Power Engineering International articles from October 2002

Power Engineering International archives from October 2002

The nuclear cloud. (Up Front).
October 1, 2002... It's a shame. But the only time nuclear energy ever hits the headlines is when there is bad news to report. Well, they say good news is no news and I guess (at times) I can be just as guilty as other members of the media when it comes to...

Saving British Energy: privatized nuclear power company British Energy has sought government assistance to help stave off insolvency. Sian Green assesses the UK generator's future. (Analysis).
October 1, 2002... Troubled UK nuclear power company British Energy has secured a second tranche of emergency aid from the government to save it from insolvency. The government has loaned the generator [pounds sterling]240m ($376m) on top of the [pounds...

Russia debates power reform plans. (World News: International).
October 1, 2002... The amended package of laws for restructuring Russia's power industry was submitted to the Duma in September following approval of the legislation by thc government. The legislation is unlikely to be passed, however, as a number of contentious...

UAE building new power, desalination plant. (World News: International).
October 1, 2002... GE Power Systems has won a contract to supply equipment to what will be the world's largest power and desalination plant. It will supply four gas turbines and other equipment to the plant, located in Fujairah, UAE. The plant will be built...

Poland approves Electrabel buy. (World News: International).
October 1, 2002... The Polish government has cleared the sale of an 1800 MW power plant, near Krakow, to Electrabel of Belgium. Electrabel now owns 38 per cent of the Southern Polaniec plant, which produces six per cent of Polish power. The sale is a relief for...

B&V selected for renewable research. (World News: International).
October 1, 2002... Black & Veatch has been selected by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to assess the potential for renewable energy use in eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union. Around 27 countries in central and eastern Europe...

ABB to refurbish Mozambique system. (World News: International).
October 1, 2002... ABB has been awarded a $32m contract to build a power transmission system in Mozambique to supply power to the northwestern Niassa province. State-owned power company EdM Electricidade de Mozambique awarded ABB the contract to provide a...

Iran pushes ahead with nuclear. (World News: International).
October 1, 2002... The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization (JABO) has told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the country has long-term plans to increase nuclear power generating capacity. The announcement came as some 600 Russian...

NRG Energy. (News Digest: Hungary).
October 1, 2002... Switzerland-based electricity group Atel is to take over Hungarian generator Csepel and two other power firms in the Czech Republic from US company NRG Energy. With a combined value of [euro]535m ($523m), the acquisition will give Atel a...

Transelektro Co. Ltd. (News Digest: Hungary).
October 1, 2002... Alstom and Hungarian company Transelektro Co. Ltd. have signed a [euro]45m ($44m) contract with TVK Power Plant of Hungary to supply a KA10-1CE power plant, based on the 25 MW GT10B industrial gas turbine. TVK power plant is jointly owned by...

Central Electricity Generating Co. (News Digest: Jordan).
October 1, 2002... Jordan's state-owned electric utility, the Central Electricity Generating Co., has awarded Alstom and Jordan-based MAG Engineering & Contracting Co. a contract worth [euro]16m ($15m) to convert five oil-fired boilers at its Aqaba thermal power...

World Summit. (News Digest: Russia).
October 1, 2002... Russia is planning to ratify the Kyoto treaty on global warming, Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov said at the World Summit on Sustainable Development. Russia's backing would mean that enough big producers of greenhouse gases would bring the...

Trade System Administrator. (News Digest: Russia).
October 1, 2002... Over 100 of Russia's largest energy consumers and producers will soon start a simulated electricity trading exercise in advance of the creation of a wholesale electricity market. The new Trade System Administrator is currently carrying out a...

Aramco Overseas Company. (News Digest: Saudi Arabia).
October 1, 2002... Foster Wheeler Energy has been awarded a project management services contract for two distillate hydrotreaters and power cogeneration plants by Aramco Overseas Company. This follows Saudi Arabia's plans to improve the ambient air quality for...

Eskom. (News Digest: South Africa).
October 1, 2002... South Africa's Eskom has unveiled sub-Saharan Africa's first modem wind turbine generator at the Klipheuwel wind farm north of Cape Town. The 660 kW unit was supplied by Vestas and is part of Eskom's plans to increase generation from renewable...

Zanzibar. (News Digest: Tanzania).
October 1, 2002... Norway has agreed to provide $410000 for Zanzibar's project of power lines improvement. The donation is part of Norway's efforts to help Zanzibar improve its infrastructure in order to attract more investment from foreign countries and the...

