Power Engineering International articles from October 2003

Power Engineering International archives from October 2003

A tale of two cities.(Up Front)
October 1, 2003... Were I Charles Dickens, perhaps I might write: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." But Charles Dickens I am not. The time is 2003 not 1775; and the places I speak of are Brazil and France, not France and England as...

Journey into the unknown.(Analysis)
October 1, 2003... GE celebrated a "new era" for the power industry in September as its new H System reached commercial operation at Baglan Bay. But these are difficult times in which to bring new technology to market, writes Sian Green. [ILLUSTRATION...

Iraq needs $20bn for power.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Iraq's interim electricity minister, Ayham al-Samaraie, has said that $20bn will be required to raise installed capacity to the required 20 000 MW in the next five years. He plans to visit Washington to lobby for funding and will attend the...

Wind power for central Europe.(World News)(Czech Venti)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Wind farm projects in the Czech Republic and Poland have been announced, adding to the interest being shown in wind power projects in central Europe and in particular, in countries joining the EU. Cannon Power is to invest $300m in Poland...

Framatome ANP to upgrade I & C.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Slovenske Elekrarne, Slovakia's state-owned utility, has placed an order with Framatome ANP worth [euro]25m for new digital safety instrumentation and control systems in two units of Bohunice nuclear power plant, which meets 25 per cent of...

Siemens secures Kazakh order.(World News)( Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Company (Kegoc))(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Siemens' Power Automation division has secured its largest order after the state-owned Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Company (Kegoc) signed a contract worth [euro]50m for substation digital control and protection equipment. Kegoc is...

Russian region seeks power privatization reversal.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The governor of the region of Khakassia in southern Siberia has filed a lawsuit aimed at overturning the privatization of the country's largest hydropower station. The authorities want to wrestle back the 30 per cent of the station's shares...

Investors line up for Saudi projects.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Over 30 companies have expressed an interest in new water and electricity projects worth $8bn in Saudi Arabia. The Ministry of Water and Electricity has invited tenders for Phase III of the Shuabi power and water plant, two desalination plants...

Iceland.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Iceland: A joint-venture between Icelandic and European companies has appointed Mott MacDonald as lead consultant on the construction of a 190 m high concrete rock fill dam and 60 km of tunnel in eastern Iceland--part of the $1.3bn, 690 MW...

Jordan.(News Digest)(US Trade and Development Agency and the Jordanian Ministry of Planning to look at Delenova Energy acquiring power plants)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Jordan: The US Trade and Development Agency is to partially fund a feasibility study with the Jordanian Ministry of Planning for US-based Delenova Energy to acquire and expand two wind power plants in the northern part of the Kingdom.

Poland.(News Digest)(Poland's G-8 electricity distribution companies )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Poland: E.ON and Electrabel have decided to withdraw their joint bid for Poland's G-8 electricity distribution companies after concluding that new terms offered under the tender were not beneficial to the parties involved. The treasury is...

Russia.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Russia: Russia is to sign a protocol agreement with Iran under which all spent fuel from the Bushehr nuclear power plant will be returned to Russia for reprocessing. Moscow has made the supply of nuclear fuel conditional on Iran returning spent...

Russia.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Russia: Russia has announced that its Beloyarsk-3 fast reactor has burned its first 10 kg of mixed oxide fuel manufactured from weapons-grade plutonium in an operation enabling the re-use of otherwise obsolete remnants from the Cold War.

Russia.(News Digest)(Energy policy of Russia)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Russia: A Prime Ministerial decree has been signed to create ten Federal Generation Companies in line with the Russian government's reform timetable. The decree envisages the creation of six thermal and four hydro companies.

Saudi Arabia.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Saudi Arabia: Black & Veatch has been selected by National Contracting Company to provide engineering services and project management for Saudi Electricity Company's Power Plant 3 expansion project in Jeddah. The upgrade will include eight GE...

Serbia-Montenagro.(News Digest)(Eletroprivedra Srbije)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Serbia-Montenagro: Bulgaria's National Electricity Company (NEC) and UK company EFT have won the tender for separate power supplies to Serbia-Montenagro. The local electricity company, Eletroprivedra Srbije, will buy 125 GWh from the two firms...

