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Sustainability Outlook Headlines
New bio-engineered trees make it easier to produce pulpResearchers have genetically engineered trees that will be easier to break down to produce paper and biofuel, a breakthrough that will mean using fewer chemicals, less energy and creating fewer environmental pollutants. "One of the largest impediments for the pulp and paper industry as well as the emerging biofuel industry is a polymer found in wood known as lignin," said Shawn Mansfield, a professor of Wood Science at the University of British Columbia, Canada. Lignin makes up a substantial portion of the cell wall of most plants and is a processing impediment for pulp,... Read more.. Date : Apr 11 Source: Business Standard
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Orient Green Power wins board approval for biomass unit saleIndian renewable energy producer Orient Green Power Company has received approval from its board of directors for the sale of its 10MW biomass unit in the state of Tamil Nadu. The proposed sale is yet to receive approval from the shareholders, as well as other required approvals. The company has decided to sell its biomass unit in order to facilitate the unit to sell power on the Group Captive mode in the state that would help the company to maintain stability of operations and realization.... Read more.. |
CO2 emission by urban households 16 times more than rural ones: ReportA report by the International Institute of Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, shows that the per capita emission of carbon dioxide by urban households is a shocking 16 times more than rural households. Experts say as households become richer, they consume more energy, leading to more carbon dioxide emission. “The richest-poorest ratio in emission is 16:1 in urban areas and 8:1 in rural areas. More urbanised states and the richest urban households emit disproportionately high carbon dioxide. In urban areas, cities are very congested... Read more.. |
California Issues First Forestry Compliance OffsetsThe Yurok tribe has seen first-hand the devastation that deforestation wreaks on trees and plant and animal species living on its tribal lands. Now, with a big stamp of approval from California regulators, the tribe is hoping to tap into the carbon markets to help reverse these devastating trends. The California Air Resources Board (ARB) on Wednesday announced that the Yurok Tribe/Forest Carbon Partners CKGG Improved Forest Management Project was the first to be issued offsets under its compliance forestry protocol. The improved... Read more.. |
Rains take heat off Kerala State Electricity BoardThe summer showers have brought a welcome relief to the state electricity board. The power consumption, which registered an unprecedented rise up to 70 million units on Saturday, came down to 63 mu on Monday. The board could cut down the generation from hydel stations to below 20 mu on Monday as against an alarming 30 mu on Saturday. The daily power consumption had gone above 70 mu on a couple of days last week. "We were indeed banking on the weather forecasts of widespread summer rains by the end... Read more.. |
Gajurel against Indian firm to develop Upper Karnali hydel project -CPN-Maoist Vice-Chairman CP Gajurel on Friday said that the Upper Karnali Hydropower Project will not be allowed to hand over to India at any cost. Speaking at a press conference organized by Myagdi chapter of the party, Gajurel vowed to chase away the Indian construction company GMR from the construction site. "Indian interference is growing in Nepal,” Gajurel argued, adding, “We are ready to retaliate against it”. On the occasion, leader Gajurel opined that... Read more.. |
CG to Supply ZIV Substation Automation Systems to Monitor and Improve GridAvantha Group Company CG’s Automation Business Unit has bagged a deal from Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) to supply six Substation Automation Systems (SAS) in Jharkhand, India. The SAS, which will be jointly managed with CG’s Engineering Projects Division, India, is intended to help monitor and improve PGCIL’s transmission capacity across the state. The deal involves supplying six 220/132/33 kV ZIV 61850 SAS to Govindpur, Manoharpur, Jaduguda, Dalbhumgarh, Jamtara, and Rourkela in Jharkhand, India. The order includes... Read more.. |
Clean Power Funding Easier as Investors Seek SimplicitySimplifying finance vehicles for renewable energy will lure more investors and lower the costs of capital. “Renewable power requires a lot of explanation,” Jim Barry, the head of renewable power investing at BlackRock Inc., said during a panel discussion today at the Bloomberg New Energy Finance conference in New York. “If you’re explaining, you’re losing.” Renewable-energy investment this year may rise to $300 billion from $254 billion in 2013, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Installations are expected to rise 37 percent by 2015. “Investors are moving out... Read more.. Date : Apr 10 Source: Bloomberg
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Suzlon Energy sells 240 mw Illinois-based wind farm to EverPowerSuzlon EnergyBSE 1.61 % has sold the 240 mw Illinois-based wind farm it acquired recently from Edison Mission Energy to EverPower Wind Holdings. Suzlon had taken over the Illinois wind farm in the US to recover $208 million that was outstanding from client Edison Mission Energy, which the latter had withheld accusing the Indian wind-turbine maker of supplying defective equipment. Suzlon did not disclose the consideration for the sale of the wind farm. The sale may have happened at 50% discount to the original price, according to industry officials. "Right now, liquidity is... Read more.. Date : Apr 10 Source: Economic Times
