Power Engineering International articles from May 2007

Power Engineering International archives from May 2007

Power sector's Russian roulette.(Up Front)
May 1, 2007... Russian gas giant Gazprom has ambitious plans to become one of the world's largest energy companies and it is looking to Europe to help it achieve this. Its focus on the European bloc is not surprising as this region is its largest customer,...

What now for cross-border deals? E.ON has abandoned its bid for Spanish utility Endesa. Heather Johnstone takes a look at the tortuous takeover battle and asks: what does this outcome mean for future cross-border power deals?(Analysis)
May 1, 2007... After more than 14 months the E.ON-Endesa saga finally reached its climax, but not necessarily the one many envisaged. On Monday, 2 April 2007, E.ON announced that it was withdrawing its [euro]42.2bn ($56.6bn) bid for Spain's biggest...

Iran will privatize seven state-owned power plants.(international)
May 1, 2007... Iran's Energy Minister Parviz Fattah has announced plans to sell shares in seven state-owned power plants. Cabinet approval has been given to the stock offering and the private sector is expected to be offered shares within the next six...

Gulf coal plant gets Thai boost.(international)
May 1, 2007... The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) is to invest in a coal fired power plant in Oman, according to chairman Pornchai Rujiprapha. Egat has yet to conclude the deal but would establish a new subsidiary to invest overseas,...

Gulf grid could lead to energy trading.(international)
May 1, 2007... The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are preparing to establish an energy trading system when the regional electric power grid is completed in the first quarter of 2009. Construction of the second phase of the grid project is on...

Russian to build floating nuclear plant.(international)
May 1, 2007... The Russian government plans to have it first floating nuclear power plant commissioned by 2010, according to First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov. "We are starting the construction of floating nuclear power plants. The first one will...

OCI wins El Tebbin contract.(international)(OCI Construction Group )(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... OCI Construction Group has been awarded a contract worth EGP760m ($133.7m) for the civil works package on the El Tebbin 2 x 350 thermal power plant in Egypt. The contract was awarded by the Cairo Electricity Production Company, an...

Jordan wind farm put out to tender.(international)
May 1, 2007... The Jordanian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources will this month tender bids for a 30-40 MW wind park in the Kamsha area, 25 km north of Amman, estimated to cost some $50m. The project is to be offered on the basis of the lowest offer...

Finland.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Finland: Fortum is planning to build a new g60m ($81.6m) biofuel-based heat and power plant for the towns of Jarvenpaa and Tuusula. The plant will have a capacity of 50 MW for district heating and 25 MW for electricity production.

Iran's first solar thermal electric power plant will become operational in 2010.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Iran: Iran's first solar thermal electric power plant will become operational in 2010. The national project is to be developed in the desert region of Yazd and will incorporate natural gas, steam and solar energies.

The Iranian government is accepting bids for a contract to build two nuclear power plants in the southern city of Bushehr.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Iran: The Iranian government is accepting bids for a contract to build two nuclear power plants in the southern city of Bushehr. The plants will have capacity of between 1000 MW and 1600 MW and will supplement Iran's first nuclear power plant,...

Kazakhstan.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Kazakhstan: Russia and Kazakhstan are considering the joint construction of a nuclear power plant in the Kazakh port of Aktau, although no timetable has been set for the project. Kazakhstan is the second-largest producer of uranium in the...

Qatar.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Qatar: A 25-year power purchase agreement has been signed covering the 2000 MW Mesaieed power project in Qatar. The deal signed between Kahramaa and the Mesaieed Power Company provides for the first 1000 MW to be delivered by mid-2008 and the...

Alstom.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Russia: Alstom has signed a framework agreement with Russia's Atomenergomash to establish a g200m ($272m) joint-venture dedicated to manufacturing the conventional islands of Russian nuclear power plants. Alstom has also secured an O & M...

Power Machines Group.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Russia: Power Machines Group has won a tender to supply two Siemens-built 270 MW gas turbine units for Kirishskaya thermal power plant operated by OGK-6. Power Machines will also perform an upgrading of the steam turbine K-300-240 at the plant....

