Power and Water April Issue

APRIL 2013

publication licensed by impz

The rise of shams 1 The world’s largest Concentrated Solar Power plant is a major milestone for renewable energy in the Middle East

Strategic partner

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POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

CONTENTS April 2013

COVER STORY The Rise of Shams 1

4/

editor’s note

8/

Mosaic

10 /

round up

12 /

in the region

16 /

at large 24 / The world’s largest Concentrated Solar Power plant is a major milestone for renewable energy in the Middle East

expe r t c o l u m n

18 / 19 /

20 / Energy performance of buildings

i n d u st r y n o tes

Value of ISO 50001 Biomass powered ships

Moheet Vishwas examines three key approaches to making buildings more energy-efficient.

42 / Solar power plants -David or Goliath

Dr. Michael Krämer of Taylor Wessing compares small with utility scale solar plants. on the record

22 / Enabling green economy

44 /

Saeed Bin Ghubash, Director, Enpark on making Dubai a hub for green technologies

pipi n g s y ste m s

Piping for power generation Pipe joints have a major influence on how efficiently and cost-effectively a power plant operates.

C A R B ON C A P T UR E & S T OR A G E

36 / Economically viable carbon

desali n ati o n

48 / Green antiscalant for thermal

capture

desalination plants

Carbon and energy management software and sustainability.

S e c t o r r ep o r t

p r e v iew

41 / A record year for renewables

54 / WETEX 2013 to emphasise sustainable development

Clean Edge’s annual report finds increased deployment, but only slight increase in market value

FLIPSIDE

64 / A cover to remember 65 / CSP on a shoestring 58 / TENDERS & CONTRACTS

m a r k et pla c e

56 / • Ametek

• Omicron • Smith flow control

6/

S p o tlig h t

NYNAS

30 /

S p o tlig h t

MiccGreenTec

66 / EVENTS POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

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EDITOR’S NOTE Publisher Dominic De Sousa Associate Publisher Liam Williams • liam@cpidubai.com Chief Operations Officer Nadeem Hood • nadeem.@cpidubai.com

Anoop K Menon anoop@cpi-industry.com

Editor Anoop K Menon • anoop@cpi-industry.com Commercial Director Gina O’Hara • gina.ohara@cpidubai.com Tel: +971 4 375 1513

The six-year itch

A

t the last count, I had received close to 19 press releases where the senders proudly declared that their organisations would be participating in Earth Hour 2013. On a positive note, it is good to know that people are switching off their lights for an hour from 8:30 and 9:30 pm, contributing their two cents worth to a global action against climate change. But has this six-year old global custom become a case of too much of a good thing? I fired up my browser and keyed in: ‘what is wrong with earth hour’ and got Bjørn Lomborg (author of The Skeptical Environmentalist) on Slate magazine telling it as it is. In 2011, the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon told the assembled leaders at World Future Energy Summit (WFES) that a decade into this millennium, 1.3 billion people—one in five globally—still lack electricity to light their homes or conduct business. For these people, wrote Lomborg, the evening of 23rd March is just like every other night of the year where darkness after sunset is a constant reality.

And on that day “another 1 billion people will participate in “Earth Hour” by turning off their lights from 8:30-9:30.”

Lomborg was making a case for new, more efficient green technologies instead of subsidising solar and wind which he blames for leading 800,000 German households to a position where they can no longer pay their electricity bills. That’s a subject matter for another editorial, but the point he makes does throw up some questions – are we confusing symbolism with lasting change?

With one in five people globally lacking access to electricity in the 21st century, is participation in earth hour becoming an excuse to pretend that this problem doesn’t exist? Some people would also like to believe that if they switched off lights for an hour, they have fixed the climate change problem. Has earth hour reduced such a complex issue to a matter of individual choice?

In a different context, you can put all the flow restrictors you want in your building, but if the end-user is habituated to consuming water in a certain way, the taps will simply remain open for a longer period. In other words, Earth Hour cannot be a substitute for lasting behavioural change. It also doesn’t absolve us of our collective responsibility to adopt an energy infrastructure which takes the suffering out of conservation.

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POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

Director Harry Norman • Harry@cpidubai.com Tel: +971 4 375 1502 Business Development Manager Deep Karani • deep@cpidubai.com M. +971 50 8585905 Design Cris Malapitan • malapitan.c@cpidubai.com Digital Services Manager IT Department Troy Maagma • troy@cpidubai.com Web Developer Waseem Shahzad • waseem@cpidubai.com Production James P. Tharian Rajeesh M Circulation Rochelle Almeida rochelle@cpidubai.com USA and Canada Kanika Saxena Director - North America 25 Kingsbridge Garden Cir. Suite 919 Mississauga, ON. Canada L5R 4B1 kanika@cpi-industry.com tel/fax: + 1 905 890 5031 Published by: Head Office PO Box 13700 Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 375 1500 Fax: +971 4 365 9986 www.megawhatme.com / www.h2ome.net Printed by: Printwell Printing Press LLC © Copyright 2012 CPI. All rights reserved.

While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

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SPOTLIGHT

Specification and maintenance guide for mineral insulating oil

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ineral insulating oil is the most widely used insulating liquid for cooling and insulation in oil-filled electrical equipment.

Standard specifications and guidelines are regularly maintained and used for purchasing and supply of virgin unused oil and also for maintenance of in-service oil.

International standard IEC 60296 is used in the electrical industry for purchasing and supply of unused mineral insulating oil. Globally it is the most widely used standard for supply of mineral oil in the electrical industry. Both users and

producers realised some weakness in this standard; therefore during IEC TC10 general meeting in 2005, it was decided to revise this standard. As of FEBRUARY 2013 2012 the revised standard is now published. We urge all our customers to ask for these 2012 standards for all future requirements.

Among several improvements the revised standard address lower furfural content of the oil as well as clearer definitions of additives. Demands on testing for sulfur induced copper corrosivity were also finally formalised.

At Nynas, we’re passionate about everything to do with power.

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POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

For reliable operation of oil-filled electrical equipment, monitoring and maintenance of insulating liquid is essential. The characteristics of the oil, supplied as unused, may change during service life. Therefore, the oil quality should be monitored regularly during its service life.

In many countries, power companies and electrical power authorities have established codes of practice for this purpose. In general these cover monitoring guidelines and corrective actions depending on the oil status. If

SPOTLIGHT

a certain amount of oil deterioration is exceeded then the possibility and risk of premature failure should be considered.

While the quantification of the risk can be very difficult, a first step involves the identification of potential effects of increased deterioration.

Physical contaminants such as water and particles can be removed from the oil restoring oil breakdown voltage, however, chemical contaminants cannot be removed by simple filtration/ degassing of the oil and requires chemical treatment of the oil. This is

particularly important issue for repaired transformers and refilling of these repaired units would be best with new virgin oil.

IEC 60422 is a guide for supervision and maintenance of mineral insulating oils. This standard is now under revision to take into account development in oil and equipment technology and inclusion of the best practices currently in use worldwide. Changes are also made to use current methodology and comply with requirements and regulations affecting safety and environmental aspects.

Should you have any questions related to the above aspects, feel free to contact: Hendrik Cosemans (General Manager Nynas Middle East) Emial: heco@nynas.com Tel. No. 00971 4 332 71 25

Need to talk to a transformer oil supplier who understands your business? One who’s local enough to be near you, yet global enough to have the expertise you need. Get in touch. www.nynas.com

POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

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18.7%

MOSAIC

New world record claimed by First Solar for cadmium-telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic (PV) solar cell conversion efficiency.

SR1.6-bn WATER SCAReCITY • A region is said to face water scarcity when supplies fall below 1,000 m3 per person, and absolute water scarcity is when supplies drop below 500 m3/year • About 66% of Africa is arid or semiarid, and more than 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa currently live on less than 1,000 m3 of water resources per person • According to UN Water, each person in North America and Europe (excluding former Soviet Union countries) consumes at least 3 m3/ day of virtual water in imported food, compared with 1.4 m3/day in Asia and 1.1 m3/day in Africa

Worth of projects expected to be launched by Saudi government in April to add 200,000 m3/day of water for Riyadh, reports Arab News.

35GW Global PV installations forecasted to exceed in 2013 by IMS Research

200,000 kWh 120 tonnes of CO2 Dubai’s Earth Hour 2013 savings as reported by Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA). Dubai joined over 7,000 cities around the world in Earth Hour where residents turned off the lights and unnecessary home appliances from 8:30 to 9:30pm

Worldwatch Institute’s Vital Signs Online service

TOP TEN AIR AND WATER MONITORING COMPANIES RANKING

COMPANY

#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9

Emerson Endress + Hauser Thermo Fisher Horiba Yokogawa Xylem Siemens Mettler Toledo Invensys

#10

ABB

Source: Air & Water Pollution Monitoring World Markets (www.mcilvainecompany.com)

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POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

In May 2012, Clariant started operating what it believes is the first-ever sustainable effluent treatment (SET) facility for a textile operational site in Pakistan. The Jamshoro site, one of the biggest textile chemical sites within Clariant, produces dyes, chemicals, emulsions and pigment dispersions. With an investment of USD4.0 million, the SET facility not only supports the substantial saving of 80% of water by recycling and reusing, but also allows effluent treatment based on zero liquid discharge (ZLD). SET facility allows savings of 240 million litres of water per annum.

MOSAIC

This infographic from GE’s water business illustrates a day in the life of a water droplet, highlighting facts such as how many gallons of water are used to process common household products; how many gallons of water it takes to produce enough food for one person in a single day worldwide and the average world water footprint per person per year.

POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

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ROUND UP

Pall will participate in research relating to filtration, separations, and purification technologies

Pall teams with KAUST for filtration R&D

P

all Corporation has teamed with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia to focus on the evolving filtration needs of industries and utilities in the Middle East. As part of the KAUST Industry Collaboration Programme (KICP), Pall will participate in research relating to filtration, separations, and purification technologies. As an integral component of KAUST Economic Development (ED), KICP maximises the effectiveness of industrial collaboration within the Kingdom and internationally by engaging key partners. Pall will complement the extensive and well-equipped laboratory facilities at KAUST with applications expertise, separations materials and pilot scale systems to develop well-focused and commercially sustainable solutions to challenging separations problems. F

Legislations spur adoption of sludge treatment

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tringent legislations on wastewater residue disposal have fuelled investments in the global sludge treatment market. Rapid infrastructure development, particularly in developing countries, has resulted in a rise in the number of wastewater treatment plants and heightened sludge production,

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POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

further providing a large addressable market for sludge treatment systems.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Global Sludge Treatment Systems Market, finds that the market earned revenues of more than USD5.35 billion in 2012 and estimates this to reach USD8.23 billion in 2018. Environmental concerns have led countries to establish policies that mandate an increase in the quality and number of treatment facilities for sludge management. These policies, which set the preferred routes of treatment and the acceptable level of contaminants and pathogens, compel the development of sludge treatment systems. F

Mott Mac signed on for Ghubrah desalination plant

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ott MacDonald has been named owner’s engineer for the USD350 million Ghubrah Independent Water Project (IWP) in Muscat, Oman. A consortium led by Malakoff International and including Sumitomo Corporation and Cadagua is developing the seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination facility. The plant, which will be located next to existing water production facilities, will produce 42 MIGD of water to supply Oman’s capital area. The consultancy will review the engineering, procurement and construction contractor’s design, as well as supervise construction, commissioning and testing of the plant.

Richard Hall, Mott MacDonald’s project director, said: “This is the second IWP in Oman. Mott MacDonald was also involved in the first at Sur, acting as technical advisor to the government from conception through to completion.”

The Ghubrah facility is expected to be completed by October 2014. F

RAK sets up electricity and water authority

H

is Highness Shaikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, has issued emiri decree No (4) of

2013 establishing the Ras Al Khaimah Electricity and Water Authority (RAKEWA).

According to the decree, the new government entity shall enjoy financial, administrative and legal autonomy and juridical personality. According to its terms of reference, RAKEWA shall regulate ownership, management, operation and maintenance of electricity generation and water desalination plants, water rights, distribution and transport network, electricity transmission and despatch network and other assets and facilities of the electricity and water sector in the emirate. The authority shall also monitor prices of water and power services sold to consumers to ensure fairness, transparency at all times. F

Rockwell Automation welcomes new Middle East partners

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ockwell Automation has added two new EMEA solution providers to its Solution Partner programme.

AND Automation is a control systems integration firm that offers a range of products and services, including both hardware and software, to provide integrated solutions that meet control system needs for small to large bluechip companies while Pacpro is a control systems integration company that is equipped to provide equipment sales, turnkey system integration and project management. Tom Mercer, Regional Channel Manager – Rockwell Automation, Middle East, comments: “The favourable response to our integrated solutions from a global perspective is truly exciting and substantially affirms the broader market demand for automation. Given the strong and active partnership Rockwell Automation has, it is a great fit for our automation partner network since they bring the local expertise and dedication to excellent customer service that our customers have come to expect. Our growth strategy of innovation and partnership is committed to continually enhancing the services we offer to EMEA and globally.” F

ROUND UP

Flowserve upgrades pump testing facility

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Eric Claudel, Senior Vice President of Telecommunication at Gemalto Middle East with Farid Faraidooni, Chief Commercial Officer, DU Telecom

DU targets utilities with M2M services

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AE’s DU Telecom, and Gemalto, a global player in digital security have tied up to deploy Gemalto’s machine-to-machine (M2M) communication technology in the UAE market. Gemalto’s Cinterion Machine Identification Modules (MIM) are specialised SIM platforms designed for M2M wireless communication and will operate on DU’s state-of-the art network. These can be embedded in smart meters and will enable utility companies or energy distributors in the UAE to securely and remotely monitor electricity consumption in real time. In the oil and gas industries, the devices will help manage hard–to-reach meters to ensure effective maintenance.

DU is fuelling innovation in the UAE and the deployment of MIM cards has the potential to change the industry’s landscape in the region. M2M is surging globally with analysts forecasting it will become a USD28 billion market by 2014. Gemalto and DU are dedicated to enabling this growth in the Middle East,” said Eric Claudel, Senior Vice President of Telecommunication at Gemalto Middle East. F

lowser ve Corporation has completed an upgrade of its open loop test bench at its Coslada, Spain, manufacturing and testing facility.

Responding to the market trend for both larger cooling water pumps and increased testing capabilities, the test bench now accommodates flows up to 90,000 m3/h for a total differential head (TDH) of 10.5 m, making it among the largest of its type in the world. Flowserve customers can now readily obtain actual site condition tests together with run-out flow verification at the point of manufacture, making the Coslada test facility well positioned and fully capable of meeting customer testing needs in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. “The expanded capabilities at the Coslada test facility further underscore our commitment to satisfy our customers’ needs for highquality pumps and technical services,” said Jim Quain, president, Flowserve Engineered Pump Operations. “We recognise their investment in special purpose vertical pumps is significant, and we work hard every day to confirm our customers’ confidence in us by providing world-class performance testing and verification support.” F

APR Energy bags 250MW project in Libya

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PR Energy recently announced that it has signed the largest contract in APR Energy history and historically one of the largest interim power projects with a public utility. The contract, signed with the national utility of Libya will provide for a full turnkey 250MW power plant. The fast-track solution, featuring mobile turbines will help to provide interim power while the country repairs and builds its infrastructure as well as cover anticipated power demand during the critical summer season. The Libya contract will be the eighth major project that APR Energy has completed in Africa, and is the latest in a series of projects using dual-fuel turbines as a fuel-flexible and efficient solution for its customer.

APR Energy’s contracted solution in Libya will comprise four sites, stretching from the northern to the southern end of the country, to meet the electricity needs on a regional level. F

MENA Geothermal bags heating and cooling deal

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ENA Geothermal Jordan, a leading player in geothermal heating and cooling systems, has signed an agreement to install a geothermal system for three luxurious villas in Al Humar area in Fuheis, Jordan. Under this agreement, MENA Geothermal will be responsible for installing a heating and cooling geothermal system for three adjacent villas, by creating a joint closed-loop pipe serving all three villas, with a cooling capacity of 66 tonnes and a heating capacity of 70 tonnes. Khaled Al Sabawi, founder and President of MENA Geothermal, pointed out that 96% of the energy needed to meet increasing demand in Jordan is imported from other countries, making it an urgent necessity to shift towards using geothermal energy instead of conventional heating and cooling systems. F

Qatar water demand matches GDP growth

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ccording to Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA) findings, Qatar’s economic growth, expressed as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in constant 2004 prices, is strongly coupled with the amount of freshwater used. From 2002 until 2011 the average GDP growth was 15% per year whereas the demand for freshwater rose about 14% per year in average. The use of one litre of water in the year 2002 contributed to the creation of QR 0.83 of GDP, whereas in the year 2011 this figure improved slightly to QR 0.87 of GDP per litre freshwater.

Due to limitations in renewable freshwater resources Qatar’s source of freshwater is mainly desalinated water.

However, investments in existing water infrastructure helped to reduce losses of desalinated water during transport from about 30% to 8.2% in 2011. F POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

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IN THE REGION

Energy index report sets benchmark for Middle East In Saudi Arabia, the government recently announced it would invest in 9 GW of wind capacity by 2032.

The growth of renewable energy projects in the GCC is expected to see the Middle East’s rankings rise in future reports

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new energy report by the World Economic Forum, and produced in collaboration with global management consultancy Accenture, highlights that high-income countries are leading the transition to a new energy architecture but still have work to do on environmental sustainability.

The Global Energy Architecture Performance Index Report 2013 measures the strengths and weaknesses of countries’ energy systems from an integrated economic, environmental and energy security perspective, and is also designed to help countries manage and navigate the challenges that arise from this period of change which, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), will require USD38 trillion of investment in energy supply infrastructure by 2035 to meet rising global demand.

The findings reveal that high-income countries have proven best at managing

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POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

the transition to new energy architecture.

Norway ranks in first place in the index, where a strong energy policy coupled with multiple energy resources has delivered cheap, plentiful and relatively clean power and generated large national revenues.

With seven other European countries joining Norway in the top 10, the list is completed by New Zealand (5) and Colombia (6). No OPEC country features in the top 50, while the USA ranks 55th.

Of the BRICS, Brazil leads in 21st place, followed by the Russian Federation (27), South Africa (59), India (62) and China (74).

Tunisia is the highest ranked Arab country on the index, followed by Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Omar Boulos, Managing Director of Accenture, Middle East believes the index is a global benchmark for the Middle East region to aim for, and many Gulf countries are already taking positive and ambitious steps to address their future energy needs. In Saudi Arabia, the government recently announced it would invest USD109 billion to install 41GW of solar and 9 GW of wind capacity by 2032. At WFES 2013, there were over 30 renewable energy projects worth USD8 billion seeking funding, including a $300,000 250KW solar project in the UAE and a USD280 million 65-130MW solar

project in Jordan.

