Power Engineering International articles from July 2005

Power Engineering International archives from July 2005

Between a rock and a hard place.(Up Front)(Editorial)
July 1, 2005... "The Stone Age did not end because of a lack of stones." Gerald Doucet did not coin the phrase but still used it to great effect at this year's Power-Gen Europe keynote address in Milan, Italy. Mr Doucet, Secretary General of the World Energy...

Wind market hits new highs: the short-term nature of the PTC has created a boom and bust cycle in the US wind power market. The market is reaching new heights, but that's not necessarily good news, writes Sian Green.(Production Tax Credit )
July 1, 2005... This year is set to be a record breaking year for the US wind power market. Following a slow year in 2004, when just 400 MW of new capacity was added, there are now contracts in place for the construction of 2700 MW of new capacity--more than...

Record energy demand drives markets to new high.(international)
July 1, 2005... Rapid growth in demand for energy around the world, the highest percentage increase since 1984, led to rising prices during 2004, according to BP's latest Statistical Review of World Energy. World Energy consumption grew by 4.3 per cent with...

[euro]500m Mena orders for Siemens.(international)(Middle East and North Africa )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Siemens has announced power plant equipment orders from the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region totalling around [euro]500m ($607m). The German group is heading a consortium that will build the 1000 MW Ras Laffan B combined cycle...

CEZ plans power auction.(international)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Czech Republic power group CEZ is to auction 400 MW of electricity from a so-called virtual power station in early August, as required by the Czech anti-trust office. CEZ will sign power contracts with selected business partners on power...

Eskom rescues coal fired power plants.(international)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... South African electricity giant Eskom has announced plans to re-open three coal fired power plants it mothballed in the late 1980s and 1990 in the Mpumalanga region. The plants were shut during a period of power surplus with the prospect of...

Dubai growth continues.(international)(Dubai Electricity and Water Authority )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has unveiled plans to build a new power and water station in response to rising demand in the fast expanding Emirate. The Station M project will have a desalination capacity of 273 million litres of...

Six firms.(News digest)(power trade licences)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Bulgaria: Six firms including local subsidiaries of CEZ, EVN and E.ON, have applied to the Bulgarian State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission for power trade licences.

VA Tech Transmission & Distribution.(News digest)(contracts)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Bulgaria: VA Tech Transmission & Distribution, has signed a new contract for 245 kV voltage transformers in Sofia for NEK, the Bulgarian national electrical utility. The contract covers the manufacturing and delivery on site of 305 capacitive...

Hungary.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Hungary: AES Tisza has completed the 860 MW Tisza power II plant renovation project, cutting C[O.sub.2] by 94 per cent and N[O.sub.x] emissions by 56 per cent and extending the plant life through to 2016 at a cost of $126m

Iran.(international relations)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Iran: Iran and Tajikistan have signed an agreement to build a dam and 220 MW power plant on the Vakhsh river in Nurek in the west of Tajikistan at a total cost of $220m, of which Iran is to finance $180m.

Ivory Coast.(Azito O & M)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Ivory Coast: Alstom has signed a ten year service agreement with Azito O & M for its Azito power plant covering the plants two GT13E2 gas turbines. At 288 MW the plant is the largest in the Ivory Coast.

Kenya.(Kenyan Electricity Generating Company)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Kenya: The Kenyan government has given the Kenyan Electricity Generating Company the go-ahead to acquire the currently idle 44 MW independent Westmont power plant in order to boost power supplies.

Lithuania.(aims of Technical Research Centre of Finland)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Lithuania: An EU funded project, led by the Technical Research Centre of Finland, aimed at improving safety levels and nuclear power plant expertise In Lithuania has been successfully concluded.

Amatola Green Power.(Amatola Green Power)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... South Africa: Amatola Green Power has launched the first market trading in renewable energy in South Africa in order to promote the development of 'green' energy which currently accounts for less than one per cent of energy consumption in the...

Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... South Africa: Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution (PTD) is to supply 11 transformers worth over [euro]30m for the modernization of several coal fired power plants and a pumping power station in South Africa. The existing equipment,...

