Bernard Anne, managing director of Bureau Veritas' (BV) Marine Division has signalled out LNG as one of the shipping sectors where the indicators are good and positive. "I do not see any good markets except for gas markets and consequentially LNG tankers. There are simply too many ships around," Anne said at the annual BV Beaujolais Party in London on Thursday evening.
Germany's E.ON and the Russian gas incumbent Gazprom are at loggerheads over the terms of gas supply. Arbitration proceeding on contract terms of oil-indexed long-term gas supply are still ongoing. "We can confirm that we have instituted arbitration proceedings in connection with our supply relationship with Gazprom," E.ON spokesman Sebastian Heindrichs told Gas-to-Power Journal.
Alstom, the French engineering giant, did neither confirm nor deny a statement from the Iraqi energy ministry that it has won a $540m contract to construct a 182-MW gas-fired power plant in Iraq. "We are expecting to sign the contract with the Iraqi energy ministry any time soon", an Astom spokesman told Gas-to-Power Journal.
Minera Mexico, a unit of Grupo Mexico, has awarded a contract to Siemens Energy to supply of a 250 MW combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant. Siemens Energy is signing responsible for the full turnkey supply of the plant, named 'La Caridad II', which includes plant engineering, procurement and construction.
Siemens Energy told Gas-to-Power Journal that the main equipment to be installed at the plant includes an SGT6-5000F gas turbine, an SST-900 steam turbine, an SGEN6-1000A generator, a heat-recovery steam generator, and the complete electrical and SPPA-T3000 in-strumentation & control equipment.
The World Energy Council (WEC) has published its 2011 assessment of country energy and climate policies, including the annual global "Energy Sustainability Index". WEC urges policymakers to address the "Energy Trilemma" – a triple whammy of Energy Security, Social Equity and Environmental Impact Mitigation.
Doosan Heavy Industries, Korea's leading power plant manufacturer, has secured a 513 billion won ($455 million) order to build a power plant in South Korea.
India is at the brink of a sever electricity energy shortage. 49 of the 82 thermal power stations monitored have less than seven days of stocks left and were classed by India's Central Electricity Authority (CEA) as "critical". 38 plant were classified as "super critical" because they have less than four days of stocks remaining, according to CEA data.
RWE npower is gearing up to start the commissioning stage of its gas-fired Pembroke plant "any time soon". The 2,000 MW gas-fired power plant is slated to start operations in late 2012, RWE npower spokeswoman Kelly Brown told Gas-to-Power Journal.
"Everything is in place to start the commissioning stage. We are ready to start the boiler any time soon," she said.
E.ON said it plans to "systematically grow its power generation business" while Q3 results show that net debt stood at EUR34.5 billion at the end of September 2011. Russia remains an important focus of the German energy major.
In Germany, E.ON is planning to start operations of its Datteln-4 power plant in 2013 while the pilot project Irsching-4 is already fully operational, E.ON spokesman Dr. Sebastian Heindrichs, told Gas-to-Power Journal.
RWE, Germany's second largest power company, said it is "resolutely implementing" the measures announced in August this year. By early September RWE had already divested its 74.9% shareholding in German transmission system operator Amprion.
The Essen-based company on Thursday posted its Q3 results, with 2011 operational profit is forecast to fall about 25 percent.
EnBW announced on Friday it aims to secure its generation position with low CO2 emissions and increasingly establish itself on the market as a provider of local energy solutions.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing $170 million in financing to support the construction of a new 1,600 megawatt (MW) natural gas-fired power plant in Thailand. Commercial operation of the plant, located in the Nong Saeng district north of Bangkok, is slated to start by 2014.
News in Brief
JERA on recruiting spree
Feb 26 – Japan’s largest electric utility and LNG buyer JERA is looking to hire 20 administrative and 60 technical staff. Recruitment activities will begin on 1 March 2021.
B&W wins $13m new contracts in North America
Feb 25 – The thermal segment of Babcock & Wilcox has been awarded several energy-related projects in North America, worth approximately $13 million, as the market strengthens and projects continue to restart following delays in 2020 due to the impact of the coronavirus crisis.” We’re seeing customers now moving forward with necessary work that had been previously put on hold. The recent inclement weather also has forced higher loads within the utility sector and we anticipate stronger demand for parts and services going forward,” said B&W Chief Operating Officer Jimmy Morgan.
PIC Group to service 1.1 GW Hummel Power Station
Feb 24 – Atlanta-based PIC Group has been awarded an Operation and Maintenance (O&M) contract for the Hummel Power Station, a 1,124 MW combined-cycle plant operated by LS Power Group. Situated in Shamokin Dam, Pennsylvania, the CCGT is equipped with three SGT6-5000F gas turbines, one SST6-5000 steam turbine, three SGen6-1000A air-cooled generators and one hydrogen-cooled SGen6-2000H generator.