“Combine these projects with a USD50 million funding cycle for clean energy projects announced by the Abu Dhabibased International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in conjunction with the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, and you can see that energy architecture in the Middle East is rapidly evolving,” said Boulos.

“It is extremely encouraging to see a region that is so reliant on fossil fuels for their income take such affirmative action to join the global community’s collective response to the challenges of high energy demand. This index, which Accenture helped to produce, clearly shows the benchmark standards that countries in the Middle East need to achieve,” said Boulos.

The Energy Architecture Performance Index helps nations take stock of their energy architecture challenges and identify specific focus areas coupled with best-in-class examples to use when managing their transition. According to the report, with 12% of the developing countries analysed in the study provide electricity to less than 50% of their total population. The report also considers how issues around fossil-fuel subsidy, water use for energy production and effective management of resource wealth need addressing globally. F

IN THE REGION

AMGAS launches sour oil recovery technology in the Middle East The process provides a safe and cost effective way to manage risks to polluting emissions and other contaminations in sour oil and gas.

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M G A S S e r v i ce s ( A M G A S ) launched its new Sour Crude Oil Recovery (SCOR) process in response to the increased development of sour oil and gas in the Middle East.

Sour oil and gas well intervention is difficult to handle and treat due to lack of infrastructure, technology and experience in the Middle East. As a result, those crude resources, laden with Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S), have been routinely flared, leading to a loss of commercial goods as well as presenting environmental and safety hazards.

AMGAS’ SCOR process provides m u l t i p l e a v e n u e s fo r t rea t i n g , storing, recovering or transporting sour crude oil. The process fulfills the sustainability requirements of the triple bottom line in that it protects people, environment and investment.

“We have been handling and treating H2S in Canada for years. With sour crude oil now being produced in the Middle East we need to use our expertise and capabilities to handle H2S in ways that simultaneously protect people, their commercial interests and the planet,” says Sheldon McKee, Director of Business and Product Development at AMGAS. “The SCOR process is truly a sustainable solution.

The SCOR process integrates processes, service and equipment with dependable technological innovations that meet AMGAS’s exacting standards. It is a cost effective way to manage risks to polluting emissions and other contaminations in sour oil and gas. To ensure the highest level of service AMGAS has partnered with Rutledge E&P that provides services for drilling and exploration. Rutledge is based in Singapore and has operations throughout the Middle East.

“Our goal is to take the best practices established over the years in Canada and make them a global standard,” says McKee. “It is a win-win situation for everyone. Producers save money and time and there is protection for people and the environment.”

The SCOR process allows recovery opportunities for extended well tests, which improve well/zone evaluation and drilling plans. Extended well tests are now possible because of the elimination of burning crude and the consequences associated with it. Recovered sour crude oil is loaded, transported and treated safely in the SCOR Transport TankTM allowing commercial recovery of the oil. This also allows for extended testing parameters due to the cost savings of recovered crude oil. F POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

13

IN THE REGION

GCC genset market poised for growth

Unreliable power distribution to boost sale of 15-2,000 kVA diesel generator sets in the Gulf, finds Frost & Sullivan study

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purred on by transmission and distribution bottlenecks and ensuing power shortage, the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC’s) 152,000 kilovolt-ampere (kVA) diesel genset market is poised for steady growth.

Several new construction projects coming up over the next five years will sustain the need for diesel gensets and drive sales.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan’s Strategic Analysis of GCC Diesel Genset Market (15-2,000 kVA) research finds that market earned revenues of more than USD564.6 million in 2011 and estimates this to reach USD950.4 million in 2018.

“Since grid electricity supply is either unreliable owing to extreme desert conditions or is prohibitively priced, several companies, particularly those drilling in oil reserves, rely on diesel genset power to maintain operational effectiveness,” said Frost & Sullivan Energy & Power Systems Program Manager Anup Barapatre. “Demand from the residential segment will increase owing to the growing population and higher living standards.”

In Saudi Arabia, high peak power deficit, along with delayed power plant

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POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

projects, is expected to drive the uptake of diesel gensets. Qatar, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait will witness high growth rates due to industrial and commercial development.

Although these industrial and commercial segments are picking up pace, certain projects that were deferred or cancelled due to the 2009 economic downturn curb sales of diesel gensets in the GCC. Increasing focus on alternative sources such as solar energy, high fuel costs, and environmental concerns will adversely impact the demand for diesel gensets. The increasing presence of manufacturers from China and India will intensify competition in the region, thereby decreasing profit margins.

“Suppliers must form local joint ventures and partnerships to strengthen their brand name and establish business relationships with key end users,” said Barapatre. “Sound local logistics support is necessary to supply units and transfer personnel to remote locations.”

Ensuring quality after-sales services, skilled manpower, and spare parts availability will sustain business in the long run. F

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POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

15

AT LARGE

GE launches new critical power business

The new business brings GE’s solutions for mission-critical power applications under one roof; customers will have access to financing options from GE Capital

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E has unveiled a new business to address the growing power requirements of data centres, hospitals, telecommunication networks and other mission-critical facilities. “The focus of GE’s Critical Power business is to help customers reduce energy consumption and minimise the operating costs associated with supplying power to their mission-critical applications,” said Jeff Schnitzer, general manager of GE’s Critical Power business. “We support

our customers from the front-end design through the lifecycle of the equipment to help them realise the greatest benefit from their investment.”

Serving the global market and headquartered in Plano, Texas, GE’s Critical Power business includes powerswitching products, UPS, DC energy systems and embedded power supplies such as board-mounted power and frontend rectifiers. Combining these solutions into a single unified business enables

GE to serve the power needs of missioncritical applications, from the building infrastructure (UPS, switchgear or DC energy systems) to end devices, by working with OEMs to provide overall power to the system and at the board level.

Through a partnership with GE Capital, GE’s Critical Power business will provide customers with customised financial lease programmes and terms to support equipment upgrades and retrofits. These lease programmes and terms have been specifically designed with customer’s needs in mind to ensure facilities can affordably implement the latest technologies, products and services in order to achieve more efficient and reliable power. F

TDW Offshore Services offers SmartTrack to global market Remote-controlled monitoring technology tracks inline tools, monitors pressure

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DW Offshore Services (TDW) announced that, for the first time, it is offering its SmartTrack remote tracking and pressure-monitoring system for use in the global marketplace.

Until now, this proprietary technology has been used exclusively by TDW to carry out pipeline pressure isolation operations in conjunction with the company’s SmartPlug isolation system.

TDW has executed several hundred isolation operations with the SmartTrack system in a wide variety of pipeline contexts. The success of these operations demonstrates not only its ability to remotely track inline tools and monitor pipeline pressure, but underscores its versatility and reliability.

“The SmartTrack system is a critical component of our pressure isolation service capability,” said Enzo Dellesite, Director – Global Market Development Offshore for TDW. “It helps us to isolate pipelines successfully, whether the job is to facilitate pipeline repairs or clean a line

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POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

choked with debris. Given its versatility and success in the field, we made the decision to make the SmartTrack system readily accessible to operators and service companies that want to avail themselves of the wide-ranging benefits it offers,” he added.

As operators move into remote territories to unearth new sources of oil and gas, unique challenges in the installation and maintenance of complex pipeline networks arise. These challenges demand more innovative technology, such as remote-controlled systems to inspect the pipelines and to isolate pressure during repair operations. Critical to these isolation procedures is the ability to control, track, and monitor pressure isolation tools. TDW responded by developing the SmartTrack remote tracking and pressure-monitoring system.

The SmartTrack system can track a wide range of devices in almost any environment. For example, the

system was used when four pigs were deployed to flood, clean and gauge a 63-kilometre gas export pipeline system in Kollsnes, Norway. To comply with ATEX requirements, every pig was equipped with a SmartTrack D116 ATEXcertified transponder.

Another example of the system’s flexibility came in a pipeline cleaning and pressure isolation operation carried out offshore the UAE. The high friction pig train remained in the line for seven days while maintenance was conducted. Working from an offshore platform 200 metres away, technicians reviewed a continuous flow of data from SmartTrack transponders attached to the pigs.

The SmartTrack system can be used nearly anywhere to track any device within pipelines up to a thickness of 50mm. It is also an effective means of tracking specially designed pigs in sequences used to flood, clean, and gauge pipelines during pre-commissioning. F

AT LARGE

Aggreko bags cross-border power deal The company will supply 122 MW of cross-border power to Mozambique and Namibia Aggreko Power Plant in Ressano Garcia, Mozambique

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ggreko has signed Tri-Party Power Purchase Agreements (TPPA) with Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM), the Mozambique power utility and NamPower, the Namibian power utility, to provide 122MW of gas-fuelled power from the Aggreko interim power plant located at Gigawatt Park at Ressano Garcia, Mozambique. The agreement follows the authorisation by EDM for the direct supply of power by Aggreko to NamPower and will see the installed capacity of 122MW split between the two utilities with EDM utilising up to 32MW and NamPower up to 90MW, based on the specific needs of both utilities.

Aggreko built the facility at Ressano Garcia in 2012 as part of an ambitious project in which it became the first cross-

border, interim Independent Power Provider to the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP). Under the first phase of the project, which started power production in July 2012, Aggreko and its JV partner Shanduka supplies power to EDM for national energy requirements in Mozambique, and also generates power for the South African utility ESKOM. The success of this initial project, which is currently providing 110MW of power to the two utilities, has enabled Aggreko to offer additional power to other members of the SAPP, which is one of the largest interconnected grids in the world and links the power networks of nine countries in Southern Africa.

By utilising the regional transmission infrastructure, Aggreko will be able to supply power generated in Mozambique to Namibia, more than 1,500 kilometres

Millions at risk for every billion spent on projects Project and programme failure can have serious consequences

A

new study released from The Project Management Institute (PMI) found that organisations risk on average USD135 million for every billion dollars spent. However, high performing organisations that implement proven success indicators can to mitigate risk by improving their project and programme outcomes. 90% of their projects are meeting original goals and business intent, and they risk 14 times less than their low performing counterparts – creating a significant competitive advantage.

“These findings should concern executives, particularly in today’s complex business landscape,” said PMI

President and CEO Mark A Langley. “When organisations continue getting better at executing their projects and programmes, they drive success. But when organisation executives undervalue the benefit of effective project, programme and portfolio management – strategic initiative management – they put real dollars, and their futures, at risk.”

Ye t t h e r i s k l o o m s f o r m a n y organisations: according to the 2013 Pulse of the Profession, just 54% of organisations understand the value of project management. Even fewer are focusing on developing their project management talent; less than half of respondents reported that their

away, as well as locally to EDM. Both EDM and Eskom will play a key role in delivering this power to Namibia. EDM will transmit the power over its network to the South African border where NamPower will take delivery. Eskom on behalf of NamPower will handle the wheeling of the power across the South African grid network to Namibia.

The new 122MW plant is scheduled to go into production in the second quarter of 2013 and will supply power for a minimum of two years. Natural gas to the project will be supplied by the Matola Gas Company SA through their gas infrastructure at Ressano Garcia and Aggreko will generate power utilising a sub-concession agreement with Gigawatt Mozambique SA. The total value of the project is likely to be in excess of USD200 million, including fuel costs. F

organisation currently has a formal process for developing project manager competency (45%) or a defined career path for those engaged in project or program management (42%).

Though PMI’s Pulse of the Profession survey uncovered these declines, it also revealed some positive movement in the strategic application of project management practices and alignment with an organisation’s broader business goals. More than three-quarters of project managers (76%) say their projects are better aligned to organisational strategy today than they were a year ago.

In this complex environment, aligning with overall organisational strategy and understanding what it takes to become a high performer – completing 80% or more of projects on time, on budget and within goals – has the potential to improve an organisation’s outcomes. F POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

17

INDUSTRY NOTES

Value of ISO 50001 If ISO 50001 is widely adopted, it could influence up to 60% of the world’s energy use across many economic sectors.

By Anoop K Menon

W

hile the Gulf countries are in a relatively sweet position when it comes to availability and cost of energy, it won’t be very long before they have to fall in step with the rest of the world on managing their energy costs. For companies operating in the region, the ISO 50001 standard provides a recognised framework for integrating energy performance into their management practices. By implementing an energy management system certified to ISO 50001, industrial and commercial facilities can establish systems and processes necessary to take a systematic approach to achieve continual improvement of energy performance.

International Standards Organisation (ISO) believes that this standard could influence up to 60% of the world’s energy use with broad applicability across national economic sectors. Improved energy performance can provide rapid benefits for an organisation by maximising the use of its energy sources

18

POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

and energy-related assets, thus reducing both energy cost and consumption. The organisation will also make positive contributions toward reducing depletion of energy resources and mitigating worldwide effects of energy use, such as global warming.

Sarfraz Dairkee, General Manager-Corporate Development & Engineering, MAHY Khoory & Co, who is also a Certified Energy Manager, explained that ISO 50001 puts a lot of emphasis on measurement, verification and continuous improvement in energy efficiency. He said: “The two crucial aspects of this standard are one, clearly putting the systems in place, and second, measurement of the target. To manage something you need to be able to measure it. If you are talking about continuous performance, you need to be able to measure performance.

However, performance gets affected by other variables, and most of the times, we fail to take into account these variables.

Unless you understand those variables, performance cannot be well understood.”

In fact, ISO 50001 requires the organisation to define and document the scope and boundary of its energy management system in order to achieve continual improvement of its energy performance. “Whatsoever energy inputs are coming into that particular boundary should be measurable and you should be able to account for at least 95% of that,” said Dairkee.

Also, these inputs should be within the control of the management. “If someone else is doing that, the boundary is not

in your control,” said Dairkee. “It takes into account what energy resources are getting into it and whether those energy resources are within the management control. If not, you cannot consider it to be part of your system.” For example, in the case of a district cooling plant, chillers account for 95% of the plant’s energy consumption. However, chillers, by themselves, cannot be defined as a system under ISO 50001 because they cannot be separated from condensers, evaporators.

The US has gone a step further and has defined a Superior Energy Performance (SEP) standard. This American National Standards Institute (ANSI) -accredited energy management system certification uses ISO 50001 as the base while adding to it a prescriptive energy improvement component. The SEP programme for industry, which was developed cooperatively through the members of the US Council for Energy Efficient Manufacturing, will launch this year.

In the Middle East and Africa region, the first company to achieve the ISO 50001 energy management certification was UTICO Middle East, the UAE’s first private full service utilities provider.

Emaar Community Management (ECM), the dedicated community management company of global property developer Emaar Properties, was awarded ISO 50001 in December last year.

As countries in the region seek to rein in energy costs and enhance competitiveness, ISO 50001 can play a significant role in making energy efficiency a critical part of that strategy. Given the growing pace of industrialisation and commercial activities in the region, the potential ISO 50001 offers for energy and carbon reductions is simply huge. F

INDUSTRY NOTES

Biomass powered Ships Shipping has so far not benefitted from the research and development that has turned biomass into one of the world’s most important sources of renewable energy. Two projects involving Maersk aim to change that.

W

ith an annual fuel bill of USD7 billion for vessel operations, the Maersk Group must continually consider ways to reduce its bunker fuel consumption. Greater efficiency is the primary way of achieving this; alternative fuels are another.

Two current projects are focused on realising the marine fuel potential of one of the world’s most abundant and sustainable biomass resources: lignin.

In nature, lignin is a complex organic polymer found in plants. The more lignin there is in wood the sturdier and stronger it is and the more efficiently it burns. But lignin is also released in large quantities as a residue during the production process of paper as well as advanced bio-ethanol.

“Lignin has a variety of industrial uses already because of its chemical characteristics, energy content and its abundance; yet its potential as a marine diesel fuel is a relatively uncharted area,” says Peter Normark Sørensen, with Maersk Oil Trading, the Maersk Group’s

oil buying arm.

In February, Maersk signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Progression Industry- a spin-off company of Eindhoven University of Technology- to develop a viable marine fuel from lignin that meets stringent parameters on price, technical performance, sustainability and emissions.

Opportunities and challenges in biomass A separate project called ‘Biomass for the 21st Century’ is co-funded by the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation and involves Maersk , DONG Energy and several other companies and academic institutions.

Professor Claus Felby at the University of Copenhagen is leading the project, which is also looking at lignin as a potential marine fuel as well as other sustainable sources of biofuel with consideration for logistics and scale production challenges.

A detailed report released in September

outlined the scope of the project.

“If either of these projects is able to make a biofuel that meets our requirements that would be very exciting and could let the industry and markets focus on the challenges that would follow- the scale and logistics required to make it a commercial alternative,” said Maersk Oil Trading’s Normark.

The agreement between Maersk and Progression Industry states that if Progression can produce a lignin based fuel that meets Maersk’s criteria then Maersk will buy 50,000 tonnes of this fuel.

“For the past 75 years, the shipping companies have used oil, but looking at the next 75 years this is likely to change.

In the longer term oil is simply going to run out, so we need to start looking for alternatives,” said Jacob Sterling, head of Environment and CSR in Maersk Line.

“The great thing about biofuels is that they would not only secure a future fuel supply, they will also greatly reduce our CO2 and SOx emissions,” added Sterling. F POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

19

expert column

Energy performance of buildings Moheet Vishwas examines three key approaches to making buildings more energy-efficient.

E

nvironmental advocates are pushing for embracing sustainability in everything we do.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), in a developed country, buildings represent 32% of the total final energy consumption and 40% of primary energy consumption. Making our buildings energy efficient offers a great opportunity to slash energy bills, lower carbon emissions and help our planet.

Retrofit opportunities in existing buildings represent the best way to improve their energy performances. Retrofitting can be defined as addition of new features or technology to existing buildings that may improve energy efficiency or at least decrease energy demands and reduce operational costs. This has been duly emphasised by the energy performance contracting initiative called the Green Deal, launched last year in the UK. Typically, a landlord gets his property assessed to see what improvements could be made and the potential of savings on energy bills without paying anything upfront. A ‘Green Deal’ provider is then selected and a contract is drawn out. Once the work is complete, payments are made in instalments from new savings in the electricity bill. So, the systems basically pay for themselves, and there is no reason why the same concept cannot be applied in our region.

