Tata Power want the Moser Baer to be debarred…

Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (TPDDL), a Joint Venture of Tata Power and Delhi Government, asked to debar Moser Baer Photo Voltaic Ltd due to the poor performance of solar projects.

 

TPDDL has awarded three solar projects to Moser Baer Photo Voltaic Ltd, a unit of the Moser Baer group.

A letter has been issued by TPDDL to the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) which says:

 

• The performance of the solar plants installed by Moser Baer has not been up to the industry standards.
• The letter cites a number of failures, including failure to adhere to contractual timelines leading to “tremendous delay” in commissioning of the projects, poor engineering leading to “faulty design and frequent change in layouts”, quality of workmanship and high system losses leading to actual electricity generation being much less than the guaranteed generation.”
• The “poor response to client’s complaints for rectification of faults” and the “weak operations and maintenance support”.

 

As per the news reports, the said letter has been copied to around 87 industry people of Ministry of Power, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy and various State Electricity Regulatory Commissions.

 

AS said by TPDDL, “We had been following it up with them (Moser Baer) for over one year but there was no proper response. However, after the letter was issued (on May 7), there has been some action from Moser Baer side. If the action is satisfactory, we may withdraw the letter.”

 

---

More news on this topic…

• http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/article3584112.ece

---

Read More...

Adani Power signed FSA with Coal India for its Mundra power plant…

Adani Power Ltd has signed a Fuel Supply Agreement with Coal India for supply of coal it its Mundra Power Plant in Gujarat.

 

The 4,620 MW coal-based Mundra thermal power project, which was commissioned in February 2012 is primarily linked to overseas and domestic captive sources.

 

With this almost all the private sector majors have entered FSA with CIL for projects commissioned between April 2009 and December last year.

 

Other private operators who entered the pact so far are: Kolkata-headquartered CESC Ltd; Reliance Power-controlled Uttar Pradesh-based Rosa Power; Lanco and the UP-based Bajaj Energy for a combined capacity of 2,530 MW.

 

The total number of supply pacts signed stands at 15 out of 48 identified projects.

 

While a couple of state utilities have also entered the pact, the Union Government-controlled NTPC Ltd is yet to join the bandwagon.

 

The public sector major has demanded roll back of the existing draft, cleared by CIL board.

 

---

More on this

• http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/article3493887.ece
• http://industrymonitor.in/energy/2012/06/adani-power-inks-pact-coal-india/

---

Read More...

NTPC blames government over power sector crises…

According to the NTPC Chairman, the entire blame of chronic fuel shortages prevailing in power sector is on the Government which has exacerbated the country's energy crisis and put off steps to increase power generation as he repeated a warning NTPC would fall far short of its own target to up capacity.

Mr Arup Roy Choudhury chairman of state run NTPC said that a climate of fear following a spate of corruption scandals had frozen officials into inaction on environmental clearances, land acquisition and allotment of coal mines.

 

Mr Choudhury told Reuters in an interview that "Public sector companies like me are under tremendous pressure because of the environment of suspicion and mistrust.”

He told that "It becomes a game of snakes and ladders, where you overcome a few steps, and then suddenly you find yourself at the bottom of the heap, trying to work yourself through again."

Mr Choudhury reiterated that NTPC, which owns about a fifth of India's generation capacity, would miss its target of adding 25,000 MW to capacity by 2017 and was now aiming for just 14,500 MW.

India relies on coal for two thirds of its power generation, and will need even more for the additional capacity planned to tackle a power deficit that sometimes reaches as high as 13%, hampering industry and plunging millions into darkness.

 

 

---

More on this…

• http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/06/07/india-power-ntpc-idINDEE85609K20120607
• http://www.steelguru.com/indian_news/NTPC_lashes_government_over_power_crisis/267737.html

---

Read More...

Alstom got Rs. 55 Crs orders from NTPC…

Power equipment major, Alstom Ltd,  has recently secured two contracts for the execution of turnkey station control and instrumentation (C&I) for National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) projects.

 

In a release, the company said that it will be providing the C&I equipment for NTPC's 660-MW supercritical projects for Solapur II and Mouda II in Maharashtra. These contracts are worth around Rs 55.4 crore.

 

Alstom said that this is the biggest project for the company in the C&I segment in India and also the first contract provided to Alstom by NTPC in the C&I 660-MW segment.

 

 

---

More on this…

• http://www.epcworld.in/news/post/1035-AM-(Sat)-Alstom-bags-contract-worth-Rs55-cr-from-NTPC.aspx
• http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/article3504548.ece

---

Read More...