UAE.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... UAE: ABB has won two contracts worth $59m to upgrade and expand Abu Dhabi's transmission and distribution system. The order from the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (Adwea) includes five distribution substations and 386 medium voltage...

MHI wins Spanish contract.(World News )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... US power group AES Corp has awarded Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) a contract to construct a combined cycle power plant in southeast Spain. MHI also signed a long term service agreement (LTSA) with AES for the plant's gas turbines. MHI...

Arklow Bank wind project takes shape.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Airtricity and GE Wind Energy have announced that they have started construction on Arklow Bank, Ireland's first offshore wind park. The project is expected to be completed by the end of October 2003 and is the first to feature GE's new 3.6 MW...

Norway rejects power cable plan.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has rejected a request by Statnett to build a 1200 MW power cable to the UK. The project was turned down on the grounds that the socio-economic benefits of the project were too uncertain. ...

UK power cuts investigated.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The UK government and the energy regulator have launched separate investigations into two major blackouts that occurred in the country. Both the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) and Ofgem will commission engineering consultants to...

Wales gets advanced solar power technology.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Shell Solar has announced that it is to supply 2400 CIS thin film photovoltaic modules to a major construction project in north Wales, UK. The order is the largest yet for this type of next-generation technology which took the company more than...

Europe.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Europe: New research by Datamonitor shows that over 7m energy customers in six countries across Europe could switch to green energy by 2008 if offered the right incentives. Most utilities believe that the green market is too small to dedicate...

France.(News Digest)(Energos ASA)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... France: Onyx, the waste management division of Veolia Environment, and Energos ASA, a Norwegian environmental company, have signed a cooperation agreement to develop waste to energy projects in France and the UK.

Germany.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Germany: Alstom has been awarded a boiler conversion contract from Kraftwerk Schkopau GbR for the Schkopau power plant near Leipzig, Germany. The firing systems of the two brown coal fired units, with an output of 450 MW each, will be adapted...

Norway.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Norway: Agder Energi Tjenester AS Kristiansand has awarded VA Tech Hydro a contract to renovate a Francis turbine at the Brokke power plant on the Otra river, 300 km west of Oslo. VA Tech will supply a new 77 MW Francis runner, new labyrinth...

Spain.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Spain: Iberdrola Generacion has awarded GE Power Systems contracts to provide combined cycle systems for two power projects in Spain that will add 1600 MW to the grid. The two projects--CCC Arcos de la Frontera Grupo III and Escombreras--will...

Spain.(News Digest)(AIE Centrales Nucleares Almaraz-Trillo)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Spain: Westinghouse Electric Company is to supply AIE Centrales Nucleares Almaraz-Trillo with turbine and reactor control systems for the Almaraz nuclear units 1 and 2 in Spain. The control systems will be based on Ovation digital technology...

Sweden.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Sweden: GE Hydro has received a contract from Vattenfall AB to refurbish equipment at the Stalon hydropower plant in Angermanalven. Provision of a new Francis runner, new turbine bearing, high pressure governor system and self-lubricating...

UK.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... UK: A number of banks that lent money to UK power stations during the 1990s are planning to form a new generating company containing some of the country's most financially distressed power stations. Some 8000-12 000 MW of capacity could be...

Genting bids for Loy Yang.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Malaysian casino operator and power group Genting Bhd has made a bid for the Loy Yang power station in Australia. The move follows a decision by Australia's competition watchdog to block a bid for the plant made by the Australian Gas Light Co....

China strikes deal for CCGT plant.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Pacific Oil & Gas Ltd. has signed an agreement with the government of Xiamen, in Fujian, China, to build, own and operate a natural gas fired combined cycle gas turbine power plant. The agreement is the first in a series of major power...

India looks to wind power.(World News)(Vestas RRB)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Vestas RRB, a joint venture between Denmark's Vestas Group and RRB of India, is planning to invest up to $12m over the next two years in setting up wind farms and wind turbine manufacturing facilities in India. The company believes that up to...

Philippines to sell Napocor assets.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has given the go-ahead for the immediate sale of National Power Corp.'s (Napocor's) generating assets to cut the government's budget deficit and avert looming electricity shortages. Arroyo is...

