Power Engineering International articles from June 2004

Power Engineering International archives from June 2004

El dia despues de manana.(Up Front)(Spanish power sector)(Column)
June 1, 2004... Power-Gen Europe was a good opportunity to practice my Spanish (which in truth still remains virtually nonexistent). It was also a good opportunity to re-visit some issues from last month's editorial, something which I seldom get a chance to...

Security of supply tops the bill: a recent survey has indicated that security of supply is now the top concern for utilities. And confidence is not high that sufficient investment will be made to overcome reliability issues. Sian Green reports.(Analysis)
June 1, 2004... Security of supply is now seen as the leading strategic aspect of the power market and industry and utility leaders around the globe are firmly focused on the issue, according to PriceWaterhouse Coopers' (PWC) latest global utility survey...

Russia approves TGK structure.(International)(Territorial Generation Companies)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Russia's Unified Energy Systems (UES) has approved the structure of the territorial generation companies (TGKs) which will be created under the country's electricity sector reform plans. The move is a key step forward in the restructuring...

Ukraine to build world's largest coal mine gas to power project.(International)(Contracts Of GE Jenbacher)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... GE Jenbacher has received a multi-million dollar contract to provide 22 complete gas engine cogeneration systems for a coal mine gas-to-energy project in Ukraine. The contract was awarded by the Lease-Holding Company Coal Mine Named After A. F....

E.ON plans Hungarian investment.(International)(Investment Planning)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... German utility company E.ON is to invest [euro]250m ($300m) in its Hungarian subsidiary, E.ON Hungary. The investment will be used to expand and upgrade the low voltage grid of the company's three power supply firms in the country. E.ON...

GCC approves grid funding.(International)(Gulf Cooperation Council)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Electricity and energy ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have approved funding for a plan to link their power grids. Execution of the $6bn project will begin soon, according to the Kuwaiti energy minister Shaikh Ahmad Fahd Al...

Libya invests.(International)(Nexans awarded General Electric Company of Libya contract)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The General Electric Company of Libya (GECOL) has awarded cable company Nexans a [euro]100m ($120m) contract to provide high voltage under ground power transmission links to Tripoli and Benghazi. The links will connect electricity...

Czech Republic.(News Digest)(energy law)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Czech Republic: The Czech government has approved an amendment to the energy law aimed at increasing competition and strengthening consumer choice. The move is in response to EU directives that state that markets should be fully liberalized by...

Jordan.(News Digest)(VA Tech Transmission & Distribution awarded National Electric Power Co. contract)
June 1, 2004... Jordan: The National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) of Jordan has awarded VA Tech Transmission & Distribution a [euro]23m ($28m) contract for a new 400 kV GIS substation in Samra, Jordan. The substation will be commissioned in 2005.

Areva and Kazatomprom.(News Digest)(second uranium plant )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Kazakhstan: Areva and Kazatomprom have launched the second phase of a joint uranium production project in Kazakhstan. The two companies have for three years been operating a pilot uranium production plant in southern Kazakhstan, and will now...

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.(News Digest)(Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Company loan)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Kazakhstan: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has granted a $60m loan to the Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Company (KEGOC) to support the construction of the $90m North-South transmission line. The funds will...

Oman.(News Digest)(Wood Group Heavy Industrial Turbines Ltd. wins Dhofar Power Company SAOC and Dhofar Generating Company SAOC contract)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Oman: Dhofar Power Company SAOC and Dhofar Generating Company SAOC have awarded Wood Group Heavy Industrial Turbines Ltd a $12m long-term contract to provide maintenance service support for gas turbines and associated equipment. The contract...

Saudi Arabia.(News Digest)(Contracts)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Saudi Arabia: The Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma'aden) is accepting tenders to a $1000m, 1500 MW baseload power plant at its aluminium refinery and smelter at Az Zabirah in the Central Northern region. The contract is expected to be awarded...

Turkey.(News Digest)(Mergers And Acquisitions)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Turkey: German power plant developer Steag has sold a 24 per cent stake in the Iskenderun power plant in Turkey to Oyak, Turkey's largest private pension fund. Steag remains the majority shareholder in the plant with 51 per cent, while RWE...

