(AOF) – GE Vernova’s Gas Power Division today announced the successful start of commercial operations at the 1.5 GW Futtsu Power Plant of Jera Group 4 (group specializing in thermal generation), located in Chiba, in Japan, powered by three GE 9HA.01 gas turbines. The 5.6 GW facility is made up of four units and is one of the largest and most critical power generation facilities in Japan. It is also the largest LNG terminal in Japan, receiving more than 11 million tons of LNG per year.
Owned and operated by JERA Co. Inc. (JERA), the Futtsu Power Plant plays a vital role in powering the Tokyo metropolitan area, providing reliable electricity to residents and businesses.
GE Vernova, JERA and EPC partner, Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation (Toshiba), performed a flange-to-flange replacement to upgrade all three installed units with advanced 9HA.01 technology to ensure performance and increased efficiency and reduced emissions.
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Once again weakened results for European airlines
With fuel accounting for up to 35% of their costs, professionals believe European airlines are unlikely to return to profit until 2023 or 2024 at the earliest. These players predict that energy prices will remain high at least until 2023. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced a forecast of cumulative losses of 9.7 billion dollars in 2022 for airlines at around the world, it will still be necessary to wait until 2023 to see the return to profits on a global scale, due in particular to the surge in oil costs and the rise in labor costs. On the positive side, travel demand seems to be resisting the uncertainties caused by the international economic and political situation. However, the uncertainties concerning the Covid, the war in Ukraine, as well as the rise in prices are strengthening last-minute reservations. According to Iata, only 8% of international reservations made at the end of May went beyond September.
The social climate is deteriorating in low-cost companies
These companies are benefiting from a very strong recovery. They had already managed to monopolize 40% of air traffic in 2021, this proportion could even rise to 50% this year. However, strike movements have affected the activity of Volotea, EasyJet and Ryanair, with confrontations over pay and working conditions. In general, the sector faces a shortage of personnel. After having severely cut their workforce in 2020 and 2021, companies and airports must urgently recruit to support the relaunch of activity.
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Rail investment plan
The French railway industry ranks second in Europe and third worldwide. This industry has a trade surplus, which generates more than 100,000 jobs in France. The announcement of the future plan for French rail transport provides in particular for the regeneration and modernization of the network, the average age of which is 30 years in our territory. This age is much higher than in countries like Germany (17) and Switzerland (15). An annual investment rising from 2.8 billion euros to almost 4 billion euros should enable the entire network to be maintained in good condition.
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Artificial intelligence, threat or opportunity for professional and specialized press publishers?
After having fought for the tech giants to pay them under neighboring rights, press publishers are worried about the use of their data for the benefit of artificial intelligence (AI). Generative AI feeds on the information it finds on the internet, including that of the media. The latter can however prevent the use of their data by an AI thanks to the European directive of 2019 and its translation into French law, which regulates the search for texts and data. However, this remains theoretical. In the meantime, some specialized players in the publishing world are working to reassure investors after the loss of stock market value of certain companies. Thus specialists in professional information, or publishers of academic publications, such as RELX, Pearson or Wolters Kluwer multiply reassuring messages and present AI more as an opportunity than a threat by emphasizing that they themselves use AI. ‘IA. Analysts generally remain confident about these specialized publishing players because their strong asset is based on the reliability of the information they transmit, which is still far from being the case for AI. For now…