Duke Energy claims natural gas is cheaper than energy storage
Feb 23 – Duke Energy Progress and Duke Energy Carolinas have both indicated in their latest integrated resource plans (IRPs) they view battery storage as potentially more costly than proven gas-fired generating technology. Market observers noted, however, that Duke’s estimates peg the capital costs of a 50 MW/200 MWh energy storage plant at $347 per kWh —far higher than the cost of units that entered commercial service in 2020, as per Lazard data.
EU emission rules could herald end of combustion engine
Feb 22 – Future EU emission rules for cars could mean the abrupt end of combustion engines and put many jobs at risk, the German engineering federation VDMA has warned in a position paper. The use of efficient combustion engines is “still important” – both for vehicles and small generators –VDMA President Karl Haeusgen stressed, especially since these engines can be operated in a climate-neutral manner with synthetic fuels or hydrogen.
Saudi cement producer renews Wärtsilä O&M deal
Feb 19 – The Saudi Arabian cement producer Umm AlQura Cement has signed a five year Operation and Maintenance (O&M) agreement with Wärtsilä for the customer’s captive power plant in Taif City. The 47 MW plant operates with five Wärtsilä 32TS engines. The initial three year maintenance agreement was signed in 2015, and thereafter renewed once.
Gazprom expands Sakhalin–Vladivostok gas pipeline
Feb 18 – The Russian major Gazprom is expanding the Sakhalin – Khabarovsk – Vladivostok gas trunkline at the section between Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Khabarovsk. More than 315 kilometers, or three quarters of its overall length, has been welded to date. Gazprom’s 2021-2025 investment programme will total RUB 5.49 billion ($70 million) – more than three times he money spent in 2016–2020. Planned projects include 14 inter-settlement gas pipelines, 9.3 kilometers of gas pipeline branches, and six gas distribution stations.
Enstor closes sale of Waha gas storage
Feb 17 – Houston-based Enestor Gas has completed the sale of its Waha Gas Storage assets in northwest Texas to WhiteWater Midstream. Waha Gas Storage assets have the capacity, when fully developed, to store approximately 10 Bcf of natural gas and include six underground caverns and permits for five additional caverns.
Technip Energies listed in Paris
Feb 16 – Today, Technip Energy has been listed at Euronext’s regulated market in Paris. CEO Arnaud Pieton said the company’s mission is to “serve the energy transition” through its leading position in LNG, hydrogen and ethylene. As growth areas, he singled out sustainable chemistry and CO2 management.
US renewable energy share to double by 2050
Feb 15 – The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that the share of renewables in the U.S. electricity generation mix will increase from 21% in 2020 to 42% in 2050. Wind and solar generation are responsible for most of that growth, while nuclear and coal-fired generation decrease. The share of gas-fired generation will remain stable even though gas prices remain low at an estimated $3.50 per MMBtu, according to EIA projections.
Nikkiso to build electric-mechanical actuators
Feb 12 – The clean energy arm of Nikkiso Cryogenic Industries has bought the intellectual property to manufacture electric-mechanical actuators (EMA) and control panels. Coupled to a cryogenic pump, the system works without gearbox which reduces the size of these vertical pumps frequently used in the oil and gas industry.
Europe’s hydrogen projects outnumber current plants
Feb 11 – The number of hydrogen projects across Europe is almost double that of operational electrolysers as demand for the clean fuel is rising fast. According to research by DLA Piper and inspirata, there are 192 planned or announced hydrogen projects in Europe compared to 107 currently operational ones.
NTE to develop 5 GW clean energy projects
Feb 10 – Florida-based NTE Energy is working with investment partners to develop 1.2 GW of solar and 3.9 GW of battery energy storage systems (BESS) next to thermal power plants. “By co-locating renewable projects with thermal generation, we can offer customers access to affordable solar power options backed up by reliable natural gas,” said Steve Remen, NTE managing director. The company aims to bring 4 GW of its proposed clean energy projects into commercial operation by 2026.
Oil price bounces back
Feb 9 – The price of crude oil has recovered to pre-pandemic levels, after plunging to an all-time low last year. Brent crude oil prices for the front-month April were last seen trading at nearly $61 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the benchmark for US oil, has risen above the $58 a barrel mark for the first time in over a year.
Equinor VP named co-chair of OGUK board
Feb 8 – Arne Gürtner, Senior Vice President UK & Ireland Offshore at Equinor has been appointed to co-chair the Oil & Gas UK board, as the sector strive to recover while meeting its net-zero targets for 2021. He will be working with Phil Simons, VP North Sea & Canada, Subsea 7.
Enagás to tap wind power for hydrogen
Feb 5 – The Spanish utilities Enagás and Naturgy are evaluating the potential of producing hydrogen from a 250 MW floating off-shore wind farm and a 100 MW on-shore wind farm in Asturias. The project is hoped to generate more than 1500 jobs during construction and operation, with developers applying for funding under the IPCEI scheme.
Turboden wins contract in the Philippines
Feb 4 – Italy-based Turboden, part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, has been awarded a contract by the Philippine utility EDC to supply a 20 MW geothermal power plant at Bacon-Manito, on the island of Luzon. The zero-emissions power unit is scheduled to start operations before the end of 2022, and will help lower the local grid’s dependence on fossil energy source.
