POWER October 2015 - 1

Established 1882 * Vol. 159 * No. 10
October 2015
SPEAKING OF POWER
Power Industry Policy Flip-Flops
GLOBAL MONITOR
Largest OTEC Facility Inaugurated in Hawaii
ON THE COVER
The 2,000-MW ultrasupercritical Shanghai
Waigaoqiao No. 3 project is the most efficient
coal-fired power plant in China and
has led the way with a long list of technological
innovations that are helping tame
the nation's insatiable demand for power
and its notorious air pollution problems.
Courtesy: Shenergy Company Ltd.
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Kuwait to Inject $9.9B into Power Sector to Alleviate Electricity Shortages 9
First Unit of Long-Delayed, Behemoth Medupi Coal Plant Inaugurated 9
THE BIG PICTURE: Clean Power Plan Targets for Better and Worse
Plans for Giant UK Offshore Wind Farms Reconsidered
World's First Substation with Eco-Efficient Gas-Insulated Switchgear
Commissioned
POWER Digest
FOCUS ON O&M
High-Performance Synthetic Rope Allows Craneless Wind Turbine Blade
Replacement
New 3-D Printing System Creates Precision Shaft Collars
LEGAL & REGULATORY
California's Bold Move Toward Default Time-of-Use Rates
By Vidhya Prabhakaran and Katie Jorrie, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
COVER FOCUS: COAL TOP PLANTS
The 2015 Top Plant Award winners in the coal category face very different
regulatory and market conditions that are factors of their geographic location,
but all are dedicated to cleaner, more efficient operation.
Columbia Energy Center, Portage, Wisconsin
An array of recent environmental regulations have led U.S. generators with coalfired
plants to make tough decisions about retiring units or investing heavily in
upgraded emissions controls. This upgrade project is an example of how to handle
a massive project safely while beating schedules and staying under budget.
Manjung Unit 4, Perak, Malaysia
Malaysia's first ultrasupercritical coal power plant required creative design and engineering
so it could burn a wide range of fuels-a necessity because the country
imports coal while exporting natural gas. Despite some efficiency tradeoffs required
for that flexibility, it is the most efficient coal-burning plant in Southeast Asia.
Ottumwa Generating Station, Ottumwa, Iowa
Although upgrading the air quality control system was the initial focus of
this project, the owners took the opportunity to optimize other systems at the
same time. The result is a plant that not only meets regulatory requirements
but also provides increased capacity and efficiency.
Ramagundam Super Thermal Power Station, Karimnagar, Telangana, India 32
For nearly four decades, this plant has been an essential power provider as it
added capacity over the years. Even as the plant ages, it has been setting new
performance records thanks to environmental and other upgrades.
Shanghai Waigaoqiao No. 3, Shanghai, China
While China continues to add power generation capacity, it's also more focused
than ever on reducing emissions from coal power plants in order to
improve air quality and lower carbon emissions. The two units at this plant
are the most efficient in China's coal fleet, and not just because they use ultrasupercritical
technology.
October 2015 | POWER
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POWER October 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of POWER October 2015