Power Engineering International articles from March 2006

Power Engineering International archives from March 2006

More than hot air.(energy policy)(Editorial)
March 1, 2006... As our planet warms up, so too does the race towards a zero emissions coal fired plant and a 'hydrogen economy'. In February, two announcements in the US prove that both industry and government are more than prepared to put their money where...

E.ON's quest for a single market: E.ON's bid for Endesa looks good on paper but increased scrutiny of market consolidation in Europe means that the company may yet be thwarted by the muscles of Brussels, reports Sian Green.(Analysis)(E.ON Energie AG acquires Endesa S.A.)
March 1, 2006... Germany utility E.ON has announced an all-cash offer to buy Endesa, Spain's largest electricity company, in a move that would create the world's largest power and gas company and that signals a new wave of consolidation in the European utility...

G8 pressures Russia for guarantees on gas supply.(international)
March 1, 2006... Russia has come under pressure from the world's leading finance ministers to provide guarantees over its future energy supplies at a recent G8 meeting held in Moscow. Tensions over Russia's future supply intentions have been running high...

First of its kind solar plant to be built in Egypt.(international)
March 1, 2006... The world's first integrated solar combined cycle power plant is to be built in Egypt after the Japan Bank for International Cooperation agreed to loan the country's government over $90m to fund the project. The 150 MW power plant, to be...

GE to expand Tunisian plant.(international)
March 1, 2006... GE Energy is to supply a Frame 9E turbine and maintenance services for the Thyna II power plant, located 10 km from Sfax, Tunisia's second largest city. To be fuelled primarily by natural gas, the turbine will produce 123 MW of power in...

Alstom's Gulf orders hit $1bn.(international)(Dubai Aluminium Company Ltd.)(ALSTOM Signaling Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Alstom has won a $240m contract for the turnkey construction of a 430 MW power plant in Dubai, taking its total orders in the region, excluding Saudi Arabia, to $1bn since April 2005. The latest contract, awarded by Dubai Aluminium Company,...

Bahrain sells plant to international consortium.(international)(Suez Energy International)(British firm International Power)(Sumitomo Corp.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... A consortium made up from the French company Suez Energy International, British firm International Power and Sumitomo Corporation from Japan have signed a 20-year purchase contract in Bahrain that will see them take ownership of a desalination...

Bosnia and Herzegovina.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Bosnia and Herzegovina: After an initial [euro]100 000 ($120 100) grant from the Greek government, the EBRD is to provide a 15-year loan of [euro]55m to fund projects to modernize the electricity distribution infrastructure across the country.

Bulgaria.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Bulgaria: The EBRD has accepted E.ON Energie's invitation of acquiring a stake in two Bulgarian electricity distribution companies. The bank purchased an 8 per cent stake from E.ON Energie's 67 per cent holding at a total cost of [euro]16.8m...

Ethiopia.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Ethiopia: A national power supply programme will see $495m invested over the next five years to increase the country's installed generation capacity from 640 MW to 4000 MW.

Central Asia.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Georgia: After a spate of pipeline blasts the country's president has vowed to import more natural gas from Central Asia in an attempt to reduce its dependence on supplies from Russia.

International companies.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Georgia: International companies have been invited to bid for the country's state owned electricity distribution company and its smaller hydropower plants. The government aims to raise $119m by privatizing its assets.

Hungary.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Hungary: The country's planning authority has approved the construction of a [euro]6m ($7.2m) biogas power plant in the northwest region of Tatabanya that will generate 2-3 MW of electricity when it enters trial operation early next year.

Morocco.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Morocco: Endesa is to build two natural gas fired combined cycle power plants with a combined capacity of 800 MW. Endesa will invest a total of [euro]400m ($480m) in the two projects.

Poland.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Poland: The state owned utility CEZ has acquired majority stakes in the Polish energy companies, Skawina and Elcho. The company is reportedly also interested in acquiring other generation companies within the country.

Romania.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Romania: A $359m high-voltage undersea cable capable of transmitting 600 MW of electricity is to be constructed between Romania and Turkey. Romania will invest around [euro]150m ($180m) in the project.

Tajikistan.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Tajikistan: Russian company Power Machines has won a $80m contract to supply the main power generating equipment for the first three 167.5 MW units of the Santudinskaya hydropower project.

Turkey.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Turkey: Voith Siemens is to supply two 59.3 MW vertical Francis turbines as well as other related equipment to the Dalaman Akkopru hydroelectric power plant.

UAE.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... UAE: The Dutch company NEM by has contracted GE Energy to supply its first distributed control system in Egypt to the Cairo North 2800 MW combined cycle power plant.

