Power Engineering International articles from July 2008

Power Engineering International archives from July 2008

A difficult birth, but Europe has a new energy major.(FRONT)(GDF Suez )
July 1, 2008... It may have taken over 820 days, but on 22 July Europe's newest utility GDF Suez was finally born, after what can justifiably be described as one of the most painful births in corporate merger and acquisition history. [ILLUSTRATION...

CCS: Is the UK ready for 'capture-ready' coal fired plants? A report from the Environmental Audit Committee has called on the UK government to set a deadline for coal fired power stations to either adopt carbon capture and storage technology or face closure. How realistic is this?(ANALYSIS)
July 1, 2008... The Environmental Audit Committee, an influential parliamentary body, has published a report that strongly urges the UK government to set a deadline for all coal fired power stations be equipped with carbon capture ad storage (CCS) technology...

Azerbaijan.(INTERNATIONAL)
July 1, 2008... Azerbaijan: Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, Iran and Russia are in talks to join their power grids. The project may open the way for the sale of electricity to Europe.

Belarus.(INTERNATIONAL)
July 1, 2008... Belarus: President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has established the Nuclear Energy Department within the Energy Ministry to address issues of formulating and implementing state policy in the area of nuclear power engineering.

Iran.(INTERNATIONAL)
July 1, 2008... Iran: The Energy ministry has issued permits for building 46 power plants with a total capacity of 31.164 GW in build-operate-ownership (BOO) schemes and five other power plants with total capacity of 4.267 GW in build-operate-transfer (BOT)...

Kuwait.(INTERNATIONAL)
July 1, 2008... Kuwait: Four new electricity-generating units are to be activated by the end of July providing the country with 240 MW of additional electrical power, including the third and fourth units at the Sabiya Power Plant and 35 MW at Western Doha...

Qatar.(INTERNATIONAL)
July 1, 2008... Qatar: Nexans has been awarded an order worth [euro]80m ($126m) from the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation. Nexans will supply engineering, production, installation and commissioning services for 161 km of High Voltage and Extra...

Russia.(INTERNATIONAL)
July 1, 2008... Russia: Siemens and the Russian engineering company E4 Group have signed an agreement of intent on the implementation of future joint projects in Russia, The signatories of the agreement were Siemens AG's CEO Peter Loscher, President of Siemens...

Saudi Arabia.(INTERNATIONAL)
July 1, 2008... Saudi Arabia: Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) is expected to sign an SR6bn ($1.6bn) corporate loan facility by late July as part of its expansion drive to meet demand for power and water in the kingdom.

Syria.(INTERNATIONAL)
July 1, 2008... Syria: Indian state-run equipment maker Bharat Heavy Electricals has received a contract worth more than 20.8bn rupees ($485m) for a 400 MW thermal power project. The order entails design, engineering, manufacture, supply, erection and...

Denmark.(EUROPE)
July 1, 2008... Denmark: Transmission system operators Energinet.dk of Denmark and Tennet of the Netherlands are said to be considering building a sub-sea interconnector to link the countries' electricity systems. A decision on whether to proceed is expected...

Europe.(EUROPE)
July 1, 2008... Europe: The CEOs of 36 European transmission system operators from 31 countries have signed a Declaration of Intent to create a new association, the European Network of Transmission Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E), before the end of this...

Germany.(EUROPE)
July 1, 2008... Germany: Vattenfall Europe AG, the German subsidiary of the Swedish energy group, has contacted potential acquirers for its high voltage transmission system operator. The deal is to be completed "by the end of the first half 2009 at the...

Ireland.(EUROPE)
July 1, 2008... Ireland: SeaGen, the world's first commercial-scale tidal turbine has delivered electricity onto the grid for the first time. As part of the commissioning work, the system generated 150 kW. It is expected to achieve full capacity in a few weeks...

Romania.(EUROPE)
July 1, 2008... Romania: The Belgian group Electrabel, in cooperation with Comvex of Romania, is planning to build a 1600 MW coal and biomass power plant at Constanta. The power plant will comprise two units and cost in the region of [euro]2.4bn ($3.8bn)

Ukraine.(EUROPE)
July 1, 2008... Ukraine: President Viktor Yushchenko said that the country would accelerate the construction of new nuclear power plants in a bid to reduce Ukraine's dependence on imported energy. No figures were given, but reports suggest the number could...

