2016: A long and bumpy road for Brazil’s steelmaker CSN
Bruno Martins on how Brazilian steelmaker CSN has been counting the cost since the incident at its No. 3 blast furnace in late April.
Electric grid operators forecast load shapes to plan electricity supply
(Fri, 22 Jul 2016) In the electric power sector, load shapes refer to the varying amounts of electricity required over time. Daily load shapes vary by region, climate, and time (daily, monthly, seasonally). Each day, balancing authorities?the entities charged with balancing electric supply and demand?forecast hourly electricity demand on their system for the next day.
India's auto industry drives steel, aluminum, and polymer demand
How has the rise of India as an automotive manufacturing hub affected demand for various commodities?
More US ethanol exports could head to Korea in shuffling of supply, demand
The US is poised to send more ethanol to Korea, which has traditionally imported Grade B product mostly from Brazil.
A failed coup in Turkey could lead to drastic plastics concerns
The coup attempt has raised concerns about the unstable state of politics as well as the Turkish economy in the near future, especially regarding the volatility of its currency.
Changing U.S. energy mix reflects growing use of natural gas, petroleum, and renewables
(Thu, 21 Jul 2016) Primary energy consumption fell slightly in 2015 as a decline in coal use exceeded increases in natural gas, petroleum, and renewables use. In most cases, changes between 2014 and 2015 reflect longer-term trends in energy use.
Technology Is Monitoring the Urban Landscape
Much technical change in American cities will involve monitoring, which can make life easier but poses troubling questions about privacy and control.
Rough outage set to increase UK gas import reliance this winter
The UK's Rough storage facility outage is set to increase UK gas import reliance this winter. What will be the likely impact and how might the shortfall best be managed?
U.S. electric system is made up of interconnections and balancing authorities
(Wed, 20 Jul 2016) Electricity generated at power plants moves through a complex network of electricity substations, power lines, and distribution transformers before it reaches customers. In the United States, the power system consists of more than 7,300 power plants, nearly 160,000 miles of high-voltage power lines, and millions of low-voltage power lines and distribution transformers, which connect 145 million customers.
New Jersey Drivers Fume as Road and Bridge Work Stops
Amid a stalemate over taxes, road rage is climbing, detours are lengthening and the state is losing precious summer days to complete hundreds of projects.