critical power

US energy storage company LiiON has launched a power-on-demand energy storage system for UPS systems, powered by lithium ion phosphate chemistry.

The LiiON- MEGAWATT UPS is capable of one minute or five – 15 minute runtimes, with a nominal voltage at 512V, and a capacity of 40Ahr.  The UPS is also fitted with LiiON’s management and monitoring system.

The company claims this system is the industry’s first to be listed by UL, an independent safety company.

Canada’s Ballard Power Systems is to deploy 13 fuel cell power systems to the Digicel Group network in Jamaica.

The ElectraGen-ME fuel cell backup power system is powered by methanol and is designed to provide extended runtime backup power. A fuel reformer converts a methanol-water liquid fuel mixture into hydrogen gas to power each fuel cell stack.

This is the second order the Vancouver-based company received from the Digicel Group, which will bring the total systems deployed at critical sites around the island of Jamaica to 25. 161 ElectraGen-ME systems are installed across the entire Caribbean region.

Most of the systems will be located at rooftop base station locations.

“There are inherent challenges with incumbent backup power technologies on rooftops. Our methanol-fuelled systems offer a practical solution to address those challenges and deliver meaningful value to telecom operators globally,” said Larry Stapleton, Ballard Power Systems vice president of sales.

Due to extreme weather conditions in the region, telecom networks are vulnerable to frequent grid outages, which have an impact on continuity of service to subscribers

Communications provider Digicel Group has over 14m customers across its 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and Asia Pacific regions.

California’s Governor Jerry Brown has passed a demand response (DR) legislation that accelerates the use of DR programmes in the state.

DR programmes enable energy consumers to manage their consumption in an energy efficient and cost-effective way. The bill is also aimed to help the Californian state to meet its growing electricity needs.

The Public Utilities Commission now can consider demand response management in planning how to balance and ensure reliability for the state's power grid. Currently, DR programmes are administered by California’s three regulated investor-owned utilities: Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric. The utilities also rely on third-party operators to enroll customers in certain DR programmes.

"Demand response programs will not only enable Californians to get rebates in exchange for reducing their electricity use during times of peak energy demand, but will reduce the need for costly and polluting power plants that run only when there is peak demand for electricity,” said Senator Lois Wolk, author of the bill.

"As California continues to modernize its power grid and grow its economy, EDF hopes to see the rest of the nation follow suit to advance the innovative technologies needed to create cleaner, more efficient, and more affordable power," said EDF attorney and California senior manager Lauren Navarro-Treichler.

Power supplier EDF was lobbying for bill 1414 and emphasised the need to build a more resilient low-carbon electricity system.

Power-plant developer FuelCell Energy has added Christopher Sotos, senior vice president of strategy, mergers and acquisitions at power distributor NRG Energy, to its board of directors.

At US-based NRG Energy, Sotos is responsible for the development, execution and implementation of the company's business strategy across all platforms, retail and wholesale business models as well as smaller venture capital investments and strategic relationships.

He has over two decades of experience in corporate financial management and business strategy.

"His power generation industry experience and expertise in business strategy and financial management make him a valuable addition to the FuelCell Energy Board and the Company it serves," said Chip Bottone, chief executive officer at FuelCell Energy.

"FuelCell Energy provides one of the few clean distributed energy baseload solutions for customers. I look forward to actively contributing to the growth of FuelCell Energy and providing insight into fuel cell applications in the power markets,” said Sotos.

In August this year, NRG Energy bought $35m of FuelCell Energy shares and extended a $40m loan in order to enable FuelCell to invest in project development, project finance and working capital support. NRG Energu now owns 6% of the outstanding common stock of the Connecticut-based company.

Alstom Bharat Forge Power (ABFP) has received a $164m worth order from NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation) for its Indian coal power plant.

ABFP, a joint venture between Alstom and Bharat Forge, will supply three units of 660MW supercritical turbine islands NTPC’s coal power plant, located in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India.

The turbine islands use steam with very high temperatures and pressure, which results in an efficiency of more than 40% than conventional sub-critical coal-fired plants. According to Alstom, This means that a supercritical unit burns less coal and generates less emission per megawatt of power output.

The contract comprises of manufacturing, supply erection and commissioning of the turbines. The coal-based thermal power plant has a capacity of 440MW.

The turbines will be manufactured at ABFP’s new manufacturing facility at in Gujarat, India, which will be commissioned in October this year. The plant is aimed to have an annual capacity of 5,000MW.

ABFP was created to participate in the Indian market of turbines islands, including steam turbines, generators and heat exchangers.

NTPC is a central public sector undertaking owned by the Indian Ministry of Power.