Power Engineering International articles from May 2006

Power Engineering International archives from May 2006

No longer a dirty word.
May 1, 2006... There are many unpleasant four-letter words. Not so long ago, coal was one of them. Now with concerns over growing dependency on Russian gas combined with escalating gas prices, coal is no longer the dirty word it seemed to be during the years...

Smoke and mirrors: Gazprom's threats may be empty rhetoric but the gas giant's intentions in Europe's downstream markets leaves governments in a quandary, writes Sian Green.(Analysis)
May 1, 2006... The European Union's concerns over security of supply were thrown sharply into focus once again in April when Russia's Gazprom made clear its intentions to move into the downstream sector of Europe's gas markets. Concerned about Europe's...

Iran joins nuclear club.(international)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Iran has successfully enriched uranium to the level needed to make nuclear fuel, according to official statements. The announcement came just 15 days before the expiry of a UN Security Council deadline for Iran to freeze its enrichment...

Finance secured for Bahrain Hidd IWPP.(Bank for International Cooperation signs with Al Hidd )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... One of Bahrain's largest power and desalination plants Al Hidd has been sold to a consortium comprising the UK's International Power, Japan's Sumitomo Corporation and Belgium's Suez Tractebel. The site handover took place in January following...

Hyundai secures captive contract in Saudi Arabia.(international)
May 1, 2006... Hyundai Heavy Industries has secured a $170m contract to build a gas fired power plant for Saudi Arabian state owned oil company Saudi Aramco. Under the turnkey contract Hyundai will provide engineering, procurement, start-up and commissioning...

Aggreko provides temporary solution.(international)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Aggreko has won a contract to supply 100 MW of temporary power to the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) to support the national grid. A prolonged drought in the country that is threatening a humanitarian disaster has resulted in low...

BOT plant to ease Ugandan shortage.(international)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Norwegian firm Jacobsen Electro is to build a 50 MW thermal power plant at Namanve, Uganda on a Build Operate Transfer (BOT) basis intended to reduce load shedding across the country. The firm will operate the plant for six years before handing...

CEZ states green ambitions.(international)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The Czech utility CEZ is to invest $1bn in renewable energy sources over the next 15 years. Company CEO Martin Roman said that the biggest potential was in wind energy but that, after 2010, the largest increase in electricity production would...

RWE to build IGCC and C[O.sub.2] storage plant.(europe)
May 1, 2006... Germany is set to host the world's first large-scale power plant with integrated coal gasification and C[O.sub.2] storage, after RWE announced it had started development procedures for what will be a [euro]1bn ($1.24bn) project. RWE said...

REpower sees offshore wind future in Baltic.(europe)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Partial planning permission has been granted for the first German offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea by the Ministry of Environment for Germany's Mecklenburg-Vorpommern region. CEO of REpower systems AG, Prof. Fritz Vahrenholt, said: "The...

Utility leaders braced for revolutionary change.(europe)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... European governments will have to clearly define the future roles of coal and nuclear energy within the next two years if utilities are to be able to make the necessary investments, according to the author of a new report from...

Top 20 to double renewable portfolios.(europe)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... European investment in utility-scale renewable generation will exceed [euro]50bn ($62bn) by 2011, according to a new study that details how utilities are adding wind power and other 'green' sources to their portfolio in order to combat...

Voluntary initiative makes data public.(europe)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Four German power producers have moved to make wholesale electricity trading more transparent by publishing data from their power plants on the website of the European Energy Exchange. From 10 April, EnBW, E.ON, RWE and Vattenfall made...

ABB to upgrade nuclear plant.(europe)
May 1, 2006... ABB has won a $24m contract as part of a project that will see the electrical power output at the Oskarshamn Unit 3 nuclear reactor increased from 1200 MW to 1450 MW. The work will be carried out under a subcontract awarded by Alstom...

Deadline set for mega contracts.(asia-pacific)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The Indian government expects to award the contracts for five of the proposed 'ultra mega' coal fired power plant projects within the next 12 months after receiving expressions of interest from 22 interested parties. As the five sites for...

Four farms to add 141 MW of capacity.(asia-pacific)
May 1, 2006... Hong Kong's largest electricity company, CLP Holdings and two of the country's biggest power producers are to develop four wind farms in three different region's that will have a combined capacity of 141 MW. CLP is to invest $51m in the...

Pakistan pushes for nuclear with independent regulator.(asia-pacific)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... An independent regulator for nuclear power has been created by Pakistan's government to oversee the creation of 8800 MW of new nuclear energy capacity by 2030. The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority will operate the country's existing...