Saudi Arabia.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Saudi Arabia: The GCC interconnection grid is expected to generate revenues of $3.2bn by 2028, said the undersecretary in Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Water and Electricity, that is overseeing the project. The project to connect six Gulf States...

UAE.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... UAE: ABB has won an order from Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority worth Dh520m ($142m) to undertake a 400 KV grid station project for the Al Reem Island. Integrated with Abu Dhabi and Saadiyat Island, the station will provide 1500 MVA to...

E.ON UK signs LNG deal for $1bn CHP project.(europe)
May 1, 2007... E.ON UK has signed a deal with National Grid's Grain liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal that will turn its [pounds sterling]500m ($1bn) 1275 MW power station into one of the world's largest combined heat and power (CHP) plants. The new...

Siemens wins 870 MW plant contract.(europe)
May 1, 2007... A joint venture between Delta Energy and EDF has awarded Siemens a turnkey contract to build a combined-cycle power plant in the Netherlands. The joint venture will operate the Sloecentrale plant and is scheduled to begin operation in the...

Nuclear plant simulator enters service.(europe)
May 1, 2007... L-3 has signed an agreement with Nordostschweizerische Kraftwerke (NOK) to put into service a full-scale power plant simulator for Switzerland's Beznau nuclear plant--a first in power plant simulators known as 'ready for training'. The...

Gazprom plans German CCGT plant.(europe)
May 1, 2007... Russian gas monopoly Gazprom and Luxembourg energy group Soteg are to build a [euro]400m ($538.4m) power plant in Germany by 2010, marking Gazprom's first step into European power. Gazprom, which supplies about a quarter of Europe's gas...

Acciona builds biomass project.(europe)
May 1, 2007... Acciona and Ente Regional de la Energia de Castilla y Leon (EREN) are to build a 15 MW biomass plant in Briviesca, Spain, that will run on 100000 tonnes of straw annually. The [euro]40m ($54m) plant will generate 120 GWh per year when it...

Powerfuel and Shell join forces.(europe)
May 1, 2007... Powerfuel, a UK coal mine owner controlled by Russia's Kuzbassrazrezugol, plans to build a 900 MW, coal fired power plant in Hatfield, in northern England, that will use Shell gasification technology and carbon capture. Construction will...

Austria.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Austria: Voith Siemens has commenced the manufacturing phase of two 240 MW pump turbines for Verbund-Austrian Hydro Power's Limburg II hydro plant after a successful ten-day model test.

EDF.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... France: EDF has the highest renewable energy generation capacity of any European utility at 24 547 MW--equivalent to 18.8 per cent of total capacity--according to Green Energy Strategies in European Utilities, a market report by Research and...

Iberdrola.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... France: Iberdrola has started the construction of two wind farms with a combined capacity of 21.5 MW in France, and has announced plans to build four more in the region before the end of 2007.

Germany.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Germany: Robert Gattereder, managing director of Stuttgart-based power plant constructers M+W Zander, has predicted that in silicon-based photovoltaic production, the first factories with capacities beyond 1 GW will be onstream in 2009.

Rome.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Italy: Rome has approved the Archimedes project, a 5 MW solar plant that, when completed circa 2009, will be the first solar power plant on the east of Sicily. Archimedes will store solar energy by focusing the sun on pipes filled with a saline...

Solar Integrated Technologies.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Italy: Solar Integrated Technologies of Los Angeles, USA, a provider of building integrated photovoltaic roofing (BIPV) systems, has won contracts totalling $10m to provide 2 MW of solar systems at two sites outside Rome.

Norway.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Norway: State-owned renewable firm Statkraft has won its first wind power license outside Norway, after it gained the right to build the Blaengwen project in Wales, UK.

Sweden.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Sweden: Fortum is planning to build a wind park consisting of eight 2-3 MW power plants in the Orsa Finnmark area in the Dalarna province of Sweden by 2009, at an estimated cost of around $30-45m.

Switzerland.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Switzerland: BKW FMB Energy is to expand the world's largest in-stadium solar power plant at the Wankdorf stadium in Berne to an annual capacity of 1.2m kWh from the present 800000 kWh.