Enelpower. (News Digest: UAE).
October 1, 2002... ADWEA has extended the deadline for submitting bids for the Umm AI Nar independent wafer and power project to 18 November. The move came as Enelpower pulled out of the bidding for the project, leaving Tractebel to look for a new partner.

Mirant unloads WPD to PPL. (World News: Europe).
October 1, 2002... Mirant Corporation continued its strategy of asset disposal when it sold its 49 per cent interest in Western Power Distribution (WPD), whose assets include the electricity networks of southwest England and south Wales, to PPL Corporation. ...

Munich utility orders two GE 9E gas turbines. (World News: Europe).
October 1, 2002... A new Munich district heating facility owned by Sradtwerke Muenchen is to operate two PG9171E gas turbines to be supplied by GE Power Systems, built in Belfort, France. GE is due to supply the 400 MW combined cycle power plant with...

Major players deny manipulation in Nordpool power market. (World News: Europe).
October 1, 2002... An investigation into price manipulation on the Scandinavian Nord Pool electricity market has been underway since June and has drawn denials of wrongdoing from the major utilities operating in the region. Statkraft, Vattenfall and Fortum have...

Italy's Enel sets timetable for Interpower sale. (World News: Europe).
October 1, 2002... Offer terms to buy Enel's Interpower generating unit must be lodged by invited bidders by October 17. Interpower is being sold to allow End to comply with EU directives on energy deregulation requiring the disposal of 15 000 MW of capacity. ...

Italenergia shareholders OK Edison restructuring. (World News: Europe).
October 1, 2002... Shareholders in Italenergia, the holding company that controls Italian utility Edison, have agreed a plan to restructure the company's debts and to permit Fiat to reduce its stake in Italenergia. The agreement allows Edison to proceed with...

Foster Wheeler to build Irish peat plant. (World News: Europe).
October 1, 2002... Foster Wheeler Energia Oy, the Finnish subsidiary of Foster Wheeler Corp., has been awarded a $342.2m power plant EPC contract by the Irish state-owned Electricity Supply Board (ESB) for two peat-tired power plants in the Irish Midlands. ...

SchlumbergerSema. (News Digest: Belgium).
October 1, 2002... Electrabel has chosen SchlumbergerSema to integrate a work force management system which will give it greater control over networks -- part of its overall strategy to harmonize the network operation systems and field work across business units....

European Transmission System Operator group. (News Digest: Europe).
October 1, 2002... The European Transmission System Operator group has presented draft plans for a new system of harmonized cross-border transmission fees to the European Commission for approval. The body, which speaks for Europe's grid operators, wants the...

Renewable Energy Certification System (RECS). (News Digest: Europe).
October 1, 2002... The Renewable Energy Certification System (RECS) has been launched in Europe with some 170 companies across 13 out of the 15 European Union member states signing up. RECS are intended to encourage renewable energy generation and will provide...

Electricite de France's Chooz-A nuclear power plant. (News Digest: France).
October 1, 2002... Electricite de France's Chooz-A nuclear power plant in the French Ardennes, which has been shut for ten years, is to be dismantled in an operation estimated to cost [euro]260m. The project is to be completed by 2025.

Ruhrgas. (News Digest: Germany).
October 1, 2002... Energy company E.ON's controversial [euro]10.3bn merger with Ruhrgas was granted government approval for a second time although Subject to tougher conditions. These include the requirement for both companies to sell their respective stakes in...

Vattenfall Europe. (News Digest: Germany).
October 1, 2002... The creation of Vattenfall Europe has advanced further with both HEW and Veag agreeing to merge and adopt the new group name. The holding company, which will be the third largest energy group within the German power generation and retail...

Dutch. (News Digest: Netherlands).
October 1, 2002... Plans to privatize the Dutch regional power and gas networks are to be delayed until January 2004 in order to give the industry more time to simplify and strengthen regulations in the sector. The government said it wanted to ensure the capacity...

Electricidade de Portugal (EDP). (News Digest: Portugal).
October 1, 2002... Electricidade de Portugal (EDP) plans to separate wholesale power trading into a new dedicated unit, subject to appropriate market conditions and regulatory approval. EDP trading will serve larger clients who, thanks to liberalization, can...

BP Solar. (News Digest: UK).
October 1, 2002... TXU Europe's new building in lpswich is to incorporate 87 000 photovoltaic cells supplied by BP Solar with an output of 200 kW. The building is due to be completed in December and will be the largest solar installation in the UK.