Korea awards first foreign led project.(asia-pacific)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Siemens has become the first foreign company to be awarded a turnkey power plant contract in South Korea. It is to build a 560 MW combined cycle facility as the head of a consortium that includes GS Engineering & Construction. The Bugok II...

Currents a fair source for island.(asia-pacific)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Indonesia's Selayar Island will soon receive electricity from several vertical turbines that generate power from sea currents as the country seeks a contemporary solution to its power problems. Around 90 per cent of Indonesia's 5000 small...

Work starts on Vietnam's largest gas fired power plant.(asia-pacific)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Construction of Vietnam's largest natural gas fired power plant has started in the southern province of Ca Mau. When completed in 2008 the 1500 MW power plant will supply 18 per cent of the country's total power output. The main equipment...

TXU invests in home state.(americas)
May 1, 2006... TXU Corporation has announced a $10bn programme of investment in the provision of power to satisfy the growing demand for electricity in its home state of Texas, including new power generation capacity and the largest voluntary emissions...

West Coast cable planned.(americas)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Sea Breeze Regional Transmission System Inc. has filed an interconnection application with Pacific Gas and Electric Company for a submarine transmission line linking Canada to California. The initial application is for a 1600 MW HVDC...

Bids invited for Chilean supply.(americas)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Chilectra, the principle electricity distribution company in Chile, has invited bids, along with other local distributors, for power contracts totalling 42.5 GW to supply their regulated customers from 2009-2020. The energy is worth $3.2m at...

Globeleq adds El Paso assets.(americas)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Houston-based Globeleq has finalized the acquisition of power generation assets in Panama and the Dominican Republic from US power company El Paso Corporation at a cost of $88 million. The three power plants involved have a total capacity of...

Ontario takes green initiative.(americas)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The government of the Canadian state of Ontario has introduced a guaranteed standard purchase price for renewable electricity to make it easier for entrepreneurs and businesses to sell clean power from small projects to the grid. Under the...

India joins FutureGen project.(americas)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... India has become the first foreign country to join in the US government steering committee for the Department of Energy's FutureGen project. The project aims to develop on a commercial basis the world's first coal fuelled zero emissions...

Siemens completes VA Tech Hydro sale to Andritz.(companies)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... German engineering and electronics giant Siemens has signed a contract finalizing its sell off of Austria's VA Tech Hydro to Andritz, a leading Austrian industrial company. EU antitrust authority approval is still required for the deal, which...

Enercon claims Vestas infringed patent.(companies)
May 1, 2006... Aloys Wobben, the owner of German wind energy specialists Enercon, is suing a subsidiary company of the Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems for alleged patent infringement. Wobben has taken out a writ against Vestas-Celtic Wind...

GE's Ecomagination inspired by Pelamis Wave Energy Converter.(companies)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... GE's Technology Lending unit in conjunction with GE Energy Financial Services has extended a loan facility of $2.6m to Ocean Power Delivery (OPD), the UK-based developer of the Pelamis Wave Energy Converter. GE will take an equity position...

AES creates alternative energy group.(companies)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... AES Corporation plans to invest approximately $1bn over the next three years to expand the company's alternative energy business and bring to market new projects and technologies to reduce or offset greenhouse gas emissions. The company is...

Partnership to develop advanced grid systems.(companies)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... US regional system operator PJM Interconnection and Siemens plan to work together to define and develop a secure architecture and open messaging platform for modern, large-scale energy management and market management systems. PJM and...

World's first 'enterprise control system' launched.(companies)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Invensys has introduced the world's first 'enterprise control system'. By employing the new InFusion system, Invensys says that utilities will be able to create a unified real-time control, information and application environment across...

Bahrain.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Bahrain: Alstom has been appointed by the Bahrain Ministry of Electricity & Water to carry out the phase 2 upgrade and rehabilitation of the Riffa power station under a BD48.6m ($127.9m) contract.

Jordan.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Jordan: Mitsui & Co and AES Corporation have been selected by the Jordanian government to jointly build a 400 MW gas fired power plant near Amman at a cost of $280m.

Kenya Power and Lighting.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Kenya: A rural electrification programme costing SH1.2bn ($16.8m) will be carried out by Kenya Power and Lighting this year. The government has spent Sh3.6bn on the project since 2003.

Kenyan Ministry of Energy.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Kenya: The Kenyan Ministry of Energy is planning to appoint a firm of consultants to assist in the unbundling and possible privatization of its power utility Kenya Power and Lighting Company.

Qatar.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Qatar: Mott MacDonald has been appointed owner's engineer by Qatar Electricity and Water Company (QEWC) for the Ras Abu Fontas B2 power and water plant extension project being carried out by EPC contractors GE and Fisia Italimpianti.