Bangladesh should unbundle, says WB.(World News)(World Bank )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... A new study by the World Bank has recommended that Bangladesh unbundles power transmission from generation and distribution to encourage investment. The government should end its monopoly in the sector and introduce competition, says the...

I & C contract.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Emerson Process Management has won a $10m contract from Shaanxi HanCheng Second Power Co. Ltd. to install instrumentation and control systems for the first 600 MW power plant in Shaanxi Province. The plant is being built to help meet the...

China.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... China: US Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham and the Chairman of the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) have affirmed their commitment to non-proliferation of nuclear technology. The understandings establish a process for determining what...

Indonesia.(News Digest)(Indonesia Power)
October 1, 2003... Indonesia: Alstom has signed a contract to expand and extend a long term service agreement (LTSA) with Indonesia Power. The new contracts extends the scope of an existing LTSA covering the GT13E1-based Tanjung Priok power plant and now also...

Indonesia.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Indonesia: Marubeni Corp. has received an order from Indonesia to build two substations and expand one within Jakarta. The company will provide gas insulated switchgear as well as construction services and installation work.

Laos.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Laos: Companies from Norway and Japan have expressed an interest in taking over Electricite de France's share in the $1.2bn Nam Theun 2 hydropower plant in Laos. EDF pulled out of the project in August just before the power purchase agreement...

Nepal.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Nepal: VA Tech Hydro has won a contract to supply equipment to the Middle Marsyangdi hydropower plant located in the Marsyangdi river valley, some 170 km west of Kathmandu. The [euro]13m contract was awarded by the Nepal Electricity Authority...

Philippines.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Philippines: The National Transmission Corp. has outlined P8.3bn ($150m) of projects that are to be carried out between 2005 and 2008 and which are crucial to strengthening the power grid in Luzon. The projects include strengthening Luzon's 500...

Thailand.(News Digest)(National Economic and Social Advisory Council )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Thailand: The National Economic and Social Advisory Council has opposed a government plan to privatize the national power grid and hydroelectric power plants. It is concerned that consumers would suffer if electricity prices were driven by...

Vietnam.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Vietnam: The Phu My 3 power plant in southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, Vietnam, has started its first gas turbine unit, according to local reports. The $412m plant is being built on a build-operate-transfer basis and is expected to supply...

New York strengthens grid.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... In response to an application, and following the massive power failure on August 14, US Department of Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham has approved the continued operation of an underwater cable linking Connecticut to Long Island, which will...

Power Machines wins Brazilian hydro order.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Russia's Power Machines Group is to design, supply and supervise the installation of two turbines and generators as part of an international consortium which is constructing, on a turnkey basis, the Corumba 3 hydropower plant in the Brazilian...

AES agrees debt deal with BNDES for Eletropaulo.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The AES Corporation has entered into an agreement with Brazil's BNDES development bank to restructure loans owed to BNDES by several of its Brazilian subsidiaries, including the country's distribution giant, Eletropaulo. The soaring cost of...

Fenosa sells to Dominican Republic.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Spain's Union Fenosa has sold back to the government of the Dominican Republic its 50 per cent stakes in two of the country's power distribution companies, taking a loss of [euro]160m ($180m) in the process. Union Fenosa said it was selling its...

Biggest battery supports Alaska.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Alaskan electricity co-operative, Golden Valley Electric Association, has begun commercial operation of the world's largest battery energy storage system (BESS), which it hopes will reduce power blackouts by more than 60 per cent. A...

Brazilian biomass.(World News)(Companhia Energetica Santa Elisa )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... A major new biomass power plant in Sertaozinho, Brazil, owned by Companhia Energetica Santa Elisa (CESE) has begun production using bagasse (crushed sugar cane) as fuel. The 60 MW facility is one of the highest steam pressure biomass plants in...

Brazil.(News Digest)(Fortaleza power plant )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Brazil: Alstom has won a contract worth [euro]40m ($45m) to provide operation support and maintenance for the Fortaleza power plant in Brazil. The 311 MW Endesa-owned plant is scheduled to start commercial operation in December 2003.

