Power Engineering International articles from June 2003

Power Engineering International archives from June 2003

Divided on combined heat and power. (Upfront).
June 1, 2003... "Is there anything else that is happening in Europe?" On the face of it, it seemed a vague question; met with an equally vague, almost blank response. The delegate asking the question at this year's Power-Gen Europe conference in Dusseldorf...

A challenging climate: climate protection is the second-largest challenge facing the market after competition. Can this challenge be met without losing security of supply? (Analysis).
June 1, 2003... "We need to have an environmental policy that remains as efficient as possible and consistent over the long term and focuses above all on achieving climate conservation goals," said Harry Rods, Executive Board Chairman of German multi-utility...

Turkey may resume Bulgaria power imports. (World News: International).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... After cutting off its power imports from Bulgaria, Turkey could resume supplies if differences are settled during forthcoming talks in Ankara. Under an agreement between the two countries Turkey was to import electricity in exchange for...

CDC acquires controlling stake in Tanzania's Songas project. (World News: International).(CDC Globeleq)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... CDC Globeleq, the emerging markets power company, has increased its stake in the Songas power project in Tanzania, to become owner. CDC has targeted May 2004 to complete the project which will extract local natural gas and convert it to a...

Hungary to undertake refurbishment project. (World News: International).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Hungary's AES-Tisza, a subsidiary of AES Corp., has launched a [euro]98m refurbishment plan for its 860 MW thermal plant in Tisxaujvaros, northeast of the country. The project will be split into four phases and is scheduled for completion...

Bahrain orders 650 MW plant for aluminium smelter. (World News: International).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Bahraini smelter house, Aluminium Bahrain (ALBA), has awarded Alstom a [euro]320m contract to supply a 650 MW power plant to increase the amount of production capacity. The power plant will allow the smelter to increase the current annual...

CEZ bring E.ON, RWE to split Czech market. (World News: International).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Czech state-owned utility, CEZ has called upon Germany's E.ON and RWE to swap stales in distributors in a bid to get around regulatory competition controls. CEZ was hoping to acquire former Slovak monopoly Slovenske Elektrarne, after an...

Azerenergy plans to build two steam-gas power-producing units in 2004. (News Digest: Azerbaijan).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Azerenergy plans to build two steam-gas power-producing units in 2004, at a total cost of $500m, said company president Etibar Pirverdiyev. The first unit, with a 500 MW capacity would be built at a cost of $300m and the second, at a cost of...

CEZ will re-open the coal fired Tusimice power plant. (News Digest: Czech Republic).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... CEZ will re-open the coal fired Tusimice power plant, closed down five years ago. The project which will cost some CK45bn ($1.2bn), will guarantee coal supply contracts for North Bohemian coal mines until 2060.

Finnish energy company Fortum. (News Digest: Estonia).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... After getting the Estonian Competition Board's approval, the Finnish energy company Fortum finalized the purchase of a 60 per cent holding in the Tartu Energia remote heating company of the south Estonian city of Tartu.

GE Power Systems. (News Digest: Finland).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... GE Power Systems will supply a PG9171E (Frame 9E) gas turbine to Enprima Engineering of Finland. The plant is located west of the country, in Zielona Gora, It will produce 190 MW of electricity and go MW for district heating.

MVM - Hungarian Electricity Works. (News Digest: Hungary).(Magyar Villamos Muvek )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Magyar Villamos Muvek (MVM - Hungarian Electricity Works) announced it will soon complete the development of a 90 km, 400 kV transmission line between Sandorfalva and Bekesesaba in the eastern part of the country. Construction of the power line...

Parliament has recently amended the law on electricity. (News Digest: Moldova).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Parliament has recently amended the law on electricity. According to the amendments, the electricity market has to be liberalized within the period of March 2003 to March 2005.

The Polaniec power plant. (News Digest: Poland).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The Polaniec power plant, a Polish holding of Belgian utility Tractebel, placed the sole offer for purchase of up to 85 per cent of the Dolna Odra power plant group in north-western Poland.

France's Dalika Termika and SNET and Swedish state-owned Vattenfall all filed bids to buy at least ten per cent of the Polish heat and electricity generator in Lodz. (News Digest: Poland).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... France's Dalika Termika and SNET and Swedish state-owned Vattenfall all filed bids to buy at least ten per cent of the Polish heat and electricity generator in Lodz. The subject of negotiatinos will include the number of shares to be purchased,...

Italy's Enel. (News Digest: Romania).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Italy's Enel, is willing to participate in the upgrade of six Romanian hydro power plants. Eagen Pens, Hidroelectrica general manager said the work can be carried out via public-private partnership programme.