Suez merger with Gaz de France.(Suez acquired Gaz de France )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Suez and Gaz de France are to merge to create one of the largest power and water companies in Europe after the French Prime Minister indicated he would make adjustments to key legislation. Suez directors have held discussions with their...

Alstom to build Neurath plant.(europe)
March 1, 2006... German utility RWE has appointed Alstom to supply and build a 2100 MW power plant in Neurath that will be the largest lignite fired plant in Germany. Work has already begun on the plant under a contract worth [euro]450m ($535m). The plant will...

EU to investigate firms blocking competition.(europe)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... A preliminary EU report into competition across European energy markets has uncovered some "serious malfunctions", prompting competition commissioner Neelie Kroes to launch anti-trust investigations against a number of unnamed energy companies....

Hydrogenics supply wind energy storage solution.(europe)
March 1, 2006... A hydrogen production station supplied by Hydrogenics Corporation is to form part of a hybrid wind farm operated by Gas Natural in Spain. Under a [euro]500 000 contract Hydrogenics will supply its HySTAT-A hydrogen station to the Sotavento...

Europe passes 2010 wind target.(europe)(European Wind Energy Association )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... New figures from the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) show that cumulative wind power capacity across Europe reached 40 504 MW by the end of 2005, surpassing the European Commission's 40 000 MW target for 2010. Wind power capacity grew...

Oskarshamn award winners.(europe)(OKG Aktiebolag)(ALSTOM Signaling Inc.)(Westinghouse Electric Corp.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... E.ON and Fortum-owned OKG Aktiebolag has awarded contracts to Alstom and Westinghouse under its plans to increase the power output of Unit 3 at its Oskarshamn nuclear power plant in Sweden. The capacity of the Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) unit...

Austria.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Austria: Verbund has received authorization for a [euro]365m ($438m) extension to its Limberg II pumped storage power plant at Kaprun. Output from the plant will incease from 353 MW to 833 MW, enhancing security of supply at peak consumption...

Belgium.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Belgium: Wartsila is to supply a biomass fuelled combined heat and power plant to Belgian company Renogen for the municipality of Amel in the Ardennes that will supply heat to two local factories as well as power to the grid.

France.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... France: Austrian utility Verbund has taken a 25 per cent stake in the independent French gas and electricity supplier Poweo SA with an investment of [euro]40m ($47.6m).

EnBW.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Germany: EnBW has demanded a derogation of the requirement that it should shut down its Neckarwestheim plant by 2009. With a new government in place and question marks over gas supplies, other nuclear plant operators are expected to follow...

E.ON.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Germany: E.ON is to bring back into service a number of its mothballed power stations in Germany, including the Emden-4 gas fired power plant, as energy prices increase across Europe.

Norway.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Norway: Statnett of Norway and Energinet of Denmark have contracted ABB to upgrade the control system of the 30-year old Skagerrak 1 & 2 HVDC transmission link using its MACH 2 system.

Acciona Solar.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Spain: Acciona Solar has opened Spain's largest photovoltaic facility with a capacity of 2.44 MWp. The shared facility consists of 400 solar trackers belonging to 279 separate owners who in total have invested [euro]19m ($22.6m).

CESA.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Spain: The fourth-largest Spanish wind farm operator CESA has been acquired by Spanish construction and energy group Acciona for [euro]1.37bn ($1.63bn). This will give Acciona 18 per cent of the Spanish wind market.

Mitsui Babcock.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... UK: Mitsui Babcock has published a report warning of an energy gap in the UK of 18-25 GW by 2015 and calling on the government to invest in clean coal technologies and nuclear power plants.

Channel Island of Alderney.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... UK: The Channel Island of Alderney has signed a contract with Alderney Renewable Energy giving it exclusive rights to research and develop wave and tidal power production in Alderney waters for a five year period.

VA Tech Hydro.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... UK: VA Tech Hydro has won a subcontract from Hochtief Construction to supply and install the electromechanical equipment at Scottish & Southern's Glendoe 100 MW hydropower project in Scotland.

China facing $180bn shortfall.(asia-pacific)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... China's future power demand needs have been significantly underestimated, according to a new report from Capgemini, which has predicted a $180bn investment shortfall between now and 2020. The report states that an extra 280 GW of capacity...

Mega project interest.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... A number of international private companies have expressed interest in bidding for the construction of five coal fired plants in India each with a capacity of 4000 MW. Along with public sector firms and lending institutions, some of the...

China begins 800 kV DC line.(asia-pacific)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Construction of the world's first 800 kV DC transmission line is about to begin in China as the country prepares to invest over $98bn upgrading and expanding its transmission grid over the next five years. The 800 kV line will transmit...

