Sessions

Sponsored by Gridmatic: In applying AI to optimize storage participation in wholesale markets, Gridmatic developed insights into the financial performance of storage systems. This talk will present 2021 results for all storage systems in ERCOT that will be of interest to various stakeholders such as asset operators (IPPs, Utilities, Power Marketers), financial investors, and developers. These insights, described within two scenarios - actual performance and potential (AI-powered) performance - uncover the profitability gap inherent in current approaches to market participation.

Presentation will cover the actions and decisions required by both the host Utility and the Engineering Design Company to successfully decommission Coal Plants and provide continuing operation of assets remaining on site after the coal units are out of service. I will cover the selection of the Engineering company to conduct the Phase 1 Study to develop alternatives for evaluation, the Phase 2 Detailed Design of the redesign, rerouting, and repowering of remaining assets, and the proper preparation for the Phase 3 construction. I will cover the selection of assets remaining on site and how to address mid-project scope changes to that. I will cover the development of an effective joint project team between the utility and the Engineering company and the communication and coordination of work activities. I will address how to work around the documentation gaps in Utility drawings and documentation. I will cover the leadership and management of the multi-discipline Engineering and design effort. Safety and environmental concerns in such projects will be addressed, as well as the impacts of technology, economics, and politics on the project. I will discuss the necessity of early construction contractor and vendor involvement in the design process. I will also discuss lessons learned from our previous projects.

Firing hydrogen or primarily hydrogen is a definitive way to reduce carbon emissions and operating fuel costs. However, without the right knowledge and technical specifications in place, firing H2 can be dangerous and lead to increased NOx formation. Typical low-NOx burners may not be capable of firing H2 without flashback issues or damage to the burner or boiler. This presentation will examine why H2 is different than traditional fuel gas steams and the impact of those differences on flame characteristics, burner design, refractory materials, control systems, and emissions. We will use data from both new and retrofit installations to illustrate how properly engineering a system to fire H2 can generate multiple benefits.

Sponsored by Baker Hughes: The market is looking for outcome-based solutions to increase plant reliability and availability, reduce O&M costs and improve plant performance with a focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In this session, Baker Hughes, with its proven expertise on equipment for energy-critical applications, will explain how it is defining a Digital Services Framework that addresses these market needs. The Digital Service Framework can permit partners to be sustained by Baker Hughes support and expertise while continuing to leverage their main asset management digital infrastructure through APIs and connectors. The advanced services outlined in the Digital Framework focus on predictive maintenance and emissions management capabilities.

Sponsored by Black & Veatch: The power generation mix of the future will certainly emit far less carbon than in decades prior. And it will contain a large portion of renewable energy technologies. But it will not be a mix of just three or four ingredients to achieve net-zero goals by Destination 2050—it will contain multitudes. The race to decarbonization will take not only wind, solar, and energy storage, but baseload and thermal power along for the ride. The gas-fired transition to hydrogen plays a tremendous role, while conventional combined cycle gas turbines will remain an integral part of the future generation portfolio. To that end, carbon capture projects are being implemented and future ones are explored in the all-hands-on-deck struggle to clean our air and yet provide stable electricity for our people. This session will include Black & Veatch’s extensive work in all of these areas, with other experts in the field sharing experiences and visions on the operational side of the baseload path to low and no carbon. 

Offshore wind development costs and schedule volatility are more multifaceted and complex than other power generation development for several reasons. The projects require custom-built vessels, equipment, ports, onshore infrastructure, global sourced materials, and a uniquely trained workforce. Locally, projects face challenges associated with logistics, jurisdictional requirements, and community expectations.

As the power-generation world is racing to satisfy global decarbonization goals it must manage project risks effectively. A well-funded and carefully developed project plan is the centerpiece of a project risk program that can convert unknowns to managed risks.

This presentation will provide an understanding of typical power project risk management concepts and methods, and how they apply to projects in the offshore wind power industry. It will further explore how the industry can learn from past experiences as it matures. 

This presentation shows concepts to support the decarbonization goals considering Aeroderivative technology as well as a portfolio of digital products to achieve an energy transition to meet the said goals. The Aeroderivative Gas Turbines technology (Aeros) demonstrated that it could meet an affordable and sustainable energy supply model, either through complementing Renewable Sources in hybrid configuration injecting at the same point of interconnect (POI) or utilizing a mixture of gas and green hydrogen. The GE Aeros have been operating in several sites in Thermal Hybrid mode with Renewable Sources (Solar and Wind) and Energy Storage (BESS) thanks to the digital controls that enable those assets to operate as a fully integrated single resource including forecasting and dispatch optimization capabilities. Additionally, the Aero technology have demonstrated the capability of operating with renewable fuels including hydrogen that reduces the carbon emissions when mixed with natural gas in distributed generation scheme. The Use cases: A_ Thermal Hybrid Operation 24/7: Thermal Hybrids allow the RE (Renewable Energy) asset to generate to its fullest capacity while turning down the thermal asset and hence reduce the curtailment, fuel burnt, the pure Thermal LCOE (Levelized Cost of Electricity) as well as Carbon emissions to enable complying with the decarbonization imperatives. This use case will serve as the new base load from a hybrid asset that has a lower carbon emission when compared a pure thermal one bringing to the table many advantages and reducing the grid wide efforts to balance renewable assets with other interconnected ones. B- Green Hydrogen operation – Aero as a long term storage technology The Aero Gas turbines offer multiple options to achieve lower carbon emissions, by using a renewable fuel such as hydrogen. The proposed use case herein constitutes of feeding an Electrolyzer with the electrical power from a Solar PV asset to generate green hydrogen. The H2 will be compressed and stored during the availability of the solar Energy and then deployed to be mixed with Natural gas to burn during the evening and early dawn hours. This option eliminates the alternative of mixing the hydrogen in the gas infrastructure pipelines and instead deploy it on a distributed micro scale and determine the associated LCOH, LCOE and associated carbon reduction. In such scheme, the Aero technology will be utilized as a long-term storage technology.

Initiate is the hub at DISTRIBUTECH to hear about new technology, innovation, and up and coming talent in the energy sector. There will be 25 amazing startup companies pitching for a chance to win an award from Duke Energy and Clarion Energy Events. Stop by booth #3755 on the POWERGEN side to hear pitches and content centered around energy innovation.

Initiate is the hub at DISTRIBUTECH to hear about new technology, innovation, and up and coming talent in the energy sector. There will be 25 amazing startup companies pitching for a chance to win an award from Duke Energy and Clarion Energy Events. Stop by booth #3755 on the POWERGEN side to hear pitches and content centered around energy innovation.

The conventional generators are being displaced as solar and wind become a significant proportion of the generation mix on the grid. This rapid change to non-synchronous resources, makes it more critical that these asynchronous generation are able to provide services required to maintain power grid stability and reliability. This growing demand is being met through smarter use of the inverter technology and plant controls deployed in such resources. A pioneering effort by First Solar, NREL and CAISO demonstrated that utility-scale solar plants can provide essential reliability services that enhance the reliability of the power grid as well increase the value of these Inverter-Based Resources (IBRs). These services have now been put in commercial practice. In another seminal study with a utility, it was shown that solar, when used flexibly, result in significant benefits. It can potentially provide over $130M in annual benefits to the CAISO grid. New standards like IEEE P2800 are being developed to change how IBRs connect to the transmission system. The further evolution of inverters technology – “grid-forming” inverters – has the potential to address some of the longer-term power system challenges such as reduced inertia and low short-circuit current and help transform the current grid into a future “digital” grid. A new paradigm for developers and utilities connecting and planning for these resources to meet the grid integration challenges is being set.