and Patagonian electricity grids in the south of the country has entered operation. The 354 km project cost an estimated $112m.

Brazil.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Brazil: The government's environmental protection agency has given permission for the 330 MW Aimores hydroelectric power plant to enter commercial operation. The operators have to comply with over 40 social and environmental conditions.

Chile.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Chile: International bidders have been invited to tender for the contract to construct a $9.6m 154 kV transmission line that will run from Itahue to San Fernando, a distance of 73 km.

Peru.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Peru: The transmission network requires $120m of investment over the next two years, of which the plans to strengthen its connection with Lima will require $80m.

A Standard & Poor's report.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... USA: A Standard & Poor's report has found that nuclear power plant ownership is less supportive of credit quality because it introduces added levels of operating, regulatory and environmental risk to a company's profile.

Alstom.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... USA: Alstom is to upgrade two GT11N1-type gas turbines to GT11NM at Wisconsin Electric Power's Concord power station. The work, which includes new turbine blades and vanes, will be carried out in February.

Edison Electric Institute.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... USA: For the first time in five years more generation capacity was added to the country's electricity network through the expansion of existing plants rather than the build of new plants, according to Edison Electric Institute.

Framatome.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... USA: Framatome has been awarded a contract to design, fabricate and license two replacement once-through steam generators for Unit 1 of Exelon's Three Mile Island nuclear power plant.

Newmont Mining Corporation.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... USA: Newmont Mining Corporation has completed the permitting process for its proposed 200 MW coal fired power plant in Nevada. The company will use 75 per cent of the $450m plant's output with the remainder being sold to the local utility.

NuStart Energy.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... USA: NuStart Energy has awarded a multi-million dollar contract to Enercon Services for the preparation of Combined License Applications for new nuclear power plants.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... USA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has launched a regional initiative to test the speed and adoption of new smart grid technologies that can make the power grid stronger.

US utilities.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... USA: US utilities are facing a major uranium supply crisis according to a research analyst for North America's top ranked money management firm, Sprott Asset Management.

Toshiba to buy BNFL's Westinghouse for $5bn.(companies)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Toshiba is set to purchase Westinghouse from British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) for a figure believed to be in the region of $5bn. In a released statement, BNFL confirmed that it had selected the Japanese company as the preferred bidder for the...

EDF investors see red.(companies)(Credit Lyonnais and Societe Generale)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Two banks that advised the French government on the floatation of EDF are being investigated by the market watchdog after it emerged that they had bought shares in the utility on behalf of their investors without permission. The two banks,...

Furmanite goes with the flow.(companies)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Furmanite has acquired Flowserve's General Service Group (GSG) in a $16m deal it hopes will give it greater strength in the maintenance and repair market. A statement released by the industrial services company said its new acquisition...

Microgen heading for home CHP.(companies)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... A new micro-combined heat and power appliance that could save the average household 25 per cent on their annual energy bills has been developed by Microgen Energy and the Dutch boiler manufacturer Remeha. The appliance simultaneously...

Mirant completes recovery.(companies)
February 1, 2006... Shares in the US utility, Mirant were trading steadily at the end of January after the company began trading again on the New York Stock Exchange. Trading re-commenced mid-January, a week after the company declared that it had emerged from...

S[F.sub.6] gas service launched by BOC.(companies)
February 1, 2006... A new service that will help electricity companies meet European rules on recovering a fluoride compound widely used in electrical substations and transformers has been launched by BOC. Under the proposed European fluorinated gas...

Brand expansion.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Brand expansion: Jaure, a coupling manufacturer in northern Spain will soon have a greater presence in Europe according to its new owners, a mechanical power transmission division of Emerson Industrial Automation.

Deals in the can.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Deals in the can: Kohler Co., the global operator in engines and power generator systems has acquired three France based companies, which all operate in separate fields of the genset industry.

E.ON climbs MOL hill.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... E.ON climbs MOL hill: E.ON has agreed to assume debts of around [euro]600m ($737m) and pay [euro]450m in a deal that will see it acquire all of the gas trading and storage assets of the Hungarian oil and gas company MOL.

Endesa moves east.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Endesa moves east: Endesa is to make its first foray into eastern Europe with the purchase of an 85 per cent stake in the Polish electricity generator, Elektrownia Dolna Orda as the government continues its privatization programme.

Fuel cell patent.(News digest)
February 1, 2006... Fuel cell patent: Voller Energy Group, a developer and manufacturer of portable fuel cell systems has patented a technology that enables its fuel cell system to provide mains output and work from internal canisters of stored hydrogen.