Distributed Energy News

ABS and Seatrium are working together to advance smart digital technologies for shipyards, with a focus on boosting safety, productivity and efficiency.At Singapore Maritime Week, ABS launched detailed requirements to guide the industry in the application of smart technologies at shipyards and recognize Seatrium as the first shipyard group to deploy smart technologies in its operations, in line with the ABS Guide for Smart Technologies for Shipyards.Seatrium’s Mobile Wearable Personal Device (MWPD) Monitoring System…

Singapore-based offshore rig builder Keppel Offshore & Marine has partnered up with Energy Market Authority (EMA) to develop energy solutions in the areas of distributed energy resources, digitalization and emerging low carbon alternatives.As part of the $10 million partnership, EMA and Keppel O&M are launching a grant call for solutions relating to energy storage systems and smart power grids for the offshore and marine environment. "These solutions should seek to reduce overall energy usage and carbon footprint while enhancing overall operational efficiency.

Nokia, ABB and Kalmar, part of Cargotec,  have successfully conducted industrial trials that leverage the low latency capabilities of 5G to support time-critical applications and enhance protection and efficiency in a smart electricity grid and in harbor automation.In a joint press release the companies said that the trials, conducted as part of the Wireless for Verticals (WIVE) research project, represent one of the first real-world applications of time-critical 5G applications on electricity grid and harbor automation.URLLC (ultra-reliable low latency communications) has been identified as one of the three main usage scenarios for 5G due to its ability to transmit data, within a few milliseconds or less, with high reliability.

Rolls-Royce today announced the completion of its acquisition of Rolls-Royce Power Systems (RRPS). The move follows an announcement made on March 7, 2014 that the Board of Management of Daimler AG had decided to exercise the put option relating to its 50% equity interest in RRPS and the announcement on April 16, 2014 that Rolls-Royce and Daimler had agreed on a fair market valuation for the shareholding of €2.43 billion. John Rishton, CEO of Rolls-Royce said, “We are pleased to welcome Rolls-Royce Power Systems fully into Rolls-Royce.

The New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (NY-BEST) and DNV GL (formerly DNV KEMA) today announced the opening of the new state-of-the-art Battery and Energy Storage Technology (BEST) Testing and Commercialization Center in Rochester, New York. The Center’s services include a suite of test, validation and independent certification capabilities that are necessary to introduce new energy storage technologies into the marketplace and accelerate integration of renewable and distributed energy. Created through a partnership between NY-BEST and DNV GL with seed funding from New York State, the BEST Test and Commercialization Center is an independent global testing and commercialization facility.

Effective immediately, the former Tognum AG will now operate under the name of Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG. Since March 2013, the specialist for large engines, propulsion systems and distributed energy systems has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rolls-Royce plc and Daimler AG, each of which has a 50% shareholding in the company via a joint venture. The group of companies with MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH as the core company has been consolidated in the Rolls-Royce Group’s results since the beginning of 2013.

Name change aligns corporate name with primary product brands MTU and MTU Onsite Energy; German holding company Tognum AG renamed Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG. Effective immediately, Tognum America Inc. has changed its name to MTU America Inc. Based in Novi, Mich., the company is responsible for the manufacture, development, sales and service of MTU engines, propulsion and drive systems and MTU Onsite Energy distributed energy systems in North and Latin America. The company also maintains manufacturing facilities in Aiken, S.C. and Mankato, Minn.

In January 2011, the first step taken by Tognum to establish a new global sales organisation came into force. The new organization is designed to improve the service and support provided for the company’s existing customers and above all to acquire new customers worldwide for its broadly diversified product portfolio. Peter Kneipp (53) joined MTU Friedrichshafen in 1989 as a project manager for marine propulsion systems. At an early stage in his career, Peter Kneipp was involved in projects that enabled him to acquire experience in the Asia-Pacific region, where he has worked since 1997 until the end of 2010. He initially spent several years in Singapore, where he was mainly involved in customer service and after sales.

Wärtsilä, the leading provider of power solutions to both the marine and energy markets, and Versa Power Systems (VPS), a leading developer of environmentally friendly, high-power solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), today announced a co-operative agreement to develop and integrate Versa Power's SOFC technology into Wärtsilä products. A key target of the agreement is to develop commercial Wärtsilä fuel cell products that generate power and heat for various applications in the distributed energy and marine markets. The agreement allows Wärtsilä to integrate VPS fuel cell stack modules, especially for larger power range products. For VPS, the agreement provides a dedicated partner with the ability to commercialize fuel cell products in large markets around the globe.

