Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Government to prepare a national bio-energy mission to boost power generation from biomass

 The government is preparing a national bio-energy mission to boost power generation from biomass, a renewable energy source abundantly available in India. 

The mission, to be launched during the 12th Five-Year Plan, will offer a policy and regulatory environment to facilitate large-scale capital investments in biomass-fired power stations, Minister of New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah said. It will also encourage development of rural enterprises. 

"Our surplus biomass is estimated to be 150 million tonnes," Abdullah said on the sidelines of an event. "This could... Read more..

Study on environmental damage in India

 Mr Pratik Prakashbapu Patill minister of state for coal informed the Lok Sabha that in a recent study carried out by Central Pollution Control Board and Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi under the aegis of ministry of environment and forests to assess the environmental pollution of 88 industrial clusters (indicating combined effect of all industries in the area) in different parts of the country, the internally generated Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index using the same methodology indicate that the pollution level of the coal mines are much lower compared to the total... Read more..

Shimla and Hamirpur to be developed as Solar Cities

 Capital Town of Shimla and Hamirpur are being developed as Solar Cities . Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister while addressing State-Level function to observe Akshay Urja Divas to commemorate 68th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi said that a Master Plan is being prepared to develop these cities.

Shimla and Hamirpur towns  have selected for development as solar cities in the first phase by shifting to non-conventional energy .Two Energy Parks are also being developed at Dr. Y.S.Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan and National Institute of... Read more..

Nuclear energy will play important role: Manmohan

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday said that nuclear energy will play an important role in India’s quest for clean and environment-friendly energy, but stressed on meeting ''highest safety standards'' in its use.

“The availability of safe and affordable energy is an important factor in enabling us to realise our aspiration for growth and development,” the Prime Minister said at the diamond jubilee celebration of the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics here.

Dr. Singh, whose endorsement of nuclear energy is significant in view of the recent disaster at Fukushima nuclear... Read more..

Central govt to provide power to every household by 2012

Despite an ambitious rural electrification programme, some 400 million Indians lose electricity access during blackouts. While 80 per cent Indian villages have at least one electricity line, only 44 per cent of rural households have access to electricity.

These views were expressed by PC Pant, director, ministry of new and renewable energy, at a two-day seminar on 'Green Energy & ICT Solar Energy Empowerment of Rural India'. The seminar was organised by the Indian Institute of Information Technology at its extension campus -- Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Information... Read more..

Delta Electronics to invest $15 mn in Solar Plant in Chennai

 The $ 6.6-billion, Taiwan-based Delta Electronics is investing $15 million to set up a manufacturing facility for solar inverters at the SIPCOT Sriperumbudur Hi-Tech SEZ, near Chennai. The plant is expected to be operational by mid-2012. Close to 70 per cent of the output will be exported, while the balance will meet the rising demand for solar inverters in India. Says Dalip Sharma, MD, Delta India: “With global warming becoming a major issue across the world, this is a huge opportunity for us.”

With this plant, the total investment of Delta Electronics in India will exceed $ 60... Read more..

Schneider Electric India bags Rs 110 crore orders

 Schneider Electric India has bagged orders worth Rs 110 crore to supply turnkey solutions for three photovoltaic solar power plants in India. The three photovoltaic solar power plants have a combined capacity of 22.3-mw, the company said in a statement. 

The orders comprise of two 5-mw photovoltaic solar power plants and one 12.3-mw photovoltaic solar power plant. On completion by end of December this year, the plants will have annual generating capacity of up to 35 gigawatt-hours of electricity. 

Schneider Electric India will be responsible for the design, engineering,... Read more..

Experts to discuss solar energy use in rural areas

Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad is organising a national seminar on 'Solar Energy for Empowering Rural India' on August 20 and 21 at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Information Technology (RGIIT), Amethi.

The seminar will deliberate on how rural India can harness and gainfully employ solar energy to reduce dependence on non-renewable energy sources. For example, identification of new areas of solar energy applications in rural India for example to power ICT based systems for education and public health; milk chilling plants; cold chain and management of forests to... Read more..

Centre for Nuclear Energy in Haryana

The Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership will be set up in Haryana, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office V. Narayansamy said Thursday.
 
Land for this purpose has been identified and payment has been made to the Haryana government, the minister told the Rajya Sabha in a statement.

He added that India had signed cooperation agreements on Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership with France, Russia and the US.

Biodegradable Plastics and Sustainable Packaging Conference

Vasudha is organising a conference on Sustainable Packaging today, at Hotel Karl Residency, Andheri W. in Mumbai and India International Centre Annexe in Delhi.

The conference is to address the current challenge of Sustainable Plastic Packaging and Sustainability at large. Biodegradable Plastic, Ecopure® is a solution to plastic waste management. The recent Supreme Court orders on plastic littering in India and Ministry of Environment and Forests’ notification on Plastic Waste Management have resulted in, loss of revenue and jobs in plastic and packaging industries. It has also... Read more..

Assam inks deal with Hyderabad company for power projects

The Assam Government and the Transstroy (India) Limited of Hyderabad today signed an Implementation Agreement for the proposed Kalanga (Stage I and II) Small Hydel Projects located on the Kalanga river in Karbi Anglong with an aggregate installed capacity of six MW.
 
On behalf of the Transstroy (India) Ltd, Director Sambasira Rao signed the papers, while Deputy Secretary of Power Department Amarendra Baruah signed on behalf of the Assam government.

State Power Minister Pradyut Bordoloi, who was present on the occasion, stressed on the fastest implementation of the... Read more..

Suzlon Energy bags 48.3 MW project from Indian Oil`

Suzlon Energy Limited (SEL) Wednesday said it has bagged a second order from the Indian Oil Corporation Limited to set up, operate and maintain wind energy projects of 48.3 MW in Andhra Pradesh.

'The order comprises of 23 units of Suzlon's wind turbines, and the power generated will be sold to the local power utility,' the company said in a regulatory filing. 

Suzlon had earlier bagged a 21 megawatt wind power project in the Kutch district of Gujarat in 2009. 

'This is Indian Oil's second project with Suzlon, and we are extremely pleased to build on the trust... Read more..