REpower Systems.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... UK: REpower Systems has won an order from Airtricity, to supply 15 of its MM82 wind turbines--equal to a total 30 MW--for the Dalswinton wind farm project in Scotland.

Scottish and Southern Energy.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... UK: Scottish and Southern Energy has applied to Scottish ministers for consent to build a 2.5 MW hydroelectric power station on the Allt Coire Chaorach, near Crianlarich, Scotland.

India plans nuclear plant with Europeans.(asia-pacific)
May 1, 2007... State-run Nuclear Power Corporation (NPC) of India plans to build a 10000 MW nuclear plant in the western state of Maharashtra using European pressurized reactors (EPR), from France, Germany and Finland. EPRs are third generation nuclear...

China accelerates closure of small thermal units in efficiency drive.(asia-pacific)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The National Development and Reform Commission (NRDC) has announced that China will gradually cut feed-in tariff for small thermal power units to force them to close down in an efficiency drive. The small thermal power units are defined as...

Malaysian company to build $1bn thermal plant in southern Vietnam.(asia-pacific)
May 1, 2007... Toyo Ink Group Berhad of Malaysia plans to build a $1bn thermal power plant in southern Vietnam and has leased land for the project, according to local government officials. The company signed an agreement to lease 32 hectares of land where...

Australia to store C[O.sub.2] underground.(asia-pacific)
May 1, 2007... Australian scientists are pushing ahead with plans to store thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide (C[O.sub.2]) in an underground reservoir in Victoria. Known as the Otway Geosequestration project, thousands of tonnes of C[O.sub.2] captured...

Australian miner plans $4bn coal plant in Vietnam.(asia-pacific)
May 1, 2007... Australian coal mining company Ensham Resources is to build a $4bn coal fired power plant in the southern area of Vietnam. Authorities have approved the proposal from Ensham, which wants to build a 3600 MW power plant in the southern Mekong...

Consortium plans 1200 MW coal plant in Sumatra.(asia-pacific)
May 1, 2007... PT Triaryani, Sojitz Corporation from Japan and AES Corporation from the USA have formed a consortium to build a coal fired power plant in Musi Rawas, South Sumatra in Indonesia. The power plant with a capacity of 1200 MW will be built with...

Cambodia.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Cambodia: The Japan Bank for International Cooperation has agreed a $22m low-interest loan with Cambodia to finance the Greater Mekong power network development project, which will extend 230 kV double circuit transmission lines.

India.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... India: Mumbai's Tata Power Company has signed a $1.1bn deal to buy 30 per cent stakes in two Indonesian coal companies, Kaltim Prima Coal and PT Arutmin, which together produced 53.5m tonnes in 2006.

Indonesia.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Indonesia: Jakarta has unveiled plans to build its first nuclear power plant on the island of Java with the aim of producing electricity by 2016.

Japan.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Japan: The total amount of electricity generated by ten major Japanese power companies hit a record 971.3bn kWh, up 0.7 per cent from the previous year, according to the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan.

Laos.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Laos: Malaysia's Apbizlink Group will conduct a feasibility study on the building of a 70 MW hydroelectric power station in Luang Namtha province of Laos.

Myanmar.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Myanmar: Yangon has signed a deal with China's Farsighted Investment Group and Gold Water Resources Company to build the 2400 MW Upper Thanlwin hydropower project. Construction began in April on the 7110 MW Ta Sang hydroelectric plant, also on...

Iran has reached an agreement with Pakistan to export 1000 MW of electricity as a part of deal.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Pakistan: Iran has reached an agreement with Pakistan to export 1000 MW of electricity as a part of deal that will see Islamabad purchase transformers from Tehran.

The city district government of Karachi is to install a 350 MW power plant at Port Qasim with four turbines.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Pakistan: The city district government of Karachi is to install a 350 MW power plant at Port Qasim with four turbines gifted by the United Arab Emirates, in collaboration with Italy's Ansaldo.

Philippines.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Philippines: Korea Electric Power, First Gen Corporation, Trans Asia Oil, AES Corporation and Cal Energy are just some of the 23 bidders for the state-owned 600 MW Masinloc coal fired plant, which is to be auctioned on 26 July

Thailand.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Thailand: New bids for independent power plants could be hit by delays because Manila has yet to decide whether the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) should have an uncontested right to produce a defined amount of new...

