Power Engineering International articles from July 2003

Power Engineering International archives from July 2003

One step at a time. (Up Front).
July 1, 2003... You can't run before you can walk. It seems obvious but in business we often forget. News that GE had completed I testing of its H technology gas turbine at Baglan Bay and was getting ready for a further commercial demonstration period...

Hopes hang on new power model. (Analysis).
July 1, 2003... Investment in Brazil's electricity sector is being held up by uncertainty over the proposed new energy sector model. But can this new model create the right climate. A recent report from Brazilian infrastructure association Associacao...

BG Group seals Tunisian power project deal. (World News: International).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... BG Group signed a memorandum of undertaking with the government of Tunisia regarding the 500 MW, $250m Barca Power project in Sfax, Tunisia. The combined-cycle gas turbine Barca power plant will be constructed next to BG's Hannibal...

Russia adopts electric power reform plan. (World News: International).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... The Russian government has taken on board a proposal to reform the country's power sector in the 2003-5 transitional period. The plan sets the schedule for the legal and corporate steps needed to overhaul the industry by spinning off UES's...

Czechs will increase dependence on nuclear and coal for power. (World News: International).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... The Czech Republic will look to increase its dependence on coal and nuclear plants as part of its energy road map until 2030. Officials prefer the construction of such units at the controversial Temelin plant. The draft energy concept,...

Russia to build DoE power plant. (World News: International).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... A 117 MW coal-fired plant is to be built in Russia by 2011 by Raytheon Technical Services Company LLC under a deal struck between the Russian and US governments. The Zheleznogorsk project is a step in fulfilling commitments agreed to by...

Iran invites west. (World News: International).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Iran is to open its doors to the US and the western world to ease fears over any nuclear ambitions Terhan may have. But tougher inspections will nor be permitted until the US and others lift sanctions against the country first, said Hamid...

Power Developments International FZCO has secured a breakthrough in the Middle East. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Bahrain: Power Developments International FZCO has secured a breakthrough in the Middle East market with an $8m contract to build a gas turbine power station at Hidd Industrial Area in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The contract, awarded by Bahrain...

Bulgaria will offer for sale 67 per cent. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Bulgaria: Bulgaria will offer for sale 67 per cent stakes in its seven state-owned power distribution companies as part of plans to liberalize the sector and boost its efficiency. Bids would be collected by September and sale contracts should...

Aggreko International. (News Digest).(Bechtel Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Iraq: Aggreko International, a division of Aggreko, announced that it is providing some 21 MW of temporary power generation equipment to help Bechtel with its reconstruction and rehabilitation operations in Iraq under contract to the US Agency...

Kazakhstan has signed contracts worth $150m with foreign companies to spend on a programme to upgrade the country's power grid networks in 2003. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan has signed contracts worth $150m with foreign companies to spend on a programme to upgrade the country's power grid networks in 2003. The news agency said that Kazakhstan's power grid monopoly, the KEGOC company, had...

General Director of Lenenergo, Andrey Likhachev and President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Russia: General Director of Lenenergo, Andrey Likhachev and President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Jean Lemierre, have signed a $40m loan agreement in St Petersburg. The facility funds will finance the final...

With its demand for energy nearly tripling in the past three decades. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Syria: With its demand for energy nearly tripling in the past three decades, Syria has approved a plan calling for investment of $1.48bn through to 2011 to produce power from environmentally friendly renewable energy sources. The UN Department...

Alstom has won a [euro]60m contract to build one of the largest high voltage substations in the Gulf region. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... UAE: Alstom has won a [euro]60m contract to build one of the largest high voltage substations in the Gulf region. The 400 kV turnkey gas-insulated substation will be built by Alstom's Transmission and Distribution Sector for the Dubai...

GE completes H testing. (World News: Europe).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... GE Power Systems has announced the successful completion of testing on its advanced H System gas turbine technology at the Baglan Bay power station in south Wales. A commercial demonstration period is due to start in September after a planned...

Belgium establishes energy clearing house. (World News: Europe).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... SchlumbergerSema and the Flemish members of InterRegies, the organization coordinating public utility companies, have established a Clearing House system for the Belgian energy market, ahead of the July 1 deadline for energy market deregulation...