1. Commissioning or re-commissioning buildings This could be a tedious exercise as it involves documentation, calibration

20

POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

and verification of existing systems and equipment to make sure they are performing effectively and efficiently as originally intended to. However, this is a holistic and cost-effective process that reduces energy consumption and costs by improving the performance of the building’s operating systems and equipment through the application of low cost measures. Potential benefits include: • Lower utility bills • Boost in building performance • Enhanced property value • Increased building comfort and indoor air quality, creating a healthier and more productive working environment • Increased occupant satisfaction • Prolonged life of equipment and systems while reducing the need for costly reinvestment 2. Automated Controls This will seem quite hard at the outset since an existing building comes with a lot of baggage. But the range of benefits outweighs the number of issues. One may end up dealing with a different generation of building automation systems, facility management personnel may have carried out undocumented work or space usage in buildings could have changed from what was originally intended. This makes it even more important to have the right approach. Solutions can range from simple calibration to complex integration between stand-alone systems.

For example: chillers account for a major share of total air conditioning energy use in commercial and industrial buildings. An outdated design will bleed the landlord’s pockets. An integrated approach between power monitoring unit metering, BTU metering, variable speed drives, chiller management system and building automation system has the potential to not just effectively operate the chillers and optimise the building’s energy performance

but generate substantial energy savings.

Depending on the efficiency of the chillers, the payback period could be anything between one to five years. The common benefits are: • Benchmarking and remote audit • Energy consumption profiling • Automated savings and analysis reports • Visibility into the building’s environmental conditions • Identification of saving opportunities 3. Energy Performance Contracting There is no thumb rule that a building has to be new to be green. Tools such as performance contracting can cut financial risk and optimise energy savings to make the building a model of sustainability.

Simply put, as in Green Deal, an energy service company will assess all the systems and equipment, identify possible energy savings opportunities, recommend energy efficiency improvements and monitor the results all at no upfront cost or risk to the building owner. The annual savings generated by the project are used to pay the contractor. This approach can overcome certain obstacles that often prevent owners from addressing energy saving opportunities, like lack of technical expertise and limited budgets.

A blog that I read regularly reported that Dubai saved 216 GW of electricity during Earth Hour 2012. This is a whopping 130 tonnes of carbon emissions! That’s worth AED1 billion, which is massive! And it wasn’t even peak time. Coming to think of it, Dubai consumes about AED1 billion worth of energy in a single hour. Imagine the impact of implementing retrofits can have on a building’s energy efficiency and when the building’s tenants embrace a sustainable lifestyle, it can only be a winwin situation. F (The author is Lead Systems Specialist, Infratech Controls)

ON THE RECORD

Enabling green economy

Saeed Bin Ghubash, member of TECOM Investments’ Sciences Cluster, a comprehensive ecofriendly free zone that seeks to provide an enabling platform for sustainable business operations in the Middle East. In his role, Ghubash is responsible for building the portfolio of companies licensed under ENPARK with particular emphasis on core areas of operation that include renewable energy, green building and water and waste management.

He spoke to Anoop K Menon on how Enpark aims to become a platform of choice for international energy and environment companies seeking to grow their business in the region.

Enpark is now in its eight year of existence as tax-free business zone for energy and environment COMPANIES. BUT This period also SAW the global economy AND BY THE SAME TOKEN, THE REGIONAL ECONOMIES BUFFETED BY THE FORCES UNLEASHED BY THE FINANCIAL CRISIS. IN LIGHT OF THIS, WAS ENPARK FORCED TO RE-EXAMINE ITS OBJECTIVES? We have continued to stick to our core values and objectives. We are still working pretty much on the same idea of trying to foster and facilitate a platform for companies from the different segments of the green industry. Enpark is a business park and a free zone and a member of TECOM Investments. We are focussed on building a platform for attracting companies from segments like renewable energy, waste

22

POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

ON THE RECORD

management, recycling and green building technologies. We are always looking for the best ways to feature and inform the industry on what Enpark is all about and choose the platform where we can meet the people who are into the segments we are looking to attract as business partners. That was one of the reasons why we decided to become a strategic sponsor for the inaugural edition of Solar Middle East in February.

One of our objectives of being part of this exhibition was to learn from others as well as showcase to them how we can be part of their plan to bring their international business into the UAE through our business park.

The other objective, which is also the most important part we are playing at the moment, is to encourage dialogue between the stakeholders. Every new industry will have its challenges. We can play a role in facilitating these challenges to become opportunities for this part of the world.

How do you see Enpark contributing to the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 which envisages certain portion of the emirate’s energy requirements being met by clean technologies?

Enpark can be a platform for international companies who wish to take advantage of Dubai’s vision of producing a certain percentage of its power requirements from clean technologies. We can be a base for companies who are into the technology of producing power through renewable energy. We will also be the platform for interaction between government bodies and private sector companies within that industry. We had already started playing that role through our ‘Green Brunches.’ This year we included, as part of our strategic sponsorship of Solar Middle East, a series of panel discussions touching on the obstacles or challenges to achieving the renewable energy targets that have been put forward. Not only is Enpark a platform for renewable energy

companies to base themselves and deploy their services from our business park, it also serves as a facilitator for exchange of ideas and knowledge. We are not the experts in all these fields but are experts in attracting companies of those fields to our knowledge cluster.

Dubai’s reputation rests on its role as a premier trading, logistics and re-export hub for the Middle East and beyond. How can Dubai leverage this model to its advantage in the renewable energy sector?

The way I see it, all the aspects you have mentioned are interconnected.

Being a business park, we are building on the advantages that have made Dubai such a successful commercial centre but in relation to the industry we are targeting. The fact that Dubai not only has great infrastructure, ports, airports, road network but also great lifestyle, hotels, conferences and exhibitions acts as a catalyst not only for our industry but also other industries that have made Dubai or the UAE their hub for their Middle East operations.

Development of clean technology sector usually starts with the development of knowledge clusters and that’s our approach as well. With the growth of the solar industry in the UAE, I am sure that at some point in time, companies will start to invest in manufacturing in order to be closer to their projects or customers.

How do you view First Solar’s decision to base its regional operations in Enpark?

We are happy that First Solar chose to locate the centre of their regional operations for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) in Enpark. Last year, First Solar was selected by the Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) to construct a 13MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant, which constitutes the first phase of the landmark 1GW Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. I

believe First Solar’s decision will be a catalyst for other multinational companies specialising in the solar industry to base their operations in Dubai and be part of the learning curve. We all agree that this a new industry in this part of the world.

Our panel discussions at Solar Middle East threw up a lot of ideas, challenges and thoughts about what is needed for this industry to develop in the right way and achieve the capacity envisaged. It is very important for these specialised companies to be with us to add and contribute to knowledge sharing and development of regulation and policies that will altogether help in the formation and growth of this industry in the Middle East.

How do you make sure the concerns voiced by Enpark’s partners are conveyed to the government and regulatory authorities?

After the announcement of the Federal green economy strategy at World Future Energy Summit (WFES) this year, we engaged with the Ministry of Environment which is leading the way in formulating the green economy strategy. There are many pillars making up this strategy and all of them are in line with the segments we are targeting for business. Enpark is in close discussions with the ministry to be a stakeholder in the discussions taking place to formulate the final road map. In Dubai, we are a founding member of Dubai Green Economy Partnership, which among other things, seeks to strengthen Dubai’s position in the global green economy value chain.

Of course, the inspiration for this partnership and the Federal green economy strategy came from H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai who announced the launch of a long term national initiative in January 2012 to establish the UAE as a world leader in green economy and a centre for export and re-export of products and green technologies. This vision is slowly taking shape as key stakeholders from the private sector, local government and Federal government incorporate it into their strategies.

POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

23

300 GW

NORTH AMERICA

OPERATION CONSTRUCTION/AWARDED PROMOTION ESTIMATED BY 2050

SOUTH AMERICA

694 MW

200 MW

INDIA

CHINA

AUSTRALIA

290 MW 9.3 MW

290 MW

500 MW

Source: ESTELA and Protermosolar, October 2012

A significant part of the STE deployment will be located in developing countries where commercial and collaborative approaches can be undertaken for the mutual benefit of both parties.

THE ESSENTIAL ROLE OF SOLAR THERMAL ELECTRICITY

MENA

3,000 MW

The prospects for the deployment of STE plants are very large according to the International Energy Agency. More than 1,000 TWh/year are expected at world level by 2030 and close to 5,000 TWh/year by 2050 with Europe having a minimum share at that time. In the map above elaborated by ESTELA, the breakdown of power installed by regions can be seen.

SOUTH AFRICA

100 GW

510 MW

10 MW

2,000 MW 175 MW

1,312 MW

1,000 MW

1,731 MW 150 MW

30 GW 160 MW

5,000 MW 100 GW

150 GW 2.5 MW

2.5 MW 600 MW

1,000 MW 80 GW

SOUTH EUROPE

80 GW 40 MW

CENTRE SPREAD

60 GW

70-80 suns Absorber attached to collector, moves with collector, complex design Indirect two-tank molten salt at 380oC (dT=100K) or Direct two-tank molten salt at 550oC ( dT=300K) Yes and direct Medium to high (TES or hybridisation) Superheated Rankine steam cycle 380 to 540/100 <1-2 3 (wet cooling) 0.3 (dry cooling) Low to good Commercially available

Collector concentration

Receiver/absorber

Storage system

Hybridisation

Grid stability

Cycle

Steam conditions (oC/bar)

Maximum slope of solar field (%)

Water requirement (m3/MWh)

Suitability for air cooling

Storage with molten salt

Note: * = upper limit is if the solar tower powers a combined cycle turbine.

11-16 25-28 (no TES) 29-43 (7h TES)

Annual solar-toelectricity efficiency (net) (%)

Annual capacity factor (%)

350-550

Low

Technology development risk 14-20

Abengoa Solar, SolarMillennium, Sener Group, Acciona, Siemens, NextEra, ACS, SAMCA, etc.

Key technology providers

Operating temperature (oC)

Commercially proven

Maturity of technology

Plant peak efficiency (%)

10-300

Typical capacity (MW)

Parabolic Trough

COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT CSP TECHNOLOGIES

Commercially available

Good

2-3(wet cooling) 0.25(dry cooling)

<2-4

540/100 to 160

Superheated Rankine steam cycle

High (large TES)

Yes

Direct two-tank molten salt at 550oC (dT=300K)

External surface or cavity receiver, fixed

>1 000 suns

55 (10h TES)

7-20

23-35*

250-565

Medium

Abengoa Solar, BrightSource, Energy, eSolar, SolarReserve, Torresol

Pilot commercial projects

10-200

Solar Tower

Possible, but not proven

Low

3 (wet cooling) 0.2 (dry cooling)

<4

260/50

Saturated Rankine steam cycle

Medium (back-up firing possible)

Yes, direct (steam boiler)

Short-term pressurised steam storage (<10 min)

Fixed absorber, no evacuation secondary reflector

>60 suns (depends on secondary reflector)

22-24

13

18

390

Medium

Novatec Solar, Areva

Pilot projects

10-200

Linear Fresnel

Possible, but not proven

Best

0.05-0.1 (mirror washing)

10% or more

n.a.

Stirling

Low

Not planned

No storage for Stirling dish, chemical storage under development

Absorber attached to collector, moves with collector

>1 300 suns

25-28

12-25

30

550-750

Medium

Demonstration projects

0.01-0.025

Dish-Stirling

The Rise of Shams1 The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest Concentrated Solar Power plant is a major milestone for renewable energy in the Middle East

By Anoop K Menon

Photo : Anoop K Menon

26

POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

COVER STORY

T

he vast sea of mirrors nestled among the undulating sand dunes looked like an incongruous setting at first glance. But the flashes of sun light reflecting off the mirrors seemed to be beaming a semaphore that signalled a milestone achieved. From a cluster of metal tubes in middle of that field, wisps of white smoke melted into a blue sky. On 17th March 2013, in the blaze of a noon sun, inside the desert 120 kilometres southwest of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), world’s largest concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in operation began to transmit power into the grid.

Located besides the E1-12 Habshan to Liwa Oasis highway close to the city of Madinat Zayed, the 100-MW Shams 1 CSP plant was officially inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi. The ceremony was also attended by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, as well as other members of the UAE leadership.

Shams 1 was designed and developed

by Shams Power Company, a joint venture between Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company Masdar (60%), France’s Total (20%) and Spain’s Abengoa Solar (20%).

Why is Shams 1 so important?

There are several reasons why Shams 1 represents a major milestone for the renewable energy sector in the Middle East. First, the superlatives.

Largest CSP project in the world: Philippe Boisseau, President of Marketing & Services and New Energies at Total SA pointed out that unlike huge solar complexes where smaller capacity solar power plants are co-located and operated together to produce huge amounts of power, Shams 1 is the single largest CSP plant of its kind in the world not only in terms of production

capacity, but also size (covering 2.5 square kilometres or the equivalent of 285 football pitches).

First utility-scale commercial solar power project in the Middle East: In addition to advancing long-term UAE energy diversification plans, Shams 1 demonstrates the rich solar potential of the whole region, where annual global radiation reaches 2,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) per square metre. While many countries in the region have set renewable energy targets, Masdar has demonstrated on the ground that large scale solar projects are technically and financially feasible in the region.

H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of Masdar said: “With the demand for energy rising exponentially, the region is undergoing a major transformation in how it generates electricity. In fact, the Middle East is poised for major investments in renewables and Shams 1 proves the economic and environmental advantage of deploying large-scale solar projects.”

The world’s largest financing transaction for a solar power project: When Shams Power Company announced the financial close of the project in March 2011, the USD600 million closing marked the world’s largest financing transaction for a solar power project and helped established a precedent for the region. In fact, the financing was oversubscribed with commitments totalling more than USD900 million. Project Finance magazine awarded it ‘Middle East Renewable Energy Deal of the Year 2010.’

A benchmark for the Middle East: Shams 1 followed the independent water power and power producer (IWPP) model used by Abu Dhabi for its conventional power and desalination projects. With the model finding takers in other countries in the region, Shams 1 may become an example worth emulating in all respects. Shams 1 features ‘green payment’ mechanism under which the Abu Dhabi Ministry of Finance will compensate Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Company

“The inauguration of Shams 1 is a major milestone in our country’s economic diversification and a step toward long-term energy security. The domestic production of renewable energy extends the life of our country’s valuable hydrocarbon resources and supports the growth of a promising new industry.”

His Highness President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi

(ADWEC), the off taker, for the difference between average domestic power generation cost and the generation cost (tariff) for Shams 1. The Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) is between Shams Power Company and ADWEC. Flagship project for Masdar: With the addition of Shams 1, Masdar’s renewable energy portfolio accounts for almost 68% of the Gulf’s renewable energy capacity and close to 10% of the world’s installed CSP capacity. Last year, at the inaugural Solar Awards HE Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of Masdar (standing 8th R), HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Ruler of the Western Region (standing 7th R), HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi (standing 6th R), HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai (standing 5th R), and HH General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces (standing 4th R), stand for a photograph with staff of Shams Power Company.

organised by the Emirates Solar Industry Association (ESIA), Shams 1 bagged Project of the Year Award.

The award recognises outstanding achievement by entities that operate in the region’s solar industry.

Adnan Amin, Director-General of IRENA pointed out that though countries in the region have announced ambitious plans for renewable energy, Shams 1 represents the first footstep, and a massive one at that, for solar POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

27

COVER STORY

Special trucks are used to clean the solar field twice a week

Photo : Anoop K Menon

power in the Middle East. He continued: “A question often asked is: why would be a renewable energy agency be headquartered in an oil producing country so well endowed as the UAE? Shams 1 is proof of the potential we have been discussing over the past two years, the fact there is a business case, as well as economic case, climate change and political cases for renewable energy in the Middle East. Shams 1 shows the way for the region to become one of the biggest renewable energy producers and exporters in the world.”

Most of the region’s 1 GW of commissioned renewable energy

capacity today consists of North African wind power projects. Morocco also has a 160 MW solar project in the works in Ouarzazate. Yet major oil exporters in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have also recognised renewable energy as their best long-term economic choice, as excessive domestic oil consumption undermines high-margin export opportunities.

Technical benchmarks By concentrating heat from direct sunlight onto oil-filled pipes, Shams 1 produces steam, which drives a 125 MW turbine and generates electricity.

(See How does Shams 1 work). Industry superlatives apart, Shams 1 is also serving a proving ground for solutions for tackling issues arising out of the UAE’s and the region’s unique combination of sandy desert, high humidity, dust storms, seasonal winds and water scarcity. While the Madinat Zayed site was chosen over two other shortlisted sites due its very low connection costs for gas, power and water (proximity to an existing power station helped), the going was anything but easy.

In fact, Shams 1 is the first CSP plant

1

2

to be built on desert sand. There are CSP plants in existence in deserts, but none in sandy desert environment that is found in the UAE. Moreover, existing models for measuring Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) from satellite data fail to consider airborne dust particles and sandstorms that are common to UAE’s desert environment. When the ground measurements came in, the DNI estimates had to be modified substantially. To deal with constant dust, five special hi-tech trucks are used to clean the solar field twice a week.

A seven metre high wind-break – part concrete and part mesh - surrounds the entire plant to prevent wind from breaking the mirrors and dust from piling on inside the plant.

“We had to face many technical challenges because Shams 1 was breaking new ground,” noted Philippe Boisseau, President of Marketing & Services and New Energies. “The big mirrors offer a strong resistance to wind and we faced a lot of difficulties finding the right location and size of the wall to make sure the wind wouldn’t jeopardise the mirrors. To increase the efficiency of the plant, we had to increase the temperature

3

How does Shams 1 work?

28

Shams 1 uses rows of parabolic shaped mirrors (1)

The heat transfer fluid circulates in the tubes

heater that superheats the steam to 540 degrees C

to concentrate sunlight onto a central absorbing

until it reaches a heat exchanger (3) Here water

(4) This maximises the plant’s efficiency by

tube where the heat transfer fluid is heated to 393

is turned into steam. This steam then passes

maintaining the steam at the optimal temperature

degrees C (2)

through a dual-fuel (gas or diesel) powered

for power generation even when there is cloud

POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

COVER STORY

of the Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF) which was new and led to some challenges.”

At the heart of Shams 1 is a steam turbine which is the largest single casing turbine ever built for solar thermal power plant. Offering a gross output of 125 MW, MAN´s steam turbine is the largest ever built for a solar thermal power station. The custom-made turbine, which weighs 220 tonnes, was constructed in Oberhausen, Germany and arrived on site in May 2011.

Limited availability of water in the region meant that cooling the exhaust steam from the power plant using wet cooling technology like most power plants was not a viable option. As a spokesperson from Shams Power Company put it, if they had opted for wet cooling, Shams 1 would have consumed 200 million gallons of water annually. Moreover, pumping in desalinated water would have been very expensive because the coast is 60 kilometres away. Therefore, Shams 1 has gone in for air cooled condenser, which is a global first for a CSP plant.

