Featured Articles...

Showing posts with label Karnataka. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Karnataka. Show all posts

January 20, 2014

Mega Plan to Generate Power from Sewage by Bangalore Sewerage Board...

 

Mega Plan to Generate Power from Sewage by Bangalore Sewerage Board...

In its efforts to minimise power bills, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is preparing a road map to generate 100 MW of power from over 1,000 MLD of sewage generated in the city.

BWSSB Chief Engineer S Krishnappa said, “As we are consuming around 60 million units of power every month, we are incurring a lot of expenditure on electricity bills.”

“According to our estimates, we can generate around 100 MW power from the sewage generated in the city. It will be sufficient to meet 75 per cent of our  (power) needs.”

14 STPs Identified for Project

Krishnappa said BWSSB has identified 14 sewage treatment plants (STP) where methane gas can be generated from the sewage.

As the STPs are in good condition, BWSSB can start generating methane by constructing a digester near them.

“The biggest challenge is to ensure that the methane generated in the digester is pure in nature. If not, the generator that burns methane will be destroyed very soon,” Krishnappa said.

BWSSB has already initiated the process to produce electricity from sewage at one of the STPs in Hebbal valley by entering into an agreement with England-based Mott MacDonald Ltd.

Mott MacDonald Ltd team leader, Ian P Taylor said, “We have already imported the machinery required to generate 1 MW of power and initiated the process to construct a digester near one of the STPs. We should be in a position to generate electricity soon.”

Source

Read More...

January 15, 2014

Odisha to sell surplus power to Karnataka…

 

Odisha to sell surplus power to Karnataka…

The Odisha government has decided to sell surplus power to Karnataka.

The matter was discussed at a high-level meeting here on Monday, which was attended by chief secretaries of both states. Senior officials of the Odisha government’s Energy department were also present.

“Karnataka Chief Secretary Kaushik Mukherjee, who is in the State, had an official meeting with our Chief Secretary J K Mohapatra here on Monday, where a preliminary discussion on the power sale was held. Details will be worked out when officials of both states meet,” said sources in the Energy department.

At the meeting, the Karnataka chief secretary reportedly expressed his keenness to purchase power from a State-owned undertaking in Odisha rather than a private company.

If everything works out well, Karnataka will purchase power from the Grid Corporation of Odisha, a State-owned undertaking which purchases power from different sources, including private sector electricity generation companies in the State. It sells them to four power distribution utilities that supply power to consumers in four different zones in Odisha.

This will not be the first instance of Odisha, one of the very few power surplus states in the country, selling electricity to another state. It had earlier sold power to Rajasthan, Delhi and Haryana.

If sources in the Energy department are to be believed, the average power requirement in Odisha at present stands at around 2,700 MW. The State currently gets about 3,000 MW from different sources, including its own thermal and hydro power stations, besides electricity generating private sector companies. “We get around 300 MW of surplus power at the moment which can be sold to other states”, an official in the Energy department said.

Source

Read More...

January 6, 2014

BHEL completes power transmission sub-station at Raichur...

 

BHEL completes power transmission sub-station at Raichur...

State-run BHEL has completed building a transmission sub-station in Karnataka, a link that connects the southern and national electricity grids.

"BHEL has completed the construction of a sub-station at Raichur in Karnataka, the southern end of the Raichur-Solapur transmission link of PowerGrid," the company said in a statement today.

The government said on January 1 that the southern grid had been linked with the national grid following the commissioning of the Raichur-Solapur transmission line. The line had been commissioned five months ahead of the May 31, 2014, deadline at a cost of about Rs 815 crore.

BHEL's work on the project included design, engineering, manufacturing, supply, erection, testing and commissioning of the substation.

The project will allow electricity to be carried to the southern region from other parts of the country during peak demand as well as transfer surplus power from the south during off-peak hours, it said.

BHEL is currently associated in the execution of an Ultra High-Voltage Multi-terminal DC (direct current) transmission link between the northeast and Agra, it added.

