Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Hyundai to source more components locally for EV play

Hyundai Motor India, the country's second-largest carmaker, said it was accelerating the localisation plan for its electric vehicles (EV) as the government is set to hike basic customs duties on completely-built as well as knocked-down EVs and components, making imports more expensive. "We understand the government's direction of Make in India. We will look to localise more," SS Kim, the managing director of Hyundai Motor India told ET. "We are already localising some plastic parts and some interior parts on the Kona." The company is looking at multiple partnerships to create a... Read more..

Date : Feb 24

Source: ET Auto

Coronavirus outbreak unlikely to impact company’s transition to BS-VI regime: Ashok Leyland's Anuj Kathuria

Hinduja Group flagship firm Ashok Leyland on Friday said it currently doesn’t foresee the coronavirus outbreak affecting its plans for migration to BS-VI emission norms, although some of its component suppliers source parts from China. The commercial vehicle manufacturer, which on Friday delivered its BS-VI compliant modular platform vehicles to select customers, also said it doesn’t see demand bouncing back in the first two quarters of next fiscal. “While we do not have any direct suppliers, some of our tier-1 suppliers will be kind of impacted...As of now whatever we have understood, if... Read more..

Date : Feb 24

Source: The Hindu Business Line

Optimal grid utilization imperative whilst integrating renewable energy

The recent SECI tender for 400 MW round-the-clock (RTC) power supply to State Discoms provides that renewable energy generation components wind and solar, along with energy storage system installed, if any, may either be co-located or located at different locations. National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) chairman Pranav R. Mehta feels such dispensation would result in inefficient and sub-optimal utilization of transmission infrastructure. “Multiple injection would need transmission infrastructure at all these locations. It means that the same end product, i.e., round-the-clock... Read more..

Date : Feb 24

Source: PV Magazine India

Draft Policy Suggests ‘Reverse Bundling’ For Round-The-Clock Power Supply

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has proposed a draft policy for the supply of round-the-clock power to distributors through a mix of renewable energy and electricity generated in coal-based thermal power plants. Addressing issues of intermittency, limited hours of supply and low capacity utilisation of transmission infrastructure, the draft power policy provides for ‘reverse bundling’—high-cost thermal power clubbed with cheaper renewable energy. A power generating firm will have to supply electricity that consists of at least 51 percent of renewable energy and the rest drawn from... Read more..

Date : Feb 21

Source: Bloomberg Quint

SECI Scores 9 Bids Worth 3.5 GW in Response to 1.2 GW Solar Tender

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has reported a list of nine bidders who have submitted prospective bids against the nodal agencies 1.2 GW solar tender (ISTS-VIII) which was issued in January. The nine firms that have submitted bids are ReNew Power, Softbank, Avaada, O2 Power, Brookefield, Eden, Tata, Ayana, and IB Solar, with total proposals submitted for 3.5 GW. ReNew Power and Softbank-backed SB Energy submitted the biggest bids at 600 MW each, behind them Avaada submitted a lone bid for 500 MW. The remaining six bidders each submitted bids for 300 MW capacity each. Recently... Read more..

Date : Feb 21

Source: Saur Energy International

RSDCL, NTPC sign agreement to develop 925 MW solar park in Jaisalmer

Rajasthan Solar Park Development Company Ltd (RSDCL), a subsidiary of Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation, and NTPC on Thursday signed an agreement to develop 925 MW capacity solar park at Nokh in Rajasthan''s Jaisalmer district. RSDCL Chairman Anil Gupta and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Executive Director Mohit Bhargava signed the agreement here in the presence of Rajasthan Energy Minister B D Kalla. As per the agreement, RSDCL will develop infrastructure in the solar park and NTPC will develop the solar projects. Speaking on the occasion, Kalla said the state government... Read more..

Date : Feb 21

Source: Outlook India

EESL to close 1,000 EVs tender by Sep 2020

Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) is looking at procuring 1,000 Electric Vehicles or EVs, having a range of 180 km per charge by September this year to expand the green fleet. The state-owned company has also been approached by two e-taxi aggregators, Bengaluru-based fleet operator Baghirathi Travel Solutions and electric cab services firm Lithium Urban Technologies, for leasing electric vehicles to their fleet services, Saurabh Kumar, MD, EESL told ETAuto. The central government’s public tender was floated last week, through the state-owned EESL with an aim to turn its entire... Read more..

Date : Feb 21

Source: ET Energy World

India installed 2,308 MW of solar capacity in Q4 2019: Report

India installed 2,308 megawatt (MW) of solar capacity and 817 MW wind projects in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2019, according to a recent report by research firm JMK Research and Analytics. It added that the quarter saw a significant increase in installed capacity across wind and solar, clocking an overall 40 per cent growth over the previous quarter. “India commissioned 34 gigawatt (GW) of solar capacity and 38 GW of wind capacity as of 31 December 2019. The current pipeline of solar and wind projects stands at 32 GW, which is likely to be commissioned in the next two to three years,” the... Read more..

