Sessions

With the world moving toward a low-carbon economy, power generators must overcome the energy trilemma: providing affordable, resilient, and sustainable energy. By combining advanced digital control systems, predictive analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, Mitsubishi Power is helping customers integrate the entire plant ecosystem to seamlessly interact with the electrical power grid, energy storage, hybrid plants, and renewable generation sources. The TOMONI intelligent solutions suite is helping operators and owners increase O&M savings to accelerate their path to decarbonization. Key Takeaways: Create the digital infrastructure/platform to power your energy system Apply data-backed models to make real-time decisions in an increasingly complex world of power generation Enable decarbonization and optimize your systems making them more resilient, secure, and profitable

This presentation will address changes in code requirements in the last year and since the last PowerGen conference, as well as the advancements in battery storage technology over the past year. It will also lay out current approaches and changes to managing large-scale battery failures and fires. Because the industry continues to develop projectable data and with codes that continue to develop and change, this presentation will draw from recent testing conducted to date as well as real-life experiences with fire detection and suppression systems. It will include further updates on the explosion hazard as well.

Join large gas turbine OEM’s and hear them talk about the role of gas-fired generation in the future, how they see the energy mix developing, and the latest developments and innovations in the energy space.  

PAID EVENT: Reach out to info@powergen.com to add this to your registration 

The world is undertaking an energy transformation that will reshape electricity networks with renewable, clean, and resilient energy solutions. Yet, the electric grid and related transmission assets at the core of this energy transition were designed and built between 40 and 80 years ago - and much of that infrastructure is at or near the end of its useful life while being challenged to do more. Power utilities are at the center of this challenge; tasked with integrating record levels of new, renewable, energy assets while accommodating dramatically increased multidirectional power flows, and hardening the grid to prepare for increasingly severe weather events exacerbated by climate change. To meet the world’s ambitious climate goals, utilities must use innovative solutions to optimize the existing grid to help ensure a safe and expeditious transition to a de-carbonized world. Building new transmission will be necessary to ensure an energy transition, however given the timelines associated with financing, siting, permitting, and building new power lines, Grid Enhancing Technologies must also be utilized to optimize the existing grid. Summary The latest on the implementation and deployment of grid enhancing technologies Hear directly from utilities on the benefits of GETs Hear from policymakers about the latest on proposals and regulations promoting the expansion of GETs Hear from renewable energy executives on the benefits of GETs Who Should Attend: Guests will include representatives from leading utilities and RTOs/ISOs, who will share their experiences with the integration of GETs on networks.The world is undertaking an energy transformation that will reshape electricity networks with renewable, clean, and resilient energy solutions. Yet, the electric grid and related transmission assets at the core of this energy transition were designed and built between 40 and 80 years ago - and much of that infrastructure is at or near the end of its useful life while being challenged to do more. Power utilities are at the center of this challenge; tasked with integrating record levels of new, renewable, energy assets while accommodating dramatically increased multidirectional power flows, and hardening the grid to prepare for increasingly severe weather events exacerbated by climate change. To meet the world’s ambitious climate goals, utilities must use innovative solutions to optimize the existing grid to help ensure a safe and expeditious transition to a de-carbonized world. Building new transmission will be necessary to ensure an energy transition, however given the timelines associated with financing, siting, permitting, and building new power lines, Grid Enhancing Technologies must also be utilized to optimize the existing grid. Summary The latest on the implementation and deployment of grid enhancing technologies Hear directly from utilities on the benefits of GETs Hear from policymakers about the latest on proposals and regulations promoting the expansion of GETs Hear from renewable energy executives on the benefits of GETs Who Should Attend: Guests will include representatives from leading utilities and RTOs/ISOs, who will share their experiences with the integration of GETs on networks.