BHEL shares were up 0.24 per cent to Rs 166.50 on the BSE.

Source

Read More...

January 3, 2014

Karnataka Government to provide 50 per cent subsidy to farms for solar fencing...

 

Karnataka Government to provide 50 per cent subsidy to farms for solar fencing...

The government will provide 50 per cent subsidy to farmers to put up solar fences on their farms, said Minister for Forests B. Ramanath Rai on Thursday, as an obstacle against entry of wild animals and to reduce man-animal conflict

During his visit to the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office here, the Minister told presspersons that the department had put up elephant-proof trenches and installed solar-powered fences around some stretches of the reserve forests and national parks. “This is part of the Karnataka Sustainable Forest Management and Bio-diversity Conservation Programme. However, if farmers want to get solar fences installed by private companies, we will grant them 50 per cent subsidy,” he said.

The Minister said his department was not against development. However, only such projects that will directly benefit people will be permitted. People who submit applications for land in deemed and reserve forests should keep in mind the various rules governing forests in the State.

The Minister said the process of resolving the confusion over the C and D categories of land (degraded forest land) had commenced. “According to the law, there is no provision to regularise encroachments on forest land after April 27, 1978. However, we have received over one lakh applications seeking regularisation of land. A Cabinet subcommittee has been formed to study the issue and take a decision,” he said.

Posts to be filled
He said 700 posts in the department would be filled shortly. “The department is also encouraging farmers to grow sandalwood. We are giving away saplings at Re. 1 and Rs. 2 each to farmers. These farmers will also get an incentive of Rs. 10, Rs. 15 and Rs. 20 for each sapling annually, in the first, second and third year respectively, to ensure its growth,” the Minister said.

Source

Read More...

December 25, 2013

Mytrah Energy adds 150 MW wind power capacity in 3 States...

 

Mytrah Energy adds 150 MW wind power capacity in 3 States...

Mytrah Energy Ltd has added wind power generation capacity of about 150 MW in three southern States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

This has increased its installed wind power generation capacity from 309.9 MW to 459.9 MW.

The wind power generation company based in Hyderabad and listed on the Alternative Investment Market of (AIM) of London Stock Exchange is implementing wind farms with total capacity of 238.2 MW at three locations at Burugula (37.4 MW) in Andhra Pradesh, Savalsang (100.3 MW) in Karnataka and Vagrarai (100.5 MW) in Tamil Nadu.

The company has commissioned the additional capacity at these sites. All the three projects are being commissioned on a rolling basis with the stabilisation process being conducted throughout the first quarter of 2014. With the completion of these three projects, the installed capacity of Mytrah Energy will go up from 309.9 MW now to 548.1 MW.

According to the company listing in the AIM, the entire new capacity will be able to capture the benefit of 2014 wind season.

Burugula and Savlsang are Mytrah’s first two self-development projects constructed on the company’s land with Gamesa. This provides the company with diversification when combined with its turnkey agreement with Suzlon.

The other project in Tamil Nadu at Vagarai is another self-development project with Regen and will be Mytrah’s first project where the output will be sold under third-party sale agreements.

Vagarai is expected to be one of the Group’s highest performing sites with an expected plant load factor of 31 per cent.

Source

Read More...

December 19, 2013

Welspun Energy commissions 8-MW solar unit in Karnataka...

 

Welspun Energy commissions 8-MW solar unit in Karnataka...

Welspun Energy Ltd has commissioned an 8-MW solar project at Chitradurga in Karnataka.

The company has executed the project through a subsidiary, Welspun Solar Kannada Ltd, under the State’s new renewable energy policy.

“For power evacuation, we have signed a power purchase agreement with Mangalore Electric Supply Company (Mescom),” Vineet Mittal, Managing Director, Welspun Energy, told.

“The contracted rate with Mescom is Rs 8.50 per kWh. Currently, we are focusing on this project to begin commercial operations this month. Earlier, we had scheduled it be ready by March 2014.”

