1) Merry Christmas and a Successful New Year
3) The support for electricity from renewable energy sources
4) Further implementing EU Water Framework Directive for hydro power plants operators purposes
5) Practicability of the standard EN 14181 is put into question
6) Image brochure for FGD gypsum as quality building material
7) New standards and guidelines interfering with construction of power plants
8) Power Plant By-Products, Thermal Waste Utilisation - VGB PowerTech Journal
Management and Staff of VGB PowerTech e.V. and VGB PowerTech Service GmbH would like to thank you for the good co-operation in this year and wish you a Merry Christmas and a Successful New Year.
The European Commission adopted a detailed action plan to increase the use of biomass. The plan outlines measures in three sectors: heating, electricity and transport.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy/res/biomass_action_plan/doc/2005_12_07_comm_biomass_action_plan_en.pdf
The European Commission adopted a report on the different support schemes of electricity from renewable energy sources. The report analyses the different support mechanisms used by the Member States. A harmonisation of these systems will not take place in a short term.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy/res/biomass_action_plan/doc/2005_12_07_comm_biomass_electricity_en.pdf
In the EU member states (in Germany also in the Federal States) the transposition of the EU Water Framework Directive is carried out based on established individual (Federal) Water Acts, which partly contain deviating valuation criteria or guidelines.
Furthermore the representatives of (public) authorities, environmental (and conservation) organisations and hydro power plant operators have different positions and arguments concerning environmentally sound as well as economically and microeconomically balanced realisation in practise. In terms of a desirable objective agreement between all parties involved to define effective and financially feasible measures, various initiatives have been started.
On 2./3. November 2005 the 5th International Rhine Symposium took place in Bonn. The lectures (subject: fish migration) are available under the internet address:
http://www.iksr.org/index.php?id=376&type=0
The practicability of the standard EN 14181 "Stationary source emissions - Quality assurance of automated measuring systems (AMS)" is more and more put into question both from national and international VGB member companies. It is planned to contact relevant experts (authorities, CEN, institutes, ...) and to point to the problems, to work out and to demand for solutions. For this purpose VGB offices will install a national and an international Working Panel. For good lobbying work it is essential to have access to concrete experience with the application of the standard. VGB offices would appreciate the members for submitting sound data, if already available. Please send your information to
mailto:volker.hamacher@vgb.org
The project group "Qualitätsbaustoff REA-Gips" of the joint VGB/VDEW working panel "Waste management" has finalized the report "Vom Rauchgasentschwefelungsrückstand zum Qualitätsrohstoff REA-Gips" (FGD Gypsum - from a residue from flue gas desulphurisation to a quality building material). The report deals with flue gas desulphurisation technologies and quality criteria for FGD gypsum for different applications. Furthermore, details on the development of FGD gypsum production, on the history of utilisation of FGD gypsum in the construction industry and on the acceptance as a raw material for the cement and the gypsum industry are given.
The brochure is available in German language, only. It will be provided free of charge to members of VGB and VDEW as well as to users of FGD-gypsum. Stakeholders are requested to contact Ines Moors by email:
mailto:ines.moors@vgb.org
The binding implementation of new DIN standards relating to construction material and design caused an adjustment of some VGB-Guidelines. Besides VGB-R610U and VGB-R612, providing essentials for construction and maintenance of cooling towers, VGB-R631U "Prüfung von Krananlagen" (testing of crane facilities), as well as VGB-R602U, "Angabe und Verarbeitung von Einwirkungen auf Bauwerke in Kraftwerksanlagen" (actions on building structures in power plants), with relevance for power plants, are available now.
http://www.vgb.org/shop/product_info.php/products_id/412
Publication of the revised German standard for free-standing concrete chimneys (as preliminary standard), DIN V 1056, is expected at the beginning of 2006, as well as a new DIN standard (draft) for "Bauteile aus Stahl- und Spannbeton in kerntechnischen Anlagen" (reinforced and pre-stressed concretes structures in nuclear power plants), DIN 25449. Meanwhile a KTA Progress Report "Empfehlungen zur Berücksichtigung aktueller bautechnischer Normen bei Anwendung der KTA-Regeln", KTA-GS-78, as amended November 2005, is available. For further information (only in German):
http://www.kta-gs.de/d/versch/kta-gs-78.pdf
Main topics of the December issue are Power Plant By-Products and Thermal Waste Utilisation.
Abstracts of all articles are available here:
http://www.vgb.org/current_issue.html