Comment Archives - Power Technology

Policy and regulatory issues in the power sector

Bettilyd Bettilyd — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 06:15:00 +0000

Power systems across the world are witnessing significant changes on account of various external factors. Climate change is leading to increased power demand, which is putting pressure on generators as well as grid operators. It is also increasing the demand for storage technology, demand response programs, and alternate pricing schemes. There has been a shift in the generation mix in most countries, from fossil fuel-based generation to renewable energy generation. Renewable energy, being intermittent in nature, puts significant demands on grid operators to balance it. The generation profiles of renewable energy sources do not necessarily match the peak demand periods. Distributed generation is witnessing an increased role in meeting the power needs of the unelectrified population. Utilities are increasingly engaging with consumers to smoothen the demand curves through peak shaving. Against this backdrop, the role of regulators is changing to accommodate all these changes and safeguard the interests of consumers.

Unilever’s going green for the planet and for its business model

Bettilyd Bettilyd — Thu, 25 May 2017 17:30:00 +0000

Unilever has announced that all of its UK operations will be powered by 100% renewable energy after signing a contract with Eneco UK to build a new wind farm in the Scottish Highlands. This move will shake up the FMCG market as one of the sectors biggest players goes green to save money and appeal to consumers.

Westinghouse Bankruptcy and its Implications for the Nuclear Power Market

Bettilyd Bettilyd — Thu, 25 May 2017 17:30:00 +0000

The Westinghouse Group, a unit of Japanese conglomerate Toshiba Corporation, filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy (Reorganization) on March 29, 2017, after finding it difficult to obtain cash to fund rising cost overruns for its two US nuclear power plant projects, Vogtle 3&4 and Virgil C. Summer 2&3, both in the Southeast. The company listed assets and liabilities amounting to $4.3 billion and $9.4 billion, respectively, in the filing, and requested permission to pay around $50m toward employee salaries and benefits along with around $87.3m to crucial vendors in the course of bankruptcy proceedings.

SELCE: a model of community energy

Eva Grey — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 17:30:00 +0000

Cuts and uncertainty: the UK’s anaerobic digestion sector

Lindsay — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 17:30:00 +0000

Saudi Arabia launches significant push for growth in renewables

GlobalData Healthcare — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 09:34:00 +0000

Saudi Arabia, the oil-rich kingdom, is pushing for a fresh phase of growth in renewables with the launch of a renewable energy program that is expected to give rise to investment of between $30 billion and $50 billion by 2023.

The drive towards smart grids

GlobalData Energy — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 09:28:01 +0000

The need to mitigate climate change and ensuing strong government support mechanisms for renewable energy development and energy efficiency, are driving smart grid initiatives across the world. A number of governments are increasingly viewing smart grid technology as a strategic infrastructural investment that will enable their long-term economic prosperity and help them to achieve their carbon emission reduction targets.

Cross-border electricity trading in South Asia, Myanmar, and Southeast Asia – 2017

GlobalData Energy — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 14:50:53 +0000

The South Asian economy continues its optimistic growth trend projected at 6.8% in 2017 and an average growth of 7.2% in 2018–2019 which is likely to increase the power demand of the region in the coming years (World Bank, 2017). But lack of adequate and reliable energy, seasonal hydro availability, stagnant natural gas production, and expensive oil imports act as roadblocks in the region’s economic growth. Furthermore, the power demand in the region is expected to rise from 1,111 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2017 to 3,012 TWh in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8%; in India alone, demand is expected to reach 2,765 TWh by 2030.

Q3 2017: global power markets at a glance

GlobalData Energy — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 16:48:18 +0000

Global installed power capacity reached 6,473 gigawatts (GW) in 2016 from over 5,047GW in 2010 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.1%. The global power industry is characterized by heavy dependence on thermal fuel sources for power generation, as major power-generating countries such as China, the US, India, Japan and Russia have abundant coal reserves. In recent years, significant economic development in China and India and the increased use of coal resources have driven the rapid growth of thermal generation. With the insecurity surrounding supply of conventional fuels and volatile prices, renewable energy is emerging as a feasible alternative.

Cumulative installed capacity in CARICOM countries continues to grow

GlobalData Energy — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 10:39:21 +0000

Cumulative installed capacity in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries increased from 24,000 MW in 2000 to 33,726 MW in 2016 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.46%. The countries situated in the mainland have largely contributed to this capacity as the Caribbean island countries cater to small populations and their individual capacities in most cases range from a few megawatts to several hundred megawatts.

Global wind power market expected to reach $111.4bn by 2025

GlobalData Energy — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 10:41:18 +0000

The global wind power market size increased from $24.3 billion in 2006 to $103.8 billion in 2016 at a CAGR of 15.6%. A major boost in investment is expected due to an increase in the capacity installations, led by countries such as China, the US, Germany and India, as well as emerging countries in the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa (MEA) area, and the South and Central America (SCA) regions. During 2017–2025, the wind power market size is expected to increase from $104.6 billion to $111.4 billion as per GlobalData’s recent report on the global wind power market.

