Power Engineering International articles from November 2007

Power Engineering International archives from November 2007

Clean coal: does the solution lie beneath our feet?(UP FRONT)
November 1, 2007... The conundrum facing key players in the global power industry, governments and policy makers alike is how to ensure a reliable and secure energy supply, while at the same time reducing carbon dioxide (C[O.sub.2]) emissions. It will not be an...

The UAE heads further down the private road.(ANALYSIS)
November 1, 2007... The announcement by the federal government of the UAE that it will be selling off the assets of state utility FEWA seems to reflect a change in attitude towards privatization of its power and water sector. Will this mean, however, that the...

Iraq awards $1.3bn of power plant contracts in drive to raise output.(INTERNATIONAL)
November 1, 2007... Iraq has awarded a number of foreign firms power plant projects totalling $1.3bn in an effort to bridge shortages in power output. Chinese companies have won the biggest contracts. These total $970m and are for both new builds and...

Egypt to build hybrid gas-solar plant.(INTERNATIONAL)
November 1, 2007... Egypt is to build an integrated solar and gas combined-cycle system plant that will power 200000 homes. The plant, located in Kuraymat, will cost [euro]150m ($213m) and will operate as a conventional combined-cycle plant at night by burning...

New coal plants to raise Nigerian output.(INTERNATIONAL)
November 1, 2007... A consortium of Nigeria's Western Goldfield Ltd and China's Sinocoal Ltd has announced plans to build nine coal-fired power plants in Nigeria of total capacity 5 GW for $7bn. The first phase of the plan includes the construction of the...

Russian firm to build two reactors.(INTERNATIONAL)
November 1, 2007... Russia's aluminium producer UC RUSAL plans to build two new reactor blocks at the Balakovsky nuclear power station in the Saratov region that will raise the plant's output by 2000 MW. The move to extend the plant is part of the company's...

Libya awards contracts for twin power plants.(INTERNATIONAL)
November 1, 2007... General Electric Company of Libya has awarded contracts for the 1400 MW extension of the Tripoli West power plant and the building of its twin, the Al-Khaleej power plant. South Korean firms feature strongly in the Tripoli West project....

New city will need 75 MWh per year.(INTERNATIONAL)
November 1, 2007... Abu Dhabi's multibillion dollar sustainable city project Masdar will require 75 MWh per year of energy, according to Masdar CEO Sultan Al Jaber. The development, to be built in the desert, could be the world's first carbon-neutral city.

Burkina Faso.(INTERNATIONAL)
November 1, 2007... Burkina Faso: Utility Sonabel has awarded Areva's transmission and distribution division a contract to build the country's dispatching centre.

China.(INTERNATIONAL)
November 1, 2007... China: Vestas has received a number of orders for wind turbines with a total capacity of 187 MW for two projects in China. Datang Chifeng Saihanba Wind Power and Yilan Longyuan Wind Power have collectively ordered 220 Vestas 850 kW turbines....

Czech Republic.(INTERNATIONAL)
November 1, 2007... Czech Republic: Skoda JS has won the $200m contract to supply digital equipment for the second phase of the modernization of the analogue control and management system at the Dukovany nuclear plant.

Iran.(INTERNATIONAL)
November 1, 2007... Iran: Azarab Company has won a [euro]205m ($292m) contract to extend the Bisotoun thermal power station in Kermanshah. Over four years, the company will add to Bisotoun two plants totalling 650 MW.B

Morocco.(INTERNATIONAL)
November 1, 2007... Morocco: Finance for the construction of a 300 MW gas fired plant in Mohammedia will come from a $187m loan from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB).

Russia.(INTERNATIONAL)
November 1, 2007... Russia: Part of the $6bn-$9bn that Italian utility Enel plans to invest in the country will go into the power sector. Enel already has interests in the country, such as a stake in wholesale generating company OGK-5.

South Africa.(INTERNATIONAL)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... South Africa: Eskom is to spend $143bn to double generation capacity to 80 GW by 2025. As part of the plan, the state utility will in the next five years restart three moth-balled plants, increase capacity at two gas fired plants, and build two...

Turkey.(INTERNATIONAL)
November 1, 2007... Turkey: Ayen Enerji has ordered 31.5 MW of wind turbines from Suzlon. Under the deal, the utility will receive 15 of the Indian company's S88 2.1 MW units.

UAE.(INTERNATIONAL)
November 1, 2007... UAE: A consortium led by France's Alstom has won a contract worth [euro]1.6bn ($2.3bn) to build a 2000 MW power plant in a new desalination complex in Qidfa, Fujairah.

