Inspectors Harness the Power of Probability
ASME – Most people take the safe operation of power plants for granted, and with good reason.
Behind every power plant are managers who know how likely it is that equipment will fail and what might happen if it did. By closely monitoring the big-risk areas and staying alert to signs of impending equipment failure, they ensure their plant will continue to deliver the electricity, fuel, and steam that light and shape our world.
Key to their success is risk-based inspection (RBI), which uses failure probabilities to determine how often to inspect each power plant component. It makes more effective use of resources, plants operate safely, and companies save money.
It’s no wonder then that RBI has been used with great success around the globe.
EDF Energy delays Hinkley Point nuclear decision
The Guardian – The timetable surrounding the construction of Britain’s first new atomic reactors in almost 30 years has once again been blown off course, its developer, EDF Energy, has admitted. The setback came as the French-owned generator and supply company reported a 25% slump in operating profits for 2014 to £863m, which it blamed on challenging market conditions.
EDF had originally promised to tie up a new deal with financial backers and then take a final investment decision on the proposed new plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset by the middle of last year. This date was later revised to March 2015.
But in a new statement, the largely state-owned energy group said a final investment decision might only be possible in a matter of months, and it had still not finalised talks with Chinese financial backers.
What exactly is Eskom asking from Nersa?
Moneyweb – Re-opener of MYPD3 tariff determination may be on the cards.
The national energy regulator (Nersa) expects to know by the end of the week whether Eskom wants a total review of Nersa’s earlier decision to grant Eskom an 8% annual tariff increase for the five years from 2013/14 to 2017/18 (MYPD3).
Eskom at the time applied for an annual increase of 16% and while it chose not to take the decision on review it has blamed the regulator ever since for its financial woes and a revenue shortfall of R225 billion.
Keep South Africa’s Lights On With Renewable Energy
All Africa – After an explosive start to his State of the Nation Address last week, South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma turned to nuclear, coal, fracking and offshore drilling projects – but what about the country’s free sunshine, wind and tides?
Last Thursday night in Cape Town’s Parliament hall, South Africa’s newest and cheekiest political party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), fought gamely but lost their two-dozen seats for the evening. They were expelled during the State of the Nation speech when making what they termed a ‘point of order’: asking whether President Jacob Zuma would ‘pay back the money’ (about $20 million) that the state illegitimately spent on upgrading his rural mansion. As police ushered them out with extreme force, seven were hospitalised, one with a broken jaw.
Alternatives to drive SA’s energy mix for optimum development
Business Report – We are driven by desperation to consider alternatives for sustainable energy sources rather than being proactive and acting strategically to optimise outcomes, writes Nkosinathi Solomon.
Johannesburg – The raging debate over the suitability of nuclear energy is typical of South Africa’s flawed approach to energy policy. We are driven by desperation to consider alternatives rather than being proactive and acting strategically to optimise outcomes.
The Eskom debacle has forced the government to consider other options such as gas in addition to nuclear – just like the sale of state assets is driven by the need to bail out Eskom rather than economic policy. Invariably, we ask the wrong questions and then proceed to provide the most precise answers to them.
‘We have to ensure it keeps the lights on’
Business Day Live – ELECTRICITY regulator Thembani Bukula says last week’s reversal of the decision not to allow Eskom to retrieve from consumers the billions it is spending on diesel for its open-cycle gas turbines was not the result of government pressure.
Coinciding with this change of tune came the announcement that his boss, the CEO of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, Phindile Baleni, had decided to quit to become director-general in the department of the Gauteng premier.
Speculation is that Baleni, wife of National Union of Mineworkers boss Frans Baleni, was unhappy with Nersa’s decision to reverse its previous determination and pass Eskom’s diesel costs on to the consumer.
Ethanol production to fuel California CHP
Cogeneration and on-site power production – Renewable fuels producer Pacific Ethanol, Inc has signed a deal with Dresser-Rand for the installation of a 3.5 MW cogeneration system with gradual oxidizer at its Stockton plant (pictured) in California, in the western US.
The deal, worth approximately $12 million, will see Ener-Core, Inc’s gradual oxidizer technology convert waste gas from ethanol production and natural gas into electricity and steam.
Under the terms of the agreement, Dresser-Rand will supply two 1.75 MW gas turbine generators with heat recovery steam generators and two gradual oxidizers manufactured by Ener-Core. Pacific Ethanol expects the cogeneration system to be operational by the second quarter of 2016.
Peak pricing pilot promising – Eskom
Woman24 – Early results from a pilot project, which charges customers higher rates for power on selected peak demand days, are “very promising”, Eskom says.
Johannesburg – Early results from a pilot project, which charges customers higher rates for power on selected peak demand days, are “very promising”, Eskom says.
“The critical peak day pricing is a pricing option Eskom is currently piloting with customers who have opted into the pilot,” Eskom’s media desk said.
The pilot project began in October 2013 and would run until October this year.
ANC opts to keep Eskom in one piece
Business Day Live – THE African National Congress (ANC) decided at its annual lekgotla last week to sink the Independent System Market Operator Bill that would have led to the restructuring of the electricity sector.
SA’s energy shortfall was a major focus of discussion at the four-day meeting of top leaders of the ruling party, which has been sending out conflicting signals for years on the future shape of the electricity industry.