Japan investigates Tepco's nuclear inspection records. (World News: Asia-Pacific).
October 1, 2002... Japan's Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) has admitted to falsifying records and violating safety regulations at three of its largest nuclear power plants. A total of 29 cases of cracks or minor structural damage was found in the company's...

Vector Ltd acquires NZ's UnitedNetworks. (World News: Asia-Pacific).
October 1, 2002... New Zealand's United Netsworks, the country's largest distribution company, will be bought by the community-owned Vector Ltd. for NZ$1.Sbn ($705m). Vector will sell on some assets to a consortium of Powerco and Hawke's Bay Network,...

Sime bags Bakun contract. (World News: Asia-Pacific).
October 1, 2002... The Malaysia-China Hydro joint venture consortium led by a unit of Sime Darby Bhd has been awarded the civil works contract for the RM9bn ($2.4bn) Bakun dam project in Sarawak. The dam will have an installed capacity of 2400 MW comprising...

First Three Gorges units to power up in August 2003. (World News: Asia-Pacific).
October 1, 2002... Four generating units of China's Three Gorges hydropower project are expected to generate power by August next year. Units 2 and 5 will start first, followed by 3 and 6. The open diversion channel of the Yangtze River will be dammed up at...

Free market prevails. (World News: Asia-Pacific).
October 1, 2002... The Indonesian government will begin liberalizing the country's power sector in 2007, with Batam, Java and Bali expected to be the first provinces to introduce a free market. The House of Representatives passed a power bill into law last...

Vietnam strengthens transmission. (World News: Asia-Pacific).
October 1, 2002... Electricity corporation of VietNam (EVN) has started construction on a 500 kV transmission line linking the Phu My power plant with Ho Chi Minh City. The $100m project is expected to be completed by the end of next year. The project...

Xcel Energy. (News Digest: Australia).
October 1, 2002... Seven final bids have been submitted for the Australian assets of Xcel Energy subsidiary NRG Energy. Belgian company Tractebel, Malaysian company Genting. Hong Kong's CLP Holdings and New Zealand's Contact Energy all bid for Flinders power...

Basslink. (News Digest: Australia).
October 1, 2002... The A$500m ($275m) Basslink electricity interconnector project, which will link the states of Victoria and Tasmania, has received approval from the Victorian state government.

Haiyan County of Zhejiang. (News Digest: China).
October 1, 2002... China has conducted a successful trial of the No.1 generating unit of its first commercial heavy water nuclear reactor in Haiyan County of Zhejiang province. It is expected the No.1 unit will begin power production and be incorporated in the...

Small coal. (News Digest: China).
October 1, 2002... China's government has ordered the closure of several small coal fired power plants totalling 1854 MW in generating capacity, as part of its ongoing efforts to revamp the electricity sector.

Zhejiang Provincial Power Company. (News Digest: China).
October 1, 2002... ABB has won a $g.8m contract from Zhejiang Provincial Power Company to install new electricity distribution centres in two southeastern Chins cities, Hangzhou and Ningbo. The contract is to install IT systems and software for two new control...

Dabhol Power Company. (News Digest: India).
October 1, 2002... The Industrial Development Bank of India, lenders to the Dabhol Power Company, have rejected the latest offer from General Electric and Bechtel, the promoters and engineering majors for the project, to complete and restart the 2184 MW plant.

Controversial dam project. (News Digest: Indonesia).
October 1, 2002... Nearly 4000 Indonesians filed an unprecedented lawsuit against Japan in a Tokyo court on September 5 seeking $1 65m in compensation for losses caused by a controversial dam project financed by Japanese aid. They are seeking V19.3bn ($165m) in...

CLP Power China. (News Digest: Singapore).
October 1, 2002... Hong Kong-based CLP Power China has taken a 70 per cent stake in a new joint venture that will supply electricity to southern China's Guangdong province. The joint venture, which is scheduled to start operations by 2004, is a major step forward...

VA Tech Transmission & Distribution. (News Digest: Sri Lanka).
October 1, 2002... VA Tech Transmission & Distribution succeeded in signing a contract with Ceylon Electricity Board for the delivery, erection, installation and commissioning of two substations which form a part of the Kukule Gangs hydroelectric power project in...

Duke cancels three power projects in the USA. (World News: Americas).
October 1, 2002... Duke Energy has suspended construction of three natural gas fuelled power projects in thc western USA that were due to enter commercial operation by 2003. The announcement is representative of a trend that has spread throughout the USA...

