Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Demand for India Clean-Energy Credits Plunges in November

Demand for Indian renewable-energy credits plunged 41 percent in November from the previous month as the failure of regulators to enforce clean-energy targets prompted companies to abstain from trading, REConnect Energy Solutions Pvt. said.

That drop in demand drove the price of a credit down to 1,500 rupees ($28), the minimum set by the country’s Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, Vishal Pandya, a director at Indore-based REConnect, said today in a phone interview.

Cash-strapped state distribution companies, the main intended buyers, are ignoring their obligations... Read more..

Sensitizing youngsters on wind energy

The power crisis in the country; the growing gap between demand and supply; long-term plans to augment power generation and climate change; — it is imperative to innovate renewable and green energy to power the growing economy.

Mass sensitisation on clean energy is the need of the hour. Youth must be educated and empowered to be a part of addressing these issues. It is in this backdrop, RRB Energy Limited, in collaboration with the British Council’s Active Citizens Movement and The Environmentalist Foundation of India, is organising a nationwide discussion forum ‘WindAge’ to engage... Read more..

BSE launches carbon-based thematic index

The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), on Friday, launched BSE Carbonex, the first carbon-based thematic index in the country, which takes a strategic view of organisational commitment to climate change mitigation.

This index has been launched with the aim of creating a benchmark, and increasing awareness about the risks posed by climate change.

“It will enable investors to track performance of the constituent companies of BSE-100 index regarding their commitment to greenhouse gases emission reduction. Constituents of BSE Carbonex are over or underweighted compared to the benchmark... Read more..

ReGen Powertech bags Rs 1,800 crore worth of new projects

 Wind turbine manufacturer ReGen Powertech has bagged Rs 1800 crore worth of new projects to be installed with third generation new turbine, the company said today.

They include Tamil Nadu based Mytrah Energy India's 67 WEC-100.5MW project, NSL Windfarm's (Maharashtra) 50WEC-75 MW project, Hetero Windpower's ( Andhra Pradesh) project for 36WEC-54MW and Renew Windpower's (Maharashtra) 33 WEC-49.5MW project, the company said.

Meanwhile, the Chennai-based ReGen announced the launch of 1.5MW wind turbine, suitable for low and medium wind speed sites, during the ongoing Wind Power... Read more..

Railways look to solar power New Delhi station

In what could crown the New Delhi railway station as the first ‘green’ station in the city, the Delhi Division of Northern Railway is looking at the option of using solar energy to power the premises.

Under the pilot project, solar panel of 1 megawatt (MW) capacity will be installed in the non-utilised portion of the rooftop. Authorities highlighted the need to conserve energy and reduce the power bill of the station.

At present, New Delhi pays around Rs 1.5 crore as its monthly power bill and draws 5 MW electricity. “The solar panels will help reduce the dependence on the... Read more..

Govt earmarks Rs 540 cr subsidy for rural electrification

The government has earmarked Rs 540 crore as subsidy requirement for electrification of villages where grid connectivity is either not feasible or not cost effective.

Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday informed the Lok Sabha that village mini-grids are important component of universal access to electricity in the country particularly for those villages where grid connectivity is either not feasible or not cost effective.

The minister further said that under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY), a scheme... Read more..

Carmakers want tougher emission norms, not new tax

Is diesel really dirty? Is slapping a green tax on vehicles that run on the fuel the right way to control air pollution and smog in and around the national capital?

It's true pollution and smog levels are on the rise. But the solution to these problems don't necessarily lie in taxing diesel cars higher, auto industry players say. Policy planners will need to look at other contributors, including use of diesel generator sets and the construction boom.

A recent Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) study throws up important findings. Vehicles, it says, contribute 6.6% to... Read more..

Private equity investors shy away from clean tech projects

As major economies grappling with financial slowdown and uncertainty over returns from green projects, private equity (PE) investments in clean technology projects have almost halved this year. The sector saw only 12 PE investments worth around $396 million this year, compared to $793 million in 2011.

Venture Intelligence data reveals that in 2008, there were 33 PE deals in clean tech, including wind energy, solar energy, hydel energy, waste management energy equipment, and bio energy. The number came down to 12 by October 2012. Venture Intelligence is a research service focused on... Read more..

Air Products India Wins Renewable Hydrogen Fueling Station Contract

Air Products APD today announced it has been awarded a contract with India's University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) to build the country's first solar powered renewable hydrogen fueling station.  Air Products' hydrogen fueling technology and infrastructure will be part of a mass public transit bus fueling and vehicle demonstration program administered by UPES.  The station, which will generate hydrogen from solar energy via an electrolyzer and be located at the Solar Energy Centre near Delhi, is scheduled to be onstream in July 2013.

"The hydrogen generated at this... Read more..

Crompton Greaves to set up plant in Bangalore to manufacture IEDs

Crompton GreavesBSE 0.69 % (CG), part of the $ 4 billion Avantha Group, is setting up a greenfield plant in Jigani Industrial Area here to manufacture intelligent electronic devices (IEDs), critical in the control and monitoring of power systems.

The plant will also assemble control and relay panels using these IEDs, complying with the latest Substation Automation standard - IEC 61850, it said in a statement.

"This plant will be the base for manufacturing in India he entire range of protection, control and communication products from CG's Automation Business Unit," it said.... Read more..

Thiruvananthapuram's new waste plan is a US reject

The gasification technology, which will be used in the proposed modern waste treatment plant at Chalai was tried and abandoned in the US three decades ago, according to a study report. Interestingly, the report has been published by a US-based environmental organization, the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League.

The exhaustive report lists out in details the harmful effects of gasification and incineration. "Gasification of municipal solid waste, household garbage and commercial waste products was used in the United States in the 1970s, but those plants were closed because of... Read more..

PM to launch mission plan for electric cars soon

The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 will be launched by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the "next few weeks", Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Praful Patel said on Monday.

"We have an ambitious electric vehicle mobility plan. In the next few weeks, the Prime Minister will officially launch it," Patel said at the diesel technology summit by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers here.

The minister's statement comes after months of delay of the Mission Plan, which was originally proposed to be launched by July 2012. The mission aims at... Read more..