Irish offshore wind farm planned. (World News: Europe).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Plans to built the first offshore wind farm in the Irish Sea have been revealed by Airtricity, Ireland's largest renewable power company. The 25 MW development will provide power to the Irish grid and will be the first application of GE Wind...

EU agrees date for energy liberalization. (World News: Europe).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... The European Parliament and Council of Ministers have passed laws to mandate full competition in electricity and gas markets within EU member countries by mid-2007, despite fears that the legislation might be delayed by Italy. By mid-2004...

Delay for Betta legislation. (World News: Europe).(British Electricity Trading and Transmission Arrangements)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Plans to introduce British Electricity Trading and Transmission Arrangements (Betta) to bring competitive wholesale power trading to Scotland in line with England and Wales have been delayed with the necessary legislation now due to be...

'True' offshore tidal farm installed. (World News: Europe).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... A world first has been claimed by the Marine Current Turbines Limited with the installation of a tidal current energy system 3 km off the north Devon coast near Lynmouth in the UK. The firm says the [pounds sterling]3.5m ($5.8m) Seaflow project...

The European Commission has allowed a link-up of six Austrian power suppliers. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Austria: The European Commission has allowed a link-up of six Austrian power suppliers, conditional on the largest utility, Verbund, selling its controlling interest in its distribution unit for large customers. If all EU conditions are met,...

Research by Datamonitor reveals that 70 per cent. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Europe: Research by Datamonitor reveals that 70 per cent of larger European electricity customers are unwilling to buy 'green' electricity if a cheaper conventional alternative is available. Of the remainder, most are not prepared to pay more...

A French parliamentary committee is urging the government to consider a proposal by Framatome and Siemens. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... France: A French parliamentary committee is urging the government to consider a proposal by Framatome and Siemens to construct a prototype next-generation nuclear reactor based on the European Pressurized Water Reactor design.

VA Tech Hydro. (News Digest).(General Electric Co.)(Thessalonika Power)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Greece: VA Tech Hydro has signed a turnkey contract worth [euro]190m ($217m) with Thessalonika Power for a 400 MW combined cycle power plant. GE will supply a 9FA gas turbine with a power output of 260 MW with waste heat producing steam to...

Scottish & Southern Energy. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Ireland: Scottish & Southern Energy has finalized arrangements with Irish gas supplier Bord Gas to build and operate a new 400 MW CCGT plant in County Meath which will supply about 12 percent of Ireland's annual electricity needs.

The world's most northerly windfarm in Finnmark. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Norway: The world's most northerly windfarm in Finnmark, Norway has been Opened and connected to the grid. The sixteen 2.5 MW windmills were supplied by Nordex which subcontracted the electrical work to Alstom's Transmission and Distribution...

GE Power Systems. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Spain: GE Power Systems has won a contract from Spanish oil and gas company Cepsa worth $5.6m to provide maintenance services for five gas turbines at four different oil refineries and petrochemical plants located throughout Spain.

Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has received orders worth $1bn for gas turbine plants in Spain. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Spain: Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has received orders worth $1bn for gas turbine plants in Spain. AES Corporation placed an order for a 1200 MW plant in Cartagena while the other order was from Electrabel for an 800 MW facility in...

Scottish Power. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... UK: Scottish Power said it would delay the installation of flue gas desulphurisation equipment at its 2400 MW Longannet coal fired power plant, two months after announcing the work was to go ahead.

AES Drax has obtained a licence from the UK Environment Agency. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... UK: AES Drax has obtained a licence from the UK Environment Agency to test burn coal mixed with milled palm nut residue enabling the company to qualify for co-firing status under the Renewables Obligation.

China starts up second Qinshan nuclear generator. (World News: Asia-Pacific).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... The second generator of the third phase of the Qinshan nuclear power plant project in China went into operation last month. The Zhejiang-based plant will supply electricity to the east of the country. The third phase of the project was...

Philippines demonstrates hydropower-solar hybrid. (World News: Asia-Pacific).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... The Philippines will go ahead with plans to install a solar power plant thanks to financing from the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank, and Cagayan Electric Power and Light Company. The $5.4m solar...

