Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Picking Up The Pace – India Inc. Accelerates The Electric Mobility Transition

Electric mobility has attracted the attention of Indian leaders, policy makers and vehicle manufacturers as an opportunity to accelerate a low-carbon transition for transport in the country. Electric powered vehicles got another push from the recent Union budget of India, which announced a slew of incentives to make them more affordable - tax rebates of up to ₹1.5 lakh (US$ 2,188) on interest paid on loans to buy electric vehicles (EVs), duty exemptions on lithium ion batteries, and lower Goods and Services Tax rates from the current 12 percent to 5 percent.

This is in addition to... Read more..

UP energy regulator slashes solar tariffs, approves bidding for 550 mw

The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) has slashed solar power tariffs to a record low of nearly Rs 3 per unit, as it cleared competitive bidding for procurement of 550 megawatt (mw) by state utilities. The approved tariffs range from Rs 3.02 per unit to Rs 3.08 per unit, which ranks among the lowest power procurement price approved by the energy regulator for solar projects. The order was passed by the regulator on a petition filed jointly by UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL), UP New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) and Noida Power Company Limited (... Read more..

Deposit plastic bags, bottles at metro stations, get a jute bag

Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) will soon let passengers deposit plastic bags and bottles into disposal machines at metro stations and get jute bags for free. The metro stations will also install disposal machines or kiosks where one can put the bottles, which will then be crushed into tablets. These tablets or granules will further be recycled and used for various purposes such as making roads. Officials said that people will also get shopping coupons for putting more number of bottles in the kiosk. “This is an initiative to ensure that maximum plastic waste is recycled. We hope to... Read more..

Participation in PM-KUSUM tenders a challenge for distributed RE start-ups: Report

Early stage start-ups operating in the Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) space are facing a challenge in participation in tenders floated under the ambitious KUSUM scheme, according to a report based on a survey by CLEAN, a Delhi-based non-government organisation (NGO). The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) Scheme was launched in 2018 by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to support installation of off-grid solar pumps in rural areas and reduce dependence on grid, in grid-connected areas. With the overall goal of making the farmers... Read more..

Nagpur: Use rainwater harvesting, solar energy and get tax discounts

In a praiseworthy move, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has announced tax deductions in order to encourage citizens to implement rainwater harvesting and use solar energy in their areas. This step has been taken as a precautionary measure against future water scarcity. Now, citizens who shall install rain water harvesting systems and use solar energy on their own homes will be get concessions in property taxes. “If citizens implement environmental safeguards like rain water harvesting, solar power system, use vermicompost etc, they can get tax deduction of 5 to 10 % in their... Read more..

HUDD, BDA collaborate with Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH for Low Carbon Mobility Plan for Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar is rapidly developing - with a decadal growth rate of 29.4 per cent as per the 2011 Census. This growth has brought in its wake an increasing dependence on private vehicles (especially two-wheelers), mounting congestion and road crash affecting pedestrians. The statistics from Bhubaneswar's transport sector indicate that more than 80 per cent of users depends upon private vehicles for commuting. The total number of registered vehicles in the city, which was pegged at 14 lakhs by the Regional Transport Office in 2019, exceeds its total population (estimated ten lakhs in 2019).... Read more..

Fortum plans to set 300 MW solar power units in India per year

Fortum India, a unit of the €5-billion Finland-based Fortum Oyj, plans to set up 300 MW of solar power capacity each year in India for the next five years, taking its total installed capacity to over 2,100 MW. The investment will be about ₹1,300 crore per year, totalling investments of ₹6,500 crore in the next five years. Sanjay Aggarwal, MD, Fortum India Pvt. Ltd. said, “We are planning to add 300 MW of solar capacity in India every year. India is the hub for Fortum’s solar expansion. We have an installed capacity of around 700 MW in solar.” The company has its parent’s approval for... Read more..

Govt to ease land acquisition, finance for renewables to meet 450 GW target

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has started drafting plans to set up mega capacities and ease investment in renewables to meet the new target set by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi. At the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York on Monday, Modi vowed to double India’s renewable energy target to 450 gigawatt (GW) by 2030. This comes at a time when commissioning of projects has slowed and states are raising red flags. In 2019-20, of the 3 GW target for wind power, 1.1 GW has been commissioned. For solar, 2.1 GW has been commissioned out of 7.5 GW target. Slow project... Read more..

In New York, PM Modi urges business leaders to invest in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday pitched India as a key investment and trade destination to the global business community, highlighting the country’s economic and political strengths and pledging personal intervention to address any gaps. Delivering the keynote address at the morning plenary of the Bloomberg Global Business Forum, Modi ascribed India’s growth story to the “rarest of rare” combination of four key factors – democracy, demography, demand and decisiveness. Modi said his government’s “big and tough decisions” to improve the business environment had resulted in the 1.3... Read more..

PM Modi announces $150 mn line of credit to group of Pacific island nations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a $150 million line of credit to the group of Pacific island nations for undertaking solar, renewable energy and climate-related projects based on their requirement. Modi, who attended the India-Pacific Islands Developing States (PSIDS) Leaders’ Meeting, also announced a total allocation of $12 million to the member states towards implementation of high impact developmental project in the area of their choice. The meeting was held in New York on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly. This is the first time he has... Read more..

Waaree Energies expands module manufacturing capacity by 500 MW to 2,000 MW

Domestic solar PV module manufacturer Waaree Energies on Tuesday said it has increased its module manufacturing capacity by 500 megawatt to 2,000 MW. The demand for solar energy has seen an uptake in recent years. However, due to various policy driven and geo-political factors, the Indian solar manufacturing segment is equipped only to produce module equivalent to 3 GW or 3,000 MW. "Waaree aims to bridge this demand-supply gap and inch towards a viable indigenous ecosystem. The company has on Wednesday reached the level of 2 GW from 1.5 GW expanding its module manufacturing capacity by 500... Read more..