UAE.(United Arab Emirates)(Government of Abu Dhabi)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... UAE: The government of Abu Dhabi is planning a DH2bn ($544m) initial public offering to its citizens for half of its 60 per cent stake in Emirates CMS Power Company in late June. The company operates the Taweelah A2 power project.

France and Italy end access dispute.(europe)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... EDF and the Milan based utility AEM will make a joint takeover bid for the Italian electricity company Edison "probably in September", according to EDF's president Pierre Gadonneix. The French company has sought to increase its presence in...

VA Tech pumps up the power in Switzerland.(europe)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... A Swiss power plant is to have a new pumped storage generation unit, installed by VA Tech Hydro, which will boost its capacity by 50 per cent. Under the terms of the [euro]29m ($35m) contract, VA Tech will supply the electro-mechanical...

Ocean power for Portugal.(europe)(Ocean Power Delivery Ltd.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... A Portuguese consortium, led by Enersis, is to build what is believed to be the world's first commercial wave farm. Ocean Power Delivery has been awarded a contract by the consortium to supply its Pelamis machines that generate electricity from...

UK invests in carbon capture.(europe)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The UK's Energy Minister has outlined plans to tackle climate change by capturing C[O.sub.2] from power plants and storing it in depleted North Sea oil and gas fields. Malcolm Wicks said carbon capture and storage could be a realistic...

Sweden continues nuclear phase out.(europe)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The Barseback nuclear reactor has been decommissioned after 30 years of power production as the Swedish government implements its planned nuclear power phase out policy. Situated 20 km from Copenhagen, Denmark's capital, the plant had...

Takeover battle splits Denmark in two.(europe)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Denmark will have two companies competing in its energy market after a deal was struck that will see Sweden's Vattenfall acquire a significant portion of Elsam/E2's generation capacity in return for it relinquishing to Dong its holding in...

France.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... France: Soffimat has ordered 2.8 MW of 30 kW biogas fueled microturbine products from Captone Turbine for use at landfill sites. The turbines will be fueled entirely by waste gases which would otherwise be flared.

Germany.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Germany: The leader of the Christian Democrats party, Angela Merkel, will change every aspect of the country's energy policy if her party is successful in this year's general election.

Greece.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Greece: Eoliki Panachaikou has ordered 41 wind turbines from Vestas for a project located near Patras on the Peloponnese. The wind farm is expected to enter commercial operation in the first quarter of 2006.

Ireland.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Ireland: The 25 MW Arklow Bank offshore wind farm, featuring GE's 3.6 MW wind turbine, has been officially innaugurated. Officials said the turbines have operated at an average of 94 per cent availability over the past 12 months.

Portugal.(News digest)(Portucel Viana Energia)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Portugal: Foster Wheeler is to supply a 42.5 tonne per hour biomass fired bubbling fluidized bed boiler to Portucel Viana Energia, in a contract worth $14.5m to the US company.

Demand for electricity increased by 4.5 per cent in May this year to 1932 GWh.(News digest)
July 1, 2005... Spain: Demand for electricity increased by 4.5 per cent in May this year to 1932 GWh, according to the network operator REE. Water reserves for hydroelectricity were 16 per cent down year on year.

Endesa.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Spain: Endesa has unveiled its largest wind farm in Spain. The [euro]150m ($181.6m) 161 MW project is a new operational model for the company and will unite wind units from different sites to improve stablity of supply.

Actaris.(News digest)(Nacka Energi )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Sweden: Actaris is to provide Nacka Energi with an Automatic Meter Reading system for its electricity customers. The metering system provider will create a package that uses Vodafone Sweden's GSM network.

Vattenfall.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Sweden: Vattenfall is exploring the possibility of creating the largest wind farm in northern Europe in the Swedish part of Kriegers Flak. The project in the Baltic Sea would cost around SEK8bn ($1 bn).

Eclipse Energy.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... UK: Eclipse Energy has completed the Environmental Statement for the world's first co-developed offshore gas and wind powered generation project. The hybrid facility would be built 10 km west of Walney Island, Cumbria.

Mitsui Babcock.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... UK: Mitsui Babcock has been awarded the main boiller outage and pressure part maintenance contract for the 4000 MW Drax power station. The contract at the Yorkshire facility is worth upwards of [pounds sterling]30m ($54.6m) over four years.