UAE.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... UAE: The United Arab Emirates' ministry of electricity and water has awarded Areva Transmission and Distribution a [euro]70m ($84m) contract for the design and installation of a new high voltage substation in Dhaid.

Belgium.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Belgium: C-Power has been granted planning permission to build a [euro]475m ($572m), 300 MW offshore wind farm comprising up to 60 turbine units at Thornton Bank. Construction of an initial demonstration phase of six turbines will start in late...

The European Commission.(News Digest)(Endesa S.A. to acquire SNET)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... France: The European Commission has indicated that it has approved the acquisition of a controlling stake by Spain's Endesa in France's SNET group through an increase in its stake from 30 to 65 per cent.

Electricite de France.(News Digest)(repayment of financial gift)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... France: Electricite de France (EDF) is planning to launch an appeal against the European Commission's December 2003 decision compelling it to reimburse the French state for a financial 'gift' of [euro]889m ($1070m) plus interest. EDF has...

Germany.(News Digest)(Siemens Power Generation )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Germany: Siemens Power Generation has shipped the 2000th steam turbine from its industrial steam turbine facility in Goerlitz, Germany. The unit is one of two destined to supply power for a new sugar factory in Cumra, Turkey. The first...

Abruzzo Energia.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Italy: Abruzzo Energia has been granted planning permission for a [euro]425m ($511m), 800 MW gas fired combined cycle power plant at Gissi in the Chieti province of the Abruzzo region. Site work is expected to start in late summer 2004, with...

Gestore Mercato Elettrico.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Italy: Italian electricity market operator Gestore Mercato Elettrico (GME) has officially opened the Italian wholesale electricity market. On the first day of trading, market participants traded 286 GWh of electricity, equivalent to 32 per cent...

Portugal.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Portugal: The Portuguese economy minister has announced that the country's transmission networks for gas (Transgas) and electricity (REN), which are to be merged, may be privatized in the second half of 2004.

Sweden.(News Digest)(Turbine Refurbishment Work Contracts)(Fortum Generation AB)( GE Energy Contracts)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Sweden: Fortum Generation AB of Sweden has awarded GE Energy two contracts worth a total of $3.5m for major turbine refurbishment work at two hydroelectric projects in Sweden. The work will increase the output of the Forshult power plant in...

UK.(News Digest)(Banham Power plans poultry pyrolysis and gasification power plants)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... UK: Banham Power, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Banham Poultry, is planning to build a [pounds sterling]10m ($18m), 5.5 MW power plant based on pyrolysis and gasification of dried poultry products. The plant will be located near Attleborough in...

Shanghai Foxboro Company Limited.(plant automation contracts)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... China: Shanghai Foxboro Company Limited has been awarded a $3m automation contract for a 1200 MW capacity expansion project at the Jiangsu Zhenjiang Power Generation Co. Ltd. in China's Jiangsu province. The company will implement Foxboro I/A...

Deutz Energy.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... China: Germany's Deutz Energy has sold two combined heat and power plants into China. The two plants will be built at an altitude of 3000 m above sea level and will provide heat and electricity to two lithium mines in Qinghai province.

Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution is forming a joint venture with XJ Electric Co. Ltd. of Xuchang in Henan province, China.(News Digest)(XJ Electric Co. Ltd.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... China: Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution is forming a joint venture with XJ Electric Co. Ltd. of Xuchang in Henan province, China, to produce systems for high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission and systems for stabilizing...

Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... India: Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam has synchronized all of the six 250 MW units of the Nathpa Jhakri hydroelectric project, four months ahead of schedule. The first unit was commissioned in October 2003 and the last in March 2004, adding 1500 MW of...

The Project Investment Board.(News Digest)(Lignite Fired Power plant Services)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... India: The Project Investment Board (PIB) has cleared the 250 MW Barsingsar power project for construction. The 2 X 125 MW lignite fired power plant, located near Bikaner in Rajasthan, will help alleviate the power crisis in the state.

NEG Micon.(News Digest)(Product Introduction)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... India: NEG Micon has introduced a 1.65 MW wind turbine in India which it says is the most powerful turbine on the Indian market. The company has so far sold two units in the country and plans to sell a further 70 this year.