Vietnam.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Vietnam: Miseco of the Czech Republic is to build a 2.8 MW hydropower plant in Dam Rong district, in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong. Construction will start in early August and be operational in February 2008.

TransCanada close to power lines decision.(americas)
May 1, 2007... TransCanada has announced it is close to reaching agreements with enough utilities in the southwest of the United States to enable it to move ahead with detailed permitting and siting of two 500 kV power lines running from Montana and Wyoming...

Value of IGCC deal questioned.(americas)
May 1, 2007... Excelsior Energy's plan to build a 603 MW advanced coal fired power plant in northern Minnesota, USA, may have reached an impasse after the recommendation by two administrative law judges that the state regulators reject a proposed power...

Smart technology for T & D network.(americas)
May 1, 2007... Texas-based utility CenterPoint Energy plans to invest $500m expanding a broadband-over-power-line (BPL) initiative, add advanced meters to its systems and bring new technologies to its transmission and distribution network. CenterPoint...

Siemens order for biomass fired gensets.(americas)
May 1, 2007... In a deal worth [euro]22m ($30m), Siemens Power Generation will supply two steam turbine gensets to a biomass fired plant in Tres Lagoas, Brazil. The contract covers two SST-PAC 800 steam turbine generator sets, each comprising one steam...

Ontario sees huge project for power lines expansion.(americas)
May 1, 2007... Canadian transmission giant Hydro One is to spend C$600m ($531m) in expanding Ontario's electricity transmission system, which will be the largest expansion to the province's transmission system in 20 years and will give it access to enough...

Clean coal plant gets go ahead.(americas)
May 1, 2007... A 'Record of Decision' has been signed that allows for the construction of a $569m, 285 MW 'clean' coal fired power plant in Florida, USA. The plant, co-owned by Southern Power Company, the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) and Kellogg,...

Belize.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Belize: SFECO, a Chinese engineering firm, has been selected to build a 31.5 MW bargasse fired power plant in Belize. The plant will supply 20 per cent of the country's electricity requirements.

Brazil.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Brazil: Delek infrastructures Limited is to participate in the construction of a 140 MW power station in the Guyana district of Brazil, representing an investment of $50m. Delek has a 35 per cent share in the project.

The province of Alberta has introduced legislation to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from large industry.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Canada: The province of Alberta has introduced legislation to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from large industry. It states that companies that emit more than 100000 tonnes of GHG a year must reduce their emissions by 12 per cent by July...

SNC-Lavalin's T & D.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Canada: SNC-Lavalin's T & D division has won a C$6m ($5.3) contract to design and construct a critical electrical substation, which is part of the project to interconnect the power transmission grids of the province of Alberta and the state of...

Nova Scotia Power.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Canada: The utility Nova Scotia Power has requested proposals from independent power producers for renewable energy projects, as part of its plan to add more clean energy to the province. It is seeking to add 130 MW of renewable energy by 2009....

Foster Wheeler.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... USA: A subsidiary of Foster Wheeler has been awarded a $100m contract for the design and supply of a natural circulation pulverized coal steam generator. It will be constructed at the Southwest power station in Springfield, Missouri.

REpower Systems.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... USA: REpower Systems has concluded an agreement on the delivery of 75 wind turbines for a wind farm project in the state of California. The total capacity of the wind turbines is 150 MW.

Kyocera Solar Inc.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... USA: Driven by increased demand for solar electricity, Kyocera Solar Inc., the American subsidiary of Kyocera Corp of Japan, plans to spend $250m to double its worldwide manufacturing capacity over the next four years.

The Energy Information Agency.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... USA: The Energy Information Agency has said that following the large increase in residential electricity prices last year, prices are projected to grow at a slower rate of three per cent in 2007 and 3.1 per cent in 2008.

Vestas has received an order from PacificCorp.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... USA: Vestas has received an order from PacificCorp for 39 units of its V80.1.8 MW wind turbines as part of the second phase of the Marengo project in Washington state. The turbines are due for delivery in the first quarter of 2008.