Bidders queue for latest PSALM sale.(asia-pacific)(National Power Corp.)(Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The company in charge of privatizing power generation assets owned by the Philippine's National Power Corporation has confirmed that at least 24 separate investor groups have expressed their interest in bidding in the latest round of sales. ...

New wind turbine can generate in hurricanes.(asia-pacific)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... A new mini wind turbine capable of generating in wind speeds of up to 50 m/s, more than twice the speed conventional turbines shut down at, has been launched in Japan. With carbon blades measuring 1.8 m across, the turbines can generate...

Two plants commissioned in southern Vietnam.(asia-pacific)
March 1, 2006... Two state owned Vietnamese companies have each commissioned a power plant in the south of the country designed to cater for energy shortfalls in the dry season. Electricity of Vietnam awarded Mitsubishi Heavy Industries a turnkey contract...

Alston.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Australia: Alston has been awarded a turnkey contract to build a 310 MW power plant in Western Australia.

Suzlon.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Australia: Indian wind turbine manufacturer Suzlon has won its first contract in the country and will commission a 95 MW wind farm 220 km north of Adelaide by the end of 2007.

Inner Mongolia.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... China: A large wind farm in Inner Mongolia could be developed from the proceeds of an $86.33m loan from the World Bank issued to help increase the level of renewable energy within the country.

Emerson.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... China: Emerson is to supply digital automation technology for two 1000 MW ultra supercritical coal fired units which are being built at the Zouxian power plant.

Hong Kong.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Hong Kong: One of China's five largest power companies, China Power International Holdings, is to move into the Hong Kong electricity market before June this year as part of a joint venture.

Power Grid Corporation.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... India: The Power Grid Corporation of India has received much needed investment from the World Bank in the form of a variable spread $400m loan with a maturity of 20 years.

Bharat Heavy Electricals.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... India: The public sector company Bharat Heavy Electricals has successfully commissioned the country's largest solar diesel hybrid power plant at Bangaram Island in Lakshadwwep.

Taiwanese company.(News digest)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Philippines: A Taiwanese company is to build a 300 MW coal fired power plant in Subic to help prevent the power crisis the Luzon region is forecasted to experience in 2010. The Department of Energy predicts the country will need an additional...

Department of Energy.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Philippines: The Department of Energy has reported that the country's electricity spot market is now ready to start commercial operations.

Clean Development Mechanism project.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Philippines: The first Clean Development Mechanism project in the country will see a 33 MW wind farm built in Bangui Bay, Ilocos Norte by NorthWind Power Development Corporation.

Vietnam.(energy policy)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Vietnam: A power trade market will be developed between the Greater Mekong Subregion, which includes Cambodia, China, Lao, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, after the Asian Development Bank and the French Development Agency offered financial...

Clean coal clears up in the US energy budget.(americas)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The US Department of Energy's office of Fossil Energy has allocated $281m of its total 2007 budget of $649m for initiatives that will help develop cleaner ways of generating power from coal. In addition to $74m funding for carbon...

Mexico orders its first supercritical plant.(Mexico. Federal Commission of Electricity)(Mitsubishi Heavy Industries )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Mexico's Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE) has placed an order worth an estimated $596m with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) for the country's first supercritical coal fired power station. The new 700 MW plant will be located at...

California hosts hydrogen project.(americas)
March 1, 2006... BP and Edison Mission Group have selected an industrial site alongside BP's Carson refinery in California as the location for new $1bn hydrogen power plant. The proposed 500 MW coke gasification project would bring together a number of...

Nuclear utilities choose new designs.(americas)
March 1, 2006... Several US nuclear utilities have moved forward with plans to expand their fleet of reactors. Progress Energy has chosen Westinghouse Electric's newly-certified AP1000 nuclear reactor technology for its Harris site, while Georgia Power and...

AES plans South American projects.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... AES Corporation is to construct a $320m hydroelectric power plant in Panama backed by a ten-year power purchase agreement with the country's largest utility Union Fenosa SA. The Changuinola 75 plant will be located in the Changuinola River...

Brazilians buy back power assets.(Petrobras acquired El Paso Corporation )
March 1, 2006... Brazilian federal energy company Petrobras has agreed to buy the 928 MW Macae gas fired power plant from US energy company El Paso Corporation for $225m. The two companies had been in dispute over the terms of take-or-pay contracts covering the...

Belize.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Belize: Wartsila has won an EPC contract from Belize Aquaculture for a 23.6 MW CHP plant baaed on three diesel gensets for a shrimp farm and processing plant.

Brazil.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Brazil: Aggreko is to supply a 20 MW/13.8 kV temporary power station to Centrais Eletricas do Norte do Brasil to supplement grid supply during scheduled maintenance work at its Santana power plant in Amapa State.