MTU Detroit Diesel Inc. announced a name change to Tognum America Inc., effective June 1, 2011. Tognum America, like MTU Detroit Diesel before, is a subsidiary of the Germany-based Tognum Group and is responsible for the sales and service of MTU engines and MTU Onsite Energy distributed energy systems in North and Latin America. Tognum America has offices in Detroit, Houston, Washington DC, San Leandro, CA; St. Rose, LA; Miami, FL and Mankato, MN. The company also operates two state-of-the-art production facilities: one in Mankato, MN for diesel and gas-based generator sets and one in Aiken, SC where it currently machines parts and builds MTU Series 2000 and 4000 engines.

The specialist for propulsion and power solutions Tognum has completed the first three months of the current financial year in line with expectations and confirms its forecast for the full year. “Despite the modest quarterly revenues as expected, we managed to achieve an adjusted EBIT margin of 8.4%,” said Volker Heuer, chairman of the executive board of Tognum AG. The company continues to expect an adjusted EBIT margin (adjusted return on sales) of 6 to 9%, with revenues of €2.3 to 2.5 billion. In the medium term, Tognum intends to grow faster than the market and achieve a double-digit return on sales. “We are currently observing positive signs, primarily in our after sales business, in the oil and gas industry and in distributed energy systems,” Heuer added.

Tognum has completed the first three months of the current financial year in line with expectations and confirms its forecast for the full year. “Despite the modest quarterly revenues as expected, we managed to achieve an adjusted EBIT margin of 8.4%,” said Volker Heuer, chairman of the executive board of Tognum AG. The company continues to expect an adjusted EBIT margin (adjusted return on sales) of 6 to 9%, with revenues of €2.3 to 2.5 billion. In the medium term, Tognum intends to grow faster than the market and achieve a double-digit return on sales. “We are currently observing positive signs, primarily in our after sales business, in the oil and gas industry and in distributed energy systems,” Heuer added.

Lodi-based Atlantic Detroit Diesel-Allison (Atlantic DDA) took home top honors as Distributor of the Year at the recent 2009 MTU Distributor Excellence Awards event in Detroit. Atlantic DDA’s Power Systems Division earned several individual and group recognitions as well. MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH, regionally headquartered in North America by MTU Detroit Diesel, Inc., is of one of the world’s leading providers of diesel engines and drive and propulsion systems for ships, heavy-duty land and rail vehicles, and distributed energy.

Wärtsilä and Hitachi Zosen have signed a business development agreement to develop and market fuel cell based power solutions for distributed power generation applications in Japan. The combined heat and power applications, which can be run on either city gas or bio gas, will feature the use of Wärtsilä's fuel cell technology. The applications will be developed in cooperation by both companies, and marketed by Hitachi Zosen. Wärtsilä and Hitachi Zosen will utilize and combine their experience in technology and business development to provide this new and competitive power solution for the Japanese distributed energy markets. Since Wärtsilä's fuel cells can efficiently utilize natural gas…

Cummins Power Generation Americas and Wärtsilä NSD North America, Inc. have formed a joint venture, Combined Energy Systems, to provide natural gas and light fuel oil fired distributed energy solutions and services to the North American energy market. It is estimated the U.S. share of the market is $6 billion. Combined Energy Systems will be headquartered in Annapolis, Md. Mark S. Schroeder, general manager, power plants, Wärtsilä NSD North America, Inc., has been named general manager of the new organization. The 31 North American Cummins distributors will be the exclusive sales channel for the Cummins Onan, Cummins Wärtsilä and Wärtsilä NSD equipment and services offered by Combined Energy Systems.

Stewart & Stevenson Services, Inc., announced that the company's Distributed Energy Solutions Division in Houston has successfully completed production and testing on four high voltage emergency generator sets for the U.S. Navy's next nuclear aircraft carrier. Delivery of the first pair was made in May of 2003 and the second pair is more than a year ahead of schedule. The Nimitz Class carrier, originally designated CVN77 and later named the USS George H.W. Bush in a Pentagon ceremony in early December 2002, is under construction at Northrop Grumman Newport News in Virginia. The carrier will rely on backup power provided by Emergency Diesel Generator (EDG) sets produced by Stewart & Stevenson.