The project is to address Karnataka’s annual peak deficit of 27.4 per cent by generating 12.264 mn kWh annually, enough to power 33,600 households. The company has deployed a tracking system at the site. “This will track the path of the sun and is expected to give a significant boost to power generation in comparison to the fixed tilt system,” Mittal said.

The Karnataka project is being executed in phases.

The State Government allotted a total of 200 MW capacity in two phases. “Under phase-I, bids for 70 MW were opened, of which WEL won contract for 7 MW project. Again under Phase-II, WEL won a 10-MW solar project,” said Mittal.

The company has spent Rs 200 crore to develop 8 MW and 10 MW projects. “We raise funds for all our projects through an approximate debt-equity ratio of 75:25,” said Mittal.

Source

Read More...

December 11, 2013

Hydel power plants near Kukke may hit environment: IISc Senior Scientific Officer

 

Hydel power plants near Kukke may hit environment: IISc Senior Scientific Officer

Though the government is promoting micro hydel power plants near Kukke Subrahmanya with subsidies for those that are above 25 mega watts and waiving the requirement of environmental clearance, they are against environmental protection laws, said T. V. Ramachandra, Senior Scientific Officer, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore.

He was speaking to The Hindu, after delivering the keynote address as chief guest at the two-day national seminar on “Trends in biotechnology and its applications”, organised by the Departments of Biotechnology and Botany in St. Aloysius College on Tuesday.

The 24 MW hydel power projects in the area will lead to submerging of 1,700 hectares of land and the plants are against the Forest Conservation Act and in violation of the Biodiversity Act 2002.

He said, “Why displace people when they get no benefits and make them dependent on the plants?”

The area should be called a “heritage” place as it has several endemic species such as Syzgigum travancorecum and Madhuca insignis. A report on the impact of the hydel projects has been given to the local people, he said.

Algae as energy

Earlier, he said algae growing in lakes and waterbodies can provide an alternative energy source. He was delivering the keynote address as chief guest at the two-day national seminar on “Trends in biotechnology and its applications”, organised by the Departments of Biotechnology and Botany of Colelge.

Speaking on “Third generation biofuel from algae”, he said at a time when fossil fuels are reducing with increasing demand for energy, a biofuel based on micro algae could be a source of energy.

At the same time, they also clean up water as they absorb nutrients that aid in the treatment of wastewater. They can grow densely in domestic waste water. They remove nitrogen and phosphorus which are not eliminated even by membrane purifying systems. The extraction of lipid from micro algae grown in wastewater would serve the dual purpose of cost effective waste treatment and as fuel for energy.

Source

Read More...

December 9, 2013

Excess power bottled up in power surplus Gujarat...

 

Excess power bottled up in power surplus Gujarat...

It is a paradox that a little bit of planning can easily address. Gujarat, a power surplus state, is forced to shut down power units for there are no buyers for the power it generates.

On the other hand, power deficit states such as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, with capacity to buy power they badly need are not able to tap in to this surplus in the absence of west-south grid, the commissioning dates of which are being pushed further ahead.


Explaining this dilemma that his government faces on daily basis, Saurabhbhai Patel, minister for power, government of Gujarat, said Gujarat government sold 30 million units on December 6 at an average rate of Rs 3.28/unit. But the following statistics was more alarming. It could not sell 45 million units for lack of power evacuation means. And Gujarat pays fixed costs to the power generating companies.

In an informal chat with select media here on Saturday, Saurabhbhai Patel said Gujarat has stated generating capacity of around 21,000-MW.

"But if one keeps out of this equation, power from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, and the nearly 4,000-MW of power that can be generated through gas based units, we are still left with a surplus. The gas based units are closed due to gas pricing policy and variable costs," he explained.

Selling this excess energy either through Indian Energy Exchange or Power Exchange of India Limited or by floating tenders, Patel said, the biggest problem is to get remunerative price. "Most of the northern states are not in a position to pay for power, and states that can do so are unable to get the same due to logistics reason." This situation has arisen due to lack of planning on part of union government which is fully aware of power projects.

