RWE’s second and largest-to-date battery storage project has entered full operations in County Monaghan, Ireland. 60 MW facility The 60-megawatt (MW) facility, located at Lisdrumdoagh, (3km East of Monaghan town) is capable of providing the rapid delivery of electricity into the power grid to help balance intermittency in electricity generation. It also provides a short-term backup to help address power outages and maintain a more stable and secure electricity supply in Ireland. 8.5 MW...

EV chargers are becoming ubiquitous so much so that now legislation requires new domestic and industrial buildings to include charging points. While the main power conversion technology is an area of intense innovation, there is also a need for low-power auxiliary AC/DC and DC/DC converters. This article looks at the specifications these low-power auxiliary converters need to meet. The uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) in all of their forms has really taken off. As many as 6.75 millio...

RWE will acquire the gas-fired power plant ‘Magnum’ at Eemshaven, the Netherlands, in the province of Groningen from Vattenfall. The two companies have signed an agreement to this effect. The plant, which has been in operation since 2013, is one of the most modern power plants of its kind and has an installed capacity of 1.4 gigawatts. RWE to acquire ‘Magnum’ gas-fired power plant Magnum is located in the immediate vicinity of RWE’s existing power plant in Eemsha...

Volta Trucks, the pioneering and disruptive full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider, has completed its first customer driving evaluation and feedback sessions of the Volta Zero Design Verification prototype. The review gave customers their first experience of the zero-tailpipe emission medium-duty truck designed for urban logistics, providing a real-world understanding of the vehicle’s performance, world-first driver-centric cab, and innovative safety features....

Volta Trucks are pleased to announce that it has been shortlisted for the Innovation Award at the prestigious Motor Transport Awards 2022, in partnership with Goodyear.  Motor Transport Awards 2022 This award recognizes that the road transport sector is going through unprecedented levels of change, as it strives to deliver great service, while cutting emissions, improving safety, and addressing the skills shortage all while delivering a profit. This Award is for the most innovative...

On May 11, 2022, Hunan 500 kV Shuicheng substation was successfully put into operation. The substation is the first 500 kV intelligent substation in Hunan Province to realize the remote 'one key sequence control' function. The implementation and application of remote 'one key sequence control' enables the staff of Changsha EHV centralized control station to operate the 500 kV Shuicheng substation equipment more than 300 km away only in front of the centralized control computer, greatly shorteni...

RWE is moving ahead with the expansion of renewable energies in Germany: RWE has already significantly strengthened its team for the onshore and solar business, which has a very regional focus. Of the 200 vacancies, around 50 have already been filled by new colleagues. They will intensively drive forward the project development of onshore wind power and ground-mounted photovoltaics (PV). RWE opens seven New offices in Germany The company has also opened seven offices in Germany since the begi...

Canyon State Electric is introducing a new initiative targeting the leading cause of construction worker fatalities nationwide: suicide. The 4X5 program teaches employees to recognize potential mental health issues in themselves and their coworkers, before they become unmanageable. According to the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) statistics, suicide in the construction industry is four times higher than any other industry and five times as deadly as construction-related incidents. Main fac...

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol met with leaders from government, industry, finance and civil society at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week where he highlighted the need for greater investments in the clean energy transition to address the major global challenges of energy security and climate change. “The world does not need to choose between the energy crisis and the climate crisis. We can solve both of them with the right investment,” Dr. Birol said duri...

Two new hires have been added to the ever expanding Electric Miles team, Junior Software Engineer - Daniel Barredo and Customer Success Analyst - Gregory Crowther. Daniel Barredo had this to say about his new employment at Electric Miles: "I’m delighted for the opportunity to join Electric Miles. I great admire the company’s goals and potential, and I will strive to help reach them through my contributions. Looking forward to being part of a driving force of change for the better."...

DENSO Corporation, a mobility supplier, and Honeywell, an aerospace pioneer, are co-developing an electric motor (e-motor) for the Lilium Jet. This is the first product developed by Honeywell and DENSO since formalizing their alliance, and it marks DENSO’s entry into the aerospace market. The two companies will work with Lilium, developer of the first all-electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) jet, to integrate the e-motor into Lilium’s aircraft engines. susta...

The European Commission and the International Energy Agency are joining forces to help EU countries reduce their reliance on Russian fossil fuels. By strengthening investments in clean energy and energy efficiency, the project aims to mitigate the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the EU energy sector. Liquefied natural gas In the framework of this common endeavor, the Commission is offering support to Member States to reduce their dependence on Russian fossil fuels through the...

Policy support and flood of new models underpin sales in major markets, but greater efforts are needed to anticipate supply chain bottlenecks and boost critical mineral production. Electric car sales powered through 2021 and have remained strong so far in 2022, but ensuring future growth will demand greater efforts to diversify battery manufacturing and critical mineral supplies, in order to reduce the risks of bottlenecks and price rises, according to the International Energy Agency. Sales of...

There are numerous informative articles on the operational temperature range of electronic components and sub-assemblies, but relatively few on storage temperatures. The datasheets of most manufacturers either show the same storage temperature range as the maximum possible operating temperatures (e.g. 0°C to +85°C) or use the “standard industrial” values of -40°C to +100°C, non-operating and without further explanation. risks and factors However, to correctly store...

IEA Executive Director - Fatih Birol received a visit from Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, the Secretary General of OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries), at the International Energy Agency (IEA) headquarters in Paris, France. During the meeting, Dr. Birol thanked Mr. Barkindo for his efforts in recent years to foster frank and open dialog between energy producers and consumers, in the interests of greater oil market stability. OPEC Secretary General visits IEA Executive Director...