UK.(EUROPE)
July 1, 2008... UK: Approval has been given to build a new renewable energy plant in Sheffield. The 25 MW power station, which will be located at the site of a former coal fired plant will burn recycled wood and produce enough electricity for 40 000 homes.

UK.(EUROPE)
July 1, 2008... UK: Plans to build Europe's largest onshore wind farm in South Lanark-shire, Scotland has been given the go ahead by Scottish ministers. The 152-turbine Clyde wind farm will cost [pounds sterling]600m ($l.2bn) and be capable of powering up to...

Bangladesh.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
July 1, 2008... Bangladesh: The Asian Development Bank will provide $165m to the country's private sector leading arm Infastructure Development Company to finance installation of power plants.

Bangladesh.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
July 1, 2008... Bangladesh: Malaysian conglomerate Sumatec has proposed to establish a 1600 MW coal fired plant on a BOOT basis. UK's Asia Energy and Korea's Luxon Global have also offered to invest in the country's power sector.

China.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
July 1, 2008... China: The world's largest thermal power supplying combined-cycle gas turbine unit at the Taiyanggong Power Plant in Beijing is operational.The 800 MW installed unit can reach 58 per cent in nonthermal power supplying period.

India.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
July 1, 2008... India: Uttarakhand chief minister BC Khanduri has reiterated his desire to press ahead with plans to utilize the state's 40 GW hydropower resources, despite the strong environmental protest of late.

India.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
July 1, 2008... India: Emerson Process Management has been selected by NTPC to modernize obsolete controls at the Tanda Thermal Power Station, a 4 x 110 MW plant located in Uttar Pradesh, India.

Nepal.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
July 1, 2008... Nepal: Butwal Power and Ace Development Bank will develop the $78m, 42 MW Marshyangdi III run-of-river hydroelectric Project in Tarkughat, Lamjung.

Pakistan.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
July 1, 2008... Pakistan: The installed capacity of Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) is to increase from the current level of 17 834 MW to 20 085 MW by end-2009 and further to 24 812 MW by end-2012.

Pakistan.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
July 1, 2008... Pakistan: Construction work has begun on a 150 MW power plant on MR Link Canal near Saahowala, Sambrial, to be finished by January 2009.

Philippines.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
July 1, 2008... Philippines: Geothermal energy developer Envent has signed a contract for Biliran Island in Leyte, estimated to have a potential resource of 100 MW.

Vietnam.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
July 1, 2008... Vietnam: A hydroelectric power plant will be built in central Quang Ngai province. The 125 MW plant will be built at a total cost of 3 trillion VND ($180m) and its first turbine is expected to start operation by the end of 2012.

Brazil.(AMERICAS)
July 1, 2008... Brazil: Tractebel Energia has purchased the shares in two small hydroelectric power plants in Mato Grosso state from Electrobras for 314m BRL ($199m), which through a PPA will continue to supply electricity to Electrobras until 2027.

Brazil.(AMERICAS)
July 1, 2008... Brazil: Alstom has secured maintenance contracts worth [euro]85 ($133m) for a combined cycle plant that it is building for ThyssenKrupp CSA Siderurgica do Atlantico alongside a new steel mill in the industrial area of Santa Cruz, scheduled for...

Brazil.(AMERICAS)
July 1, 2008... Brazil: Brazil's Mining and Energy Ministry is negotiating to build a 350 MW coal fired power plant in its southern Rio Grande do Sul state in cooperation with Uruguay.

Canada.(AMERICAS)
July 1, 2008... Canada: Boralex has acquired the rights for a wind project in Ontario with potential capacity of 100 MW, under the Ontario Power Authority's drive to develop 2000 MW of renewable energy.

Uruguay.(AMERICAS)
July 1, 2008... Uruguay: Uruguay has received the promise of up to 72 MW of free hydroelectric power a day from Brazil during its period of winter peak demand, which it has agreed to return when winter demand eases.