The Gujarat government on the other hand is now aggressively promoting industries to set up base in that state so that this surplus power can be tapped into. "We are also striving to attract textile industries without textiles policy so that not only do the cotton growers in the state benefit, but also these industries are able to feed on the power surplus," he said, adding South can benefit if the West-South grid is commissioned at the earliest.

Source

Read More...

December 6, 2013

KERC extends deadline for tariff revision applications...

 

KERC extends deadline for tariff revision applications...

he Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Thursday extended the deadline for the electricity supply companies (Escoms) to file their tariff revision applications till December 13.

The extension was granted following requests from Escoms.

As per the Electricity Act, 2003 and KERC terms and conditions, distribution licensees (Discoms) are required to file their expected revenue for consumptions (ERC) for the year 2014-15 within November 30.

The Commission, on October 30, had directed the escoms to file their applications.

However, the escoms on November 26 and 29 had requested the KERC to extended the deadline, citing reasons like delay in reconcilation of inter-escom energy sales, non-finalisation of half-yearly accounts for the year 2013-2014, non-finalisation of capital investment programme and costs for 2014-2015 and other reasons for extension.

Source

Read More...

November 28, 2013

Sachin Tendulkar lights up lives of Udupi villagers through solar...

 

image

Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar brought joy to millions through his batting exploits. After his retirement, he is about to do the same through Spreading Happiness Foundation, a joint initiative of the cricketing icon and Schneider Electric India.

The foundation, an NGO, is working towards providing access to energy by installing solar home lighting systems to identified beneficiaries for free.

Ravi Bhushan, head, skill development and entrepreneur projects for corporate social responsibility at Schneider Electric, said, "In the initial phase the target is to provide this benefit to 25,000 villagers across India and 735 households in coastal Karnataka by this year-end."

Of these 735, 278 houses in Kundapur taluk of Udupi district have been provided with access to energy by mid-November, said Prashant Shetty, assistant manager, CSR-Schneider Electric south India in charge. Of the 278 houses, 150 are in Kollur village panchayat; 100 are in Jadkal Village Panchayat and 28 are in Chitur village panchayat.

The next target is to provide solar home lighting systems to 456 houses in Belthangady taluk of Dakshina Kannada district. On November 30, 201 houses in Elaneeru, Malavanthige and Kariyalu in Malavanthige village panchayat will be provided lights. As many as 209 houses in Sulkeri, Sulkerimogaru, Piliya, Navara, Badga Karnaduru, all in Aladangadi village panchayat and 46 houses in Naravi village panchayat will be provided solar lighting in December. "The beneficiaries have been identified. Once we receive the material, the villagers will be provided with solar lighting,'' said Shetty.

As part of the initiative, Schneider Electric India will install its In-Diya Lighting System which is an innovative and flexible solution to bring reliable, efficient and green lighting to people living with no or unreliable electricity.

The initiative has already been rolled out as a pilot project in Velunje, Nashik, Maharashtra and is currently impacting over 1,000 villagers. It is expected to light up the lives of many more in the next couple of years.

The starting point of the initiative was Sachin's introduction to Schneider Electrics' In-Diya Lighting System - an innovative, affordable and flexible solution to bring reliable, efficient and green lighting to people living with no or unreliable electricity. In-Diya is a specially designed LED based lighting system that can operate on main power supply and/or solar power, and provides backup ranging from 8 - 15 hours for indoor use. In-Diya can illuminate a room of 12'X12' for all normal activities and provide 50,000 hours of lighting across its life-cycle.

Source

Read More...

November 27, 2013

Greenko commissions 15 MW Wind Farm in Karnataka...

 

Greenko commissions 15 MW Wind Farm in Karnataka...

Greenko Group Plc, an Indian renewable-power developer backed by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, completed a 15-megawatt wind farm in Karnataka state.


The 13 million-pound ($21 million) project will sell its output directly to a technology park near Bangalore under a 10-year contract, the Hyderabad-based developer said today in a statement.