The condenser, supplied by GEA, is used to condense the exhaust steam flow coming from the steam turbine. The

4

condensate is then returned to the solar steam generator or heat exchangers.

However, on the minus side, use of dry cooling results in lower turbine efficiency due to high back pressure (in the steam turbine world, lower the back pressure, higher the output).

At Shams 1, against a typical 50-bar, the back pressure was 160-bar which necessitated a customised steam turbine which works efficiently even with high back pressure.

Shams 1 is also unique in the way it utilises natural gas, which gives the plant a hybrid character. “A major advantage of CSP technology is that it can be integrated with other forms of electricity production like gas,” said Santiago Seage, CEO, Abengoa Solar.

“Shams 1 uses a limited quantity of gas as heat source to complement the heat from the sun.”

The plant uses natural gas in three ways – first, in booster heaters to raise the steam temperature for optimal turbine operation and second, in HTF heaters to provide the required thermal energy during cloud cover compensating for the temperature loss and avoid shutting down of the steam turbine and third, in auxiliary heating

5

boiler for creating sealing steams for turbine start ups. Without an auxiliary boiler, start ups can be much longer.

In fact, Shams 1 may well be the first CSP plant to burn gas during sunshine hours to improve production efficiency. The HTF enters the solar field at 280/300°C and leaves the field at 400°C, which is its maximum temperature threshold. Above that, HTF tends to lose its characteristics. At Shams 1, the heat exchangers transfer the heat from the oil to the water and generate high pressure steam at 380°C. However, steam turbines require superheated steam around 500°C. Therefore, purpose-built booster heaters burning gas superheat the steam to 540°C to enhance the efficiency of the steam cycle and turbine.

“Shams 1 is a innovative solar power plant for the emirates and the region,” said Seage. “We are using solar resource to heat the fluid to move the turbine, which is similar to conventional turbine, with the advantage that we use natural gas in small quantities to make sure the plant can produce any point in time. In other words, you have power coming into the grid when you want it and not when the natural resource is shining.”

6

Illustration courtesy: Shams Power Company

cover or low-solar radiation.

(7) Once used, the steam is recycled

The steam is the used to drive a turbine (5)

back into the system.

that drives the generator (6) to create electricity

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SPOT LIGHT

MiccGreenTec MiccGreenTec Solar Systems is a Dubai-based company offering a unique technology that boosts the efficiency of solar photovoltaic systems. The company embarked on its Research and Development (R&D) activity in 2007 at a time when the world was staring at an energy crisis in the making and green technologies were being introduced in the Middle East. Initially, when MiccGreenTec studied solar technologies from different parts of the world, it found that the biggest challenge was the cost and initial investment on solar projects. Even today, most of the quality systems in the market have a Return on Investment (RoI) of nine to 14 years.

The company researched and developed a new technology called Monitored Inverter Converter and Charger (MICC). As obvious from the name, MICC contains four major functions in one box with three main microcontrollers running in a synchronised operation according to their specific firmware. One independent Pentium microprocessor with associated hardware is monitoring all the operations and logging them on the remotely accessible hard disk.

This technology is not only cost effective but provides the customer with the latest functions and features that previously were value added and thus, extremely costly.

The major functions of MICC are as follows:

2-Inverter The main property of the MICC is an proprietary inverter running on a high voltage schema. Even the smallest system of 5KW is running on 96v to 125v to attain power factor on DC line near to one. The sixth generation IGBT Power Module running under Step-By-Step PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) regulates Pure Sine Wave through firmware programmed DSP (Digital Signal Processor) PIC microcontroller. The software running the Inverter also takes care of other controls like overload, low battery, output voltage, load regulation, power factor and temperature compensation. All these advanced functions are integrated into the inverter making its operations reliable and life-long.

MICC Inverters are capable of handling all types of loads, inductive or resistive (fans, motors, pumps, microwave, air-conditioners and more).

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SPOT LTIGHT A DC to DC converter replaces the function of an MPPT charger in conventional system. The DC power harvested by solar panels is regulated on maximum power point through this microcontroller-based converter system. The regulation technology is PWM. The converter doesn’t act like a charger; it only regulates the low volt input from solar panels at the time of sun rise and sun set.

4-Charger.

The Proton Exchange Charge controller is a patented topology of MICC System. High energy bursts to push energy into battery with a specified algorithm is proprietary to MiccGreenTec.

5-Monitoring The entire process and operations are monitored and logged through proprietary software called BGT LOOK and MGT LOOK. With the aid of this software installed in MICC, complete logging and monitoring can be done either onsite through the LCD Panel installed on MICC or remotely, if the system is provided with Internet connection LAN or WiFi. A separate energy meter - tamper proof and non-resettable - is installed on the MICC to record the amount of energy delivered to the customer.

All the above described modules combine to make MICC an ultimate solution for solar power.

MICC is available in a variety of models and customisable for specific requirements as well for: • Homes • Offices • Buildings • Complex • Communities • Commercial industries Ranging from 5KW to 50MW

Salient features: 1. Single/Three phase pure sine wave output 2. Regulated output voltage PWM 220V ± 3% 3. Power factor controlled on inductive load unity 1 4. Super Capacity Storage Bank System (SCSB System) 5. 24 hours operable 6. Fully programmable automatic microcontroller based system 7. With URL based remote monitoring and operation (Optional) 8. Automatic no load shutdown 9. Auto power up on as low as 1VA load 10. Power management function 11. Over load shut down electronic and thermal breaker 12. Over discharge protection electronic 13. Over charge protection 14. Reverse battery protection

15. Reverse PVP protection 16. Proton exchange charge controller 17. Solar tracker (Optional) 18. DC dump output 12V and 240V, 50AMP 19. Synchronise-able with other unit to get upgraded output 20. VFD controller built in case of pump application 21. Four digital inputs to automate the system with PLC 22. Two analogue input to automate with pressure 23. Thermal shutdown present 24. Auto cooling fans to save energy for system self cooling 25. Built in solar tracking system controller 26. Built in wind pressure monitor (Optional) 27. Digital energy meter to calculate the amount of energy delivered 28. Battery monitor for every battery in battery bank (Optional) POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

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SPOT LIGHT

The Off Grid MICCs can be used as Grid Interactive systems

When solar energy is available from solar panels, the MICC powers the load and charges the batteries. In case of non-availability of solar, the load is automatically transferred to the battery system. If the battery level is low, the system automatically seeks support from grid and shifts the load on to the grid. If the situation persists, the system takes battery charging power from the grid as well. If the grid is not available, the system automatically starts the generator and shifts the load to the generator. The whole topology is automatic without any manual interference.

MiccGreenTecâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s successes

After some five years of R&D, MiccGreenTec implemented their first commercial case study in June 2012. The first unit was installed on a desert safari camp in the middle of the desert. From June 2012 up to now, MGT has installed seven units in different parts of the world, all of them successful with very satisfied customers.

In fact, MiccGreenTec is the only solar power system manufacturer in the UAE. MICC is 100% designed, developed and manufactured in Dubai.

All the MICC systems come with a fiveyear warranty with parts, labour and a Buy Back Policy. Thus, if a customer wants to sell the system for any reason, MiccGreenTec will take it back by deducting the cost of energy delivered by the system (calculated in terms of units generated per litre of diesel consumed i.e. 0.33 litres is an average consumption of a diesel generator to generate 1KW).

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1. D4D Desert Safari Camp, Dubai - 15KW system for 100% off-grid use in the middle of the desert 2. Villa project in Lahore, Pakistan -5KW 100% off-grid residential use 3. Construction site project in Karachi - 5KW 100% off-grid commercial use 4. Al-Rahoomi Group Fish Cage Factory, Dubai - 20KW 100% off-grid. Now being upgraded to 200KW industrial use 5. Solar-powered tube well pump for tunnel farming in Qasoor, Pakistan 100% off-grid 5KW agricultural use 6. JK Textile Mills Faisal-a-bad Pakistan - 100% off-grid 5KW evaluation system. MiccGreenTec is evaluating the energy at this site as the actual project is going to be 10MW off grid 24/7. If successful, this will be the biggest and first 100% off-grid industrial project.

7. Camel farm at Al Lehbab, Dubai - 100% off-grid 20KW system running complete camel farm in the middle of the desert.

COVER STORY

Despite its continuous use, natural gas will account for only 18% of heat input with 80% coming from the solar field.

In terms of output, 55% is from solar field and 45% from the gas .Thus, for a heat input of 18%, the plant gives a production output of 45%, which is called double gas utilisation factor.

The gas-fired HTF heaters can also be used to run the power plant without any sun shine which helps meets the ‘firm capacity’ (or availability at all times of the year) criteria laid down by the off-taker ADWEC. Additionally, the site has two diesel tanks to assure seven days generation of power in case of emergency. Redundancies have also been built into water supply through underground tanks so that if there is a supply problem or even a risk of reverse contamination, the plant can be isolated.

A standout aspect of Shams 1 is the absence of thermal storage. In an interview featured in CSP Today in January 2012, a Masdar spokesperson attributed the decision to the fact that there was no CSP plant with thermal storage in operation in 2007 when the project got the go-ahead. Building the first CSP plant of the region was novelty enough, so going ahead with unproven technology was deemed too risky.

Total’s Philippe Boisseau noted that when work started on Shams 1, global PV prices were headed south. Not only has PV become the most economical solar technology today, it doesn’t require storage either. CSP’s major advantage is that it can be combined with storage and also with other

“The UAE’s investment in renewable energy offers the region a pragmatic path to reducing per capita carbon emissions, which are currently among the highest in the world. Projects like this will also show how renewable energy bolsters the entire value chain – from research and development, to manufacturing, to on-the-ground power projects.””

IRENA’s Director-General, Adnan Z Amin

forms of electricity production, which extends the production of the CSP plant when the sun isn’t shining early in the morning or late in the evening.

Total is working on electricity storage with batteries Shams 1 reduces the UAE’s carbon emissions, displacing approximately 175,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year and heat storage companies. The assembly of the solar technologies to extend the potential field was done by Amana, the electrical of CSP. work in the solar field was done by Al Hussam and the heaters and boosters A low carbon journey: Snippets were built by Fabtech. In fact, 66 small from the press meet and medium enterprises (SMEs) came According to Shams Power Company, into existence thanks to Shams 1. On Shams 1 reduces the UAE’s carbon the emiratisation front, currently 30% emissions, displacing approximately of the employees are UAE nationals, 175,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year, an which will be increased to 40% within equivalent to planting 1.5 million two years. trees, or taking 15,000 cars off the “We are proud of the young Emiratis road. Shams 1 was also the first CSP that worked on this project,” said His plant registered as a project under the Highness President Sheikh Khalifa United Nations’ Clean Development bin Zayed Al Nahyan. “The expertise Mechanism. Fully operational, the they gained, working closely with 100-MW, grid connected power plant international companies and building generates clean energy to power 20,000 a project of such scale, is the type of homes in the UAE, and with solar human capital development that will power generated during peak demand, enable our country to secure long-term Abu Dhabi can reduce its need for energy leadership.” ‘peak shaving’ generators, which are Sham 1 is also a showcase for expensive and idle most of the year.

Masdar in terms of capitalising and One of the benefits associated transferring all the learning, experience with CSP technology is value chain and knowledge gained from its projects development potential. According abroad like Gemasolar thermosolar to Frost & Sullivan, in CSP projects, plant in Spain and London Array in the Engineering, Procurement and UK to Abu Dhabi and the UAE. The local Construction (EPC) services are and international experience gained by between eight to 10% of the total investing and developing renewable cost; other key components with local energy projects gives Masdar the potential include collector structures, confidence and capability to spread its HTF, absorber tubes, power blocks wings wide. and mirrors. Local companies and “The world is our market,” said Dr Al engineers have played a significant Jaber. “As long as there is a regulatory role in the success of Shams 1. In an framework that is solid and reliable interview to The National newspaper and as long as the returns meet our in Abu Dhabi last month, Yousuf Al commercial expectations, we will invest Ali, general manager at Shams Power in renewable energy projects in other Company said all the major equipment destinations. I believe we will the first for the plant was built by over 70 local POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

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COVER STORY “Abu Dhabi is investing and incubating a new energy industry.

Through Masdar, we are redefining the role our country will play in delivering energy to the world. From precious hydrocarbons exports to commercially viable renewable energy projects, we are extending our legacy for future generations.

H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of Masdar

ones to start in Saudi Arabia.”

Dr Al Jaber was also emphatic that Shams 1 doesn’t signify the end of a journey for large scale solar power in the UAE. He confirmed that the 100 MW Noor 1 project, slated to be

one of the world’s largest PV plants, is in the final stages of evaluation and a majorannouncement can be anticipated in the second half of 2013.

Utility-scale solar power plants like Shams 1 and Noor 1 will directly contribute toward Abu Dhabi’s target of achieving seven per cent renewable energy power generation capacity by the year 2020. Projects like these will be complemented by smaller projects and initiatives like the 10 MW solar PV plant at Masdar City, distributed generation off-grid applications and roll out of energy efficiency measures in industrial and commercial sectors.

The Masdar CEO also believes that

Abu Dhabi’s investments in nuclear energy and renewable energy don’t contradict each other. “To us it makes perfect sense to capitalise on our energy expertise and financial resources from hydrocarbon sector to advance renewable energy and use nuclear energy as the bridge and catalyst that will provide us with base load electricity,” he explained.

An underplayed aspect of Shams 1 so far (and which is being redressed) is the evolution of Western Region of Abu Dhabi from being the centre of the UAE’s hydrocarbon industry to being the same for renewable energy and nuclear energy in the country. F

Shams-1 has more than 258,000 mirrors mounted on 768 tracking parabolic trough collectors. They concentrate the solar radiation on a central tube where special oil is heated to 393 °C. Cold Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF) flows at approximately 280/300°C from the steam generator into a cold HTF header that distributes it to 192 loops. These loops are connected in parallel and heat up the oil from 300°C to 390°C in normal operation. Each loop is responsible for Delta T of 91°C. The hot header returns the hot HTF from all loops to the heat exchanger to transfer the heat from the oil to the water and generate high pressure steam at 380°C to drive the steam turbine.

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35

Energy Management

Economically viable carbon capture

Carbon and energy management software can help businesses in their quest for towards long-term stability and sustainability.

By Rob Howard

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carbon capture & storage

C

arbon capture technologies have progressed significantly in recent years in the quest to add commercial value to the process industries. Pilot plants funded by government and private organisations across the world are playing their part in the development of operational excellence and regulatory compliance.

The drive to reduce carbon emissions more economically is essential if manufacturers wish to lower plant operating costs and minimise impact on the environment.

Weighing up the options between meeting environmental needs and commercial goals is one of the dilemmas for many companies. However, the industry can progress low-carbon energy technologies and help reduce CO2 capture energy penalties imposed by regulatory authorities by working collaboratively. Cooperation between owners and technology vendors leads to a clear commitment to promote competition among suppliers and this also strengthens the initiative to reduce energy and capital costs. Organisations adopting innovative technology can improve their environmental footprint from a production viewpoint and use cleaner fossil fuel technologies like carbon capture and storage (CCS).

With more projects dedicated to demonstration on an industrial scale, the more likely that CCS will become commercially viable.

Facing the challenge While business leaders may worry that green taxes on pollution could drive companies to re-think their commercial strategy, it is worth reflecting that CCS can represent an opportunity. If CCS technology is to become a standard, then there has to be an opportunity for businesses to generate profit. Just storing CO2 is a cost unless by storing it you can create value. That is what Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) adds to the equation. EOR is a good option because large volumes can be used and the technology is proven. The Apache

Weyburn-Midale Project and in the Permian basin in the Southwest USA has demonstrated for years.

One of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first operating CCS projects is located in the MENA region , in Salah in Algeria. The project has sequestered one MTPA of CO2 annually since 2004. Except for this project, most of the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activity is in the United Arab Emirates, where the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) is driving a number of projects in a staged approach.

However, the Kingdom of Bahrain does have one CCS project, but not an integrated one. The captured CO2 has been used for urea and methanol production.

This is crucial for the development of the industry and for its long-term future. If the CO2 is simply stored in the ground or dissolved in the ocean, there will be little incentive for companies to invest, other than avoiding the need to pay fines for non-compliance with government regulation. The consensus of opinion across the process industries is that reducing CO2 is a positive move and there is growing interest around the world in the potential of CCS. Engineers can help reduce emissions in several ways: altering manufacturing processes, such that they require less energy to produce the materials we need; improving the efficiency of the entire supply chain, so that energy consumption over the manufacturing lifecycle of a product is reduced and, finally, the efficient removal of CO2 from industrial flue gases and its pipeline transportation to safe disposal locations ,thus, reducing risk and minimising project costs. The tools for modelling these complex interactions, like process simulation and supply chain optimisation applications, are already in use today worldwide.

The drivers of change For any energy or carbon saving technology there has to be a financial benefit for companies operating in market economies. Whilst reducing energy consumption and supply chain efficiency have an obvious commercial incentive, for CCS technology to become POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

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carbon capture & storage

Rob Howard

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POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

a standard, then there has to be an opportunity for businesses to generate profit. Carbon related legislation is still at the development stage, but the consequences of industry and government policy will have economic impact on global oil markets for many years to come. European refineries are facing the combined challenges of declining regional oil demand and the burden of carbon costs as part of their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Many refineries are constantly under the threat of being sold or closed due to market forces. Concerns could also increase regarding the issue of ‘carbon leakage’ if European refineries are subjected to international competition and the potential CO2 cost versus gross margin.

Japan, on the other hand, has a long history of carbon regulation. In 1997 the Japan Business Federation (Japan Keidanren) developed and agreed to the ‘Keidanren Voluntary Action Plan on the Environment’, a voluntary emissions cap and trade programme. The goal was to reduce the emission levels of 2010 below those of 1990, with members of the Voluntary Action Programme (VAP)

setting their own emissions targets. The programme was integrated into Japan’s Voluntary Emissions Trading Scheme (JVETS) in 2005 and was then expanded in October 2008. China, however, has opposed initiatives to set a stringent cap on carbon emissions and is moving toward regulation on carbon per unit of GDP. In the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai launched a long-term national initiative to build a green economy in the UAE under the slogan, ‘A green economy for sustainable development.’ This will cover a wide range of legislation areas, policies, programmes and projects.

One aspect of this initiative consists of a group of programmes and policies aimed to promote the production and use of renewable energy and related technologies. Another aspect consists of means for dealing with the effects of climate change through policies and programs designed to reduce carbon emissions from industrial and commercial sites. There is also a focus

carbon capture & storage

on projects to recycle waste generated by commercial or individual use.