China's Three Gorges enters new phase of construction. (World News: Asia-Pacific).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... The three gorges reservoir is entering its next stage of development after the completion of filling the reservoir behind the dam in central China. From 2004 until 2009, the project team will step up construction of the power plant. The...

Japan develops fuel cell for domestic market. (World News: Asia-Pacific).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Japan's Matsushita Electric Industrial Company plans to market fuel-cell based cogeneration systems available for domestic use by 2005. The system will consist of a fuel cell unit for generating electricity using city gas as the hydrogen...

Financing aids Vietnam power plant construction. (World News: Asia-Pacific).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), a member of the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), will aid Vietnam to build the 716.8 MW, Phu My 3 power plant in Ba RiaVung Tau. The total cost of the project will amount...

Energy World Corp. (News Digest).(Queensland Power Trading Corp.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Australia: Energy World Corp. said the sale of Barcaldine power station and the Cheepie-Barcaldine pipeline to Queensland Power Trading Corp. is complete. Sale proceeds have been used to reduce outstanding debt, and the $2.27m guarantee...

Two of the largest power companies and one coal giant have agreed to jointly build power plants and tap the largest coal mine in east China. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... China: Two of the largest power companies and one coal giant have agreed to jointly build power plants and tap the largest coal mine in east China. Huaneng Group, China Power Investment Group and Huainan Mining Group signed a letter of intent...

Hong Kong's electricity market should be opened up in three phases according to a member of the government's Energy Advisory Committee. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... China: Hong Kong's electricity market should be opened up in three phases according to a member of the government's Energy Advisory Committee. Professor Lam Pun-Lee proposed that at least 25 per cent of the market should be opened from, 2009 to...

Tata Power and BP have jointly offered to buy the 85 per cent. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... India: Tata Power and BP have jointly offered to buy the 85 per cent foreign equity stake in the mothballed 2184 MW Dabhol power project in India for $150m. The offer is short of the $370m asked by GE and Bechtel, which each own ten per cent of...

Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) has secured an order from Indian Oil Corp. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... India: Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) has secured an order from Indian Oil Corp. for setting up a 120 MW captive power plant at Panipat refinery for Ra 7720m ($166m). The order is the largest-value single order ever secured by BHEL's industry...

Japan could see up to 15 new gas fired power plants added to its electricity generating capacity by 2010. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Japan: Japan could see up to 15 new gas fired power plants added to its electricity generating capacity by 2010. Gas fired power generation remains the most feasible option for Japan as the construction of nuclear plants remains in doubt...

Genesis power, a New Zealand. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... New Zealand: Genesis power, a New Zealand state-owned electricity retailer and generator said it has approved the installation of a new 40 MW open cycle gas turbine plant at its Huntly station site. The plant will be operational before next...

Alstom has received an order for the supply of electrostatic precipitators. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Singapore: Alstom has received an order for the supply of electrostatic precipitators for an orimulsion fired boiler with a capacity of 750 MW The order was placed by Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. for installation at the a Pulau...

Japanese corporations Mitsubishi. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Vietnam: Japanese corporations Mitsubishi, Nissho Iwai, end Toshiba have won two three-year $30.1m contracts to revive the 40-year-old Da Nhim hydropower station. The signed contracts with Electricity of Vietnam Corp. are for the overhaul and...

Brazil investigates Enron role in Eletropaulo auction. (World News: Americas).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Brazil's government is considering investigating whether two US energy companies colluded to rig the 1998 auction of Eletropaulo, Brazil's largest distribution utility. A report in the Financial Times newspaper alleges that AES and Enron...

Venezuela to build 514 MW hydro plant. (World News: Americas).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Venezuela's state owned electricity company, Cadafe, has awarded Alstom a contract to build the 514 MW La Vueltosa hydroelectric plant in Merida state. The $160m contract is expected to be financed by Brazilian and French banks. La...

Ontario averts shortfall. (World News: Americas).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... The Ontario government will spend C$100m ($74m) on portable generators to avoid potential blackouts this summer. The gas powered generators can produce 409 MW. Energy Premier Ernie Eves said he was surprised at the cost of setting up the...