It used 1.5-megawatt ReGen Powertech Pvt. turbines.


Greenko, now with a capacity of 426 megawatts, expects to reach 600 megawatts by mid-2014, according to the statement.

The company, which received a 100 million-pound investment from the Government of Singapore Investment Corp. in March, plans to build 2,000 megawatts of hydropower and wind assets by 2018.

Source

Read More...

November 20, 2013

Gundia Hydel Project in Karnataka faces obstacles due to the recent reports on western Ghats conservation...

 

Gundia Hydel Project faces issues due to Western Ghat's notification

The proposal to set up Gundia hydel power project of 200 MW capacity faces a bleak future with the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) incorporating Dr K Kasturirangan Committee’s report on Western Ghats conservation retrospectively from April 17 this year.

The fate of former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda’s proposed tyre manufacturing plant at Sullia also hangs in balance.

Based on the circular from the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), the KSPCB demarcated 17 villages, including 11 naxal-affected villages in Belthangady taluk, 11 villages in Puttur taluk and 17 villages in Sullia taluk as Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA).

Under the ‘no-tolerance’ policy, industries in red category (100 such red industries have been identified by the Central Pollution Control Board and KSPCB) will not be allowed in these 45 ESAs. “With power generation plants and bio-mass power plants above 25 MW capacity being grouped in red category, it is curtains down on the Gundia power project that has a  capacity of 200 MW,” sources in the regional KSPCB told.

However, eight hydel power plants operating in the Western Ghats, with each unit’s capacity being less than 25 MW, face no threat of eviction as they are listed in the green category by the MoEF.

“If Gowda’s proposed tyre manufacturing factory uses coal-fired boiler, then it cannot be permitted in ESA,” KSPCB officials said.

The regional KSPCB in Mangalore, barring one instance, has not received any applications from entrepreneurs to set up red category industries in ESA.

In one instance, a rubber recycling factory in Nelyadi was relocated to Golithattu, following protests by locals. With Golithattu in Puttur taluk being identified as an ESA, officials have sought clarification from the KSPCB chairman.  Sources said the Board was likely to issue permission for the factory as the unit was listed in orange category.

Source

Read More...

November 16, 2013

Karnataka Government should Remove VAT on solar products...

 

Karnataka Govt should remove VAT on Solar Products

Magsaysay Award winner and Managing Director of Selco India Harish Hande said that the Karnataka State government should remove the 5.5 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on solar products.

Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Hande said some states such as Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh had exempted solar products from VAT. Even in Karnataka, VAT was not imposed on solar products until 2002. He had brought the matter to the notice of the State government, but had not got any response on it.

Solar products should be treated as tax-free products, which would help poor consumers, he said.

There was tax concession for IT products being used by rich consumers in the State, while it was regrettable that such a concession had not been extended to solar products, which was mostly used by poor consumers, Mr. Hande said.

Udupi-Chikmagalur MP K. Jayaprakash Hegde said he and Magsaysay awardee and Managing Director of Seleco India Harish Hande would talk to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah about exempting solar products from VAT.

Lamps and scholarships

Selco India provided solar lamps to the houses of 25 poor meritorious students in Udupi district at a function here on Thursday.

The houses of these students do not have an electricity connection. The lamps were sponsored by Canara Bank.

Three students – Ganesh K., Soujanya and Sunil – were symbolically given the solar lamps at the function.

Murali Kadekar, Coordinator of Vidyaposkaha organisation, which selected the students to receive scholarships and solar lamps, said that in the last two days, the solar lamps had already been fitted in the houses of 25 students free of cost.

Source

Read More...

November 15, 2013

Power Ministry recommends financial restructuring of jharkhand, bihar and karnataka discoms...

 

Financial Restructuring of State Distribution Companies

Power Ministry has sent the note on financial restructuring of state discoms to the cabinet for final approval, a top ministry official today said.

As per the proposal, the state electricity boards of Jharkhand, Bihar and Karnataka will be allowed to convert their outstanding loans, till March 2013, into bonds as part of an amendment to the discom debt restructuring package.