Saudi Arabia.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Saudi Arabia: The first two from a fleet of six GE Frame 7FA gas turbines have started operating at the 'Uthmaniyay Cogeneration Plant in Saudi Arabia, becoming the first F-technology machines to enter service in the Kingdom.

Tajikistan.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Tajikistan: Three workers were killed and another seriously injured in an accident that occurred during repairs at Tajikistan's largest hydroelectric power plant at Nurek.

Tanzania.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Tanzania: Kiwira Coal and Power Limited plans to double its annual coal production and is seeking contractors to build power generation plant increasing the country's power output by 200 MW.

Turkey.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Turkey: The Turkish prime minister and energy ministry have chosen Sinop on the Black Sea coast as the site for the country's first nuclear power plant, due to enter service in 2012.

Al Ain Distribution Company.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... UAE: Adwea subsidiary Al Ain Distribution Company has employed EA Technology to provide equipment and training for monitoring partial discharge of switchgear across its HV grid.

Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... UAE: The Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (Adwea) is to sign a $1.35bn water and power purchase agreement with Sembcorp of Singapore for the privatization of the Fujairah Union Electricity plant.

Ukraine.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Ukraine: Canada's DynaMotive Energy Systems has licensed a 200 t/day pyrolysis plant to Rika Limited to be located at one of Rika's farm operation in the Ukraine. Rika also has an option for two further plants.

EU.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Europe: EU ministers expect to take the rest of the year to work out details of the new energy policy. Initial discussions have ruled out the creation of a single regulator for electricity and gas.

European Commission.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Europe: The European Commission has taken legal action against 17 member states for their delays in applying EU electricity and gas market liberalization legislation.

Austrian Energy & Environment.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Belgium: A subsidiary of Austrian Energy & Environment is to construct a [euro]140m ($174m) thermal waste treatment plant in Luttich that will generate around 200 000 MWh of electricity each year from 320 000 tonnes of waste.

Creg.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Belgium: Electricity regulator Creg has reported that an unnamed company is interested in purchasing Electrabel's nuclear power stations should they be sold as part of a merger between Suez and GDF.

Finland.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Finland: VTT and Foster Wheeler are currently studying oxygen combustion at VTT's test reactors in Jyvaskyla with the aim of developing a 30 MW to 50 MW demonstration plant by 2010.

France.(News digest)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... France: E.ON is the latest favourite to acquire the French low cost energy provider Direct Energie, which has been seeking a partner to expand its operations for some time. It is understood that E.ON is prepared to pay [euro]100m ($124m) for a...

The Netherlands.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... The Netherlands: RWE is to construct a combined hard coal and biomass fired power plant that will have a gross output of between 1600 and 2200 MW and a net efficiency of 46 per cent. The Dutch plant will cost [euro]1.5bn ($1.9bn) and should be...

Italy.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Italy: Vestas has been contracted to supply 55.5 MW of wind turbine capacity for three turnkey wind farms, two of which will be located on the island of Sicily and one in the region of Puglia.

Spain.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Spain: Endesa has connected the [euro]218m ($271m) 400 MW Huelva combined cycle gas turbine to the grid for the first time.

Sweden.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Sweden: A 5 MW CHP biofuel plant supplied by Wartsila has been inaugurated in Trollhattan. Approximately 95 per cent of the district heating in the municipality now comes from biomass fuel.

Econnect Construction.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... UK: American Superconductor is to supply equipment to Econnect Construction that will provide voltage support and power factor regulation in a mixed hybrid solution for a 35 MW wind farm in the UK.

The public consultation phase of the government's energy review has closed.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... UK: The public consultation phase of the government's energy review has closed. Over 500 energy and environment experts were interviewed and more than 2000 written responses were received.

Country's small coal mines.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... China: All of the country's small coal mines with an annual production capacity of under 30 000 tonnes will be closed by the end of 2007, after the government introduced new safety measures.

Yangtze River.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... China: The 2309 metre-long dam on the Yangtze River required for the Three Gorges hydropower project is near completion, according to the construction company behind the project.

Vestas Wind Systems.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... China: Vestas Wind Systems is to spend [euro]13m ($16m) on doubling the production capacity of its new blade factory in Tianjin from 600 blades per year to 1200.

India.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... India: Unit 1 of the Omkareshwar 520 MW hydro has been officially inaugurated at a ceremony attended by the project developer Voith Siemens Hydro and the project owner Narmada Hydroelectric Development Corporation.

Five coal fired power plants and a steam power plant with a combined capacity of 2270 MW have been put out to tender by the government.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Indonesia: Five coal fired power plants and a steam power plant with a combined capacity of 2270 MW have been put out to tender by the government, which will offer a 30 year operation concession and long term power purchase agreements to entice...