USA.(AMERICAS)
July 1, 2008... USA: Three US utilities, EI Paso Electric, Xcel Energy and Tri-State Generating and Transmission Authority, have issued a Request for Proposals for a solar parabolic trough project to be located in New Mexico to supply each of them with power...

USA.(AMERICAS)
July 1, 2008... USA: ABB has signed an agreement to acquire US transformer company Kuhlman Electric Corporation from The Carlyle Group for an undisclosed sum. Kuhlman has annual revenues of $250m and employs around 800 people.

USA.(AMERICAS)
July 1, 2008... USA: The Florida Public Service Commission has approved Progress Energy Florida's plans to build two nuclear power plants at a site in Levy County. A final decision about whether to go ahead with the projects will be made by Progress Energy...

USA.(AMERICAS)
July 1, 2008... USA: The Public Utility Commission of Texas has approved an application by AEP subsidiary South-western Electric Power Company (SWEPCO), to construct a 600 MW coal fired power plant in Hempstead County in Southwest Arkansas. SWEPCO will have 72...

Sunny side up.(COMPANIES)
July 1, 2008... Sunny side up: Chinese module manufacturer Trina Solar is to supply Italian renewables specialist Enerpoint with 5 MW of photovoltaic solar modules in 2008 and between 22 and 30 MW of modules to be delivered in 2009 at agreed prices.

Let's hear it for lubes.(COMPANIES)
July 1, 2008... Let's hear it for lubes: Shell Lubricants has signed a global supply agreement with power plant manufacturer Wartsila. Shell will become the Finnish firm's preferred lubricant supplier for use in their gas and diesel engines.

Rokas 'n' roll.(COMPANIES)
July 1, 2008... Rokas 'n' roll: Iberdrola Renovables has raised its stake in Greek subsidiary Rokas, as part of a bid to fully acquire the firm. Iberdrola now owns 67.95 per cent of Rokas' common shares and 52.66 per cent of its preferred shares.

A brighter future.(COMPANIES)
July 1, 2008... A brighter future: Canadian Solar has announced that it has signed a 9 MW sales agreement for the sale of its e-Modules with Conergy USA. The contract runs for 12 months, through to June 2009.

A-Power teams up.(COMPANIES)
July 1, 2008... A-Power teams up: A-Power Energy Generation Systems is to construct a 290 000 square foot wind turbine production in Bayan Nur in the western Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, with the capacity to produce 800 MW of wind turbines a year.

Get smart.(COMPANIES)
July 1, 2008... Get smart: Electronics manufacturer Advanced Innovations (A1) and Trilliant, the leader in delivering intelligent networks that power the Smart Grid, have signed an agreement to combine Trilliant's Smart Grid products and services with AI's...

The Brotherhood habit.(COMPANIES)
July 1, 2008... The Brotherhood habit: Peterborough, UK-based turbine maker Peter Brotherhood has been acquired by US giant Dresser-Rand in a [pounds sterling]31m ($62m) deal.

Powering ahead.(COMPANIES)
July 1, 2008... Powering ahead: Russia's Power Machines has signed a licensing agreement for Siemens' SGT5-4000F gas turbines rated at 285 MW. Power Machines will make and then market them for projects in Russia, Belarus, the CIS, the Baltic States and India.

Gone for a Chinese.(COMPANIES)
July 1, 2008... Gone for a Chinese: Dutch wind turbine supplier Emergya Wind Technologies has established a Chinese marketing company, named Beijing EWT-CASC Directwind, aiming to install over 100 MW in the next five years.

E.ON starts work on Siberian combined-cycle power project.(INTERNATIONAL)
July 1, 2008... E.ON has started work on the construction of two new combined-cycle gas turbine units at its Surguts-kaya GRES-2 power plant in Siberia. The two units will add 800 MW to the existing power plant, taking its total capacity to 5600MW. ...

Malaysian firm to build the Gulf's first coal fired power plant in UAE.(INTERNATIONAL)
July 1, 2008... The United Arab Emirates has signed a deal worth up to $2bn for Malaysia Mining Corp (MMC) to build the Gulf's first coal fired power plant. Gulf states Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain have all studied the possibility of building coal fired...