"We have sent the note to the (Cabinet) Secretariat for the final nod," Power Secretary P K Sinha told reporters here on the sidelines of Indian Energy Summit. Karnataka along with Jharkhand and Bihar had approached the Ministry seeking this special provision.

Currently, under Financial Restructuring Package (FRP), which was approved by the government last year, 50 per cent of the accumulated debt of the discoms till March 2012 can be converted into bonds.

These bonds will be issued by the distribution companies to the participating lenders, backed by state government guarantees. Balance 50 per cent loans will be restructured by providing moratorium on principal and best possible terms for repayments.

The support under the scheme is available for all participating state-owned discoms on fulfilling short-term mandatory conditions. The accumulated losses of state power distribution companies are estimated at about Rs 1.9 lakh crore as on March 31, 2011, and Rs 2.46 lakh crore as on March 31, 2012.

Source

Read More...

November 13, 2013

Power demand set to double in Karnataka by 2022...

 

Power Demand in Karnataka

Electricity consumption in Karnataka, which is currently some 63,000 million units annually, is set to double by next decade. Keeping this in view, Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has suggested the state government to invest heavily in power generation over the next few years to match the imminent demand.


Addressing a seminar jointly organised by Indian Institute of Science and Civic here recently, KERC chairperson M R Sreenivas Murthy said: "The demand for power in the state is expected to touch 1.10 lakh million units annually by 2022. Therefore the government really needs to pull up its socks to meet that demand "

He said factors like increasing economic activity, wealth and population, an improved standard of living and infrastructure developments are all expected to underline a continuous increase in demand for power in the next decade. "It is high time the government pulled up their socks and focus on power sector to take the state forward in power generation," he added

Keeping in view of the poor response to grievance meets of escoms and meetings seeking objection over power tariff hike by the KERC, Murthy said they have also suggested all escoms to set up power consumer groups in each district of the state and hold frequent meeting with them to get necessary feedback. "Feedback from public is essential for the improvements in power sector. But unfortunately not many people are showing keen interest in giving the suggestions," he added.

Bangalore was the first city in India to get electricity. In 1906, the city was electrified with the setting up of a hydroelectric plant in Shivanasamudra. Unfortunately today we just not only lag behind in power generation but also in transmission and distribution compared to other developed states," said Sreenivas Murthy. He also said the Karnataka Electricity Act of 2003 clearly says the escoms are private companies and the government has no control over them but chief minister and energy minister are still part of the board as the chairperson and vice-chairperson respectively.

Source

Read More...

November 12, 2013

Bring power projects out of drawing board, KERC tells government....

 

KERC asks Karnataka Government to complete the five pending power projects

'Commission five pending projects, buy 1,500 MW every year'.For a brighter future, the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has directed the state government to commission all power projects that are on the drawing board and stranded halfway through.

Five projects are on the drawing board now, meant to generate 10,400 MW. Besides commissioning these, the KERC has also suggested purchase of 1,500 MW through long term purchase every year till 2018 to ease the expected power crisis in the state.

Speaking on the sidelines of a workshop on Electricity Governance and Planning in Karnataka organised by the department of management studies, Cistup and CIVIC, M R Sreenivasa Murthy, KERC chairman, explained, "The commission embarked on a study to find out the future unrestricted energy requirements of the state and submitted a detailed report to the government a month ago. We have suggested various measures and it is up to the government to take appropriate measures."

According to the KERC, the state has been witnessing a seven per cent increase every year in its power consumption and it will almost double by 2022. "World's per capita energy consumption is pegged at 2,500 units per year per person. But in Karnataka, we have already reached one-third of it by consuming 800 units per year per person. It is axiomatic that we cannot supply the required amount of power owing to the widening gap between generation and demand. Hence, we have adopted restricted power supply," Murthy explained.

