Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Solar energy policy will not hit tribals: CM

 Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said here on Wednesday that proposals in the Solar Energy Policy of the government for use of tribal land for solar and other renewable energy projects would not lead to alienation of tribal lands.

Replying to questions at his weekly Cabinet briefing, the Chief Minister said that the proposals were aimed at ensuring a steady income to tribals. Their land was to be used for generating solar power under terms of an agreement that would bring in monthly revenues. They would not lose ownership of land.

Mr. Chandy said that the recent death of another... Read more..

For sustainable growth, count on agriculture

The world is almost ready to call time on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Enter the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - designed to pick up where the MDGs left off. This week Farming First has been at the United Nations in New York, participating in the Open Working Group that is discussing these SDGs.

These initial talks have been underway for some months, but are only the preparatory phase to the actual negotiations that will need to take place between governments, starting in 2014. ... Read more..

Large business opportunity for particulate emission technology to become a norm

''Leveraging automation for particulate emission trading'', J S Kamyotra, secretary, Central Pollution Control Board, said India is trying out with an innovative market mechanism to deal with this-Particulate Emission Trading.

''It is being tried out as a pilot project in three states-Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra- where the 15 critically polluted areas in the country are located. About 1000 industries have been identified in these states for monitoring which attracts huge business opportunity for technology and equipment for... Read more..

Power Grid plans to set up arm for energy efficiency solution

 Pursuing diversification agenda, electricity transmission utility Power Grid plans to set up an unit for providing energy efficiency solutions.

The state-owned major also intends to start manufacturing towers, conductors as well as equipment through joint ventures.

According to a corporate presentation made this month, the company plans to set up Energy Efficiency Service Company ( ESCO) to provide energy efficiency solutions.

Besides, it is mulling taking up sustainable development projects in commercial establishments.

With regard to the plan for joint... Read more..

TERI launches biomass cold storage in Sitapur

Union minister of new & renewable energy Farooq Abdullah assured all possible financial help to villages of Uttar Pradesh to help them develop alternative sources of electrification while inaugurating the 'Biomass energy based village electrification' and 'cold storage' project in a village of Sitapur on Thursday.

The project is first of its kind in UP where biomass is being used to supply power to a cold storage in a village to preserve fruits and vegetables of farmers. UP farmers have always been grappling with poor grid... Read more..

Suzlon arm REpower Systems bags order from Australian firm

 Wind turbine major Suzlon Group today said it has signed a contract with Mitsui & Co for setting up 106.6 MW windfarm in Australia.

"Suzlon Group-subsidiary REpower Systems SE announced the conclusion of an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract with Mitsui & Co (Australia) to deliver 52 wind turbines with a total rated output of 106.6 MW for the Bald Hills windfarm in Victoria, Australia," the company said in a statement.

The contract is combined with a service contract for the next 10 years, with a further five year option. It is the first... Read more..

India raises 1b loan for green power grid

 The plan to create a Rs 50,000 crore green grid to evacuate solar and wind power has got a leg-up with the government receiving the first tranche of a ¤1 billion soft loan from Germany.

In the Rs 18,000 crore first phase, the grid will be set up in Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, both of which have substantial wind and solar power capacity. Work has begun in these two states. Subsequently, work will begin in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

“The first tranche (of Rs 2,500 crore) of the euro 1 billion (Rs 7,100 crore) loan has been received for the first phase,”... Read more..

Corinex, Genus join forces to develop smart meters with BPL Technology

 Corinex Communications is partnering with Indian electric meter manufacturer Genus Power Infrastructures for joint development of India's first indigenous smart meter featuring BPL communications technology.

Genus will provide the national market with residential single- and three-phase smart meters, which can collect meter readings in near real-time within the country's complex heterogeneous network infrastructure.

Specifically, Genus meters will support the most advanced smartgrid applications, including encrypted communication of customer data, load management, peak... Read more..

Now, IMD plans SMS advisory service for livestock, fisheries

Riding on the success of SMS service provided to crores of farmers across the country for better crop management, India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Agromet plans to start a similar advisory service for those managing livestock, fisheries.

The department hopes to launch the integrated agromet advisory service, possibly the first such facility in the country, within a year.

Over 12 crore farmers in India are using the Kisan portal providing SMS service set up by Agromet. The service not only... Read more..

No tap water for 25% of Delhiites

As Delhi heads for polls, some key issues are agitating the common voter although these may not be felt as much by the city's well-heeled sections. One such issue is water. According to Census 2011, about a quarter of the city's 1.67 crore population does not get treated piped water. That's about 42 lakh people dependent on water tankers, hand pumps, tubewells etc.

Delhi Jal Board (DJB) produces 818 million gallons per day (mgd) of water while the demand is 1,025 mgd. That's a shortfall of more than 20%.

... Read more..

India, Belgium agree to enhance cooperation in renewable energy

This was discussed at a bilateral meeting between Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Government of India and Princess Astrid of Belgium.

Princess Astrid is currently visiting India as head of the Belgian Economic Mission to India. She is accompanied by Didier Reynders, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and European Affairs and Kris Peeters, President of the Region of Flanders and Flemish Minister for Economic, Foreign Policy along with a large business delegation.... Read more..

Anand Mahindra seeks subsidy to promote green cars

Expressing disappointment over the lack of support to promote electric cars in India, Mahindra & Mahindra CMD Anand Mahindra on Wednesday asked the government to grant subsidies to automakers to promote green cars.

"We've been disappointed because we were banking on a subsidy that the government had in place for electric cars which has expired. The government was committed to maintain it but hasn't done so far. So, that has put a sticker price hurdle," Mahindra told reporters at the CII-NID Design Summit.

... Read more..