Brazil.(News Digest)(Investment plans of Montecristi Financial Assets in gas power plants of Voigt Energy Corporation)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Brazil: Dominican Republic-based investment firm Montecristi Financial Assets plans to invest over $1bn in four gas fired power generation projects in northeast Brazil. The total installed capacity of the projects, which are being planned by...

Canada.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Canada: The preliminary evaluation of a waste-to energy system capable of converting wood residue into BioOil carried out by DynaMotive Energy Systems. Bruks Klockner and UMA Engineering in British Columbia, claims a conversion cost of under 60...

Canada.(News Digest)(GE Aero Energy)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Canada: GE Aero Energy has been awarded a contract to upgrade gas turbines at Northland Power Income Fund's cogeneration plant in Iroquois Falls, Canada. This will be the first example of a conversion of an LM6000 PA to PD and will increase...

Haiti.(News Digest)(Acervin company)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Haiti: Haiti's president has inaugurated a power plant installation that will add 30 MW to the power-difficient metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince. The government has rented the diesel fueled generators for two years from Acervin company.

Mexico.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Mexico: Madrid-based Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios has signed a $34.8m contract with Mexico's state power company CFE to build a 319 km, 400kV transmission line plus three substations and two feeders in Quintana Roo and Yucatan states.

USA.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... USA: A division of SNC-Lavalin is to build a thermal power plant in New Mexico for Farmington Electric Utility Systems having signed a deal worth $48m. The SNC-Lavalin Constructors Inc. subsidiary is based in Redmond, Washington.

USA.(News Digest)(MidAmerican Energy Co. constructing a power plant)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... USA: Work has started on a new 790 MW coal fired power plant, majority-owned by MidAmerican Energy Co., and located in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The plant is expected to cost $1.2bn and should be ready to produce power in 2007.

USA.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... USA: GE Wind Energy is to supply two 1.5 MW wind turbines to Coram Energy for a wind farm in Tehachapi, California. Power is to be sold to Southern California Edison and construction is set to be complete by December 2003.

Venezuela.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Venezuela: Venezuelan state-owned generator Cadafe has awarded Siemens-Westinghouse a contract to supply and install two turbines for the first stage of the 450 MW combined cycle Pedro Camejo project in Carabobo state.

Alstom faces uncertain future after Monti decision.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Alstom suspended trading in its shares and convened a board meeting in mid-September after the European Commission announced that it would block a refinancing plan that would have secured the company's future. As PEi went to press, the company...

FPL buys AmerGen stake.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... FPL Group has agreed to buy British Energy's 50 per cent stake in AmerGen Energy Co., which owns and operates nuclear power plants in the USA. The deal brings British Energy a step closer to meeting the requirements of a government-backed...

Aquila sells Canadian units.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... US utility Aquila Inc. is to sell its Canadian retail assets to Fortis Inc. for $990m in a bid to cut debt. The move marks an end to the company's 16-year presence in the Canadian power market. Fortis is to buy Aquila's rural electricity...

Clean Air name change.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Clean Air Partners has changed its name to Clean Air Power to reflect its core focus--the delivery of clean power technology for the power generation and related markets. The company recently raised $30m of financing, brought in a new...

Wartsila shifts core focus.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Finnish engine manufacturer Wartsila has announced that it is to concentrate on its marine and service divisions, and will adapt its power plant business to reflect current market conditions. The decision is a result of a business analysis...

ABB bond.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... ABB bond: Engineering group ABB has launched a $1.2bn convertible bond, the proceeds of which will be used to refinance a $750m bank credit facility. The issue is a sign that the company is making its way back to financial health.

Capstone interrupts.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Capstone interrupts: Capstone Turbine Corporation has temporarily interrupted production of certain products after it identified quality issues in some components. It does not expect backlog or new orders to be affected, although third quarter...

Duke settles.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Duke settles: Duke Energy Corp. has agreed to pay $28m to settle charges that it attempted to manipulate energy markets by giving fake prices to publishers of natural gas prices. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission in the US found that...