Yemen.(INTERNATIONAL)
November 1, 2007... Yemen: The government is planning to build five nuclear plants over ten years to supply 5 GW of electricity to the grid and to plants to desalinate sea water. The nuclear plants would cost a total of $15bn.

UK to get its first CCS plant.(EUROPE)
November 1, 2007... RWE npower is to build the first UK carbon-capturing plant at a coal fired power station at Aberthaw in Wales. It plans to initially build a 1 MW plant costing about [euro]8.4m ($17m) which will be in operation by 2010, followed by a further...

Finland-Sweden subsea cable gets go ahead.(EUROPE)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Finland has given the go-ahead for Fingrid and Svenska Kraftnat to build a 500 MW, 500 kV submarine cable to link the Finnish and Swedish power grids. The Fenno-Skan 2 project will cost about [euro]300m ($427m) and is set to be completed by...

Pre-combustion lobby to challenge UK plan.(EUROPE)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... The UK's decision to support two demonstration projects utilizing post-combustion carbon capture technology is to face a challenge by clean coal plant developers and backers, including Centrica and Climate Change Capital. The companies...

Spain sees big potential for CHP.(EUROPE)
November 1, 2007... Five of the seven measures in Spain's new sustainability energy plan to 2012 are aimed at boosting combined heat and power (CHP) capacity. A Spanish industry ministry official said that there is a big potential for CHP in Spain and that a...

Spain-Balearics link contract awarded.(EUROPE)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Spanish power grid operator Red Electrica de Espana has signed a contract with Siemens PTD worth roughly [euro]100m ($142m) for the construction of an HVDC connection linking the mainland power network with the Balearic Islands. The link...

Norway to host world's first osmotic power plant.(EUROPE)
November 1, 2007... Norway's Statkraft is to build the world's first prototype osmotic power plant. Based on the natural process of osmosis and using seawater and freshwater, osmotic power has the potential of being a viable renewable energy source, says Statkraft...

France.(EUROPE)
November 1, 2007... France: Spain's Endessa has awarded Siemens a contract to build two combined-cycle gas turbine plants with an aggregate capacity of 860 MW on its own Emile Huchet site in France as an investment of [euro]470m ($670m)

Lithuania.(EUROPE)
November 1, 2007... Lithuania: Plans to agree on a so-called 'energy bridge' project allowing Lithuania to connect its power grid with the European Union (EU) via Poland to compensate for the forced closure of its Ignalina nuclear power plant have been postponed.

Norway.(EUROPE)
November 1, 2007... Norway: Construction of the 700 MW cable connecting the power grids of Norway and the Netherlands has been completed. It is expected that electricity will become available in mid-November if reliability testing goes to plan.

ABB.(EUROPE)
November 1, 2007... Poland: ABB has won an order worth $27m from Poland's grid operator for power transformers to modernize and strengthen the electricity network, and will supply the equipment from its factory in Lodz, Poland.

The International Energy Agency (IEA).(EUROPE)
November 1, 2007... Poland: The International Energy Agency (IEA) has invited Poland to become a member following its accession to the EU and progress in energy market reforms.

Scandinavia.(EUROPE)
November 1, 2007... Scandinavia: Five Nordic partners are to collaborate in the further development and demonstration of Volvo Technology's PEM fuel cell technology for Nordic conditions with the support a NOK4.4m ($800000) grant from Nordic Energy Research.

Spain.(EUROPE)
November 1, 2007... Spain: The Spanish government will require all new wind farms to comply with its grid code from 1 January 2008 so that they can support transmission grid failures. German classification society Germanischer Lloyd has been accredited to certify...

Britain and Japan.(EUROPE)
November 1, 2007... UK: Britain and Japan are set to agree a deal under which high-level nuclear waste arising from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel at Sellafield will be shipped back to Japan.

Lancaster University in England.(EUROPE)
November 1, 2007... UK: Lancaster University in England is to establish a chair in Nuclear Engineering and Decommissioning with financial backing of the Lloyd's Register Educational Trust charity in order to encourage a new generation of nuclear engineers.

New Zealand bans construction of thermal plants for state generators.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
November 1, 2007... New Zealand's plan to cut its greenhouse gas emissions and reduce fuel imports has led the governmaent to issue a ten-year ban on the construction of fossil fuel thermal plants. Energy Minister David Parker says the country's energy...

