Coal Fired

China gas turbine deal for Alstom

Wed, 30 May 2012 12:22:00 GMT

Alstom (Euronext: ALO) has won a deal to supply Harbin Turbine in China with a gas turbine to be used at a combined cycle plant owned by Shenzhen Nantian Electric Power Company.

Alstom will deliver its GT13E2 gas turbine and associated generator that will add to the existing GT13E2 gas turbine generator at the same site.

The plant is slated to be commissioned by 2013.

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Bosnia seeks partners for coal plants construction

Wed, 30 May 2012 12:08:00 GMT

Bosnia's top power utility Elektroprivreda BiH (EPBiH) is to invite bidders to participate in the construction of two new coal fired plant units.

The new plants will generate a combined capacity of 750 MW.

The construction cost for the 450 MW unit at the Tuzla plant and another 300 MW unit at Kakanj plant is estimated at $1.66bn.

The two coal fired power plants currently have a combined capacity of 1165 MW and output of around 6000 GWh a year.

Reuters reports that the new facility will help extend the unit's lifespan by another 15 years, increase output and reduce emission of harmful gases and put it in line with the European Union environmental standards.

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Tests completed on 330 MW cogen unit in China

Fri, 25 May 2012 10:53:00 GMT

Ningxia Electric Power Construction Corp has completed tests on the first combined heat and power unit at a cogeneration project in Ningdong, China.

The 330 MW unit is one of two at the plant which is operated by Ningxia Guodian Younglight Energy and Chemical Industry Group.

The project will supply electricity, steam, heat and secondary desalination to an industrial park and will replace 12 small coal fired boilers.

Construction of the plant began at the end of 2010 but the project didn’t receive final approval from the National Development and Reform Commission until March this year. Both units are expected to be operational by the end of this year.

Ningxia Electric is a subsidiary of Beijing-based Power Construction Corp of China.

Japan-Korea consortium to build $830m thermal plant in Vietnam

Fri, 25 May 2012 10:22:00 GMT

Japanese companies Toshiba and Sojitz and South Korea’s Daelim Industrial are to build a coal thermal power plant in Vietnam.

The consortium has won an $830m order for the Thai Binh 2 project in Thai Binh province on the north-east coast of the country.

The plant will have a capacity of 1200 MW and is owned by Petrovietnam, a subsidiary of the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group.

Toshiba and Sojitz will be responsible for the design, manufacturing and supply of steam turbines and generators, while Daelim will handle overall plant engineering and construction schedule control, as well as procurement of boilers and auxiliary equipment.

Delivery of the steam turbine and generators is expected to be completed by December 2014 and the first unit is due to start operation in 2015.

Rapid economic growth has seen Vietnam’s electric power demand increase at an annual average of 16 per cent, and this is expected to rise further this year.

Suzlon to supply turbines to South African wind project

Thu, 24 May 2012 10:31:00 GMT

Indian power company Suzlon has been chosen as the preferred bidder for a 138 MW wind project in South Africa.

The AmakhalaEmoyeni Phase 1 development is being built by Cennergi, a joint venture between South Africa's Exxaro Resources and Tata Power Company, India’s largest private power utility.

Suzlon will supply 66 of its S97-2.1 MW turbines under a full EPC deal, with construction due to start early next year.

Cennergi chief executive Thomas Garner said a key factor of Suzlon winning the bid was its “current standing in the energy sector in South Africa”.

Between February and April this year, Suzlon won contracts worth $387m in Europe.

Siemens announces first turbine order from Chile

Mon, 21 May 2012 10:03:00 GMT

Siemens has received its first wind turbine order from Chile, for a total capacity of 115 MW, at the El Array�n wind power project, 400 kilometers north of Santiago.

Partners involved in the project include Pattern Energy Group LP, Ashmore Energy International and Antofagasta Minerals SA.

The scope of supply encompasses delivery, installation and commissioning of 50 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 2.3 MW and a rotor diameter of 101 meters.

El Array�n will be the largest wind farm in Chile and provide clean power for up to 200000 households, reported the Wall Street Journal.

