Sterling & wilson bagged a 10 MW solar PV Project in Tamil Nadu...

 

Sterling & Wilson an associate of the Mumbai based USD 2.5 billion Shapoorji Pallonji Group, has bagged a turnkey engineering, procurement and construction order to build a 10MW multi-client Solar PV power park at Karur district in Tamil Nadu in phases. Sterling & Wilson’s turnkey scope of work includes the complete Design, Engineering, Procurement and Construction of the solar power plants within the park.

The company has so far installed 66MW of solar power plants on turnkey EPC basis across India this year. The proposed solar power park is expected to have solar power plants of various sizes totaling 10MW, built over two phases.

The first of the two phases would see 6MW of solar power plants being set up by the last quarter of this fiscal, displacing nearly 8640 MT of CO2 annually and lighting up more than 17,000 households.

The proposed solar power park is being promoted by group of leading home textile exporters from Karur district in Tamil Nadu. The companies have a history of promoting adoption of green energy in the country and also operate 55MW of wind power projects in the state of Tamil Nadu. With its first 10MW solar power project, the group has kick-started its foray into solar energy and has revealed its intentions to create a large solar power portfolio over the next few years.

Speaking on the occasion, Bikesh Ogra, President, Solar Business, Sterling & Wilson, said, “We are honored to be chosen by our clients for building this prestigious – first of its kind – multi-client solar power park in Tamil Nadu. Our extensive capabilities in power sector EPC over the last 86 years, backed by our vast execution experience gained from over 150MW of solar PV power projects in India played an important role in helping us win our customer’s confidence. “We are confident of meeting the customer expectations and commission the projects within the park in the given time schedule,” he added.

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Inter-ministerial panel reviews performance of 16 coal blocks...

 

The Inter-Ministerial panel on coal blocks today reviewed the performance of 16 mines alloted to firms including JSPL, NTPC, SAIL, Abhijeet Infrastructure and Tata Power.

However, no decision was taken on the coal blocks, said a source, adding that some of the companies present gave reasons like lack of environmental clearances and regulatory hurdles for delays in development of the mines.

"The allocatees of 16 coal blocks made presentations before the Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG). However no decision was taken today," the source said.

IMG will meet again tomorrow, for the third day, and review the performance of another 14 mines alloted to firms including JSPL, Monnet Ispat & Energy, Birla Corp and Rathi Udyog, he said.

The panel reviewed the progress of 17 mines yesterday and recommended that show-cause notices be issued to some of the companies for delays in developing them.

The Coal Ministry had earlier asked the companies to make presentations before the IMG on the achievement of milestones prescribed for developing mines that were allotted to them and their reasons for delays.

"It has been decided to provide an opportunity to you (coal block allocatees) to present your explanation/version before the IMG on the current status of development of allocated coal block," the ministry had said.

"You are requested to make a presentation with respect to the achievement of different milestones prescribed for the development of coal block and reasons for delay, if any, with respect to achievement of the same," it had said.

The coal block allottees were earlier issued show-cause notices for delaying the production from their mines.

The government had formed the IMG last year to review the progress of coal blocks allocated to firms for captive use and recommend action, including de-allocation.

The panel under the chairmanship of Additional Secretary in the Coal Ministry has members from other ministries including steel and power.

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First 10,000 Customers To Get Solar Rooftop Subsidy In Tamil Nadu...

 

In order to promote domestic electricity capacity, the Tamil Nadu government is offering a capital subsidy of Rs 20,000 for every 1 kW solar rooftop system. This was promised by Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa back in April.

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According to the renewable energy development arm of the State Government, Tamilnadu Energy Development Agency (TEDA), the cost of a 1 kW solar rooftop system comes out to be Rs 1,00,000. The government will give a subsidy of Rs 30,000, with the investor paying only Rs 50,000. TN will offer another Rs 20,000. This subsidy will be offered on a ‘first come first served’ basis.

TEDA expects that the solar system will generate 1,600 units a year. Now at a tariff of Rs 5.75 per kWhr, the annual savings will be about Rs 9,200.

The subsidy will be given only to grid-connected, battery-less systems, and only for domestic consumers (‘LT-1A’ category), reports Hindu Business Line. Solar power generated is to be consumed within the building. Consumers may choose to buy the solar systems from a list of vendors approved by TEDA. TEDA will “float a tender for empanelling the vendors,” the GO says according to the report.

The subsidy is applicable for only 1 kW systems, that too only for the first 10,000 applicants.

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NTPC seeks gas from KG Basin beyond 2014...

 

NTPC has asked the Government to extend gas supplies from the D6 block in the Krishna Godavari (KG) basin beyond 2014.

In 2009, an empowered group of Ministers (eGoM) allocated 4.46 million standard cubic metres per day (mmscmd) to the public sector power sector.

Out of the total gas allocated, 2.30 mmscmd has been contracted with Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), the operator of D6 gas fields. The present gas sale agreements are valid till March, as the allocation of KG D6 gas was made for five years.

“It is understood that the production from KG D6 fields is likely to continue beyond March 2014. From a fuel security point of view, continuation of supply of KG D6 gas in future is very crucial for NTPC gas stations,” NTPC wrote to the Power Ministry recently.

NTPC uses the KG D6 gas at its power stations in Anta, Auraiya, Dadri and Faridabad.

In addition, NTPC has informed the Government that RIL and its partners are unilaterally changing the terms and conditions of the gas-sale-purchage-agreement (GSPA) in their favour. For example, in the new draft, GSPA has proposed that the seller will have no liability and the buyer will have no right to sue the seller for any delay or shortfall or interruption of gas.

