Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Welspun to source 100 MW solar module from Solar Frontier

Welspun Renewables Energy Pvt Ltd today said it has signed an agreement with Japan's Solar Frontier for sourcing 100 Megawatt thin-film solar module. "Solar Frontier's CIS modules will be used in Welspun Renewables' upcoming solar power projects in India at sites with high levels of solar irradiation," the company said in a statement here. 
 
The supply agreement follows recent Power Purchase Agreements that Welspun has signed with multiple states. The company targets commissioning over 1 GW of solar and wind capacity within fiscal 2015. Solar Frontier will supply its... Read more..

Tender cancellation issue hits PM Modi's Smart City project

The Narendra Modi government's ambitious smart city project has run into a hitch with the last-minute cancellation of its first major tender — to hire a consultant — amid allegations of "conflict of interest". 
 
International consultancy firm McKinsey "unofficially" helped out the urban development ministry in preparing the groundwork for the Rs 7,000-crore project and one of its consultants even authored a key tender document for the selection of the consultant, said people in the know. However, the firm itself wasn't barred from bidding for the tender and was apparently... Read more..

First Solar Looks To Cash In On The Green Mood In India

Bogged down by staggering power supply in India, pharma units and IT companies, among others, are looking at solar power to meet their energy demands.
 
First Solar has envisaged a good opportunity in this segment and is planning to set up dedicated solar power plants for industries and commercial establishments across India, who would like to meet some part of their electricity requirement through renewable energy sources.
 
First Solar India head, Sujoy Ghosh explains that several multinationals such as Microsoft and Cisco, which procure renewable power globally,... Read more..

Government May Introduce Priority Sector Lending Certificates for Banks

The government proposes to introduce Priority Sector Lending Certificates (PSLCs), on the lines of carbon credit trading, wherein banks can earn premium for exceeding targets.
 
This will be a part of the government's "re-orientation" of the priority sector lending schemes where banks are given targets to provide credit to specific sectors, like exports and agriculture.
 
"PSLCs will provide a market-driven incentive for efficiency and enable banks to sell their surplus lending and thus earning a premium for their efficiency/geographical spread," sources said.... Read more..

The big climate question: Can we sever the link between CO2 and economic growth?

Historically, there's been a tight relationship between economic growth and the carbon dioxide emissions driving climate change. As the world's economy expands, we've built more power plants and factories and driven more cars and trucks. That's long meant burning more coal, gas, and oil.

IN 2014, THE GLOBAL ECONOMY GREW 3 PERCENT — BUT EMISSIONS STAYED FLAT

If we ever hope to stop global warming, we'll have to sever that relationship — and figure out how to have economic growth while reducing emissions. (Alternatively, we could halt economic growth,... Read more..

Scania plans fresh investment, to make India one of its top 5 biggest markets globally

Swedish truck and bus maker Scania AB is betting big on India. As the company prepares to start commercial production of buses at its factory near Bengaluru this month, it is also counting on a boom in mining activity to boost sales.
 
"I think the mining sector where we are in, that segment is going to give us a lot of opportunity with new clarity from the government, especially in the coal blocks," Henrik Henriksson, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Sales and Marketing, Scania, told ETAuto in an interview.
 
Scania plans to start sales of locally made... Read more..

Heavy Ind Ministry plans pilots to push e-vehicles

In Coimbatore, delivery boys of Domino’s Pizza will soon deliver pizza to customers in electric two-wheelers as part of a pilot undertaken with the help of the Ministry of Heavy Industries to promote use of such vehicles. The company is buying 50 electric two-wheelers for which the Ministry will provide incentives, said the Ministry’s Additional Secretary Ambuj Sharma.
 
The Ministry is also joining hands with Ashok Leyland for developing an electric bus and with the Tata Group for a hybrid bus. “The Tatas are running the hybrid bus in Spain. We want them to run it in India,... Read more..

PwC hired as consultant for solar energy scale-up plan

Government today said PricewaterhouseCoopers has been engaged as a consultant for formulation of a plan to scale up solar energy in the country. "PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Pvt Ltd has been engaged as a consultant for formulation of solar energy scale up plan," Power Minister Piyush Goyal said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. 
 
The minister further said some of the work undertaken by PwC includes assessing the power scenario in the country and analysing the efficacy of ongoing initiatives by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) as well as brining out a... Read more..

Global emissions stall in 2014 following slowdown in China's economy

A slowdown in China’s economic growth helped the world to a pause in the upward rise in greenhouse gas emissions last year, according to data released on Friday.
 
China burnt less coal last year than expected, as the projected rise in its energy demand faltered along with the rise in its economic growth, and as the expansion of its renewable energy generation continued.
 
Emissions of carbon dioxide related to energy use were flat in 2014, compared with the previous year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Friday. Previous pauses or falls in the upward... Read more..

Red tape stifles India’s energy dream; just 15% PSC discoveries yield

India’s efforts to augment domestic hydrocarbon output and cut costly imports are stymied by the slow pace of converting discoveries into producing assets, a situation resulting largely from hurdles posed by regulators, rather than developers’ ineptness.
 
According to data gathered by FE, while as many as 213 discoveries, comprising 107 for crude oil and 106 for natural gas, have been made in the 61 blocks awarded so far, just 31 (20 crude oil blocks and 11 gas assets) are currently under production. That reflects a dismal success rate of less than 15% and compares poorly with... Read more..

Punjab to launch 'solar power generation scheme' for farmers

Punjab government will launch a 'solar power generation scheme' for the farmers to meet the growing challenges of land scarcity, alarming ground water table situation and depleting soil health in the state, officials said today. 
 
The scheme will offer the land-owning farmers 'solar power projects' ranging 1 MW to 2.5 MW, an official spokesman said. 
 
It will have multiple purposes of generating clean and green energy, meeting the challenge of land scarcity as well as developing the entrepreneurial skill amongst them thereby enhancing their income, he said. ... Read more..

Special allowance for waste-pickers mooted

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is planning to give special monthly allowance to waste-pickers working in slums to recognise their efforts in addressing garbage problem of the city. 
 
The general body will discuss the proposal in the next few weeks. 
 
"The waste-pickers get mixed garbage in slums. While they should get Rs 25 per slum unit or tenement per month, nearly 80 per cent residents don't pay. As a result many have left their jobs," said Bapu Karne who has submitted the proposal. 
 
Lack of financial support to the waste-pickers has... Read more..