Sustainability Outlook Headlines

EESL inks pact with Baghirathi Sustainability India to promote EVs

State-owned Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) on Thursday said it has inked a pact with Baghirathi Sustainability India to promote e-mobility in private and government agencies in the country. EESL has signed a memorandum of understanding with Baghirathi Sustainability India Pvt Ltd to explore the possibilities of promoting electric vehicles (EVs) in India, according to an EESL statement. With this partnership, EESL seeks to deploy around 250 EVs and fast-track the adoption of e-mobility within private and government agencies across India, starting with Telangana, Karnataka and Andhra... Read more..

China's Great Wall revs up for India as rivals hit the brakes

Chinese automakers Great Wall Motor and Changan Automobile are accelerating plans to build cars in India after the initial success of rival SAIC Motor in one of the world’s biggest markets, three sources said. Great Wall, one of the biggest sellers of sports-utility vehicles (SUV) in China, expects to secure a production site in the first half of 2020, likely a General Motors plant in Maharashtra, a source familiar with Great Wall’s plans said. Buying a factory is seen as the best way to get up and running fast and Great Wall is finalising which SUVs it plans to make in India, including... Read more..

Tata Motors to tie up with group entities to foray into electric vehicles

Tata Motors will use the strength of group companies to fuel its foray into electric vehicles (EVs). It has tied up with Tata Power to install charging stations and will us the group’s retail arm chain, Croma, to digitally showcase the vehicles. “We are proud that the group’s entities are diversified and have expertise in varied segments. We are leveraging the strength to make EVs more popular,” said Shailesh Chandra, president of the electric mobility business and corporate strategy, Tata Motors. “We plan to set up 300 fast-charging stations by the end of this financial year, of which we... Read more..

Sustainability Outlook partners with Indus Exposium for the 2nd Global Summit on Waste to Energy and Biofuels

After the huge success of its inaugural edition in February 2019 the 2nd Global Summit on Waste to Energy & Biofuels (GSWEB-2020) is back. With a firm focus on advanced conversion technologies, the summit addresses the need for innovation – not just in technology, but in policy, finance and partnership models – in order to accelerate the growth of the industry In India & worldwide.

It will bring... Read more..

India should take urgent action to tackle air pollution: WHO

India should take “urgent action” to tackle air pollution as the levels of toxic air in many cities of the country are much higher than the recommended guidelines, which could have a major impact on people's health, WHO Director Maria Neira said. Several studies conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), Centre for Science and Environment and others published in journals such as The Lancet have linked pollution with premature deaths in India. Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar recently told the Parliament that there was no Indian study to show any correlation between... Read more..

India plans bio-gas plants to tackle toxic pollution, but experts sceptical

India is planning to set up more than 100 bio-gas plants and provide thousands of farmers with machines to dispose of crop stubble in a bid to halt the choking crop-burning pollution that blights the country every winter. A major source of the smog that engulfs vast swathes of northern India, including the capital New Delhi, is the burning the straw and stubble of the previous rice crop to prepare for new planting in October and November. New Delhi is regularly judged to be one of the world's most polluted major cities. Government-backed Indian Oil Corp Ltd will invite private companies to... Read more..

Govt launches transport subsidy scheme in JK

In its continuous endeavour to provide better transportation facilities, ensure mobility and connectivity to the people of the Union Territory, pilgrims and tourists, the Transport Department is facilitating and regulating the motor vehicles of all categories for the UT of Jammu and Kashmir. The Department is also committed to provide hassle-free services to the people for which it has shifted from manual to web based online services. The department is entrusted with registration of vehicles, issuance of driving licenses, issuance of licenses to driving schools, issuing route permits... Read more..

IBM's new battery design taps seawater as alternative mineral source

International Business Machines Corp on Wednesday said it has come up with a new battery technology that uses materials extracted from seawater and requires no cobalt, as the race to find alternative sources to the expensive mineral intensifies. IBM said it has partnered with the research wing of Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz, battery electrolyte supplier Central Glass, and battery manufacturer Sidus for the commercial development of the new design. "The goal would be, within a year or so, to have the first working prototype (of the battery)," said Jeff Welser, vice president at IBM Research... Read more..

Share of renewable energy rises to 9%

The percentage of renewable energy in India’s energy mix has risen steadily to nearly 9 per cent from the 2014-2015 levels. But, the current installed renewable energy capacity of the country pales against the 282 GW conventional power generation capacity. This is because despite the high installed generation capacity of renewable projects, a lower plant load factor reduces the amount of energy produced from these projects. Till now, 83.38 GW of renewable energy capacity has been installed as on October 31, 2019. This includes 31.69 GW from solar, 37.09 GW from wind, 9.95 GW bio-power and... Read more..

India has committed development of energy and infra projects worth Rs 75,000 cr in partner countries: MEA

India has committed development of energy and infrastructure projects worth Rs 75,000 crore across partner countries over the past five years, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). "As part of our active engagement with partner countries, the Government of India has committed to execute a number of projects under development cooperation. The projects cover a wide range of sectors like connectivity, energy, hydropower, solar, roads, agriculture, capacity building, and infrastructure," said V Muraleedharan, Minister of State, MEA recently in parliament. The government’s total... Read more..

Shimla: Delay in 100 MW hydro project led to cost overrun of Rs 643 cr, says CAG

A delay of 29 months in the commissioning of 100 MW Sainj hydroelectric project in Kullu in Himachal Pradesh led to cost overrun of Rs 643.04 crore, a report by Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has revealed. The project was scheduled to be completed by March 2015 with an estimated cost of Rs 676.29 crore, but the same was commissioned in September 2017 at a cost of Rs 1,319.33 crore. In the performance audit of the project, CAG detected flaws in the execution of project by Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HHPCL). The report said due to the delay, the power... Read more..

Skoda installs 8.5 MWp rooftop solar power plant at Chakan facility

European car major Skoda Auto Volkswagen India on Tuesday announced the installation of its 8.5 MWp rooftop solar photo voltaic (PV) power generation plant at the company's Chakan facility near Pune. Last year, the company had inaugurated its first major 980 KV solar PV installation at its Aurangabad manufacturing plant. It currently produces up to 1.5 million kWh and contributes to the reduction of upto 922 tonne of carbon dioxide emissions annually. Touted as the largest-ever such a project in the auto industry globally and one of Indias largest rooftop installations, it will produce 12.... Read more..