Aggressive bidding in coal e-auction to hurt power sector…

 

According to some of the Power Sector Bidders, the aggressive bidding by some of the bidders would lead to disaster in the tariff and capital cost of the power projects.

Several bidders have taken a very aggressive call discounting the mining fee by making money elsewhere such as coal sizing/handling costs, washing costs, selling of rejects/middling in open market, port charges, transportation/shipping costs etc. in their landed price of coal to their power plant.

This will lead to a chaos in the sector and will hamper the sustainable growth of the coal sector.

It was expected the Power Ministry will prepare new Standard Bidding Documents & Guidelines by incorporated the past experience and plugging all the loopholes to encourage the bidders to bid for serious and mature bids which will be sustainable in the future and provide overall growth in the Sector.

However this philosophy is not evident in the present coal block auction process and the entire process is plagued with several important loopholes.

If the present auction process continues in the same way then it will defeat the sole purpose of the sustainable and transparent growth in the sector and will lead to a complete failure of the system which will end up providing control of the majority of the mines in the hands of few mighty bidders only.

The sector experts also pointed out that aggressive bidding will also not encourage investments in the sector. Some even suggested that the best solution today will be to handover these mines to Coal India in the interim and let the Ministry to develop a full-proof bidding guideline first so that the serious & sustainable bidding takes place leading to an overall growth of the coal sector.

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CLP India awards 100 MW wind power project in MP to Gamesa

CLP India, the Indian subsidiary of Hongkong-based power company CLP, has awarded a 100MW wind power project in Madhya Pradesh to wind energy firm Gamesa. 

The project is a turnkey project to construct 100MW wind farm in Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh. 

The Chandigarh project is due for commissioning in December 2015, it added. 

The new wind project will increase CLP India's wind power portfolio close to 1100MW across six states - Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. 

Gamesa will handle the entire infrastructure needed to set up and operate the wind farm, including installation of 50 new G97 2.0 MW turbines with extended hub height of 104m. The G97-2.0 MW- T104m turbine is specifically designed for Indian wind conditions at low wind speed sites offering low cost energy, thereby improving operational efficiency. 

The contract also includes a long term operation and maintenance service.

Gamesa had commissioned 60MW wind farm in Jath, Maharashtra in March 2014 for CLP India. 

This new contract puts Gamesa's 2014 Indian order intake at 850 MW. From January to September, India accounted for 27 per cent of the MW sold by Gamesa. 

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WAAREE Energies ramps up solar PV module manufacturing capacity to 500 MW in Gujarat…

 

WAAREE Energies Ltd. has completed the installation of an additional 250 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing capacity, bringing the company's total annual manufacturing capacity to 500 MW.

With this installation, WAAREE's manufacturing plant in Surat, Gujarat has become the largest single location solar PV module manufacturing facility in India.

Earlier, WAAREE Energies have managed to secure ~40% of module supply contract in the DCR (Domestic Content Requirement) category, under National Solar Mission Phase II tenders.

In order to meet the huge demand from Europe, UK, Japan & African countries, apart from the Indian markets, Company is already working to expand the production capacity to 1,000 MW which will be completed in the next four months.

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Alstom T&D secures Rs. 138 Crore contract from PGCIL...

Alstom T&D India has secured a Rs 138 crore (approximately Euro 17 million) contract from Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) to supply transformers and reactors for the expansion of 400/220 kV grid substations across southern India. The project is part of Power Grid’s System Strengthening Scheme to boost power handling capacity of substations, and stabilise the transmission infrastructure in southern India.

 

Under this new contract, Alstom will supply six units of 400/220 kV, 500 MVA transformers and two units of 420 kV, 125 MVAr shunt reactors. All equipment will be supplied from Alstom T&D India’s manufacturing facilities across the country.

 

This is Alstom’s second win to strengthen the country’s transmission infrastructure under the System Strengthening Scheme. The first power transmission reinforcement contract was awarded in July 2014 to expand 400/200 kV grid substations across eastern India.