The world's largest wind farm.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... UK: The world's largest wind farm could be built in London after a consortium including Core, E.On and Shell submitted planning applications for the 1000 MW offshore project that would cost up to [pounds sterling]1.5bn ($2.7bn).

JBIC power line loan.(asia-pacific)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The government of Sri Lanka has signed loan agreements worth $140m with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to finance the rehabilitation of power transmission lines and the reconstruction of areas affected by the tsunami in...

VA Tech wins 260 MW tidal plant.(asia-pacific)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Daewoo Engineering & Construction has awarded Austrian engineering firm VA Tech Hydro the contract for engineering and delivery of the main electromechanical components for the world's largest tidal power plant. The Sihwa plant, located at...

China shortages will ease in 2007.(asia-pacific)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... China's power shortages will continue in 2005 and 2006, and will not be eased until 2007, according to the latest figures from the State Power Corporation. Power demand in the country is rising at around 12 per cent, while GDP growth for 2005...

Queensland orders IPP plant.(asia-pacific)(independent power producer)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Independent power producer Braemar Power Project Pty Ltd has awarded Alstom a [euro]130m ($158m) contract for the supply of a 450 MW open cycle gas fired power plant in Queensland, Australia. The plant will be equipped with three Alstom GT13E2...

Dabhol resolution within reach.(asia-pacific)
July 1, 2005... The main project partners in the 2200 MW Dabhol power project in India are to determine a course of action for restarting and completing the plant. The move signals an end to the long-running dispute over the plant, and follows a visit to the...

Australia.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Australia: Pacific Hydro has negotiated the world's first bank-intermediated carbon credit transaction involving the sale of Certified Emission Reduction (CER) credits. The deal was made through its Fijian joint venture, Sustainable Energy...

China.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... China: Spain's Acciona has signed an agreement with China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp to produce wind turbines in China. The venture will make an initial investment of [euro]24.6m ($30m) to build 400 turbines per year in Nantong for...

National Thermal Power Corporation.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... India: National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is to focus on developing minehead power plants to reduce the cost of coal-fired power generation and diminish India's coal production deficit. Reliance Energy is currently drawing up plans for a...

The Uttar Pradesh government.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... India: The Uttar Pradesh government has given the go-ahead for five new power projects. The projects include a 5 X 200 MW refurbishment at Obra, 2 X 250 MW coal fired plant at Harduaganj and a 3 X 100 MW gas fired plant at Panki.

Indonesia.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Indonesia: PT Cikarang Listrindo has awarded a contract to GE Energy for the expansion of a power plant at the Cikarang Industrial Estate near Jakarta, Indonesia. The project will add 350 MW of capacity to the 354 MW combined cycle facility,...

Laos.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Laos: Electricite de France has awarded contracts for the construction of the Nam Theun II hydropower plant in Laos. It has awarded electromechanical contracts to GE Energy and ABB, as well as three civil contracts.

Vestas.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... South Korea: Vestas has received an order for delivery of wind turbines for the Gangwon wind farm in South Korea. The project will consist of 49 V80-2.0 MW units, with shipment beginning in 2005 and commissioning in two phases--28 MW in...

EI Paso Corporation.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... South Korea: El Paso Corporation has signed an agreement to sell its 50 per cent interest in Korean Independent Energy Corporation (KIECO) to Korea Power Investments Co. for $276m. KIECO owns a 1800 MW LNG-fired CCGT plant near Seoul.

Vietnam.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Vietnam: Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) is to build a 2400 MW thermal power complex in Phu Yen province. The $2.8bn complex will consist of four coal fired power plants and will be the largest of its kind in southeast asia. The utility is also...

Nanotech boosts pv cells.(americas)(photovoltaics)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Researchers at the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have shown that nanotechnology can increase the amount of electricity produced by solar cells. The research demonstrates the potential of photovoltaics in...

ESBWR project moves forward.(americas)(Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... GE Energy has signed an agreement with NuStart Energy Development LLC for GE to design and seek a license for its next-generation Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR). The ESBWR technology will be used in one of two proposed...

Brazil orders FACTS.(americas)(Flexible Alternating Current Transmission Systems)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Spanish contractor Abengoa has awarded ABB a contract worth more than $15m to install Flexible Alternating Current Transmission Systems (FACTS) in Brazil to enhance the capacity of an existing power link. Abengoa is building the...

