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Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Trojan Battery enters Indian market for RE applications, telcos & electric transport

 US-based Trojan Battery Company has forayed into the Indian market in partnership with Kochi-based Manikandan Dunamis, which will be the master distributor of Trojan batteries throughout India.

Manikandan Dunamis is a supplier of equipment, consumables and services for a variety of battery-powered applications in South India.

Trojan manufactures deep-cycle batteries which are designed to be regularly deeply discharged, using most of its capacity, unlike starter batteries (like automotive batteries) which are designed to deliver short, high-current bursts (like for cranking... Read more..

Source: Times of India

Excess power bottled up in power surplus Gujarat

 It is a paradox that a little bit of planning can easily address. Gujarat, a power surplus state, is forced to shut down power units for there are no buyers for the power it generates.

On the other hand, power deficit states such as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, with capacity to buy power they badly need are not able to tap in to this surplus in the absence of west-south grid, the commissioning dates of which are being pushed further ahead.

Explaining this dilemma that his government faces on daily basis, Saurabhbhai Patel, minister for power, government of Gujarat, said Gujarat... Read more..

Source: Times of India

USDA sees fall in India's rice output, exports this year

 India's rice output is likely to decline to 103 million tonnes in 2013-14 on crop damage and exports are also expected to be lower at 10 million tonnes, a latest USDA report says. 

The likely crop damage has pushed up domestic rice prices strongly in November and this has been a major concern for the government, which may liquidate rice stock in the local market to check prices ahead of general elections, it said. 

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said: "Rice production has been lowered to 103 million tonnes (from 105 million tonnes) as the recent cyclones in the... Read more..

Source: Economic Times

Rainwater harvesting can help three villages in Ahmednagar

Setting aside 477 hectares of land atop a hill as a groundwater sanctuary may be the solution to drinking water and irrigation woes of 6,000 people in the villages of Ukkadgaon, Mandve and Shiradhon in Ahmednagar district.

City-based scientist S P Bagade has proposed a rain-water harvesting project that may address the water woes. He will present his plan at the National Groundwater Conference in Coimbatore next week. "My pilot project, if successful, can be replicated in other parts of the state, according to local conditions," said Bagade, former additional director of the... Read more..

Source: Times of India

Alstom T&D India will supply its energy management system to Power Grid Corporation of India

Alstom T&D India will help monitor and control India's electricity supply network with two contracts worth Rs 100 crore (12.5 million) awarded by Power Grid Corporation of India

Alstom will supply its energy management system (EMS) to enable reliable, secure and efficient operation of the electric power system. The scope of the two contracts covers EMS packages for India's Southern Regional Load Dispatch Centres (SRLDC and WRLDC).

The growth in India's electrical grid capacity requires the upgrade to both 765 kV AC transmission and High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC)... Read more..

Source: Economic Times

High-end bikes & electric cars made in India for China

In what may come as a surprise to many, India is quietly becoming a production hub of high-end vehicles meant for export to China. Iconic US motorbike maker Harley Davidson, Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM and Mahindra & Mahindra have preferred to set up manufacturing facilities in India than in the relatively low-cost China and export the output.

KTM, 48 per cent owned by Bajaj Auto, has identified two of its products under the Duke brand for export to China as completely knocked-down (CKD) units. The initial target is to sell over 10,000 CKD units of these high-end bikes... Read more..

Source: Business Standard

GERMI Brings Down The Fixed Cost Of Solar Power Plant

  India has some very ambitious plans when it comes to solar power. In the latest development, Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute has managed to bring down the fixed cost of setting up a solar power plant with its research and development. The cost has been brought down to just Rs 35 million per megawatt. 

Speaking at the ongoing Sixth CII Energy Expo and ‘India Energy Conclave’, T. Harinarayana Director, GERMI, told Hindu Business Line, “About seven years ago, the fixed cost attached for a 1 MW solar power plant was about Rs 150 million, which we have brought down to... Read more..

Source: EFY Times

India to generate 1.5 lakh tonne e-waste a year by 2020

India needs to sharpen focus on e-waste recycling and disposal as it is expected to generate about 1.5 lakh tonne of wastage from the use of electronics every year by 2020, IT hardware industry body MAIT said today. 

It also stressed the need for creating greater awareness among people on dealing with e-waste. 

"India, being a geographically complex country, the task of creating awareness about e-waste is an exigent task. This effort also assumes importance as it is expected that the country will generate about 1,50,000 tonne per year of e-waste by 2020," MAIT said in a... Read more..

