U.S. engine manufacturer Cummins will present its newly launched HSK78G gas generators at the Energy Hannover trade show on April 1-5, where the series will be showcased in Europe for the first time. With a power density from 1.6 to 2.0 MW from a 78L engine, the HSK78G generator can reach up to 44.2% electrical efficiency on 50Hz models.
China’s State Power Investment Corp (SPIC) and Siemens have signed a strategic partnership framework agreement, building on the companies' earlier agreed technology collaboration for heavy-duty gas turbines. The contract was sealed in Beijing today by SPIC chairman Qian Zhimin and Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser. The aim is to create a China-based supplier eco-system.
Eddyfi Technologies, a Canadian developer of inspection technology based in Québec, has launched Spyne – a non-destructive ECA-adaptable screening and testing screening tool that can detect cracks, fatigue and corrosion faster and with a higher probability than traditional tools. Spyne is applicable on pipelines, vessels or power generation equipment.
With more than a third of Germany’s electricity generated by renewables, the number of Power-to-X projects has surged in a bid to make use of this intermittent energy supply. Over 35 plants with over 50 kW of installed electrolysis capacity will be in operation by 2022 in Germany alone, according to forecasts by certification service provider TÜV SÜD.
As renewable energy combined with batteries are becoming part of modular power networks, natural gas the ideal fossil fuel source to supplement these power networks, says Craig Wilkins, Director Prime Power at Cummins. Headquartered in Indiana, U.S., the manufacturer has responded to the intermittency challenge of renewable power supply with the launch of its HSK78G gas-powered generator.
Surface coating developer Hardide has announced that testing – commissioned by EDF Energy and carried out by the British National Physical Laboratory (NPL) – indicates nanostructured chemical vapour deposition (CVD) coating can extend the life of steam turbine blades. The CVD coating made the tested FV520B turbine blades more resistant to erosion and cracking.
Leading LNG players like ExxonMobil, Shell and Total, as well as the engineering contractor Bechtel, have all completed qualification studies on Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems' H-100 gas turbine (120 MW) for use as the mechanical driver together with MHI compressors. Encouraged by this customer acceptance, MHI group is now marketing their H-100-driven liquefaction solution in single, stand-alone 1x100% strings or multi-unit large scale trains.
Caterpillar Energy Solutions’ new Cat G3512 generator series set is now EPA-certified for use at 1 g/bhp-hr NOx emissions. Rated for standby or continuous power at 750 ekW, or 1000 ekW at 60 Hz, the new genset series conforms to ISO 8528-5 G3 load acceptance criteria, improving transient and steady state performance.
Edison has signed a 300 million Euros contract with Ansaldo Energia to create a new H-class GT36 gas turbine for use in combined-cycle mode at the Marghera Levante power station, striving to turn it into the most efficient plant in Europe. The new turbine will have a total capacity of 780 MW and an energy performance of 63%.
MAN Energy Solutions' new digital platform CEON collects and evaluates operating and sensor data to enables real-time monitoring of power-plant engines, turbines and compressors. Integrating data from MAN machinery and its operational environment, the new digital platform uses intelligent analysis tools for evaluation and forecasting.
The German car makers BMW and Porsche have teamed up with Siemens in the ‘FastCharge’ research project, working with Allego and Phoenix Contact E-Mobility, to create super-fast chargers for electric vehicles. The prototype of a charging station with a capacity of up to 450 kW was inaugurated in Jettingen-Scheppach, a small town in southwest Bavaria.
From 2025, Clean Energy Fuels Corp. will make Redeem renewable natural gas (RNG), produced organic from waste, available at all of its fueling stations in North America. By transitioning exclusively to RNG, the California-based supplier wants to achieve zero-carbon intensity to outcompete fossil fuels and electric vehicles, which are unlikely to hit that mark unit 2045.
News in Brief
Slow start of STT pipeline
Oct 18 – U.S. gas exports to Mexico have not picked up substantially despite the start of the Sur de Texas-Tuxpan (STT) pipeline. Exports are still below 6.0 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d), although there no current postings regarding maintenance on the Sistrangas pipeline that feeds from NET Mexico.
EIB defers ban on fossil projects
Oct 17 – Luxembourg-based European Investment Bank (EIB) has bowed to pressure from Germany and the European Commission and deferred its decision to ban loans to fossil-fuel projects until mid-November. Germany wants the bank to keep financing gas-fired power projects as it views the cleaner-burning fossil fuel as a vital backup for renewable energy sources.
Brexit will not impact UK gas supply
Oct 16 – Security of power and gas supply in the UK will not be jeopardized this winter by the country’s imminent departure from the European Union, even in the event of a hard Brexit, National Grid said. In its assessment, the TSO factored in a halt to flows via the Belgium and Dutch gas interconnectors “from EU exit day one”, but said ongoing deliveries from Norway, the UK Continental Shelf and storage will continue as usual.