Currently, the state is consuming 63,000 million units of restricted power per year. "If we had to supply unrestricted power, then it will increase by another 5,000 million units more. By 2022, it will reach 1,10,000 million units which is double the current requirement. We have studied in detail and found that if the government could commission all the projects that are under way and on drawing board, then we may be able to reach out to that demand," he said. If all the projects on the drawing board are commissioned, 84,00,000 million units would be added to the state grid.

Last year, the state consumed about 57,000 million units. Because of improper planning and short term purchase of power, there has been a deficit of 13-16 per cent every year in supplying uninterrupted power. "If you do not plan well, then the deficit will increase beyond 20 per cent," he cautioned.

Source

Read More...

November 11, 2013

Power supply to GESCOM & HESCOM reallocated...

 

Power Supply to GESCOM & HESCOM

The state government has reallocated the supply of power to GESCOM and HESCOM as per the instructions of the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission for 2013-14.

The order in this connection was issued recently, Managing Director of GESCOM Pallavi Akurati said here on Wednesday.

She told reporters that GESCOM will get 23.17 per cent of power instead of 26.51 per cent from Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL). GESCOM has been empowered to purchase 25.46 per cent power on part time basis, she added.

HESCOM has been reallocated 20.94 per cent of power against the present allocation of 17.60 per cent from KPTCL and it has been approved to purchase 29.36 per cent power on part time basis.

Source

Read More...

October 30, 2013

Power Ministry awaits Karnataka's response on discom debt recast...

 

image

Power Ministry is awaiting response from the Karnataka government on restructuring the debt of the state's discoms, before approaching the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs with the proposal.

"As soon as Karnataka (government) sends us their response we will send the note to CCEA," an official in the Ministry of Power told .

As per the proposal by the ministry, the state electricity boards of Jharkhand, Bihar and Karnataka will be allowed to convert their outstanding loans, till March 2013, into bonds as part of an amendment to the discom debt restructuring package.

At present, under the government approved Financial Restructuring Package (FRP), 50 per cent of the accumulated debt of the discoms till March 2012 can be converted into bonds to be issued by these distribution companies to the participating lenders, backed by state government guarantees.

This package was approved in September 2012 by the Centre in order to bail out the near-bankrupt discoms.

Karnataka along with Jharkhand and Bihar had approached the Ministry seeking this special provision.

Under the FRP scheme, balance 50 per cent loans will be restructured by providing moratorium on principal and best possible terms for repayments.

The support under the scheme is available for all participating state-owned discoms on fulfilling short-term mandatory conditions.

The government has also stated the debt recast should be accompanied by concrete and measurable actions by discoms or states to improve the operational performance of the distribution utilities.

The accumulated losses of state power distribution companies are estimated at about Rs 1.9 lakh crore as on March 31, 2011, and Rs 2.46 lakh crore as on March 31, 2012.

The debt recast plan for the discoms was formulated based on the report of an expert group headed by B K Chaturvedi, Member (Energy) of the Planning Commission.

Source

Read More...

August 9, 2013

Tamil Nadu to get additional 100 MW power from Kundankulam Nuclear Power Project...

 

Tamil Nadu power allocations from Kundankulam Project

As said by the Power Minister, Tamil Nadu will get additional 100 MW electricity from unit 1 of the Kundankulam Nuclear Power plant once the operations will start.

According to the initial agreement, Tamil Nadu would get 462.5MW from the first unit which attained criticality last month.

Now the total power from the unit to Tamil Nadu will be 562.5MW.

The state will get a total of 1,025MW of power against 962MW allocated earlier when the second unit is commissioned in March 2014.

The revised allocation from the total 1000 MW capacity of Unit 1 is:

  • Tamil Nadu - 562.5MW
  • Karnataka - 221MW
  • Kerala -133MW
  • Puducherry -  33.5 MW
  • Unallocated - 50MW

According to sources, the Unit 1 of Kundankulam project is like start operation by the end of the current month.

 


More literature on this...

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-08-08/chennai/41200577_1_entire-power-kudankulam-nuclear-power-plant-first-unit


Read More...