Leading by example Technology plays a major role in helping businesses go green, whether it is out of social responsibility or to comply with local laws and save costs. The principle of knowledge sharing is fundamental to CCS demonstration programmes for accelerating technology development and reducing costs. The know-how and learning from these projects is often a balance between commercial and environmental preservation. However, accelerating the understanding of CCS projects will gain trust by global communities from both the public and companies involved.

A prime example of a leading carbon capture project is Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM), which is using aspenONE software at the world’s largest industrial-scale facility for testing and improving CO2 capture technologies.

TCM uses Aspen Plus and Aspen IP.21 for planning, follow-up and verification of test programs and results. TCM’s use of the Aspen Plus and Aspen IP.21 product families shows that process manufacturers can reduce carbon emissions more economically, resulting in lower plant operating costs and reduced environmental impact.

TCM is owned by the Norwegian Government and leading global energy companies. TCM’s goals are to: 1) test, verify and demonstrate CO2 capture technology owned and marketed by vendors, 2) reduce costs, technical, environmental and financial risks, 3) encourage the development of the market for CO2 capture technology, and 4) aim at international deployment. aspenONE software enables process industry companies to optimise their engineering, manufacturing and supply chain operations. As a result, the world’s leading manufacturers are better able to increase capacity, improve margins, reduce costs and become more energy efficient. The market-leading Aspen Plus process simulator, part of the aspenONE

Engineering software suite, helps process manufacturers to model, track and reduce CO2 emissions. The software can transform greenhouse gas emissions from a challenge to an opportunity. As process manufacturers face increasing regulatory requirements, emissions penalties and rising operating costs, manufacturers can turn these challenges into business advantage through reduced energy and emissions costs and by enabling the creation of alternative fuel sources from the emissions. For example, they can use Aspen Plus to create better carbon capture and biofuel process models powered by the most comprehensive physical property database. Improved amine solvent models enable users to make closer process predictions. With

the new Aspen Plus models, customers can improve their designs and optimise them for energy use and carbon loading.

Carbon and energy management software helps companies to understand the complexity that sustainability signifies and facilitates the business toward long-term stability. According to a recent report published by Forrester on The Evolution Of Enterprise Carbon And Energy Management Software (2010), in the global market, the estimate for the Software category was at USD395 billion of information and communications technology (ICT) purchases. The report identifies that the key drivers are spearheaded by cost and efficiency improvement opportunities and reflects the fact that companies are more comfortable with finance-led initiatives. A rapid return on investment is the primary driver and sustainability improvements are considered as a ‘positive by-product’.

Economic viability Uncertainty still remains about how carbon legislation will evolve and its impact on the oil markets around the globe, including the refining industries.

Costs for manufacturers governed by carbon initiatives across the regions are likely to increase. The European Union and the United States have recognised the need to enforce higher efficiency standards without affecting competitiveness.

Compliance for companies could mean the implementation of new operational procedures leading to greater complexity.

Software applications, therefore, can help define a company’s sustainability strategy and provide transparency into their carbon footprint. The ability to now measure energy consumption and related carbon emissions means that firms can monitor the sustainability strategy in tangible terms. The groundbreaking work conducted at the TCM test facility will also help the process industries produce commercially viable carbon capture methods on a broad scale. It has demonstrated how process engineers can effectively model carbon capture systems, predict and reduce emissions using aspenONE optimisation software. This results in tremendous benefits for process manufacturers and the environment. Business value derives from developing effective energy and carbon management capabilities for applied across operations and the supply chain.

Organisations with a structured strategy to improve energy and carbon management across operations and the supply chain will optimise assets, reduce emissions and become government and industry compliant. With advanced technology, carbon capture initiatives play an integral role in demonstrating environmental benefits and economic viability in the process industries. F

(The author is AspenTech’s Senior Director of Business Consulting for the Middle East and North Africa)

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39

SECTOR REPORT

A record year for renewables

Clean Edge’s Annual Trends Report finds increased deployment, but global market value increases only slightly, up one per cent, to USD249 Billion

A

lthough 2012 proved to be an unsettling and difficult year for clean energy, the fundamental global market drivers for clean technology remained largely intact, according to the Clean Energy Trends 2013 report issued today by clean-tech research and advisory firm Clean Edge.

The report found that lower prices for many clean-tech goods and services, combined with a renewed focus on scalable projects, resulted in record annual solar, wind, and biofuels deployment. Against this continued expansion, however, combined global revenue for solar PV, wind power, and biofuels expanded just one per cent, from USD246.1 billion in 2011 to USD248.7 billion in 2012. This marginal growth was one of the many consequences of rapidly declining solar PV prices.

“2012 was a year of extreme uncertainty for clean energy markets, as venture investors pulled back and highprofile bankruptcies became a partisan wedge in the presidential election, all while climate disruptions brought clean tech back into the limelight,” said Ron Pernick, Clean Edge co-founder and managing director. “But a key lesson emerged from last year – the focus for investors and industry for the near- to mid-term will be on deployment.”

The Clean Energy Trends 2013 report’s key findings include: • Biofuels (global production and wholesale pricing of ethanol and biodiesel) reached USD95 billion in

2012, up from USD83 billion the previous year. From 2011 to 2012, global biofuels production expanded from 27.9 billion gallons to 31.4 billion gallons of ethanol and biodiesel.

• Wind power (new installation capital costs) expanded to USD73.7 billion in 2012, up from USD71.5 billion the previous year. Global wind capacity additions totalled 44.7 GW in 2012, a record year led by more than 13 GW added in both China and the U.S., and an additional 12.4 GW of new capacity in Europe.

• Solar PV (including modules, system components, and installation) decreased from a record USD91.6 billion in 2011 to USD79.7 billion in 2012. While total solar market revenues fell 19% – the first PV market contraction in Clean Energy Trends’ 12-year history – global installations expanded to a new record of 30.9 GW. While only five years ago PV was being installed at roughly USD7 per peak watt, today projects can be completed at closer to USD2.50 per peak watt globally.

Together, Clean Edge projects these three sectors will nearly double from USD248.7 billion in 2012 to USD426.1 billion within a decade.

Venture capital investments in USbased clean technology companies totalled USD5 billion in 2012, falling 26% from USD6.6 billion in 2011, according to data provided by Cleantech Group.

Clean tech’s decline, however, matched a similar downward trend for total VC investment, with clean-tech investments

In 2012, revenues of Solar PV decreased to USD79.7 billion in 2012 Biofuels -ethanol and biodiesel - grew to USD95 billion Wind power grew to USD73.7 billion still representing nearly one-fifth of all VC activity in the US. Increased financing from deep-pocketed traditional energy and technology players reflects the move away from early-stage capital towards on-theground deployment. In early 2013, Warren Buffett’s MidAmerican Energy Holdings expanded its solar portfolio with a whopping USD2 billion acquisition of the Antelope Valley Solar Projects in Southern California. Google’s recent USD200 million equity investment in a Texas wind farm pushed the tech giant’s ownership in solar and wind projects to a combined 2 GW. And in January 2013, car rental giant Avis Budget Group announced its plan to buy car-sharing pioneer ZipCar for USD500 million.

The report also outlines five key trends that will impact clean-energy markets in the coming years: 1. Smart devices and big data empower customers, open new chapter in energy efficiency 2. Distributed solar financing comes of age 3. Under the EV radar, microhybrid technology saves big on fuel consumption 4. In the US and overseas, Geothermal picks up steam 5. Perfectly natural: Biomimicry makes its mark on clean tech F POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

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Expert Column

Solar power plants – David or Goliath?

Dr. Michael Krämer, senior associate and energy specialist at international law firm Taylor Wessing, Dubai, compares small with utility scale solar plants.

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T

he Gulf region is finally looking at solar energy production more seriously as a means to diversify its overall energy mix. This is great news and could be the start of an actual solar industry developing in the region. The preconditions in the Gulf region could hardly be more suitable: an abundance of sunshine, virtually unlimited supplies of silicon and a very favourable cost of labour. However, the establishment of such industry strongly depends on there actually being a market for such industry’s products.

Saudi Arabia has recently announced that the Kingdom is planning to invest heavily in solar technologies. A total of 41 GW of solar capacity is supposed to be built until 2030. Dubai’s aims are somewhat more moderate with the 1 GW of planned capacity of the Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s solar park, possibly flanked by a solar rooftop scheme that will allow home and business owners to install solar systems on their own roofs.

Last but not least, Abu Dhabi aims to generate seven per cent (approximately

1.5 GW) of its energy needs from renewable (solar) sources by 2020. As in Dubai, the introduction of a solar rooftop scheme is being discussed.

At present, the focus in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia is clearly on utility scale solar plants. Rooftop applications are being considered, but would appear not to be considered as key. This is sufficient reason to look at both options in some more detail.

Utility scale solar plants There are many benefits of building utility scale solar plants (plants with a capacity of between 10 and 100+ MW of capacity). First of all, the mere fact that comparatively large amounts of capacity are being built in one place and usually by one operator drives cost down. As a result, such plants can be operated at lower cost, thus limiting the cost per kilowatt hour (kWh) of generated electricity. Certain technologies, such as concentrated solar power (CSP) plants (such as parabolic trough and solar tower plants) require a

certain minimum size in order to be economical. In addition, most CSP technologies offer the further benefit of generating steam for electricity production. Such steam can then be used to heat up tanks filled with molten salt which act as energy storage tanks, thus safeguarding energy supply even after the sun has set. Last, but not least, utility scale solar plants can fairly easily be integrated into an existing energy supply system. The downside of utility scale plants is mainly that each of such plants requires a considerable investment. A reasonably sized 50 MW solar plant using photovoltaic (PV) panels, for example, will cost several hundreds of millions of dirhams.

This is an amount that most commercial investors will shy away from, unless they are lured with a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) promising comparatively high rates for all electricity produced, and for a fairly long period of time. For that reason, it is usually only the utility companies themselves that are investing into such large scale plants. This, in turn, limits the amount of projects that can be realised within a certain period of time, because utility companies, of course, have budget constraints too. This means that focusing on utility scale solar plants is unlikely to create a significant amount of solar capacity fast.

Small scale solar installations At the other end of the spectrum are the small scale, usually rooftop, installations.

These are solar arrays with a capacity of 1 kilowatt (kW), up until some hundreds of kW, sometimes even more. Such installations do not have any of the above mentioned advantages of utility scale plants, but they are affordable for a much broader audience. Homeowners and operators of small and medium sized businesses may well be inclined to invest in solar electricity generation, provided, of course, a financial incentive is in place, making such investment worthwhile.

One may argue that such small, sometimes tiny, installations will not make such of a difference. What is a tiny 1 kW rooftop solar installation compared to a mighty 100 MW installation, such as Abu Dhabiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shams 1 or Noor 1? Why bother? As people say, steady dripping fills the bucket. Rooftop systems might be small in most of cases, but (a proper incentive scheme permitting) there may well be thousands of such systems being installed. By way of comparison, in December 2011 private investors in Germany have installed a total of 3 GW of solar capacity. Hence, in just one month private investors have installed double the capacity Abu Dhabi is planning to install within the next eight years!

Needless to say that such increase of solar capacity needs to be managed properly,

but there are various ways to do so, such as decreasing or increasing the level of incentives paid, caps on permissible capacity, etc. Incentivising private solar investments is the key to any substantial growth in solar capacity; however, as well as it is key to the development of any local solar industry.

In summary, no decision is required between utility scale and small scale.

Both options have their own distinct advantages and should be applied simultaneously. However, capacity building requires private investments into solar. Without such investments, Saudi Arabia is likely to struggle to achieve a total solar capacity of 41 GW. Even Abu Dhabi and Dubai with their much less ambitious targets are likely to find it difficult to achieve what they set out for. Harnessing the power of private investments can make a real difference, however, so I am hoping for the local authorities to pave the way for small scale solar investments. F (Dr Michael Krämer is a Senior Associate at Taylor Wessing (Middle East) LLP, and Legal Counsel to the Emirates Solar Industry Association) This article was first published in Bgreen Magazine (www.buildgreen.ae) October 2012 edition.

POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

43

Piping systems

Piping for power generation Pipe joints have a major influence on how efficiently and cost-effectively a power plant operates.

by Bill Lowar

P

iping systems are an important part of power plant construction.

Whatever the method of power generation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; nuclear, natural gas, hydroelectric, or coal-fired â&#x20AC;&#x201C; multiple types of piping systems will need to be installed for the range of essential services.

From the small-diameter stainless steel pipes needed for instrument air lines, through flue-gas desulphurisation and coal-handling systems, to the largediameter penstock lines required for hydroelectric plants, each has a vital role to play. Many of these systems are critical: when they are down the entire plant could cease to operate â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and a plant that is not generating power is not making money.

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With so much at stake, the reliability of pipe joints cannot be compromised and the selection of pipe-joining methods can have a significant impact on both the initial installation and running costs and the efficient operation of a plant.

Traditionally pipes required for power plant services have been installed using welded and flanged joints in the medium- to large-diameter range, with threading used for small-diameter pipe connections. Yet these methods are not ideal. Each presents risks and drawbacks for engineering consultants, contractors and installers, including health and safety issues and concerns about cost, susceptibility to adverse

Piping systems

coupling housing engages the groove. The bolts and nuts are tightened with a socket wrench or impact wrench, which holds the housings together. In the installed state, the coupling housings encase the gasket and engage the groove around the circumference of the pipe to create a leaktight seal in a self-restrained pipe joint.

Once assembled, the mechanical coupling provides a union at every joint, allowing for ease in future system access and maintenance, and reducing costly plant downtime.

Couplings fall into two categories: flexible and rigid. Both provide the security of full circumferential engagement of the coupling into the groove for high pressure and end load performance.

Rigidity is achieved with rigid couplings.

The unique angled-pad design provides positive clamping of the pipe to resist torsional and flexural loads.

Flexible couplings allow controlled angular, linear and rotational movement at each joint to accommodate thermal expansion, contraction and deflection, offering a range of advantages when designing piping systems.

weather conditions, space constraints, maintenance requirements and the lengthy installation process. Alternative technologies such as grooved mechanical pipe joining can overcome many of these issues.

Mechanical joining A grooved mechanical joint is comprised of four elements: grooved pipe, gasket, coupling housings, and nuts and bolts.

The pipe groove is made by cold forming or machining a groove into the end of a pipe. A resilient, pressure-responsive elastomeric gasket enclosed in coupling housings is wrapped around the two ends of the pipe, and the key section of the

Welding concerns Welding is a time-consuming process.

Welders must cut, bevel and prepare the pipe lengths, align and clamp the joint, then undertake two to three passes using the selected welding method at each joint. On a large-diameter system, this process can take hours for each joint.

There are other aspects of welding that can lengthen the construction schedule.

For instance, welding on the side of a mountain or on rough terrain, as may be the case in some hydroelectric projects, is tricky. The weather can also present challenges.

If it is dry and the risk of forest fires is high, welding activities may be prohibited or limited. If it is raining or cold, welding is difficult, because the pipes need to be covered and/or preheated first. On completion of the weld, X-rays may be required to ensure a sound joint. An average 5-6 per cent of welded joints require rework according to industry

standards, adding time and material costs to construction.

Welding is also an expensive pipejoining method in general. Although material costs are lower, total installed costs will be higher than mechanical joints due to the installation time and the need for highly-skilled workers. Nonavailability of the necessary skills can cause project delays and potentially lead to heavy financial penalties.

Safety is a major concern during welding, and the physical impact on the individual welder is significant. Welding exposes the worker to hazardous fumes and particulate matter, as well as potential burns, eye damage and the risk of fire or explosion. The potential for fire or explosion necessitates a fire watch during and following the work, which slows the construction schedule and adds cost. Welding indoors or underground also requires fume and smoke extraction equipment.

Non-welded benefits Joining pipe with a mechanical coupling is up to five times faster than welding because the gasket and housings simply need to be positioned on the grooved pipe ends, and the bolts and nuts tightened with standard hand tools or impact wrenches. The coupling requires only two bolts to secure the joint and following installation the joint can be inspected visually. Metal-to-metal boltpad contact confirms that the coupling has been properly installed and secured into place; no X-ray is needed.

No flame is required to install a mechanical coupling, eliminating the safety concerns associated with welding.

No fume or smoke extraction equipment is needed, nor do precautions such as a fire watch need to be taken. Mechanical couplings can be installed in any weather condition, from downpours to extreme cold and dry climates, preventing weather delays and keeping the construction on schedule.

Until recently, joining methods for larger size piping systems required multiple housings. Now mechanical POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

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Piping systems

A union at every joint makes for easy maintenance of power plant service lines.

Joining power plant piping with Victaulic mechanical couplings is up to five times faster than welding

couplings are available with a two-piece housing in sizes up to 1525 mm, making them ideal for the fast, reliable installation of penstock lines in hydroelectric plants for example. A typical large-diameter joint that requires several hours to weld can be installed in less than an hour with this method. These couplings have a wedgeshaped groove that delivers pressure ratings of up to 2,500 kPa and are also offered in a rigid or flexible style. The rigid style forms a completely rigid pipe joint, whereas the flexible style allows for some expansion, contraction and deflection within the piping system.

Flanging shortcomings Flanges are difficult to work with and are time consuming to connect, with multiple bolts and nuts that require star-pattern tightening numerous times to complete the joint. They require enough clearance around the pipe to be able to secure each bolt, making use of flanges in confined spaces difficult. Flanges can also result in maintenance challenges: after a valve or other piece of equipment has been removed, it is difficult to squeeze back in between the flanges. But maintaining reliable, leak-free performance of a flanged joint can be the biggest issue.

F l a n ge s a re b o l te d to get h e r,

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compressing a gasket to create a seal.

The bolts and nuts of a flanged union and gasket absorb and compensate for system forces and, over time, the bolts and nuts can stretch or yield due to surges, system working pressure, vibration, and expansion and contraction. When these bolts yield, the gasket can â&#x20AC;&#x153;slip,â&#x20AC;? which can result in a leak.

Flange gaskets can take on compression over time, resulting in leakage. Depending on the location and service of the piping system, subsequent leaks can be hazardous.

For example, in coal-fired plants when flanges are used on pulverised coal boiler feed lines, a leak can cause a fire hazard due to the highly combustible nature of pulverised coal.

In addition to potential safety issues, flanged unions also increase maintenance requirements. To prevent or stop leakage of the flange, routine bolt and nut tightening is required. If this maintenance is not performed on a regular basis, the system is at greater risk of leaks. Gasket replacement may also be required, particularly when the flange is taken apart. Over time, the gasket can bond to the flanged pipe ends. When the joint is disassembled, the gasket will need to be scraped off the flanged pipe end and replaced, again increasing downtime due to maintenance.

