Today’s power grids are becoming increasingly complex as more decentralized power sources are added, requiring the network to carry bulk power in ways it was never designed to do. Recent order wins for GE’s Fixed Series Compensation (FSC) total over $60 million as TSOs turn to the technology to enhance flexibility of the grid.

On the market for nearly a decade, the Siemens H-class gas turbine has now exceeded one-million fired hours in commercial operation. The output rating of the SGT5-8000H turbine has grown over the years from 375 MW to 450 MW, with efficiency improvements to over 61% in combined cycle operation.

Burning hydrogen (H2) in a combined-cycle power plant is a step towards dispatchable, totally CO2-free power generation. However, the main challenge of H2 combustion lies in its properties, notably its increased reactivity. In contrast to natural gas, the flame position moves upstream during H2 combustion, which increases the risk of flashback.

Researchers at General Electric have been awarded $5.8 million grant by the U.S. government for a three-year project to develop and demonstrate a super-fast DC Circuit Breaker for new MVDC grids. The project is part a broader interest to upgrade existing AC grids to help reduce congestions.

Siemens has extended its service agreement for the Shuweihat S2 Independent Water and Power Plant (IWPP) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. As part of the 18-year service contract extension, Siemens will deploy Omnivise cyber-security solutions and facilitate remote monitoring and diagnostics.

MAN Energy Solutions will present its storage solution portfolio, including Power-to-X applications, its ETES (Electro-Thermal Energy Storage) energy management, battery-storage and hybrid systems for decentralised power generation at the ‘Energy Storage Europe’ trade fair in Düsseldorf, Germany, from March 12 to 14.

For F-class turbine operators demanding fuel flexibility retrofits, Ansaldo Energia offers a tested and commercially proven combustion system for gas turbines originally manufactured by GE, Siemens-Westinghouse and MHPS. The sequential combustor is designed specifically for the use of hydrogen (H2).

Bentley System, together with Siemens, has launched a new digital solution for substations to grid-integrate distributed energy sources. OpenUtilitiesDER Planning & Design Assessment Solutions creates a digital twin for utilities that allows operators to more efficiently model, plan and approve rising request for supply of distributed power to the grid.

Commissioned by grid operator Amprion, Siemens has built two reactive power compensation systems for the Kriftel grid node:  a mechanically switched capacitor with damping network (MSCDN) and a power-electronic static synchronous compensator (STATCOM). The two systems are running stable since December in test operation.

Cummins is preparing to debut the HSK78G natural gas generator series during the 2019 Middle East Electricity (MEE) at the Dubai World Trade Centre, on March 5 – 7. With a power density of up to 2.0MW from a 78L engine, the HSK78G generator is suited for prime and peaking power applications.

Two Canadian utilities – New Brunswick Power (NB Power) and Nova Scotia Power (NSP) – have selected Siemens for new C$92.7 million (€ 60.95m) smart grid project. A new Energy System Platform (ESP) will optimize integration of renewables, ensure grid stability and manage decentralized distribution.

Researchers from Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) and B&B Agema have been looking at a novel design approach – Nekomimi film cooling – to further increase temperatures at the combustor exit and high-pressure turbine stage inlet. The aim is to boost efficiency without putting too much strain on vanes and blades, considering that modern turbine stage inlet temperatures exceed the melting points of turbine blade materials.

Caterpillar Energy Solutions has just launched a new 170B 50-Hertz series of generator sets with a power output ranging from 1.3 MW to 2.3 MW. The 20-cylinder version is available now, with 12 and 16 cylinders set to come out later in 2019.

Mitsubishi Electric Corp has developed two technologies for gas-insulated switchgears (GIS): arc-cooling that improves the interruption of electrical current in sulfur-fluoride GIS by 25%, and high-density dielectric coating that improves insulation performance by 30% in high-voltage conductors.

Bacteria and microbes living in oxygen-deprived environments – deep within mines, at the bottom of lakes or in the human gut – have evolved way of breathing that involves excreting and pumping out electrons. These microbes can actually produce electricity and MIT researchers are striving to harness these microbial power plants to run fuel cells.