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Indian Railways Plans 1 GW Solar Power Capacity

Like all other major state-owned companies in India, the Indian Railways has also been tasked with setting up large-scale solar power projects across the country.
 
Indian Railways plans 1 GW solar power capacity
 
Indian Railways is planning to set up 1 GW of solar power capacity over the next few years and is currently working on a plan to implement this capacity. The announcement came from the Railway ministry which is directing the Indian Railways to set up small-scale solar power projects at railway stations.
 
The Indian Railways... Read more..

Date : Jan 2
Source: Clean Technica

IOC's solar energy push: Co eyes 10K outlets by 2017

It may deal in fossil fuels, but oil giant  Indian Oil Corporation  (IOC) wants to go green in a big way. Hence, it is pushing for a ramp up in the number of solar-powered outlets from the current 2,000 to 10,000 by 2017. B Ashok, chairman, IOC, wants to kill two birds with one stone-  boost India’s dependence on renewable energy, and free up electricity from the power grid for rural India. So, it has decided that more of its outlets should be powered by solar energy.
 
The logic is simple: just one retail outlet switching to solar power will free up enough power to power over... Read more..

Date : Jan 2
Source: Money Control

Chennai: unsmart city?

A sizable chunk of the city is stuck in the previous century, in some ways. A majority of Chennai’s residents still queue up outside a counter for everything from paying electricity bills and property tax to buying their monthly travel passes.
 
Though the internet user base has doubled in the last four years, and nearly half of the city’s residents are supposedly online, web-based government services are either non-existent or challenging to use. In a city of six million, the number of people who use online portals to pay bills is in the modest thousands.
 
While... Read more..

Date : Jan 2
Source: The Hindu

Urban development agenda 2015

2014 has pretty much been spent talking smart cities. My inbox has been clogged with invites to conferences on smart cities while magazines and newspapers on my desk overwhelmed with op-eds on it by pundits from all hues of professional spectrum and corners of the globe.
 
An amount of Rs 7,060 crore was allotted in the current fiscal for smart cities and urban renewal but nothing concrete has happened on ground or on paper. With just three months left for the fiscal to end, it is highly awkward that there is no official policy, guidelines or concept note to direct utilisation... Read more..

Date : Jan 2
Source: Down to Earth

Transforming the food chain byte by byte

In the past few decades, while other economies have used technologies such as hybrid seeds and precision agriculture (using detailed soil, water and geographical data to guide planting) to raise crop yields, India has fallen further behind. According to estimates by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, India’s yield per hectare is half the average level for China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
 
We estimate that raising yields to the levels of other Asian countries could help bring 125 million poor and vulnerable Indians to a minimum acceptable standard of... Read more..

Date : Jan 2
Source: Live Mint

Oil India may gain on successfully commissioning solar power plant

Oil India (OIL) announced after market hours on 29 December 2014, that it successfully completed the installation and commissioning of its 5 megawatts (MW) solar power plant at Village Raghwa, Ramgarh, Rajasthan. The plant was setup at a total cost of Rs 41.49 crore with an operations and maintenance (O&M) contract for 25 years for an amount of Rs 20.63 crore. The plant consisting of 20408 solar modules each having a capacity of 245 watts, has been contributing towards the growing energy needs of our country since its commissioning. An over head transmission line of 11.49 kilometres... Read more..

Date : Dec 31
Source: Business Standard

Coming soon to India: internet of everything

The World Wide Web marked its 25th anniversary on March 11, an important milestone when we consider how technology has impacted our lives and how it will shape our future. How fast the world has changed. According to Pew Research, 42% of adults in the US had never heard of the internet in 1995, and an additional 21% were vague on the concept.
 
Compare that to now. The International Telecommunication Union recently observed that three billion people will be online by the end of 2014. This year alone, more people joined the internet than the entire population of the United... Read more..

Date : Dec 31
Source: Hindustan Times

Government plans industrial corridors, smart cities to boost manufacturing

The government today said that to boost manufacturing sector, it intends to develop industrial corridors and smart cities for providing infrastructure based on modern technology with high-speed communication. 
 
Listing its achievements and initiatives in 2014, the Commerce and Industry Ministry also said that existing infrastructure would be strengthened. 
 
"Innovation and research activities are supported through fast paced registration system and accordingly infrastructure of Intellectual Property Rights registration set-up has been upgraded. The requirement of... Read more..

Date : Dec 31
Source: Economic Times

Power Grid, Container Corporation, L&T to benefit the most from amendments to Land Acquisition Act: Goldman Sachs

Indian Infrastructure sector overall would be a key beneficiary as the Narendra Modi-led government made good on its pledge to amend the land acquisition law, Goldman Sachs said in a note. 
 