Nicaragua receives a $16m rural electrification boost. (World News: Americas).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... The World Bank has approved a $12m zero interest credit to finance the off-grid electrification of rural Nicaragua. The bank will also administer a $4m grant from the Global Environment Facility to support the off-grid Rural Electrification...

Transmission project combats Brazil shortages. (World News: Americas).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... GE Industrial Systems, a General Electric Company, announced the signing of a $50m contract with Enelpower do Brazil for an electric power transmission project. GE will lead the consortium with Camargo Correa Equipamentos e Sistemas, one...

Coal fired plant makes US return. (World News: Americas).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Unit 3 of the Wygen power plant in Wyoming has entered service as the first new coal fired plant in the US since the beginning of the century. The plant is part of Black Hills' energy complex near Gillette. It can produce 88.9 MW at...

Argentina's antitrust body has ruled that Brazilian state oil company Petroleo Brasileiro will have to resell Argentine electricity Company Transener. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Argentina: Argentina's antitrust body has ruled that Brazilian state oil company Petroleo Brasileiro will have to resell Argentine electricity Company Transener, as part of its acquisition of a majority stake in Perez Companc. The decision came...

An Italian-Swedish concession company recently completed the debt-equity financing for the 176 MW Ponte de Pedra hydroelectric project in Brazil. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Brazil: An Italian-Swedish concession company recently completed the debt-equity financing for the 176 MW Ponte de Pedra hydroelectric project in Brazil after completing about 30 per cent of the construction. Including a 40 m high dam, the...

Brazil's Votorantim conglomerate plans to invest $627m in nine hydroelectric power generation projects to supply its own industries. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Brazil: Brazil's Votorantim conglomerate plans to invest $627m in nine hydroelectric power generation projects to supply its own industries. The investment figure is lust Votorantim's share of the nine projects. The total installed capacity at...

TransCanada Corp. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Canada: TransCansda Corp. is planning to spend $500m to build a 550 MW natural gas fired cogeneration power plant in Quebec, the Calgary-based energy company said. The plant, which will be in the Becancour Industrial Park near Trois-Rivieres,...

Hydro Quebec Distribution. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Canada: Hydro Quebec Distribution, Hydro-Quebec's retail utility unit with 3.5m customers, is seeking bids for 1000 MW of electricity from wind turbines beginning December 2006.

Mexico and Guatemala are aiming for a power transmission line connecting the two countries to be in operation by mid-2005. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Mexico: Mexico and Guatemala are aiming for a power transmission line connecting the two countries to be in operation by mid-2005, Mexico's Energy ministry said. The project calls for the construction of a 103 kin, 400 kV transmission line to...

The organization that runs the Mid-Alantic wholesale power market said its board of managers has approved $147.6m. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... USA: The organization that runs the Mid-Alantic wholesale power market said its board of managers has approved $147.6m in improvements to the region's network of high voltage power lines. This will allow 41 new generation projects with a total...

Merchant power generator Calpine Corp. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... USA: Merchant power generator Calpine Corp. has predicted that US prices for electricity will probably remain low this year and next but could rise in 2005 and beyond. Calpine generates power mainly through a fleet of gas-fired power plants....

Spanish wind of change. (Companies).(ENEL S.p.A.)(Union Fenosa S.A.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Union Fenosa, Spain's third largest utility, has sold 80 per cent of its wind generation unit to Italian power group Enel. The sale of the stake in Union Fenosa Energias Especiales will net Fenosa [euro]168m ($199m) in cash and contribute to...

Ballard ends generator line. (Companies).(Ballard Power Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Ballard Power Systems has stopped production of its line of engine-driven electricity generators less than a year after starting their manufacture. Ballard insisted that the decision to discontinue the internal combustion gensets would have no...

Former Dynegy employees charged. (Companies).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Three former employees of US energy trader Dynegy have been charged with criminal and civil fraud, accused of illegally disguising a $300m loan to improve the company's operating cash flow. US Attorney General Michael Shelby likened the gas...

