Essar Power's over Rs 11,000 cr investment awaits mining approvals...

 

Within a month after the Comptroller & Auditor general (CAG) tabled the coal block allocation report in Parliament in August last year, the Central Bureau of Investigation filed a first information report (FIR) against Hyderabad-based Navabharat Power Private Limited for the coal block allotted to it in Odisha in January 2008. And this dragged billionaire Ruia brothers promoted Essar Power into the controversy as it had acquired  Navabharat for Rs 230 crore in two tranches in July 2010 and April 2011.

Navabharat Power is a 1,050 MW coal-fuelled power plant being set up in Dhenkanal district in Orissa. The project includes the allocation of 17.39% share of the Rampia coal block that has 112 million metric tonnes of reserves.
 
The CBI in its FIR has alleged that Nav Bharat misrepresented the facts to get the coal block and later made about Rs 200 crore profit by selling it to Essar Power. The CBI questioned promoters and directors of Navabharat, Y Harish Chandra Prasad and P Trivikarma Prasad. It also quizzed Essar Group director Vikash Saraf in this context.
 
The CBI alleged that Navabharat would not have had the requisite net worth for the proposed plant for which the block was allotted to it. Essar Group denied allegations of making Nav Bharat its front for getting the coal blocks allotted. Even the CBI in its FIR has not named Essar as an accused.
 
Following the acquisition, Essar Power has invested more than Rs 500 crore in developing the project and has also achieved financial closure. But no debt has been drawn so far. 
 
Currently the project is awaiting revalidation of various regulatory clearances including environment clearance, water approval, etc. Implementation of the project is linked to mining and regulatory approval revalidation, which is pending for a long time.
 
Apart from Navabharat, Essar Power has been under the scanner of CAG for the blocks allotted to it for Mahan and Tori projects. Essar Power M.P is setting up 1200 MW power plant at Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh (MP).  The first unit of 600MW of Mahan (I) power project in MP was commissioned in Dec 2012. The second unit of 600 MW is at an advanced stage of progress and it will be completed in 2014. The plant is suffering due to lack of mining approval for Mahan Coal Block, which is the captive mine for Mahan Power station.
 
“The delay in mining approvals has resulted in delay in disbursement of project funding and resultant cost overruns which are putting a severe strain on the company’s balance sheet,” said a company spokesperson giving status of the project.
 
Essar Power (M.P) is continuing to make good progress towards Stage 2 forest clearance for the block.  Essar Power (M.P) has also applied for an allocation of coal under Coal India’s tapering coal linkage system in order to provide Mahan with sufficient coal to cover the period until the coal mine gets forest clearance stage 2 and mine is operational. Currently the plant is being operated utilizing coal from the e-auction market in India.
 
The Mahan project had achieved financial closure and significant part of the debt for Mahan has already been drawn by Essar Power M.P Ltd. Till date Rs 7,000 crs has been invested in Mahan by Essar Power M.P including debt and equity.
 
Similarly, Essar Power Jharkhand is setting up 1,800 MW power plant at Latehar in Jharkhand.  The project is called Tori project. Over the past few years land acquisition has progressed, equipment ordered and construction and erection commenced with over Rs 3,500 crore invested towards these activities. However progress has been slow and completion has been delayed with 2 coal mines allocated for these projects –Chakla & Ashok Karkatta   still awaiting regulatory approvals like environment clearances and forest clearances.
 
The Tori project had achieved financial closure and some of the debt for Tori has already been drawn by Essar Power Jharkhand.  Till date over Rs 3,500 crs invested in Tori including debt and equity. This takes Essar Power’s over Rs 11,000 crore investment await regulatory approvals for mining to get the due returns on investment.

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Increased buying from discoms improve sale of RECs...

 

After months of tepid trading, sale of 'Renewable Energy Certificates' (RECs) at the power trading body India Energy Exchange (IEX) witnessed a rise in the current trading session.

The trading session at IEX featured trade of 98,921 non-solar and 6,548 solar RECs with supply far exceeding demand. However, the trading session saw the buy volume increasing by almost 140% over the previous month largely due to increased buying by the power distribution companies.

In the non-solar segment, buy bids of 98,921 RECs and sell bids of 24, 47,684 RECs were received against which 98,921 were cleared at Rs 1,500 per REC.

In the solar segment, buy bids of 6,548 RECs and sell bids of 48,515 RECs were received against which 6,548 RECs were cleared at Rs 9,300 per REC.

Due to dearth of buyers, RECs market crashed recently with both solar and non-solar certificate price stooping to their floor price. There are currently 27 lakh REC lying unsold.

