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Sustainability Outlook Headlines
CAG should offer suggestions to improve environment: Hamid AnsariVice President Hamid Ansari today said CAG has an important role to play in efforts towards improving environment by not only commenting on the effectiveness of the rules and regulations in this regard but also by offering suggestions to the government for the purpose. He said that India has been active in international forums relating to environmental protection, and is party to 94 multilaterals environmental agreements. Ansari was inaugurating the International Centre for Environment Audit and Sustainable Development (ICED) set up by the Supreme Audit Institution of India,... Read more.. Date : May 4 Source: Indian Express
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Talks on climate change in Bonn fail over developing nations efforts' to curb emissionsNew, more flexible ways to fight climate change were sketched out on Friday at the end of a week of talks between 160 nations, but there was no breakthrough in bridging a deep divide between China and the United States. The meeting of senior officials in Bonn, Germany, aired formulas to resolve disputes between rich and poor on sharing out the burden of curbing greenhouse gas emissions as part of a new U.N. deal, a successor to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. Attempts to reach agreement have foundered above all on a failure to agree on the contribution developing countries... Read more.. Date : May 4 Source: India Today
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Brookings India chief kicks off India energy crisis researchA research initiative to find solutions for the energy crisis facing India has been launched by the chairman of Brookings India, one of the country's leading policy think tanks. Vikram Singh Mehta, who stepped down as Shell India chairman last October, and currently heads Brookings India, is here as part of an annual fellowship programme run by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and King's College London's India Institute. "I plan to work on energy, the subject I am most familiar with, and take off from the point that the energy... Read more.. Date : May 4 Source: Business Standard
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Swiss Bidding Process for Waste to Energy Project in Kochi, IndiaThe state government in Kochi, India has chosen the 'Swiss Challenge System' of tendering, for its proposed 500 tonne per day Rs. 3.5 billion ($65 million) waste to energy plant in Brahmapuram.
The Swiss Challenge System is a form of public procurement that requires a public authority in receipt of an unsolicited bid for a public project to publish the bid and invite third parties to match or exceed it.
According to a report in The Times of India, urban development minister Manjalamkuzhi Ali said the cabinet has already taken a... Read more.. Date : May 4 Source: Waste Management World
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HIL Limited to focus on green building material segmentCK Birla group company Hyderabad Industries Limited will be sharpening focus on green building materials to boost revenues from eco-friendly products and bring down the contribution of asbestos products as part of its revenues, said a top official of the company here. The asbestos segment currently accounts for 80% of the company's total turnover.
HIL managing director Abhaya Shankar said, "We are planning to expand our green building material portfolio. Every year we aim to improve the revenue contribution made by the green building materials segment... Read more.. Date : May 3 Source: Times of India
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NSL Renewable Power raises $30M from Asian Development BankNSL Renewable Power Pvt Ltd (NRPPL), a part of the Hyderabad-based NSL Group, has signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to raise $30 million. NRPPL has recently raised $60 million from a consortium including private equity and strategic investors. The money raised from ADB will support NRPPL's hydro and wind-power projects. It will also use the money to part finance the construction expense of the 100 MW Tidong run-of-river hydropower project in Himachal Pradesh and the 75 MW Chilarewadi wind project in Maharashtra. Two days ago, NRPPL raised $60... Read more.. Date : May 3 Source: VC Circle
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State to unveil comprehensive organic agriculture policy soonThe State government will soon come out with a comprehensive organic agriculture policy, according to K. Ramasamy, Vice- Chancellor, Tamil Nadu Agriculture University (TNAU). Addressing the launch of ‘SUSTAIN,’ a Public Private Partnership initiative to deploy innovative drying and storage technology to farmers, Dr. Ramasamy said here on Tuesday that various components of the policy, including the formation of a Department of Sustainable Organic Agriculture and establishment of a Directorate for Organic Agriculture, were under preparation and the policy was expected shortly... Read more.. Date : May 3 Source: The Hindu
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Gati Infrastructure commissions 110 MW hydro electric power project in SikkimGati Infrastructure had entered into an Agreement with the State Government of Sikkim to implement three Hydro Power Projects on a Build, Operate, Own and Transfer basis (BOOT). Gati Infrastructure Limited (GIL), a subsidiary of Amrit Jal Ventures Ltd (AJVL) promoted by Mahendra Agarwal, Founder and CEO of Gati Ltd. commissioned its first 110 MW Hydro Electric Power Plant in Sikkim. Gati Infrastructure had entered into an Agreement with the State Government of Sikkim to implement three Hydro Power Projects on a Build, Operate, Own and Transfer basis (BOOT). The... Read more.. Date : May 3 Source: India Infoline
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Global equity investors turn to India for green projectsIndia is becoming an attractive destination for global private equity investors who are strengthening their funding strategies in the renewable energy space, particularly in emerging markets. This is because opportunities in other markets have plateaued in the past few years.
