India, Australia to hold 3rd round of talks on nuclear deal...

 

India and Australia are to hold the third round of negotiations to finalise a civil nuclear agreement that could enable the sale of Australian uranium to India, in Delhi during the week beginning November 25, it was announced on Friday.

A statement issued by the Australian Foreign Ministry after talks between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries, Salman Khurshid and Julie Bishop in Perth, states that they have agreed that the conclusion of a high-quality Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement would underpin a further significant expansion of the trade and investment relationship to mutual benefit.

Bishop also briefed Khurshid on the Australian Government’s commitment to open trade and investment policies and welcomed further Indian investment into Australia, the statement adds.

The Ministers also confirmed that the inaugural cyber security dialogue would be held in the first half of 2014, and reiterated the two countries’ commitment to work together to address threats such as terrorism and transnational crime.

 

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GVK Power gets approval for Kevin's Corner mine in Australia...

 

Australian Federal Government has granted environmental approval for GVK's Kevin's Corner Project in Queensland, the city-based infrastructure major said today.

In late 2011, GVK had acquired a 100 per cent stake in the Kevin's Corner project and a 79 per cent stake in the Alpha Coal and Alpha West Coal projects from Hancock Prospecting Pty. Ltd.

GVK Reddy, Founder Chairman and Managing Director, GVK Power and Infrastructure Limited, said the company commends the Federal Government on its thorough environmental assessment process and its decision to approve this significant project that will create immense employment opportunities.

"This approval comes as a major milestone towards our goal of becoming the premier and most reliable coal supplier to the world thus enabling better lives. It further strengthens our commitment to deliver world-class infrastructure projects in a timely and responsible manner," Reddy said.

Following a rigorous and thorough assessment process by two levels of government spanning five years, Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt gave an approval decision to construct and operate Kevin's Corner Coal Mine, 50 kms north of the town of Alpha in Queensland, GVK said in the release.

In a timely and considered decision, the Minister finely balanced the protection of environment with the need for economic investment and job creation, it said.

The Kevin's Corner Project is an advanced coal project and has a mine life in excess of 30 years with a capacity to produce up to 30 million tonne per annum of export quality thermal coal.

 

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C​hemical Industries Association urges Govt to set up offshore wind power projects...

 

The Chemical Industries Association has urged the Government of India to work towards setting up offshore wind power plants in India. Offshore wind farms are those constructed in water bodies to harness wind power.

"India is facing an impending energy crisis due to the necessity to import around 110 million tonnes of coal, around 185 milllion tonnes of crude oil and 16 billion cubic meters of natural gas every year. Considering that India production of these resources has almost become stagnant, the country's import of these products will almost double in the next 7-8 years. India has to urgently look for appropriate indigenous energy sources and offshore wind power is an appropriate energy source opportunity," the Association has said in an appeal to the Prime Minister and Chief Minister of costal states.

"India has around 7000 kilometers of coastline which provide enormous opportunity for the country to set up several off shore wind power projects. States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat have big opportunities for setting up off shore wind projects," the president of the Association, P K N Panicker said.

"While India has installed capacity of around 18,000MW of on shore wind power, the capacity utilization is only around 40% every year due to lack of wind speed during several months. Even if the country increases onshore wind capacity, this would continue," the appeal said.

Europe is focusing in a big way on offshore wind power projects with capacity of around 6,000 MW built over the last few years. India should immediately seize this offshore wind power opportunity and take steps to build 1 lakh MW of offshore wind projects in the next 15 years, the appeal said.

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Power utility keen to cut residential users' tariff...

 

The state power distributor-Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL)-is keen on exempting residential users from paying renewable energy (RE) charges.

The utility, which supplies power to Thane, Navi Mumbai and parts of the eastern suburbs, wants to impose the levy on "polluting" industrial units. A petition with regard to the RE charges was heard by the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission, which in its order this week stated that "the petitioner may raise the issue during the tariff determination of MSEDCL". "Following the regulator's order, we will present a proposal for exempting RE charges and reducing tariff for residential consumers in the aggregate revenue requirement," a MSEDCL spokesperson told TOI. The aggregate revenue requirement for a multi-year tariff plan is likely to be submitted by December after which public hearings will commence.

Industry associations have strongly opposed the proposal. "It is unfair to create a separate category of polluting units. All industries receive a certificate from the pollution control board and industries are already make efforts to minimize effluence," said SL Patil of Thane Belapur Industries Association. and keep it within the permissible limits. Imposition of cost of RE power on industries shall increase their tariff. "It would be great injustice and many industries in Maharashtra will either close down because of unaffordable power or shift to other states,'' he pointed out.

Power expert Ashok Pendse also questioned the state power distributor's rationale.

"We are not buying renewable (non-conventional) energy because of pollution, but it is being promoted because in years to come, the conventional resources such as coal and gas are going to get depleted. It is irrational to impose RE charges on industries," he said. "The tariff for RE sources is very high. The average cost of purchasing renewable energy has increased Rs 3.81 per unit in 2009-10 to Rs 4.32 per unit in 2012-13. Due to the higher cost of RE power purchase, the average cost of MSEDCL also rose from Rs. 3.30 per unit to Rs. 4.25 per unit," a MSEDCL official said.

"This has direct impact on ARR and subsequently affects the overall tariff, specially the tariff of low end common consumers of MSEDCL,'' the official stated. "Since the burden of RE purchase is borne by the common consumers, we want to change the scenario and pass it on to the industries responsible for pollution and climate change,'' he added.

The industries associations are likely to raise objections when the ARR comes up for public hearing, sources said. "However, we are taking the step in the general interest of the low-end consumers, who are burdened with hefty electricity bills,'' a MSEDCL spokesperson added.

MERC has asked Tata Power company to treat all residential consumers, with an average consumption of upto 300 units in the last 12 months, as direct consumers from November 1. This means that consumers in the 11 clusters will be paying less tariff. Tata will have to procure necessary power for these consumers and also create infrastructure and provide customer care facilities in near future.

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NanoPV Voltech to set up 75-MW plant near Chennai...

 

NanoPV Voltech Solar Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between US-based NanoPV Solar Inc and the Voltech group of Chennai, expects to open a solar module manufacturing plant near here in December.

The facility, with a capacity to make 75 MW worth of modules a year, is being set up at an investment of Rs 100 crore.

The solar module can be used as a component of a larger photovoltaic system to generate and supply electricity. The Voltech group has nothing to do with Voltec Solar, the Alsace, France-based producer of high quality photovoltaic solar panels.

NanoPV was founded in New Jersey, US, in 2005 by Anna Selvan John, who hails from Chennai. John is also the President and CEO of the Indian joint venture.

The 75MW plant will produce crystalline silicon modules. The company has plans to make solar cells also, John told Business Line on Friday. Modules are made up with cells.

He added NanoPV has developed a hybrid cell technology which can convert 21 per cent of sun’s energy falling on the cells into electricity.

At a later stage, these hybrid cells will be manufactured at the Indian plant.

NanoPV Voltech’s subsidiarieshave won rights to set up two solar power projects—of 10 MW and 14 MW—in Tamil Nadu, through a bidding process of the state utility, Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corp Ltd (Tangedco).

The Chairman of the Voltech group, M Umapathi, told reporters here on Friday land for the projects was ready and the company had even organised the necessary “bank guarantee”. “We are waiting for Tangedco to sign the power purchase agreement.”

The 24-MW solar projects will be captive customers for the manufacturing plant. Apart from this, NanoPV Voltech has also won contracts for setting up a a6 MW solar plant from other winners of the Tangedco bid.

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