Rotork intelligent electric valve actuation with digital 2-wire monitoring and control has been specified for valve automation at the Olivenza Thermosolar power plant in Spain, a CSP (Concentrated Solar Power) technology facility generating eco-friendly electricity for up to 50,000 households.

More than 100 IQ actuators and two Pakscan P3 hot-standby master stations have been supplied, fully installed, cabled and commissioning by Rotork Iberia. Rotork’s intelligent IQ actuator technology is recognised for isolating and regulating valve duties in the field of power generation. The use of solid-state electronics as an alternative to switch mechanisms and counter limiting devices, combined with programmable micro-processor based control and instrumentation functionality, offers many proven benefits.

These include ‘non-intrusive’ configuration and data transfer by means of a hand held instrument via a secure, bi-directional link. This system is used to perform all the switch setting and commissioning functions that were traditionally only achieved by removing electrical covers. Using the multi-lingual menu on the actuator display screen, it is quick and easy to commission the valve, with or without mains power connected.

The same instrument is used to download this data and upload it to other IQ actuators with similar commissioning parameters, simplifying and speeding up the operation, or to download actuator operating information from the actuator’s data logger.  The inclusion of a data logger enables an event-by-event history of valve activity to be generated, including torque profiles produced during each opening and closing. Using Rotork’s IQ-Insight2 software, these can be compared with the valve torque signature profile logged during the commissioning process to identify the trend of valve operating wear or isolate tight spots and other problems. Analysis of this data improves asset management through fault diagnostics and preventative maintenance.

Digital two-wire control is provided by Rotork’s proprietary Pakscan P3 system, the third generation of a market-leading product, capable of monitoring and controlling up to 240 field units without repeaters on a single highway with a length of up to 20 kilometres. Designed specifically for the valve actuation environment, Pakscan combines high reliability and efficiency with low maintenance costs. In providing the vital link between the actuators in the field and the centralised supervisory control room, Pakscan incorporates secure field communications with inbuilt network redundancy to maintain control even in the event of equipment or cable failure.

The Olivenza Thermosolar power plant is the second plant to be operated by the Spanish company Ibereolica.

The technology company The Linde Group has been awarded a contract to build a natural gas terminal in the town of Emden in northern Germany. The deal is worth around EUR 260 million. The contract was awarded by Norwegian state-owned company Gassco AS on behalf of Gassled joint venture.

'Norway is one of Germany's most important energy suppliers. The new natural gas terminal is a key milestone in securing future supplies of Norwegian gas to Germany,' explains Prof. Dr Aldo Belloni, Member of the Executive Board of Linde AG. 'We have a wealth of experience in handling natural gas. This project enables us to further promote the use of this environmentally sound fossil fuel.'

The new natural gas terminal will replace the 1977 Norsea Gas Terminal, which is currently being operated by Gassco. The terminal will distribute natural gas from Norwegian-owned gas fields in the North Sea to Germany. The contract covers engineering, procurement and construction for the new terminal. The project is based on the front-end engineering design (FEED) provided by Gassco. The initial work will be carried out by Linde Engineering at the Group's site in Dresden. Construction will get underway in Emden in the autumn of 2013. The facility will be pre-assembled in modules to the greatest possible extent and put together at the construction site. The new natural gas terminal is set to go on stream at the end of 2015.

EDF, one of the world’s leading electric utilities, has selected ABB to supply Symphony Plus total plant automation systems and long-term service support for three 600 MW units at the Le Havre and Cordemais coal-fired power plants in France.

EDF operates 23 fossil-fired power plants in its home market, France. Together the plants produce around 16.9 terrawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity annually. Although most of EDF’s fleet in France are nuclear power plants, coal remains part of the company’s long-term strategy and energy mix.

Recently, EDF initiated an extensive program to modernize Le Havre 4 and Cordomais 4 and 5 units to extend their operating life by 20 years to 2035. These three units are the largest coal-fired units in the EDF fleet and were built to an identical design in the early 1980s. Each has a generating capacity of 600 megawatts (MW).

The Symphony Plus solution for each unit consists of a distributed control system, turbine control and protection, S+ Operations, which is an intuitive easy-to-use human machine interface (HMI), and a process optimization package for which ABB is also offering performance guarantees. ABB is also supplying a Symphony Plus simulator for operator training and process simulation.

ABB is responsible for design, engineering, installation, commissioning and training, and will install the new Symphony Plus systems during scheduled annual shutdowns over a four-year period ending in 2016.  One of the highlights of the EDF-ABB collaboration is the 21-year maintenance contract that the two companies have signed, in which ABB will provide corrective, preventive, adaptive and remote maintenance for all three units.

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won an order from Enel, Italy’s largest power company and one of Europe’s leading utilities, to supply its Symphony® Plus automation and control system to serve one of the major units at the Grazia Deledda Sulcis power plant on the island of Sardinia.

Grazia Deledda Sulcis is a 590 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant near the town of Portoscuso on the southwestern coast of Sardinia. The plant comprises two units, each with a generating capacity of over 240 MW. The existing control systems will be replaced with a total plant automation solution to enhance the unit’s efficiency and improve its environmental performance. The company is taking proactive measures to improve efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of its coal-fired power plants.

The new Symphony Plus solution includes the recently introduced high-performance controller, burner management and flue gas desulfurization systems, instrumentation, a new control room and operator stations equipped with an intuitive and easy-to-use human machine interface.

“The Symphony Plus plant automation system can make a significant contribution towards improving efficiency and lowering environmental impact by integrating multiple plant production and information systems into a single platform” said Massimo Danieli, head of ABB’s Power Generation business, a part of the company’s Power Systems division. ”It is scalable and enables integration of the plant’s electrical, business and maintenance systems as requirements evolve over time”.