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Has the wind changed direction to favour Suzlon?Wind turbine manufacturers across the globe have been in trouble over the past few years. One of the cleanest source of energy, wind power is heavily dependent on subsidies from government. While some governments (western countries) provided direct subsidy in the form of generation based incentives (GBI), some like the Indian government used to provide indirect subsidy, in the form of accelerated depreciation (AD) benefits to those players setting up wind turbines. A slowdown in the economy and rising fiscal deficit forced countries to withdraw these benefits. Indian government too... Read more.. Date : Apr 10 Source: Business Standard
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Suez Environnement bags three water treatment projects worth ₹505 croreWith the Indian government keen to develop key infrastructure essential for access to water and sanitation, France-based utility company Suez Environnement has been engaged to tackle the water challenges in India with three new contracts dealing with waste and wastewater solutions, totalling ₹505 crore (€61 million). In Mumbai, the project is for improving water distribution services for 12.5 million people, a second project in Pune is to build and operate a drinking water plant for 2.5 million residents. Two new wastewater... Read more.. |
Schneider Electric inks pact with Ramco SystemsGlobal specialist in energy management Schneider Electric has inked a pact with city-based enterprise software product company Ramco Systems to offer advanced process control solution. The partnership will see Ramco's Advanced Process Optimisation software — OPTIMA, implement Schneider Electric's solutions for the cement industry and explore business opportunities, a company statement said. The move comes in the backdrop of cement manufacturers focusing on their efforts in reducing energy and emissions, improving overall performance and managing consistent product quality... Read more.. Date : Apr 10 Source: Times of India
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Has the wind changed direction to favour Suzlon?Wind turbine manufacturers across the globe have been in trouble over the past few years. One of the cleanest source of energy, wind power is heavily dependent on subsidies from government. While some governments (western countries) provided direct subsidy in the form of generation based incentives (GBI), some like the Indian government used to provide indirect subsidy, in the form of accelerated depreciation (AD) benefits to those players setting up wind turbines. A slowdown in the economy and rising fiscal deficit forced countries to withdraw these benefits. Indian government too... Read more.. Date : Apr 10 Source: Business Standard
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EU Industries to Pay Less Into Funds to Finance Renewable EnergyEurope's energy-intensive industries scored a victory Wednesday in being largely let off the hook in footing the bill for the transition to an economy that uses less carbon dioxide. The European Commission watered down some key parts of new rules on government aid aimed at encouraging production of energy from renewable sources, lessening the financial burden on heavy industries and reducing the scale of government subsidies for providers of renewable energy. The new rules set tougher terms for government subsidies for energy sources such as wind and solar. The... Read more.. Date : Apr 10 Source: WSJ
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Politics Still Set to Sap India's Energy SectorWhile some hope a new government could at last spark much-needed investment and reform in energy in India, analysts and industry veterans warn it will not be easy to change the outdated and overregulated sector. In its manifesto this week, the Bharatiya Janata Party–which many expect to be running the government soon– said it will take steps to raise local energy production to cut billions of dollars off the country’s fuel import bill. It said it would seek to end monopolies in the sector, which could also mean splitting or... Read more.. |
India's investment in renewable energy dips: US ReportEven as China invested more in renewable energy than the whole of Europe in 2013, India’s investment in renewable energy went down 15 percent to $6 billion (Rs.360.48 billion) last year, according to a latest Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2014 report. Globally, renewable energy’s share of electricity generation continued its steady climb last year despite a 14 percent drop in investments to $214.4 billion.solar power At $56 billion (Rs.3,364.48 billion), the Chinese total was down... Read more.. |
ABB to Boost Indian Power GridABB Ltd. (ABB - Snapshot Report) yesterday received a contract from Power Grid Corporation of India to construct a 400 kilovolt (kV) gas-insulated switchgear substation to the boost transmission capacity in the southern region. The new substation is expected to increase inter-regional transfer capacity between the western and southern regions of the country. This order is booked in the first quarter and is valued at $18 million. ABB expects to complete the construction by 2016. Per the contract, ABB is required to provide design, engineering, supply, installation and commissioning... Read more.. Date : Apr 10 Source: Zacks
