Sustainability Outlook Headlines

$60-billion business opportunity beckons nuclear suppliers

 On November 28, Mumbai will host the Indian Nuclear Energy Summit, 2013 and it is expected that scores of nuclear suppliers from abroad will converge in the city for a pie of “the $60-billion business opportunity.”

“The Indian civil nuclear market is particularly attractive,” says the Organisation of Canadian Nuclear Industries (OCI), which estimates the business potential to be $60 billion. Other estimates put it at $100 billion.

Coming close on the heels of the commissioning of the long-delayed Kudankulam nuclear power project, there seems to be a renewed interest in... Read more..

Regional energy trade to bridge demand-supply gap

 In the past two decades, there has been a remarkable increase in the demand for energy in South Asia, leading to a huge deficit in power supply. A majority of the population in South Asian countries, particularly in Pakistan, Afghanistan and India, is living without an easy access to electricity.

Energy is the fuel for economic growth and an essential requirement for social development. However, its persistent shortage has been a major factor in restricting the growth of the region.

Economies of Pakistan and India have grown at the rate of 3.6% (2012-13) and 5% (2012-13)... Read more..

There is no such thing as waste-water

Bangalore as a city is distinguished by many firsts. It has the largest number of solar water heaters for any city in India for one. It has the costliest water for another, since the water has to come from a river nearly 100 km away and about 300 metres below the city. It also has the single largest number of waste-water treatment plants in India with nearly 700 of them of various scales.

Treatment of used water is of primarily three types: primary, secondary and tertiary. Primary treatment is usually holding the water for it to... Read more..

CII charts out draft guidelines for solid waste disposal

The CII Task Force on waste management has charted out Draft National Guidelines for Solid Waste Management, outlining ways to tackle this major challenge for administrators in the country’s urban and rural areas.

Amit Gossain, Chairman of the Task Force, said about 1,15,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste is generated daily, posing a big problem to administrators in managing its disposal without causing harm to the environment.

The national task force on MSW management was constituted in 2008.... Read more..

Indian Auction For 4000 MW Of Solar Projects To Start Soon

In a few months, an auction is to be held  for the construction of a colossally huge solar project amounting to 4,000 MW in India. This was announced by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Shri Tarun Kapoor, at Intersolar India 2013. 4,000 MW of electricity could power approximately 1.3 million average households.

Kapoor added that the first 1,000 MW phase of the project is scheduled for completion within three years, and that tenders will be invited over the next three to four months.

... Read more..

SunEdison launches solar water pumps in India

SunEdison, a provider of solar technology and solar energy services, on Thursday launched a solar photovoltaic (PV)-based water pump designed for the agriculture sector. Intended for use in rural environments, the water pump is available in 3HP (horsepower), 5HP, 7.5HP and 10HP variants. 

The solar water pump, which will cost around Rs 6 lakh, would help increase crop yield by delivering reliable irrigation without dependence on expensive diesel fuel or intermittent electrical power supply, Pashupathy Gopalan, president, SunEdison, Asia Pacific, GCC and South Africa, said. 

... Read more..

37% of Western Ghats now no-go zone for industry

The ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has finally notified nearly 60,000 sq km area of the Western Ghats across six states as Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), making it a no-go zone where activities like mining, quarrying and setting up thermal power plants and other high polluting industries will be banned with immediate effect.

Building and construction projects of 20,000 sq meters area and above and township and area development projects with an area of 50 hectares and above or with built up area of 1,50,000 sq meters... Read more..

Now, power from vegetable waste

 In an effort aimed at processing degradable waste and also generating power, the Coimbatore Corporation has mooted a proposal to generate power from waste obtained from vegetable markets in the city.

A resolution adopted at the Corporation’s Urgent Council meeting on Thursday said that through the biomethanation process the Corporation would built waste-to-energy plants of various capacities — depending on the quantity of waste generated, which could vary from three to 10 tonnes.

The Corporation would build the plants with its fund or go in for public private partnerships to... Read more..

"Remove VAT on solar products"

 Magsaysay Award winner and Managing Director of Selco India Harish Hande said on Thursday that the State government should remove the 5.5 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on solar products.

Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Hande said some states such as Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh had exempted solar products from VAT. Even in Karnataka, VAT was not imposed on solar products until 2002. He had brought the matter to the notice of the State government, but had not got any response on it.

Solar products should be treated as tax-free products, which would help poor consumers,... Read more..

Green detector for building material

 In what could be a boon to the construction and building industry in the country, the Centre for Advanced Research in Building Science and Energy (CARBSE) at Cept University has developed a 'U-Factor calculator' along with a unique database that will prove beneficial in selecting building material, help in analysis and building energy modelling.

U-Factor, in simple terms, means 'rate of heat transfer'. So, lower the U-factor, lesser the heat transfer through walls, roof and windows of any building. While many such stand-alone calculating tools are available, the database which Cept... Read more..

Omar lays foundation for hydro project

 Addressing a public meeting after laying the foundation of Lower Kalnai Hydro Power Project, the Chief Minister said that indigenous generation of hydro energy is the right initiative to achieve economic goals and generate substantial employment and business activities for youth, particularly in far-off villages and remote areas.

“We have targeted generation of 9000 MWs of power within next 7 to 8 years and necessary edifice has already been laid to achieve this stupendous task”, he said and added that the projects for generation of 2000 megawatt of hydro electricity have been... Read more..

UN carbon emissions reduction system awash in cash as it claims to face hard times

The United Nations-administered cap-and-trade system for reducing greenhouse gases is sitting on a cash hoard of close to $200 million, even as it warns of hard times ahead that could impede its mission.

The cash cushion for the Geneva-based organization known as the Clean Development Mechanism, or CDM, amounts to more than 400 percent of the $45 million reserve that it considers a normal set-aside for rainy days, according to its recently published business plan for 2014-2015.

Given the... Read more..