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Hungary Adding New VVER-1200 Nuclear Reactors in First for EU

August 27, 2022

Hungary’s nuclear energy agency has issued a license for construction of two reactors for Paks II, a power generation project first launched in early 2014 as part of an inter-governmental agreement between Hungary and Russia. Officials said Paks II would be the first nuclear plant in the European Union to use Rosatom’s Generation III+ VVER-1200 reactor technology.

The Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority (OAH) on Aug. 26 signified its support for construction and issued an implementation license, saying after its review of the project’s design that Paks II complies with both Hungarian and European safety standards. The contract to build the nuclear power plant (NPP) is supported by a Russian state loan, which is financing most of the construction of the $ 12-billion facility. Rosatom is Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy corporation.

Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said, “Today, the Paks II NPP project is taking another leap forward. The construction license confirms that the project complies with the international and Hungarian safety requirements.…

CAISO’s First Geothermal Plant in 30 Years Comes Online

August 25, 2022

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The first geothermal power plant built in more than three decades within the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) balancing authority has come online. Mammoth Pacific Geothermal, an Ormat Co. subsidiary, declared the 30-MW Casa Diablo IV (CD4) commercially operational on July 20.

CD4 is located on public land two miles east of the Town of Mammoth Lakes in Mono County, California. The project is part of the Mammoth complex, which includes three other plants—one completed in 1985 and two added in 1990—each with a generating capacity of approximately 10 MW. The complex taps into the Long Valley Caldera’s hydrothermal system at a point where the hot water is only a few hundred feet below ground.

CD4 comprises two Ormat Energy Converter (OEC) binary generating units, each 21.2 MW, and vaporizers, turbines, generators, air-cooled condensers, preheaters, pumps and piping, and related ancillary equipment. OEC binary generating units are based on an Organic Rankine Cycle, and work by vaporizing a secondary working fluid (organic, with a low boiling point) that is heated by the geothermal fluid extracted from an underground reservoir.…

The POWER Interview: Fluence Exec Offers Insight on Energy Storage

August 23, 2022

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There’s global growth in energy storage. The latest evidence is a report that BlackRock, the New York-based asset manager and a major player in energy sector, is ready to buy Akyasha Energy, an Australian company that specializes in battery storage and renewable energy projects.

BlackRock in an Aug. 16 news release said it would commit about $ 700 million to develop more than 1 GW of battery energy storage. The group said it would at a future date expand Akyaysha projects across Taiwan and Japan.

Virginia-based Fluence, a battery energy storage system (BESS) integrator launched in 2018 by Siemens and AES, and with offices worldwide, has become a global leader in the development of energy storage products and services, and also is active in the Australian market—along with helping drive U.S. adoption of storage. The company, part of some of the largest U.S. BESS installations, earlier this month said it is setting up a new contract manufacturing facility in Utah to serve the U.S.…

Operating Energy Systems in a War-Torn Country: DTEK Prepares for Winter

August 19, 2022

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While much of the world lives life as usual, DTEK—the largest private investor in Ukraine’s energy sector—is focused on providing reliable service amidst war and uncertainty.

“Today, the major topic for us is to provide stability in durations of electricity sector in Ukraine and also do everything possible to prepare for winter season,” DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko said during a press briefing on Aug. 18.

DTEK’s companies are involved in coal and natural gas extraction; electricity generation from wind, solar, and thermal power plants; energy resources trading in national and international markets; distributing and supplying electricity to consumers; providing energy efficiency services to customers; and developing high-speed charging station networks. It employs about 60,000 people, and has been recognized as one of Ukraine’s best employers by EY (the international auditing company) and Ukrainian business publications.

“Unfortunately, we pay a very high price to maintain electricity supply in the areas under control,” said Timchenko, referring to the 67 DTEK employees who have been killed as a result of the war while performing work for the company.…

AEP CEO Nick Akins to Step Down, Julie Sloat Tapped as Next Company Head

August 15, 2022

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American Electric Power’s (AEP’s) long-serving chairman, president, and CEO, Nick Akins, will step down as CEO on Jan. 1, 2023, and has already passed the company’s presidency to Julie A. Sloat, AEP executive vice president, and chief financial officer (CFO).

Sloat, 53, will become the power generating company’s CEO in January, making her the first woman to serve at the helm of the giant power generating company and only the seventh CEO in its 116-year history.

Julie A. Sloat on Aug. 10, 2022, became AEP’s president and chief financial officer. She has been elected chief executive officer, effective Jan. 1, 2023. Courtesy: AEP

Sloat’s election as CEO by the AEP Board of Directors on Aug. 10 marks a notable executive shuffle for the public utility holding company, which is in the midst of a historic transformation into a more agile and customer-focused provider of energy solutions. As CEO, Sloat will be expected to navigate the massive company through the energy transition, which is being driven by multiple, and often conflicting factors, including changing customer needs, evolving policies, stakeholder demands, demographics, competitive offerings, technologies, and commodity prices.…

California Governor Has Plan to Keep Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Open

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed a plan that would keep the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant open into 2035, a decade beyond the facility’s current closure date.

The proposal, which in part includes giving plant owner Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) a forgivable $ 1.4-billion loan, was included in a draft legislative package sent to state lawmakers late on Aug. 11. The bill has not yet been introduced in the state legislature. The current legislative session ends Aug. 31, though Newsom could call for a special session beyond that date to consider the plan.

The proposal was confirmed by Newsom spokesman Anthony York, according to Associated Press. The news service reported the bill “says impacts of climate change are occurring sooner than anticipated and are simultaneously driving up electrical demand while reducing power supplies.”

“The governor has been clear for months about the potential need to extend the life of Diablo Canyon,” York said. The spokesman said the governor has stressed the importance of all energy options to maintain a reliable power supply, and “this proposal reflects the continued need to keep that flexibility.”…