The Philippine National Oil Co.(News Digest)(Bronze Oak Group Ltd.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Philippines: The Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) is to enter into an agreement with British power firm Bronze Oak Group Ltd to construct a $57m cogeneration project in Negros Occidental. The 30 MW bagasse plant will be operational by August...

CDC Globeleq.(News Digest)(Sual stake sold)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Philippines: CDC Globeleq has completed the sale of its 2.94 per cent interest in Sual, a 1200 MW coal fired power plant in the Philippines. The sale is in line with the company's strategy to seek majority ownership or operational control of...

Singapore.(News Digest)(Planning)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Singapore: The Singaporean government is considering building the state's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal as a way of meeting its long term power needs. A feasibility study will be carried out to determine the economic viability of...

Canada.(News Digest)(Pickering B)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Canada: A design flaw at the Pickering B nuclear power plant in Ontario, Canada, that was highlighted by the August 2003 blackout, will cost Ontario Power Generation (OPG) C$100m ($73m) to fix. The company will install new backup generators at...

Colombia.(News Digest)(ISA stake for sale)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Colombia: The government of Colombia has announced that it will sell a 19 per cent stake in the ISA transmission company in 2004. The sale will reduce the government's stake from 59 per cent to 40 per cent

Mexico.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Mexico: Some 18 companies have bought bidding rules from Mexico's state power company CFE for the construction of the 1135 MW Tamazunchale thermal power plant in San Luis Potosi state. The project involves the construction, maintenance and...

Uruguay.(News Digest)(energy industry contracts)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Uruguay: The Uruguay state electricity company, UTE, has received four bids from Fiat Engineering Do Brasil, GE, Alstom and one other company for a turnkey contract to build a 400 MW combined cycle power plant in San Jose department, which...

Officials at Alstom have announced that it is participating in a US Department of Energy (DOE) project to develop and verify a novel hybrid combustion-gasification chemical looping concept for ultra-clean, low-cost, high efficiency coal fired power generation.(News Digest)(Alstom)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... USA: Officials at Alstom have announced that it is participating in a US Department of Energy (DOE) project to develop and verify a novel hybrid combustion-gasification chemical looping concept for ultra-clean, low-cost, high efficiency coal...

Progress Energy.(News Digest)(Achievements And Awards)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... USA: Progress Energy has become the first utility in the USA to achieve 120 per cent of its original licensed thermal power at a boiling water reactor nuclear power plant. The achievement was made at the Brunswick Unit 1 reactor following...

Alabama Power Company.(News Digest)(Contracts)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... USA: Alabama Power Company, a subsidiary of Southern Company, has awarded a $100m turnkey contract to Westinghouse Electric to replace the reactor vessel heads on Units 1 and 2 of the Joseph M. Farley nuclear plant. The work will involve...

Air Control alliance.(Koch Group)(Air Control Science)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Air Control alliance: Air Control Science and Koch Group have announced the formation of a strategic alliance to design, fabricate and install ACS Dustless Transfer chute systems in bulk materials handling systems that combine both firms'...

Allegro in Asia.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Allegro in Asia: Allegro Development Corporation announced that it has opened an office in Singapore in response to the growing demand for its software products in the Asia Pacific energy markets. The office will serve the region's power and...

Areva network.(News Digest)(Aims and Objectives)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Areva network: Areva has set up a network of experts comprising its top three hundred technicians and researchers in order to develop its expertise and ensure that it remains a world leader in the energy field. The aim of the network is to...

Constellation alliance.(News Digest)(Alliances and Partnerships)(Constellation Generation Group and Framatome ANP)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Constellation alliance: Constellation Generation Group has finalized a strategic alliance with Framatome ANP, a joint subsidiary of Areva and Siemens, and Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation for easy access to the full line of products and...

Enel commitment.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Enel commitment: Enel has been admitted to the United Nations Global Compact, a programme proposed by UN secretary general Kofi Annan in 2000 which calls for corporations to officially commit themselves to the principles contained in the...

Fluor license.(News Digest)(Fluor Corp. - Aveva licensing agreement)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Fluor license: Fluor Corporation has purchased a three-year world-wide license agreement for the entire suite of Aveva's Vantage plant design and engineering software solutions. The agreement provides Fluor with on-demand, pay-as-you-go access...

