Table of ContentsRegularsUpfrontWhen you hit bottom, the only way is up!As this year draws to a close many will be saying “Thank goodness!”, for 2009 has been, for some, an extremely difficult year in which to do business in the power industry. AnalysisIs the UK doomed to face dark days in the future?In many respects the UK government’s energy policy is both progressive and ambitious, but has there been too much rhetoric and not enough action to prevent Britain’s lights going out in the next 5-6 years?
World NewsINTERNATIONALThe International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged Senegal to revamp its state power company, Senelec, warning that power blackouts are dragging down the West African country’s economy.
EUROPEThe UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has approved ten locations and rejected four others as suitable sites for a new fleet of nuclear power stations.
Asia-pacificThe government of the Indian state of Gujarat has agreed an Rs60 000 crore ($13bn) investment in a 6000 MW nuclear power plant project in Bhavnagar.
AMERICASBrazil suffered a serious blackout that left nearly 60m people in the dark for four hours and raised concerns about the country’s ability to guarantee electricity to support its surging economy.
COMPANIESAlstom and Schneider Electric of France appeared to beat off rivals GE and Toshiba with an improved €4.1bn ($6.4bn) bid for the transmission and distribution arm of state-owned nuclear group, Areva.
Genset RoundupRolls-Royce’s Trent 60 to deliver power to TasmaniaRolls-Royce’s first Trent 60 gas turbine electrical generating package installed in Australia has officially begun service.
Equipment RoundupFlowserve launches seals that cut costsFlowserve has launched its latest Innovative Standard Cartridge seal series, ISC2.
Power ReportsDecentralized energy aids Cuba’s power strugglesCuba’s power generation capacity is hampered by a severe lack of investment and the continued trade sanctions imposed by the United States, but in typical style it has improvised to make the best of a bad situation.
FeaturesHead of the class: Which utilities score best for sustainability?Research by sustainability consultancy Two Tomorrows examines how well the world’s ten largest utility companies are addressing both customer and society’s social and environmental concerns, while also ensuring the affordable pricing of energy. Repowering and converting: EDF renews fossil fuel portfolioIn 2007, EDF initiated the repowering project of its Martigues conventional oil fired power plant, which will see it converted into two state-of-the-art 460 MW combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) units.
The small grid-connected PV plant with a big potentialAutomation and power technology specialist ABB has been demonstrating the first of its new, 1 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) generating modules designed to capture maximum energy from the sun using tracking solar collectors, and to transmit this with minimum losses to the local electricity grid.
Integrated solutions for the safeguarding of power plantsHorst Köhler, head of utilities solutions at Siemens’ building technologies division, outlines the benefits of an integrated approach to ‘danger management’ in protecting continuity of power supply.
Integrated modernization and prevention of damageThermal power stations are currently riding a wave of modernization. Replacing or renewing process control systems is one option to achieving enhanced process efficiency.
Effective emissions monitoring and detectionStephen Harrison of emissions monitoring specialists Linde Gases outlines and offers some solutions to the challenges the power generation industry face in meeting increasingly stringent emission regulations.
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