Global power boiler market predicted to slow as the world moves away from coal

GlobalData Energy — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 10:01:19 +0000

The global power boilers market registered a market value of $16.6 billion in the year 2016. According to GlobalData’s latest report Steam Generators for Thermal, Update 2017 - Global Market Size, Competitive Landscape, Key Country Analysis, and Forecast to 2021, the Asia-Pacific region was the largest market for power boilers during the year 2016 registering approximately 90% of the global market share. It was followed by Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) with 9% and the Americas with 1%. In terms of market volume, the global power boiler market witnessed 77.3 gigawatts (GW) in 2016 and is projected to decline and reach 61 GW by 2021. Despite drivers such as governments’ mandated use of clean coal technologies (CCT) for new coal-fired power plants, cheap coal prices, and supportive policies in a few countries for coal-fired power plants, challenges such as increased focus on renewable energy sources (RES) and natural gas to move away from coal for cleaner energy, environmental regulations, land acquisition problems, non-availability of domestic coal in some countries, and energy supply security issues are expected to hinder the growth potential of power boilers in the global market during the forecast period.

Global PV capacity is expected to reach 969GW by 2025

GlobalData Energy — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 12:45:49 +0000

The worldwide market for solar energy is growing rapidly, as is evident from the high year-on-year (YoY) growth rate of cumulative installed capacity between 2006 and 2016. Solar PV is the second-most deployed renewable technology in terms of global installed capacity, after wind. 2016 was another remarkable year for solar PV market. Not only did it witness record annual additions in 2016, it also emerged as the largest renewable power source in terms of annual additions in this year. Solar PV represented about 43.3% of the new installed renewable power capacity in 2016, followed by wind and hydropower contributing about 32.7% and 17.7%, respectively. The increase in the global energy demand and decreasing system costs are the primary growth drivers for the PV industry. Additionally, climate and environmental concerns and government support are likely to further propel growth in the market. During the 2017–2025 forecast period, the global PV capacity is expected to increase from 387.3GW to 969GW as per GlobalData’s recent report ‘Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Market, Update 2017 – Global Market Size, Average Price, Module Market Share, and Key Country Analysis to 2025’.

Global diesel generators market to reach value of $115.1bn in coming years

GlobalData Energy — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 13:49:39 +0000

The global diesel generators market registered a market value of $17.35bn in the year 2017. According to GlobalData’s latest report Diesel Generators Market, Update 2018 - Global Market Size, Competitive Landscape, Key Country Analysis, and Forecast to 2022, the Asia-Pacific region was the largest market for diesel generators during the year 2017, registering 26.8% of the global market share in terms of market value.

Proposed UK energy price caps: a sign of muddled thinking?

MarketLine — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 16:10:51 +0000

Energy prices have been a hot topic of conversation in the UK ever since privatisation took off in earnest during the 1980s. Accusations of a cartel complicit in price fixing have been thrown around with abandon and many UK consumers have long complained about being ‘ripped off’. Feeling the pressure, the UK government has, in a very clear sign of muddled thinking, announced a proposal to cap prices.

GE to supersize its offshore wind turbines

GlobalData Energy — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 11:22:04 +0000

GE has recently announced plans to launch the world’s largest wind turbine, dubbed the Haliade-X. GE has lagged behind other competitors for the past few years, losing the race for the largest and highest capacity wind turbines to Danish Manufacturer Vestas. This move signals the company’s commitment to the off shore wind market, which has been growing rapidly in recent years.

Thermal power will lead Saudi Arabia electricity till 2030 despite renewables growth

GlobalData Energy — Sun, 12 Sep 2021 08:16:55 +0000

Thermal power will continue to dominate the generation of electricity in Saudi Arabia despite its expected decline by 2030.

Thermal power generation share to become negligible in Colombia in 2030

GlobalData Energy — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 08:15:49 +0000

Thermal power is expected to considerably decline in Colombia from 2020 to 2030 as the road is paved for renewable alternatives.

Revised renewable targets and auction mechanism to drive renewable market in India

GlobalData Energy — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 08:15:57 +0000

The renewable power sector in India is expected to grow considerably by 2030, driven by auctions and government policies.

China Develops $26bn Ultra High Voltage Electrical Grids to Stimulate Economic Recovery

Katie Smith-Wong — Fri, 22 May 2020 16:06:35 +0000

China identified its first COVID infection from Wuhan in Hubei Province in December 2019. In an attempt to curb the spread of the virus, China in January 2020 locked down Wuhan and other most affected cities and ordered mandatory closure of the factories and businesses. Leaving a huge impact on the industrial and service sectors, COVID shrank the Chinese economy in Q1 2020 for the first time in the last decade. In March 2020, the World Health Organization has declared COVID as a pandemic, considering the faster transmission of the disease across geographies.