More ETS NAPs submitted.(Europe)(Emission Trading Scheme)(National Allocation Plans)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The UK, Sweden and Italy became the latest countries to submit their emissions trading National Allocation Plans (NAPs) to the European Commission in May. Sweden, like the UK, has set a cap which is more stringent than its Kyoto target, while...

Energy suppliers can tap [euro]5bn DSM market.(Europe)(Data Storage Management )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Datamonitor has published research indicating that Western Europe's major energy users are increasingly keen to limit their energy consumption and are willing to spend [euro]5bn ($6bn) per year on products and services to achieve this. However,...

Cogeneration provides boost to services market.(Europe)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The European Union's directive to promote combined heat and power (CHP) plants is expected to provide the power plant services market in the region with a boost, according to recent analysis by Frost & Sullivan. By 2010, the European power...

UCTE publishes final report.(Europe)(Union for the Coordination of Transmission of Electricity)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Union for the Coordination of Transmission of Electricity (UCTE) has published its final report into the transmission system failure which caused the loss of power to the whole of mainland Italy in 2003. The sequence of events leading...

Fuel cell funding.(Europe)(funding awarded to Johnson Matthey)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The UK's Department of Trade and Industry has approved a [pounds sterling]3.2m ($5.7m) funding package for the development of fuel cell technology. The funding has been awarded as part of the government's Climate Change Programme and will be...

EGAT revises power development plan.(Asia-Pacific)(Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) has approved a revised power development plan which envisions new investment in the power sector of THB548.2bn ($13.5bn) in the period to 2011. The company has also asked the government to...

Power exchange for southern China.(Asia-Pacific)(China Southern Grid Corporation)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The China Southern Grid Corporation, the second largest power grid operator in the nation, has announced that a power exchange market is to be set up in the first quarter of 2005 in southern China. The market will cover the four provinces of...

Philippines awards WESM contract.(Asia-Pacific)(Wholesale Energy Spot Market)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... ABB has been awarded a contract to provide its Sable Market Operation System to administer the Wholesale Energy Spot Market (WESM) in the Philippines when it opens in early 2005. The contract includes training and support services, and is being...

ONGC expands into power.(Asia-Pacific)(Oil and Natural Gas Corp.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... India's largest oil exploration company, Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), is planning to diversify its business into the power generation sector. The company is planning to construct power plants at Dahej in the western state of Gujurat and at...

Three Gorges starts up new unit.(Asia-Pacific)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The eighth generating unit at the Three Gorges hydropower plant on the Yangtze River in China started operation in May after a successful 72-hour test run and routine checks. Each generator at the plant has a generating capacity of 700 MW and...

Japan eyes Philippine projects.(Asia-Pacific)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Five Japanese companies have signified an interest in bidding for ten geothermal fields to be auctioned off by the DOE this year. Sumitomo Corp. and Kanematsu are two companies thought to be interested in the projects. According to the...

Argentina unveils energy plan.(Americas)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Argentina's government has unveiled a new plan for the country's ailing energy sector. The plan is designed to bring an end to the country's current energy crisis and includes $3.8bn of investment and the creation of a new state controlled...

Proinfa attracts 6600 MW.(Americas)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Demand for projects under Brazil's Proinfa alternative energy programme has exceeded expectations, with 6600 MW of capacity submitted and just 3300 MW of projects available. Projects to be included in the incentive programme will be selected on...

Powerspan teams up with DOE.(Americas)( Department of Energy )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Powerspan Corp. and the US Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) have entered into a cooperative research and development agreement to develop a cost effective carbon dioxide (C[O.sub.2]) removal process for coal...

CDC buys Bolivian stake.(Americas)(Compania Boliviana de Energia Electrica )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... CDC Globeleq has completed the acquisition of Bolivian power company Compania Boliviana de Energia Electrica (COBEE) from NRG Energy. The company has also sold stakes in two other power companies in central and south America. COBEE is one...

PacifiCorp to develop CCGT.(Americas)(Combined-Cycle Generating Technology)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... ScottishPower subsidiary PacifiCorp is planning to construct a new 534 MW natural gas fired combined cycle power plant near Salt Lake City, Utah. The cost of the plant--named Lake Side--is expected to be approximately $330m. PacifiCorp...

