REFINERY PLANT

Oil interest ENI has announced plans to develop a 1200 MWe plant at its Sannazzaro refinery near Pavia in the north of Italy. The plant will be fired with a combination of natural gas and from the gasification of heavy oil residues. It will consist of three combustion turbine units in combined cycle operation.

NUCLEAR steam

Indian Point 2, the nuclear plant in New York, is to receive new steam generators as part of plans to bring the idling plant back on line. The 931 MWe plant is due to return to operation by the year end, according to ConEd. It shut down in February following a water leak from one steam generator.

Transformers

Hungarian power company Transelektro is to buy the loss-making Ganz Ansaldo from its Italian Parent company Ansaldo Invest, according to reports in New Europe. Ganz Ansaldo makes transformers and switchgear and will double the size of Transelektro, which is confident that it will be able to bring the group into the black. Financial terms have not been disclosed.

DIGITAL APPROVAL

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has generically approved the common platform of BNFL-owned Westinghouse for safety-related digital instrumentation and control (I&C) in commercial nuclear plants. The NRC’s safety evaluation, which can be referenced for digital upgrades in the USA and elsewhere, covers Advant 160 controllers and includes reactor protection applications.

NEG BUY BIG

PG&E Corporation’s National Energy Group has executed contracts to secure 50 turbines to be deployed nationally and representing a development of around 16 000 MW of electrical power.Through “creative off-balance sheet” funding arranged by Société Generale, NEG’s near-term cash outlay will be zero.