 

Rathin Basu, Managing Director, Alstom T&D India, said, “Winning a second project under the System Strengthening Scheme is a major achievement for Alstom, confirming our industrial expertise and leadership. We are delighted to continue contributing to the development of India’s national grid infrastructure.”

 

Source: Business Standard

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NTPC hopeful of starting Katwa thermal project in few months...

 

Power major NTPC has expressed the hope that construction of the 1,320-Mw Katwa thermal power plant in the West Bengal would begin construction in a few months.

NTPC Chairman Arup Roychowdhury, who met state's power minister Manish Gupta today, indicated that the company hoped to get the board's nod for the project by February-March.

Gupta, who described the meeting as a courtesy call, said that NTPC assured to begin construction of the plant soon.

Coal linkage was one of the issues before the power major. The captive coal block meant for the project was deallocated by the coal ministry. The state power department would place a proposal to offer coal linkage from its captive blocks before the Cabinet for its consideration in February, Gupta said.

NTPC proposed to construct two thermal units of 660 Mw on 557 acres which it has in its possession. NTPC has also received positive feedback from land owners for 150 acres it required for the ash pond.

A few months ago, NTPC had said that unless 150 acres was not arranged by the state government it was not possible to go ahead with the project.

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Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board asks Essar to shut down Singrauli plant...

 

Essar Energy’s Mahan-I 600MW coal-fired power plant in Singrauli district has been ordered to stop all operations by the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB).

During the monsoons in September last, MPPCB’s regional office in Singrauli reported that large quantities of fly ash — an effluent discharged during the combustion of coal — was flowing from the plant into the Garha stream and surrounding areas. In reply to a notice sent to Essars’s local subsidiary — Essar Power MP Limited — the company said that a new ash dyke to store the ash was under construction and that illegal discharge of ash outside the factory had taken place due to unexpectedly heavy rainfall.

Not satisfied with their response, the MPPCB ordered it to stop all operations on January 13. The company has also been asked to build a permanent ash dyke, install a continuous ambient air monitoring station, a sewage treatment plant and a tree plantation. Only on completion of these works can the company apply for permission to restart operations.

Essar has two 600MW power plants in Mahan. While Mahan-I started Commercial Operations in April, 2013, Mahan-II is under construction. Both plants intend to draw coal from the Mahan coal block, which has proven reserves of 150 tonnes of coal, where mining has not yet started as clearances have not yet been granted.

The forest in Mahan is home to 14,000 people, including Agria, Kol, Khairwar, Gond and Panika tribes. Objections were raised by the Union Ministries of Environment and Forests and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs over endangering biodiversity and violation of forest rights

Despite this, the Rs. 6,500 crore joint venture of Essar and Hindalco to mine in Mahan was granted clearance due to “huge exposure to nationalised banks.”

Greenpeace’s Media Officer in Singrauli, Avinash Chanchal told that the factory continues to violate rules. “Their ash dyke is just across the road from a settlement. It poisons the water table and pollutes the air causing lung problems.”

Greenpeace and the Mahan Sangharsh Samiti hoisted a banner over Essar’s offices in Mumbai last week which read “We Kill Forests.”

Essar House Limited filed a defamation suit against the activists on Monday. While company sources said it is for Rs. 500 crore, Greenpeace said it was a Rs. 1,000 crore suit.

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South Africa offers coal to Punjab for thermal plants...

 

South Africa has extended support to the Punjab government for providing coal for its thermal plants, which would go a long way in making it a power surplus state.

France K Morule, South Africa's High Commissioner to India, told mediapersons that he had met with Punjab governor Shivraj Patil and CM Parkash Singh Badal on Monday and held talks with them regarding the forthcoming tie-ups with the state.