France-India nuclear talks progress.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
November 1, 2007... In the first ever meeting of their nuclear industries, France and India have held informal talks about collaboration. At the meeting between a 70-member delegation from 29 French nuclear companies and a 300 member Indian delegation,...

Three Gorges dam project nears completion.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
November 1, 2007... China's Three Gorges scheme aims to complete its power transmission and transformer projects by the end of this year, according to the State Grid Corporation of China, which is responsible for its construction. By the end of July this...

Pakistan to borrow $510m for renewables.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
November 1, 2007... Pakistan is to borrow $510m to fund the development of renewable energy for the first time. Under the programme, Pakistan aims to serve 600000 new electricity connections among 4.8m people, many of whom are in rural areas, and to improve...

Alstom Hydro to supply Francis turbines to Vietnam.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
November 1, 2007... Vietnam's state utility is buying the electro-mechanical equipment for a 2.4 GW hydropower plant from Alstom Hydro. Electricity of Vietnam has awarded the [euro]190m ($271m) contract to the company for the supply of design, engineering and...

Japanese official calls for widening of Kyoto's CDM.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
November 1, 2007... Japan has called for the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to recognize policies in the developing world that reduce greenhouse gases as a co-benefit of cuts in other pollutants Speaking in Washington DC, Ryutaro Tatsu,...

Cambodia.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
November 1, 2007... Cambodia The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) plans to co-invest in a new coal fired coal plant in Cambodia to source 3000 MW in project worth up to $4.5 bn. China is expected to finance the bulk of the capital required by...

Ningxia Electric Power Group.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
November 1, 2007... China: Electricity provider Ningxia Electric Power Group will, over a five-year period, sell 330000 tonnes of emissions credits from a 45 MW CDM wind project to Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). The wind farm is set to go on-stream in...

Inner Mongolia autonomous region.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
November 1, 2007... China: Inner Mongolia autonomous region says its total installed wind capacity has passed the 1 GW mark. The local government aims to raise this figure to 5 GW by 2010.

Zhejiang Sanmen.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
November 1, 2007... China: New nuclear plant Zhejiang Sanmen will employ two steam generators from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan and associated facilities from Harbin Power Equipment Co Ltd of China. The equipment will operate with two AP1000 reactors by...

National Development and Reform Commission.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
November 1, 2007... China: This year's goal of shutting down 10 GW of inefficient plant to save coal and reduce emissions is 90 per cent complete, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.

Nepal.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
November 1, 2007... Nepal: State electricity firm Nepal Electricity Authority has signed a preliminary deal that will see South Korea's power monopoly Korea Electric Power Corporation build a hydropower plant in the country.

Pakistan.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
November 1, 2007... Pakistan: Dubai-based ETA Star Group is to build a 134 MW gas fired combined-cycle power station in Pakistan for Dirham 500m ($136m). The plant in Dharki in Sindh province will feed the national grid from 2010 onwards.

Philippines.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
November 1, 2007... Philippines: Suez Energy International has made the highest bid in the auction of the 600 MW Calaca coal fired plant in Batangas province. Sale of the plant is part of the country's plan to privatize its electricity sector.

Taiwan.(ASIA-PACIFIC)
November 1, 2007... Taiwan: Wind capacity could rise from 217 MW to 2 GW if a plan to spending $3bn on wind turbines over the next three years goes ahead. According to the island's Bureau of Energy, the move would cut imports of gas and oil.

Argentina.(AMERICAS)
November 1, 2007... Argentina: Canada's Dynamotive Energy Systems is to invest $105m in building two biofuel to electricity plants in Corrientes province. Each 16 MW plant will burn fuel developed from wood and will begin operation in 2008.

All electromechanical equipment for the new Foz do Chapeco hydropower plant will come from Alstom Hydro in a contract worth [euro]150m ($214m).(AMERICAS)
November 1, 2007... Brazil: All electromechanical equipment for the new Foz do Chapeco hydropower plant will come from Alstom Hydro in a contract worth [euro]150m ($214m). The plant on the Uruguay river will employ four 217 MW turbine-generator units, all of which...

Suez Energy International.(AMERICAS)
November 1, 2007... Brazil: Suez Energy International has auctioned 256 MW of power from the 1087 MW Estreito hydro-power plant it is building as part of a consortium. Vehicle makers bought the electricity in 30-year indexed power purchase agreements for BRL126.57...