Endesa approves San Isidro expansion.(americas)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Chilean utility Endesa has approved the construction of the 377 MW San Isidro power plant expansion project in Chile's Region V. The project will double the capacity of the existing plant by converting it to combined cycle. The project...

Ozark refurbishes.(americas)
July 1, 2005... The US Army Corps of Engineers has awarded VA Tech Hydro a [euro]55m ($67m) contract to refurbish the Ozark hydropower plant, which features the world's largest S-turbines. The work will significantly increase the availability of the Arkansas...

Canada.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Canada: Alstom has been awarded a [euro]30m ($36m) contract to upgrade four generators at a hydroelectric power plant in British Columbia, Canada, for BC Hydro. Alstom will increase the output of the four generators at the Mica plant by 15 per...

Colombia.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Colombia: Wood Group Power Solutions has won a multi-million dollar turnkey contract to expand the power plant operated by Drummond Ltd. at the Pribbenow coal mine in northern Colombia. Wood Group will design, procure, install and commission...

Mexico.(News digest)(International Power Group)(Naanovo Energy )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Mexico: International Power Group and Naanovo Energy are to construct a $300m waste-to-energy plant in Ensenada city, northern Mexico. The 12-unit plant will process 180 t/day of municipal solid waste and generate 6 MWe of power.

Southern Company and the Georgia Institute of Technology.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... USA: Southern Company and the Georgia Institute of Technology are to collaborate on the development of the first offshore wind power project in the southeastern USA. The two organizations will assess the potential for offshore wind power in the...

Foster Wheeler.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... USA: Foster Wheeler has won a contract to supply a pulverized coal fired boiler to Bechtel Power Corporation for the Two Elk Generating Facility in Wyoming, USA. Work on the project will start immediately.

Calpine Corporation's Metcalf Energy Centre.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... USA: Calpine Corporation's Metcalf Energy Centre has begun operating and is delivering up to 600 MW of power to the northern California power market. The power plant is the first large power generator in Silicon Valley, and will help to bolster...

PPM Energy.(News digest)(150 MW Shiloh wind project)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... USA: PPM Energy, a subsidiary of ScottishPower, is to buy and build the 150 MW Shiloh wind project in northern California, a move that will make PPM the leader in the US wind power market for announced projects in 2005. PPM expects to invest...

Venezuela.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Venezuela: Venezuelan state power company Cadafe is to invest $300m in the transmission and distribution sector in 2005 to help overcome grid bottlenecks. Strong economic growth in the country has resulted in a seven per cent growth in...

Innovest rates Areva 'A'.(companies)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Investment research and advisory firm Innovest has rated Areva as A on its social and environmental rating scale. The assessment was carried out at Areva's request and places the company above the BBB average for its sector. The rating...

EDF profits soar.(companies)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Electricite de France (EDF) has reported a 56 per cent rise in profits for 2004 to [euro]1.3bn. The strong results will make it difficult for group president Pierre Gadonneix to press for a rise in power tariffs. Sales in 2004 rose by 4.5...

Centrica acquires Oxxio.(companies)
July 1, 2005... UK-based Centrica plc has agreed to buy Dutch energy supplier Oxxio BV for [euro]137m. The acquisition will provide Centrica with a growth platform and the opportunity to develop an understanding of the deregulating Dutch market. Oxxio...

Voith buys Wavegen.(companies)(Voith Siemens Hydro)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Voith Siemens Hydro has announced that it has purchased Scotland-based Wavegen, a leader in the construction of wave energy systems. The acquisition will give Voith Siemens a foothold in the market for this emerging technology and allow it to...

Shaw joins AP1000 team.(companies)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Shaw Stone & Webster has joined the Westinghouse Electric Company's and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' AP1000 Consortium, which is proposing to provide the nuclear island for four new units in China. Shaw will provide construction management,...

EDF and Total up stakes in photovoltaics.(companies)(Electricite de France acquires Total Energic )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Electricite de France (EDF) and Total have increased their respective stakes in Total Energic to 50 per cent each through the acquisition of a 20 per cent interest held by the management of the company. Total Energie, which specialises in...