Date : Feb 21

Source: ET Energy World

Piaggio launches Ape’ E-City auto in Vijayawada

Piaggio Vehicles, a 100 per cent subsidiary of the Italian Piaggio Group, has launched their new electric vehicle, Ape’ E-City in Vijayawada and inaugurated Ape’ Electric Experience Centre showroom. The Ape’ E-City offers zero emission, nearly no noise and vibration free driving experience making it a next generation last mile mobility solution for urban India. It comes with Li-ion batteries, automatic gear box, superior power and torque, no gear and clutch, doors for safety and a fully digital cluster. Ape’ E-City is the first 3-wheeler to have smart swappable batteries. The swappable... Read more..

Date : Feb 21

Source: The Hindu Business Line

India Inc spent just Rs 8,691 crore on CSR in FY19

Indian corporates spent just Rs 8,691 crore on corporate social responsibility (CSR) during the current financial year, a survey shows. An analysis by KPMG, titled 'India CSR Reporting Survey 2019', shows CSR spending from India Inc rising year-on-year. Even though this amount has increased from Rs 5,115 crore in 2014-15, it is too small for the size of corporate India. It's been five years since India passed the CSR Act, the Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013. It got all companies with a net worth of Rs 500 crore, or revenues exceeding Rs 1,000 crore, or net profit over Rs 5 crore, to... Read more..

Date : Feb 21

Source: Business Today

Forest cover increasing but still lower than 33 per cent target: Official

The forest cover in India is increasing but is still lower than the targeted 33 per cent of the total geographical area under the country''s forest policy, an official said here on Thursday. Talking to PTI on the sidelines of a regional training programme for institutionalising capacities on climate change, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) Additional Secretary Ravi S Prasad said as per the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2019, the total forest and tree cover in the country is 8,07,276 square kilometres, which is 24.56 percent of the total geographical area.... Read more..

Date : Feb 21

Source: Outlook India

Centre weighs new green energy board to calm investors’ nerves

Concerned with dwindling investor interest, the Union government plans to set up an inter-ministerial body to settle various issues faced by the green energy sector and attract billions of dollars in investments to successfully execute the world’s largest clean energy programme. The proposed Renewable Energy Industry Promotion and Facilitation Board (REIPFB) will be set up along the lines of erstwhile Foreign Investment Promotion Board, which was tasked with handling foreign direct investment proposals and facilitating them. REIPFB would “deal with challenges and issues being faced by... Read more..

Date : Feb 20

Source: Livemint

Rajasthan gets largest investment of Rs 4,000cr in solar sector

In what will become the first largest investment in Rajasthan during the current regime of the Congress government, Central PSU NTPC and Rajasthan Solarpark Development Corporation Ltd (RSDCL), a subsidiary of RRECL, will sign an agreement on Thursday to develop 925 megawatt capacity solar power projects in Nokh Solar Park, near Jaisalmer. As per the agreement, NTPC will develop solar PV projects in the park at an estimated investment of Rs 4,000 crore, while RSDCL will build the basic infrastructure that would require about Rs 450 crore. The park will be connected to PGCIL 765 kV Bhadla-... Read more..

Date : Feb 20

Source: ET Energy World

Andhra Pradesh govt proposes to set up solar plants to produce 10,000 MW

The Andhra Pradesh government has proposed to set up its own generating units to produce 10,000 MW of solar power to meet the energy requirements of the agriculture sector. The government has already issued an order for setting up the Andhra Pradesh Green Energy Corporation Limited, as a subsidiary of Power Generation Corporation of AP, to erect the 10,000 MW solar power plants. Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, who chaired a high-level review meeting on the power sector here on Wednesday, directed the officials to focus on the 10,000 MW solar power plants and also their subsequent... Read more..

Date : Feb 20

Source: ET Energy World

SC issues notice to Centre in plea for implementation of electric vehicle policy

The Supreme court on Wednesday sought in four weeks a reply from the Centre in a plea seeking details on promotion of electric vehicles and implementation of the Electric Vehicle Policy and and Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME) India scheme. The plea was heard by an apex court bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde. The bench expressed its keenness to have a discussion with Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari to consider issues pertaining to procurement of electric vehicles and related infrastructure in the country. Chief Justice Bobde also... Read more..

Date : Feb 20

Source: Livemint

Govt invites Germany’s state-run KfW to fund transmission projects

Indian government representatives on Wednesday met representatives of Germany’s state-run bank KfW to discuss the financing of new transmission projects being built across the country for upcoming renewable energy projects. KfW has already promised to loan 500 million euros towards the ‘Green Energy Corridor’ project, and till September, 2019, it had already disbursed 206 million euros to that end. The development bank has also disbursed 475 million euros to state-run transmission company Power Grid Corporation of India for the additional 3,200 circuit kilometer (ckt-km) Gujarat-Rajasthan-... Read more..