Vogt Power International.(AMERICAS)
November 1, 2007... Brazil: Vogt Power International has been awarded a $9m contract to supply the heat recovery steam generator for the Cubatao Thermal Power Plant Project in Sao Paulo.

Canada.(AMERICAS)
November 1, 2007... Canada: VA Tech Hydro Canada Inc will deliver two complete machine sets with maximum output of 73 MW each for the East Toba hydropower plant and two 44 MW for the Montrose hydropower plant, both in British Columbia, in a contract worth C$55m...

Chile.(AMERICAS)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Chile: Generator Endesa Chile aims to build a 240 MW gas turbine power station in the Quintero municipality in region V. If the $128m plant wins approval, it will employ two GE turbines, initially to run on diesel, but later gas. The country's...

Honduras.(AMERICAS)
November 1, 2007... Honduras: Electricity producer and retailer Empresa Nacional de Energia Electrica has won an award for avoiding financial collapse by using advanced metering to reduce electricity theft. It won the Utility Planning Network's 2007 Metering Award...

USA.(AMERICAS)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... USA: The DOE has joined private partners to pledge $318m to help commercialize carbon capture and storage. The money will fund three projects to store 2.5m tonnes of carbon dioxide (C[O.sub.2]) per year underground. The first of the projects,...

Florida utility abandons plan for IGCC plant due to economic risk.(AMERICAS)
November 1, 2007... Tampa Electricity has shelved plans for a baseload IGCC plant because of the economic risks associated with it. The US utility's strategy had been to build the plant to meet expected Florida's 2013 demand, but uncertainty over regulations...

Consortium to study feasibility of US nuclear fuel reprocessing.(AMERICAS)
November 1, 2007... A consortium of international companies including Areva and Mitsubishi is to study the feasibility of building a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in the USA. The group won the contract to complete the study from the US Department of Energy...

San Francisco to install submarine HVDC.(AMERICAS)
November 1, 2007... San Francisco in California, USA, is to commission an 88 km subsea HVDC line, built by Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution (PTD), to connect the centre of the city to a substation in Pittsburg in the state. From March 2010, the...

Canada's first polygeneration plant may start up in 2013.(AMERICAS)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... A proposed first polygeneration facility for Canada would by 2013 produce 300 MW of power from oil refinery byproduct petroleum coke. If the scheme goes ahead, the plant in Saskatchewan province will employ two GE frame 7FB gas turbines to...

Brazil wins wind energy award.(AMERICAS)
November 1, 2007... Brazil has won an World Wind Energy Association (WWEA) award for the success of a programme to encourage wind energy. WWEA said that Brazil's Proinfa drive has made the country the leader in Latin America for wind energy, thanks to a strong...

Power line to open up remote British Columbia.(AMERICAS)
November 1, 2007... British Columbia in Canada is to extend its grid into the remote northwest of the province. A $400m, 247 kV line will run for 335 km from Terrace into areas that are highly dependent on diesel-generated power. It will open up the...

European Bank to gain stake in Russian generator TGK-9.(COMPANIES)
November 1, 2007... The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced it is to acquire a minority equity stake in Russia's regional generating company TGK-9. The move is part of the third and final phase of privatization of state...

Fortum embraces into wave technology.(COMPANIES)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Nordic power producer Fortum has acquired an 8.4 per cent share in Finnish wave power company AW-Energy in a move that is part of its continued R & D effort into climate benign technologies. AW-Energy's patented WaveRoller product harnesses...

France's GdF buys wind power firm Erelia.(COMPANIES)
November 1, 2007... French state-owned group Gaz de France's (GdF's) acquisition of 95 per cent of French wind power group Erelia is part of its strategy to raise its renewables capacity to 2 GW by 2012. The acquisition has raised its wind capacity to 110 MW....

Singapore to sell power firms.(COMPANIES)
November 1, 2007... Singapore is selling its three state-owned power firms to different investors in an attempt to introduce competition into the power sector. Temasek Holdings is already looking for offers for the first of the three, Tuas Power, which has a...

Polish group may float on Warsaw exchange.(COMPANIES)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... The Polish power group PGE could float 10 per cent of its shares on the Warsaw stock exchange next year, according to news report, in an attempt to raise zlotys 4 bn ($1.6bn) for acquisitions and foreign investments. The government created...

Canada.(COMPANIES)
November 1, 2007... Canada: Hong Kong's Cheung Kong's Infrastructure Holdings is buying generator TransAlta Power for $650m. TransAlta Power holds a 404 MW stake in six Canadian power plants.

