Solar Irrigation initiatives in Bihar…

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is going green, quite literally. After lighting up his official residence - 1 Anne Marg - with solar energy, costing Rs 4.5 crore, his native village Kalyanbigha in Nalanda district has now got low-cost solar pumpsets installed. The demo models, as they are supposed to be, have started functioning from his native village and will be replicated elsewhere in Bihar later on.

 
The new solar-powered drip irrigation system initiative is expected to come as a big help to farmers and especially Nitish Kumar, who remains on the firing line because of the severe power scarcity Bihar faces. Though he claims to have made strides in many sectors, when it comes to power, Team Nitish always gets into a defensive and explanatory mode.

Precisely the reason why organisations like Greenpeace are being roped in to find an alternative solution till Bihar's power scarcity is actually bridged. Promotion of solar power initiatives and other indigenous ways to generate alternative decentralised power, especially in rural areas has been taken up quite seriously. Be it the one installed in Nitish Kumar's ancestral village or Husk Power system of Champaran, which produces consumable electricity burning rice husk - essentially a waste product in the villages - and provides cheap electricity to over 100,000 people.

The state has three new huge power stations coming up, one near Nitish Kumar's ancestral village at Barh and two at Auranagbad. But considering the pace at which these projects are moving, it may require a decade more before they actually light up the first bulb. So what does the government sell to its electricity starved voters in the coming elections? It's these green solar initiatives which will now find place in state government's brochures and speeches.

Apart from coming as a saviour for team Nitish, it's also doing well for the farmers. Experts claim these solar pumps will help farmers realise their dream of growing at least three crops a year. This system is also believed to be simple, low cost, highly sustainable and non-polluting, and also saves 75% water, 70% labour and still yields 30% higher harvest.

In a state where agriculture sector has a critical role to play in the overall development and where 81% of the state population is largely dependent on agriculture, contributing 42% to the State Domestic product, the solar-powered pumping system will reduce farmer's dependency on the erratic power supply. The government needs to bring these decentralized renewable energy solutions under the ambit of government's agriculture roadmap to ensure the much0hyped 'rainbow' revolution in the state.

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RPower seeking Gas allocation for Samalkot Project…

From the sources, Spark found that Reliance Power Limited (RPower)’s 2,400 MW Gas Based Power Project at Samalkot, Andhra Pradesh has requested the Government to allocate gas as the Project is on the verge of completion.

RPower’s Samalkot Project which is based on Gas as fuel will require around 9.6 milllion cubic meters/day (mmcmd) gas. Spark found that, RPower has written a letter to Hon’able Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh for allocation of the required gas to the Project. RPower’s application has already been recommended by Ministry of Power (MoP) and is pending with Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) for the 18 months.

In the ruling of Supreme Court in 2010, for the adjudication between Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and Reliance Natural Resources ltd (RNRL), it was ruled that the group’s demand for gas allocation should be considered in line with government policy. As the RPower is ready for the plant commissioning and has fulfilled all requirements for gas allocations as outlined in the gas utilization policy, the require quantity of gas should be allotted to Samalkot Project.

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Solar Energy Corp. of India – national solar company of India in making…

Spark, from the online resources, have learnt that, India is planning to set up a company to build federal solar projects and to assist the country reach a target of 20 GWs of solar energy capacity by 2022. Spark found that the initial capital of the company will be Rs. 20 Billion (USD 405.6 million).

 

This decision was taken considering shortage of funds and a relative lack of interest by commercial companies, India may miss solar energy targets set under a federal program.

Mr. Gireesh B. Pradhan, Renewable Secretary, said in an recent interview that the dedicated company will ensure that India meet solar target effectively.

 

The company (Solar Energy Corp. of India) will gradually take over responsibility for federal solar projects from NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd., an arm of India's largest power producer NTPC Ltd.

 

First round of bidding under the National Solar Mission, has received little interest from domestic and foregin companies due to narrow margins, financial difficulties, nascent technologies and other hurdles. However, the second round of bidding after tweaking of bidding rules have generated higher interest.

Also, according to source, government is working to infuse more capital in the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA).

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MoEF cleared Kudgi Thermal Project of NTPC…

Spark, from the various online Sources, learnt that National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC – Largest Power Generating Company of India) had received clearance from Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) for its upcoming Kudgi Super Thermal Power Project Stage – I ( 3 X 800 MW) being set up in Bijapur district of adjoining Karnataka.

 

Recently, the Board of Directors of NTPC, have cleared the investment proposal of Rs. 15,166 Crs for setting up the project. With the MoEF Clearance in place, NTPC can immediately start construction work at the plant site. Spark learnt that the company has began sourcing of the 800 MW units through bulk tendering process.

 

Kudgi upon commissioning will become NTPC’s first plant in Karnataka by NTPC with a total installed capacity of 4,000 MW.

Spark analyzed that the project is proposed to have super critical boilers and latest technology. Coal requirement will be met from NTPC's own mine at Pakhri Barwadi in Jharkhand.  Land for the project to the tune of 1,923 acres for the main plant have already been alloted by Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board. Land acquisition for the balance 1,600 acres is in progress.

 
To meet the water requirement, Karnataka Government has sanctioned 5.2 TMC of water per annum from Almatti Dam, which is 18km from the plant site. The power to be generated from this project would be supplied to Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry.

 

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RPower to hire RWE Power to coal mining of Tilaiya UMPP…

According to Sources, Reliance Power Limited (RPower) has roped in RWE Power International (Germany) to assist the company for mining the coal from its captive mines at Tilaiya Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP).

