IIW History 1990-2015

Wind power has become the world’s fastest growing energy source over the last decade

A voice from the past, Dr H. Harris of Babcock and Wilcox (UK), was to register welding’s importance by saying ‘It is permissible for us to proclaim in the most blatant manner possible that, but for welding, modern steamgenerating plant could not be fabricated, and the most modern power process of all, namely nuclear power, would not have been contemplated had welding not attained the degree of reliability we know at present’.² Although his words were strong in emphasis there is no doubt that power, as a means of providing energy to shape the course of human progress, has changed considerably since Harris made his pronouncement to the IIW Annual Assembly and Conference in Liege in 1960. In the latter years, since 1990, there has been a pronounced shift away from fossil fuel power plant towards renewable and clean energy resources to drive domestic and industrial energy interests. Hydroelectric power plays an important part in the overall power energy mix. Already, the two largest hydroelectric construction projects, the Three Gorges Dam in China, and the Itaipu Dam on the borders of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, are the biggest producers of electricity, far exceeding the outputs of the largest nuclear and coal-fired power stations. While not having the same level of technical challenge as nuclear power generation, the construction of hydroelectric plant required considerable welding expertise from a structural point of view and in the installation of critical generating equipment. Welding challenges, with the application of new materials that have high-strength and

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