The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced almost $2 billion in conditional commitments for loan guarantees for two solar thermal projects.
American Electric Power (AEP) has said it plans to retire nearly 6000 MW of coal-fired power generation as part of its efforts to meet new regulations proposed by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Turkey’s MetCap Energy Investments planning to build an integrated combined solar-natural gas plant, based on GE’s latest combined cycle technology.
Qatar has formally dedicated the Ras Qartas Energy Plant, the biggest gas fired power plant in the country and the region.
GE has announced what it is calling a “first-of-its-kind power plant” engineered to deliver an unprecedented combination of flexibility and efficiency. The ‘FlexEfficiency 50’ combined cycle power plant is rated at 510 MW and is said to offer fuel efficiency greater than 61 per cent.
On May 25, the Swiss Government decided that it would phase out nuclear power, and seek alternative energy sources.
India currently has 80 000 MW of thermal generation under construction, with commissioning scheduled for 2017, according to government sources. But there have been warnings that coal linkages for half of the plants have yet to be obtained.
Electricity authorities in the Middle East face oil deficits, budget cuts, decreases in natural resources and political disputes, leading them to consider cutting domestic power supplies as a way of power rationing, according to Roy Hodges, Vice President of the consultants Technology Partners.
Iraq has signed a new five-year deal to import natural gas from Iran to ease its electricity woes, an official has said. The agreement deepens Iraqi economic ties with Tehran as US troops prepare to leave at the end of this year.