Tokyo Electric Power Co and trader Mitsui and Co. said they have received an order from the UAE for a power generation and desalination plant. (News Digest: UAE).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Tokyo Electric Power Co and trader Mitsui and Co. said they have received an order from the UAE for a power generation and desalination plant. The total value of the order, from the Abu Ohabi Water and Electricity Authority, is estimated at...

European cogen directive a step closer. (World News: Europe).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The European Commission's proposed directive on cogeneration came a step closer to reality in May when both the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers gave it their support. The two bodies have differing opinions over a number of key...

EHN to boost wind output. (World News: Europe).(Energia Hidroelecrica de Navarra SA)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Renewable energy developer Energia Hidroelecrica de Navarra SA (EHN) has reactivated a contract with GE Wind Energy for the supply of wind turbines for use in projects across Spain. The move indicates significant planned growth in the wind...

Baglan Bay powers up. (World News: Europe).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... GE Power Systems' 500 MW Baglan Bay power station in south Wales has started operating and is supplying power to the national grid. The plant is the world's first installation of GE's advanced H System gas turbine technology, designed to reach...

Iberdrola bid blocked. (World News: Europe).(Gas Natural SDG S.A.)(Iberdrola)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The hostile bid for Spanish electricity company Iberdrola launched by Gas Natural ground to a halt in early May when it was blocked by Spain's National Energy Commission (CNE). The [euro]15.3m ($17.1m) bid was launched in March and would have...

Link update. (World News: Europe).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The capacity of the Konti-Skan high voltage direct current (HVDC) link between Sweden and Denmark is to be increased with the signing of a [euro]40m ($44.8m) contract between Alstom, Svenska Kraftnat and Eltra. Alstom will replace the converter...

American Electric Power Co. (News Digest: International).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... American Electric Power Co has exited Nordic energy trading operations. The company now plans to and refocus its wholesale activities in markets where it has assets. The company entered the Nordic markets in early 2002 and has offices in Oslo...

National utility Electricite de France (EDF). (News Digest: France).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... National utility Electricite de France (EDF) has said that it has lost between 20-25 per cent of its customers in the over-7 GWh/a category since market opening. According to UK-based market research analysts, Datamonitor, the vast majority of...

Lurgi Energie und Entsorgung GmbH. (News Digest: Germany).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Lurgi Energie und Entsorgung GmbH has placed an order with GE Power Systems for the supply of a gas turbine-generator for the expansion of a cogeneration plant in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. GE will provide a Frame 6B unit that will contribute...

Sulzer Elbar. (News Digest: Germany).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Sulzer Elbar has won a contract to carry out a major overhaul of a Siemens V94 gas turbine in Germany. The overhaul will include a full rotor inspection, which will be undertaken in Suizer Elbar's rotor facility in Lomm, The Netherlands.

Federal cartel Office to act as Germany's energy regulator. (News Digest: Germany).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The association of network operators has said that it is opposed to a plan for the Federal cartel Office to act as Germany's energy regulator. The Cartel Office's mandate is to ensure competition, whereas an energy regulator must also be...

Swedish power company, Vattenfall Europe Generation AG. (News Digest: Germany).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Swedish power company, Vattenfall Europe Generation AG has awarded ABB a $22m contract to optimize the process control systems at the Janschwalde and Boxberg power plants in Germany. Under the contract. ABB will expand the existing automation...

National grid operator Statnett. (News Digest: Norway).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... National grid operator Statnett has applied for a license to set up a subsea power transmission cable running from Norway to the UK. The SKr8bn ($800m) link would be the world's longest subsea power cable and will be undertaken as a joint...

Peter Brotherhood. (News Digest: Spain).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Peter Brotherhood has secured a [pounds sterling]1.5m contract to build a condensing turbine-generator set for an olive waste-fired power plant in Spain. The 8500 kW set is scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2003.

NZ to step up regulation. (World News: Asia-Pacific).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... New Zealand energy minister Pete Hodgson has said that the country's government is to set up an energy regulatory authority following failed attempts at self-regulation by the industry. Preparations to establish the new governing body were...

India mega-project gets guarantee. (World News: Asia-Pacific).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... A 1000 MW coal fired power plant project in India looks set to become a reality following the granting of a payment security mechanism (PSM) and a state government guarantee. The Nagarjuna project, near Mangalore in Karnataka state, has also...