PLN.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Indonesia: State owned PLN has received bids from four domestic and foreign consortiums vying to develop a $600m independent power plant that will generate 600 MW.

Country's first full nuclear fuel reprocessing plant.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Japan: The country's first full nuclear fuel reprocessing plant has had an initial test run to trial its capabilities of handling an eventual fuel load of 800 tonnes of spent nuclear fuel a year.

Makuhari DHC.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Japan: The Makuhari DHC cogeneration plant is to be equipped with two Wartsila gas fuelled generating sets with a combined capacity of 15.7 MW. The new sets will generate electricity, steam and chilled water.

Toshiba.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Japan: Toshiba is to cut the salaries of four senior executives and punish several other employees that were found to have falsified data on devices supplied to three nuclear power plants run by Tokyo Electric Power Co. and Tohoku Electric...

Korea.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Korea: Seven gas turbines at the SeoInchon combined cycle power plant have recently been uprated by GE Energy, increasing the facility's generation output by 180 MW.

Sri Lanka.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Sri Lanka: Construction will start on the 500 MW coal fired power plant in Trincomalee before the end of the year after the National Thermal Power Corporation agreed to provide $450m for the project.

Thailand.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Thailand: Hong Kong based CLP Power is to sell its entire 50 per cent stake in the operator of a 1346 MW power plant in Rayong to Electricity Generating Plc. The two companies initially agreed a deal for a 25 per cent stake.

North America.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... North America: New research by Frost & Sullivan predicts that the market for compressors in North America will grow from $2.11bn in 2005 to $3.01bn in 2012, based on the expected number of new power generation plants.

Argentina.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Argentina: The Argentinean government has launched a tender for the construction of the San Martin and Manuel Belgrano 800 MW combined cycle thermal power projects in the north of the country.

CPFL Paullsta.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Brazil: Brazilian utility CPFL Paullsta has implemented SPL's Outage Management System as part of its solution for energy delivery resource planning.

EDF.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Brazil: EDF is to sell off 80 per cent of its stake in the Brazilian power company Light to the Rio Minas Energia consortium for [euro]260m ($329m). EDF will retain a ten per cent interest.

BC Hydro.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Canada: BC Hydro has awarded Alstom an [euro]18m ($22.8m) contract to upgrade two generators at its GM Shrom Hydroelectric Generating Station on the Peace River in British Columbia.

GE Energy.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Canada: GE Energy is to supply 45 of its 1.5 MW wind turbines to Canadian Hydro Developers, Inc. for the $120m Melancthon Grey Wind Project in southern Ontario.

Chile.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Chile: A GE Energy Frame 9E gas turbine is being installed at AES Gener's Los Vientos power plant in the northwestern section of Santiago. It is the fourth power plant in Chile to use Frame 9E technology in the past seven years.

Mexico.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Mexico: Calpine Corporation is selling its 45 per cent interest in the 525 MW Valladolid power plant, currently under construction on the Yucatan Peninsula, to the remaining partners, Mitsui & Co and Chubu Electric Power, for around $43m.

Peru.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Peru: Duke Energy has bought out the stakes of El Paso Corporation and PPL Corporation in the Aguaytia Integrated Energy Project in the Amazon Basin of Peru at a cost of $31m, increasing its holding to 64.9 per cent.

USA.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... USA: Plans by American Electric Power (AEP) to build a 600 MW IGCC plant in Ohio have received a boost following the decision by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to allow the recovery of pre-construction costs.

Cadafe.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Venezuela: State power company Cadafe has awarded Spanish electricity company Elecnor two contracts worth [euro]132m ($167m) for transmission and distribution works.

2160 MW Caruachi Hydroelectric Plant.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Venezuela: The new 2160 MW Caruachi Hydroelectric Plant in southeastern Venezuela operated by state-owned utility C.V.G Electrificacion del Caroni has been inaugurated.

AIM game.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... AIM game: Carbon credits firm Camco International has raised [pounds sterling]24.9m ($44.5m) ahead of its anticipated listing on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange.

Asbestos settlement.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Asbestos settlement: A settlement of claims for asbestosis liability arising from ABB's US subsidiary Combustion Engineering has been agreed in the courts protecting ABB from any future additional liability.

Austrian advances.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Austrian advances: Austrian Energy & Environment Group reported profits up eight per cent to [euro]23.1m ($41.3) and revenues up three per cent for 2005, describing the year as one of consolidation.

Ceramic dynamic.(News digest)
May 1, 2006... Ceramic dynamic: Australia's Ceramic Fuel Cells has achieved over 10,000 hours of operation in field trials of its fuel cell powered combined heat and power units taking place in Germany, Australia and New Zealand.