Calculations by IEX and ministry of new and renewable energy show that at the current level of renewable purchase obligation (RPO), the cumulative requirement for all states would be 1.14 crore non-solar RECs and 16 lakh solar RECs in 2012-13. For 2013-14, the requirement would go up to 1.67 crore non-solar and 21 lakh solar RECs.

Pre defined solar RPO target for all states, as mentioned in 'National Tariff Policy' currently ranges from 0.25% to 1.90% of their requirement. Non-solar obligation is in a larger band of 2.5% to 10%. Solar power rich states like Gujarat and Rajasthan are the only ones to achieve their solar-RPO targets.

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CERC to hear Adani Power compensatory tariff issue on Nov 13...

 

Electricity regulator CERC on November 13 will hear Adani Power's plea seeking increase in tariff from its thermal power plant in Gujarat due to rise in price of coal from Indonesia.

Adani PowerBSE 1.08 % had petitioned Central Electricity Regulatory Commission for evolving a mechanism to meet the escalation in fuel cost due to enactment of new coal pricing regulation by Indonesian government.

Adani Power is executing a coal-based thermal power project at Mundra in Gujarat based on domestic coal. Due to shortfall in production of coal by state-run Coal India, the company had tied up supplies with Indonesia.

CERC, in April, had said that Adani Power should be granted compensation package for its Mundra project which would provide a cushion against the escalation in cost of imported coal for the plant.

The compensation in the form of compensatory tariff will be decided by a committee headed by HDFC Chairman Deepak Parekh, the regulator had said in its order.

The committee, in its report submitted to CERC, is believed to have suggested a hike of about 50 paise per unit for the Adani Power's plant in Mundra.

The regulator will decide on the compensatory tariff after hearing the petitioner (Adani Power) and the power procuring states, including lead procurer Haryana. before allowing for escalation in tariff.

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Suzlon's internation arm REPower renamed as Senvion...

 

Suzlon Energy has renamed its German subsidiary REpower Systems as Senvion with effect from 2014, the wind turbine maker said Thursday.

REpower has been using its name under licence since 2001. The rights belong to a Swiss company that is now using this name itself. Therefore the external corporate design will be gradually changed, the company said in a press release.

"In addition to having unique products and services, we will also be the only company with this name. As Senvion we will continue along our path as a strong brand and remain an innovative company in the wind energy industry," Andreas Nauen, chief executive officer of REpower Systems SE, was quoted as saying in the release.

The Tulsi Tanti-promoted wind turbine maker, which has been severely hit by the double whammy of huge debt and slowdown in business, piled up Rs 14,000 crore in debt and has reported losses for the past three years. The company recently received approval to recast debt totalling Rs 9,500 crore under the Corporate Debt Restructuring programme that gives the company a two-year moratorium on principal and interest payments and additional working capital limit that would improve the company's cash position and drive execution.

Suzlon has identified non-critical arms like SE Forge, SE Electricals and its China manufacturing units to for stake sale or complete sell-out. Although some of its bankers are believed to have demanded a stake sale in its German Subsidiary, REpower Systems, the company has repeatedly denied any plan citing it is a 'jewel in the crown' and critical for company's growth.

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New Generation Power’s Consortium to be Awarded 315 Megawatt Power Purchase Agreement in India...

 

New Generation Power, a Chicago based renewable energy company, along with Premier Solar Group, a Hyderabad based solar company has signed one of the largest Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) in India by a consortium. Under the Andhra Pradesh Solar Scheme, the open bid process will now be part of a 1,000 megawatt (MW) development plan that will be built out in the region.

Expected to cost roughly US$400 million over a period of 12 months, installations will spread across multiple sites in the State of Andhra Pradesh with PPA’s for 20 years. NGP’s valuable consortium will build, own and operate all of the plants.

The initial phase for the 70 MW PPA has been executed and development work has already begun. By the end of 2014, the entire 315 MW of solar projects will be completed. WAAREE Energies Limited has been awarded the exclusive EPC contract for 245 MW and Premier Solar/WAREE will be the joint EPC contractor for the initial 70 MW.

Long term financing for the project is being negotiated with various EXIM and other financial institutions.

WAAREE Group, a Mumbai based leading multi-technology company, along with Patriot Solar Group (PSG), will be setting up a joint-manufacturing facility in Gujarat, India that will be fully capable of supplying all product solutions and opportunities by the project’s completion.

“We are very happy with a partnership that will bring more green, sustainable energy to the world. WAAREE will bring its manufacturing and project execution skills to execute this project,” said Hitesh Doshi, Chairman of WAAREE Group.
“Patriot Solar Group is truly delighted to be a part of this world class team. Together with WAAREE Group, the production facilities for our full line of tracking, mounting and mobile fixed off-grid solar systems are already being developed,” said Patriot Solar’s President, Jeff Mathie.

