Sustainability Outlook Headlines

India to see 30K MW renewable capacity addition in 12th plan

India is expected to see renewable energy capacity addition of 30,000 MW, with significant contribution from wind power, over the next five years.

"At the end of 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17), the country is expected to have total renewable energy generation capacity of 55,000 MW," Joint Secretary at the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Tarun Kapoor said here today.

India has renewables generation capacity of about 25,000 MW, he said at a conference on the power sector.

Of the projected 30,000 MW capacity addition, around 15,000 MW would be from wind power.

... Read more..

Solar energy sector gaining momentum in Karnataka

The solar power sector is gaining momentum in Karnataka ever since the government introduced a solar energy policy (2011-16). The government has recently concluded a bid process, in which 80 Mw (60 Mw for solar PV and 20 Mw for solar thermal) was allotted to developers at tariffs between Rs 7.94 to Rs 8.50 per unit for solar PV and Rs 10.94 and Rs 11.32 per unit for solar thermal projects.

According to a report Renewable Energy prepared by PwC, which was released at the conference on ‘sustainable energy through renewables’, organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), here... Read more..

Environment information centres set up for data collection

Environment Information Centres have been set up by the Union forest and environment ministry for collection of data pertaining to environment in every state of the country. These centres collect environment-related data in each state and make them available to people through various mediums.

This was informed by union additional secretary environment for forest Nandita Chatterjee at the inaugural function of a national workshop on 'Environment Information Systems' evaluation and discussion' here on Wednesday.

The two-day workshop has been organised by the Union environment... Read more..

Sterlite Copper bags CII Excellent Energy Efficient Unit Award

Sterlite Copper has bagged Excellent Energy Efficient Unit Award during the 13th National Award for Excellence in Energy Management by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) - Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre.

Mr.Pradeep Nair, Head - Electrical and Ms. Parama Kalyani, Associate Manger - Energy and Water, Sterlite Copper received the award from Mr.Ajay Mathur, Director General, Bureau of Energy Efficiency in a function organised at Hyderabad.

The award was in recognition to the company's excellence in reduction of specific energy consumption, its proximity towards global... Read more..

Morgan Stanley joins race to acquire DLF's wind power business

Morgan Stanley, the US-based investment bank, has joined the race to buy real estate firm DLF's wind power business, signalling heightened private equity interest in renewable assets at a time of deepening financial trouble for its main customers and reduced margins due to the government's rollback of incentives.

In a response to an email sent by ET, a DLF spokesperson said: "As a company policy, we do not comment on market speculation." Morgan Stanley also declined to comment.

"Morgan Stanley is keen on buying DLF's business to consolidate wind power assets in India," said... Read more..

NEC Technologies Support Rural Development in India

NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) are to begin studies in support of "smart village" development in agricultural areas of India. The study seeks to improve living conditions for the most needy residents of rural areas as part of the JICA's "BOP Business Feasibility Study Assistance."

Activities include the introduction of hydroponic agricultural practices to communities in a number of areas, such as the Maharashtra and Karnataka states, as well as testing of pesticide-free vegetable production. The hydroponic agricultural... Read more..

Carbon efficiency failing to fight warming: study

A surge in carbon emissions from power demand in the developing world is overwhelming progress by nations including China and the United States in improving efficiency, new research shows.

Seeking to cut costs, numerous nations in recent years have scaled back or revamped the dirtiest plants that use coal, which among major forms of energy is the highest emitter of carbon blamed for the planet's rising temperatures.

But a database set up by the Center for Global Development, a Washington think tank, found that the greater efficiency was far offset by emissions from... Read more..

PM Presents Prime Minister’s Trophy for Excellence to Tata Steel Ltd. and Bhilai Steel Plant of SAIL

The Prime Minster Dr. Manmohan Singh has urged the steel industry to adopt the latest energy efficient technologies in our modernization and expansion programmes. He said this while presenting the Prime Minister’s Trophy for the Best Integrated Steel Plant for the Year 2008-09 to Tata Steel Ltd. Jamshedpur and for 2009-10 to Bhilai Steel Plant of Steel Authority of India Ltd.(SAIL) here today.

He said that the Government has launched the Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) Scheme under the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency. He hoped that the steel industry will work with... Read more..

Solar Panel Maker Doubles Output as Prices Drop: Corporate India

Surana Ventures Ltd. (SURA), an Indian maker of solar panels, is planning to double production after oversupply from Chinese manufacturers pushed prices down by almost 34 percent in the past year.

The company, based in the southern city of Hyderabad, plans to increase output of panels to 30 megawatts this year and invest 250 million rupees ($4.5 million) in a solar cell plant, Managing Director Narender Surana said in an interview. Rising demand for alternative energy driven by coal supply bottlenecks and blackouts may help reverse a slide in revenue, he said.

Surana is... Read more..

Eskom reduces T&D loss to below 10% on efficiency initiatives

South African utility Eskom claims that it ensures power transmission and distribution losses are well below 10 per cent through a mix of energy efficiency initiatives and campaigns.

Brian Dames, the chief executive of Eskom, which is into generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, told PTI that since April 2008 his company has not imposed load shedding.

Dames noted that recovery of dues, prevention of theft and reduction of losses are the responsibilities of the local distributor.

Power theft and non recovery of dues are some of the factors responsible... Read more..

India's Reliance Power and China Datang form venture

India's Reliance Power has signed a deal with China Datang Corp to develop and operate power and energy projects in India and overseas, the Indian company said in a statement on Friday.

Reliance, controlled by billionaire Anil Ambani, and the state-owned Chinese company will form a partnership to invest in and develop Reliance's coal mines in Indonesia and offer operations and maintenance services to power plants in India and other markets.

Financial details of the partnership were not released.

Reliance Power and other Indian generators have been increasingly using... Read more..

Meet focuses on energy sector

The Regulators and Policymakers Retreat 2012, a 4-day conference looking at issues of the energy sector in India began in Goa on Thursday.

The conference 'India: The challenges of an inter-dependent world' is organized by the Independent Power Producers Association Of India (IPPAI) and the union ministries of power, new and renewable energy and coal. Pramod Deo, chairman, Central Electricity Regulatory... Read more..