E.ON fails to bag Endesa but secures Spanish and Italian assets.(companies)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... After a 14-month battle to acquire Spanish power company Endesa, E.ON has accepted an alternative deal, which will see the German multi-utility increase its position in both the Spanish and Italian electricity markets. As part of a deal...

ERG plans generation boost.(companies)(Raffineria Edoardo Garrone)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Italy's largest independent energy and petroleum group ERG has announced plans for an investment programme that will see it significantly expand power generation. Some 65 per cent of the planned [euro]2.5bn ($3.4bn) investment programme...

British Energy challenges Credit Suisse.(companies)
May 1, 2007... UK nuclear power producer British Energy is lined up to face Credit Suisse in court in May over the control of a coal fired power plant. The dispute stems from the near collapse and subsequent government bailout of British Energy in 2002,...

Spanish giants plan joint auctions.(companies)
May 1, 2007... Spanish utilities Endesa and Iberdrola plan to hold five joint electricity auctions, with a total volume of 14.9m MWh. Commencing in June 2007. The auctions will be held every three months until June 2008 and will fulfil there obligation...

EDP buys US wind company.(companies)
May 1, 2007... The Portuguese utility Energia de Portugal (EDP) has purchased Houston-based Horizon Wind Energy from Goldman Sachs in a deal costing $3bn. Horizon has 559 MW of wind power in operation with a further 997 MW under construction. EDP paid...

Suzlon raises REpower bid.(companies)(Suzlon Energy )(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... India's Suzlon Energy has stepped up is fight for control of REpower by raising its offer to [euro]150 ($204) per share. The bid for the German wind energy business is [euro]10 above the competing offer from France's Areva and Suzlon, along...

Alinta chooses suitor.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Alinta chooses suitor: Singapore Power and Babcock Brown look set to buy Alinta for A$7.4bn ($6.2bn) after the Australian energy utility's board chose their offer ahead of a rival bid from Macquarie Bank and have increased their voting share...

Babcock secures solutions.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Babcock secures solutions: Babcock International Group's [pounds sterling]0.63 ($1.26) per share cash offer for the remaining shares in International Nuclear Solutions (INS) that it does not already own has been accepted by the INS board.

Dynegy completes.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Dynegy completes: Dynegy Inc. has completed the combining of operating assets and establishment of a new joint venture with LS Power giving it a generation portfolio totalling around 8000 MW.

EDP on track.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... EDP on track: Energias de Portugal (EDP) has signed an MOU with Algerian gas company Sonatrach that may lead to business partnerships in gas and power generation, with Sonatrach acquiring EDP stock in exchange for a gas supply deal.

Fluor react.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Fluor react: Fluor Corp. plans to combine resources from both its government and power groups to form a business dedicated to addressing the needs of the market for the next generation of nuclear power plants.

Garlock seals deal.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Garlock seals deal: Garlock Klozure, a division of Garlock Sealing Technologies, has acquired the Syntron RP Mechanical Seal line from FMC Technologies and will relocate to Garlock Klozure's new facility in Palmyra, New York.

Greek collection.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Greek collection: Endesa and Greek metallurgical and engineering company Mytilineos Holdings are to form a joint venture to develop independent thermal and renewable power projects in southeastern Europe.

New fit for Dresser.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... New fit for Dresser: Dresser-Rand has acquired the steam turbine valve supply business Gimpel from Tyco Flow Control for undisclosed terms.

Renewable outcome.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Renewable outcome: Acciona plans to combine its renewable assets with those of Endesa to form a worldwide leader in renewable energies, following the completion of the Enel, Acciona takeover of Endesa.

Russian costs rise.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... Russian costs rise: Russian power utility RAO UES has reported revenues up 19 per cent to RUB654bn ($25.5bn) in the first nine months of 2006 but higher fuel cost meant cost were also sharply up by some 17 per cent.

RWE online approval.(News digest)
May 1, 2007... RWE online approval: Germany's Federal Cartel Office has approved RWE's purchase of online power distributor Eprimo but blocked a plan by RWE to takeover regional gas company Saar Ferngas.