POWER-GEN Europe and Renewable Energy World Europe ends on a high

The conference and exhibition gave the energy industry the chance to celebrate achievement, tackle challenges and highlight future opportunities

POWER-GEN Europe and Renewable Energy World Europe 2015 closed on Thursday 11^th June 2015 with a renewed sense of optimism about Europe’s transitioning energy sector. In what has been viewed as a difficult time for the energy sector, almost 10,000 attendees came together at the show to trade intelligence, learn new ideas and celebrate successes within European energy. This included nearly 1,000 delegates from 400 exhibitors, representing over 100 countries. The flow of thoughts, enthusiasm and technology were a constant throughout the event, and attendees left with many promising ideas, not least from the 203 diverse and inspirational speakers at the conference.

This year’s event opened with the highly anticipated Joint Keynote Session from Maria van der Hoeven, Executive Director, International Energy Agency; Ineke Dezentjé Hamming-Bluemink, President of FME, the Dutch Employers’ Association; Marie Donnelly, Director, DG Energy; and Dr Wolfgang Konrad, Chief Executive, Siemens Distributed Generation.

Ms van der Hoeven presented the need for an all-encompassing energy approach in order to combat climate change, suggesting today’s energy structure itself needed to be overhauled. Ms. Hamming-Bluemink echoed this call for change, suggesting that business plans should be reviewed every month in the fast moving European energy market. Ms. Donnelly agreed that Europe was at risk of being, in its current form, “28 separate boxes in the EU”. Furthermore, Dr. Konrad discussed the need for an updated and more flexible grid that could deal with renewables, distributed power to better match demand with availability.

The Gala Dinner was another excellent event for networking and celebrating the achievements of the European power industry, as five projects were recognised for their ingenuity and services to clean energy generation. The prestigious Peabody clean coal achievement for best emissions performance was awarded to Trianel Kohlekraftwerk GmBH & Co KG for their iconic site in Lünen, Germany.

On day two of the conference, the Joint Plenary Panel Discussion focused on the show’s theme of a transitioning European energy sector, and there was a heated discussion between the five panel members which the audience enjoyed and participated in. The panel discussed a change in the role of traditional power generation from commodity to insurance, in conjunction with the phasing out of traditional generation due to the growing use of renewable sources and their intermittency. Further discussion took place around the use of energy data being shared in order to promote smarter cities, and whether this data could be utilised to allow carbon capture and storage to become a viable option, not just a failed experiment.

The optimism and momentum carried over into the final day of the show, with the presentation of the best paper awards rounding off the day. The floor was busy up until the very end of the show, with many meetings and events taking place throughout the exhibition.

POWER-GEN Europe and Renewable Energy World Europe will be back next year, with 2016’s show to be held in Milan. Register your interest now for more details and to take advantage of early bird pricing.

Heated debate a highlight at POWER-GEN Europe’s Plenary Panel Session

The discussion at yesterday’s POWER-GEN Europe and Renewable Energy World Europe Joint Plenary Panel Discussion focused on Europe’s energy transition, and exposed the different viewpoints that are represented from across different sides of Europe’s power industry. The panel, which is an annual highlight of Europe’s energy event calendar, was hosted by the straight-talking, internationally-renowned journalist Stephen Sackur, and consisted of:

• Mark Garnett, Vice President, European Region, Doosan Power Systems
• Martin Giesen, Chief Executive Officer, Advanced Power
• Koen Noyens, Advisor, Environment & Sustainable Development Policy unit, Eurelectric
• Stephan Singer, Director of Global Energy Policy, Climate Change and Energy initiative, WWF Belgium
• Damian Wagner, Coordinator, Smart Cities, Fraunhofer IAO

Martin Giesen told the audience that his company still foresees a role for traditional conventional power in Europe but as an insurer rather than a commodity.

Responding to a question from Sackur on whether traditional utilities’ prospects were irreversibly negative in the light of the march of renewable power, while much of the industry is gearing up for a future where traditional utilities utterly transform into service providers, Giessen said: “There is a requirement for when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine. That is the opportunity right now for gas-fired power, not for coal. There is nothing wrong with selling insurance. In the past, power was not sold as insurance but as a commodity. In the future, there will be a bigger insurance component but with good money in it. Will it require infrastructure in some places? Yes it will.”

