Natural gas from East Siberia could cater for up to 35% of China's gas demand for power generation within the next decade, according to the Australian bank Macquarie. The two countries signed a historic deal earlier this year that will see new pipeline interconnectors developed to deliver Russian gas at a estimated long-term price of $10 per mmbtu.
Just a week after a gas pipeline blast hit the Indian village of Nagram, killing 21 people and disrupting gas supply for power generation, a further leak at an ONGC gas field was reported late Thursday in the eastern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The combined effect of gas supply shortages has cut power output by at least 1,515 MW, causing a series of blackouts.
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
CCUS market to reach nearly $3bn in 2025
Oct 25 – The global carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) market will grow from $1.30 billion in 2020 to $1.46 billion in 2021, according to ResearchAndMarket estimates. The rebound comes as companies return to normal operations and sales, after a pandemic-related slowdown. Analysts expect the market will keep growing at a rate of nearly 20% annually to reach $2.97 billion by 2025.
SDG&E accelerates drive towards Net Zero by 2045
Oct 20 – San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) has set a new sustainability strategy, outlining new and accelerated goals to help meet its pledge to reach net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2045. SDG&E it now seeks to operate a 100% zero emissions vehicle fleet by 2035 – five years earlier than planned.
B&W develops biomass-to-hydrogen plant in Australia
Oct 19 – B&W's Renewable segment and Port Anthony Renewables Ltd have started to develop a biomass-to-hydrogen energy project in Victoria, Australia, based on B&W’s BrightLoop technology. When completed, the plant is expected to be part of the largest green hydrogen hub in south-eastern Australia.
LNG prices rise faster than oil
Oct 18 – Liquefied natural gas and pipeline supplies have experienced an even sharper increase in prices in 2021 than oil, driven by a combination of circumstances that included a strong recovery in demand in North Asia, southeast Asia and Europe, unseasonal weather and planned and unplanned capacity outages.
Wärtsilä shaft gensets to power two LNG carriers
Oct 14 – The Finish technology group Wärtsilä has been awarded a contract to supply four shaft generators to provide electricity take-off from the main engines of two LNG carriers. The ships are being built at the Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) shipyard in Korea on behalf of the Capital Gas Ship Management of Greece.
VoltH2 gets green light for large hydrogen plant
Oct 13 – Vision Hydrogen Corp has announced that its affiliate VoltHe has received building and environmental permits to realise its first large-scale hydrogen plant at the Dutch North Sea Port of Vlissingen. The 5 MW hydrogen plant is located near existing high voltage power and gas infrastructure as well as large wind power assets. Once operational, it will produce around 3,500 tons of green hydrogen per year and will be scalable to 100 MW or 14,000 tons.
Tesla overtakes German e-cars
Oct 12 – Sales of Tesla in Germany has overtaken that of leading German carmakers. In September, more electric Tesla Model 3s were registered in the country than leading domestic models, such as the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class combined.
EnerMech spends £500k on crane training tech
Oct 11 – EnerMech has invested £500,000 in new crane simulator training systems at its Luanda (Angola), Doha (Qatar) and Great Yarmouth (UK) facilities. The British company recently formed a joint venture with 3t Energy Group to bring the KraneSIM-6000 equipment to both Qatar and Angola and offer in-country training across client organisations globally.
Germany finances green hydrogen projects abroad
Oct 8 – The German government has agreed to support green hydrogen projects in other countries with up to €350 million by 2024, the economy ministry said when publishing a directive with relevant guidelines. Moreover, financial support is given to projects that produce and process green hydrogen for storage, transport and use in countries outside the EU through investment grants worth up to €15 million each.
UK e-car sales surge 186%
Oct 6 – Sales electric cars in the UK have surged 186% to a total of 108,000 in 2020 during the pandemic, up from just 38,000 in the previous year. Latest statistics show there were nearly 300,000 pure-electric cars on UK roads at the end of August 2021, and more than 600,000 plug-in models if including plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).
FogHorn deploys AI software at Chugoku Electric Power in Japan
Oct 4 – FogHorn, developer of Edge AI software, has deployed its Internet of Things (IoT) software at the Chugoku Electric Power hydroelectric power plant. The AI solutions will make the power gen process more efficient and enhances workplace safety. Chugoku Electric Power employs nearly 9,200 workers across 114 power units in the western part of Honshū, the largest island of Japan.
Rolls-Royce supplies MTU engines for ferry propulsion
Oct 1 – Rolls-Royce's new MT engines, automation system, and MTU Go! tool for remote service have future-proofed the high-speed catamaran Avemar Dos, run by the Spanish operator Balearia. Four MTU 20V1163 M84 units replaced the previous 1163 units, taking the vessel to a "new level of ecological soundness," the manufacturer says.
GES appoints former Puma Energy Chairman as NED
Sept 30 – Global Energy Storage (GES) has appointed the former Puma Energy Chairman, Graham Sharp, as an NED. Graham will support GES on its ‘new energies’ strategy for the energy transition, focusing on hydrogen fuels and hydrogen carriers space.
Aggreko reaches 2 GW of live power gen capacity
Sept 29 – Aggreko has today announced it has reached 2GW of live global gas power capacity and growth in flare gas to power and stranded gas projects. This new record follows a milestone of exceeding 1GW of delivered flare gas power projects in 2020.
Wärtislä renews O&M agreement with Lafarge Africa
Sept 28 – The Finish technology group Wärtsilä has renewed a long-term Operation & Maintenance (O&M) agreement with Lafarge Africa, a large producer of building materials in Nigeria. The agreement covers the 100 MW Lafarge Ewekoro power plant, which provides a dedicated supply of electricity to the company’s concrete and cement manufacturing processes.
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.
