The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed to expand the reach of National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for stationary combustion turbines. Lifting a 15-year stay on NESHAP standards, the environmental watchdog is now working on a long overdue residual risk and technology review (RTR). New rules will impact lean pre-mix and diffusion flame gas combustion turbines.
Resurgent economic growth in many developing countries will push the market for steam turbines to over $32 billion by 2024. Analysts at Global Market Insights anticipate the <3 MW steam turbine market will grow over 2% annually, with demand driven by decentralized cogeneration and geothermal units.
MAN Energy Solutions is providing multiple MAN 18V48/60TS engines for two power plant projects, being built in stages in two remote districts in Bangladesh. Upon entering full operation, the two plants will feed a total of 170 MW into the national grid, helping to stabilize supply.
The Finish technology group Wärtsilä will supply an engine-based power plant, set to run primarily on regasified LNG, to a remote location in Nigeria. The plant will operated off-grid and was ordered by the BUA Group, following its decision to build a new cement line in Sokoto, northwest Nigeria.
Researchers at Texas University have been developing high-fidelity computational models that predict the onset of instabilities in hydrogen-burning engines, specifically the process of flashback, which can lead to catastrophic failure. Tests on flashback modelling were developped in conversations with Siemens and GE, and commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE).
State-owned Israel Electric has announced it will pay GE about 1 billion shekels ($280 million) to convert the Orot Rabin power station from coal to natural gas, which includes a 9HA.01 gas turbine retrofit. The same turbine was selected for another unit, and GE expects a contract by the end of 2019.
Engine+ Hybrid Energy, Wärtsilä's latest technology solution, pairs gas-fuelled engines with energy management systems and storage. It forms a fully integrated system that provides reliable power supply for operators and power producers of islanded grids. Payback periods can be as short as two years, the Finish manufacturer claims.
The U.S. private equity firm Starwood Energy Group has acquired the 309-MW combined cycle Garrison Energy Center in Delaware and the 503-MW RockGen Energy Center peaker facility in Wisconsin. Starwood Energy is part of Starwood Capital, funded by the American investor Barry Sternlicht.
Six partners – Ansaldo Thomassen, Delft University, OPRA Turbines, Vattenfall, Nouryon and EMMTEC – have been granted €500 million by the Dutch Government for research into ‘High Hydrogen Gas Turbine Retrofit to Eliminate Carbon Emissions’. The aim is to develop a CO2-free hydrogen value chain, in line with the EU Energy Roadmap 2050.
Lawmakers in the U.S. state of Colorado are debating a bill that proposes the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) should consider the ‘social cost of carbon emissions’ before issuing permits for new fossil power plants. The concept seeks to put a price on harms caused by emissions and, if enacted, the new carbon tax would be $46/ton of CO2 emitted, starting from 2020.
The Indian government may give way to utilities’ demands and allow power plants running on regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) to sell electricity into the higher-priced spot market, without having to adhere to their power purchase agreements. The proposed e-RLNG scheme will likely require fewer subsidies than in past years due to the fall in global oil prices.
Vietnam Electricity (EVN) has awarded GE’s energy consulting arm a contract to carry out a battery storage feasibility study, funded by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). State-owned EVN seeks to deploy energy storage throughout Vietnam to help meet an estimated 8% annual electricity load growth through 2035.
Chevron’s $33 billion takeover of Anadarko, one of the world’s largest independent oil companies, will boosts its lead in the Permian Shale, and grow its midstream and LNG export business. Chevron CEO, Michael Wirth commented: “The transaction underscores our commitment to short-cycle, higher-return investments.”
General Electric has installed its first DLN1.0+ Ultra Low NOx combustion upgrade globally at nine GE 9E gas turbines at five power stations in Shenzen Province, China. The upgrade reduces NOx emissions from about 25ppm to about 7.5ppm, in line with the Shenzhen government’s ‘Blue Sky’ campaign.
Working natural gas in storage in the Lower 48 United States ended the heating season on March 31 at 1,137 billion cubic feet (Bcf) – the lowest level since 2014. The 2018–19 heating season was characterized by periods of significantly colder-than-normal temperatures, particularly in the Upper Midwest, the EIA said in its latest Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report.
News in Brief
$500m Birdsboro plant gets powered up
April 17 – Birdsboro Power, a subsidiary of EmberClear of Canada, is in the process of commissioning the $500 million Birdsboro open-cycle gas power plant. Built on a site of the former Amourcast steel foundry, and driven by a GE 7H02 turbine, the new power unit will generate about $500,000 in revenue for the Reading Area Water Authority and another $125,000 city of Reading, Pennsylvania. All electricity will be supplied into PJM Interconnection, the power grid operator in the U.S. Northeast.
Gas now dominant fossil fuel in Europe
April 17 – Rising cost of carbon emissions and closures of coal power stations throughout Europe have led to gas-fired generation overtaking the output of other fossil fuels for the first time. According to EnAppSys figures, gas power plants in the EU produced 117 TWh of electricity in the first quarter of 2019, compared with a combined 110.9 TWh from coal, lignite and gas-to-coal plants.
