North America | Innovations and insights
From cutting-edge technologies to groundbreaking sustainability initiatives, discover the latest news and stories from exhibitors set to showcase at HydroVision International 2024 in Denver, July 15-18
AECOM
Infrastructure consulting firm AECOM announced in May that its joint venture with Arup has been appointed as a design and consenting service partner for the UK National Grid’s Great Grid Partnership. The Partnership is expected to deliver a design and construction program to connect clean energy to homes and businesses throughout England and Wales by 2030, playing a critical role in the UK’s energy transition. It forms part of a £9 billion supply chain framework which will also support infrastructure projects beyond 2030. “We’re excited to work with National Grid and our partners to shape the energy transition in England and Wales through the delivery of modern, stable, and flexible grid infrastructure,” said Colin Wood, chief executive of AECOM’s Europe and India region. “Our unrivalled enterprise capabilities enable our teams to draw on a deep, global bench of expertise in grid design, positioning us to not only execute on National Grid’s ambitious objectives but to also meet the unprecedented demand for grid improvements in the region.” Through nine projects that sit within the Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) framework, this major grid modernization program will deliver five times more electricity infrastructure over the next six years than has been constructed over the past 30 years. It will see planned renewable energy facilities, including wind farms in the North Sea, benefitting from improved infrastructure to the backbone of the UK’s power system and enabling the transition to net zero, which will ultimately lead to cheaper energy and less reliance on fossil fuels. “As one of the world’s top environmental and sustainability consulting firms, our teams play a defining role in both designing and delivering the solutions that are advancing the global energy transition,” said Frank Sweet, chief executive of AECOM’s global Environment business. “This latest program for National Grid bolsters our position as a trusted advisor for our many long-term clients as they lead the shift to more sustainable energy sources.” The joint venture’s scope of work will include delivering the consents for individual schemes within the program. These consents will be through Development Consent Orders (DCOs), which entail technical and environmental design and preparation, as well as stakeholder engagement on the plans.
22 | June 2024 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com Coda Octopus Products
Following a series of successful field acceptance tests with its Navy customers, Coda Octopus has announced the release of its new Digital Underwater Audio Communications System, Voice HUB-4. Voice HUB-4 is a state-of-the-art digital audio
system comprising of digital surface operator console and up to 4-digital Diver Nodes which greatly advances the current limited capability of analogue audio communications underwater to digital and provides the highest quality and fidelity of speech communications between divers and surface supervisors. Voice HUB-4 has advanced capabilities such as AI based Digital Noise Removal, Background Noise Control, complete control of Helium Speech Descrambling and an easy-to-access web browser-based Graphical User Interface which allows remote changes to audio settings and a diagnostics application. Voice HUB-4 supports up to four divers using
the diver-worn Voice Nodes (rated to 330ft) and supports all conventional features such as push-to-talk, operator-to-all-diver or selectable diver(s). This new digital underwater communications
system was developed by Coda Octopus in conjunction with its US Navy customers and has gone through rigorous and extensive performance and validation testing. The Voice HUB 4 and Nodes also benefit from CE qualification and compliance.
ENTRUST Solutions Group
ENTRUST Solutions Group has announced its newly formed sector, EN Renewables. The new sector, the company’s seventh, joins EN Engineering, EN Automation, EN Communications, EN Consulting, EN Data Solutions, and EN Field Services. EN Renewables will focus on serving both the renewable power and renewable gas markets. EN Renewables will expand upon the work ENTRUST already performs for investor-owned utilities, local distribution companies, midstream operators, developers, and technology partners. With collaboration from the other six sectors, EN Renewables will develop and implement renewable projects, provide reliable and cost- effective engineering and consulting solutions, and deliver high-quality results. Alongside the broader ENTRUST team, EN
Renewables partners with clients to support their battery storage, hydrogen, RNG, wind, solar, EV infrastructure, and microgrid projects with several critical services. These services include feasibility studies, design, consulting, federal grant support, and project management to complete projects on time and within budget. The team of industry experts oversees commissioning and startup activities with all renewable-type sites including the execution of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) modeling, data, and analysis standards (MOD) compliance activities. Our strong relationships with the ISO and RTO entities can assist clients in navigating through their processes and procedures. Adam Biggam, CEO, ENTRUST Solutions
Group, commented: “Renewables are a key part of our energy future, and we are excited to be at the forefront of this movement. With the establishment of EN Renewables, we are committed to providing our clients with effective and sustainable energy and infrastructure solutions.”
Ganz Transformers
Hungary’s first state-of-the-art transformer with a digital twin will soon put into operation in the XI. district of Budapest, in Őrmező, with the cooperation of Ganz Transformers and Electric Rotating Machines Ltd. (Ganz). The 40 MVA transformer was delivered in November last year to E.ON Hungary Ltd.’s Budapest substation, which is currently under construction and is scheduled to be commissioned in the summer of 2024.
As global electricity consumption continues
to grow, including in Hungary, there is an increasing demand for the expansion and development of existing power systems. At the same time, the inclusion of renewable energy sources is also creating a greater demand for transformers and other equipment that are essential to keep the electricity system running efficiently and predictably. A new transformer can now take up to four to five years to complete, putting even more emphasis on the development of tools that can extend the lifetime of existing machines and equipment. It is true for all built-in transformers,
regardless of their age, that their failure can cause a significant loss in power generation and distribution, or even in the production of industrial plants. Older machines are more likely
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