Industry observers say India’s renewable energy space is witnessing significant uptake from quite a few big North American pension funds and Japanese postal funds.
Raj Prabhu, CEO and Co-founder of Mercom Capital Group, said: “Most of the venture capital funding is... Read more.. Date : May 3 Source: Hindu Business Line
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Gas grid vital for industry in South to move forwardIndustry in South India could suffer a ‘huge long-term disadvantage’ because of inadequate gas grid, according to B. Santhanam, Chairman, Confederation of Indian Industry – Southern Region. Global trends clearly indicate a shift towards natural gas as a fuel for industry. Apart from its reputation as a clean fuel, increasing availability of natural gas resources and lowering costs is driving up the demand for the fuel. BIG DIFFERENCE The fuel can make a big difference to the competitiveness of the industry. Without a gas grid, South India could be left behind in... Read more.. Date : May 3 Source: Hindu Business Line
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India says US cannot point fingers on local input normIn a move to counter the US gripe against compulsory local sourcing for solar projects, India is digging up cases where American states have mandated domestic sourcing. At a meeting earlier this week of the WTO Committee on Trade Related Investment Measures, India said water utilities in many US states — South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia among others — have made domestic sourcing of ductile iron pipes and fittings compulsory for use in water projects. New Delhi’s charges come two weeks after it sought clarifications from the US at a WTO subsidies... Read more.. Date : May 3 Source: Hindu Business Line
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A technology that makes the most of the plastic wasteFrom October 4, 2002, when the first ‘plastic road’ was laid on Lenin Street, Kovilpatti in Tuticorin district, the technology of using waste plastic with stone for laying roads has come a long way. Developed by the Department of Chemistry of Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai, in 2001 and patented in 2002, the technology has been literally going places. It is now used in several other States, including Kerala, West Bengal and Himachal Pradesh, to lay “all-weather” roads. It has also come as an answer to municipal solid waste management. Plastic is common man’... Read more.. Date : May 3 Source: The Hindu
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Mining gold from e-waste, the CMET wayYou can now strike gold from e-waste. Using technology, it is possible to recycle gold worth lakhs of rupees from junked computer monitors, motherboards, televisions and other electronic products. NEW TECH The Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (CMET) has come out with a new technology at its laboratory here that can generate significant wealth from discarded electronics products. For instance, it has been able to extract 150 gm of gold from one tonne of discarded printed circuit boards (PCBs) used in these electronic products. At today’s... Read more.. Date : May 2 Source: Hindu Business Line
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Renewable energy sector draws $500 m investments this yearThe renewable energy sector in India, led by the wind energy segment, is seeing a rebound in investment with around five deals worth $500 million (approximately Rs3,000 crore) being sealed in 2013. In contrast, there has not been a single deal in the conventional energy segment. "Investors are shying away from conventional energy due to policy uncertainties and lack of fuel linkage. While the government has been flat-footed on thermal energy, it is encouraging renewable energy, making the sector attractive for investors," said Vish Narain, partner at global private investment... Read more.. Date : May 2 Source: Economic Times
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UP seeks private investment for 200 MW solar powerThe Uttar Pradesh government has decided to attract private investment in the solar power generation sector by offering competitive tariff to those willing to establish such plants in 13 months' time, with the condition to directly sell power generated to UP Power Corporation Ltd for 10 years. New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (NEDA) has been given the task to take up "tariff-based competitive bidding" for purchase of 200 MW power from solar photovoltaic projects to be established in the state. At present, solar power generation in the state is only around 13... Read more.. Date : May 2 Source: Indian Express
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ADB makes first equity investment in Indian renewable energy firmThe Asian Development Bank on Wednesday announced its first equity investment in India’s private sector renewable power generation.
The Philippines-based bank has decided to invest $30 million in Hyderabad-based NSL Renewable Power Private Ltd. ADB did not divulge the percentage of stake it is buying in the firm. NSL Renewable has a book value of Rs 525 crore as on March 31.