EXAA sign-up.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... EXAA sign-up: Three companies signed up to trade on Austria's EXAA power exchange in September, taking the total number of participants to 25. Energy Financing Team Ltd. of the UK, Slovenia's Slovenske Elektrarne and Union Fenosa of Spain are...

International Power reports.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... International Power reports: International Power has reported a profit before interest and tax of [pounds sterling]138m ($223m) for the first half of the year. Challenging market conditions in the US and the UK were countered by a robust...

ML execs charged.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... ML execs charged: Three former Merrill Lynch & Co. executives have been charged in the US federal court with fraud in connection with an Enron deal for power plant barges in Nigeria. The three were charged with falsifying records and conspiracy...

PG & E rename.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... PG & E rename: PG & E Corp is planning to change the name of its bankrupt wholesale energy unit, National Energy Group, to National Energy & Gas Transmission Inc. The move reflects the unit's pending separation from its parent company.

RWE-MTU get go-ahead.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... RWE-MTU get go-ahead: The European Commission has approved a proposed joint venture between RWE and DaimlerChrysler's MTU to develop, produce and sell fuel cells. MTU will bring its products and technology to the venture while RWE will provide...

Tyco buys.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Tyco buys: US company Tyco has purchased the fireproof power cable operation of a private Chinese firm for $10m. The Jiuli Group, based in east China's Zhejiang Province, is China's largest producer of fireproof power cables. Tyco hopes to...

A new power model: it is well known that Brazil's power market is about to undergo reform, but the real talking point is exactly how the needed changes will be achieved.(Brazilian Power Sector)(Cover Story)
October 1, 2003... Brazil's Mines and Energy Minister Dilma Rousseff unveiled a proposal aimed at eliminating risks of future blackouts and attracting fresh investments to the country's electricity sector. The government plans to split power markets between small...

Would love to meet ...(Utility Strategy)
October 1, 2003... The role played by customer loyalty in utilities' profits means that customer service is gaining in importance. But can utilities turn themselves into the perfect, long-term partner? ********** Gaining customers used to be the focal...

Mini hydro is big in Brazil.(Renewable Energy Review)
October 1, 2003... Small-scale hydropower schemes have numerous advantages over large-scale projects, including economic, social and environmental benefits. Alstom has developed equipment tailored to this market, which is growing in Latin America. **********...

Benchmarking: a fair comparison.(Renewable Energy Review)
October 1, 2003... Benchmarking is a tried and tested methodology used to define competitive position and to pinpoint improvement potential. It is increasingly used in the utilities industry, and when applied to hydropower plants, presents a number of...

A test for a nation.(Network Control)(East China Electric Power Group Corporation)
October 1, 2003... The electricity supply industry of eastern China is restructuring in a test case ahead of restructuring across the whole country. The region is therefore implementing IT systems that will control the power grid and allow wholesale trading to...

Early warning system.(Operation and Maintenance)
October 1, 2003... New technology can provide an early warning of abnormal equipment performance in power plants. Such technology can help reduce derates and forced shutdowns by enabling plant personnel to fix small problems before they become large problems ...

Coming of age?(Fuel Cell Technology)
October 1, 2003... Fuel cell technology is inching ever closer to commercialization in the electric power industry, with frequent annoucements from developers regarding new breakthroughs, projects and products. But a number of key obstacles remain to the...

Diary dates.(Calendar)
October 1, 2003... OCTOBER Power-Gen Middle East, 13th-15th October 2003, Abu Dhabi International Exhibitions Centre, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E Details from: Yaser Mansour, Event Manager, PennWell Corporation, PennWell House, Horseshoe Hill, Upshire, Essex,...

A primary supplier of combustion systems to power plants and cogeneration facilities on six continents.(International Boiler Profile)
October 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Founded more than 100 years ago, Detroit Stoker Company is a leading supplier of stokers and related combustion equipment for the production of steam used in heating, industrial processing and electric power...

Balcke-Durr--a strong, competent and reliable partner for all aspects of power plant boilers.(International Boiler Profile)
October 1, 2003... The origins of the boiler technology supplied by Balcke-Durr GmbH, with main locations in the German cities of Oberhausen and Ratingen, extend back to the year 1883 when the Durr Kesselwerke was established. ********** Durr boiler...