GE Power has completed the first upgrade worldwide of a turbine with ALSPA P320 V1 controls – technology originally developed by Alstom – to GE’s new Mark VIe system. The pilot project was carried out at ENGIE’s 770-MW Baymina combined-cycle gas power plant near Ankara.
The latest U.S. Government Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) anticipates natural gas production will grow much less in 2020 because of the lag between changes in price and changes in future drilling activity. Low prices in Q3-2019 is likely to reduce gas-directed drilling in the first half of next year, with 2020 output seen average 95.1 billion cubic feet per da (Bcf/d).
Germany’s structural shift towards e-mobility has been largely driven by governmental regulation and less by market forces, Deutsche Bank criticized. Without subsidies, e-cars are “still a niche”, analysts said, noting the technology is “a very expensive way of avoiding carbon emissions.”
Gas-fuelled, cryogenic barges – designed by the Canadian naval architect Robert Allen and Hidrovias do Brazil – will be used to transport LNG to remote locations in northern Brazil. The first project benefiting from the solution will be the 1.67 GW Vila-do-Conde gas-fired power plant in Baracena, in Brasil's northern state of Pará.
RUE Vitebskenerg, a Belarusian state utility, has contracted Siemens to deliver the power generation equipment for two new peaking power stations. The new open-cycle gas turbine (OCGT) plants will be dispatched in connection with the existing Lukomlskaya and Novopolotskaya power plants in northern Belaurs and are due operational by the end of 2021.
Efforts to develop Vaca Muerta, Argentina’s vast shale reserves in northern Patagonia, have slowed as national energy companies await direction from the incoming President. Alberto Fernández, who will take office on December 10, has yet to decide whether to keep focused on pushing up domestic oil and gas production and LNG exports.
Highview Power is about to switch on the world’s first cryogenic, or liquid air, energy storage at a decommissioned thermal power station in the north of England. Provided developers can secure a stable, contracted return, the 50 MW/250 MWh CRYOBattery will start operation by 2022.
Prices for Australian thermal coal remain on a downward trajectory amid oversupplied global markets and tepid demand – not least due to Europe’s rapidly falling coal-fired power production. In Asian markets, lower coal imports from South Korea and Taiwan adds further to the supply overhang, Morgan Stanley Research finds.
Three days ahead of the UK General Election on December 12, the Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has pledged the Labour Party would kick-start the process of re-nationalizing Britain’s power and water companies within the first 100 days upon assuming office. Several UK utilities have already moved part of their ownership offshore to protect their assets.
Göteborg Energi and Siemens will jointly test new turbines that enables the use of renewables fuels at the Rya combined heat and power (CHP) plant, which is currently powered by natural gas. As a first step, an SGT-800 test turbine was installed at the plant to validate 3D-printed burners that can run on various fossil-free fuels.
Temperatures fell below freezing in 75 percent of the United States during a record cold-snap in early November, propelling up prices for both natural gas and electricity. In northeast Pennsylvania, gas prices at the Tetco M3 hub in surged from less than $2.00/MMBtu to $5.11/MMBtu while prices at Chicago Citygate hub in the MISO market zone reached $3.00/MMBtu.
Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) has completed a shipment of J-Series Air Cooled (JAC) gas turbines to Thailand where they will be used in two combined-cycle gas power stations on the outskirts of Bangkok. The two CCGTs, with a combined output of 5,300 MW, are being developed by Thailand’s largest IPP Gulf Energy Development and Mitsui & Co.
Electricity prices have fallen in the course of Germany's Energiewende while taxes and levies increased substantially. Cheap renewable electricity floods the market, benefiting mainly large and energy-intensive industrial companies because many can source their electricity at wholesale prices.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) is urging national governments to impose more stringent policies to raise energy efficiency. The rate of improvement slowed for the third year in a row, leaving it well below the 3% minimum that the IEA deems vital to global energy and climate goals.
MAN Energy Solutions and Orcan Energy agreed to collaborate on waste heat recovery. PACK technology, developed by Oran, uses waste heat from the engine to increase efficiency and reduce emissions. The solution is now available to all of MAN’s customers for retrofitting their engines.
News in Brief
Norway’s oil fund starts investing in renewables
Dec 11 – The Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), traditionally heavily exposed to the oil and gas industry, has been permitted to shift its strategy. Acknowledging heavy losses of the world’s largest pension fund, worth an estimated $1 trillion, the government in Oslo has allowed GPFG fund managers to also invest in unlisted infrastructure, notably renewable energy sources and alternative fuels, including hydrogen.
ENGIE invests in wind energy in Italy and France
Dec 10 – France’s largest energy company ENGIE has completed the acquisition of Renvico from Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets and KRR. The move contributes to utility’s ambition of boosting its renewable energy assets to 3 GW in Europe and 9 GW worldwide by 2021. The Renvico takeover comprises 329 MW of operating wind farms of which 142 MW in Italy and 187 MW in France. It also includes a 300 MW greenfield portfolio of various fossil power assets.
Dominion issues Scammer Alert
Dec 9 – Dominion Energy Ohio has reminded customers they will begin receiving the next U.S tax credits automatically, beginning in April 2020, in their monthly bills. Customers were warned not to provide banking details to scammers who claim such data is required to receive the federal tax credits.
BOL finances entire 220 MW plant in Nassau
Dec 6 – Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) has agreed to cover the entire costs to build a 220 MW power plant at the Clifton Pier site in Nassau, and transfer the assets to Shell North America. BPL and Shell had agreed to jointly develop a 220 MW power plant plus LNG regas terminal, but the Bahamas state utility later signed a $95 million contract with Wärtsilä to install a 132 MW engine-driven power plant at the same site.