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German cogeneration plant to receive Dresser-Rand turbine

Fri, 18 May 2012 11:15:00 GMT

US industrial rotation equipment supplier, Dresser-Rand (NYSE: DRC), is to provide Max B�gl Group with an indirectly fired KG 2-3 G gas turbine for its new biomass cogeneration plant in Bavaria, Germany.

The heat from the plant will be used to produce five tons of saturated steam which, in turn, will be used to produce concrete for pre-fabricated components and for electricity conversion.

As part of the company’s objective of reducing emissions, chips made from untreated wood, which will come from local agriculture and foresting farms or short rotation forestry, will be used as a CO2-neutral fuel.

By producing 2 MW of energy using renewable sources, Max B�gl will receive compensation from the German Renewable Act which provides incentives and compensation to companies that produce energy using renewable sources.

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Drax nears end of five-year �100m turbine upgrade

Fri, 18 May 2012 09:42:00 GMT

Drax Power Station is poised to complete what it claims is the largest steam turbine modernisation programme in UK history.

The UK’s largest power plant – which produces 7 per cent of the Britain’s power and has a capacity of 4000 MW – is putting the finishing touches to replacing all six units at its site in Yorkshire, England.

The five-year project cost �100m and will see Drax (DRX:LSE) cut its carbon emissions by one million tonnes a year.

Siemens was awarded the contract to replace the low pressure and high pressure turbines and made the parts at its manufacturing centres in Newcastle and Muelheim an der Ruhrin Germany.

The turbines consist of 28 separate turbine rotors which weigh more than 2800 tonnes and have 80 000 individual turbine blades.

Drax production director Peter Emery said the company takes “our responsibility to cut carbon emissions seriously and this project marks a significant milestone in our efforts to do that”.

He explained that the decision to go ahead with the modernisation was taken because “it became clear to us that climate was becoming business critical. When we floated the company investors were not too interested in carbon emissions.”

He added that because of Drax’s high visibility in Yorkshire – it cover 1854 acres of land – “we can be seen for miles around so it’s important that we are viewed as an asset to the neighbourhood”.

Steve Austin, lead turbine engineer at Drax, said that Drax choose Siemens for the project because “we wanted someone with a credible record, someone who shared our vision and somebody who knew our turbines”.

Drax burns 10m tonnes a year of solid fuel. Of this, 1.3m tonnes was biomass last year, making Drax the largest single renewable generator in the UK.

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Apple announces solar powered future and ditches coal

Fri, 18 May 2012 09:18:00 GMT

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) says that all three of its server centres will be run by solar power alone in the very near future.

In addition the company says it intends to be coal-free by the end of 2012.

Solar manufacturers SunPower Corp and Bloom Energy are currently being engaged by Apple to build two solar array installations near its North Carolia Data Center.

Once up, the solar farm will supply 84m kWh of energy annually. The sites will employ high-efficiency solar cells and an advanced solar tracking system.

"I'm not aware of any other company producing energy onsite at this scale,” said Apple CFO, Peter Oppenheimer as reported in the Guardian.

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US gas prices set to double

Thu, 17 May 2012 16:23:00 GMT

Royal Dutch Shell says it expects gas prices in the US to double in the next three years.

Shell’s chief executive, Peter Voser, said gas demand in the US would rise “as coal is replaced by gas in electricity, and gas in transportation takes off.”

Currently “fracking”, has led to a boom in gas production in the US, creating a surplus that has depressed prices and put many operators under pressure.

However all that is set to change, with shale gas exploration, also showing “very encouraging flow rates” in China.

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Positive trading update for Drax

Wed, 16 May 2012 14:52:00 GMT

Coal power generators, Drax are reaping the benefits of lower costs in producing power, while sales are on the rise.

In its trading update, the Yorkshire, England-based company announced that wholesale prices it was paying for coal were falling while it was selling energy at higher rates.

Drax said it had delivered a good operating performance while it was on track to hit forecasts for the full year, reports City AM.

Yorkshire-based Drax said its order book was also strong with the group’s sales for 2012 hitting 25.3 terawatts (TWh) and 14 TWh and 3.7 TWh for 2013 and 2014.

Drax said it was moving towards greener technology to create power, in line with the government’s push towards renewable and biomass energy.