Non-flanged benefits A solution to these common safety and maintenance problems is to use couplings in place of flanges. A gasket contained within the coupling housings is stretched over the two ends of pipe which have been grooved, creating an initial seal, and the key sections of the coupling housings engage the groove on the pipe ends. When tightened, the bolts and nuts pull the housings together, metal to metal, compressing the gasket a precisely controlled amount to form a reliable, secure joint.

Couplings can be used on balanceof-plant piping applications including water, air, slurry and bearing lube oil feed services and can be installed in a third of the time needed to form a flanged joint.

They eliminate the regular maintenance associated with flanges, decreasing maintenance downtime, because they do not require regular retightening. Unlike a flange that puts variable stress on the gasket, nuts and bolts, a coupling holds the gasket in precise compression from the outside of the pipe joint. While the bolts and nuts of the coupling hold the housings together, the coupling itself is what holds the pipe together. Over the life of the system, the nuts and bolts of a coupling do not require regular maintenance and can last the life of the system.

Piping systems

Press-to-connect joining of small diameter stainless steel pipes

Threaded joint leakage One of the most notorious issues in a plant of any kind is leaks in compressed air/instrument air lines. Leaks are a problem because the cost of lost air is huge. Leaks cause pressure drops and machinery runs less efficiently by using more energy to make up for these losses.

Sometimes additional compressors are needed to compensate, further increasing energy costs. Leaks result in a variety of additional problems, including inconsistent equipment performance due to fluctuating system pressure, increased maintenance costs, reduced service life of compressors due to excess load, and even corrosion of the steel piping system caused by moisture in the system.

A number of factors can cause leaks, and they can occur at any point in the compressed air/instrument air system.

A widely accepted joining method for small-diameter compressed air/ instrument air systems is threading and many of these air lines with threaded joints experience leakage. Two of the main causes of leaks are improper initial installation and on-going plant operations

that weaken the threaded seal. System vibration, for example, can compromise the thread tape or sealant, resulting in a leak. Poor thread cuts can also cause leaks.

Unlike leaks in water lines, leaks in compressed air/instrument air lines can go undetected because they are not visible to the naked eye. The first step in solving the problem of leaks is to find them. This is usually done through sound, feel, soapy water or by using specialised leak detection equipment. In a threaded system, the leak is usually â&#x20AC;&#x153;fixedâ&#x20AC;? by tightening the joint. The problem with this is that tightening one end of the threaded joint ultimately loosens an adjacent joint, so fixing one leak may lead to a new one.

Press-to-connect solutions One solution to this problem is replacing threaded compressed air/instrument air systems with a press-to-connect system. These systems allow plain-end ANSI schedule 10 stainless steel pipes to be connected thread- and weld-free.

A hand-held pressing tool compresses a fitting, containing O-ring seals on two pipe

ends, resulting in a permanent, leak-free, precisely compressed seal. When installed correctly, the elastomeric seal of a press joint dramatically reduces the likelihood of leaks compared to threaded systems.

Although initial material costs are higher, many plants that have replaced galvanised carbon steel threaded systems with stainless steel press-to-connect systems have realised long-term cost savings due to reduced energy costs.

The other benefits of the system are also ideal for power plants: installation that is up to five times faster than other joining systems and safer than welding, simple installation with hand-held pressing tools that do not require highly-trained labour, and reduced total installed costs.

When selecting a press-to-connect system for compressed air/instrument air lines, a stainless steel system with nitrile or HNBR O-rings, which are designed to resist oil vapours that may be present in compressor fluids, is recommended.

Another factor of press-to-connect systems that can simplify integration with larger systems is to ensure the system is available in IPS pipe sizes. For systems smaller than 50mm, press-to-connect may offer advantages over traditional systems in terms of installation time, costs and future maintenance needs.

Conclusion Owners, engineers and contractors could do well to consider alternatives to welding, flanging and threading for joining power plant piping systems.

Grooved mechanical pipe-joining and press-to-connect methods bring a host of practical and economic advantages.

They make for safety, ease and speed of installation and maintenance but more importantly deliver long-term reliability and efficiency. F (The author is Vice President, Victaulic Power Division. Since 1919, Victaulic has been a leading global producer of grooved mechanical couplings and pipe-joining systems)

POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

47

Desalination

Green antiscalant for thermal desalinAtion plants Antiscalants are applied in thermal desalination plants (multistage flash and multi-effect desalination) to control alkaline and nonalkaline scale in brine when saturation indices are exceeded. Antiscalants currently used are usually based on organophosphonates or are polymeric in nature. These antiscalants are discharged into the sea via brine blowdown and remain in the environment for a long time. Some of these antiscalants bioaccumulate in living organisms or act as a food source for microbes. Data presented in this article show the biodegradability and bioaccumulation properties of a new phosphorus- and nitrogen-free antiscalant. Performance data show the new antiscalant controls scale in brines up to a concentration factor of 2 and temperatures to 120째C. Saturation indices of these brines were calculated and correlated with the dose level required to control scale deposition. In addition, a detection method has been developed to help thermal plant operators measure antiscalant in brine, allowing them to control the dosage level.

by Suresh Patel

T

hermal desalination plants are based on multistage flash (MSF) or multieffect desalination (MED) processes in which seawater is heated so that the pure water evaporates, resulting in distillate and the remaining brine being removed via the blowdown (Buros, 1980; Porteous, 1975). During this process, brine concentration increases. The concentration of dissolved salts in the brine also increases and eventually leads to exceeding the solubility limits (or supersaturation) of the salts, resulting in the precipitation of alkaline (calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide) and nonalkaline (calcium sulphate) salts, depending on brine chemistry and temperature.

This article presents several methods (Langelier, 1936; Stiff and Davis, 1952; Ryznar, 1944; Larson and Skold, 1958) for determining supersaturation of brine by calculating the saturation index of individual salts. The author used the following equations:

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Equation 1: Calcium carbonate

Desalination

SICaCO3 = [Ca2+] [CO3 2-] / KspCaCO3 Where: SICaCO3 = saturation index for calcium carbonate Ca2+ = concentration of calcium ions CO3 2- = concentration of carbonate ions KspCaCO3 = solubility product for calcium carbonate Equation 2: Magnesium hydroxide SIMg(OH)2 = [Mg2+] [OH-] / KspMg(OH)2 Where: SIMg(OH)2 = saturation index for magnesium hydroxide Mg2+ = concentration of magnesium ions OH- = concentration of hydroxyl ions KspMg(OH)2 = solubility product for magnesium hydroxide Equation 3: Calcium sulfate SICaSO4 = [Ca2+] [SO4 2-] / KspCaSO4 Where: SICaSO4 = saturation index for calcium sulfate Ca2+ = concentration of calcium ions SO4 2- = concentration of sulfate ions KspCaSO4 = solubility product for calcium sulphate

These saturation indices were calculated using a commercial software program1 (Ferguson, 1991). Scale deposition can occur on heat exchanger surfaces, demisters, pipe work, stage or cell walls and floors, and in brine, which results in production losses and increases maintenance costs resulting from down time, extra cleaning chemicals, or ultimately replacement parts.

Thermal desalination plant operators currently use antiscalants that are based on organophosphonates or are polymers based on maleic-acid or

acrylic-acid chemistry to control typical scaling. Usually used in low-temperature plants to control calcium carbonate, organophosphonates poorly control calcium sulphate (Caplan, 1998; Cody, 1991), and, if used at high temperatures, breakdown to orthophosphate, which leads to calcium phosphate formation.

In addition, organophosphonates are not capable of dispersing scales or silt that may be present in raw seawater.

Polymeric antiscalant chemistry varies from simple polyacrylic or polymaleic types to complex polycarboxylic containing different monomers. The most successful type of polymeric antiscalant is based on polymaleic chemistry2 used in the late 1960s to the mid-1990s (Finan et al, 1989). From the mid-1990s to date, enhanced maleates3 have been used. These polymeric antiscalants have significant advantages over organophosphates, because they provide multifunction scale-control properties for scaling found in thermal desalination plants (Patel and Finan, 1999).

Antiscalants currently being used in thermal desalination plants are discharged via brine blowdown and, at most sites, into the seawater. The antiscalants remain in the sea or in sludge form by adsorbing onto silt and sand.

Antiscalants used in thermal desalination plants are not biodegradable, but they

will break down over time and remain in the environment for a long time (Hoepner and Latteman, 2002).

In addition, antiscalants containing phosphorus and nitrogen can be food sources to bacteria and algae and can lead to eutrophication (Smith et al, 1991). Therefore, antiscalants with or without low levels of phosphorus and nitrogen would minimise eutrophication in seawater. Determining the amount of antiscalant being dosed into the seawater feedline is a challenge, especially at sites where a centralised dosing tank distributes the correct dose level of antiscalant to individual distillers.

Although such inconsistent dosing has led to scale formation in distillers, this has only been observed when distiller performance deteriorates over a period of operation or when the distiller is opened for inspection. Therefore, if antiscalants can be monitored in the seawater feed, as well as the concentrated brine, the amount of antiscalant present can be confirmed.

This study evaluated a new antiscalant4 (Antiscalant A) that does not contain phosphorus or nitrogen, is biodegradable, and will not remain in the marine environment for a long time. The objective was to find a fast, easy-to-use, accurate way to determine, control, and maintain antiscalant dose level to control POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

49

Desalination

scale deposition and provide for efficient distiller operation.

Experimental results Composition of New Antiscalant: A specialty chemicals company5 developed Antiscalant A, which is based on polycarboxylic acid chemistry (phosphorus and nitrogen free).

Biodegradation Study. A study of Antiscalant A’s aerobic biodegradation in seawater was carried out using the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 306 procedure (OECD, 1992). Used successfully in the oil industry, these tests were carried out by an external testing house certified to Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) status. Antiscalant A was assessed for biodegradation rate and extent when exposed for 28 days to marine microorganisms. The results were compared with sodium acetate, a standard that biodegrades in this test. The test measured the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) at 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days.

Natural seawater was collected from Penrhy Point, North Wales. At the time

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of collection, the seawater was 12°C and had pH of 8.13, salinity of 29.8 g/L, and dissolved oxygen (DO) content of 96.3%.

After collection, the seawater was coarsefiltered and maintained in the dark.

As expected, the standard used— sodium acetate—biodegraded rapidly, which confirmed the test’s validity. Figure 1 shows that, within 28 days, Antiscalant A is more than 60% biodegradable in the OECD 306 test and can be classified as biodegradable.

Biodegradability of typical currently used antiscalant chemistries are shown in Table 1, which illustrates that sodium polyacrylate (FlocTTec, 2009) and phosphonate 1 and phosphonate 2 chemistries are not biodegradable.

Bioaccumulation Study. Antiscalant A’s potential to bioaccumulate was assessed in n-octanol, and water partition was measured using OECD method 117 (OECD, 1989), which determines the n-octanol– water partition coefficient (log pow). If the value is more then 3, an antiscalant will bioaccumulate. Antiscalant A’s log pow was 0.73, indicating a low bioaccumulation potential. Therefore,

there is no possibility that Antiscalant A will bioaccumulate in any food chain.

Determining Scale Deposition. Hightemperature tubeblocking equipment was used to study scale deposition in a laboratory. The test enables deposition to take place within a capillary coil (heat exchanger) at a desired temperature and be monitored based on pressure buildup.

Figure 2 presents a schematic of the equipment. During the test, the brine’s scale deposition rate—measured via an increase in delta pressure—in a 1-m-long capillary coil was measured at temperatures ranging from 80°C to 120°C. The synthetic brine consisted of separate cation and anion solutions, which were separately brought to the desired temperature in preheated coils and mixed together at the tee prior to entering the capillary coil. Pressure inside the capillary coil was monitored and logged on a PC. Increased pressure over time indicates that deposition is occurring within the capillary coil.

To mimic the brine chemistry in a thermal desalination plant, brine concentration factors of 1.5 and 2 were used in the h i g h - te m p e ra tu re deposition test. Table 2 shows these water chemistries. The test was conducted without antiscalant at temperatures of 80°C to 120°C in brine with a concentration

Desalination

factor of 1.5. Figure 3 shows the results.

As expected, the increase in temperature increases the rate of blocking of the capillary coil with scale. To determine whether the rate of deposition is linear or nonlinear, the results were further analysed by determining the time required to reach a delta pressure of 1 at different temperatures.

Table 3 illustrates the rate of scale deposition (delta pressure at 1× to reach delta pressure of 1) increases with temperature. These deposition rates are significantly different at various temperatures, suggesting that scale accumulating on the metal surface may be of a different composition. If it had been a single type of deposit with the same composition, a constant scale-deposition rate would have been obtained. It is worth noting that the rate of deposition in the same brine is 19 times faster at 130°C than at 80°C. Antiscalant A was tested at a concentration factor of 1.5 at 110°C at 10 ppm and 12 ppm. Figure 4 shows the results. The “pass” criteria used in this work was for the antiscalant dose level

in the tube-blocking test to maintain a delta pressure less than 1 for 120 minutes. Using these criteria, the dose level of Antiscalant A required for a brine concentration of 1.5 at 110°C and 120°C (Figure 5) was 12 ppm and 20 ppm, respectively.

The higher dose level at 120°C could have been caused by the increased temperature, as well as a change in composition of scale accumulating in the capillary coil. A further test was carried out using a brine concentration factor of 2 at 110°C. Antiscalant A’s dose level was tested from 40 ppm to 60 ppm, and Figure 6 shows the results.

Testing at a higher concentration factor of 2 at 110°C indicates that a 50ppm dose of Antiscalant A is required to pass this test. Therefore, increasing the concentration factor at 110°C increases the Antiscalant A dose by 48 ppm for different brines. Again, this could result from differences in the composition of scale being controlled in brine concentration factors of 1.5 and 2 at the same temperature, 110°C. Saturation indices were investigated to better understand the chemistry of scales that would form under these conditions.

Saturation Indices The water chemistries shown in Table 3 were used to calculate the Stiff-and-Davis stability index (S&DSI) (Stiff and Davis,

1952), which is normally used for brines, and the individual saturation index using the solubility product (Ksp) of calcium carbonate (Equation 1), magnesium hydroxide (Equation 2), and calcium sulphate (Equation 3). The results are shown in Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10). The analysis shows the S&DSI increases with increasing temperatures and brine concentration (Figure 7). The deposition of calcium carbonate increases with increasing temperature and increasing brine concentration. However, S&DSI does not consider the precipitation of other salts, such as magnesium hydroxide and calcium sulphate. A different picture emerges if these salts are taken into consideration using the solubility product for the individual salts (Figures 8, 9 and 10).

Figures 8, 9, and 10 illustrate that the calcium carbonate deposition decreases with increasing temperature but increases with an increasing brine concentration factor of 1.5–2, because bicarbonate and carbonate alkalinity is being driven by temperature to form hydroxyl ions. These hydroxyl ions react with magnesium ions to form magnesium hydroxide.

Because of S&DSI limitations to predict calcium carbonate at high temperatures and brine concentrations, the author used the solubility product for individual salts to provide a realistic picture of salt precipitation from brines used in high-temperature tube-blocking equipment. Table 4 shows the saturation indices calculated for the brines. This analysis shows that the ratio of calcium POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

51

Desalination

carbonate to magnesium hydroxide and calcium sulphate differ with respect to temperature and the brine concentration factor. That is why a different dose level is required to control scale deposition in high-temperature tube-blocking equipment. For all conditions in Table 4, the Antiscalant A dose required to control scaling was determined in the high temperature tube-blocking test.

Using information from scale deposition testing, the dose curve for Antiscalant A was developed for a magnesium saturation index, Figure 11, assuming the calcium carbonate saturation index is less than 30 and the calcium sulphate saturation index is less than 1.25.

When using this curve, the saturation indices should be calculated for the recycle brine or brine blow down,

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POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

because this varies based on operating conditions—example, seawater chemistry, top brine temperature, flow rates, and sponge-ball circulation. When the saturation indices are calculated for the brine and the dose level determined from the dosing curve (Figure 11), the dose level must be divided by the concentration factor to determine how much Antiscalant A is fed into the seawater. This dose level curve should be used as a guide for thermal desalination plants operating at top brine temperatures of 100– 120°C. However, adjustments are necessary if heavy metal ions and silts are present in the seawater or brine. In the past, antiscalant suppliers provided guidelines based on top brine temperature and antiscalant dose level for a plant operating with or without sponge-ball circulation. This type of curve can lead to an incorrect antiscalant dosing level being used. For example, if two plants are operating at the same top brine temperature but have different seawater feed chemistry or the brine concentration factor is different, the saturation indices of each plant’s brine would differ significantly. To accommodate this type of plant-to-plant variability, it is better to determine brine saturation indices and use a dosing curve similar to that shown in Figure 11.

Monitoring Antiscalant Scaling often occurs because an antiscalant has been under dosed, usually resulting from dilution inaccuracies, dosing pump fluctuations, or dosing pipeline leaks. Therefore, there is significant benefit to measuring an antiscalant in the brine to confirm the amount present. To measure the amount of Antiscalant A polymer present in the brine, a new method based on

fluorescence has been developed. An inherent property of Antiscalant A is that it fluoresces and can be measured in a fluorimeter. A laboratory fluorimeter6 (Fluorimeter A) was used to determine the optimum emission and excitation wavelengths for the antiscalant in 1,000-ppm sodium chloride solution pH adjusted to 8 (Figure 12). The antiscalant was found to have an optimum excitation wavelength of 220 nm and optimum emission wavelength of 295 nm.

Another fluorimeter7 (Fluorimeter B) with excitation filters at 214 nm (+/- 5 nm) and emission filters at 300 nm (+/- 5 nm) was used to determine Antiscalant A’s calibration curves in brines with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 40,000 ppm and 70,000 ppm. Figure 13 shows the results.

Antiscalant A’s calibration curves are nonlinear in brines with a TDS range of 40,000–70,000 ppm. These calibrations were checked for reproducibility and found to be nearly identical. The accuracy of determining Antiscalant A’s concentration in these brines was confirmed by making up known amounts (1–5 ppm) and comparing them with the calibration curves shown in Figure 13.

Within the laboratory, the accuracy was +/- 10 percent at 1 ppm and +/- 2 percent at 5 ppm and greater.

Conclusion Antiscalant A, a biodegradable, p h o s p h o r u s - a n d n i t ro ge n f re e polycarboxylic acid polymer, does not bioaccumulate in living organisms.

Therefore, Antiscalant A is an environmentally friendly antiscalant that can be used in thermal desalination plants where environmental restriction or concerns exist. Antiscalant A is an effective scale-control agent for calcium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide, and calcium sulfate on heat-transfer surfaces.