Source: Economic Times

Raymond looks to improve operational efficiency

 India’s leading textile brand Raymond plans to return its sights to growth and higher profitability in the coming quarters by improving operational efficiencies and strengthen its branded textile business which constitutes nearly half of its revenues.

After focusing on product launches in the past couple of years, the company now plans to improve its operational efficiencies through better supply chain management, closure of non-performing retail stores, more exports for higher realizations in the event of rupee depreciation and leveraging its brand equity in the apparel business... Read more..

Source: fibre2fashion

Gujarat to get country's first smart grid

Like cell-phone users, people may be able to pick a plan for electricity consumption. The Uttar Gujarat Vij Company Ltd (UGVCL) will roll out India's first modernized electrical grid, or the smart grid, in Naroda and Deesa in north Gujarat by April 2014.

The pilot project will study consumer behaviour of electricity usage and propose a tariff structure based on... Read more..

Source: Times of India

French EDF Energies, EREN acquire 50% stake in Indian solar power generator ACME

Two French green energy companies, EDF Energies Nouvelles (EDF EN) and EREN, have acquired 25% stake each in ACME Solar Energy Ltd, the solar energy arm of New Delhi-based ACME Cleantech Solutions in a Rs 550 crore deal.

EDF EN is the renewable energy arm of French state-run utility Electricite De France SA. The Rs 650 crore ACME Cleantech has a current solar power generation capacity of 17.5 Megawatt (MW). Also, ACME Solar is developing two solar projects of 25 Mw capacity each in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.

As part of the deal, the French companies will invest Rs 550 crore... Read more..

Source: Business Standard

Indian Energy Exchange sees oversupply of electricity; fall in trading volumes

Indicating sluggish power demand, Indian Energy Exchange saw a decline in electricity trading volumes in November even as the availability continued to remain high. 

The fall in volumes was mainly on account of the onset of winter in the northern region where the demand for electricity fell as much as 25 per cent. 

November saw 2,481 MUs (million units) traded in the market, marking a decrease of around 6 per cent from the 2,645 MUs traded in October, IEX said in a statement today.

Last month, total sell bids touched 4,239 MUs, while the buy bids were for around 3,660... Read more..

Source: Economic Times

Biomass cookstove generates on-site power

 A biomass cookstove that generates on-site power is to be demonstrated this year in commercial pilot programmes in India, Ghana and Uganda.

The HomeStove converts waste heat to energy using a patent-pending thermoelectric generator, while a USB port enables its user to charge small items such as mobile phones and LED lights. The stove’s creator, US company BioLite, says it also reduces harmful smoke emissions from open-fire cooking by 90% and uses 50% less woody fuel than traditional cooking methods.

BioLite says its target market is made up of the 3.1 billion people... Read more..

Source: COSPP

Affordable bio-toilets for better sanitation

Wockhardt Foundation recently installed bio-toilets in Bharat Nagar in Bandra Kurla Complex. It is a complete waste management solution, which alleviates the need for expensive sewage treatment and waste management. 
 
Bio-toilets are touted as eco-friendly and cost effective solution as it decomposes the solid waste into water and bio-gas and it only requires one-time installation. 
 
Dr Huzaifa Khorakiwala, trustee & CEO, Wockhardt Foundation, said, "Bio-Toilet will play a critical role in preventable healthcare. Along with providing good... Read more..
Source: Times of India

Pune development plan for 30 years gets nod

A plan that is expected to steer the city's development for the next three decades has been approved by the elected members.

The general body of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Wednesday approved the draft for the revised city development plan (CDP) for 2041 as mandated by the central government to receive funds under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

The central government will soon roll out the second phase of JNNURM and civic bodies selected as beneficiaries were told to prepare CDPs to avail of the benefits. Earlier, the PMC had... Read more..

Source: Times of India

Developers welcome Centre's move to promote green buildings

The Centre is learnt to be finalizing a draft policy on non-financial incentives like providing additional floor space to promote green buildings. The move has been welcomed by Thane developers, who say the concept can get a boost if the government provides financial support to the housing sector in the form of incentives like capital subsidy.
 
As per the proposal, the central government was supporting a number of incentives like allowing additional built-up space, over and above the permitted floor area ratio or floor space index, transferable development rights... Read more..
Source: Times of India

Mahindra & Mahindra to develop full-scale hybrid SUV

Mahindra & Mahindra, the country's largest utility vehicle maker, is developing the world's first hybrid technology that can be deployed in vehicles with manual transmission and enhance fuel efficiency by almost 20%. 
 