The company said in a statement: “Drax is ready to transform itself into a predominantly biomass fuelled generator, but to do so we need an appropriate level of regulatory support, and to that end we look forward to the timely conclusion of the Government’s current review.”

Drax has six generators creating 4000 MW of energy, making it the largest coal fired power station in the UK.

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Partnership begins Russian $159m hydro facility

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:38:00 GMT

RusHydro MICEX-RTS: HYDR in partnership with Alstom has started the construction of a $159m hydro power equipment manufacturing plant in the Russian Republic of Bashkortostan.

Energy Business Review reports that the two firms have set up a 51/49 joint venture (JV), JSC AlstomRusHydroEnergy.

A total of $14m will be used for construction works, purchase of equipment, recruitment and training of personnel.

The plant will manufacture main power generation equipment for small (up to 25MW), mid-sized hydro power plants (up to 100MW) and pump storage plants (up to 150MW), as well as auxiliary equipment.

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Rolls-Royce gas engines enter service at EDF plant

Tue, 15 May 2012 14:50:00 GMT

Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR.)have announced that two of the Group’s Trent 60 gas turbines have successfully entered service at the new EDF (Euronext: EDF) Luminus gas power plant located at Angleur in the city of Li�ge, Belgium.

The Trent 60 gas turbines, each capable of producing 64 MW of power, can achieve fast start-up in just nine minutes, helping EDF Luminus deliver continuity of electricity supply to households and businesses in Li�ge during peak demand periods.

Gr�goire Dallemagne, CEO of EDF Luminus said: “We selected Rolls-Royce power generation technology due to its proven high-power, fast start-up capabilities. In addition, the Rolls-Royce gas turbines deliver significant emissions performance benefits, helping EDF Luminus to ensure that Li�ge has stable access to cleaner and more efficient electricity supply.”

The Rolls-Royce Trent 60 units can operate on either liquid or gas fuel and each feature wet low emissions (WLE) and advanced inlet spray inter-cooling (ISI) technologies to reduce emissions and ensure that maximum power output is maintained over a wide range of temperatures.

The Angleur power plant was officially inaugurated by Melchior Wathelet, Belgium’s Secretary of State for Environment, Energy, Mobility and Institutional Reform.

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Renewables company breaks �6m barrier

Tue, 15 May 2012 10:48:00 GMT

Leading renewable energy company Eco Environments has seen its turnover grow to more than �6m ($9.6m) – compared to �1.3M last year.

The company, which has its head office in Liverpool, has also seen its headcount increase from 12 to 50 during the past 12 months.

A combination of high take up of solar panels by domestic customers and a number of significant commercial contract wins saw the company achieve turnover of �6.4million, exceeding its forecasted revenue expectations.

However, with the Government’s feed-in-tariff incentives being slashed again from July 1, Eco Environments’ plan moving forward is to put greater focus on the commercial side of its business and the wide range of renewable energy technologies offered by the company.

Mike Clarke, Eco Environments’ Managing Director, said: “Solar PV and feed-in-tariffs have dominated the news agenda for the last couple of years, but the focus going forward will be far more about energy efficiency in the face of ever rising energy costs.

“Eco Environments is not a provider of solar panels; it is a business which offers customers the full range of renewable energy solutions of which solar panels happens to be one.”

The company designs, installs and commissions technologies including solar PV, wind turbines, solar thermal, air source heat pumps and energy efficient lighting.

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Botswana to tender for coal power plants

Fri, 11 May 2012 09:57:00 GMT

African nation, Botswana, is to issue a tender for two 300 MW coal fired plants to be built, construction beginning this year.

One of the projects will be an expansion at the existing Morupule complex where Botswana's power utility BPC operates a coal-fired plant.

The independent power producers will be chosen to build and operate the plants and later sell the electricity to BPC.

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Three wind power projects completed in Poland

Thu, 10 May 2012 12:42:00 GMT

US-based Invenergy LLC, a renewable-power developer, has completed three wind farms using General Electric Co. turbines in Poland, in conjunction with local company Enerco.

The Wiekowice, Jezyce and Dobieslaw projects, about 300 miles northwest of Warsaw, have a total capacity of 80 MW.