Alstom recovers.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Alstom recovers: Alstom is on track to hit operating margins of 7-8 per cent by 2008, signalling a recovery for the engineering firm that reached the brink of collapse last year. In its annual results for 2004/05, orders received rose 15 per...

Areva expands.(News digest)(Areva Transmission & Distribution)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Areva expands: Areva Transmission & Distribution has established its first major research centre in China, at Tsinghua University, to spur aggressive growth in the Chinese market. The company will spend [euro]500 000 ($625 000) on five research...

Calpine sells.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Calpine sells: Calpine Corp. has entered into exclusive negotiations for the sale of four gas-fired power plants with a combined capacity of nearly 850 MW. Three of the four asset sale agreements are with Tenaska Power Fund and the fourth is...

FuelCell cost reduction.(News digest)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... FuelCell cost reduction: FuelCell Energy has successfully incorporated design changes to the 250 kW Direct FuelCell power plant, resulting in a 25 per cent cost reduction. The update is part of the company's rolling three-year cost-out...

Meiya invests.(News digest)(joint venture with Hunan Economic Construction Investment Company)(Xiangtou International Company Limited)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Meiya invests: Meiya Power Company Limited has signed a joint venture contract with Hunan Economic Construction Investment Company to invest in power projects in Hunan Province, China. The joint venture company, Xiangtou International Company...

Novera AIMs high.(News digest)(Alternative Investment Market )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Novera AIMs high: Novera Energy Limited has announced the company's successful admission to the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange and a placing of shares to raise [pounds sterling]5.3m ($9.8m). On admission, the...

ScottishPower sells.(News digest)(MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co acquires PacifiCorp)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... ScottishPower sells: UK utility ScottishPower has agreed to sell its US subsidiary PacifiCorp to MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company for $9.4bn. ScottishPower will keep hold of PPM Energy, one of the largest wind farm operators in the US.

Siemens JV.(News digest)(Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution and Shenzhen Baochang Power Supply Co. Ltd. form a joint venture )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Siemens JV: Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution and Shenzhen Baochang Power Supply Co. Ltd. have formed a joint venture to manufacture medium voltage switchgear for the south of China. The move will give Siemens PTD access to the...

Global coal, local power: the coal market has seen a surge in demand driven largely by China. Now price levels appear to have peaked and coal faces the challenge of competing under the low carbon agenda.(REPORT)
July 1, 2005... Although coal is one of the oldest energy fuels, the global coal market has only recently evolved along lines similar to the oil market. Global coal production has grown slowly but surely over the last decade with upwards of some five billion...

Scrubbing up nicely: in the belief that it will be financially beneficial, PPL is investing over $600 million in scrubbers for three of its largest coal fired units, despite the fact that their emissions are already below the legal limits.(Emissions Control)
July 1, 2005... With new environmental rules and regulations and a strict corporate environmental policy bringing mounting pressure, PPL finds itself with the question that is familiar to many, how to maintain availability and competitiveness while generating...

Giving the full picture: Siemens' new condition based maintenance system uses infrared to determine blade wear and gives operators advanced warning when equipment needs to be repaired or refurbished.(Operation & Maintenance)
July 1, 2005... Gas turbines have gained increasing popularity in the power industry. Integrated into a combined cycle process, they are able to generate electrical power with an efficiency of nearly 40 per cent in open cycle and nearly 60 per cent in combined...

The ice breaker: after a severe ice storm destroyed a large section of its transmission network, Hydro-Quebec contracted Areva T & D to install the world's first HVDC based de-icing and power quality system.(Transmission & Distribution)
July 1, 2005... In 1998, North America was hit by one of the worst series of ice storms in recorded history. While many parts of the region are accustomed to ice storms, this one was so severe that the weight of the ice literally pulled down hundreds of...

Changsu leads the way: China is investing heavily in new coal fired power stations and is looking for the most efficient and cleanest technology. Mitsui Babcock's supercritical boiler at the Changshu station is the first in a new generation of boilers.(Clean Coal Technology)
July 1, 2005... Electrical power production in China is growing rapidly, at roughly 15 per cent year-on-year. In 2003, in excess of 100 GW of pulverised coal fired power plant was ordered--equivalent to almost twice the total installed generating capacity...