Ferrybridge C gets demolished
Oct 15 – Four cooling towers at the Ferrybridge Power Station have been taken down as the coal-fired power station will make way to a new, high-efficiency gas power station. Operator SSE shut down the 500 MW Ferrybridge C unit in March 2016 and now started to tear it down.
Global energy storage tops 10 GW by 2025
Oct 14 – The global market for grid-connected energy storage will grow by 6,900 MW, or 16.6% to reach over 10,500 MW by the end of 2025, according to Reportlinker.com. Germany will add over 267 MW energy storage installations over the next five to six years, while 330 MW will come from other European markets. These numbers are dwarfed by China, where up to 1,200 MW energy storage units could be connected to the grid by 2025.
Wärtsilä services EDL plant
Oct 11 – Energy Developments Ltd (EDL) of Australia has awarded Wärtsilä a service contract for gas engine-based baseload power plant at the McArthur River zinc mine in Northern Territory. The maintenance approach for the 53 MW onsite power plant is no longer pre-planned and scheduled but has been changed to condition-based and predictive maintenance, with an advisory contract.
EPH buys CCGT in Galway
Oct 10 – The Czech energy company EPH has received regulatory approval to purchase an 80% stake in the 400 MW Tynagh Energy combined-cycle gas power plant in Galway, Ireland. Mountainside Partners will continue to own the remaining stake in the CCGT, which operates based on a security-of-supply contract from the Irish TSO based on guaranteed power prices.
ITM gets £38m boost from Linde
Oct 9 – Sheffield-based ITM Power, maker of electrolysers for hydrogen production, has been boosted by a £38 million cash injection, as Linde acquired a 20% stake in ITM at 40 pence per share. Looking ahead, ITM said it is seeking to raise £14 million from new and existing institutional investors.
Drax to convert two power units
Oct 8 – Drax Group has received government approval to convert up to two coal-fired generating units at its power station in North Yorkshire to run on natural gas. With this ruling, the UK regulator overturned objections by ClientEarth, stressing some fossil power is vital for the UK to backup intermittent renewable power source.
Storage use tops 80% in key U.S. regions
Oct 7 – Gas storage utilization in the United States is rising in the autumn, with net injections topping 112 billion cubic feet (Bcf) in the first week of October. According to EIA figures, underground storages are at least 80% full in the East, Midwest, and South Central non-salt regions, allowing for seasonal withdrawals to help meet peak-day gas demand throughout the upcoming winter.
Maine, NY aspire to 100% clean energy
Oct 4 – Three U.S. states—Maine, New York, and Ohio—have updated their renewable portfolio standards (RPS), since May 2019. As a result, Maine and New York joined California, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, and the District of Columbia in requiring 100% clean electricity by 2050.
TransAlta to built CHP in Alberta
Oct 3 – Canada-based Transalta and SemCAMS Midstream have agreed to develop, construct and operate a new cogeneration facility at the Kaybob South No. 3 sour gas processing plant in Alberta. To be built at a cost of some 105 million, the CHP will have an installed capacity of 40 MW. Start of commercial operation is targeted for late 2021.
GE’s 100th HA turbine sold in Greece
Oct 2 – Greek industrial firm Mytilineos has ordered a GE 9HA.02 gas turbine to be the heart of the 826 MW Agios Nikolaos combined-cycle gas power plant. This deal also marks the 100th unit of GE’s HA gas turbine sold. Construction of the CCGT is due to start before the end of the year.
ABB launches M4M analyzer
Oct 1 – Swiss technology firm ABB has launches its first Bluetooth-equipped network analyzers, called M4M. The system gathers data from distribution grids and connects them to a cloud-based control system, allowing users to react on energy consumption and on-site power generation trends.
Microsoft invests in wind power
Sept 30 – Microsoft and ENGIE have entered a long-term solar and wind energy power purchase agreement (PPA) in the United States. The deal will see Microsoft purchase a total of 230 MW from two ENGIE projects in Texas, bringing Microsoft’s renewable energy portfolio to more than 1,900 MW.
Gazprom tackles issue of ownerless gas grid
Sept 27 – Gazprom, the main supplier of pipeline gas to Europe, is trying to settle the issue of ownerless gas pipelines – a relic of the former Soviet Union. Abandoned gas transmission pipeline spanned 6,651 kilometers as of March 1, with the issue seen as “especially acute” in the North Caucasus region where half of this infrastructure is located. If no owner registers these facilities within three months, Gazprom will take over to ensure reliability and safety.
Investors flock to Myanmar
Sept 26 – Fitch Ratings has singled out Myanmar’s power sector as one of the largest beneficiaries of foreign direct investments (FDI) worldwide. Nearly $21.2 billion was poured into power generation and energy infrastructure projects thus far in 2019, which is 27% of total FDI under the Myanmar Investment Law.