Fast-track Perlis on-line. (World News: Asia-Pacific).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Malaysia's latest combined cycle power plant, the 650 MW Perils project, has been successfully brought into commercial operation, according to project managers Sinclair knight Merz. The plant was delivered within 21 months of financial close --...

PowerSeraya switches fuel. (World News: Asia-Pacific).(Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Singapore utility PowerSeraya is switching from the use of conventional heavy fuel oil to orimulsion at three of its generating units. The switch will enable the utility to improve the competitiveness of its generation portfolio. ...

Japan eases wind restrictions. (World News: Asia-Pacific).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The Japanese government is to change regulations to allow wind farms to be built at harbours, state forests and national parks in response to concerns over possible electricity shortages and rising greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, wind...

Napocor renegotiates. (World News: Asia-Pacific).(National Power Corporation)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The Philippines' National Power Corporation (Napocor) has successfully renegotiated its contract with the San Roque multi-purpose hydroelectric power project. The new agreement will save the government some $238m. It is the seventeenth power...

GE Network Solutions. (News Digest: China).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... GE Network Solutions has been awarded its largest energy management services contract ever in China by Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Company (SMEPC). SMEPC is moving its operations to a new facility in Pudong, where GE will install a XA/21...

Alstom has won a contract worth [euro]65m for the supply of a 300 MW circulating fluidized bed boiler to a power plant. (News Digest: China).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Alstom has won a contract worth [euro]65m for the supply of a 300 MW circulating fluidized bed boiler to a power plant at Baima, Sichuan Province, China. The boiler will be the largest of its type in China, according to Alstom.

Niigata Prefecture and two municipalities have agreed to allow Tokyo Electric Power Co. (News Digest: Japan).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Niigata Prefecture and two municipalities have agreed to allow Tokyo Electric Power Co. (Tepco) to restart its No. 6 nuclear reactor after it was revealed that no technical problems exist at the plant. Operation of Tepco's nuclear facilities...

Meridian Energy. (News Digest: New Zealand).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Meridian Energy has applied for local government approvals to construct a NZ$100m ($58m) wind farm in the Ruahine ranges. The 96 MW Te Apiti plant will have 55 turbines and could start operating as early as 2004.

The World Bank. (News Digest: Pakistan).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The World Bank has asked the government of Pakistan to eliminate subsidies in domestic and agricultural power tariffs. It has also voiced its concerns over the slow pace of reform in the country's power sector, in particular the corporatization...

Mirant Philippines Corp. (News Digest: Philippines).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Mirant Philippines Corp. has concluded negotiations for a 20-year build-own-operate (BOO) contract for a new 10 MW plant in lloilo, Panay island. Mirant will finance, construct, operate and maintain the plant, helping to alleviate power...

PNOC Energy Development Corp. (News Digest: Philippines).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... PNOC Energy Development Corp. has invited foreign companies to build a PHP1.4bn ($26.4m) geothermal power plant in Negros island. The company is seeking bids for the construction of the 20 MW plant, the transmission line and development of the...

Korea Electric Power Corp. (News Digest: South Korea).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Korea Electric Power Corp. has said that its net profits fell by 34 per cent in the first quarter of the year, compared with the same period last year. The fall was due to a weakened Won and an increase in oil prices. Revenues rose by 12 per...

Construction has begun on the Ngoi Phat hydropower plant in Lao Cai province. (News Digest: Vietnam).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Construction has begun on the Ngoi Phat hydropower plant in Lao Cal province. The 28 MW plant is being built by Vinaconex on a build-operate basis, and will be expanded to 54 MW in a second phase of construction.

Guatemala plant ready for orimulsion. (World News: Americas).(Wartsila Corp. (Helsinki, Finland))(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Finnish engine manufacturer Wartsila has announced that a 150 MW diesel engine power plant it has developed in Guatemala is ready to start operating using orimulsion as fuel. The plant is currently operating on heavy fuel oil, and will become...

California heads for re-regulation. (World News: Americas).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... A California bill that proposes the re-regulation of the state's electricity market has been amended to allow electricity consumers to choose their own suppliers. Senate Bill 888 by Sen. Joe Dunn (D-Santa Ana) had originally proposed the end of...

LIPA makes world first with superconductors. (World News: Americas).(US Department of Energy selected American Superconductor Corporation)(Long Island Power Authority)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The US Department of Energy (DOE) has selected American Superconductor Corporation to be the prime contractor for a high temperature superconductor (HTS) power transmission cable project in Long Island, New York. The 0.6 km cable will be...