Date : Feb 20

Source: Financial Express

BHEL bags battery energy storage system order under TERI consortium project

The Energy Resource Institute (TERI) on Wednesday said state-run engineering firm BHEL has won the bid for installation and maintenance of battery energy storage systems (BESS) worth Rs 2.51 crore. "BHEL emerged as best supplier of battery and associated equipment in a tender recently floated by TERI for installation and maintenance of battery energy storage systems (BESS)," a TERI statement said. According to the statement, BHEL has offered 410 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of cumulative battery capacity for a total cost of Rs 2.51 crore, including six years of comprehensive warranty and... Read more..

Date : Feb 20

Source: Business Standard

NE Sustainable Development Goals Conclave to be held in Assam next week

North East Sustainable Development Goals Conclave 2020 will be held in Assam next week which will see participation from state governments, central ministries, academia and civil society, an official statement said on Wednesday. Government think-tank Niti Aayog is organising the ''Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Conclave 2020: Partnerships, Cooperation and Development of North Eastern States''. The event is being held in association with the North Eastern Council, Government of Assam, Tata Trusts, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Research and Information System for... Read more..

Date : Feb 20

Source: Outlook India

India achieves lowest cost of floating solar power globally

With the Indian floating solar photovoltaic (FSPV) industry still gaining ground, a recent report has said the country has achieved the lowest investment cost for a floating solar project in the world so far. “Recent bids results indicate a sharp decline in the investment cost for FSPV. In the latest tender result of the country’s first large-scale FSPV plant of 70 megawatt capacity, cost as low as Rs 35 per Watt has been quoted by developers. This is the lowest cost achieved in the entire world so far,” the report by The Energy and Resources Institute said. Titled ‘Floating Solar... Read more..

Date : Feb 20

Source: ET Energy World

India ranks 131 on flourishing index: Report

No country in the world is adequately protecting children’s health, their environment and their futures, said a report released by a Commission of World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and The Lancet on Wednesday. The report, A Future for the World’s Children? Stated that the health and future of every child and adolescent worldwide is under immediate threat from ecological degradation, climate change and exploitative marketing practices that push heavily processed fast food, sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco at children. The report includes a new global index of 180 countries,... Read more..

Date : Feb 20

Source: Livemint

Top Andhra discom seeks more time to clear Rs 599 crore dues

Andhra Pradesh’s main power distribution company has sought more time to clear outstanding dues of Rs 599 crore it owes to renewable energy developers. In an affidavit filed with the state high court on Monday, the Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (APSPDCL) said, “The answering respondents seeking intervention of this hon’ble court to grant 4 weeks further time to clear the dues as undertaken before this hon’ble court.” The court had directed the state discom on December 20, 2019, to clear the dues within four weeks. The order had come in the wake of the... Read more..

Date : Feb 19

Source: ET Energy World

After Andhra shock, govt plans tribunal to enforce power pacts

The Union government plans to set up a new tribunal solely to enforce power purchase contracts, power and new and renewable energy minister Raj Kumar Singh said, creating an additional legal safety net for investors. The National Democratic Alliance government, which is facing investor criticism over a controversial attempt by the Andhra Pradesh government to renegotiate clean energy tariffs with developers, plans to amend the Electricity Act of 2003 to create the tribunal that will be headed by a retired judge. The tribunal will also deal with contract issues where electricity... Read more..

Date : Feb 19

Source: Livemint

Over Rs 1.32 Lakh Crore Invested in India’s Renewable Sector Since 2017-18

India’s renewable energy sector has seen a total investment of Rs 1.32 lakh crore (Rs 132625.89 crore) between the financial year 2017-18 and the current fiscal (until December 31, 2019), Union Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy, RK Singh has said. Answering a question raised in the Rajya Sabha, Singh said that the country has set a target of installing 175 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity by 2022. And that as of January 1, 2020, the country has installed 85.90 GW of Renewable Energy (RE) capacity which constitutes 23 percent of total installed power generation... Read more..

Date : Feb 19

Source: Saur Energy International

EESL inks pact with BSNL for 1,000 EV charging stations across country

State-owned Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) on Tuesday said it has signed an initial pact with BSNL for installing charging stations for electric vehicles. As per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), EESL will set up public EV charging stations at 1,000 BSNL sites in a phased manner across the country, an EESL statement said. EESL will make the entire upfront investment on the services pertaining to the MoU, along with the operation and maintenance of the charging infrastructure by using qualified personnel. Telecom PSU BSNL would be responsible for providing the requisite space... Read more..

Date : Feb 19

Source: Business Standard

Hero MotoCorp to invest Rs 10,000 crore in 7 years; aims to go carbon neutral by 2030

India's largest two-wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp on Tuesday said it plans to invest up to Rs 10,000 crore in the next 5-7 years towards new products, alternate mobility solutions, manufacturing facilities, network expansion and brand building as it aims to hold on to its market leadership position in India and strengthen its presence overseas. The investment would also include the company's foray into electric vehicles, an area where it is seen as a laggard. Arch rivals Bajaj Auto and TVS recently launched their first electric two-wheelers in the market earlier this year. Hero said... Read more..

Date : Feb 19

Source: Business Today