Gas-powered electric generating units (EGU) provide key flexibility and stability to the electrical grid and are likely to continue playing a significant role in peaking power generation and grid stabilization as decarbonization progresses. Given the ambitious goals for the power sector to have net zero carbon emissions by 2035, however, these assets must find ways to reduce carbon emissions while maintaining flexible and reliable operation. The cofiring of hydrogen in gas turbines (GT) presents an opportunity to decarbonize without compromising on generator output. Not all existing gas turbines are currently capable of cofiring significant amounts of hydrogen. However, many existing GTs and most new units can accommodate at least 30% hydrogen cofiring now with greater capabilities planned for the future of up to 100%. While the GT OEMs will be focusing on the challenge of expanding hydrogen cofiring capabilities for the turbines themselves, there remain several balance-of-plant (BOP) impacts that must be addressed by others. Whether hydrogen is to be produced and stored on site or delivered to site via tube trailers or pipelines, many considerations need to be evaluated. Several modifications to piping systems, water systems, emissions control and monitoring systems, safety systems, and more may be required to enable the cofiring of hydrogen. As the percentage of hydrogen cofiring increases, further modifications can be necessary. This presentation will cover the BOP related topics that a gas-powered EGU should consider in order to enable safe and reliable hydrogen cofiring. A case study will be presented within the presentation to highlight the modifications needed to an existing plant to enable hydrogen cofiring.

According to Accuweather, the damage costs from the winter storm in mid-February could be as high as $130 billion in Texas alone. In addition to the extreme cold conditions, loss of power was a contributor to the massive damages Texans suffered. The purpose of this white paper is to serve as an initial overview and assessment of electrical system reliability failures experienced during the extreme weather event that occurred within the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) Interconnection service territory from February 14, 2021 until February 18, 2021. The Southwest, Midwest, and Northeast experienced an extreme winter weather event in February 2021. The ERCOT service area underwent extreme winter weather from February 14 through February 18, 2021, with record low temperatures for much of the state of Texas. Those extremes created significant operational (equipment), electrical system (grid), fuel constraints and curtailments as with liquid natural gas (LNG) pipelines, and market (pricing) disruptions. A total of 356 generating units or approximately 50% of the total generating assets were forced offline during the event within the ERCOT service area. Frequency was ultimately impacted and registered below the 59.4 Hz limit for more than four minutes. Load shedding began on February 15 and reached a peak of approximately 20,000 MW. Load shedding was required for more than 70 hours before full system load could be restored. There were likely several triggers for the number of forced outages related to the extreme weather but generally, they appear to fall into two primary categories. These categories are 1) the inability of a unit to either start or maintain operational status related to weatherization, including both fuel-based facilities as well as renewables—primarily wind—and 2) reduction or loss of priority reassignment of natural gas for gas-fired facilities. It should be noted that there has been significant attention focused on wind assets, but the facts indicate that all resources were substantially impacted with no one category necessarily more affected than others. There are more likely other events related to icing of transmission and/or distribution systems that may have contributed to loss of service/contingent business interruptions of power, but these are beyond the scope of this paper.

As utility organizations need to transition from current generation mix to carbon free generation, while high levels statements are made, the actual transition and execution is left to technical teams who are challenged with economics, transmission, generation mix physics (reliability/regulatory requirements), integration and implementation of the transition itself.  This session is to provide the perspectives of mid-level staff at utilities on the actual execution of the transition plan.  Discussion regarding challenges of transitioning existing fossil fleet to decommissioning while bringing more variable renewables resources on line, challenges regarding the current transmission grid and how it influences mis transition, early indicators regarding operability and control of the emerging grid mix and other challenges that have become opportunities for innovation and utility growth.  The panel will be focused less on the challenges of transition but rather the opportunities and innovation the transition is creating for utilities and the entities that support them.

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.

Global pressure on the use of traditional fossil fuels and the emission of greenhouse gases such as CO2 is enormous. Consequently, the gas turbine (GT) industry is taking action. One of the key efforts of reducing CO2 emissions in gas turbines is to shift the use of natural gas (typically CH4) to alternative fuels such as Hydrogen (H2). The various gas turbine OEMs, as well as utilities and other users of gas turbines, are currently investigating the impact of firing H2 in gas turbines. A lot less focus is given to its impact on other complementary equipment to gas turbines such as Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSGs), while a great deal of the global gas turbine fleet is connected with HRSGs. This paper will give insight into what the main impacts are of firing H2 in gas turbines on HRSGs. For example, the combustion of hydrogen will occur at higher flame temperatures than natural gas. One of the side effects of that fact is the production of more nitrogen oxides (NOx). Secondly, the water dew point of the flue gas increases when firing hydrogen in the GT. This means that cold parts which are in contact with flue gas will form condensation quicker. Thirdly, firing H2 adds extra volume to the exhaust gas flow compared to firing natural gas. Last, but certainly not least, are the additional safety aspects that apply when firing H2 in the gas turbine. This paper will explore design considerations for the HRSG based on the above impacts.