The year 2005 saw a total of 239 MW of wind energy capacity added in Canada compared with 122 MW in 2004.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Canada: The year 2005 saw a total of 239 MW of wind energy capacity added in Canada compared with 122 MW in 2004. Canada's total wind power generating capacity now stands at 683 MW.

AES Corporation.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Canada: AES Corporation has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary AES Kingston Holdings has agreed to sell its interest in Kingston Cogeneration Limited Partnership, a 110 MW cogeneration plant in Ontario, to its partner, Northland Power...

American Electric Power.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Mexico: American Electric Power has completed the sale to Intergen of its 50 per cent share in the 600 MW Bajio combined cycle power plant in Mexico for $29m.

Global Environmental Facility.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Mexico: The Global Environmental Facility is to create a $3bn financial mechanism to offer tariff support for renewable energy projects in Mexico.

Shaw Group.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... USA: A Shaw Group subsidiary company has won the EPC contract for a 750 MW generating unit at Xcel Energy's coal fired Comanche Generating Station in Pueblo, Colorado.

American Superconductor Corporation.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... USA: American Superconductor Corporation has begun production of two SuperVAR dynamic synchronous condensers designed for grid stabilization to be incorporated in the Tennessee Valley Authority's transmission system.

Independent power developer Erora Group.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... USA: Independent power developer Erora Group has signed a license to use GE Energy's gasification technology for a proposed 770 MW power plant in Illinois.

Siemens.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... USA: Siemens has announced orders for its SPPA-T3000 advanced distributed control system for the plant and turbine controls from the owners of four separate gas fired power plants across the USA.

Acciona.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... USA: Spanish renewable energy company Acciona is to invest $264m in a solar power plant in the Nevada desert. The plant will have an installed capacity of 64 MW and feature 760 parabolic cylinder concentrators across 1.4 million m3.

Fluor Corporation.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... USA: Fluor Corporation is to begin construction of a 200 MW coal fired power plant in Nevada for Newmont Mining Corporation. Fluor will perform engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning services for the plant.

Blackout prevention.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Blackout prevention: Severon and Siemens PTD are to jointly market products and services that help prevent electric power outages.

Cell mates.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Cell mates: Saint-Gobain Vitrage, Saint-Gobain's Flat Glass Sector and Shell have agreed to jointly develop a new generation of solar panels based on copper indium selenide thin film deposited on glass.

Ceramic bliss.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Ceramic bliss: Australia based Ceramic Fuel Cells has floated on the London Stock Exchange with the intention of raising revenue to fund a new manufacturing facility, likely to be in the north of England.

CCHP development.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... CCHP development: Capstone Turbine and Broad USA have agreed to jointly develop fully integrated cogeneration systems that will integrate Broad's 20, 40 and 60 tonne absorption chillers with Capstone's microturbines.

E.ON and on.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... E.ON and on: E.ON's latest financial results show that the company grew sales by 21 per cent from [euro]46.7bn ($55.6bn) in 2004, to [euro]56.4bn in 2005.

Electric Baser.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Electric Baser: The technology licensing company, Raser Technologies, is to acquire Amp Resources in a deal that will see it assume control of energy sales contracts worth $966m over the next 20 years.

Final chapter.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Final chapter: The Babcock & Wilcox company has exited from Chapter 11 bankruptcy and has made an initial $350m payment to the asbestos claimants' trust.

Fully fuelled.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Fully fuelled: The world's largest uranium producer Cameco Corporation has purchased the Canadian nuclear fuel manufacturer Zircatec Precision for $108m.

GE filters.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... GE filters: The UK based inlet filtration company, Altair Filter Technology, has been acquired by GE Energy as it aims to provide more complete pre-combustion air quality solutions.

LOOS change.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... LOOS change: Boiler manufacturer Henschel has handed over its worldwide service responsibilities to LOOS, which will now meet the German company's customers' needs for servicing, maintenance, upgrading, repairs and spare parts supply.

Midland write-down.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... Midland write-down: CMS Energy has reported a net loss of $94m for 2005, compared to a net income of $110m the previous year, largely due to an after-tax impairment charge in the company's interest in the Midland Cogeneration Venture.

New PV technology.(News digest)
March 1, 2006... New PV technology: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has developed a photovoltaic cell technology that achieves 50 per cent higher maximum output than the company's conventional amorphous silicon PV modules.

Toshiba offers Westinghouse.(companies)(Toshiba Corp. to acquire Westinghouse Electric Corp.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The Japanese electronics firm Toshiba is seeking to sell between 46 and 49 per cent of Westinghouse, the US nuclear group it recently agreed to purchase from British Nuclear Fuels Limited for $5.4bn. Market analysts expect the Japanese...