News

Asia-Pacific’s Automatic Meter Reading market will reach $1.22 billion by 2015 with an annual growth of 63.2 percent from 2008. The data, which is based on a Frost & Sullivan’s research study, is seen to cause vendors, analyst and suppliers to maximise their revenues during this time frame.

CLP will invest US$13.07 million in a joint venture to acquire two wind projects in Fuxin City, China.

20,000 customers were affected by power outage caused by a short circuit of a transformer at Macau Norte Substation.

Siemens Energy has commissioned an SST-300 industrial steam turbine at a paper mill in Thailand. It produces electrical energy to operate the machines and thermal energy for the drying processes employed in paper production. It is driven by steam produced in a boiler fueled by waste biomass from pulp production, and partially also coal. This paper mill will burn more than 200,000 tons of biomass, mainly from eucalyptus. It is owned by SCG Paper and is operated by Phoenix Pulp & Paper PCL, which ranks among the most important Thai pulp and paper mills with a production capacity of around 200,000 tons of printing and writing paper a year. SCG Paper decided to purchase the Siemens SST-300 steam turbine with a capacity of 31 megawatts to increase the paper mill’s efficiency. It was supplied by the Siemens site in Brno in the Czech Republic.  

PLDT will acquire a 30 percent stake in Meralco to frustrate a perceived takeover attempt by San Miguel Corporation.

The State Development and Reform Commission has approved Haiyang Nuclear Power Plant’s application to carry out preliminary works for its Units 3 and 4. The plant earlier passed the site acceptance of the National Nuclear Security Administration of its Unit 1 NI excavation in Phase I on 21 February.

To lower costs for its 154kV substations, KEPCO changed the cooling method and simplified frame structures for its new designs.

More CO2 emissions credits will be used by Chubu Electric for an LNG thermoelectric power generation project being built in Putian City, Fujian Province by the CNOOC Fujian Gas Power Co., Ltd. Chubu Electric has concluded an agreement to repurchase CO2 emissions credits from Mitsubishi Corporation after it has committed to purchase approximately 9.24 million tons of CO2 emissions credits from a Chinese project. The company described the latter purchase, which will be made over the 2009–2012 period, as "the largest carbon credit purchase agreement that Chubu Electric has ever entered." An official statement from Chubu Electric Power Company, Inc., stated, "Our intent is to continue the fight against global warming by working with CO2 reduction projects and taking other measures."

Black & Veatch will provide engineering, procurement and commissioning services for the Tanjung Jati B power station’s boiler island in Central Java, Indonesia. This includes equipment for coal handling and unloading, air quality control systems and limestone unloading and handling.

Kaifeng Power Plant’s extension project passed the 168-hour test run with a 100 percent rate in automation, protection, instrument startup and steam-water quality. The successful test run signals its completion for generation.

Macau’s CEM can now monitor all its 960 units of 11,000/400V transformers on a 24-hour basis following the installation of its alarm system.

J-Power has acquired holdings in three Marubeni wind power companies to increase its wind power capacity in Japan to 255,880kW. It is the first such assets acquired by J-Power in Japan that have been developed and operated by another company.

Chubu Electric has received MOX fuel that will be used for its Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station to generate pluthermal energy in Reactor No. 4. The reactor had been started as early as 4 August 2003 for trial operations.

GE Energy recently signed contracts worth $128 million to service the 795.6 megawatt Zhejiang Zheneng Zhenhai Power Plant.

The Changling Wind Farm is now ready to provide a total capacity of 34.5MW after its 18th wind turbine was connected to the grid last 27 February, indicating the completion of the project. It is the second wind power project in Jianxi Province and also the largest.

In a first for China, a new 640 km, 1000 kV transmission line connects its two major grids using home-grown technology.