"General Electric’s LM6000 gas turbine has long been the sales champion of the GE aeroderivative fleet, but the LMS100 is now giving it a run for its money," independent consultant Mark Axford told Gas to Power Journal. The LMS100 beat the LM6000 in total orders for the first time in 2015. This included two installations on behalf of Exelon Medway in Massachusetts, five for Arizona Public Service, five for NRG Energy and four for LNG Canada in British Columbia.
Britain’s dominant energy supplier Centrica sees a “trend of less value being generated by centralized power,” meaning large combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) units, “so we have converted a number of these into more flexible open-cycle (OCGT) units,” says Merchant Power Director, Mark Futyan. In addition, Centrica is building 100-MW of decentralized capacity, based on Wartsila gas engines and 50-MW energy storage.
Attending a board meeting of Russia’s Military-Industrial Commission (MIC), Gazprom chairman Alexey Miller discussed ways of expanding the use of MIC’s scientific and technological capacities to develop technologies and equipment – including import-substituting ones – for the Russian gas industry. According Gazprom, "such cooperation should be focused primarily on state-of-the-art compressor equipment, hydrocarbon production in offshore environments, and natural gas liquefaction.”
Risk of power cuts in Britain seems unheard of for most electricity customers. But if coal power capacity comes off the grid more quickly than in 7 to 10 years’ time, subsidy-free renewables expand, and less interconnectors get built in the wake of Brexit – fast-ramping gas generator sets are best placed to fill the supply gap, Phil Grant partner at Baringa consultancy told industry stakeholders at the Finish embassy in London.
Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) has asked the Florida Public Service Commission for approval to shut down Johns River Power Park, a 1,270-MW coal power station, at the end of this year. Simultaneously, the utility filed for a permit to modernize its Dania Beach Clean Energy Center (1,200-MW gas-fired), with the upgrade planned to be carried out by mid-2022.
Expanding its offering for distributed power in the low-Megawatt range, Siemens has introduced its new gas engine E-series with a power output of 2MW. The series includes the SGE-86EM for the 50-Hz market, and the SGE-100EM for the 60-Hz market. With this offering, the German manufacturer targets customers in Europe and North America – both have a need for distributed power plants to support the grid-integration of rising volumes renewable energy.
The International Energy Agency’s Tracking Clean Energy Progress (TCEP) has examined the progress of a variety of clean energy technologies towards interim 2°C scenario targets in 2025. Just three out of a total of 26 tracked technologies were classified as “advancing towards a sustainable energy transition”: onshore wind and solar, electric vehicles, and energy storage.
General Electric has committed $100 million investment to set up a multi-use gas turbine repair and service plant in Nigeria, its local CEO Lazarus Angbazo said. With this move, the U.S. engineering major is responding to a fast rise in demand for flexible gas-fired generating capacity in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy in terms of GDP.
Gulf Power Service Company (AGPS) has awarded Italy’s Ansaldo Energia a service contract for the 2,000MW “Taweelah Initial B” and the “Taweelah IB Extension” unit, both situated some 70 kilometres from Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Marafiq, the world biggest integrated water and power plant (IWPP) with 2,745 MWe and 800,000 cbm/d desalinated water output, GE Energy and Jomel have carried out the shortest planned outage cycletime for gas turbine maintenance in Saudi Arabia. Works were done over a span of 18 days – well ahead of the planned 25 days.
For most days in 2017, the share of electricity generated from natural gas has been near or below previous five-year (2012–16) minimums in the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) region. Rising hydro and solar power output lowered the overall contribution of gas, but there are fresh concerns over a repeat in gas shortfalls this summer, with operating restrictions on SoCalGas's Aliso Canyon field still in place.
UK Power Reserve (UKPR) has been named ‘Mid-Market Team of the Year in the Midlands’ in the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association Management Team Awards 2017. Backed by Equistone and Inflexion, UKPR operates a portfolio of 823MW flexible electricity assets, including fast-ramp gas power stations and battery storage.