Mr Singer told the audience that conventional fossil-fuelled power’s days were over, but the path to more renewables would still face resistance. He said: “Fossil fuels will be phased out at different speeds, with gas as the most low carbon fuel, the latest. It would be naïve to think this will be a rapid process as most of the assets and investments still revolve around these interests and these guys won’t let them go easily. There might be role for CCS, but current prices for fossil fuels are prohibitive.”

Meanwhile Mr Wagner had a more positive outlook on how utilities can adapt. He commented that the experience and knowledge contained within these organisations mean they have a real value in the evolving landscape. He told the audience: “In terms of the conventional model and how that’s looking for new business cases – there is a big shift in the energy sector in providing energy services and making use of the knowledge and valuable data utilities possess will prove to be valuable to (smart) cities. I hope cities will work together with utilities a lot more.”

In response to moderator Sackur’s questioning as to whether carbon capture and storage (CCS) was commercially at the scale required to make typical gas and coal plants carbon neutral, an audience member from the industry said that a Sask Power executive had recently said that if their Boundary Dam project was repeated, costs would be 30 per cent lower this time round. Both Mr Garnett and Mr Noyens agreed that there was advantages to be found through the development of CCS, while Mr Singer was wary about its current cost to implement.

Furthermore, Mr Garnett said the European energy sector was being damaged on an ongoing basis through failure to develop the grid. He commented: “It’s around EUR40bn in losses a year through not interconnecting the grid properly.” Both Noyer and Giessen also felt that European energy was being held back by its regulations and rulings.

With all five speakers making excellent points and presenting their different points of view carefully, delegates left the discussion eager for the final day of the show. POWER-GEN Europe’s third and final day has plenty more excitement in store; for further information visit: http://www.powergeneurope.com/index.html.

Award winners announced at POWER-GEN Europe and Renewable Energy World Europe

European power companies were recognised for their outstanding industry achievements last night at the Power Engineering International and Peabody awards ceremony during the annual POWER-GEN Europe and Renewable Energy World Europe Gala dinner.

Nigel Blackaby, Conference Director at POWER-GEN Europe and Renewable Energy World Europe, says: “We are extremely excited to recognise these industry leaders. The achievements they have made are at the very forefront of Europe’s energy transition, and we hope that the industry can look to these companies for inspiration on the journey to come.”

The following four projects were honoured as EMEA projects of the Year 2015 in the Power Engineering International awards:

• Amman Asia Electric Power Companywas awarded the Best Large-Scale Gas Engine Project for their IPP3 in Jordan.

This is the world’s largest internal combustion engine power plant, powered by 38 Wartsila multi-fuel engines with a combined capacity of 573 MW. It will play a vital role in covering the increasingly sporadic demand for electricity in Jordan.

• CengizEnerji was awarded the Best Large-Scale Gas Turbine Project for their Samsun Combined-Cycle Plant in Turkey.

The Cengiz Enerji Samsun combined cycle power plant was completed two months ahead of schedule in a record total construction time of 23 months in partnership with Siemens, who supplied the power island with H-Class technology. Furthermore, the plant reaches an efficiency level of around 61 per cent, a new record for the 50 Hz market.

• Slibverwerking Noord-Brabant was awarded the Best Distributed Generation Project for their On-site Power Generation Facility Upgrade in The Netherlands.

Europe’s largest sewage sludge incineration plant, Slibverwerking Noord-Brabant, upgraded its on-site energy system so that the facility is now almost completely energy neutral – a status unique to the industry. And to top it off, the project, which was executed by heat transfer technology expert NEM Energy, was completed in an impressive 70 days.

• SolarReserve was awarded the Best Renewable Energy Project for their Jasper Solar PV Plant in South Africa.

Featuring photovoltaic technology, Jasper has a gross capacity of 96 MW, and produces 180,000 MW-hours of energy annually. As well as stimulating long-term economic development and creating new jobs, Jasper will also help South Africa meet its renewable energy targets.

The Peabody energy clean coal achievement for best emissions performance was awarded to Trianel Kohlekraftwerk Lunen GMBH & Co KG for its highly efficient clean coal technologies that have continued to reduce emissions. Delivering electricity to more than 1.6 million households, Trianel’s iconic 750 MW site in Lünen, Germany is one of the most efficient power plants in the world. The plant was built as a turnkey unit under a consortium arrangement between Siemens and IHI Corporation.