“Premier Solar is proud to have won this large contract and partner with New Generation Power, on the largest solar development project in India. Premier will bring its project development and execution skills to get the project off the ground and ensure timely completion”, said Mr. Karthik Polsani, CEO of Premier Solar group. Premier’s co-development partners on this venture are RRE Power and Inspirra Energy, both US-based development firms.

"New Generation Power will build a world class solar facility that India will be proud to call its own that will create significant job opportunities and economic development for Andhra Pradesh. It’s an honor to be part of one of the largest solar farms globally in my native country," said Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria, the Chairman of New Generation Power. NGP’s additional partner in this venture is Thermo Source.

NGP is currently developing grid scale projects in Africa, Europe, South America and the Caribbean.

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Vikram Solar tops Gujarat solar plants performance ranking...

 

Vikram Solar, a leading global manufacturer of solar photovoltaic(PV) modules and EPC contractor, has been championing the use of efficient and sustainable solar energy. Its efforts are setting new standards in the industry as an independent research has confirmed.

“Sunrise in Gujarat” report by RESolve Energy Consultants, Chennai, has established that the 5 megawatt solar power plant set up by Konark Gujarat PV Pvt. Ltd. whose modules were manufactured and supplied by Vikram Solar, ranks first amongst 50 solar power plants set up in Gujarat over the last year. Significantly, the EPC contract was for this project, set up at village Shivalakh in Kutch district of Gujarat, was also given to Vikram Solar along with operations and maintenance of the facility.

A total of 50 plants aggregating 665.64 MW have been ranked based on their annual yield (MWh/MW) in this research report. All the plants have been operational for at least 1 year. Of these 50 plants, 15 plants are located in Charanka Solar Park (totaling 210 MW) and 35 plants outside Charanka. The generation data available from the Gujarat State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) has been used. Ranking of the power plants has been done on the basis of the Plant Load Factor (PLF) or Capacity Uti¬lization Factor (CUF). PLF or CUF is calculated as the ratio of actual energy generated (for a given period of time) to the maximum (theoretical) possible generation of a power system.

The 5-megawatt Konark Gujarat solar plant set up by Vikram Solar generated 9361 MWh of solar power during the year giving a per megawatt output of 1872 MWh and CUF of 21.3%. The plant was set up using crystalline silicon modules manufactured by Vikram Solar and the design uses fixed tilt of the modules structure. The solar power is sold to the Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA) under a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA).

Gyanesh Chaudhary, Managing Director, Vikram Solar commented, “The recognition is a testament to our experience in typical and complex installations to engineer, procure and construct solar power plants. Vikram Solar is committed to generating efficient power through innovation that is sustainable and also to building trust among stakeholders by being honest and socially responsible in everything we do.”

The RESolve report stated: “In addition to the quality of the solar modules, the plant’s efficiency as reflected in its CUF will depend on some more factors like build quality, Balance of Systems used(cables, structures, etc) and design optimization. One inference that could be drawn is that a developer should pay equal attention to the selection of the Balance of system components, ensure design optimisation and select the right EPC contractors who can ensure build quality and high plant uptimes. Another aspect that could have an impact on the plant CUFs is the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of the plants. A plant that has a very good performance monitoring system (remote monitoring or local SCADA) and is well maintained will obviously lead to higher generation.”

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Southern Railway plans to set up windmills in Nellai district...

 

The Southern Railway is toying with the idea of setting up windmills in the district in a bid to draw on alternative energy to trim its annual electricity bill.

General Manager, Southern Railway, Rakesh Mishra told reporters on Tuesday that a comprehensive project report on installing windmills was under preparation.

Mr. Mishra, accompanied by Railway Divisional Manager, Madurai, A.K.Rastogi, was inspecting the facilities at the Tirunelveli Railway Junction.

Mr.Mishra cited the case of the Integrated Coach Factory which decided to go in for the non-conventional energy programme in 2007 and installed seven windmills at a cost of over Rs.66 crore. The units, set up at Kasthurirengapuram and Urumankulam in the district, offset ICF’s total annual power requirement of 25 million units by generating 25.90 million units. They also earned Rs.2.50 crore as carbon credits.

“It is a highly useful project that saves a lot of money for the ICF now. The power to be generated by the windmill, by offsetting our power requirement, will give the investment cost back to us within 10 years. Hence, the Southern Railway is mulling (the idea of) installing its own windmills in the district,” Mr. Mishra said.

Wind turbine generators are likely to come up along the Aralvaimozhi-Muppandal-Radhapuram belt.

Mr.Misra said further that the railway track electrification up to Kanyakumari would be ready for commissioning either in April or May next year, while the Rs.300-crore gauge conversion project between Shencottai and Punalur would take at least five years for completion owing to paucity of funds.