Coal India should adopt pooling formula… says Mr. Ahluwalia..

According to the Deputy Chairman of Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the Coal India should adopt a pooling formula on prices by combining the prices of imported and domestic coal to offset the impact of high import costs.

 

As said by him,

"As the import will get expensive, I suggest Coal India should adopt a 'coal pooling formula', which will propose to calculate pricing of

the material by mixing the imported and domestic coal," 

 

He further  added that the state-owned coal utility needs to step up the supplies to power producers and should go for imports, in case of shortfall in domestic production.

 

 

---

More on this…

• http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/CIL-should-adopt-coal-pooling-pricing-formula-Montek-Singh-Ahluwalia/articleshow/13955028.cms

---

Read More...

GE to localise the wind turbine components…

GE Energy is considering to focus on localise the components of wind turbine for the Indian Wind Energy sector for its 1.5 MW and 1.6 MW ratings.

 

As said by Mr Banmali Agrawala, President & CEO, GE Energy,

“The company will be launching products of larger capacities to capture low wind speeds as prevalent in India. The products will be coming out in a year's time and have been developed here. Also, the company is seeing interest in these localised products from other emerging markets as well. GE at present makes wind turbines of 1.5 MW and 1.6 MW capacities.”

Going forward, apart from manufacturing products, GE Energy would be open to providing support to customers in the development phase of the project. Support would be in things like financial structuring or helping with development model and also installation, transportation or commissioning of projects.

 

However, the company, unlike many others in the business like Suzlon or Gamesa, will not provide “packaged services” of providing land along with wind assets. “It does create uncertainties for the business, but we recommend to customers that the land should be acquired by them,” Mr Agrawala said.

 

According to Mr Agrawala, renewable energy especially wind is a “critical part of our business and therefore we are increasingly localising products for the Indian market.” In the renewable energy sector, the company currently manufacturers equipment for power projects, like wind turbines, inverters and switch gears.

 

The products are manufactured at its plant in Pune and the company is in the process of expanding its facility there. While the products will be made for the Indian market but will also use it as a base for exports, Mr Agrawala said.

Read More...

NTPC JV achieves financial closure for Meja Thermal Power Project…

A loan agreement for Rs. 75.75bn was signed on June 06, 2012 with consortium of sixteen Banks led by State Bank of India and syndicated by SBI Capital Markets Ltd.

 

National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd has announced that Meja Urja Nigam Private Limited, a Joint Venture of NTPC Ltd and UPRVUN Limited has achieved financial closure for Meja Thermal Power Project (1320 MW), located in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

 

A loan agreement for Rs. 75.75bn was signed on June 06, 2012 with consortium of sixteen Banks led by State Bank of India and syndicated by SBI Capital Markets Ltd.

Read More...

Coal India should focus production not profits, says Alok Perti…

The former Coal Secretary Sh Alok Perti has advised several measures to improve the coal supply situation of the country.

According to him, the Coal India should put more emphasize on raising coal production rather tan on increasing profits.

As said by him,

"In a monopolistic situation, is profit for a government firm only objective? I think it can not be so. Unfortunately, for the last few months, it is giving that kind of projection only. It needs to change."

CIL accounts for about 80 per cent of the country's coal production. The output remained stagnant for the last two years which is often attributed to lack of forest and environment clearances.

Last year, its production was 431 million tonnes.

He also criticized the laid back approach of Coal India management, saying that the initial public offering of the company in 2010 was supposed to bring in a change in the attitude of the management, but that did not happen.

"We at one stage, when we brought the IPO of CIL got the feeling that this is going to usher in a better management and we thought that for quarterly reports, etc, the Board would be more professionalised. What we find there is not exactly so and that is where I think that Coal India needs to modify for change," Perti said.

Government had in April issued a Presidential directive to CIL for signing fuel supply agreements (FSAs) with power producers assuring them of at least 80 per cent of the committed coal delivery.

However, that did not gel well with UK-based hedge firm TCI, which is the biggest foreign investor in Coal India and has a minority stake in it. It accused CIL of not protecting minority shareholders' interest and harming the company by not opposing to such fuel supply pacts.

"TCI has a point. But, CIL should focus that good value comes through production and not by increasing prices," Perti said, adding CIL has rooms for lowering its production cost.

---

More on this…

• http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/CILs-aim-should-be-on-raising-output-not-profits-Perti/articleshow/13889302.cms

---

 

Read More...