China.(COMPANIES)
November 1, 2007... China: A $21 m programme to scale up renewables to improve the environment by replacing coal will be headed by consultancy Sgurr Energy of the UK. The programme will see Sgurr determine the methodology for a study for an offshore wind farm.

France.(COMPANIES)
November 1, 2007... France: Gaz de France (GdF) won 80 per cent of new contracts in October from a subscriber base of 5000 who have opted to switch providers. Poweo gained only 900 clients in September and October.

E.ON has signed a letter of intent for a multi-billion dollar asset swap with Statkraft that will give it full control over jointly held power plants in Scandinavia.(COMPANIES)
November 1, 2007... Germany: E.ON has signed a letter of intent for a multi-billion dollar asset swap with Statkraft that will give it full control over jointly held power plants in Scandinavia. Statkraft will in return receive E.ON assets in Sweden, Germany, the...

Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution has signed a joint venture agreement with Infineon Technologies to develop and produce bi-polar high-power semiconductors.(COMPANIES)
November 1, 2007... Germany: Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution has signed a joint venture agreement with Infineon Technologies to develop and produce bi-polar high-power semiconductors. Their work will concentrate on HVDC transmission.

Wind turbine maker REpower of Hamburg is to sponsor students at the city's University of Technology.(COMPANIES)
November 1, 2007... Germany: Wind turbine maker REpower of Hamburg is to sponsor students at the city's University of Technology. Each semester, the ten best performers in each year of the three-year bachelor electrical engineering course will receive [euro]500...

India.(COMPANIES)
November 1, 2007... India: Reliance Power has filed a draft prospectus for an initial public offering that offers 1.3bn shares. The IPO is being undertaken to fund the development of various gas, coal and hydropower projects.

UK.(COMPANIES)
November 1, 2007... UK: Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is to serve Europe's fast-growing market for power generation equipment by establishing a subsidiary in London.

National Wind of Minneapolis.(COMPANIES)
November 1, 2007... USA: Project developer National Wind of Minneapolis has acquired wind energy assessment firm Romuld Wind consulting of North Dakota.

TXU Corporation has completed its merger with investor group Texas Energy Future Holdings Limited Partnership.(COMPANIES)
November 1, 2007... USA: TXU Corporation has completed its merger with investor group Texas Energy Future Holdings Limited Partnership. TXU has changed its name to Energy Future Holdings Corporation.

No single silver-bullet to combat carbon emissions.(USA: CARBON REDUCTION)
November 1, 2007... Reducing the carbon dioxide emissions of the USA's electric power sector will require widespread deployment of advanced generation and energy efficiency technologies, according to new studies from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)....

Preventing a workforce meltdown.(Nuclear Skills Gap)
November 1, 2007... The nuclear industry in Britain is looking likely to play on important role in cutting the country's C[O.sub.2] emissions and ensuring a secure energy supply, yet its skilled personnel are leaving without being replaced quickly enough. How can...

Nuclear in the UK: is it truly necesary? Is it truly viable?(Nuclear Investment)
November 1, 2007... New nuclear build is arguably necessary to deliver energy security and diversity, and to enable carbon emissions targets to be met. However, significant investment in new build is unlikely to be viable in the UK unless, as an outcome of its...

Teaching old dogs new tricks.(Nuclear Skills Training)
November 1, 2007... The future of two British Energy nuclear power plants, Hinkley Point B and Hunterston B, was plunged into doubt last year following the discovery of cracked pipes in the reactors' boilers and the subsequent need for expensive outages. PEI was...

Removing the legacy of Windscale's Pile One reactor.(Nuclear Decommissioning)
November 1, 2007... Last month saw the passing of the 50th anniversary of the world's first major incident at a nuclear plant. Only now have scientists at the UK's Atomic Energy Authority come up with plans to dismantle and dispose of what remains of Windscale's...

Cutting corrosion of nuclear service water valves enters the bronze age.(Nuclear: Auxiliary Equipment)
November 1, 2007... When the oxidization of steel service water valves in a major US nuclear power station prevented them from operating, the plant chose aluminum-bronze replacements. Thomas Beaulieu of Flowserve explains how the new devices' material properties...

Ormonde: is this the next generation low carbon project?(Dual Power Project)
November 1, 2007... The Ormonde offshore co-development project, which will be located in the East Irish Sea off the UK, is an innovative approach to utilizing untapped wind and gas resources for low-carbon electricity generation. PEi takes a close look at the...