POWER December 2013 - 1

Established 1882 * Vol. 157 * No. 12
December 2013
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On the cover
Portugal has embraced renewable energy sources, principally wind and hydropower, because
the country has no indigenous gas or oil resources. The national energy plan requires
construction of 10 new hydropower plants by 2020, which includes the recently
commissioned 259-MW Alqueva II, which doubled the pumped storage hydropower capacity
of the facility. Courtesy: Alstom
COVER STORY: RENEWABLE TOP PLANTS
24 Alqueva II Pumped Storage Hydropower Plant, Alqueva, Portugal
It's often been said that the key to greater integration of variable renewable generation
on any major grid is energy storage. This fast-response renewable plant both
provides baseload power and stores backup power for the large amount of wind
power located in the south of Portugal.
26 Macarthur Wind Farm, Victoria, Australia
Developing the largest wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere was logistically complex,
in part because it involved transporting the largest wind turbines ever erected
in Australia. The project also was the first to purchase the Vestas V112-3.0 MW wind
turbines.
30 Mesquite Solar 1, Maricopa County, Arizona
Power from this 150-MW photovoltaic plant is helping California meet its ambitious
renewable generation goals. It stands out not only for its size but also its use of
leading-edge components designed for the extremes of its desert setting.
32 Polaniec Green Unit, Polaniec, Poland
Across Europe, momentum is shifting from fossil fuels to renewables, and Poland
is no exception. That's where you'll find the world's largest biomass-fired circulating
fluidized bed boiler, with a combination of renewable fuel, efficient design, and emissions
controls to deliver impressive results.
34 Shams 1, Madinat Zayed, United Arab Emirates
You might think a desert is an ideal location for solar power, but Masdar had to address
several challenges before bringing online the world's largest concentrating
solar power plant (at the time it was commissioned). The lessons learned should
help future projects in the Middle East and elsewhere.
SPECIAL REPORT: RENEWABLES IN CHINA
36 A Plan for Optimizing Technologies to Support Variable Renewable Generation
in China
Between 2011 and 2015, China plans to install 75 GW of wind and solar capacity. Safely
and effectively integrating that enormous amount of variable generation into the grid
will require careful analysis and strategic deployment of appropriate technologies.
2014 63
BUYERS' GUIDE
2014
December 2013 | POWER
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POWER December 2013

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