Oil sand gasification power project to be set up in Canada.(Americas)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... GE Energy has been selected to supply equipment for an integrated gasification/cogeneration plant being constructed near Fort McMurray, Alberta. The plant is being constructed as part of the Long Lake project, the fourth major integrated oil...

Siemens strengthens HV position.(Companies)(Trench Electric Holding B.V.)(Mergers and Acquisitions)(High Voltage )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution (PTD) has reached an agreement with CVC Capital Partners to acquire Trench Electric Holding B.V. of Amstelveen, Netherlands, for [euro]285m ($341m). The move will add new high voltage products to...

OMZ purchases Skoda divisions.(Companies)(Mergers and Acquisitions)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Russian manufacturer OMZ-Power Machines has signed an agreement to purchase two subsidiaries of Skoda specializing in the production of nuclear equipment and steels. The acquisition should enhance the company's position in the Eastern European...

SPL acquires CES international.(Companies)(Mergers And Acquisitions)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... SPL has announced that it has signed am agreement to acquire the assets of CES, a provider of outage management solutions to the utility industry. SPL, which provides customer relationship management (CRM) solutions to utilities, says the...

Security of supply is key concern.(Companies)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... PriceWaterhouse Coopers' latest global utilities survey has revealed that security of supply has become the top concern for utility companies across the world. In 2003, the issue ranked just fourth. 'Supply Essentials: Utilities Global...

Calpine commits to low carbon future.(Companies)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Calpine chairman and CEO Peter Cartwright has announced plans to address global warming by limiting the company's investments to low carbon power generation technologies only. The decision was described as "visionary" by Terry Tamminen of...

An uncertain future: China's current power crisis will take just two years to be resolved, according to the country's government. But the legacy of poor planning and conflicting policies mean that five years is a more realistic timescale.(Report)
June 1, 2004... As China struggles to resolve its latest power supply crisis, some 70 GW of new capacity must be built by the end of 2005 if it is to be resolved within the two-year time frame promised by the State Development and Reform Commission (SDRC). ...

Integration, optimization give the operational edge: power generating companies have always relied on the best available information and analysis to optimize operations. What is different today is that rapid advancements in technology make it possible for organizations to take asset management to a new level by fully integrating their data and extending their analytic capabilities as never before.(Asset Management)
June 1, 2004... Asset management may be a hot topic in today's power industry, but it really is not a new concept. Forecasting, lifecycle costing, operations and maintenance planning have always existed with the long-term aim to operate plants with optimal...

Higher efficiency for coal fired plants: Alstom is working with the US Department of Energy to improve the performance of Rankine Cycles. The study is examining the potential of supercritical systems as well as new technologies such as CMB combustors.(Clean Coal Technology)(Circulating Moving Bed)
June 1, 2004... It is no secret that demand for electricity worldwide is growing rapidly and will likely continue for decades. So too, it seems, are the policy debates examining how best to supply new generation, given potential environmental impacts, security...

A new concept: VA Tech Hydro has developed a modular hydropower technology that makes use of existing civil structures and therefore offers benefits such as low capital cost. The first large installation is in Sudan, where 80 units are being commissioned.(Hydropower)
June 1, 2004... Hydromatrix is a new concept of hydraulic energy generation advanced by VA Tech Hydro. The technology combines the advantages of proven technologies, low cost installation and is easily integrated into existing dam structures or weirs. Projects...

New scrubber design for wet FGD applications.(ALSTOM)(Flue Gas Desulphurisation technology)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... European countries have made significant progress in reducing pollutant emissions, particularly sulphur dioxide (S[O.sub.2]) emissions. This is clearly the result of the implementation of new environmental policies and regulations, the changes...

The challenges of DMS: Distribution Management Systems can help utilities operate effectively in competitive markets. Implementing such systems can be a complex task, however.(Network Control)(distribution management system)
June 1, 2004... The process of deregulation, the new climate of competition and the rapid restructuring facing the electricity sector in a number of countries is leading to a tremendous demand for tools based on information technologies that can help bring...