U.S. energy solutions provider MBH NRG has teamed up with the Indian cogeneration specialist International Coil Limited (ICL) to develop and sell a range of Turbine Inlet Air Cooling (TIAC) and Balance of Plant (BOP) solutions. “It’s a highly strategic move,” said Robin Bisarya, MBH’s chief commercial officer, suggesting the deal will help both firms take leads in delivering to plant owners ways to improve productivity and profitability.
An upsurge in price volatility in U.S. gas and power markets, initiated by a cold snap this winter, has prompted some of Citibank's gas and power clients to return to price hedging – after having been absent for years, according to Citi's global head of commodities, Stuart Staley.
German energy conglomerate Siemens has launched the Simatic WinCC V7.3 Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software for power plants, allowing technicians to access vital information on plant operations via mobile devices.
U.S. turbo-charger developer PowerPHASE has completed performance testing of the first-ever hot compressed air injection for a gas turbine at ambient temperature of 32°C, boosting performance of one of the 6B gas turbines at the Morris cogeneration plant in Illinois. ”The power output and efficiency have met all performance expectations, demonstrating that TurboPHASE is the most cost effective and efficient method of incremental gas-fired generation in the world today,” said the company’s president Bob Kraft.
A computer virus referred to as ‘Energetic Bear’ has infected systems at over 1,000 energy firms in the U.S. and six European nations, putting at risk SCADA systems that control a range of power plants. The virus is believed to have originated in Russia and allows hackers to cripple physical systems and monitor energy usage in real time.
German engine maker MAN Diesel & Turbo has completed the second of three power plants that are being built on behalf of France’s EDF Production Electrique Insulaire (EDF-PEI). The 220 MW plant in Martinique is powered by twelve type 18V48/60 engines and has started full commercial operation in late June.
A massive $3.6 trillion is forecast to be invested in power capacity in the energy-hungry Asia Pacific region (APAC), with two-thirds of the sum likely to be spent on renewable, according to a new report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). “However, that does not mean that the days of fossil-fuel power are over,” said BNEF analyst Milo Sjardin, suggesting rapid economic growth in Asia will still drive 434GW of new coal-fired capacity and 314GW of new gas power between now and 2030.
As the share of gas in the U.S. energy mix has doubled over the last decade, there must be greater flexibility and better integration between the natural gas and electricity markets, according to a new MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) analysis. "Natural gas is a just-in-time fuel," said Francis O'Sullivan, director of MITEI research, as unlike coal, where onsite storage is possible, gas-fired plants have limited to no storage capacity and are entirely reliant on pipelines for fuel delivery.
Soaring Japanese demand for gas to fuel the country’s power plants is forcing upstream developer Inpex to consider building a third LNG storage facility at its Naoetsu LNG terminal in Niigata prefecture. Inpex forecasts that import capacity could rise to 2.7 million metric tonnes per annum (mtpa), from the current 1.5 million mtpa, as the restart of the country’s nuclear capacity remains slow.
Demand for gas by power plant operators in the UK picked up last month according to data from market analytics company Bentek Energy. Demand from combined cycle gas power plants averaged 47 million cubic meters of gas/day for the month of June, an increase of 12% compared with June 2013.
The Kenyan government has approved plans to begin construction for an 800 MW gas-fired plant in August. The proposed Dongo Kundu plant will be located near the capital Mombasa with a groundbreaking ceremony to be held on the 27th next month.
Nigerian power plant developer Proton Energy has edged closer to signing a power purchase agreement licence for its proposed 500 MW Nigerian gas power plant in Sapele, Delta State after endorsement from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). The plant is part of the Delta Sunrise Project (DSP) and is expected to cost $200 million once complete in 2015.
News in Brief
Rolls-Royce supplies MTU engines to Sanlorenzo
Sept 27 – Rolls-Royce business unit Power Systems will become one of the leading engine suppliers for Sanlorenzo, delivering MTU 10V, 12V and 16V 2000 yacht engines with a compact IMO 3 solution. A framework contract from 2022 through 2024 has been signed at the Monaco Yacht Show.
Shell exits Permian Basin
Sept 24 – Royal Dutch Shell has sold all its upstream interested in US Permian Basin to ConocoPhillips for $9.5 billion in cash. Shell’s assets in the Permian include around 225,000 net acres with a current production of around 175,000 barrels per day equivalent.
Global biogas market tops $88bn in 2030
Sept 22 – The global biogas market is set to expand at a rate of 8.4% annually and reach $88.47 billion in 2025. According to ResearchAndMarkets, the main growth drivers are small-scale power generators that use biogas derived from municipal or agricultural waste through anerobic digestion. Europe was the largest region in the biogas market in 2020, though Asia Pacific recorded the fastest growth.
Fatih Birol on Time 100 list
Sept 20 – The Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol has been named as one of the 100 most influential people by Time Magazine in its annual list. ““In a world where facts are assaulted, Fatih Birol combines the best of high-tech data, optimistic know-how and old-school rhetorical finesse,” US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry commented, suggesting the IEA head would use his authority to “slash carbon emissions and save our planet.”