Kepco to operate CCGT in Uruguay
Dec 5 – Kepco KPS has been awarded a contract to operate and maintain the recently commissioned combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant in Punta del Tigre, Uruguay. Under the O&M contract, Kepco said it expects to earn 17 billion Won in sales every year, for a maximum eight years.
Siemens to create thermal twin for Bajaj Energy plant
Dec 4 – Lalitpur Power Generation Company Ltd (LPGCL), part of Bajaj Group, has contracted Siemens to create a complete twin for its fossil power plant in Uttar Pradesh, India. The thermal twin, powered by thermodynamic analysis and machine learning, allows power plant operators to diagnose performance gaps for every asset in the cycle in real time.
Talks between Gazprom and Naftogaz continue
Dec 3 – Russia’s Gazprom and Naftogaz Ukrainy have continued difficult negotiations about an extension of Russian gas supplies and transit after the current contract expires on December 31, 2019. The two state-run companies are embroiled in a legal dispute that still needs resolving, however, they confirmed talks are underway and focus on the technical aspects of transiting Russian gas to Europe from 2020 onwards.
Asia seen add 400 GW by 2030
Dec 2 – Asian nations are expected to add more than 400 gigawatts (GW) of electrical capacity to the grid over the next decade — equaling about twice the installed capacity of Germany. Much of the new capacity will be renewables, backed up by some 140 GW of dependable gas-fired capacity, according to GE Energy findings. Hence, the U.S. turbine manufacturer decided to invest up to US$60 million to convert its Singapore repair center into a HA engineering and development center.
Total starts up hybrid plant with energy storage
Nov 29 – Total Quadran has started up the largest hybrid power plant combined with energy storage to harness the ample solar power potential of New Caledonia, a French overseas territory. With an installed capacity of 16 MW-peak, the plant also features a 10 MW lithium-ion energy storage system. Combining of hybrid solar PV units and possibly gas-powered generator sets with energy storage balance out supply swings and enhances the reliability of the electricity grid.
Rolls-Royce, AVK partner on standby gensets
Nov 28 – AVK, Britain’s largest supplier of critical power solutions for data centres and the financial sector, has partnered with Rolls-Royce’s MTU brand for standby gensets in UK and Ireland. The deal covers MTU Series 2000 and 4000 diesel systems in a range from 825 to 4,000 kVA. In the past 30 years, AVK has developed into the largest solutions provider in the UK’s critical power market and has to date supplied gensets equipped with MTU engines with a total capacity of more than 3.5 GW.
Golar suffers setback amid restructuring
Nov 27 – Golar LNG, owner of a fleet of 27 vessels, has seen operating revenues plunge 20% to $98.67 million, in the first nine month of this year, while net losses amounted to over $236 million. Bermuda-registered Golar in May 2019 announced plans to spin off its LNG carrier fleet with the aim of becoming a gas project developer. It recently won a contract for the Barcarena power project (605 MW) in northeastern Brazil.
Burckhardt buys remaining share of Arkos
Nov 26 – Burckhardt Compression’s subsidiary in North America has purchased the remaining 60% of Arkos Group. The US has the world’s largest installed base of reciprocating compressors, and the integration of Burckhardt and Arkos Field Services, will turn the company into the only independent one-stop provider for equipment and service in the upstream, midstream and downstream business.
Gazprom’s exports to Austria reach fresh record
Nov 25 – Supplies of Russian gas to Austria and transits to Western Europe have already exceeded record levels set last year. From January 1 through November 21, 2019, Gazprom delivered over 12.7 billion cubic meters of natural gas – 33.5% more than in the same period in 2018. Austria’s OMV imports Russian gas under a long-term contract that was recently extended until 2040.
OGUK responds to Labour Party Manifesto
Nov 21 – The UK North Sea industry association Oil & Gas UK (OGUK) has warned of an investment hiatus in reaction to Labour’s pledge to introduce a windfall tax on oil and gas companies, if it wins the General Election on December 12. Responding to this, OGUK said any increase in tax rates would drive investors away, damage the competitiveness of the UK’s offshore oil and gas industry, and could potentially increase the country’s reliance on imports. OGUK underlined it has put in place a ‘Roadmap 2035 a blueprint for net zero emission’ and is investing in technology to achieve this goal.
France, Germany and UK led on demand-side flexibility
Nov 21 – France, Germany and the UK are leading on demand-side flexibility (DSF) and grid-integration of decentralized energy sources while Sweden, Spain and Portugal are lagging behind the rest of Europe, the consultancy Delta-EE and SmartEN finds. Areas covered by their new DSF monitoring tool include availability and accessibility of demand-side response, and its monetization across the gas value chain.
AI predicts peak in power use
Nov 20 – ABB and Verdigris Technologies have developed machine-learning algorithms to predict unplanned peaks in electricity consumption and help avoid them. The Energy Forecasting app will enable users to reduce their electricity bills by reducing peak demand charges.
India’s first UHVDC link commissioned
Nov 19 – GE Grid Solutions has commissioned Pole-3 - the ultra high-voltage direct current (UHVDC) transmission line in India, capable to transmit 4,500 MW of electricity. Once completed the Champa-Kurukshetra UHVDC project will be expanded to transmit 6,000 MW of electricity at 800 kV, serving customers in the areas of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh.