With a fantastic meal, a brilliant soundtrack supplied by the band, and a chance to catch up with colleagues both old and new, the event was a resounding success. POWER-GEN Europe and Renewable Energy World Europe 2015 is taking place this week at the Amsterdam RAI. Find out more here: http://www.powergeneurope.com

Joint Opening Keynote Session of POWER-GEN Europe Outlines Europe’s Energy Transition

The Joint Opening Keynote session of POWER-GEN Europe and Renewable Energy World Europe 2015 took place yesterday at the Amsterdam RAI. The highly anticipated, annual session brought together four of Europe’s most important energy minds to outline their thoughts on the future of the continent’s energy transition.

The four keynotes were given by Maria van der Hoeven, Executive Director, International Energy Agency; Ineke Dezentjé Hamming-Bluemink, President of FME, the Dutch Employers’ Association; Marie Donnelly, Director, DG Energy; and Dr Wolfgang Konrad, Chief Executive, Siemens Distributed Generation.

Each keynote presented a different outlook on Europe’s transitioning energy sector:

• Ms van der Hoeven presented the need for an all-encompassing energy approach in order to combat climate change. She asserted that the 21^st centuries’ energy structure needed “new towers, cables and steel on the ground to prepare for smart market design”, in order to have a market that “accurately reflects the physical reality of the electricity system”. The speech also commented on the need for large-scale utilities to evolve, bringing in a future characterised by distributed generation and smart grids.

• Ms Dezentje Hamming-Bluemink spoke of business plans needing to be reviewed “every month” in the fast-moving European energy industry. She told the packed hall at the RAI that “the most sustainable type of energy is the energy that you don’t use”, and she highlighted that Dutch companies have an integral role to play in the electricity transition but warned that the sector “must rise to the challenges”.

• Ms Donnelly told the audience that Europe was “extremely at risk and exposed” by its huge reliance on oil and gas imports. This, she said, makes it essential that Europe acts together in an integrated and collaborative way, she said: “We can’t continue to operate with 28 separate boxes in the EU.” She also went on to stress the importance of the informed consumer.

• Dr Konrad took the stage last to inform the audience that one of today’s biggest challenges is the grid. “We need a grid to collect the energy from wind and solar power and then distribute it where it’s needed,” he said. He said that distributed generation is on the rise, and that the industry therefore needs “to understand how to better match demand with availability”. He also stressed the importance of f

POWER-GEN Europe and Renewable Energy World Europe is taking place until Thursday, with fantastic content taking place each day – don’t miss the Joint Plenary Session which is taking place at 2pm today at the Amsterdam RAI. You can also watch the session in a live webcast by registering here: www.powerengineeringint.com/webcasts/2015/06/european-energy-transition

New Gases, New Challenges for Gas Engines

ExxonMobil’s Jarmo Vihersalo discusses how engine operators can realise the potential of new gases through the use of advanced lubricants

Over the last two decades, there has been an increase in alternative power sources. Gases produced from waste such as landfill and biomass are becoming increasingly important contributors to the energy sector – particularly in EU countries such as Germany, the UK, Italy and France.

With these new gases, however, come new challenges for engine operators.

The challenge

Biogas is a catch-all term for many different gases – those from landfill and biomass waste, for example – and each gas presents its own challenges. Contaminants such as siloxanes and hydrogen sulphides can be present in high levels, and have the potential to accelerate wear in liners and piston rings, causing engine failure.

The make-up of new gases can also be problematic; one batch might contain different properties than another – due to the diverse waste products from which the gas is formed. This means close attention must be paid to maintenance operations, including the lubrication of engines.

The solution

The correct lubricant can help to significantly extend oil drain intervals, boosting reliability and power output. This is achieved by improving engine durability through a lubricant’s ability to provide outstanding anti-wear and anti-scuff performance, and exceptional carbon and varnish deposit control – mitigating some of the challenges of operating engines on biomass and landfill gases.

The condition of a lubricant should also be checked regularly to avoid equipment downtime.  Trending oil analysis data over time, using an oil analysis programme, can help operators anticipate oil drain intervals, reduce maintenance and, in turn, improve safety.

ExxonMobil’s industry-leading Mobil Pegasus™ series has been at the forefront of gas engine lubricant technology for 50 years. A new product will be launched at Power-Gen 2015 specifically designed for this era of new gases.

At Power-Gen Europe, ExxonMobil will be hosting a roundtable, in conjunction with Power Engineering International that will seek to expand on these challenges and discuss the future of the energy industry in light of these new gases.

For more information visit the ExxonMobil stand at Power-Gen Europe in Hall 1 Stand R2 or go to www.mobilindustrial.com

Get more from the 2015 POWER-GEN Conference!