New IEA report lays out recommendations to speed up technology development and overcome high costs of drastically reducing emissions from steel and cement production. G7 economies are well placed to be first movers on driving down carbon dioxide emissions from heavy industry, setting out a path for the rest of the world for this essential part of the transition to clean energy systems, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency. Achieving Net Zero Heavy Industry Sectors in...

While AC system protection is well known and applied throughout the power system industry, there is also protection needed for complex DC equipment. This includes DC traction power systems associated with railway electrification. Below are some of the methods of protection that a Power System Engineer may often encounter in DC traction power. Track Time Constant To properly apply system protection for DC traction power systems, a good understanding of the track time constant (L/R ratio) is re...

Volta Trucks, the disruptive full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider, has confirmed the selection of Carrier Transicold as the sole supplier of refrigerated equipment for the full-electric 16-tonne Volta Zero. Carrier Transicold is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, the global provider of healthy, safe, sustainable, and intelligent building and cold chain solutions. The supply agreement follows a project in which Carrier Transicold engineers worked closely with th...

In 2021, Russia provided Germany with 55% of its natural gas imports, 35% of its oil imports and 50% of its hard coal imports. The war in Ukraine is causing a monumental shift in the country’s energy landscape, with increasing pressure to become independent of these fossil fuel imports. Gas is a key component for many industrial processes  – it keeps half of Germany’s 41.5 million households warm and accounted for 15.3% of German electricity generation last year...

RWE has successfully issued a further green bond with a total volume of €2 billion. The bond was issued in two tranches of €1 billion each with maturities in 2026 and 2030. For the first tranche, the yield-to-maturity amounts to 2.2%, based on a coupon of 2.125% p.a. and an issuance price of 99.652%. For the second tranche, the yield-to-maturity amounts to 2.9%, based on a coupon of 2.75% p.a. and an issuance price of 99.287%. The issuance met with strong interest from investors. G...

RWE is well on track to become a pioneer in the floating wind and to have one gigawatt either in operation or under construction by 2030.  To gain experience early and pave the way for commercial-scale floating wind, RWE is participating in multiple high-profile floating demonstration projects like the DemoSATH pilot project with Saitec Offshore Technologies. Pre-lay of the mooring system In early May, the anchor-handling vessel Maersk Mariner completed the installation of six mooring li...

Gephart is teaming up again with F.A. Wilhelm Construction to transform a 61,222 SF abandoned warehouse into a new casino property in Danville, Illinois, USA. Work has started and is expected to be completed in March 2023. Key features This property will feature: Sports Bar Grab and Go Cafe Saltgrass Steakhouse 500 Slot Machines 14 Table Games

Despite success rolling out renewables and diversifying natural gas supplies, Poland will have to redouble efforts to keep pace with new EU goals amid today’s supply challenges. Poland has made serious progress in improving the security and sustainability of its energy system in recent years. However, a major acceleration in its clean energy transition is needed to tackle the emissions resulting from coal’s dominant role in the power sector, according to the latest policy review by...

IQD, a company of the Würth Elektronik eiSos Group, has presented the IQCM-200, a disciplined OCXO, incorporating sync to a 1 PPS (pulse per second) input, as well as a 1 PPS output. Its exceptional holdover stability and accuracy makes this particular product a superlative Disciplined OCXO. IQCM-200 The IQCM-200 is part of a series of disciplined OCXOs available from IQD. This particular model is the smallest sized OCXO capable of achieving a holdover capability of 1.5µs over 24 ho...

Building on more than two decades of experience developing new isolation manufacturing technologies and integrated circuits (ICs) for high-voltage systems, Texas Instruments (TI) introduces a new portfolio of solid-state relays, including automotive-qualified isolated drivers and switches, that deliver industry-renowned reliability to help make electric vehicles (EVs) safer. The new isolated solid-state relays also provide the smallest solution size, while reducing the bill-of-materials (BOM)...

During construction projects, electrical contractors are often required to re-use existing medium and high voltage cables. Prior to re-use of existing in-service cables, it is important to properly test their insulation integrity to ensure satisfactory long-term performance. Consultation with both a master electrician and a professional engineer will determine the most appropriate test method, maintain cable integrity during testing, and achieve better analysis of the test results. Inadequate...

The second edition of GreenTech Americas was a great success with 170 exhibitors from 15 countries and 3,736 professionals from 19 countries. Practices on sustainability, success stories, and technological tools were exchanged to increase the productivity of the industry at this international protected horticulture event on 27 – 29 April 2022, at the Querétaro Congress Center, in Mexico. The next edition of GreenTech Americas will be staged from 21 – 23 March 2023. Quotes fr...

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden led a high-level delegation of officials, academics, and business leaders on a visit to the IEA’s headquarters in Paris where they discussed the emerging global energy crisis and the importance of clean energy technologies with IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol and other senior figures from the Agency. The King’s visit was part of the Royal Technology Mission organised by the Swedish Sovereign and the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences. The...

In the effort to free Germany from its dependency on Russian gas, an important milestone has now been reached: on behalf of and in the name of the German government, RWE has chartered two so-called Floating Storage and Regasification Units (FSRU). FSRUs are special ships that offer a rapid interim solution for landing liquefied natural gas (LNG) until the first LNG terminals on the German mainland are completed. RWE will also manage the operation of the vessels. Floating Storage and Regasifica...

With energy and fuel prices soaring, small and medium businesses (SMEs) are increasingly looking at green energy solutions to help cut costs. The latest NatWest Sustainable Business Tracker has shown a fast growing trend among SMEs to invest in sustainable energy and transport. This comes in a variety of forms: Electric vehicles for their fleets Charging equipment for electric transport Solar and green energy generation This is of particular interest for ZPN Energy! EVs (electric vehic...