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Power Companies Must Plan to Deal with Climate Risks

April 5, 2022

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a report at the end of February titled “Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.” Among the warnings found in the 3,675-page report is that human-induced climate change is causing dangerous and widespread disruption in nature and affecting the lives of billions of people around the world, despite efforts to reduce the risks.

“When we look at the quantitative evidence, we clearly see that global average temperatures and sea levels have risen over the last 150 years, and that we are still on that trend. We also see that climate models cannot replicate historical observed global and continental changes without the human-related inputs, such as greenhouse gas emissions and land use activity,” Dr. Steven Rose, senior research economist and technical executive in the Energy Systems and Climate Analysis Group at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), who was also one of the lead authors of the IPCC report, told POWER.

“The evidence that climate change is affecting society and ecosystems has grown and is continuing to grow.…

Gas Power Outlook: Volatility and Viability

April 1, 2022

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Natural gas generation’s future hinges on a precarious and exceptionally volatile set of issues that the conflict in Ukraine intensified. Experts from the full natural gas chain shed light on how that uncertainty could play out for the fossil gas sector as decarbonization gains momentum, and countries reprioritize energy security and affordability.

In late February, as Russia began its large-scale invasion of Ukraine, the energy world flew into high alert, bracing for major disruptions to energy markets that remain highly dependent on Russian oil and gas. The fallback was swift, prompting an unprecedented volatility that has reverberated across the world.…

Fueling a Cleaner Future with a Hydrogen-First Economy: The New Green Energy Disrupting Power Distribution Companies

March 28, 2022

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Today, hydrogen is experiencing unprecedented demand. Its potential to become a key facilitator of a global transition to a net-zero emission economy, and provide a clean energy solution, has not gone unnoticed by industries worldwide—especially in the energy, utilities, and resources sector. But introducing a hydrogen-powered energy economy is no light decision, it will affect all aspects of how we generate and transmit power. Organizations must rely on modern technology and infrastructure to support a shift that will have an impact on the industry for the next 150 years.

Rising concerns about the effects of climate change, pledges to net-zero carbon emissions, and commitments to reducing greenhouse gases populate our energy landscape. Many would agree that hydrogen has the potential to help solve all. From its energy efficiency, lack of emissions, and access readiness to representing the most plentiful energy source on earth and throughout the galaxy—ultimately, hydrogen has the greatest potential to transform energy, utilities, and resources (EUR).…

Women Are an Important Piece of UAE Nuclear Power Program

March 12, 2022

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Tuesday, March 8, was International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The idea of an International Women’s Day (IWD) was first proposed in 1910 by Clara Zetkin, leader of the Women’s Office for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, during a conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. The following year, on March 19, more than a million people reportedly attended IWD rallies in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. The campaign was aimed at ending discrimination and allowing greater rights for women to work, vote, be trained, and hold public office.

While the situation has improved for women since 1911, inequality persists. According to the World Economic Forum, none of us will see gender parity in our lifetimes. In fact, gender parity may not be attained for another century. Yet, there are women around the world achieving great success. One example is Amani Al Hosani, a nuclear engineer in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“I was born and raised in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.…

Ukraine’s Largest Nuclear Power Plant Taken by Russian Forces

March 6, 2022

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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on March 4 that Russian forces had taken control of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) site, but that the reactors continued to be operated by the plant’s regular staff and there had been no release of radioactive material.

“What we are telling you is confirmed information that is coming straight from the Ukrainian regulator or straight from the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, where we have contacts at the moment and permanently through the night,” IAEA Director General Rafael Mario Grossi said during a press conference held on Friday at 10:30 a.m. CET (4:30 a.m. EST) in Vienna, Austria.

Grossi reported that overnight a projectile had hit a training/construction building within the plant site, causing a fire, which was extinguished by the local fire brigade at the power station. “It’s important to say that all the safety systems of the six reactors at the plant were not affected at all and that there has been no release of radioactive material,” Grossi emphasized during his press briefing.…

New Realms for Gas Power Technology

March 2, 2022

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Gas power technology developers are exploring new roles and applications to ensure gas power will remain relevant as power markets embrace decarbonization.

At the end of 2020, about 1,600 GW of gas turbines were installed globally, the vast majority of which burned natural gas or methane for electricity generation. While high-level outlooks generally suggest natural gas will continue to flourish as the largest source of power in advanced economies over the next decade, a broader push for net-zero emissions could send the resource into long-term decline.

To stay relevant amid the anticipated proliferation of renewables, energy storage, and decarbonized gas, the gas turbine industry is readying for a spate of emerging applications. Along with increased hybridization with renewables and storage, turbine makers are exploring combusting low-carbon fuels; ramping up turbine efficiency, performance, and operational flexibility; and ultimately, reducing their carbon output.

Multiple Approaches to Power-to-X-to-Power

Meeting these attributes will require strategic collaboration on all fronts, including in technical areas, notes ETN Global, a Brussels-based nonprofit trade group representing the entire gas turbine technology value chain.…