Coal links up with wind in Montana. (World News: Americas).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Great Northern Power Development (GNPD) and Kiewit Mining Group are preparing to file applications for permits for a $900m coal and wind power project in eastern Montana, USA. The project will consist of a mine-mouth coal fired power plant and...

Pressure on AES. (World News: Americas).(AES Corp.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Brazilian National Bank of Economic and Social Development (BNDES) is expecting US power company AES to make partial payments on its overdue electricity sector debts. It has said that it will not accept stakes in local AES assets as payment or...

IFC supports Transelec. (World News: Americas).(International Finance Corporation)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Chile's main electricity transmission company, Transelec, is to benefit from a $60m investment from the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Transelec is planning to expand and upgrade its network in order to provide grid access to new...

The mines and energy ministry is to set up a study group to analyse the local power sector's a debt levels. (News Digest: Brazil).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The mines and energy ministry is to set up a study group to analyse the local power sector's a debt levels. The government Is concerned that utilities debts may hinder the quality of their power services, and Wants to impose limits on their...

GE Hydro. (News Digest: Canada).(Pointe du Bois generating station)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... GE Hydro is to replace four turbine runners at Manitoba Hydro's Pointe du Bois generating station in order to increase the out put of the plant The hydropower plant built in the early 1900s is the oldest plant still in operation on the Winnipeg...

Caterpillar Power Ventures. (News Digest: Dominican Republic).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Caterpillar Power Ventures has started operating a 100 MW power project in Puerto Viejo, Dominican Republic The new plant will be operated and maintained by Energy International.

The E7 group of energy companies. (News Digest: Ecuador).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The E7 group of energy companies has announced plans to install a wind power plant on San Christobal Island in the Galapagos Archipelago. The project tea being led by American Electric Power (AEP) and is undertaking the project as part of the...

US federal judge. (News Digest: Mexico).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Mexico: A US federal judge has ruled that the US Department of Energy acted illegally in determining that two power plants in Mexicali Mexico, would not significantly affect air and water quality in the US. The ruling calls into question the...

VRB Power Systems Inc. (News Digest: USA).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... VRB Power Systems Inc has successfully completed the first phase of testing of its VRB/ESS energy storage system at an installation in Mohab Utah The system consists of a 250 kW x8 h energy storage module connected to a 25 kV rural feeder...

Vericor Power Systems. (News Digest: USA).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Vericor Power Systems has opened a new ASE8 overhaul and repair facility in Harvey La USA The facility will offer full aftermarket support for Vericor's fleet of ASE8 aeroderivative gas turbines including spare parts field service repair and...

Dominion Virginia Power Co. (News Digest: USA).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Dominion Virginia Power Co. has agreed to spend $1 2bn to reduce pollution from eight plants in West Virginia and Virginia in the largest settlement ever made with a utility under the USAs clean laws. The company will also pay a $5.5m fine, and...

Alstom has won a contract to construct the 514 MW. (News Digest: Venezuela).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Alstom has won a contract to construct the 514 MW. $160m La Vueltosa hydropower project in Venezuela The is scheduled to be completed in 2006

Black & Veatch renewables. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Black & Veatch is to form a global Renewable Energy Group to pro-" vide comprehensive project services for renewable energy projects such as wind, solar, biomass, hydroelectric, geothermal and ocean energy. The new group, which the company...

G. A. S. growth. (News Digest).(G. A. S. Energietechnologie GmbH)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... G. A. S. Energietechnologie GmbH concluded fiscal 2002 with a growth in revenue in excess of 40 per cent to over [euro]40m. Much of the growth was gained through major orders in Germany -- its home market -- and the international markets. One...

GE AEP aligns. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... GE Power Systems' Aero Energy Products (AEP) and its Aeroderivative and Package Services (APS) businesses have been brought together into one unit, The newly formed unit will be known as GE Aero Energy, and will be headquartered in Houston, TX,...

Innogy contract. (News Digest).(Innogy PLC)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Innogy has won a seven year operations contract with Rolls Royce Power Ventures for its combined heat and power plant at the Rolls Royce manufacturing plant in Derby, UK. Innogy will operate the 62 MW plant, which consists of an industrial...

Mirant confident. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... In her address at Mirant a annual meeting, president and chief executive officer, Marce Fuller, expressed confidence in the long-term future of Mirant and the competitive wholesale power industry. Fuller has stressed that no fraud has been...

NRG files. (News Digest).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... US energy company NRG has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the USA in a long-expected action that includes a commitment from its parent company, Xcel Energy, to help settle debts. NRG is Xcel's wholesale power generating unit. It was created...