The 778 MW Stonewall Power Project, Panda Power Funds’ newest combined-cycle gas power plant in Leesburg, Virginia has started full commercial operation. ‘Stonewall’ is one of seven CCPPs, next to similar plants in Texas, Pennsylvania and Virginia with a combined capacity of 5.8 GW that were built on a turnkey basis by Siemens with its consortium partner Bechtel.
Tantalum, added composite molybdenum silicides helps boost material resilience of turbine blades, as tested by scientists at Kyoto University. Advanced compositions of molybdenum silicides improve the strength of blade materials at temperatures around 1,400 degrees Celsius (°C ). By contrast, nickel-based turbine blades, used in similar combustion systems, already melt at temperatures 200°C, or lower, and require significant air-cooling.
Projected Russian gas deliveries to China via the eastern route are “right on schedule”, Gazprom chairman Alexey Miller and his counterpart at CNPC Wang Yilin said after a working meeting in Beijing earlier this week. Gas exports from Russia’s Far East were also evaluated and Gazprom seeks to reach an agreement with CNPC on supply terms by late 2017.
News in Brief
German gas, coal-burn up in Q1
May 24 – Germany’s total primary energy consumption dropped 1.4% yoy in the first quarter of 2017. But despite lower demand for electricity, the use of natural gas for power generation increased by 1%, while use of hard coal and lignite were 2.6% and 0.4% higher respectively, according to figures by the energy industry think tank AG Energiebilanzen (AGEB).
Siemens wins 3D printing award
May 24 – An award in category "3D Printing application of the year" was given to Siemens for the worldwide first successful test of gas turbine blades manufactured with Additive Manufacturing. At the start of 2017, a multi-location Siemens team successfully tested the performance of the first gas turbine blade, produced through AM, under full-load conditions
Wolf Power, Myriad start CHP cooperation
May 23 – Wolf Group, a German supplier of combined heat and power systems, has entered a cooperation with Myriad Power Products, an equipment supplier based in Leicestershire, UK. Myriad can supply chip, pellet and gas heat only/ CHP systems from 10kW to 10MW; it is about to bid for public sector contracts in the UK and some other smaller clients.
Verisk acquires MAKE
May 23 – Verisk Analytics, part of Wood Mackenzie, has announced its latest acquisition of MAKE, an advisory that specializes in wind power. This latest acquisition follows WoodMac’s takeover of Greentech Media in July 2016.
OPEC’s net oil revenues on 12-year low
May 22 – Members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) net oil revenues have plunged to $433 billion in 2016, the lowest since 2004. In real dollar terms, the 2016 revenue represents a 15% decline from the $509 billion earned in 2015. The EIA projects that OPEC’s 2017 net oil export revenues will rise to about $539 billion dollars (nominal), based on a slight recovery in average crude oil prices, as well as higher OPEC output during the current year.
Burckhardt to help modernize MOL petchem plant in Hungary
May 19 – Burckhardt Compression has won an order to modernize MOL Petrochemicals’ third-party Hyper Compressor at its LDPE plant in Tiszaújváros, Hungary, that has been operating since 1991. Burckhardt Compression is well-known for its Hyper Compressors and the MOL Group already has positive experiences working with the Swiss manufacturer at another LDPE site. The project scope includes the Burckhardt Hypropack cartridge system, plungers and central valves for two second-stage cylinders.
Pumps, motor market to top $100bn by 2021
May 19 – Upgrades of ageing power infrastructure, a rise in renewable energy investment and a progressing urbanisation is driving the markets for pumps and motors to reach $100.66 billion by 2021, up from 71.01 billion last year. According to MarketsandMarkets, growth of notably the market for ‘permanent magnet synchronous motors’ is spurred by power plant modernization, as well as demand for energy-efficient motors and use of low-cost ferrite permanent magnets.
MHPS opens new Warsaw office
May 18 - Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) is opening a new office in Warsaw, to strengthen its relationships with local customers and bolster orders for advanced coal power generation systems and Air Quality Control Systems (AQCS). The new branch office centralizes MHPS' corporate and business development function for Poland in one single location.