The data were used to generate a doselevel guide based on the saturation index of magnesium hydroxide for thermal desalination plants operating at temperatures of 100–120°C. This would be a more realistic tool for predicting the dose level of Antiscalant A than

Desalination

Gemma Harwood for performing the experiments, and John Milligan for conducting the analytical work.

About the Author Suresh Patel (suresh.patel@ w a t e ra d d i t i v e s . co m ) i s technology manager with BWA Water additives, Manchester, United Kingdom.

the current method of using top brine temperatures vs. dose levels.

The intrinsic property of fluorescence in Antiscalant A was used to develop a method to monitor the antiscalant in seawater brines. Fluorimeter B can be used in the field to monitor Antiscalant A with an accuracy of less than +/- 10 percent at a 1-ppm dose level and +/- 2 percent at a 5-ppm dose level.

Desalination plant operators can use this method to control Antiscalant A’s dose level in seawater brines and optimise the distiller dose if required.

Acknowledgments The author thanks BWA Water Additives for permission to publish this paper,

References Buros, O.K., 1980. The USAID Desalination Manual, August 1980. A manual prepared by CH2M HILL International.

Sponsored by US International Development Cooperation Agency, Office of Engineering, Washington, D.C. Caplan, G., 1998. Water Text: The complete reference of chemicals, processes, and suppliers. Caplan Technical Resources.

Cody, R.D., 1991. Organocrystalline interactions in evaporative systems; the effect of crystallization inhibition.

Journal of Sedimentary Research, 61:5:704–718.

Ferguson, R.J., 1991.

Computerized Ion Association Model Profiles Complete Range of Cooling Water Chemistry. Proceedings of the 52 nd International Water Conference, 1991.

Finan, M.A.; Smith, S.; Evans, C.K.; and Muir, J.W.H., 1989. Belgard EV—15 years’ experience in scale control. Desalination, 73:341–357.

FlocTTec, 2009. Material safety data sheet.

FlocTTec 600 Antiscalant, Revision No. 2.

Boonton, N.J. Hoepner, T. and Lattemann, S., 2002.

Chemical impacts from seawater desalination plants—a case study of the northern Red Sea. Desalination, 152:133–140.

Langelier, W.F., 1936. The Analytic Control of Anti-Corrosion Water Treatment. Journal AWWA, 28:10:1,500–

1,521.

Larson, T.E. and Skold, R.V., 1958.

Laboratory Studies Relating Mineral Quality of Water to Corrosion of Steel and Cast Iron. Illinois State Water Survey, Champaign, Ill., 43–46, ISWS C-71.

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), 1992. Guidelines for the testing of chemicals, Section 3: Degradation and Accumulation; Test 306: Biodegradability of Seawater. OECD Publishing.

OECD, 1989. Guidelines for the testing of Chemicals 117. Adopted March 30, 1989.

Patel, S. and Finan, M.A, 1999. New antifoulants for deposit control in MSF and MED plants. Desalination, 124:63–75.

Porteous, A., 1975. Saline water distillation processes. Longman Group Ltd. Ryznar, J.W., 1944. A New Index for Determining Amount of Calcium Carbonate Scale Formed by a Water.

Journal AWWA, 36:4:472–486.

Smith, V.H.; Tilman, G.D.; and Nekola, J.C., 1991. Eutrophication: impacts of excess nutrient inputs on freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems.

Environmental Pollution 100:1–3:179–196.

Stiff, Jr., H.A. and Davis, L.E., 1952. A Method for Predicting The Tendency of Oil Field Water to Deposit Calcium Carbonate. Pet. Trans. AIME 195:213.

Article courtesy: BWA Water Additives; IDA Journal (Third Quarter 2012)

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53

PREVIEW

The sustainability theme will be reenforced by special focus on areas like green buildings, climate change, clean coal and energy efficient appliances.

2 SmarTech, the consumer-side of the exhibition, will celebrate its third edition.

WETEX 2013 to emphasise sustainable development

T

he 15th water, electricity,

to include fossil fuels, nuclear and

oil & gas exhibition (WETEX

renewable energy generation.

2013) will be held at the

“From its very humble beginnings in

Dubai International Convention and

1999, WETEX has now emerged as one of

Exhibition Centre (DICEC) from 15th

the prominent exhibitions in the world

‘Sustainable Development for All.’

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POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

in electricity, water and environment

energy, environment and

to 17th April, 2013 under the theme

5 H.E. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Supreme Council of Energy and Managing Director and CEO of DEWA.

WETEX 2013 will also showcase the latest developments in sectors like district cooling

that specialises in electricity, water, energy, environment, green building and

Held under the umbrella of the

oil and gas,” said H.E. Saeed Mohammed

Supreme Council of Energy for Dubai,

Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Supreme

WETEX is organised by Dubai Electricity

Council of Energy and Managing Director

and Water Authority (DEWA) under

and CEO of DEWA. He also revealed DEWA

the directives of His Highness Sheikh

will sign a number of major contracts as

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,

part of its firm commitment to provide

Vice President and Prime Minister of

world-class water and electricity services

the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and under

to its customers in Dubai.

the patronage of His Highness Sheikh

This year, the event has attracted

Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy

participation from over 32 countries

Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and

including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman,

President of DEWA.”

Jordan, Lebanon, USA, Canada, Brazil,

Over past three years, WETEX has

Uruguay, Anguilla, France, Netherland,

expanded its traditional specialisation

Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Finland,

PREVIEW

WETEX 2013 has seen a remarkable increase in the number of sponsors

The theme of SmarTech this year is ‘Think Green. Live Green

Entrance to the show will be free to enable as many people as possible to benefit from the exhibition

Austria, Belgium, Malta, UK, Russia, Malaysia, Turkey, China, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Japan and Iran.

The display area has increased by 22% to

40,000 square metres with 54 companies coming in as sponsors compared to 37 in 2012. The three-day exhibition will also feature high quality industry seminars, lectures and workshops for exhibitors.

“WETEX 2013 will also showcase the latest fossil fuel technologies to understand the challenges of generating power in the Middle East and North Africa from clean coal to enhance the concept of environmental sustainability and protection of natural resources for generations to come,” said Al Tayer.

The consumer component of the event SmarTech will be celebrating its third edition this year. “This forum presents an ideal platform to enhance interaction between companies and end-users as

well as showcase, promote and market green-centric technologies, goods and services,” said Al Tayer. “The theme this year is ‘Think Green. Live Green. Entrance to the show will be free to enable as many people as possible to benefit from the exhibition.”

WETEX 2013 will be held concurrently with the Dubai Global Energy Forum (DGEF 2013). ““We are delighted to announce that WETEX 2013 will be held concurrently with the Dubai Global Energy Forum (DGEF 2013), sending a clear message that the UAE in general and Dubai in particular put energy and environment topics on top of their agenda,” said Al Tayer.

After the International success achieved by Dubai Global Energy Forum in its first edition in 2011, the second forum will be held in 2013 under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed

bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The forum is organised by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy. As such, DGEF 2013 will provide a platform for participants to share ideas and debate key issues affecting the energy sector such as: best practices in the field of energy security, supply and clean energy management, alternative energy resources, the peaceful use of nuclear energy, current and future energy-related policies, programs, technologies including specific technologies to decarbonise fossil fuels (Oil, Gas, and Coal), investment opportunities and market indicators.

WETEX 2013 will also have an Expo 2020 booth to support the UAE’s efforts to win the bid. F

POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

55

MARKET PLACE CPC-100-CP-CU1

Ametek Next-generation IEC-compliant UPS

A

METEK Solidstate Controls has launched DP2—the latest addition to its digital ProcessPower line of industrial UPS systems. According to a press release issued by the company, DP2 meets stringent IEC 60240 parts 1, 2 & 3 requirements for performance and safety and comes equipped with state-of-the-art PWM control systems.

Solidstate Solidstate Controls offers the DP2 in sizes from 15kVA up to 180 kVA with DC bus ranging from 120VDC to 480VDC. The DP2 also incorporates a new pressurised cooling system designed to extend its service life. The press release further claimed that all Solidstate Control inverters and UPS systems come with custom design assistance, global 24/7 field service and 40-year design life.

AMETEK Solidstate Controls supplies customised inverters and UPS systems for critical processes involving harsh environments such as power generation (including fossil fuel and nuclear power utilities). In 2012 it celebrated 50 years of building the world’s most robust and reliable inverters and UPS systems. The company has sales and technical assistance network in more than 20 countries and installed equipment in more than 70 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.solidstatecontrolsinc.com F

Smith flow control EasiDrive Valve Actuators

S

mith Flow Control has launched EasiDrive portable valve actuator to control valve operations in power plants. According to a press release issued by the company, the EasiDrive portable valve is a portable pneumatic tool which enables a single operator to efficiently operate multiple valves while reducing fatigue and injury risk. The release claimed the tool is especially effective on valves that require a high number of turns or are otherwise difficult to operate because of high torque or where harsh environments make operations more difficult.

Mike Fynes, Sales and Marketing Director at Smith Flow Control said: “We are pleased that we have been able to manufacture a portable solution as an alternative to a dedicated valve actuator that can be applied in the most challenging environments. Many of our customers across the Middle East are excited about our portable valve actuator range.”

The press release further claimed that the tool’s custom engineered reaction device protects the user from the ‘kick’ normally associated with other torque tools, eliminating the possibility of any injury

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POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

associated with its operation. EasiDrive also features a variable output torque, controlled by a choice of limited preset Filter Regulator (FRL) packs, which prevents excessive torque being applied and ensures proper and safe operation of the valve. Visit www.smithflowcontrol. com for more information. F

EasiDrivePower

MPD-600

Omicron Testing cables and overhead lines

C

ables and overhead lines must be checked on a regular basis to detect and rectify problems and guarantee reliable power supply.

Omicron, a leading player in electrical test and measurement, send out a press release on its test offerings for cables and overhead lines.

Among the various test systems offered by the company for the same is MPD 600, which measures and analyses partial discharges. Measuring partial discharge (PD) is one of the main criteria when assessing the quality of cables. Omicron claims that even close to strong electrical disturbance fields, the MPD 600 can filter and isolate weak signals for further analysis and if partial discharge does occur, the MPD 600 can locate the fault to within one meter. The product, the press release further noted, can be used on site and during manufacturing at the plant to enable detection and location of partial discharges in compliance with IEC 60270.

To measure line impedance of cables and overhead lines, the company offers a measuring system comprising CPC 100 + CP CU1. According to the press release, through this combination, values such as positive-sequence impedance, zerosequence impedance and k-factors are available in less than two hours enabling distance relays to be set correctly and any faults located. The Measuring line impedance is a quick and cost-effective alternative to the previous time consuming calculation method for these values where errors up to the double-digit percentage range could frequently be found. F

MARKET PLACE

Emiratestenders.com Your Business Information Provider in the UAE

PROJECTS / TENDERS / ENQUIRIES Emirates Tenders is focused on providing first hand, timely & up-to-date information about the latest projects, tenders enquiries & business deals in the United Arab Emirates.

Its an online service designed to help organizations to identify new business opportunities and stay ahead of their competitors.

Members of EmiratesTenders enjoy the following benefits: • Access to detailed real time database on projects, tenders and enquiries in the United Arab Emirates which are updated on a daily basis.(Details provided are: Tender Name, Posting & Closing Date, Tender Cost, Budgets, Contractors, Consultants, Tender Categories, Status , Remarks and other available information ) • A powerful search engine designed to facilitate easy retrieval of information in accordance with specific requirements.

• Daily e-mail notification on preferred areas of business.

• Contact details for Clients, Consultants, Contractors, MEP’s, Architects etc available for ongoing projects.

• Archive of over 100,000 projects and tenders for market research and analysis.

• A weekly compiled E-magazine consisting of projects and tenders in the U.A.E & Middle East Regions.

IN-DEPTH COVERAGE & INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECTS AND TENDERS ARE AVAILABLE FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES IN THE FOLLOWING PACKAGES Name of Country United Arab Emirates Saudi Arabia Kuwait Oman Qatar Bahrain Entire Middle East

Website Details www.EmiratesTenders.com www.SaudiTenders.com www.KuwaitTenders.com www.OmanProjects.com www.QatarTenders.com www.BahrainTenders.com www.MiddleEastTenders.com

Annual FEE 750 USD 750 USD 750 USD 750 USD 750 USD 750 USD 1500 USD

For enquiries please contact: +971-2 - 6348495 Email: sales@EmiratesTenders.com Website: www.EmiratesTenders.com POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

57

TENDERS & CONTRACTS Project Name Solar Power Plant Project-4 Description Build-Own-Operate (BOO) contract for construction of a photovoltaic solar power plant with capacity of 10 MW. Budget ($) 23,000,000 Posting Date March 19, 2013 Period 2014 Tender Type Project Territory Jordan Client Company Name: Philadelphia Solar (Jordan) Address: Al Qastal Industrial Area 2, Airfreight Road Pin: 143808 City: Amman 11814 Country: Jordan Tel: (+962-6) 471 6601 Fax: (+962-6) 471 6602 Email: info@philadelphia-solar.com Website: http://www.philadelphia-solar. com Status New Tender Last Updated March 19, 2013 Tender Categories Power & Alternative Energy Remarks This plant is proposed to be built in the Manara region on the outskirts of Mafraq.

Work on the project is expected to commence immediately after signing the BOO contract and completed in (16) months.

Project Name Khiran Independent Water & Power Project Description Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to build an independent water and power plant in Khiran, with capacity of 2,500MW of power and 125 million gallons a day (g/d) of water.

Posting Date February 22, 2011 Tender Type Project Territory Kuwait Client Company Name: Partnerships Technical Bureau (Kuwait) Address: Touristic Enterprises Co. Bldg., 2nd Floor, Al-Jahra Street Pin: City: Shuwaikh Country: Kuwait Tel: (+965) 2496 5900 / 2496 5902 Fax: (+965) 2496 5901 Email: infor@ptb.gov.kw Website: http://www.ptb.gov.kw Financial Consultant Company Name: BNP Paribas (France) Legal Consultant 58

POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

Consultants

Status Last Updated Tender Categories Remarks

Company Name: Chadbourne & Parke LLP (USA) Technical Consultant Company Name: Lahmeyer International GmbH (Germany) New Tender March 18, 2013 Power & Alternative Energy Water Works The project is located to the south of existing Al-Zour South power & water project in Kuwait and will include a 400kV substation.

Low-sulphur fuel oil, gasoline, crude oil and/or natural gas will be used for fire the plant. Desalination component will use multi-stage flash, multiple-effect distillation and/or reverse osmosis technology. A special purpose vehicle (SPV) will be established to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the facility. The SPV will sign an energy conversion agreement together with a power and water purchase agreement with Ministry of Electricity & Water.

A consortium of France’s BNP Paribas, US’ Chadbourne & Parke and Germany’s Lahmeyer International has signed a mandate to advise on this scheme.

Project Name Combined-Cycle Power Plant Project - Jizan Economic City Description Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract to build an integrated gasification combined-cycle (IGCC) power plant with capacity of 2,400 MW in Jizan Economic City.

Budget ($) 2,000,000,000 Posting Date December 11, 2012 Tender Type Project Territory Saudi Arabia Client Company Name: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) Address: Saeed Tower, Dammam-Khobar Highway Pin: 151 City: Al Khobar 31952 Country: Saudi Arabia Tel: (+966-3) 872 0115 / 810 6999 Fax: (+966-3) 873 8190 Email: Website: http://www.saudiaramco.com FEED Consultant Company Name: Kellogg Brown & Root (Saudi Arabia)

TENDERS & CONTRACT Consultants Financial Consultant Company Name: HSBC Ltd. (Saudi Arabia) Project Manager Company Name: Kellogg Brown & Root (Saudi Arabia) Status New Tender Last Updated March 14, 2013 Tender Categories Power & Alternative Energy Remarks This project is in Saudi Arabia. The power plant will supply 2,400 MW of electricity to Jizan Economic City, 500 MW of which will go to Jizan Refinery.

UK/Dutch Shell is the technology provider for the scheme. US’ KBR has been appointed to carry out the front-end engineering and design (FEED) study and project management consultancy (PMC) contract.

It will be split into five packages: - Air Separation unit/oxygen supply - Combined cycle power plant - Gasification - Offsites & Utilities - Sulphur Recovery.

After the completion of pre-qualification process, client will issue tenders for the packages to the successful EPC contractors. A lump-sum turn-key (LSTK) contract model is being used to execute the scheme.

Client has signed a gasification licensed technology agreement with UK’s Shell Global Solutions International. The agreement includes licensing of Shell gasification and acid gas removal technologies and provision of engineering services. Shell’s CRI/ Criterion catalysts and a sulphur recovery unit (SRU) will also treat off gases from acid gas removal unit.

Project Name Musandam Independent Power Project Description Build-own-operate (BOO) contract to build 100-120MW gas fired power plant at Musandam.

Budget ($) 150,000,000 Posting Date January 10, 2013 Period 2014 Tender Type Project Territory Oman Client Company Name: Oman Power & Water Procurement Company S.A.O.C Address: Muscat International Centre, 2nd Floor, Suite 504 Pin: 1388

Consultants

Status Last Updated Tender Categories Remarks

City: Ruwi PC 112 Country: Oman Tel: (+968) 2482 3028 / 2482 3000 Fax: Email: ahmed.busaidi@omanpwp.com Website: http://www.omanpwp.co.om Legal Consultant Company Name: Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP (Oman) New Tender March 12, 2013 Power & Alternative Energy This project is in Oman. The purpose of the project is to supply electricity to the region.

Natural gas will be used as feedstock in the project. Client is the sole off-taker from the project. Full output of the plant will be sold to Rural Areas Electricity Company. Request for qualification (RFQ) for the EPC contract has been issued.

It is understood that short-listing of prequalified companies for the BOO contract is being finalized. Pre-qualified companies for the BOO contract are expected to be shortlisted by the end of March 2013. Request for proposals (RFP) for the BOO contract is expected to be issued soon.

Project Name Power Plant Project - En--Naga Field Description Construction of a power plant with capacity of 5-10MW at an oil field.

Budget ($) 50,000,000 Posting Date March 12, 2013 Tender Type Project Territory Libya Client Company Name: Harouge Oil Operation (Libya) Address: Pin: 690 City: Tripoli Country: Libya Tel: (+218-21) 333 0081 Fax: (+281-21) 333 0490 Email: info@harouge.com Website: http://www.harouge.com Status New Tender Last Updated March 12, 2013 Tender Categories Power & Alternative Energy Remarks This plant will be built at En-Naga field in Sirte basin, east of Libya. Client is currently working on the basic engineering for the project. A tender for the main contract is expected to be issued this year.

POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

59

TENDERS & CONTRACT Project Name Grand Basra Water Project Description Execution of the Grand Basra Water project comprising a water distribution network, building a major pipeline to carry water to all parts of the province, and constructing a strategic storage tank with capacity of 50,000 m3 along with a pipeline to carry water to it.

Budget ($) 700,000,000 Posting Date March 19, 2013 Period 2016 Tender Type Project Territory Iraq Client Company Name: Ministry of Municipalities & Public Works (Iraq) Address: Opp. King Faisal Square, Karkh Pin: 28488 City: Baghdad Country: Iraq Tel: Fax: Email: info@mmpw.gov.iq Website: http://www.mmpw.gov.iq Status New Tender Last Updated March 19, 2013 Tender Categories Water Works Remarks This project is in Iraq. Scope of work also involves rehabilitation and repairing of all damaged lines and networks; building two large water treatment units, each with a capacity to treat 16,000 m3/ hour; and constructing a desalination station, with capacity to process 10,000 m3/hour. The overall capacity of this project will come to 660,000 m3/day. Japanese water company NGS has completed studies on the project, drafted its designs and prepared bills of quantities for the items and lists of materials needed.

NGS will supervise each phase of the project and will train technical and engineering staff from the Basra Water Directorate.

Construction work is slated to commence in the second half of 2013. The scheme will be completely finished and operational by end of 2016. Once complete, it will meet about 80% of the Basra populationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s need for drinking water and provide a real solution to the problem of water salinity.

Project Name Seawater Treatment Plant Project-1 Description Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to build a seawater treat60

POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

Budget ($) Posting Date Period Tender Type Territory Client

Consultants

Status Last Updated Tender Categories Remarks

ment plant, intended to process 2.5 million barrels a day (b/d) of treated seawater, with expansion up to 12 million b/d.

12,000,000,000 June 29, 2011 2015 Project Iraq Company Name: Ministry of Oil (Iraq) Address: Oil Complex Bldg., Port Saeed Street Pin: 6178 City: Baghdad Country: Iraq Tel: (+964-1) 727 0710 Fax: Email: i.t@oil.gov.iq Website: http://www.oilministry@oil.gov.iq Main Consultant Company Name: Fluor Corporation (USA) Main Consultant-2 Company Name: Mott MacDonald (UK) Project Manager Company Name: CH2M Hill International (USA) New Tender March 7, 2013 Water Works Sewerage & Drainage This project is in Iraq. Client has split the work into several areas, including a 120-kilometre pipeline and the water treatment plant. This will include seawater inlets, pumping stations and treatment facilities.

An environment impact assessment package will cover the entire scheme. Client had invited firms in May 2011 to bid for field surveys and front-end engineering and design (FEED) and pre-FEED work. Tender clarification meetings are currently being held with international engineering firms bidding for the design work.

It is understood that the client is expected to release a tender in April 2013 for the front-end engineering and design (FEED) service on this scheme.

Project Name Inner Doha Re-sewerage Implementation Strategy Project Description Execution of Inner Doha Re-sewerage Implementation Strategy (IDRIS).

Budget ($) 5,500,000,000 Posting Date January 21, 2013

TENDERS & CONTRACT Period Tender Type Territory Client

Consultants

Status Last Updated Tender Categories Remarks

2018 Project Qatar Company Name: Public Works Authority ASHGHAL (Qatar) Address: Al Faisal Tower, Al Corniche Street, Dafna Pin: 22188 City: Doha Country: Qatar Tel: (+974) 4495 0000 Fax: (+974) 4495 0999 Email: info@ashghal.gov.qa Website: http://www.ashghal.gov.qa Project Manager Company Name: Hill International Middle East Ltd. (Qatar) New Tender March 18, 2013 Sewerage & Drainage Tender No. IA12/13C727MRPSC This project is in Qatar. It involves building a series of deep tunnels that will serve the Doha South catchment area over the next (50) years and will eliminate the need for pumping stations in the area. It also include 76-kilometres of lateral interceptor sewers, 33-kilometre of trunk sewer, a terminal pump station, a New Doha South sewerage treatment plant, 92-kilometre of treated sewage effluent return facilities and the de-commissioning of (37) existing pump stations. Client is planning to split the project into six packages; some of them will be split further into individual contracts. Six main packages include: Package 1: Three design and build contracts for the lateral interceptor sewers Package 2: Three design and build contracts for the main trunk sewer Package 3: One design, build, operate contract for the terminal pump station Package 4: One design, build, operate contract for the New Doha South sewage treatment plant Package 5: Three design and build contracts for the treated sewerage effluent return systems Package 6: Two contracts for the decommissioning of pumping stations.

Tendering for the first contracts is expected to be launched in this year, with construction work is expected to commence in mid-

2014. Project completion is expected by the end of 2018. Client has invited local and international contractor and consultants to attend a briefing on this scheme on January 23, 2013.

US’ CH2M Hill has been appointed as the project management consultant (PMC) on this scheme.

It has worked on the concept design and preliminary design and will also manage the design and construction consultants.

Client wishes to select a short-list of competent companies (“Pre-qualified Applicants”), for invitation to tender for various packages on this scheme. It is seeking proposals from applicants to demonstrate their capability to perform significant components of the work with the right vision and necessary experience, capabilities, understanding and commitment to work with client to achieve outstanding results in the delivery of the programme.

The existing sewerage system in Doha’s oldest South Catchments consist of shallow sewers and numerous pump stations and the current assets are unable to meet the growing sewerage system demand.

Scope of the IDRIS programme consist of construction of tunnelled sewers to replace the shallow sewers and numerous existing pump stations, in order to meet the longterm needs of this growing area. Part of the scheme entails replacing the existing Doha South STW with a new treatment facility located further south. More specifically the infrastructure to be constructed involves the following: - The conveyance system with approximately 73-kilometres of lateral interceptor sewers and approximately 40-kilometre of deep trunk sewer - The terminal pump station TPS with a future peak pumping capacity of approximately 12 m3/s - New Doha South STW with an initial capacity of 500,000 m3/day - A TSE pump station, with return mains and potentially several terminal TSE storage reservoirs.

There will be approximately 6-10 IDRIS contract packages and this pre-qualification is for all contract packages comprising the conveyance system, terminal pump station POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

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TENDERS & CONTRACT (TPS), New Doha South Sewage Treatment works (STW) and treated sewage effluent (TSE) return facilities. Contract shall be let on a Design/Build basis, except for the Sewage Treatment Works (STW) component where contractors will also be required to provide operations and maintenance services.

The closing date for submission of the prequalification application in accordance with the requirement set out in the instructions to applicants, shall not be later than April 29, 2013 at 1:00 pm. Three hard copies (Original and two copies) and a soft copy on a Compact Disk (CD) must be included as part of the submission. Applications must be in the format as specified in the prequalification documents and should be submitted to: Contracts Department Manager, Public Works Authority (Ashghal) Al-Faisal Tower 1, Ground Floor, West Bay, PO 22188, Doha, Qatar.

Project Name Jizan Sewage Treatment Plant Construction Project Description Construction of a sewage treatment plant in Jizan.

Closing Date April 8, 2013 Posting Date March 5, 2013 Period 2015 Tender Type Project Territory Saudi Arabia Client Company Name: Ministry of Water & Electricity (Saudi Arabia) Address: King Fahd Road, Saudi Mall Centre Pin: 5729 City: Riyadh 11233 Country: Saudi Arabia Tel: (+966-1) 404 0180/ 205 2981/203 8888 Fax: (+966-1) 205 0557/205 2962/2748 Email: info@mowe.gov.ae Website: http://www.mowe.gov.sa Status New Tender Last Updated March 5, 2013 Tender Categories Sewerage & Drainage Remarks This project is in Saudi Arabia. The purpose of the project is to meet the growing populationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs in the area. Invitation to bid (ITB) has been issued for the construction contract on this scheme. Construction 62

POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

contract is expected to be awarded in the third quarter of 2013. Project completion is anticipated in 2015.

Project Number Project Name Territory Client Description

Budget USDl Period Status Remarks

Tender Categories Tender Products

OPR574-Q Solar Energy Power Project Qatar Name: Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa) Address: Corniche Street, Number 61, Sheraton Roundabout, Dafna Area City: Doha Postal/Zip Code: 41 Country: Qatar Tel: (+974) 4484 5484/ 4484 5555 Fax: (+974) 4484 5496 E-Mail: contactus@km.com.qa Website: http://www.km.com.qa Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the implementation of a solar energy power scheme with capacity of 200 MW. 30,000,000 2020 New Tender This project is in Qatar and would be implemented in two phases. The first phase includes implementation of 5 MW to 10 MW pilot projects costing about USDl30 million.

The second phase will include review and study of the business model based on the results of first phase projects to consider the possibility of involvement of the private sector investment that will provide mutual benefit to the client and private sector. It is understood that the plant will be built at North of Doha. Invitation to bid (ITB) for the main contract is expected to be issued this year.

Power & Alternative Energy Water Works Solar Energy

Project Number MPP2730-Q Project Name Ras Laffan Seawater Reverse Osmosis (RO) Plant Project Territory Qatar Client Name: Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa) Address: Corniche Street, Number 61, Sheraton Roundabout, Dafna Area City: Doha Postal/Zip Code: 41

TENDERS & CONTRACT

Description

Status Remarks

Tender Categories Tender Products Project Number Project Name Territory Client

Description

Status Remarks

Main Consultant Tender Categories Tender Products

Country: Qatar Tel: (+974) 4484 5484/ 4484 5555 Fax: (+974) 4484 5496 E-Mail: contactus@km.com.qa Website: http://www.km.com.qa Construction of a seawater reverse osmosis (RO) plant with capacity of 40-million gallons a day (g/d) of water in Ras Laffan.

New Tender This project will be built in Qatar. It will produce water for industry. Bids will be invited in the third or fourth quarter of 2013.

Water Works Reverse Osmosis (RO) Plants/Spare Parts

MPP2731-Q Strategic Water Storage Programme Project Qatar Name: Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa) Address: Corniche Street, Number 61, Sheraton Roundabout, Dafna Area City: Doha Postal/Zip Code: 41 Country: Qatar Tel: (+974) 4484 5484/ 4484 5555 Fax: (+974) 4484 5496 E-Mail: contactus@km.com.qa Website: http://www.km.com.qa Construction of (5 Nos.) separate covered reservoirs connected by 200 kilometres of pipeline to store 2.700 million gallons of water.

New Tender This project will be located in Qatar. The reservoirs will be supplies by water from IWPPs at Ras Laffan and Ras Abu Fontas.

Bids for the main contract are expected to be invited in the second quarter of 2013.

UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hyder Consulting has been appointed as the consultant.

Hyder Consulting Middle East Ltd. (Qatar) Water Works Water Storage

Description

Status Remarks

Main Consultant Tender Categories Tender Products

City: Cairo Country: Egypt Tel: (+20-2) 2792 1441 Fax: (+20-2) 2792 1423 E-Mail: pppw-ww@mhousing.gov.eg Website: http://www.moh.gov.eg Construction of seawater desalination plant with capacity of 20,000 m3/ day at Sharm El Sheikh.

New Tender This project will be located at South Sinai in Egypt.

Contact Person: Hussein Al Gebaly (Head of Housing & Utilities) Tel: (+20-2) 2792 1540 Fax: (+20-2) 2792 1539.

It will be implemented in assistance with the PPP Central Unit in Ministry of Finance.

Contact Person: Bassel Shuaira (Project Director) E-mail: bassel@mof.gov.eg Tender for the pre-feasibility study contract is expected to be launched in association with the European Bank for Research & Development by the end of February 2013.

Public Private Partnership Central Unit (Egypt) Water Works Water Desalination Plants

Project Number ZPR1045-E Project Name Sharm El Sheikh Seawater Desalination Plant Project Territory Egypt Client Name: Ministry of Housing, Utilities & Urban Development (Egypt) Address: 1, Ismail Abaza, El Kasr El Aini Street POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

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FLIP SIDE The April 2012 cover of Bgreen, the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only monthly magazine dedicated to sustainability and a sister publication we are proud of.

Marlou Delaben, who designed the cover, was moved by the photo of a vulture stalking a starving child taken in famine-hit Sudan in 1993 by South African photographer Kevin Carter. The photo fetched Carter the Pulitzer for photography in 1994.

The Bgreen cover, the best I have come across so far with water scarcity as its central theme, tells us exactly where we stand today, the harsh reality of a growing crisis masked effectively by the urban comforts we have ensconced ourselves in and the false sense of security they engender.

If this image doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make you think, I am not sure what else can.

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CSP on a shoestring

A sepia-tinted blast from the past about building a solar tower with truck radiator, mirrors and a leaky bucket

Sarfraz Dairkee

by Anoop K Menon

T

his is a short story from another age and time when a looming energy crisis compelled countries to harness their renewable energy potential. In 1983, when the global oil crisis hit India’s farming sector hard on the irrigation front, the management of Voltas (India’s largest air conditioning company and a premier engineering solutions provider and project specialist) decided to develop solar energy-based pumping applications to help the farmers. With assistance from The Reading University-London and Overseas Development Agency, UK, the Voltas corporate R&D site in Thane, near Mumbai, was turned into a test bed for a solar tower pilot project that could be used to run irrigation pumps.

The efforts led to the development of a solar array (16 x 1.6 metre x 1.6 metre mirror frames comprising of 400mm X 400 mm mirrors) with the entire solar insolation concentrated on a boiler made from a truck radiator to power a 5-HP Rankine Engine (Reciprocating Steam Engine). The project was successfully tried out up to the steam stage but was eventually scrapped after the oil prices came down.

The person who led the project has been a denizen of Dubai for the past 15 years. Currently working with MAHY Khoory & Co. as General Manager, Corporate Development & Engineering,

Sarfraz Dairkee is also one of the founding members of the Emirates Green Building Council, and a Senior Member of the Association of Energy Engineers, ASHRAE and International Desalination Association (IDA).

Reminiscing about the project, which was very close to his heart, Sarfraz pointed out that his plan was to use the solar concentrator not only to run the irrigation pumps but also cold storages through vapour absorption systems. “In India, you encounter the highest solar insolation during the harvest season,” said Dairkee. “In those days, there was a lot of waste because you couldn’t store the produce for a long period. In hindsight, I felt the idea was probably too ahead of its time. Moreover, you didn’t have many people working on such systems in the country.”

A firm believer in the ‘small is beautiful’ philosophy, Dairkee believes that one stands to gain more by directly harnessing solar energy than by converting it to generate electricity which is then used.

“The energy needs of human beings are in watts not megawatts,” explained Dairkee. “If the need of energy is diffused and source of energy is diffused, we must try to use it as closely as possible with minimum amount of conversion.

When you convert thermal energy to electricity, you are looking at 12-13% conversion ratio. Of course, this provides

an enormous amount of controllability for the end-user but is controllability everything? Electricity is the means, not an end.”

To track the sun, the project employed a simple and ingenious technique – using a leaky water bucket that was counterbalanced with weights. Dairkee elaborated: “The areas where we wanted to put the solar power pumping system had no grid power. The prevalent hi-tech of the day was pneumatic technology but they weren’t really affordable, and electronics was out of question. So simplicity became the mother of invention. We would fill the bucket in the morning and it would leak, and with counterbalancing from weights, the solar tower tracked the sun.”

What Dairkee appreciates about the project was that it connected with the needs of the people directly. The unionised employees of the time, who would balk at doing extra work without over time pay, readily participated without any murmur because they felt connected to the project’s purpose and its human dimension – helping the hardpressed farmers. Dairkee continued: “The kind of technology that works best is one that directly connects with people.

Technology should serve the purpose or target, not become its master. Today, we are so addicted to electricity that we cannot live without it. The sooner we get de-addicted, the better.”

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EVENTS WETEX 2013 April 15-17, 2013, Dubai The annual Water, Energy, Technology, Environment, Oil & Gas Exhibition (WETEX) exhibition is all set to make its presence felt once again at its Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre home. WETEX 2012 was backed by over 30 high-profile sponsors, and spread over 33,000-sqm bringing together more than 1,000 companies from over 32 countries. The organisers are projecting 40,000 sq. meters, over 1,500 participating companies and over 16,000 visitors. WETEX 2013 is being held simultaneously with Dubai Global Energy Forum 2013. The Forum will consist of seven major tracks which consist of plenary and parallel sessions addressed by keynote speakers and panellists.

The 15th edition of WETEX will include Fossil Fuels focussing on the oil and gas technology sector. WETEX 2013 will also host SmarTech, which is now in its fourth year of showcasing the future of green commerce in the region. WETEX is held in accordance with the directives of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, and under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Finance Minister of the UAE and President of DEWA.

MENASOL 2013 May 14-15, 2013, Dubai

The 5th Middle East and Africa Solar Conference and Expo (MENASOL 2013) will be held in Dubai next month. The first day will analyse overall MENA policy and trends and on day two, the conference will split into two technology tracks - CSP and PV. A delegation from K.A. CARE will be at the conference to meet with key industry players and discuss the Saudi Arabian Renewable Energy Programme. Waleed Salman, EVP, Strategy & New Business Development, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) will discuss the current solar strategy for Dubai and the progress of their current project. There will be speakers from Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (MASEN), Ministry of Electricity & Water, Kuwait and Majan Electricity Company, Oman.

DEWA stand WETEX 2012

Contact: May Ann Tel: 04-515-1426 M: +971 50 9148863 E-mail: May.Apuya@dewa.gov.ae URL: www.wetex.ae

Michael Flynn, Principal Investigator, NASA Ames Research Centre

Contact: Matt Carr Global Events Director CSP Today Tel: +44 207 375 7248 E-mail: matt@csptoday.com URL: www.csptoday.com/menasol/

Global Water: Oil & Gas June 11-12, 2013, Dubai The CWC Group, UAE Ministry of Environment & Water and the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy have announced that the second Global Water: Oil & Gas Summit 2013 will take place from June 11-12, 2013 at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. The two day Summit will tackle two global issues critical to this region – energy production and water conservation. Global Water Event Producer Gurpreet Hayre said: “We have created a platform for the water and oil and gas industries to be able to exchange information, ideas and together build sustainable solutions moving forward.” Launched in 2012, Global Water is the first and only event of its kind to take place in the hub of the Middle East oil and gas industry. The returning Summit will, once again, see government officials and senior representatives from across the water and oil and gas industries discuss best practices for boosting production through successful water strategies. The Summit will also examine how to maximise water usage whilst balancing environmental considerations.

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POWER & WATER | APRIL 2013

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park

Contact: Jerome Golding Marketing Administrator CWC Group Limited Tel: +44 20 7978 0000 Fax: +44 20 7978 0099 E-mail: jgolding@thecwcgroup.com URL: www.thecwcgroup.com

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