All articles by Staff Writer
Staff Writer
SMR Momentum Builds at Darlington
Small modular reactors, SMRs, talked about in nuclear circles for several decades, are showing encouraging signs of actually progressing to construction projects, with GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s BWRX-300, installed capacity 300 MWe, currently having a strong claim to be frontrunner technology
Time to Upgrade Europe’s Transmission System
The blackout across the Iberian Peninsula on 28 April presented a timely reminder that most of Europe’s power transmission system is ageing, with approximately 40% of its distribution grids over 40 years old. It is an inconvenient truth that the grid was developed for conventional generation using conventional technology, not for modern renewable generation, and that accelerating investment in renewable capacity has not been matched by investment in the grid.
Airwave: The Knowledge Bridge for Hydropower Teams
As hydropower faces a growing skills gap and retiring workforce, Airwave’s AI platform offers a way to capture and share critical expertise on the front lines. CEO Pankaj Prasad explains how the tool is transforming technician support – bringing decades of knowledge into the hands of the next generation
Testing Next-Gen Floating Wind with We4Ce Blade Sets
We4Ce, a Dutch rotor blade designer, has provided ten rotor blade sets for Dutch wind turbine startup TouchWind for testing on its floating TW6 turbine — a self-tilting, one-piece rotor design that breaks from conventional three-blade models. Engineered to withstand wind speeds of up to 250 km/h — the highest wind class of wind industry standards — the future commercial version is expected to cost significantly less than traditional turbines while delivering higher energy yields.
ZF Powers Up with 30 MW Wind Test Rig
The wind energy sector is at a pivotal juncture, says ZF Wind Power, facing significant challenges that demand innovative solutions and the need for robust and reliable powertrain systems has never been more critical. This is the context, as ZF Wind Power sees it, for its recent commissioning of a 30 MW test rig for wind turbine powertrains, thought to be the world’s largest.
Hydropower Workforce Planning
The Hydropower Knowledge Sharing and Succession Planning Toolkit, created by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in collaboration with the US Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), can help organisations effectively plan for workforce changes and share knowledge across employees. Report by Adam Kanter
Energy and AI: Key Findings from the IEA
A new report from the International Energy Agency, Energy and AI, is said to offer the most comprehensive, data-driven global analysis to date of the growing connections between energy and AI
Workforce: Hydropower’s Critical Factor
Addressing workforce challenges is now considered to be crucial to hydropower’s success
LHWP Phase II Spotlight: Modern Tunnelling in Remote Terrain
The Polihali Transfer Tunnel, a major component of Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, showcases modern tunnelling practices, integrated hydropower development, and the logistical demands of infrastructure construction in remote regions. Information from Nts’oli Maiketso – Divisional Manager, Phase II
NERC on Data Centres and Grid Voltage Disturbances
NERC (North American Electric Reliability Corporation) has published a new incident review examining an event in the Eastern Interconnection of the USA in July 2024 that demonstrates the risks and challenges posed by the increasing integration of voltage-sensitive large loads, such as data centres and cryptocurrency mining facilities, into the US Bulk Electric System (BES). The review underscores the vulnerability of these loads to voltage disturbances, which could have significant reliability implications