The cabinet recommended promulgating an ordinance making changes to the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. 
 
Infrastructure projects related to rural infrastructure, electrification, industrial corridors and PPP projects being exempted would result in faster land acquisition and result in movement of... Read more..

Date : Dec 31
Source: Economic Times

2015 will see nuclear dream fade as wind and solar soar

Governments are still spending billions on nuclear research, writes Paul Brown - but 2015 looks like being an unhappy year for the industry as it continues to shrink while renewables grow, amid massive delays and cost over-runs. Solar panels, once manufactured, can be installed on a rooftop and be in operation in a single day. Wind turbines can be put up in a week.
 
With nuclear power falling ever further behind renewables as a global energy source, and as the price of oil and gas falls, the future of the industry in 2015 and beyond looks bleak.
 
Renewables now... Read more..

Date : Dec 31
Source: The Ecologist

Hindustan Powerprojects to invest $1.87bn in renewable power projects in India

Hindustan Powerprojects plans to invest INR120bn ($1.87bn) in India for installation of 2GW clean electricity over the next two years. The proposed investment is in line with the Indian Government's target of generating 100GW of solar power by 2022.
 
Hindustan Powerprojects chairman Ratul Puri told the Economic Times: "That's what broadly we would invest in the solar space in addition to what we have already done." The country has the ability to generate more than 100GW of solar power during 2017-2022. Puri opined.
 
Therefore, the conventional energy developers in... Read more..

Date : Dec 31
Source: Clean Technology Business Review

The top 5 climate policy and finance stories in 2014

This year will be marked as a significant one for the climate as the United States and China brokered a symbolic deal to tackle climate change a month before the United Nations climate change negotiations in Lima, Peru in December.  
 
At the climate conference in Peru, there was an absence of clear commitments from countries on exact carbon emission reduction targets, but progress was made on the Green Climate Fund to help developing countries prepare for climate change.
 
Meanwhile, green investments gained traction this year with the rise of investments into... Read more..

Date : Dec 31
Source: Eco Business

Norway’s Statkraft plans $8 billion green energy drive

Norway’s state owned electricity company Statkraft has revealed plans to invest US$8.1 billion in renewable energy projects. The clean investment strategy was announced following a decision by the Norwegian government to make a  $1.3 billion cash injection into Statkraft.
 
The company plans to invest in wind and hydro projects both at home in Norway and further afield, it said in a statement, adding that they were also exploring solar and biomass potential. “Statkraft has a long-term ambition to grow as an international company within clean energy. In addition to implementing... Read more..

Date : Dec 31
Source: RTCC

SJVN, Hindustan Salt to set up renewable energy plants in Gujarat

Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) along with Hindustan Salt will set up ultra mega hybrid renewable energy park, having up to 5,000 MW power generation capacity in Gujarat. The proposed park would have both solar and wind plants. The park will be developed on the surplus salt pan land of Hindustan Salt. 
 
It would have the generation capacity of 4,000-5,000 MW including about 3,500-4,200 MW solar and 600-800 MW wind capacities. Initially, the SJVNBSE 1.47 % will develop all the infrastructure facilities like roads, drainage system, power supply and water supply system, evacuation... Read more..

Date : Dec 31
Source: Economic Times

Infrastructure support set to boost India's renewable energy programme

The government has taken a slew of measures to create the necessary infrastructure, including providing financial support and easing of environmental regulations, to give a fillip to the country's renewable energy programme.
 
Besides, the government has mandated use of locally made gear for major solar and wind power projects to promote domestic industry, even as it amicably resolved the anti-dumping duty dispute, to make India ''Solar manufacturing'' hub with priority for domestic players in line with ''Make in India'' programme.
 
With these initiatives, domestic... Read more..

Date : Dec 31
Source: Domain-B.Com

Finland keen to tie-up with India in cleantech, ICT, education

Finland, known for its knowledge- based society, is keen to team up with India in range of areas like cleantech, ICT, education, environment and energy, as the two nations have agreed to double the trade volume over the next three years, top Finnish officials said.
 
The huge Indian market offers Finnish companies a range of business opportunities in sectors such as infrastructure construction, energy production, forestry, Information and Communications Technology, environmental and food technology, health care and education, they said.
 
Trade volume between... Read more..

Date : Dec 30
Source: Economic Times

India Coal Tax Has Collected $2.85 Billion

India has managed to generate $2.85 billion in revenue from clean energy cess (taxes) it had introduced in 2010, essentially a coal tax.
 
India’s plans to significantly boost renewable energy infrastructure over the next few years has got a shot in the arm as the government recently announced that it has about $2.85 billion in the National Clean Energy Fund. India Coal Tax
 
The fund is replenished by a tax on every tonne of coal mined or imported into the country. Since its introduction in 2010, the tax was ₹50 per tonne for four years, but the new government... Read more..