Spark found that, RWE Power is one of the leading energy utilities of Europe and Biggest Coal Miner of Germany. RWE Power shall assist RPower to design and plan the engineering aspects of captive mines and procurement of equipment and ensure quality control.

Government has allocated Kerendari B and C coal blocks of North Karanpura coal fields in Jharkhand to meet the fuel requirements of the Tilaiya project. These mines have reserve of over 1 billion tonne. The company plans to produce 40 million tonnes of coal per year.

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MoP forwards 12th Plan capacity addition proposal to Planning Commission…

According to Sources, Ministry of Power (MoP) has set a target of capacity additions to the tune of 76,000 MW during the 12th Five Year Plan (FY 2012 – 17) and 93,000 MW during 13th Five-Year Plan (2017-22). However, Spark found that, the Planning Commission is mulling to fix the target of about 1,00,000 MW of capacity addition in the Power Sector.

MoP have sent its proposal for addition of 76,000 MW of power capacity in the 12th Five-Year Plan to the Planning Commission for the approval, even as the sector battles acute fuel shortages and environmental issues. However, Planning Commission member BK Chaturvedi had earlier said the Planning Commission may fix a target for about 1,00,000 MW of capacity addition in the power sector.
During this period, an investment of about Rs6 lakh crore is expected in power generation projects.
Power projects being executed by state-owned hydro-power generation company NHPC, which were scheduled for commissioning during the current Plan, would now start electricity generation in the 12th Plan.
NHPC’s 2,000-MW Subansiri project in Assam and 3,000-MW Dibang project in Arunachal Pradesh are still awaiting environment clearances.
The country’s largest power producer, NTPC, which had set itself a mammoth target of becoming a 75,000 MW company by 2017, is also believed to have brought down this target to 70,000 MW because of scarcity of gas.

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Coal Prices to be revised by end of Month…

According to Sources, Spark found that Coal India Ltd (CIL) is planning announce the new set of coal prices this month. This will be done prior to the retirement of the acting CIL Chairman Mr. N. C. Jha on 31st January 2012.

The decision comes after the ministry formally asked CIL to relook its January 1 pricing.

 

According to Mr. Jha, CIL were planning to revisit the coal pricing in March; however, Coal Ministry had formally sent a letter on 25th January 2012 to relook the prices immediately to prevent any major impact from the previous price regime.

 

However, Mr. Jha clarified that, the GCV (Gross Calorific Value) mechanism will not be rolled back in the current price change. 

"As switchover from Useful Heat Value (UHV) concept to GCV had happened under me, so I'll address the price issue before I retire," he told to the reporters.

Spark believes that the revised pricing would benefit or reduce the price shock in C, D and upper E grades of coal under UHG category. The earlier pricing benefitted CIL by close to 12.5% in additional revenue and the new pricing will eliminate most of it. The January 1 pricing was based on discount on import price but now the pricing would be done on what the consumers were paying in UHV regime.

CIL had attempted to reduced the gap of landed international coal price with domestic coal which was as high as close to 75% in certain coal varieties like C, D and part of E grades.

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NDMA asks Nuclear Plants to prepare emergency plans…

Spark learnt from the sources that, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), asked the states having nuclear projects to prepare plans for development of emergency planning zone in 16 KMs radius around these plants.

The move came with the memories of Japan’s Fukushima Nuclear Disaster last year.

 

The proposal established by the Vice President, NDMA after consultation with Rajya Sabha MP Sitaram Yechury, was for the plan covering all the villages and habitations falling under the Emergency Planning Zone.

A statement from NDMA said that the Authority had carried out mock exercises last year to look at the off-site nuclear emergency plans as part of its initiatives of enhanced preparedness in the country in the wake of the Fukushima experience. After the exercises it was decided that a development plan covering all the villages and habitations falling under the 16-km radius of the plant must be developed.

Spark found that, the government of Karnataka has already prepared a proposal for upgrading the infrastructure around the Kaiga Atomic Power Plant.

 

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Solar Panels in Housing Projects of Rajasthan…

Spark learnt from the sources that, the Urban Development & Housing Department (UDH), Jaipur is planning to introduce the provisions of electricity generation by solar panels in housing projects under the proposed section of 90A of the Land Revenue Act.

 

Spark believes that, this move will help Jaipur to reduce the frequency of power cuts in the city.

 

UDH, Jaipur is planning to accommodate the solar plants in housing project and for that the certain changes in the building bylaws will also be required. However, the decision has to be taken after consultation with Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation (RREC) to provide subsidy in installation of solar panels.

 

As per the draft provisions being planned, each household or society will be able to generate solar electricity for its personal consumption; the excess generation will be bought by the discoms and will be transferred into the grid.

 

Spark found that, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) is also finalizing the guidelines for setting up of solar panels in individual houses and apartments and purchasing of generated electricity from these panels.

 

To give a push to the UDH proposal, the Centre is providing 30 percent subsidy in installing solar panels. Currently, the capital cost comes around Rs 2 lakh per kilo watt. However, experts believe that with more use of solar energy in the country and manufacturing of equipment, the cost can come down to Rs 1 lakh per kilo watt.

 

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Talma Chemical commissions 25 MW PV Project in Gujarat…

The 25 MW Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Project of Visual Percept Solar Project (VPSPPL), a subsidiary of Talma Chemical Industries (Bhanshali family promoted company) in Gujarat has been commissioned today.

 

The Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the said project has been signed with Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam (GUVNL) for a period of 25 years.

 

Solar Modules for the project have been procured from Hanwha Solar One (China) and China Sun Energy while the Inverters have been sourced from Power One (Italy). The EPC Services have been provided by Sterling & Wilson (Shapoorji Pallonji Group Company)

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