Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Suzlon Energy Plans to Invest $1.4 Billion in South Australian Wind Farm

 Suzlon Energy Ltd. (SUEL), the Indian company that is Asia’s third-largest maker of wind turbines, plans to develop a A$1.3 billion ($1.4 billion) wind farm in South Australia, according to the state government.

The 600-megawatt project would produce enough electricity to power more than 200,000 homes a year, Mike Rann, premier of the Australian state, said today in a statement on his website. Suzlon expects to complete the 180-turbine wind farm on the Yorke Peninsula by the end of 2015, he said.

The proposed Ceres wind farm requires regulatory, planning and environmental... Read more..

Government plans to step up indigenous production of rare earth minerals

 India is planning to step up indigenous production of rare earth minerals, a bit of which can be found in everything high tech - from smart phones and laptops to hybrid vehicles and wind turbines. 

A government panel is currently working on a strategy paper to give impetus to exploration and discovery of rare earth and energy critical elements used in renewable energy, officials from the mines ministry told ET. The paper could lead to a policy on such minerals. India does not have a policy on rare earth minerals so far. 

Rare earths as their name implies are not abundant.... Read more..

Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture and Livelihood

 A Report on “Climate Change and India: A 4x4 Assessment a Sectoral and Regional Analysis for 2030s” has been published in November, 2010. However, the report has not been submitted to United Nations Climate Panel. The Report has projected the likely impact of climate change on temperature, precipitation, extreme events, sea-level rise, agriculture, eco-system and bio-diversity, water and human health in four regions, namely Western Ghats, Himalayan region, North-Eastern region and Coastal region. The assessment brings out vulnerability of these regions to the adverse impact of climate... Read more..

Pune can't hold 1 crore people, says Assocham

  The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) on Tuesday cautioned that infrastructure in Pune would be inadequate to bear the projected population of about 1 crore by 2030 as compared to 49.5 lakh at present.

It has suggested introduction of a mass transportation system to decongest roads and cope with rapid urbanisation in and around the city.

The existing transportation infrastructure in Pune, which is mainly road based, is dismal as buses and trains are acutely over-crowded and sorely lacking in comfort and convenience for commuters, the... Read more..

Court Said to Defer Agency Order on Coal India’s Jharkhand Mines

 A court deferred until Sept. 20 an environmental agency’s order to close 22 of Coal India Ltd. (COAL)’s mines in the eastern state of Jharkhand, three people with direct knowledge of the matter said.

The Jharkhand High Court in Ranchi asked Coal India, the world’s biggest producer of the fuel, to file a rejoinder to arguments filed by the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board, said the people, who aren’t authorized to speak to the media. Coal India chairman N.C. Jha couldn’t be reached immediately for comment.

The closure, which was imposed for violating environment... Read more..

Soon, a campaign to check auto pollution

  Pure Air Lover's Society (PALS), a corporate social responsibility initiative of Suzlon, has announced a 'Gaadi Bandh' campaign at traffic signals in the city in an attempt to cut down on pollution from vehicles. 

Addressing a news conference here on Tuesday, Dharini Mishra, global head of brand, Suzlon Group, said, "More than 70% of air pollution in India comes from vehicles. Idling a vehicle for more than 30 seconds uses more fuel than that required for restarting the engine. It wasalso found that air pollution around schools is much higher due to vehicles idling outside. This... Read more..

Reliance Power plans to invest Rs 8,000 crore to set up 500 MW solar power projects in Rajasthan

 Reliance Power plans to invest Rs 8,000 crore to set up 500 MW solar power projects in Rajasthan over the next three years, sources close to the development said. 

The planned investment is the largest investment in solar projects in India and one of the largest in the world. The first phase of the project comprises setting up a 40 MW plant by 2012, for which the US Exim Bank has approved a loan for $84 million, and a 100 MW project in the following year. The rate of interest rate for the loan is 4-5% and the tenure would be 17 years. 

"We are committed to development of... Read more..

India to receive 200 bn euro loan from EU

India will receive a loan of 200 million euros from the European Union to finance private sector projects for the development of renewable energy resources. 

The EU's assistance comes as part of its "strategic partnership" with India and will be made available by the European Investment Bank (EIB) to ICICI Bank, India's largest private bank, in the first-ever cooperation between the two financial institutions. 

It is intended to provide long-term financing for investments on a number of electricity generating projects, especially in the areas of solar photovoltaic, biomass... Read more..

Climate Change

 The Government has recently assessed the special needs of hilly areas in the North-East Region with respect to climate change adaptation. This assessment titled “Indian Network of Climate Change Assessment (INCCA): Climate Change and India: A 4x4 Assessment-A Regional and Sectoral Analysis for 2030s” by Ministry of Environment, Government of India has projected rise in temperature by 1.8oC to 2.1oC, whereas the mean annual rainfall is likely to increase by 1–6 mm/day. However number of rainy may decrease by 1-10 days. The rise in temperature and changes in rainfall pattern is projected to... Read more..

Resume mining in Karnataka, foundry sector tells govt

 Seeks expedition of environment clearances for similar mines in other states.

Faced with acute shortage of raw material due to the ban of iron ore mining in the country’s largest hub, the Bellary-Hospet region in Karnataka, the Rs 50,000-crore foundry industry has urged the government to allow official and legal excavation here and expedite environment clearances for similar mines in other states.

Institute of Indian Foundrymen’s former president, Subodh Panchal, managing partner of Kastwel Foundries, said here that unavailability of raw materials has forced the closure of a... Read more..

Tata BP Solar commissions first plant in Orissa

Tata BP Solar India Ltd, a joint venture of Tata Power and BP Solar, was today iommissioned under the rooftop and other Small Solar Power Generation Plant scheme, administered by IREDA under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM). 

The project is owned and developed by M/s S.N. Mohanty at Village, Patapur, Kundee Padaa, Dist- Cuttack in Orissa.

Mr K Subramanya, CEO, Tata BP Solar, said in a statement here today that the one megawatt plant was synchronised to the grid recently, well ahead of the schedule stipulated by MNRE. He said that Tata BP Solar as an... Read more..

Solar energy yet to take off in Bihar

 Power-starved Bihar is yet to take off in solar energy. Although, of late, the Bihar government is serious about solar energy as an alternative source of energy. Less than a percent of the total population has an access to solar power.

During the last one and a half decades over 6,000 families could avail the facility of Solar Home Light System. The cost of each system is around Rs 10,000 and the government gives a subsidy of 50 percent to the BPL families.

According to official sources, there are only 1,270 functional solar streets lights in the state. Although the... Read more..