“This is, in fact, my dream project that will pass through the scenic areas of the Western Ghats. Even the people of Kerala expect the early completion of this project, but paucity of funds may extend the execution period up to five years,” Mr.Misra noted.

The Tirunelveli Junction would get two escalators shortly, Mr.Mishra added.

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PFC to raise Rs.1.5 Billion through bonds

 

 

India's Power Finance Corp invited bids on Wednesday to raise at least 1.5 billion rupees ($24.43 million) through an issue of subordinate tier II bonds, a termsheet showed.

The firm has sought bids for coupon rates for its proposed 12-year bonds, as per the document.

The issue is scheduled to open and close on Nov.7. ($1 = 61.3900 Indian rupees)

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Load shedding resumes in Coimbatore as winds drop...

 

The city witnessed two hour load shedding on Tuesday as wind energy generation dropped.

Officials of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation told on Tuesday that two hour load shedding was implemented in rotation across the city from 7:40am. Usually, hydro generation picked up in the evening hours and wind energy generation was also better in the afternoon.

The normal windy months in the State were from May to October.

The wind season started early this year — by mid-April — and lasted till the end of November. And, wind energy generation was unpredictable now. Though it was festival season, demand for power had not increased much in the city. It was nearly six million units a day on weekdays and remains almost the same now.

However, since there were no rains for the last one week, the agricultural demand could have increased slightly, the officials added.

According to data available on the website of the Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation, the State witnessed 956 MW load shedding on Tuesday morning. Wind energy generation on Tuesday morning was just 49 MW as against 500 MW on Monday morning and 991 MW last Tuesday.

Unscheduled load shedding now would not affect the industries here much as workers have started going home for Deepavali. R. Ramachandran, president of Coimbatore District Small Industries’ Association, said that industries would resume full-scale operation only after a couple of weeks as workers from other States and districts would return to work only after a week or so.

The Government was already buying power and it should increase the purchase to meet the demand. The industries would be able to manage two to three hours of scheduled load shedding a day.

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Industry miffed as Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission allows higher cross subsidy charge...

 

In what may be a gain for farmers, but a loss for the manufacturing sector, Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has approved a hike in cross subsidy surcharge (CSS) from Rs 1.18-1.60 per unit to Rs 2.30-2.75 a unit respectively.

This has left the industries miffed. CSS is a charge levied from the industry when it buys power from open market rather than the state-owned utility MSEDCL.

It is levied to make good the losses on account of cheap power for agricultural and other consumers. For this reason, MSEDCL charges industry a higher rate but if the industries buy power from sources other than MSEDCL, government does not get the money for funding subsidy. CSS is charged on purchases from open market to bridge the gap.

Vidarbha Industries Association (VIA) has been lobbying hard to do away with the CSS. However, the deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who also heads the power ministry, has flatly refused on the grounds that funds were needed for subsiding the farmers and poor consumers. MERC decision to hike the CSS has left the industries disappointed. VIA said that it would appeal the order.

R B Goenka, who represents VIA in MERC, said the order would kill competitiveness of private power players operating in open market. After adding the increased CSS, power from open market becomes almost equal to MSEDCL.

"MSEDCL charges Rs 7.50 per unit on average. With higher CSS, power from open market would be costlier at Rs 7.65 a unit. If the load factor incentive is claimed by a consumer, MSEDCL tariff can be further reduced to around Rs 6.75 a unit," said Goenka.

Goenka claims high power tariff had hit industrial production in state. He is relying on year-on-year change in consumption by high tension users. "The consumption has come down by 2% this year," he said. HT users include commercial establishments, townships as well as industries. According to Goenka's estimates it was likely that the industrial consumption may have gone down by 5% but consumption by commercial establishments and townships increased leading to a net fall of 2%.

 

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Power Grid to invest Rs 2,820 crore in four projects...

 

State-owned Power Grid Corp today said its board has investments worth Rs 2,820.04 crore for four projects.

The power transmission major would invest Rs 1,364.52 crore in "Eastern Region Strengthening Scheme-V" project, with commissioning expected in 30 months, according to a regulatory filing.

Besides, the company would pump in Rs 1,315.90 crore in "Inter-Regional System Strengthening Scheme in WR and NR (Part A)" project, which is anticipated to be completed in 36 months.

As per the filing, Power Grid would shell out Rs 76.30 crore for procurement of telecom equipment, operation support system and other telecom network requirements among others.

This project is estimated to be ready in one year from the date of award.

Further, the company would be developing a "Transmission System for Solapur STPP (2x660 MW) at an estimated cost of Rs 63.32 crore with a commissioning schedule of 24 months from the date of investment".

These investment proposals were approved by the company's board during their meeting held on October 23.

Shares of the firm closed flat at Rs 100.60 on the BSE.

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