Staff Reporter

GE will supply Bagngladesh with four gas turbine rental units that will begin generating commercial power in the first quarter of 2011.

Richard Gagg, Derek Stuart and Randy Hauer of AMETEK Process & Analytical Instruments review the latest technologies available for monitoring various essential operations in coal-fired power generation. 

A US$2.46 billion project to connect the power grid in Tibet to China will be completed by 2012. This project includes 900 kilometers of power lines in an area at an average elevation of 4,000 meters above sea level, according to chinaview.com.

The Philippines wants to get 80 per cent of its power in the next 20 years from renewable energy sources.

Luzon and Mindanao-based customers of the National Power Corp. will enjoy a reduction in theri power rates for the next nine months.

NPCIL’s first pair of indigenously designed 700 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors at Kakrapar in Gujarat achieved first pour of concrete today.

Austria is planning to extend cooperation to the hydel power and alternate energy development projects in Pakistan.

Bangladesh will allow transport of equipment in its territory for a power plant in India's north eastern state of Tripura.

EuroSibEnergo's joint venture with China Yangtze Power  will develop hydro and thermal power projects in Siberia and the Russian Far East.

Huaneng Power will buy a 30-percent stake in CNNC Hainan Nuclear Power from its parent company China Huaneng Group. According to the China Securities Journal, the transaction value totaled US$26.1 million. Huaneng Power also plans to strengthen its coal transport and storage capacity by acquiring a 50-percent stake in Shanghai Time Shipping from Huaneng Energy & Communications Holding, another subsidiary of China Huaneng Group, for US$159 million. Huaneng Power will finance the aforementioned acquisitions with self-owned funds.

Datang Power will develop a photovoltaic power project with a total installed generation capacity of 50 megawatts in Shnaxi. According to China Knowledge, Datang International Power Generation Co. has signed an agreement with the government of Lingshi County, Shanxi Province about the project. It is the latest green energy project of Datang Power in response to the country's new energy development policy, which says the country will try to increase proportion of unconventional energy consumption in total to 15 per cent by 2020.

The CNEA has recommended a government 2020 target of 70 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity.

China has approved several new hydropower projects, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.

China is eyeing an additional 15-20 gigawatts of wind-power generating capacity annually in the next decade. This was revealed by the Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association, according to reports by sxcoal.com. The country will likely have 40 GW of installed wind power capacity by the end of this year, up 60 per cent from 25 GW at end-2009, the association said in a statement. However, since China's wind-power capacity only accounts for less than 3 per cent of its total power-generating capacity, and wind power production only accounts for around 2 percent of its total electricity output, the association emphasized that the country's wind power sector still has much room for development.  

Inner Mongolia generated a total of 11.50 billion KW of wind power in the first 3 quarters of this year. The generation went up by 101.32 per cent year on year, according to statistics released by the Inner Mongolia government. At the end of September, Inner Mongolia total wind power installed capacity reached 7.78 million kW up by 99.22 per cent year on year, the Interfax China reported. The Inner Mongolia government has plans to increase installed capacity another 2.22 million kW over the coming year. The region potential wind resources exceed 150 million kW, roughly half of China total exploitable onshore wind power. Wind power is now the second largest power generation source in Inner Mongolia after coal fired thermal power.

Reliance Power will double the capacity its coal-fired power project in Rosa, Uttar Pradesh, to 2400MW. An additional US$1.33 billion investment will be made by the company. The plant is expected to be fully complete by March 2012.   According to ifandp.com, the project was originally meant to be a 600MW project, which was then scaled up to 1200MW  to make best use of the land available. The company is now looking to acquire additional land for the additional capacity. R-Power is expected to soon apply to the Indian government for the necessary clearance and finance will come from a consortium of banks led by IDBI Bank.   Power generation from the first 600MW phase of the project is expected to begin in a year’s time. The electricity will be supplied to the Uttar Pradesh Power Company Ltd under a Power Purchase Agreement.