Chevron lacks Net Zero target
Sept 17 – US oil major Chevron is plans to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions along its oil and gas value chain, but lacks a clear Net Zero target. CEO Mike Wirth told investors and shareholders “an ultimate pathway to net zero will require technology advancements, more ambitious government policy, and development of large offset markets.” Concrete steps will be revealed in next month’s update to Chevron’s climate change resilience report.
Paul Browning to lead MHI’s energy transition team
Sept 15 – Mitsubishi has appointed Paul Browning as deputy head of Energy Transition & Power Headquarters, Energy Systems at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). Browning is currently CEO of Mitsubishi Power Americas and will move to the new position on October 1, 2021.
Linde to help build liquefaction plant in Russia
Sept 14 – Gazprom has handed an EPC contract to Linde, Renaissance Heavy Industries and RusKhimAlyans, to build a gas liquefaction plant within the Gas Processing Complex (GPC) at the port of Ust-Luga, west of St Petersburg. The GPC will process ethane-containing gas into various fuels, and the two-Train liquefaction plant will have a design capacity for 13 million tons of LNG per year.
Santos completes Oil Search takeover
Sept 13 – Australian LNG exporter Santos has completed the takeover of Oil Search in a deal worth A$8.40 billion (US$6.25 billion). The all-share transaction brings together upstream oil and gas and LNG export assets in the Timor Sea, the Australian state of Queensland and in Papua New Guinea. Under the deal, Santos holds a 61.5% share of the merged company and Oil Search the remaining 38.5%.
Rolls-Royce goes green at DSEI trade show
Sept 10 – Rolls-Royce Energy Solutions is showcasing a range of sustainable power solutions at the DSEI trade show in London this week. The company’s is currently exploring how its Defence business can contribute to wider corporate objectives such as sustainability, electrification, and the development of digital technologies
Wärtsilä develops mobile battery for inland vessels
Sept 8 – Wärtsilä has developed and delivered a mobile battery container to enable inland waterway vessels to operate with zero emissions to ZES, a Dutch company founded in 2020 by ING Bank, the French utility Engie and the Port of Rotterdam. The two containers were delivered in June and the batteries are in continues operation since then.
EU-funds project for energy efficiency
Sept 7 – Today, the European Union (EU) funded HEATLEAP project has been launched to demonstrate the benefits of waste heat recovery systems such as large heat pumps for industries and gas expanders for electric utilities. Turboden will coordinate the project whereby heat pumps and gas expanders are tested at real scale.
EnerMech signs new deals in Americas
Sept 6 – Integrated solutions specialist EnerMech has secured several multi-sector contracts in the Americas. The multiple sector awards span the oil and gas, petrochemicals, maritime, and power generation industries. The largest contract is for nitrogen and leak testing of installations for an E&P operator in offshore Gulf of Mexico. As a result of these new awards EnerMech doubled its electrical team, and increased the number of mechanical pipefitters.
ACWA Power to hold IPO
Sept 3 – ACWA Power International has launched an initial public offering (IPO) to list its shares on the Saudi stock exchange, the Tadawul. The ACWA Power share sale will be the biggest in the Kingdom since the 2019 floatation of Saudi Aramco, which sold 1.5% of its shares and the trading debut valued the oil and gas business at $1.88 trillion.
Iran braces for winter gas shortage
Sept 2 – Iran’s Thermal Power Plant Holding (TPPH) has urged the energy ministry to take precaution to avoid fuel shortages in the coming winter. “We have faced serious problems last year due to the lack of gas and liquid fuel required by the power plants, and there is a concern that we will not be able to fully meet the country’s electricity needs this winter either,” said TPPH’s managing director Mohsen Tarztalab. Since households customers are prioritised and significantly increase their gas consumption in the coal season, power generators often have to resort to burning liquid fuels instead.
LYTT technology monitors carbon capture
Sept 1 – LYTT, a provider of real-time insights to oil and gas operators through a fiber optic sensor, LYTT is testing novel technology to monitor CO2 transport and migration in storage reservoirs together with SINTEF, an institute for applied research. Tracking dynamic multiphase flow is essential when monitoring the long-term effectiveness of carbon capture storage (CCS).
Gazprom invests in Russian gas grid
Sept 1 – Gazprom’s board of directors has approved 2.9 times more financing for new gas supply and infrastructure in 2021-2025 than in the previous five-year period. Over two-thirds of the investments will be made in rural areas, Gazprom explained, and by 2026, the gas grid expansion is planned to be “completed to the fullest extent possible in 35 regions of Russia.”
Woodside pioneers MAN’s Factory LNG solution
Aug 30 – Australian LNG pioneer Woodside is working with MAN to commercialise a solution for small-to-mid scale LNG production. Known as Factory LNG, concept involves a nominal 0.05 mtpa unit, the size of 40-foot ISO shipping container that can be transported via standard heavy-lift ships and trucks. The compact design shortens construction timeframes compared to traditional stick-built or modular LNG trains.