Too often, networking at business events can be difficult, and your efforts may yield little return. To address this, PennWell has introduced a free Business Matchmaking service for registered attendees of POWER-GEN Europe and Renewable Energy World Europe 2015 to save you time, turbo-charge your networking efforts and ensure you come home with more than just a few free stand giveaways.

This year, after you register for POWER-GEN Europe and Renewable Energy World Europe, make sure you use ‘POWER-GEN Connect’. This free networking service allows you to connect with potential business contacts as well as manage your entire networking agenda. POWER-GEN Connect’s search engine means that you can browse the list of decision makers, managers and executives that will be attending POWER-GEN Europe and Renewable Energy World Europe to help you make the right contact with the right people.

You can use the platform on any device throughout the conference to keep up to date with your meetings in real time. You can also schedule meetings, create lists of key contacts, and boost your reputation by uploading additional information about yourself and your company to your personal profile.

To get started, create your profile now by visiting: www.power-genconnect.com

You can register for the POWER-GEN Europe and Renewable Energy World Europe conference and exhibition here: www.powergeneurope.com/register

Organic Rankine Cycle systems, a new efficient solution for heat recovery from reciprocating engines in isolated electrical grids

by LUCA XODO Head of Proposal Engineering and Domestic Sales at EXERGY

Organic Rankine Cycle systems have become more common place and a popular choice in recent years. Used for power production from renewable energy sources, including geothermal, biomass, waste heat and CSP, ORC systems are the best solution when the enthalpy level of the heat source is low, or if the size of the application is too small for a steam power plant to be the most efficient, cost effective or practical solution.

In a context of limited growth of the continental markets, where the power supply need is experiencing a long downturn, the isolated grids represent a unique chance to apply the most advanced heat recovery technologies with ORC.

ORC installations prove to be a particularly advantageous application in these contexts for several reasons. Remote areas generally incur high costs connected with the supply of fuel (transportation, distribution…), which exist in addition to the base costs, even in times of low oil price. Considering small islands or remote areas, land occupation and environmental impact can be an additional challenge, as a wide extension of land for greenfield projects is not available: improving the efficiency of the existing plants is favourable and more effective than looking for new installations.

On the point of view of the plant operators, the ORC gives an automated and comprehensive solution which does not require a substantial increase in operational costs or require the installation of auxiliary systems (such as water supply or treatment) which increase the risk of unplanned outages.

Considering for example a 40 MWe plant based on gas-fired reciprocating engines, with the installation of the ORC there is a potential for repowering up to 5 MWe in power supply to the grid without any increase in fuel consumption and with a limited ground occupation. In an isolated environment, such as an island, where there are a limited number of similar small plants, this solution helps keeping up the medium-term needs (10-15% growth) without major changes in the infrastructures.

As a combination of the above, and in contrast to the general downturn of the interconnected electricity systems, there is an increased power demand in isolated areas as well as the need to replace old plants going offline. We foresee a strong development of this application, which can lead to projects for hundreds of MW in the next 5 years that will confirm the ORC amongst the main power production technologies not only in the niche renewable energy and industrial markets but also in the IPPs and utility-scale power markets.

POWER-GEN Europe launches the Confidence Index to build industry expertise

The POWER-GEN Confidence Index will provide key market information, insights and trends to assist strategic decision making

POWER-GEN Europe and its co-located event Renewable Energy World Europe has launched the POWER-GEN Confidence Index – a pan-European study of the region’s power market which will allow power generation industry practitioners from across Europe to have their say on the industry. The results will be launched in September 2015, and will allow key industry decision makers across Europe to make well-informed choices as they navigate the next critical stages of the energy transition.

With Europe committed to reducing reliance on fossil fuels and cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent against 1990 levels, there are many changes being undertaken by the industry, and this comprehensive pan-European report will evaluate the industry’s attitude towards these changes and give companies new insight into how these changes are being viewed.

“This is an extremely exciting time for the energy industry,” said Nigel Blackaby, Conference Director, POWER-GEN Europe and Renewable Energy World Europe 2015. “The launch of the POWER-GEN Confidence Index will allow the industry to be able to track where the gaps in people’s confidence are, to give people peace of mind in the energy transition taking them to a better, more sustainable and more confident Europe.”

The survey that feeds into the Index will be carried out on an annual basis. This will provide rich data, and allow for the industry to track year-on-year trend analysis and comparison.