Black & Veatch assess potential wind farm in Mongolia.(INTERNATIONAL)
July 1, 2008... Black & Veatch is conducting an environmental and social impact assessment for a potential 50 MW wind farm development in Mongolia. The project team includes experts from the company's Russia, UK and US office locations who specialize in...

Jordan government sells power distribution companies.(INTERNATIONAL)(Kingdom Electricity Company)(Electricity Distribution Company)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Jordan's Kingdom Electricity Company is to buy the government's stakes in Electricity Distribution Company (Edco) and Irbid District Electricity Company (Ideco) in a deal worth $104m. Edco was 100 per cent owned by the government while...

Tunisia to build first GT26-based CCGT power plant.(INTERNATIONAL)
July 1, 2008... Alstom has been awarded a [euro]335m ($534m) turnkey contract, by Societe Tunisienne de I Electricite et du Gaz (STEG) for the construction of a 400 MW combined-cycle power plant (CCGT). The CCGT power plant will be constructed at...

Saudi Arabia plans $12bn projects.(INTERNATIONAL)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Saudi Arabia has planned more than $12bn worth of water and power projects that will supply an additional 2.24m cubic metres of water per day and 2750 MW of power. The country is also set to privatize key government-owned assets and...

Public support for nuclear grows in Europe: EC report.(EUROPE)
July 1, 2008... The European Commission's latest Eurobarometer Survey of European attitudes to nuclear energy and radioactive waste, has shown that support for nuclear power has increased significantly in the EU member states since the last survey was...

E.ON and DONG take equal ownership in London Array after shell pull-out.(EUROPE)
July 1, 2008... The German power giant E.ON and the Danish utility DONG Energy have bought Royal Dutch Shell's stake in the [pounds sterling]2.5bn ($5bn) London Array offshore wind farm, with each taking an equal share of that stake. E.ON and DONG Energy will...

Germany may extend nuclear phase-out deadline.(EUROPE)
July 1, 2008... Negotiations are underway between conservative politicians and power company executives that could lead to an agreement reversing Germany's plan to phase-out its nuclear power generation capability, says the Financial Times. The London...

Poland is keen to enter CCS arena.(EUROPE)(carbon capture and storage)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... The Polish Economy Ministry has said that it hopes that Poland will be selected to host two demonstration carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects by the European Commission, according to Platts. Under its Flagship Programme, the European...

Wind developer strengthens position in France.(EUROPE)
July 1, 2008... Iberdrola Renewables has begun the construction of four wind farms in France, which amount to a total of 30 MW. These projects will strengthen its presence in the country. All four wind farms are being built in the northeast of the country and...

Australia's emissions trading scheme worth $11bn in three years.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
July 1, 2008... Australia's emissions trading scheme could be worth $11bn within three years, a carbon market analyst says. Point Carbon said it believed the scheme would involve a "relatively lenient cap" equivalent to a 2-6 per cent cut in emissions...

Pakistan determined to attract more investment in power sector.(ASIA-PACIFIC)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Pakistan's Minister for Water and Power, Raja Pervez Ashraf, has said that the present government is fully determined to streamline the system in order to provide a simplified procedure for investors. Ashraf has directed the Private Power...

Bangladesh's PDB fails to install 90 MW Fenchuganj plant on schedule.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
July 1, 2008... Bangladesh's state-owned power company PDB has failed to install a 90 MW power plant at Fenchuganj in Sylhet on time. The $85m project, having three generation units, 2 simple cycles and 1 combined cycle, was supposed to be installed by...

Battelle working with Japanese companies on carbon capture.(ASIA-PACIFIC)(Battelle Energy Technology)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... A consortium of Japanese firms will work with US-based Battelle Energy Technology to help it develop carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. The US R&D firm said it had signed on to work with Japan CCS Company. The consortium is a...

Philippines mulls revival of nuclear power plant.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
July 1, 2008... The Philippines has invited International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts to organize a multi-disciplinary and independent fact-finding and safety assessment mission to check if its Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) can be used as an...