Invenergy and Enerco also completed financing for four wind farms in northwest Poland that are scheduled to be finished next year. Those wind farms will total about 95 MW and use 38 GE 2.5-MW turbines, according to a statement.

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Alstom wins $84m Polish power plant contract

Thu, 10 May 2012 08:59:00 GMT

Alstom S.A. (ENX:ALO) has announced that it has signed a contract worth approximately €65m ($84m) with GDF Suez Energia Polska S.A. which owns and operates Poland's Polaniec power plant, for the modernization of six units at the plant.

With an 1800 MW installed capacity, the plant produces both conventional and renewable energy through the use of coal and biomass.

Industrial info reports that the plant has eight units, each with a generation capacity of 225 MW.

Alstom is currently retrofitting the steam turbine of Unit 8 as part of a biomass boiler conversion project. Under the terms of the agreement, Alstom is engineering, delivering and commissioning new high-pressure and intermediate-pressure steam turbines.

The contract also covers the modernization of the turbine's auxiliary systems and the assembly of the steam turbines, generator and exciter systems. When completed, the new turbine components will boost turbine cycle efficiency 3.4 per cent; improve the unit's availability and reliability; and extend the turbines' design lifetime by 30 years.

The contract also includes the option of retrofitting an additional unit (Unit 1) of the power plant. A decision about the modernization of Unit 1 will be made before 2014.

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Largest onshore wind farm in England and Wales gets green light

Wed, 09 May 2012 08:36:00 GMT

UK Energy Minister Charles Hendry has granted consent for a controversial 76-turbine wind farm located between Neath and Aberdare in Wales, paving the way for the biggest such facility in the UK.

Developer Vattenfall predicts the Pen y Cymoedd project will power the equivalent of up to 206,000 homes a year. The turbines will be up to 145 metres high and have a total capacity of 299 MW, reports the Western Mail.

According to the Department for Energy and Climate Change it will have “the highest generating capacity of any onshore wind farm in England and Wales”.

Vattenfall stated that it will cost �300m ($484m) to build the wind farm, creating or supporting around 300 jobs in Wales, and once a final investment decision has been taken construction could start next year with the first electricity generated in 2016.

Piers Guy, Vattenfall’s head of onshore wind development in the UK, said: “Pen y Cymoedd is a major project that could be worth more than �1bn to the UK economy. We have consistently stated our commitment to making sure that we maximise the value of Pen y Cymoedd to the region and to Wales. This is now our priority.”

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Siemens launches gas turbine technology centre in Saudi

Wed, 09 May 2012 08:24:00 GMT

Siemens has begun work on a manufacturing facility and training centre for gas turbines and compressors in Dammam, as part of a massive expansion of its activities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Planned for completion in late 2013, the centre will serve as a knowledge transfer hub for new Siemens technology as well as supporting the country’s industrialization drive.

The power equipment manufactured at the plant will be supplied to the local Saudi market, where energy requirements are strongly increasing.

Siemens and its local partner, E A Juffali & Brothers, will invest jointly a three-digit million US dollar figure in the facility, which will be constructed on a 220,000 sq m site in Dammam in the Kingdom’s Eastern Region. The manufacturing facility is the first of its kind for Siemens in the Middle East.

'With this new facility, Siemens is clearly strengthening its long-term commitment to Saudi Arabia. We will create qualified jobs and train young Saudis in order to achieve a true transfer of our innovative technologies,” said Michael Suess, CEO of the Energy Sector and member of the Managing Board of Siemens.

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World’s largest CCS plant opens in Norway

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:52:00 GMT

The world’s largest carbon capture and storage demonstration project was launched in Norway yesterday.

The $1bn facility at Mongstat was opened by Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, who called it “an important project for Norway and for the world”.

The centre will capture gases from two nearby sources – a 280 MW combined heat and power plant and a refinery used by Shell and other oil firms which has carbon emissions similar to those of a coal fired plant.

European Union Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger hailed the opening of the plant as “an important milestone in Europe's undertaking to develop CCS technologies”.

“It will provide a new momentum to the discussion of CCS use in Europe," he added.

Norway is the world's eighth-biggest exporter of oil and Western Europe’s biggest exporter of natural gas.

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