ABB, Porsche co-develop electric vehicle chargers
April 16 – ABB and Porsche have agreed to develop electric vehicle chargers for Porsche Japan’s new electric vehicles, including Tayan – the carmakers’ first fully electric car due to be launched in 2020. Under the deal, Porsche will install ABB chargers at its public facilities across Japan, creating a network of fast-charging stations for its electric vehicles. The first installation is set to go live in mid-2020.
Power gen from biomass flatlines
April 15 – Increases of U.S. electricity generation from biomass have stopped after a decade of growth. Power produced from biomass totaled 70.6 million megawatthours (MWh) in 2018, or about 2% of total U.S. electricity generation, according to EIA figures. Having grown from 2004 through 2014, and the 2018 output was 2% below its peak generation of 71.7 million MWh.
Aeroderivative GT market to top $3.5bn by 2024
April 12 – The global market for aeroderivative gas turbines is seen grow at a 7% rate to surpass $3.5 billion by 2024. A main growth driver, according to Global Markets Insight, will be the rising adoption of small-scale turbine-driven cogeneration plant and the trend towards decentralized energy supply.
Lumenaza creates regional green power grids
April 11 – Utility-in-a-box software, developed by Lumenaza, creates a regional green power grid by connecting producers and consumers of locally produced wind and solar energy. The system monitors renewable power output, balances supply and demand, and can help organize the billing process. Pilot projects have been implemented with two of Germany’s big utilities, E.ON and EnBW as well as with various smaller players.
MHPS licenses H-25 turbine production to Chinese manufacturer
April 10 – Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) has agreed to license production technology for its H-25 series gas turbines to the Chinese manufacturer CSIC Longjiang GH Gas Turbine Co. The agreement will establish a small local supply chain which helps expands MHPS’ share in the Chinese market, the Japan-based company stated. So far, MHPS received five orders for H-25 Series gas turbines, or nine units in total, from Chinese power plant developers.
SIEW 2019 to focus on energy transformation
April 9 – “Accelerating Energy Transformation” will be the theme for the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) 2019. This theme has been chosen by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) of Singapore to address mounting challenges in Asia over meeting climate change commitments against a backdrop of continuously rising energy demand.
ENGIE launches 1st mini-grid in Zambia
April 8 – The French utility ENGIE has inaugurated its first PowerCorner – an off-grid renewable energy solution – in the Zambian village of Chitandika. Located in the East of Zambia, Chitandika counts 1500 inhabitants who previously had no access to electricity.
Global gas engine market to reach $4.4 billion by 2020
April 5 – Over the next five years, the global gas turbine market is forecast to grow 11.1% annually in terms of revenue, reaching a market size of $24,100 million by 2024, up from $14,300 million in 2019. Market-leading companies include: GE, Siemens, Ansaldo Energia, MAN Energy Solutions, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems and Shanghai Electric Group.
EDAC, Siemens seek ‘industrial app’ for 3D-printing
April 4 – Siemens is intensifying its cooperation with the EDAG Group, an independent engineering company for the automotive industry, to promote industrial applications of additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing. The companies’ joint "NextGenerationSpaceframe 2.0" project is on show at the Hannover Messe this week.
ABB electrifies Lodi campus of Milan University
April 3 – The Swiss manufacturer ABB will ensure smarter, safer and more reliable electricity supply for students at the Milan University’s new campus in Lodi. Covering an area of 20,000 square meters, the campus has installed ABB’s UniSec switchgear and main distribution switchboard solution, System pro E power.
Chevron launches $90m Fund VII
April 2 – Chevron Technology Ventures (CTV) has set up Fund VII, a new $90 million fund focused on venture capital investment across the energy industry. Investments target early- to mid-stage companies as well as limited partnership funds with the aim of supporting breakthrough technologies that have the potential to improve Chevron’s oil and gas business performance.
Siemens to implement VW Industrial Cloud
April 1 – The German carmaker Volkswagen has chosen Siemens as integration partner for the VW Industrial Cloud. Based on Siemens’ MindSphere system, the VW Industrial Cloud will link production systems, machinery and equipment of various manufacturers at the 122 Volkswagen manufacturing plants worldwide. The resulting data transparency and analysis is meant to enhance productivity at the sites.
Marubeni, 4R Energy to deploy large refurbished batteries
March 29 – Marubeni Corp and 4R Energy, along with SIGNET EV have achieved a Proof of Concept (PoC) using 4RE’slarge refurbished batteries for the development of the world’s first mass-productional EV charger in Namie-machi, Fukushima-Prefecture. The installation, with an output of more than 50kW, helps the community reduce electricity demand from the central power grid, which saves costs.
Regulators approve £300m Belfast power project
March 28 – Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure (DfI) has approved plans for a £300 million gas-fired power project in Belfast. The 480 MW power station, developed by Belfast Power Holdings, will be situated in the city's Harbour Estate and provide energy to about 500,000 homes and businesses.
Capstone wins two orders in Mexico
March 27 – California-based Capstone Turbine has secured orders for two C200 and two C65 microturbine systems to be installed in industrial combined heat and power (CHP) plant projects in Mexico. An energy drink manufacturer ordered C200 turbine-based gensets mainly to use their thermal energy to create steam for its manufacturing process. The two C65s turbines, meanwhile, will be installed at a produce packager where thermal energy will be used to create chilled water used for vegetable packaging.