NTPC has said that the supplies under GSPA may get restricted under two circumstances — lack of availability of gas, in line with Government directives. However, RIL is not agreeing to modification of GSPA.

The public sector power producer has sought the nodal Ministry’s intervention for resolution of differences over GSPA.

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NGO puts up green hurdles to NTPC’s Bangladesh project...

 

Some NGOs in Bangladesh are against NTPCBSE 1.36 % setting up a 1,320-mw thermal power plant at Rampal in the Sunderbans beyond the Indian border. According to them, a coal-fired plant will pollute the area, rendering permanent damage to the fragile ecological balance in the region — home to mangroves and the Royal Bengal Tiger.

The opposition came up despite both the countries signing an agreement to set up the plant in Bangladesh. It is being set up as a 50:50 joint venture between India's NTPC and Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) at an investment of about $1.5 billion.

On October 22, the foundation stone for the plant was laid by senior government officials from both sides. National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources , Power and Ports, a strong local NGO, organised a march to the plant site on the day the foundation stone was laid.

"Coal is the dirtiest means of energy generation. We want the location of the proposed plant to be moved and instead of setting up coalfired thermal power plant, solar and other means of green energy generation can be taken up," Pinaki Bandopadhyay, a senior member of the NGO, told ET from Bangladesh.

"In India, thermal power stations can be built at 25 km away from a forest area. If NTPC abides by that law in India , then why are they setting up the plant so close to the Sunderbans in Bangladesh?" he wondered.

The NGO, which is learned to have the backing of powerful opposition leaders in the country , also does not want national resources like coal and oil to be used by foreign companies. "We also feel that the environment and ecology impact analysis report prepared by the Bangladesh government has a number of flaws and it needs to be prepared again," the activist said.

The report tries to quantify the effect of setting up a factory on the ecology and the environment in the area. The NTPC project has been facing hurdles right from the beginning. The first was the suitability of the land that was offered by the Bangladesh government.

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Adani Power posted a net los off Rs. 2609.10 Mn for the Q2 Quarter...

 

Adani Power Ltd has posted the increase in total income from Rs. 15511.70 mn for the quarter ended September 30, 2012 to Rs. 31080.30 mn for the quarter ended September 30, 2013.

Adani Power Ltd has posted a net loss after taxes and Minority Interest of Rs. (10719.10) million for the quarter ended September 30, 2013 as compared to net loss of Rs. (2609.10) mn for the quarter ended September 30, 2012.

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Power sector can sink the economy sans reform...

 

The power sector is in crisis, thanks to misplaced priorities and opportunism in policymaking, particularly at the state level. Two decades after tentative reforms and opening up in the sector, policy stays fixated on generation capacity, never mind huge revenue leakage in power distribution, lack of capacity in transmission and avoidable , policy-induced shortage of coal and gas.

Already, with several state power utilities financially moribund and simply lacking creditworthiness for increased offtake, multiple power producers have announced stalling of operations; entire projects are now on the back burner.

And yet, the power ministry's penchant for new generation activity remains quite undiminished . It is currently soliciting investor interest for two ultra-mega power projects, one each in Tamil Nadu and Odisha, with a combined investment requirement of about Rs 50,000 crore, which are slated to supply to several states.

But the fact remains that several of the state utilities expected to procure the power have run up huge losses and outstandings because of reckless politically-mandated tariffs, attendant giveaways and plain open theft of power, with the powers that be turning a Nelson's eye to the matter.

What is worse is that the policy establishment seems, verily, to have lost interest in arresting the mounting commercial losses in distribution. The annual Economic Survey no longer gives details of the massive forfeiture involved, although a line buried deep in the text does mention, more as an afterthought, that the yearly distribution losses amount to as much as 1% of gross national output,or about Rs 1,00,00 crore.

Itclearly makes little sense to coagulate big-ticket investments when the monies horrendously fettered away, mostly by way of power theft, are twice that. The runaway losses would surely short-circuit the entire power sector, with grave economy-wide implications. Hence the vital need for vision and proactive policy to stem distribution losses and stamp out routine theft, invest in transmission and unclog coal and gas supply.

 

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UPERC asks Discoms not to impose late payment surcharge to the consumers...

 

The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) has ordered all Discoms not to impose late payment surcharge upon those consumers who have been unable to settle their dues because of slow internet connections at billing counters.

The order, issued by the commission a day ago, comes as great relief for thousands of consumers in Noida and Ghaziabad who had been complaining of difficulties in paying bills for the past one month.

Residents had complained that they were unable to make payments despite standing in serpentine queues at billing centres for hours.

They said that though they were not at fault for being unable to make bill payments, the discom, Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Limited (PVVNL), was imposing penalties on them. "It's very unfair to expect consumers to pay penalties when they have to return without making payments despite standing at the queues for hours," said OP Sharma, a resident of Sector 16 in Noida. The discom had told consumers that bill payments were affected due to a state-wide malfunction of the internet system of the power corporation.

The commission has directed discoms to extend the last dates for payment of dues. The orders were issued after a petition was filed by UP Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad, a state-level electricity consumers' body. The petition had been filed after similar problems were experienced by power consumers in Lucknow.

Discom officials said that work is on to fix the problem of internet connectivity. "Consumers will be intimated about the revisions done to their due dates of payments," said a senior discom official.

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