Scottish & Southern closes in on Midland. (Companies).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Scottish & Southern Energy plc has agreed to pay [pounds sterling]1.2bn ($2bn) to purchase Avon Energy, the holding company of rival power network Midlands Electricity. The business is 79.9 per cent owned by Aquila, with FirstEnergy Corp....

GE Wind reports $2bn in orders. (Companies).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... In the year that GE has been in the wind energy industry its Wind Energy unit has received more than $2bn in orders and commitments. GE said that commitments totalling over 3000 MW in new wind turbines are split almost evenly between the US and...

More woes for British Energy. (Companies).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Troubled nuclear generator British Energy has reported a loss of [pounds sterling]4.29bn ($7.13bn) for the year to March 2003. The company, which produces 20 per cent of Britain's power, has been hit by a combination of low wholesale power...

Alstom cuts. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Alstom admitted that 1000 jobs may go at its French energy division due to slack demand for its products. The company has also warned that it may have to cut early retirement benefits for UK workers to help fill a pension scheme deficit of...

Aggreko warning. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Temporary power hire company Aggreko has warned that 2003 profits will be significantly lower than last year due to oversupply in the US and poor trading conditions in France, Germany, Netherlands and the US.

El Paso board survives. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... A high profile revolt by shareholders in US pipeline company El Paso Corp. led by international businessman Selim Zilkha has been defeated. The board had argued that the rebel group's business plan was uninformed and unworkable.

Hera IPO priced. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Central Italian multi-utility Hera has set a maximum price of [euro]1.408 per share for its initial public offering. Hera is only the second company to list on Milan's stock exchange this year. the other being regional utility Mets Modena.

National Grid benefits. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Better than anticipated cost savings arising from its merger has been forecast by National Grid Transco. It reported higher profits for the year to March 2003 due to its acquisition of US utility Niagara Mohawk.

Panda partners. (News Digest).(Panda Energy International)(Carl lcahn )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Panda Energy International has formed a joint venture with investor and corporate raider Carl lcahn to acquire power plants and other energy assets. The group is in advanced talks with several power plant owners.

Power Machines hopeful. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Russia's Power Machines has said it may re-sign some $300m worth of contracts with Iraq that it had concluded before the war. Iraqi contracts represent 30 per cent of Power Machines' net order book.

RWE consolidates. (News Digest).(RWE AG)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... The board of giant German utility RWE is set to discuss a structure involving cutting the number of its units to seven from 13. The plan would see the merger of all generation units as well as the creation of one single distribution subsidiary....

Sapient Excelergy partnership. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Sapient, the business and technology consultancy has announced a European alliance with Excelergy Corporation, a producer of software platforms for business processes in the energy and utility industry.

Westinghouse STPNOC alliance. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Westinghouse Electric Company's Repair, Replacement and Automation Services unit and STP Nuclear Operating Company announced an alliance covering technology planning for instrumentation and control systems asset management and modernization...

Europe gets serious about [CO.sub.2] trading. (Emissions Trading).
July 1, 2003... In December 2002, the EU agreed on an emissions trading directive. If europe's parliament approves it, emissions trading will start in 2005. Preparation is vital for success in this new market. The Council of Minister's decision of December...

The rhythm of speed in power systems. (Transmission Grid Development).
July 1, 2003... On the backs of buffaloes or via wooden bridges built on site, ABB engineers relate how they constructed 1267 km of two power transmission systems for the companies Schahin and Alusa between the north and northeast regions of Brazil. One...

World leader. (Hydropower Projects).
July 1, 2003... The addition of two new units to the itaipu hydropower plant in Brazil in 2004 will be a watershed for the project. Building on its reputation for high availability and record-setting output, itaipu will be able to continue its central role in...

Frozen asset. (Cogeneration).
July 1, 2003... Operating power plants in a competitive environment is a challenging business. The natural environment can sometimes make life harder, however, especially when temperatures can reach as low as -40[degrees]C. In 1999, Canadian energy...

A helping hand. (Electricity Trading).
July 1, 2003... Energy exchanges are an essential part of the trading marketplace, yet establishing a successful exchange can be a daunting prospect for many countries. The answer lies in the use of small, bespoke systems That can grow with the needs and size...