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Suzlon’s German unit to get €850 mn as working capital from 14 banksSenvion SE, the German subsidiary of the debt-laden wind turbine maker Suzlon Group, has signed a fresh agreement with a consortium of banks for an additional working capital facility of €100 million (Rs.821.5 crore today) for a period of three years, taking its total financing to €850 million. The agreement with the consortium headed by BayernLB, Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft and Deutsche Bank AG was signed in late March, Senvion said on Tuesday. “This move enables Senvion SE to secure follow-on financing early for the credit facilities of €750 million agreed in May 2012... Read more.. Date : Apr 9 Source: Livemint
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A phone battery that recharges in 30 secondsAn Israeli startup has developed a new smartphone battery that can recharge in just under 30 seconds. The advance could change the way we interact with portable electronics, and perhaps even help realise the dream of a fast-charging electric car. The battery by StoreDot claims to bring charge times down to the order of a few seconds. The company produces so-called nanodots, chemically synthesized bio-organic peptide molecules that, thanks to their small size... Read more.. |
Mahindra-Nissan To Tie Up For Electric Vehicles?Electric vehicle technology is in the mainstream now. Whether its something as primal as an engine start stop mechanism, a proper fuel cell hybrid or a full fledged electric vehicle that runs on nothing, but battery power. We got to witness the widest array of electric vehicle technology at the 12th Biennial Auto Expo and Mahindra was on the forefront of it all. The Halo Electric sports car, Verito Electric or the Reva, all models showed how serious Mahindra is about electric vehicle technology. Now, according to certain reports, Nissan may tie up with Mahindra for... Read more.. |
LRQA verifies Orb Energy's Solar Project against Gold StandardLRQA has verified the Orb Energy Solar Project in India against the Gold Standard (GS). The project involved the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal systems in the state of Karnataka. The aim was to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by substituting conventional fossil fuels and grid electricity through the installation of solar PV and solar thermal systems. The contract was awarded by JP Morgan Ventures Energy Corporation who selected LRQA as their preferred verifying agency in South Asia. The project... Read more.. |
Severe Health Consequences Due To Complex Toxic Contamination of Under-Ground Water ReservesAccording to the UNESCO released 'UN-WWD 2014 Report’, along with the ‘2005-20015 "Water-Life" Decade Indicators’ by SAIRI, in connection to the ‘World Health Observances 2014’, some 768 million people do not have access to an improved source of water, and 2.5 billion do not have access to appropriate sanitation. More than 57% of the world population is on high stakes of vector-borne diseases, for which in almost 72-83% cases, unsafe drinking water is one of the major attributable provenance root-sources. The United Nations... Read more.. |
New Dominance in Renewable Energy Rises in the EastGlobal renewable energy investment dropped 14 percent last year from 2012, to $214 billion, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). That's 23 percent off the peak, reached in 2011, according to a new report, Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2014. The good news is the drop in investment comes largely as a result of lower prices, according to Michael Liebreich, BNEF's founder. China tops the list of nations investing in renewables and its outsize influence is no surprise. What's noteworthy is just how dominant... Read more.. |
Shell, Adidas, And 70 Other Companies Call On Governments To Cap CarbonRoyal Dutch Shell, Adidas, Unilever, and some 70 other companies released a communiqué urging world governments to keep carbon emissions since the industrial revolution to a cumulative of 1 trillion metric tons. This is the emissions cap needed to keep warming below two degrees Celsius and avoid catastrophic impacts of climate change, according to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, which for the first time calls for a trillion ton cap. We have already surpassed the halfway mark and are somewhere around 578,935,750,000 tonnes of carbon... Read more.. |
Cars Become Biggest Driver of Greenhouse-Gas IncreasesEmissions from transportation may rise at the fastest rate of all major sources through 2050, the United Nations will say in a report due April 13. Heat-trapping gases from vehicles may surge 71 percent from 2010 levels, mainly from emerging economies, according to a leaked draft of the most comprehensive UN study to date on the causes of climate change. Rising incomes in nations like China, India and Brazil have produced explosive demand for cars and for consumer goods that must be delivered by highway, rail, ship or air. The new pollution, measured in millions of tons of... Read more.. Date : Apr 9 Source: Bloomberg
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