AES boosts wind capacity in China.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
July 1, 2008... AES is to increase its China-based wind power operations with two new agreements with Beijing's Guohua Energy Investment. AES said the deals would boost its wind capacity in China to approximately 150 MW. AES has also reached an agreement...

Utilities count cost of CAIR ruling as PPL makes $100m charge.(AMERICAS)
July 1, 2008... PPL Corporation became the first US electric utility to quantify the cost to its business of the US Court of Appeals ruling of 11 July invalidating the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), when it announced an impairment charge of around $100m...

Provinces take the lead in driving Canadian climate change policies.(AMERICAS)
July 1, 2008... Canada's provincial and territorial leaders have agreed to implement policies aimed at tackling climate change, although a single strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions remained elusive. The leaders committed to a 20 per cent increase...

EPL taps into "sunshine state" resources.(AMERICAS)(Florida Power & Light Co.)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Florida Light & Power (FPL) has received approval from the Florida Public Service Commission to start building three solar energy centers that will make Florida the second-largest supplier of utility-generated solar power in the USA. The...

Brazilian dam project faces cross-border opposition.(AMERICAS)
July 1, 2008... The Brazilian government is facing opposition from indigenous groups in both its own country and neighbouring Bolivia to its plan to construct the Madera River hydroelectric complex. Bolivian residents in the northern Amazon fear the Jirau...

Green light for TransCanada NE wind project.(AMERICAS)
July 1, 2008... TransCanada Corporation has won final development plan approval for its 132 MW Kibby Wind Power Project located in Franklin County, Maine. The project will consist of 44 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 3 MW, supplied by Vestas of...

Midwest starts injection at sequestration project.(AMERICAS)
July 1, 2008... The Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium (MGSC) has started injecting [CO.sub.2] into the coal seam at its Wabash County II pilot project. The MGDC is one of seven regional partnerships created by the US DoE to develop carbon...

Rolls-Royce establishes civil nuclear power unit.(COMPANIES)
July 1, 2008... Rolls-Royce has established a new business unit to address the global market for civil nuclear power in anticipation of a global market worth $100bn a year in 15 years' time. The new Rolls-Royce unit will provide a service that can support...

Shareholders approve GDF, Suez merger.(COMPANIES)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Europe's second largest producer of electricity was formed after shareholders in French firms GDF and Suez approved a tie-up despite domestic political opposition and misgivings by EU officials. The new GDF Suez will be the continent's...

GE shake up creates energy business unit.(COMPANIES)
July 1, 2008... John Krenicki, president and CEO of GE Energy, has been named vice-chairman of GE, heading a newly-created energy and infrastructure business segment. GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt made the announcement as part of a restructuring to move...

Blackstone Group forms German wind farm partnership.(COMPANIES)
July 1, 2008... Investment firm Blackstone Group has formed a partnership with Windland Energieerzeugungs GmbH to complete the development and construction of Meerwind, one of the NorthSea's largest wind farm projects. The project, which will be located...

Babcock & Wilcox acquires Delta Power Services.(COMPANIES)
July 1, 2008... Babcock & Wilcox has signed an agreement to purchase Delta Power Services from Olympus Services, LLC, a company wholly owned by Olympus Holdings, LLC. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, DPS is the fourth-largest operation and maintenance...

British Energy set to be sold for [pounds sterling]12bn to France's EDF.(COMPANIES)
July 1, 2008... The UK's nuclear power operator is set to be bought by French energy firm EDF and British Gas owner Centrica for around [pounds sterling]12bn ($24bn). British Energy, which owns eight UK nuclear power stations, has been on the auction...

Could the renewables sector's boom go bust? One of the most significant findings of KPMG's recent poll of director level executives in the global energy sector conducted was that half of the respondents (and nearly two-thirds in Europe) agreed there was a real risk of a bubble developing in the renewable energy sector.(Renewable Energy Sector)
July 1, 2008... Analysis recently issued by the UN Environment Programme, showed that in excess of $148 million in new funding entered the sustainable energy sector, comprising the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries, globally in 2007. This...

