POWER March 2015 - 16

the OSU method uses a mixture of magnesium
and zinc metals that are heated
to high temperature in a flow of carbon
dioxide. This produces a controlled reaction
that converts the elements into their
metal oxides and nanoporous graphene.
Because of its simplicity and low cost,
OSU researchers believe the method has
good potential to be scaled up for commercial
manufacture. Supercapacitors
with nanoporous graphene electrodes
could potentially have far higher storage
capacity than current designs using activated
carbon.
-Thomas W. Overton, JD
POWER Digest
TIC to Build First U.S. J-series GT
Plant. The Industrial Co. (TIC), a wholly
owned subsidiary of Kiewit Corp., was
recently awarded an engineering, procurement,
and construction contract to
build a gas turbine (GT) power plant for
the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA),
Oklahoma's state-owned electric utility.
The 495-MW Grand River Energy Center
Unit 3 will feature the first U.S.-installed
Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems
Americas Inc. M501J-series GT. Construction
will begin in early 2015 in Chouteau,
Okla. The new plant will help GRDA meet
new emissions regulations by reducing its
dependence on coal-fired power generation.
The project is scheduled to become
operational in May 2017.
South Africa to Develop Continent's
First CSP Project. The South Africa Department
of Energy awarded preferred
bidder status for a 100-MW concentrating
solar power (CSP) project to a consortium
led by SolarReserve, a global developer
of utility-scale solar power projects, and
International Company for Water and
Power Projects, the Saudi water and
power developer, owner, and operator. The
Redstone Solar Thermal Power project is
scheduled to achieve financial close later
in 2015 and commence operations in
early 2018. It will be the first of its kind
in Africa and will feature SolarReserve's
molten salt energy storage technology in
a tower configuration, providing 12 hours
of full-load energy storage. The project
also features dry cooling to minimize water
use.
Saudi Arabia Plans First CSPCombined
Cycle Plant. The Green Duba
project will integrate 50 MW of parabolic
trough concentrated solar power (CSP) in
a combined cycle plant with a total capacity
of 600 MW. Saudi Electricity Co.
selected General Electric to supply the
16
gas turbine-based plant, to be built in
the western Red Sea port of Duba. Project
completion is expected by 2018. The technology
provider for the CSP component
was not named.
Morocco Adds Solar Thermal Capacity.
The Moroccan Agency for Solar
Energy (MASEN) has selected a consortium
including SENER to construct the
200-MW Noor 2 and 150-MW Noor 3,
which represent phases 2 and 3 of the
country's largest solar complex, located
in Ouarzazate, in southern Morocco.
SENER will perform the engineering, construction,
and commissioning of the two
solar thermal power plants, which make
use of different technologies: Noor 2 will
use SENERtrough parabolic troughs (designed
and patented by SENER), while
Noor 3 will use a central tower and an
array of heliostats. Noor 4, for which a
contract has not yet been awarded, will
use photovoltaic technology.
B&W to Design and Manufacture
Equipment for Vietnamese Plant.
The Babcock & Wilcox Co. (B&W) subsidiary
Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation
Group Inc. has been chosen to
design and manufacture a supercritical
coal-fired boiler and selective catalytic
reduction system for the Duyen Hai 3
Extension power plant in Vietnam. The
selection was made by Japanese prime
contractor Sumitomo Corp., which will
build the 688-MW plant for Power Generation
Corporation 1, a subsidiary of
Electricity Vietnam. It will be B&W's
sixth steam generator in Vietnam. B&W
has received a full notice to proceed,
engineering is under way, and the plant
is scheduled for commercial operation in
mid-2018.
Siemens Delivers Three F-Class
Gas Turbines to Peru. Siemens has
received an order for three SGT6-5000F
dual-fuel gas turbines from Peruvian utility
EnerSur. The turbines will be used for
the Nodo Energético del Sur-Planta No. 2
Región Moquegua project in the port of
Ilo, in the Moquegua region of southern
Peru. They will power three simple cycle
plants with a combined capacity of 600
MW. Commercial operation is scheduled for
March 2017.
Construction Begins on UK Biomass
Plant. Ground was broken on Jan. 20 for
the Snetterton Renewable Energy Plant-a
44.2-MW straw-powered biomass plant-
located in Norfolk County, England. Burmeister
& Wain Scandinavian Contractor
A/S (BWSC) will oversee the construction
process and will own the plant in partnership
with a Danish infrastructure fund
www.powermag.com
managed by Copenhagen Infrastructure
Partners A/S.
The project was originally developed by
Iceni Energy Ltd., with renewable energy
project developer Eco2 Ltd. later joining
forces to take the project forward to financial
close. The plant is expected to be
operational by mid-2017. BWSC will be in
charge of the operation and maintenance
of the plant for a 15-year period and has
contracted for supply of straw for the next
12 years.
This is the second biomass power plant
the group is constructing in the UK. The
other is the Brigg Renewable Energy Plant
in Lincolnshire, further north in England.
Novel Wind Power System to Be
Tested in Florida. SheerWind-an energy
technology company based in Chaska,
Minn.-will design, manufacture, and
commission its unique INVELOX wind power
system at Tampa Electric's Big Bend
Power Station in Apollo Beach, Fla. While
the system utilizes conventional wind
power equipment, the design is completely
different. Wind enters an omnidirectional
intake area at the top of the structure and
is funneled down to a venturi, where it
is concentrated and further accelerated.
Turbine generators are placed inside to
take advantage of the velocity increase
and convert the wind to electrical power.
A diffuser section on the outlet slows the
wind speed prior to exiting the system at
the bottom.
One of the advantages of the INVELOX
solution is that turbines and rotors are
installed at ground level for easier, safer,
and cheaper operation and maintenance.
The system is capable of operating in a
wide range of wind speeds (from 2 mph
to over 100 mph) and is said to pose no
harm to birds or other animals. Multiple
turbines can be installed in series to increase
output capacity from each tower.
A 200-kW system will be installed this
year as a pilot project. If the technology
is proven to be viable following collection
of sufficient data (expected to take from
six to eight months), Tampa Electric may
consider purchasing a utility-scale 1.8-MW
INVELOX system.
Another Massive Coal Plant Planned
for India. Hong Kong-based China Light
& Power Holdings Ltd. is planning a
2,000-MW coal-based power plant in Gujarat,
India, at a projected investment of
$2 billion. The new plant would join to its
existing 600-MW gas-fired power plant in
the state and will most likely be fueled by
imported coal. ■
-Thomas W. Overton, JD; Aaron Larson;
and Gail Reitenbach, PhD
POWER | March 2015
http://www.powermag.com
POWER March 2015

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