VA Tech figures. (News Digest).(VA Tech Transmission and Distribution )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... VA Tech Transmission and Distribution has reported an 11 per cent drop in its order intake for 2002 compared with 2001. The fall is largely due to distortion of the 2001 figures by two major projects

Enron regroups assets. (World News: Companies).(InternationalCo.)
June 1, 2003... Much of the international energy infrastructure business of Enron Corp. is to be regrouped into a new company, temporarily called InternationalCo. The new company will have an independent board of directors and will be protected from...

GE closes Jenbacher acquisition. (World News: Companies).(GE Power Systems)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... GE Power Systems has successfully closed its acquisition of Jenbacher, the Austria-based manufacturer of gas fired reciprocating engines and generator sets. The move will enhance GE's abilities to serve the distributed power market around the...

Powergen, Ruhrgas boost E.ON. (World News: Companies).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... E.ON Group's strong performance in the first quarter 2003 indicates a healthy outlook for the year ahead, the company said. The company said it had significantly improved its Q1 operating performance compared with the same period in 2002, and...

ABB core improvement. (World News: Companies).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... ABB's core divisions -- Power Technologies and Automation Technologies - have both improved revenues and earnings in the first quarter of 2003, helping the company to stay on track to its full-year targets. Group earnings were down, however,...

Innogy buys InGenCo. (World News: Companies).((InGenCo))(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... UK-based Innogy has acquired the technical services business of InGenCo, a company whose core business is the supply of engineering services to the power industry. The acquisition will enhance the engineering services capability of Innogy,...

Clear Skies cleans up: the USA is on the brink of introducing legislation to control mercury emissions from power plants. This has obvious cost implications for utilities, and could spur other countries in the same direction. (Mercury Legislation).
June 1, 2003... On December 14, 2000, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its intent to regulate mercury emissions from coal fired generators under Tide 3 of the Clean Air Act of 1990. EPA plans to issue final regulation by December 15,...

I-Grid innovation: a new web-based distributed power quality monitoring system is being tested in the USA. The system promises to make database management easier for utilities as well as reduce costs. (Power Quality).
June 1, 2003... With the proliferation of embedded processors and other sensitive digital loads, the need for increased understanding of power quality (PQ) event characteristics in electrical power systems has never been greater. EPRI's Distribution Power...

Modular, merchant Millmerran: modular design and erection and creative material sourcing were major contributors to the success of the 840 MW Millmerran supercritical facility in Australia. (Coal Fired Power Plants).
June 1, 2003... In August 1999, construction started on the Millmerran coal fired power plant in Australia. The 840 MW plant's first unit achieved commercial operation in September 2002, while its second unit achieved substantial completion in February 2003....

GNOC-ing back [NO.sub.x]: new software from Power Technology is geared towards reducing [NO.sub.x], [CO.sub.2] and carbon-in-ash by automatically calculating optimized settings for coal fired boilers. (Emission Control).
June 1, 2003... Stringent emission cutting policies, which is at the forefront of state targets around the world, have led to companies developing products to lower such nitrogen oxides and carbon oxide gasses. The Generic Neural Optimization Control...

Giving Doug intelligence. (IT Focus).
June 1, 2003... Energy utilities are increasingly looking at ways of releasing the trapped value in their assets. Until recently, the cost and availability of technology to read meters or other devices remotely have been inhibitors. But technology company IBM...

Board order. (Equipment Roundup).
June 1, 2003... Centrax Gas Turbines has recently been awarded a contract to supply a CX501-KB7 generator set to Europac in Spain. The 5.2 MW outdoor package will be the second Centrax unit to be installed at Europac's site in Alcolea de Cinca (Huesca) in...

Beta Max gives a lift. (Equipment Roundup).
June 1, 2003... Material lifting solutions provider Beta Max Inc. has launched its new Maxial Track Hoist. Designed to provide an easy and safe method for lifting general building materials, the new hoist is ideal for confined spaces in interior and exterior...

Slurry pumps: the next generation. (Equipment Roundup).
June 1, 2003... ITT Flygt, a supplier of submersible pump and mixer solutions, has launched the next generation slurry pumps. Designed specifically to handle the most abrasive slurries in a wide spectrum of industrial environments, the pumps incorporate the...

Diary dates.(power industry)
June 1, 2003... JUNE European Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition, 16th - 19th June 2003, Madrid, Spain. Details From: Spanish Renewable Energy Association Grupo Pacifico/Ana Moreno, Avda. De Burgos, 39, 5.28036 Madrid, Spain Tel:...