3D mapping: A new perspective on managing grid assets: recent technological advances in remote sensing technology being pioneered in the UK are proving valuable in the management of network infrastructure and logistics. From 3D digital aerial photography to land based laser scanning, The technology is helping to improve planning, maintenance and safety.(Network Mapping)
July 1, 2008... Airborne surveying has been revolutionized in recent years with increasingly detailed and up-to-date digital surveys. The demand for seamless and countrywide aerial photomaps to support consumer products like Google Earth has made aerial...

Concentrating solar power starts to shine: Skyfuel, based in the US, is emerging as one of the world's leading developers of innovative concentrating solar power systems PEi talks to Randy Gee, chief technology officer and co-founder of Skyfuel, and CSP veteran.(Q & A)(Interview)
July 1, 2008... PEi: How do you see the global concentrating solar power (CSP) market developing in next 10-15 years, and in the longer term? Do you expect Spain to continue to be the dominant market? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Randy Gee: Right now, CSP...

Direct injection advances biomass co-firing in large coal fired plants: Bill Livingston of Doosan Babcock provides an overview of the technical and other issues associated with co-firing of biomass materials in large coal fired power stations, and discusses the more advanced direct injection co-firing systems that can enable higher co-firing ratios.(Biomass Co-firing)
July 1, 2008... The latest predictions from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and others indicate that by 2030 the worldwide demand for coal will be almost double current levels, and that close to 50 per cent of global power production will be from coal...

Offshore wind: making the right connection: once operational next year the 180 MW output capcity of the Robin Rigg offshore wind farm will make a valuable contribution to the UK government 15 per cent renewables target by 2015. Richard Cooke describes the electrical connection part of this offshore project and discuss the many challenges of connecting wind energy sources to the grid.(Offshore Electrical Connection)
July 1, 2008... Due to the increasing need for the development of renewable energy sources to address the issues around climate change, the wind energy market has grown from primarily small, medium-voltage wind farms connected to the distribution network to a...

Modeling energy transactions in deregulated electricity markets; Similarities between the Californian and European power markets suggest multidimensional modeling approaches for market participants in Europe are appropriate because they face the same market conditions. Henry Shin and Dr Lawrence R. Conn explain.(Electricity Trading)
July 1, 2008... Today's energy markets are changing fast. This fact is not news, but it does raise the question of how firms are to deal with the rapidity of change. European power markets are in a state of flux from a regulatory perspective, with new...

Hydropower: Gearing up for a brighter tomorrow today: Alstom Hydro has doubled the test capacity at its Global Technology Centre in anticipation of a worldwide boom in demand for hydroelectric power plants. PEi was present at the inauguration of the upgraded facility in Grenoble, France.(Hydropower)(Company overview)
July 1, 2008... Hydorpower is enjoying somewhat of a renaissance. Orders are through the roof. Business is booming. Just ask Alstom Hydor, which has recently doubled testing capacity of its Global Technology Center (GTC) at its global R&D headquarters in...

Designer HRSG fits the bill when it comes to repowering: in Russia, there is a large fleet of old coal fired power plants ripe for repowering into modern combined cycle power plants. This article reviews the specific HRSG design features for such projects, many of which will have site constraints, using Singapore's Senoko repowering project as an example.(Plant Repowering)
July 1, 2008... On the 1 July the United Energy System of Russia (RAO UES), the state-owned utility, ceased to exist as a legal entity, and marked the end of a five-year reform plan, which has seen Russia's electricity sector transformed from a Soviet-era...

Greater local generation would benefit the Middle East: optimizing the use of fuels, as well as minimizing emissions are important issues facing the global community. This is especially true for many countries in the Middle East, which traditionally use fossil fuels to generate electricity. Jacob Klimstra looks at how distributed generation could improve fuel efficiency and help to reduce the region's energy intensity.(Distributed Generation)
July 1, 2008... In recent years the majority of the countries in the Middle East region have enjoyed exceptional economic growth, and this growth is expected to continue for at least the next 20 years, if not for the foreseeable future. This economic growth...