He said there were surplus coal deposits in South Africa and a regular coal linkage would be established with Punjab for its thermal plants. "We are a mineral rich country and would certainly like to have an agreement with Punjab on this, to which the chief minister has readily agreed," he added.

He was accompanied by a renowned entrepreneur, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, who is the President of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Consul, Republic of South Africa for Northern India.

"We are here to promote trade investments, tourism and cultural exchange with Punjab as there are historical bonds between the two countries," said Morule. He added that South Africa relates to India in many ways and people there relate a lot to the Indian history.

Morule said in the meetings it was decided to have tie-ups for two food processing plants in the state. He said soon a study team would be sent from South Africa to study viability in the Kinnow processing sector of the state.

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Solar Plant in BHEL to be Commissioned in 2 Months...

 

The 5 MW solar power plant being set up at the Boiler Auxiliary Plant (BAP), attached to the BHEL, at Ranipet, would be commissioned in the next two months, executive director of the plant Veeraraghavan said.

He said this while addressing a gathering on  Republic Day on Sunday.  Veeraraghavan said that the BHEL at Ranipet had commissioned the first ammonia gas conditioning System at TISCO, Jojobera, in collaboration with Heavy Water Board (HWB), Mumbai. In association with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), the BAP developed a brand new technology for simultaneous extraction of polluting sulphur oxide and nitrous oxide from boiler flue gas. This technology was unveiled by the President of India on 15 November, 2013, he added.

The official noted that five Quality Circles of BHEL Ranipet had won gold medals in quality conventions held in Madurai, Chennai and Kolkata between September 2013 and December 2013.

Further, he said, 365 employees of the plant had registered as eye donors in an eye donation camp held by the BAP. The BAP had also bagged an order for supply of a 4000- cubic metre Water Treatment Plant from OPAL, Dahej. This was the largest capacity pre-treatment system order that BHEL Ranipet had bagged so far, he said.

As part of Corporate Social Responsibility, projects worth `35 lakhs were planned by the BAP for this year that included constructing a toilet and associated facilities for the vendors at the weekly Wednesday market in the township, building compound wall and providing a reverse osmosis drinking water facility for the Government Girls Higher Secondary School at Sholingur and constructing a kitchen with store room for the midday meal scheme at SRK- BHEL School.

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Waaree Group launches portal to expand retail business…

 

Diversified conglomerate Waaree Group launched a portal waareemall.in with an aim to provide an online platform for selling its solar products.

Through this platform, Waaree will be able to offer a large range of its solar products like solar mobile charger, solar bag, solar battery charger, solar camping light and other portable products, the company said in a statement.

"This online venture will help us in extending our business and facilitate our customers with convenient access to our products," chairman and managing director Hitesh Doshi said.

The portal will help the company enrich its customer database as the e-commerce venture follows a B2C model, he said.

Waaree Group is a multi-diverse technology group having forte in various verticals such as solar energy, industrial valves and level gauges and petroleum equipment.

"In future, the platform will also sell our industrial retail products like valves and level gauges," Doshi said.

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IREDA plans to raise 1000 cr via bond issue; files DRHP…

 

New Delhi based company "Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited" (IREDA) has filed DRHP for its public issue of tax free, secured, redeemable, nonconvertible bonds in the nature of debentures of face value of Rs 1,000 each for an amount aggregating up to Rs 1,000 crores in fiscal 2014.

The bonds will be issued in one or more tranches. The company is a non-banking financial institution registered with RBI, engaged in extending financing services to projects and schemes for generating electricity and energy through renewable sources and conserving energy through energy efficiency.

The proceeds of the issue may be utilised towards financing renewable energy and energy efficiency projects and augmenting our resource base.

The bonds shall be listed on the BSE and NSE within 12 Working Days from the issue closure date. Karvy, AK Capital and RR Investors will be the lead manager, Link Intime India Private Limited will be the registrar to the issue.

However, SBICAP Trustee Company Limited has appointed as a debenture trustee to the issue.

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