Enron executive pleads guilty to charges. (World News: Americas).
October 1, 2002... A former Enron executive has pleaded guilty for playing his part in money laundering. Michael Kopper pleaded guilty last month after being questioned under the US government's investigation into the Enron scandal. As part of a mercy plea,...

Brazil utilities seek state aid as debts mount. (World News: Americas).
October 1, 2002... The weakening of the real and the impact of the power rationing programme has left Brazilian utilities in poor financial shape and they are now pressuring the state for financial support. Distributors in particular are faced with severe...

LADWP revamps substations. (World News: Americas).
October 1, 2002... SchlumbergerSema has announced the signing of a contract worth $56m with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to provide consulting services and equipment to automate the utility's existing electrical substations. The...

Sequestration project venture. (World News: Americas).
October 1, 2002... Alstom is to help the US Department of Energy (DOE) develop and test new ways to capture and use carbon dioxide ([CO.sub.2]) emitted from coal fired power plants. Alstom will evaluate new ways of capturing [CO.sub.2] by firing coal in...

Ontario sets up trading system. (World News: Americas).
October 1, 2002... ABB has finished a $70m contract to develop and integrate the IT systems for the trading desk for Ontario's deregulated electricity marketplace. The Independent Electricity Market Operator (IMO) is the hub of the marketplace, connecting...

Petroleo Brasileiro. (News Digest: Brazil).
October 1, 2002... Petroleo Brasileiro (Petrobras) of Brazil has awarded service contracts totalling more than $340m to GE Power Systems, covering nine GE gas turbines in three Brazilian power plants. Each of the agreements spans 12 years.

Nova Piratininga. (News Digest: Brazil).
October 1, 2002... Alstom has been awarded a ten-year operation support and maintenance contract for the Nova Piratininga power plant, located on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The total contract, worth around $127m, was placed by Petrobras, the Brazilian...

Spanish energy company. (News Digest: Brazil).
October 1, 2002... Spanish energy company, Iberdrola, plans to build the biggest wind power generation park in Brazil costing about $175m. Iberdrola aides confirmed such plans and said the company was studying projects to generate more energy from wind in Latin...

B.C. Hydro. (News Digest: Canada).
October 1, 2002... A British Columbia lobby group has launched a lawsuit aimed at stopping the breakup and privatization of provincially-owned B.C. Hydro. The lawsuit was prompted by B.C. Hydro's plans to outsource some of its services to Accenture. The lobby...

Federal Electricity Commission. (News Digest: Mexico).
October 1, 2002... Mexico's state-owned electric utility, the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) said it is seeking bids to build a major hydroelectricity project in northwestern Nayarit state. The commission said it planned a 750 MW plant, which will include a...

GE Power Systems. (News Digest: USA).
October 1, 2002... The US Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation has awarded GE Power Systems a $3.8m contract for a generator refurbishment project at the Grand Coulee power plant in Washington State. GE Power Systems will supply two identical 125...

Magnolia Power Project. (News Digest: USA).
October 1, 2002... Kvaerner has been awarded the contract for construction of the planned Magnolia Power Project, a 250 MW natural gas fired, combined cycle power plant in Burbank, California. Work will be performed on site and from Kvaerner's San Ramon,...

ABB. (News Digest: USA).
October 1, 2002... ABB has completed the turnkey delivery of $10m static var compensator for PG&E, the gas and electric utility in northern and central California. The new installation will improve the stability and reliability of the 230 kV network in the San...

Aggreko halts slide. (World News: Companies).
October 1, 2002... The decision by UK power hire company Aggreko to reduce its exposure to the difficult North American market has been well received by a stock market which has been marking down the shares in the company over the last year. Half year...

Dormann replaces Centerman at ABB. (World News: Companies).
October 1, 2002... Debt-laden Swiss-Swedish engineering group ABB has replaced its president and CEO Jorgen Centerman with current chairman Jurgen Dormann. Referring to his predecessor's resignation, Dormann said Centerman had decided to go after he "found out...

CAP buys into emissions systems. (World News: Companies).
October 1, 2002... Two US companies engaged in emissions reduction technology have joined forces with the acquisition of HIS Emissions Reduction Systems (HIS) by Clean Air Partners (CAP). Since 1991, CAP has been developing technologies to allow diesel...