Blackaby continues: “Industry professionals will gather at POWER-GEN Europe and Renewable Energy World Europe this year to share opinions and views on strategic thinking, technical innovation and integrating renewables into the energy mix. It is essential that the broad scope of knowledge and understanding generated at the event, is coupled with a clear vision to give key industry influencers confidence in the success of Europe’s energy transition.”

To ensure that the POWER-GEN Confidence Index represents the views and opinions of all areas of the industry, we invite you to take part in the study by completing a concise and comprehensive questionnaire. To complete the questionnaire, please go to: http://www.powergeneurope.com/index/power-gen-confidence-index.html. To attend the show, held in Amsterdam June 9^th-11^th make sure you register for one of the many available packages here.

And the winner of The Best Paper Awards is…

The stakes are high, so too is the competition. The power industry’s most influential leaders will gather at the POWER-GEN Europe and Renewable Energy World Europe exhibition in Amsterdam, 9th-11th June 2015 to showcase new policies, new products and new skills that will drive Europe’s energy transition. To close the conference, the winners of the Best Paper Awards will be announced – as well as the delegate’s survey prize draw for an Apple iPad – at the events from 15:00 on Thursday 11 June.

Judges from the expert conference advisory boards will choose two highly commended papers in each category – and also an award winner from each of the main conference themes:

• Europe’s Transitioning Power Sector
• The Big Carbon Question
• Flexing the Power of Gas Coal’s Cleaner Future
• Grid Support with Data and Generators
• Operational Excellence and Flexibility Renewable Energy Strategy
• Business and Integration Urban Energy Integration
• The Nuclear Power Option

Outstanding concept and content is the judging criteria – and winners will be recognised by the industry as being the ‘best of the best’. So the very best of luck to all contestants!

To win the Apple iPad…

All attendees can enter the draw to win the Apple iPad. All you have to do is complete a survey form during the course of the event and be present at the closing reception to take home the prize. This much is down to you and the rest is luck of the draw.

Register here to attend the event, and to be in with a chance of winning: http://www.powergeneurope.com/register/pge-reg.html 

Second keynote speaker revealed for POWER-GEN Europe and Renewable Energy World Europe conference 2015 in Amsterdam

We’re delighted to confirm Dr Wolfgang Konrad, Chief Executive Officer of the Siemens business unit Distributed Generation within the Power and Gas Division, as a Keynote Speaker for the highly anticipated Joint Opening Keynote Session.

Dr Konrad was appointed CEO in 2014. In December 2014 he integrated the Rolls-Royce aero-derivative business into the Siemens business unit Distributed Generation. Previously, Dr Konrad was responsible for the Large Gas Turbines business in Berlin where he launched various projects on combustion technology development, the introduction of advanced manufacturing technologies, and lead time optimisation.

“Today the energy market is global, fast-moving and facing increasingly complex challenges,” said Dr Konrad. “One of its biggest challenges is to balance the need for cleaner energy and slow down climate change, while at the same time satisfying the demand for reliable and affordable energy from emerging markets. To achieve this balance requires a sophisticated energy system as well as more efficient, cleaner power generation. It’s a great honour to give a keynote address at POWER-GEN Europe at such an important time for the industry.”

Dr Konrad is fluent in English, French, and Spanish and a native German speaker, who has an international engineering education with a Ph.D. in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering (MAE) from Princeton University USA.

“We are thrilled that Dr Konrad has agreed to speak at POWER-GEN Europe and Renewable Energy World Europe 2015,” said Nigel Blackaby, Conference Director, PennWell International Power Group. “His previous positions in engineering, manufacturing and quality management, as well as his experience as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Fraunhofer Institute of Production Systems and Design Technology (IPK), make him the ideal authority to address the conference on companies’ need to continually innovate in order to remain competitive in the evolving power market.”

Dr Konrad will give his keynote alongside Ms. Maria Van Der Hoeven, Executive Director, the International Energy Agency (IEA), amongst other speakers that will be announced shortly. The joint opening Keynote Session will take place at POWER-GEN Europe and Renewable Energy World Europe in Amsterdam on 9^th June from 9:30am at the Amsterdam RAI. For more conference information please look at the preliminary event guide, and don’t forget to register to avoid missing out on a wealth of European energy knowledge and insight.

The POWER-GEN and Renewable Energy World Europe Confidence Index has also gone live – take part to receive a free copy of the research!