Sustainability Outlook Headlines

India's Reliance Power To Commission Asia's Largest Solar Thermal Power Plant Next Year

A subsidiary of one of India’s leading private sector power generating companies is expected to commission a 125 MW solar thermal power plant by March 2014. The power plant is expected to be the largest solar thermal power plant in Asia and the largest in the world using the linear Fresnel reflective technology.

The power plant is part of the first phase of the ambitious Indian program, the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, which aims to set up 22,000 MW of solar power capacity by 2022. The project developer was allocated 100 MW capacity under the tender process completed in... Read more..

ET Solar Turn-key Solutions Available in Indian Market

ET Solar Group Corp. ("ET Solar"), a leading solar one-stop solution provider, has delivered 1MW high quality and high-efficiency photovoltaic modules to a solar power plant in Tada, Andhra Pradesh, India, as a technical and commercial co-development partner of Marigold Steel & Power Pvt. Ltd ("Marigold"), an Indian engineering consultancy firm.

The plant is owned by Indo-National Ltd, which is a manufacturer of dry cell batteries in India. Marigold was the project developer and ET Solar provided project design, technology consulting, equipment supply and sourcing support.... Read more..

Time to improve technology in coal-based industries: BHEL chief

 The time has come to look for ways to improve technology in coal-based industries as India is having more than 70% coal-based power stations, a situation that would continue for at least the next 10 years, said A V Krishnan, the executive director of BHEL Trichy. Participating at the two-day conference on clean coal, carbon capture and storage technologies that has been organized by the Trichy Regional Engineering College Science Technology Entrepreneurs Park (TREC-STEP) in partnership with BHEL, Krishnan said that in a country like India where more and more coal-based power stations were... Read more..

World Energy Council: We Need Strong & Predictable Carbon Pricing

To help push for action at COP 19, the World Energy Council (WEC) recently published a report pushing for what many others — including some prominent Republicans (not the ones in office, unfortunately) — have been pushing for: strong and predictable carbon pricing. The report is based off of research conducted with the heads of electric utilities.

“Electricity utilities see having a credible price level for CO2 and long-term, predictable policies as the crucial factors for driving change in their fuel and technology mix, according to the latest insights from the Global Electricity... Read more..

12 FDI proposals worth Rs 822 crore cleared

Government today said it has cleared 12 foreign investment proposals, including that of Swedish fashion major Hennes & Mauritz, totalling Rs 821.63 crore.

"Based on the recommendations of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) in its meeting held on November 13, 2013, the Government of India has approved twelve (12) proposals of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) amounting to Rs 821.63 crore," Finance Ministry said in a statement. 

Vodafone's proposal to increase its shareholding in its Indian arm to 100 per cent from the current 64.38 per cent was withdrawn from the... Read more..

India to introduce new 2-wheeler emission norms

Come 2015, the Indian government will introduce stricter emission norms for two-wheelers, which aim to cut down vehicular emissions by up to 25 percent.

The new emission norms have been finalized and the ministry will soon notify the manufacturers, according to a senior government official who spoke to Economic Times. The government official said that the ministry has “carefully scrutinized” the requirements, especially since Indian emission norms for two-wheelers does not follow the EU norms.

The new emission norms will see two-wheeler makers going in for engine improvements... Read more..

Global Apparel Companies in India: Can They Be Socially Responsible?

Over the last few years, consumer demand for fashion and branded apparel has seen a steady increase. To balance the demand and supply, branded companies have relied on outsourcing materials and production. Recent, horrific tragedies in Bangladesh have only highlighted what many have known for years, several outsourced factories have people working for subsistence level wages, unsafe and unhealthy working conditions, use of child labor is rampant and basics such as fire and safety checks are routinely given amiss. Many activists and writers have taken up these issues, and brands have had to... Read more..

Non-conventional energy finds no favour with discoms

 Reeling under financial burden, the power distribution companies (discoms) in the state are not keen on buying power generated through non-conventional means in view of the high power tariff. None of the three discoms in the state are keen on entering into power purchase agreement (PPA) with alternate energy producers.

This, despite the emphasis on promoting alternate energy sources by the state and union governments.

The only notable PPA entered by state's power management company was with Welspun Renewable to buy 151 MW solar power generated by it.

The discoms are... Read more..

Solar City Project of Ministry of Renewable Energy Faces Dark Future

 The Solar City project under Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has hit a road block for want of funds and land.

Bhubaneswar was one of 60 cities identified by MNRE for Solar City project. Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), the nodal agency for implementation of the project, stated that lack of funds and financial assistance from the State Government has delayed the project.

Drafted by OREDA in collaboration with Science and Technology Department, the project was aimed at bringing down energy consumption in urban areas by 10 per cent.

Initially, a... Read more..

ICTs Increase Carbon Footprint Which They Can Reduce

Information Communication Technology (ICT) is generally supposed to promote good environmental protection through use of e-services such as paperless communications and teleconferencing that reduces travel, especially air travel. But, increasingly questions are being asked whether adopting ICTs is really contributing to reducing the carbon footprint.

“ICT sector has a carbon footprint very similar to aviation industry,” argues Laina Raveendran Greene who is the Executive Director and Chief Strategy and Investment Officer of IBST,... Read more..

Escoms want your surplus solar power

 The five electricity supply companies (Escoms) in Karnataka are working out modalities to tap the surplus solar power available with industries and domestic consumers. They are planning to approach the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) to fix the tariff for such power generators.

Many individuals and industrialists have installed solar panels in their homes and factories.

During an interaction on Saturday with bulk consumers in the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) jurisdiction, Principal Secretary of Energy Department Amita Prasad said that... Read more..