Date : Dec 30
Source: Clean Technica

Smart Cities should be in tune with 21st century: PM Narendra Modi

The 'Smart Cities', proposed to be created across the country, should be hubs of economic activity in tune with the 21st century and planning should visualize "urban-dependent" population in addition to the urban populace, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday.
 
He made the remarks while chairing a meeting here on 'Smart City' initiative, marking the launch of consultations on his project to build 100 such cities across the country. The Prime Minister has asked the Ministry of Urban Development to convene a workshop of all central and state Urban Development Authorities... Read more..

Date : Dec 30
Source: Zee News

Hindustan Powerprojects to invest $1.87bn in renewable power projects in India

Hindustan Powerprojects plans to invest INR120bn ($1.87bn) in India for installation of 2GW clean electricity over the next two years. The proposed investment is in line with the Indian Government's target of generating 100GW of solar power by 2022. Hindustan Powerprojects chairman Ratul Puri told the Economic Times: "That's what broadly we would invest in the solar space in addition to what we have already done."
 
The country has the ability to generate more than 100GW of solar power during 2017-2022. Puri opined. Therefore, the conventional energy developers in India are... Read more..

Date : Dec 30
Source: Clean Technology Business Review

India refiners boom amid oil bust as investors eye risks

Oil’s slump has almost doubled the value of India’s big, state-owned refiners, outpacing the rest of the industry from China to the US. The companies had been forced to make a large proportion of sales at below cost for over a decade. Now, they can profit from fuels after India’s new government saw its opportunity in falling oil prices to deregulate the market without bothering its inflation targets. OPEC’s decision to sit on its hands in the face of an oil glut has only accelerated share gains.
 
India’s big three state refiners — Indian Oil Corp. (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corp... Read more..

Date : Dec 30
Source: Energy Voice

Sustainability and India's Top Companies

India's top companies for CSR study 2014 (www.responsiblefuture.in) has given a remarkably low score to top Indian companies on Sustainability. While sustainability parameters are often talked about in GRI reports, closer scrutiny reveals a narrow spectrum of operation for most companies.
 
Sustainability Performance in the study was evaluated around achieving on-the-ground results, such as reduction in carbon emissions & coal, water use, procurement of renewable energy, improved energy efficiency, a supply chain that meets high... Read more..

Date : Dec 30
Source: CSR Wire

Oil India commissions 5 MW solar power plant in Rajasthan

Oil India Ltd, India's second-largest government-owned exploration firm, has commissioned its first 5 MW solar power plant in Rajasthan.
 
OIL, which has so far built only small solar power plants for captive use, built and commissioned its first grid connected 5 MW unit at village Raghwa in Ramgarh district of Rajasthan, the company said in a statement issued here.
 
The plant was inaugurated by OIL Chairman and Managing Director S K Srivastava.
 
OIL plans to expand this unit by another 9 MW. Srivastava said the plant was completed within 118 days. OIL... Read more..

Date : Dec 30
Source: Economic Times

Indian Conglomerate Tata Power Investing $500 Million Into Russian Solar Projects

One of India’s biggest integrated power companies, Tata Power, is partnering with the state-run Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to invest a total of $1 billion into various solar/renewable energy projects to be developed across Russia, according to recent reports.
 
Tata Power, will be responsible for half of that investment number, for a total of around $500 million. The specifics of the deal have yet to be disclosed to the public, but an official representative of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade did note that there’s a possibility that projects will be spread... Read more..

Date : Dec 30
Source: Clean Technica

Narendra Modi: Cities must compete with each other for 'smart city' tag

Cities trying to make it to the list of "Smart Cities" would have to compete with each other. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly said there should be competition among city authorities to assess their preparedness and capability to undertake this ambitious task. 
 
Sources said while chairing a high-level meeting on his flagship smart city initiative on Monday, PM said that cities where authorities and local government are serious in enacting reforms in urban governance should be selected under this scheme. So, the selection will be based on a city's performance and... Read more..

Date : Dec 30
Source: Times of India

Maruti bats for hybrid cars, not keen on electric vehicles yet

Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) is not very enthused with the idea of producing electric cars despite the government contemplating subsidy on electric vehicles but a hybrid car by India’s largest auto manufacturer may not be a distant dream.
 
“Why not a hybrid car that has a long term future in India,” quipped Maruti Chairman R C Bhargava to a poser whether the company is thinking of bringing out its first electric car.
“Suzuki (Maruti’s Japanese partner) is working on hybrid technology. Our engineer’s are only getting training with them,” he said when pressed to... Read more..

Date : Dec 30
Source: Deccan Herald
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