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Vogtle Start Dates Pushed Back Again

October 23, 2021

Georgia Power has again pushed back the in-service dates for two new reactors at the Vogtle nuclear power plant, with Units 3 and 4 now projected to come online in the third quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of 2023, respectively.

Georgia Power in an Oct. 21 news release said its needs more time to deal with continued issues with construction, and to conduct more comprehensive testing to ensure quality and safety standards are met at the two-unit expansion project in Waynesboro, Georgia. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in late August said it would consider increasing oversight of the oft-delayed project.

It’s the fourth time in just the past six months that Georgia Power has announced a further delay in startup of the two units.

“As we’ve said from the beginning of this project, we are going to build these units the right way, without compromising safety and quality to achieve a schedule deadline,” said Chris Womack, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power, in a statement.…

Major India Utility Plans Massive Increase in Renewable Energy

October 19, 2021

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The chief executive of major India electricity producer Tata Power said his company is prepared to make major investments in renewable energy, primarily solar and also wind power, as the group looks to increase its clean energy portfolio from its present 4 GW to 25 GW by 2030.

Praveer Sinha, Tata Power’s CEO and managing director, told Nikkei Asia that “for a country like India, renewable is very good source” for power production. He said India’s sunny climate provides the country with “huge potential” for solar power, “so for us, this is a very important opportunity to leverage and see how we can increase our generation through renewable sources.”

Sinha told the news service that Tata could provide “excellent 24/7 renewable solutions” via solar, wind, and other clean energy sources. Tata Power, part of Tata Group, India’s largest conglomerate, has said it would like to add 2 GW of new renewable generation annually over the next decade. Renewable energy today makes up about 30% of the company’s generation.…

Former SCANA CEO Will Land in Prison as Result of V.C. Summer Nuclear Project

October 17, 2021

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Kevin B. Marsh, former CEO of SCANA Corp., was sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud related to the V.C. Summer nuclear expansion project.

Marsh is the first defendant in the case to be sentenced as a result of the investigation. However, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has obtained felony guilty pleas from Stephen Byrne, former executive vice president of SCANA and former COO of South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. (SCE&G), and Carl Churchman, former vice president with Westinghouse Electric Corp. and the project director of the V.C. Summer nuclear project. It has also charged Jeffrey Benjamin, former senior vice president with Westinghouse, in a 16-count felony criminal indictment. Benjamin maintains his innocence, however, and Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina M. Rhett DeHart has said all charges against him are merely accusations—the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

In the case of Marsh, however, the evidence presented in court “showed that he intentionally defrauded ratepayers while overseeing and managing SCANA’s operations—including the construction of two reactors at the V.C.…

DTE Energy Will Close Belle River Coal Power Plant Two Years Early

October 15, 2021

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Detroit-based DTE Energy said it will cease all coal use at its Belle River Power Plant no later than December 2028, at least two years earlier than the facility’s previously scheduled 2030 end date.

The Belle River Power Plant comprises two electric generating units, each with a maximum gross design generating output of 697 MW. The 2,200-acre site on which it’s located is in China and East China Townships in St. Clair County, Michigan, and is shared with several other units including a few gas-fired peaking combustion turbines and the coal-fired St. Clair Power Plant. The Belle River units were brought online in 1984 and 1985, respectively.

DTE, which serves about 2.2 million electric customers in southeast Michigan, said retiring the facility by 2028 will enable the company to achieve its 50% carbon emissions reduction goal faster than planned and move the company closer to its ultimate goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions. DTE has already retired four of its coal-fired facilities—Marysville, Harbor Beach, Conners Creek, and River Rouge—and plans to retire its Trenton Channel and St.…

Emerson Merging Software Business with AspenTech in $11 Billion Deal

October 11, 2021

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Emerson Electric Co. said it will merge its software business with rival Aspen Technology (AspenTech) in an $ 11 billion deal that will bring together both companies’ expertise in industrial software applications. It’s the latest move by Emerson to support the rapid growth of digitization in the power generation industry.

“We saw an attractive opportunity to accelerate our software strategy to capitalize on the rapidly evolving industrial software landscape and advance Emerson’s high-value portfolio journey,” Emerson CEO Lal Karsanbhai said in a statement Oct. 11. AspenTech shareholders will receive $ 87 a share in cash and 0.42 share of stock in the new company, the companies said Monday. Emerson will contribute $ 6 billion of cash to the new venture, taking a 55% stake.

“Our customers are increasingly seeking partners to help realize stronger performance as they automate workflows in their facilities to optimize operations,” said Karsanbhai. “New AspenTech will become an engine for both acquisition and organic growth.”

Emerson, a technology and engineering company based in Ferguson, Missouri, continues its efforts to become an industrial software supplier.…

Pioneering 10-MW Baseload Hydrogen Power Plant Breaks Ground in French Guiana

October 7, 2021

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Hydrogene de France (HDF) Energy, an independent power producer and fuel cell manufacturer, has kicked off construction of one of the world’s first multi-megawatt baseload hydrogen power plants. The company says the project in French Guiana, which is being “duplicated” in about 20 countries, will provide 128 MWh of green hydrogen storage.

CEOG is based on HDF Energy’s proprietary power-to-power Renewstable power plant. The plant will comprise a solar PV park, a 16-MW electrolyzer, a long-term hydrogen storage unit, two 1.5-MW fuel cell systems, as well as a short-term lithium-ion battery storage unit. When commissioned as planned in mid-2023, the plant will deliver a “fixed and guaranteed” power capacity of 10 MW between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. and 3 MW between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. Courtesy: CEOG

HDF Energy’s $ 200 million Centrale Electrique de l’Ouest Guyanais (CEOG) project is based on its proprietary power-to-power Renewstable power plant. The plant will comprise a solar PV park, a 16-MW electrolysis platform, a long-term hydrogen storage unit, two 1.5-MW fuel cell systems, as well as a short-term lithium-ion battery storage unit.…