The company, which may debut its hybrids at February's Indian Motor Show, has established a place for itself in green technologies with close to four lakh socalled micro-hybrid vehicles on Indian roads. It also owns the world's largest electric car company by production capacity, Mahindra Reva, which sells the E2O hatchback, the world's most... Read more..
Source: Economic Times

Pipavav Port among four port projects to get green nod

Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd, the entity that runs the Pipavav port in Gujarat, has survived a scare after the environment clearance granted to the firm in June 2012 for expansion and modernization of the port was re-validated by the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) in the Union ministry of environment and forests.

This is among the four port projects involving a combined investment of about Rs.10,000 crore that were granted environment clearances.

Mumbai-listed Gujarat Pipavav Port is 43.01% owned by APM Terminals Management BV, the world’s third-biggest container port operator... Read more..

Source: Live Mint

Arlington firm aims to power up India

 India is a country where power can be unreliable at the best of times. Flip a switch or turn on an appliance and there's a chance that nothing will happen.

"In India, their grid is very undependable," said Drew Zogby, president of the Bellingham-based Alpha Technologies. "They have six- to eight-hour blackouts every day."

And that makes it a market that's very attractive for businesses that can provide a stable source of power. Businesses such as Arlington's OutBack Power.

In November, OutBack's parent company, Alpha Technologies, announced the purchase of a NavSemi... Read more..

Source: The Herald Business Journal

UN Launches Green Climate Fund With Little In Its Coffers

 The Green Climate Fund, designed as the United Nations' most important funding body in the battle on climate change in developing nations, launched its headquarters on 4 December' 2013 in South Korea, but uncertainty over finances clouded the event.

The launch was largely symbolic, as the Fund, set up by developed nations to channel most of the $100 billion they aim to spend each year by 2020, is not expected to be fully operational until the latter half of next year.

Rich nations, reluctant to stress their already fragile economies, have not paid up as scheduled. Now the... Read more..

Source: Business World

Tata Cleantech to Fund $401 Million of India Projects by 2018

Tata Cleantech Capital Ltd. may fund as much as 25 billion rupees ($401 million) of renewable and energy-efficiency projects in India as costs for coal-based power prompt companies to turn to alternatives.
 
“The combined cost of grid power and diesel generators that many companies use today is higher than solar,” Avijit Bhattacharya, chief executive officer of the lender set up jointly by Tata Capital Ltd. and International Finance Corp., said in an interview in Mumbai.
 
That’s creating an opportunity to fund clean-technology projects that... Read more..
Source: Businessweek

India Needs Market-based Energy Pricing to Meet Vast Needs: PM

With India expected to become world's third largest energy consumer in seven years, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said market-based pricing and technology are essential for meeting the nation's needs in this regard.
 
Speaking at the 8th Asia Gas Partnership Summit here, he said India, which currently is world's seventh largest energy producer, "needs to increase its energy supply by 3 to 4 times within next two decades."
 
"With oil and gas constituting around 41 per cent of India's primary energy consumption, India is expected to be the... Read more..
Source: The New Indian Express

Noida may get waste incinerators

 In order to collect and dispose municipal solid waste generated in the city in a proper manner, Noida Authority has proposed to procure a number of mobile incinerator machines. These machines, besides reducing collected garbage to ash, would leave a residue that could be used for paving and concretizing roads.

The Authority has made the plan to procure such machines after it was issued an interim stay order by the National Green Tribunal from developing its proposed landfill site in Sector 123. A team of officials has been formed by the Authority to prepare a feasibility report... Read more..

Source: Times of India

Solid waste management earns Pune invite to UN coalition

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been invited to be a member of the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC).

If the membership is granted, the civic body could have easier access to funds from international agencies like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank for projects that mitigate environmental degradation.

"The process was set in motion two months ago when we were invited to attend a UNEP conference in Japan. The PMC was the only civic body from India that was invited. Based on our projects, particularly in... Read more..

Source: Times of India

Strong Policy Framework Needed for Solar Power - World Bank

Many developing countries with sun-baked deserts are investing in concentrated solar power, or CSP. While the climatic conditions are right for the technology, these countries face challenges in making CSP viable. These include financing and risk mitigation, reducing costs, and building local capacity, among others.

A group of energy policymakers and practitioners from Morocco, Egypt, South Africa and India, as well as officials from financial institutions and European donor agencies, gathered in Marrakesh, Morocco in October 2013 to share experiences on how they manage their... Read more..

Source: World Bank Group
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