European market keeps Nordex on track. (World News: Companies).
October 1, 2002... Growth in the European market, lead by German sales, has kept wind turbine manufacturer Nordex on track to meet its financial forecast for operative growth of nearly 30 per cent for the fiscal year. In the first nine months Nordex posted a...

Emerson's Westinghouse adopts new name. (World News: Companies).
October 1, 2002... Emerson Process Management has announced that its Westinghouse Process Control business will in future be known as Emerson Process Management Power & Water Solutions. Although the Westinghouse name has long been associated with pioneering...

Wind venture plans 1500 MW. (World News: Companies).
October 1, 2002... Pennsylvania wind developer US WindForce has established a joint venture with Padoma Wind Power of La Jolla, CA to develop, finance, construct and sell as many as 1500 MW of wind energy projects in the mid-Atlantic region of the US. The...

Aquila withdraws. (News Digest).
October 1, 2002... US energy trader Aquila is to close its office in Germany at the end of October with the loss often jobs. No buyer has been found for the unit which last year traded 200 TWh of power. Aquila plans to withdraw from European markets and is also...

GE Wind milestone. (News Digest).
October 1, 2002... GE Wind Energy has installed the 1000th of the 1.5 MW wind turbines it manufactures in Germany, Spain and the US. Used in both on and offshore locations, the 1.5 MW turbine was the first megawatt-size turbine to become commercially available...

Kohler/Bowman agreement. (News Digest).
October 1, 2002... Wisconsin-based Kohler Generators has announced a supply and market development agreement with UK microturbine system specialists Bowman Power Systems. Kohler is to market the full range of Bowman combined heat and power systems in the US under...

Kvaerner weaker. (News Digest).
October 1, 2002... Weaknesses in its engineering and construction divisions led to Norway's Kvaerner group reporting lower than expected profits in the three months to June. Sales and order backlogs in the divisions continued to decline reflecting weak general...

Powerspan/OPG. (News Digest).
October 1, 2002... Ontario Power Generation has joined the ECO development Partner. Programme, which supports the development and deployment of Powerspan's multi-pollutant control technology for coal fired power plants called ECO or Electro-Catalytic Oxidation.

Reliant splits. (News Digest).
October 1, 2002... The board of Houston-based Reliant Energy has approved a plan to split the company into Reliant Resources and CenterPoint Energy. Reliant Resources will handle unregulated operations including power generation and energy trading, with...

Sulzer links. (News Digest).
October 1, 2002... Sulzer Hexis, developer and manufacturer of fuel cell systems for single-family homes, has signed a distribution agreement with the natural gas supplier Gasverbund Mittelland in which 30 systems will be made available for testing in Swiss...

Wood results. (News Digest).
October 1, 2002... "The Wood Group is capable of significant international growth," said chairman John Wood, while delivering interim results showing profits up 32 per cent. John Wood Group plc successfully completed its IPO in June 2002.

Preparing for change: the driving force behind South Africa's energy market is the state-owned power utility Eskom. Major changes to be implemented will see the power giant split into several units in the near future. (Report: South Africa).
October 1, 2002... South Africa's energy market is almost entirely supplied by its state-owned power utility, Eskom -- the world's fifth-largest electric utility, which produces around 95 per cent of the country's power generation. The 39 870 MW total capacity is...

Deep links. (Network Interconnection).
October 1, 2002... The Italy-Greece HVDC interconnection was commissioned in July this year. Not only does the link connect Greece to other EU countries for the first time, it also features the deepest submarine cable used anywhere in the world. In July...

Scaling up. (Industrial Power Projects).
October 1, 2002... Low electricity prices and rising natural gas prices mean that cogeneration schemes in Europe have fallen on hard times. However, power developer InterGen is showing that economies of scale can keep the industrial power dream alive. In...

The carbon question. (Emission Control).
October 1, 2002... Worldwide concern over greenhouse gas emissions is driving research into reducing emissions of carbon dioxide. Alstom is just one company working with the US Department of Energy (DOE) to find ways of capturing and sequestering carbon emissions...

The energy cocktail. (Hyprid Power Systems).
October 1, 2002... Renewable energies such as solar power are by nature intermittent energy sources. Other technologies can supplement solar energy systems, however, producing hybrid systems that combine the advantages of each technology. Solar technologies...

Looking for a new generation. (IT Focus).
October 1, 2002... With the collapse of Enron and fallout in the US energy industry, the efficacy of risk management systems has received much attention. To ovoid similar mishaps a new approach to implementing energy trading and risk management systems is needed....