The investment is also ADB’s first private sector assistance to India’s hydropower sector. The bank, with participation from nearly 67 countries, invested $2.3 billion... Read more.. Date : May 2 Source: Hindu Business Line
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Low on battery? Your cellphone needs water therapySwedish researchers have developed the world's first water-activated charger that can power your cellphone using just a puddle of water. Based on the micro fuel cell technology developed at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, the MyFC PowerTrekk, uses ordinary water to extend battery life for devices of up to 3 watts. Anders Lundblad, KTH researcher and founder of MyFC, says the device can be powered by fresh or seawater . The water need not be completely clean. "Our invention has great potential to accelerate social development in emerging markets... Read more.. Date : May 2 Source: Times of India
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Powering ahead on distress: Why Greenko is buying up hydel projects when everyone else is sellingWhich power-generation company with operations in India delivered the best returns in a post-Lehman Brothers world? That distinction does not belong to sector heavyweights such as Tata Power, Reliance Power, NTPCBSE 0.51 % or Suzlon Energy. A little-known, 260-crore company, operating primarily in the clean energy space, has left these powerhouses trailing on shareholder returns since January 2009, by being a contrarian in the hydel power space.
As promoters of hydropower projects, facing different forms and degrees of distress, make a beeline for the... Read more.. Date : May 2 Source: Economic Times
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Solar power producers oppose any anti-dumping duty on imported gearsTen solar power producers, including Jackson Ltd, Vikram Solar, Symphony Vyapar Pvt Ltd and Lexicon Vanijya Pvt Ltd have written to the ministry of new and renewable energy ( MNRE) saying imposition of anti-dumping duty on solar imports will severely affect the fledgling Indian solar industry. Producers and equipment manufacturers have been at loggerheads since the latter filed an anti-dumping case against China, the US, Taiwan and Malaysia last year for imported solar panels. Producers have called a halt to such measures till phase two of the national solar mission begins... Read more.. Date : May 1 Source: Economic Times
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'Bring back generation-based incentives for wind power fast'Even though the government has been sending out positive signals for the wind energy sector, it is time for it to actualise measures like re-introducing generation based incentives (GBI) and a standard bidding document, said a senior industry official. "The recent union budget announced reintroduction of GBI. We haven't seen the fine print. It is high time the government rolls out the scheme," Ramesh Kymal, chairman, Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA) told reporters here Tuesday. Wind power producers were given an incentive of 50 paise per unit... Read more.. Date : May 1 Source: Newstrack India
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‘Go green..., it makes business sense’Going green makes business sense, it helps shore up the triple bottom line — people, planet, and profits, N. Muthusezhiyan of CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre has said. Addressing a one-day workshop on CII Green Company Rating System — GreenCo — here on Tuesday, he said companies have to quickly adapt themselves to the changing international business benchmarks. “Internationally, companies are also looking at the green rating of the suppliers as a standard procedure. It is not enough to be energy efficient and or sequestering carbon credits, the companies have to... Read more.. Date : May 1 Source: The Hindu
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Hydro power may be declared renewable energyUnion Power Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia will chair an advisory group on May 1 to discuss the bottlenecks in the development of hydro power projects, falling share of hydro power, delays in environment and forest clearances and high capital costs. The group, which also includes high-profile private sector players, is expected to make a case for hydro power to be declared renewable energy, by making it obligatory to increase its share to 20 per cent of total generation by the 15th Plan from the present level of 16 per cent. This will need hydro capacity to rise 80,000 MW over... Read more.. Date : May 1 Source: Business Standard
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New crisis at Fukushima: Toxic waterTwo years after a triple meltdown that grew into the world's second worst nuclear disaster, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is faced with a new crisis: a flood of highly radioactive wastewater that workers are struggling to contain. Groundwater is pouring into the plant's ravaged reactor buildings at a rate of almost 75 gallons a minute. It becomes highly contaminated there, before being pumped out to keep from swamping a critical cooling system. Workers have struggled to contain the continuous flow of radioactive wastewater, relying on hulking gray and silver... Read more.. Date : May 1 Source: Times of India
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Waste plant polluting environment: reportThe waste-to-energy plant running at Okhla in South Delhi is causing environmental pollution, the national green tribunal said on Tuesday.
Rahul Choudhary, a local commissioner appointed by the tribunal, has found in his report that the collection of bottom ash and fly ash inside the plant is not being regulated as per norm and it can be truly hazardous even for those working there. The report said bottom ash and fly ash is being carried out in open trucks which is also detrimental to the environment.
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Work on waste-to-energy plant begins at VenkatamangalamPreliminary civil works for a waste-to-energy power plant began at Venkatamangalam village on Monday.
The non-incineration facility will produce power from solid waste generated in Tambaram and Pallavaram municipalities.
A bhoomi pooja was performed at the 50-acre site at Venkatamangalam, located around 15 kilometres from Tambaram and coming under Kattankulathur panchayat union, Kancheepuram district.
The project is being executed under a public-private partnership on a design, built, operate and... Read more.. Date : Apr 30 Source: The Hindu
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