Low utilisation of US oil peaking plants
May 18 – Monthly generation from petroleum-fired generators has totalled 1 million to 2 million MWh in recent years, according to EIA figures. Most of the 36.4GW installed oil-fired generators in the United States, either turbines or internal combustion engines, only supply peak-load electricity. Capacity factors for oil-fired steam turbines are about 10% and approach 20% only in the summer months. Capacity factors for oil-fired combustion turbines and internal combustion engines are lower, remaining well below 5%.
Wärtsilä wins 5-year O&M deal in Pakistan
May 17 – Helsinki-based technology group Wärtsilä has signed a 5-year full operations and maintenance (O&M) agreement with Pakistan’s Technomen Kinetics Private Ltd (TKL) for two of the latter’s gas-fired power plants. Wärtsilä’s installed base in Pakistan totals around 2.2 GW power generating capacity, with 600 MW of power output under service agreements.
MAN helps CNOOC tap offshore gas in South China Sea
May 17 – CNOOC China’s branch in Zhanjiang, a city in south-western Guangdong province, has commissioned MAN Diesel & Turbo to supply six compressor trains for the Dongfang 13-2 gas field development project. Manufactured by in Switzerland by MAN, the compressor trains will be used for gas reinjection at new platforms in the Dongfang field, located in the Yinggehai Basin of the South China Sea.
New man at the helm of COGEN Europe
May 16 – COGEN Europe has appointed Hans Korteweg as new managing director. His leadership starts at a time of ongoing debate about the EU’s Clean Energy Package, aimed at ensuring a safe and cost-effective energy transition.
Wärtsilä snaps up Greensmith
May 16 – Wärtsila has agreed to buy Greensmith Energy Management System, an US energy storage technology provider, for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition of Greensmith is still subject to US regulatory approvals; it will allow Wärtsilä to expand its latest focus on energy storage. The Finish turbine manufacturer stated it expects the takeover to take legal effect no later than July 2017.
Dresser-Rand supplies compressor trains for Thai pipeline
May 15 – Dresser-Rand, part of Siemens Power and Gas, will supply three SGT-400 gas turbine-driven turbocompressor trains for Thailand’s Wang Noi compressor station, located 70 kilometers from Bangkok. The station is currently being built by Samsung Engineering; it is owned by PTT Public Company, Thailand’s state oil & gas company. The compressor station project is expected to be completed in 2018; it will enhance the capacity of the Ratchaburi - Wang Noi pipeline to meet the increasing natural gas demands of nearby power plants.
Turbocompressor markets grows 6.5% per year
May 12 –Global turbocompressor market is seen expand at a rate of 6.5% per year to reach $18,424 million by 2022, up from $11,703 million in 2015.Turbocompressors are highly used in dirty and corrosive applications such as petrochemical plants, refineries, natural gas processing, coal gasification & power stations due to their longer life, low maintenance, and continuous service. According to Allied Market Research, the oil & gas sector is currently dominating end-user demand for turbocompressors.
Energy storage market to hit $16bn by 2020
May 11 – Advanced energy storage systems market is estimated to be worth $15.96 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 4.4% during the forecast period, according to MarketsandMarket estimates. Technologies included pumped hydro energy storage as well as battery power storage. The dominant manufacturers – such as Toshiba, ABB, Siemens, Voith, Alstom and Dominion Energy – are trying to penetrate developing economies to grab a bigger market share.
Sulzer supplies safety pumps for Finnish CHP
May 10 – Swiss engineering firm Sulzer has been awarded an order from Técnicas Reunidas of Spain to supply 12 feedwater pumps and 11 AHLSTAR pumps for the Kilpilahti combined heat and power plant (CHP) in Porvoo, Finland. The CHP is jointly owned by Neste, Veolia, and Borealis. Técnicas Reunidas is acting as the EPC contractor on the Kilpilahti CHP project, which will see the installation of three steam generators with a capacity of 300MW electric and 450MW thermal. Sulzer stated it will deliver the pumps by early summer 2017.
