MEGAWHAT MAGAZINE EXCLUSIVE

The three institutions launched in 2009 the UAE Nuclear Energy Scholarship Programme, which provides full scholarship to UAE nationals to pursue nuclear, mechanical or electrical engineering studies in some of the world’s finest universities. The UAE will have the first of its nuclear power plants in full operation by 2017.

Siemens to stabilise Saudi power transmission network

Siemens has received an $87-million (€65m) order from the Saudi Electric Company (SEC) for three turnkey reactive-power compensation systems, for Saudi Arabia’s 60-Hertz power transmission network. The three parallel, static Var compensators (SVCs) for different high-voltage levels will be deployed to three sites in the Hiteen, Qassim and Afif substations, and are set to operate between mid-2011 and early-2012. The increasing power demand in Saudi Arabia means higher loadings, prompting the biggest economy in the Gulf to implement additional measures for grid stabilisation.

“We are pleased that our field-proven technology will be deployed to stabilise the Saudi power transmission network,” said Udo Niehage, CEO of the Power Transmission Division of Siemens Energy. Reactive-power compensation systems ensure stable operations by counterbalancing voltage and load fluctuations in high-voltage transmission networks.

Shuaibah IWPP steam power plant starts commercial operation

Saudi Arabia’s Shuaibah IWPP steam power plant with integrated seawater desalination facility has begun its commercial operation. The overall plant has an installed capacity of 900 megawatts while the seawater desalination plant will produce 880,000 cubic metres of potable water daily to the cities of Mecca, Jeddah, Taif and Al Baha. The power plant is also equipped with one of the world’s most advanced flue-gas cleaning plants.

Located about 110 kilometres south of Jeddah, the plant was built by Siemens Energy and its consortium partner, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co Ltd for Shuaibah Water and Electricity Company (SWEC). Shuaibah is the fourth large-capacity steam power plant built by Siemens in Saudi Arabia after Jeddah III, Ghazlan and Al Khobar. Saudi Arabia would be requiring new power plants with an annual capacity of at least 300 MW as its population is seen to reach 40 million by 2024.

UES secures Oman contract for Cummins

United Engineering Services (UES) has secured for Cummins a contract in Oman to supply a government ministry with a system that manages a number of radar stations in various hard-to-reach locations, where a standby power is required. The PowerCommand iWatch 100 system enables customers to monitor their power generators remotely on a computer and transfer switches that are interconnected with a Cummins Echelon LonWorks network using the Internet Explorer browser rather than software.

A Cummins dealer and a division of Bahwan Engineering Co Group, UES has supplied the standby generator with a changeover panel in accordance with the contract, which involves a station site that’s inhospitable and inaccessible from mainland Oman. Every Cummins customer has the advantage of proven engine platforms and technology, in addition to services made available through a global network of 5,500 distributors and dealers in 160 countries and territories.

IEA, NEA say best electricity source differs per domestic conditions

Nuclear energy and coal with carbon capture are the most competitive solutions for electricity requirements when financing costs are low. But in cases where there are higher financing costs, the coal-fired generation followed by coal with carbon capture and gas-fired combined cycle turbines (CCGTs) are the cheapest sources of electricity. These are two of the main findings of a joint study released by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) on March 25.

Titled “Projected Costs of Generating Electricity: 2010 Edition”, the study posits that no technology has the advantage to assure economic development at a global level under all circumstances. In a joint statement, the IEA and NEA remarked, “Conditions prevailing domestically matter and the competitiveness of a generating technology will depend on a number of factors, especially the cost of capital and the price of carbon.”

Part L 2010 is out

The effects of the phasing out of tungsten lamps are some of the salient points contained in the 2010 edition of Part L, whose proposed changes will be influenced by political judgement on how the public will reduce energy consumption. The use of low-energy lamps is expected to rise dramatically within domestic buildings while those installed in light fittings with BC or ES holders will now be accepted, says Richard Forster, a lighting engineer at the consultancy firm BSRIA.

Part L, or the Conservation of fuel and power, is an approved document making up one of the 14 sections of the Building Regulations in the UK. Relating to dwellings and other buildings, Part L controls the insulation values of building elements, the allowable area of windows, doors and other openings. It also controls the air permeability of the structure, the insulation and controls for heating appliances and systems and hot water storage and lighting efficiency.

UAE landmarks observe Earth Hour

The world tallest tower Burj Khalifa and Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque, the resting place of the UAE’s founding father, and other UAE landmarks participated in the worldwide event Earth Hour on March 27. The event, which started as a one-city (Sydney, Australia) initiative in 2007, was observed by switching off the lights for one hour. This was display of a concerted effort towards energy conservation and sustainable development, according to a statement from the World Wildlife Fund.

“Earth Hour is about responsibility, about the duty that all of us . . . have to protect our environment, and to take action against climate change,” said Dr Naal Al Hosany, director for sustainability at Masdar. “Switching off the lights for one hour reinforces that message and shows how simple actions can go a long way toward making a difference.”

NAG expands student prize to mark 40th anniversary

Numerical Algorithms Group (NAG) has decided to expand its student prize programme to include new awards aimed at cultivating the next generation of numerical software talent worldwide. The move marks the company’s 40th anniversary this year as a global player in high-quality computational software and high-performance computing services. “The quality and passion of NAG’s people and their drive to make the life of scientists better, and to take advantage of the newest and best results in the math software was as clear then as it is now,” said Stuart Feldman, vice-president for engineering at Google, who had visited NAG early in his career.

The Jewish state has chosen the northern part of the Negev desert as a site for the first nuclear reactor to be put to civilian energy use. Israel has already two nuclear reactors, one near the southeast city of Dimona and a second research reactor at Nahal Soreq near the capital Tel Aviv. The first one is believed to be used to produce atomic weapons.

WB’s IFC to provide $10m for clean energy project in India

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, said it will provide an equity investment of $10 million to Indian-based independent solar power company, Azure Power Private Ltd, to carry out a clean energy project. Involving a new megawatt scale grid-connected solar plants, the project will expand capacity to produce over 20,000 megawatt hours of clean energy annually upon completion. This will reach a hundred villages in several Indian states, and avoid more than 10,000 tonnes of carbon-dioxide emissions per year.

“Azure Power will be the first direct investment for IFC in a megawatt grid-connected solar power project developer,” said Anita George, IFC infrastructure director for Asia. “The project, IFC’s first cleantech investment in South Asia, will go a long way in contributing to the development of the solar power generation sector.”

Scientists steal electric current from algae

Scientists from the US and South Korea have successfully stolen an electric current from algae, a development which could create a new and environmentally friendly way to generate electricity, according to ABC News. They did this on well studied algae, called Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, by applying a tiny current of electricity that triggers the cell to react but reduces the algae’s lifespan down to tens of minutes. The amount of harvested electricity is too little that it could not power any consumer electrical device.