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Sustainability Outlook Headlines
Climate battle will succeed or fail based on developments in Asia: UNThe battle to combat climate change will "succeed or fail" based on what happens in Asia, where growing energy needs are increasing demand for fossil fuels, UN officials said. The United Nations will host a key climate summit next month that has been billed as a last chance to prevent irreversible climate change, three years after the Paris agreement went into force. Commitments from countries in Asia to move towards carbon-neutral economies would be crucial, said Rachel Kyte, a UN special representative for... Read more.. |
In five years, households with solar water heaters double in PuneHouseholds using solar water heating units have almost doubled in the city in the last five years, the civic body's Environment Survey Report (ESR) for 2018-19 has revealed. In 2019-20, over 40,115 households with solar water heaters opted for the tax rebate benefit. The number of such properties in 2015-16 was 21,731. The report, tabled by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Wednesday, stated that over 1.5 crore units of electricity was saved because of the use of solar water heating units by 40,515... Read more.. |
Meet EV deadline or pay up for pollution, Centre may tell auto cosTwo- and three-wheeler makers in India may be asked by the government to pay up for causing vehicular pollution if they do not meet a deadline to produce electric vehicles (EVs). The hardening of stance comes after the manufacturers not only failed to adhere to the two-week government deadline to submit their plans to convert a part of their internal combustion engine (ICE)-driven two-wheelers and all three-wheelers into electric, but also sought four months instead. Federal policy think tank NITI Aayog,... Read more.. |
Ensure "must-run" status for green energy companies: centreThe central government has asked states to ensure that the “must-run” status of renewable energy plants is honoured and that if supply from these units is curtailed, the reason must be given in writing to generating companies. The letter from the ministry of new and renewable energy to the chief secretaries of all states on Thursday follows Andhra Pradesh's curtailment of wind and solar power over the last few days. The state has asked renewable energy companies to renegotiate contracts signed with the... Read more.. |
Maruti bats for CNG, hybrid cars to reduce oil imports, air pollutionThe country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) has said that usage of all kinds of green technologies, including CNG and hybrid cars, should be encouraged in order to cut oil imports and reduce air pollution. Addressing shareholders in the company's annual report for 2018-19, MSI Chairman R C Bhargava said the company is fully committed to helping the government's programme for reducing the consumption of oil and achieving cleaner environmental standards. "We had started in this direction many... Read more.. |
Three Indian PSUs set up JV to mine for lithium, cobalt overseasThree Indian state-run companies are to form a joint venture to buy mining assets overseas that have minerals such as lithium and cobalt, which are used in the manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles. The National Aluminium Co Ltd will hold a 40% stake in the joint venture called Khanij Bidesh India Ltd, with Hindustan Copper Ltd and Mineral Exploration Corp Ltd controlling 30% each, India's mines ministry said in a statement on Thursday. "Among such twelve minerals identified as strategic minerals,... Read more.. |
Air pollution levels rise by 30% in India as farmers align to new groundwater depletion policyA new groundwater conservation policy in northwestern India is increasing air pollution in the already haze- and smog-filled area, new research reports. The problem is caused by how water-use policies require farmers to shift rice crops to later in the year, which in turn delays the harvests and results in the burning of agricultural residue in November — a month when breezes stagnate, leading to increased air pollution. Late burners “This analysis shows that we need to think about sustainable agriculture... Read more.. |
Energy storage will attract $662 bn investments through 2040; China, US, India to lead the packGlobal energy storage installations are set to multiply exponentially, from a modest 9 Gigawatt (GW)/17 Gigawatt Hour (GWh) deployed as of 2018 to 1,095 GW/2,850 GWh through 2040 led by China, US and India. This 122-fold boom of stationary energy storage over the next two decades will require $662 billion of investment, according to BloombergNEF (BNEF). It will be made possible by further sharp declines in the cost of lithium-ion batteries, on top of an 85 per cent reduction in the 2010-18 period. BNEF’s... Read more.. |
India, UK launch clean air initiative in BengaluruThe Innovation for Clean Air (IfCA) was launched in Bengaluru on Wednesday. The two-year UK-India joint initiative provides Indian and UK stakeholders opportunities to test interventions related to air quality and EV integration. Speaking at the IfCA launch on Wednesday, British Deputy High Commissioner Dominic McAllister said: "I am delighted to launch this joint programme. Such collaborative initiatives are an example of how the UK and India can work as a joint force for good on innovative solutions and can... Read more.. |
Govt softens stance on time frame for transition to electric vehiclesThe government seems to have softened its stance on the time frame for transition to electric vehicles (EVs). The Ministry of Heavy Industries, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the power ministry, and the NITI Aayog — tasked with the policymaking and implementation of the government’s e-mobility plan — have extended an olive branch to the beleaguered automobile industry by agreeing to a “softer, pragmatic, phase-wise approach”. Under the revised plan, highly-polluted urban cities will be targeted... Read more.. |
DERC announces reduced tariff for power consumers in DelhiDERC announces reduced tariff for power consumers in Delhi. The DERC has reduced fixed charges across all categories. Delhi Electricity Regularity Commission (DERC) chairman Justice (retired) S S Chauhan said the new rates would be applicable from August 1. As per the new rates, the fixed charges up to 2 kilowatts (kW) has been reduced from Rs 125 to Rs 20, while the charges above 2 kW but less than 5 kW has been slashed from RS 140 to Rs 50. The fixed charges for more than 5 kW and less than 15 kW has been... Read more.. |
Telangana to go for 1,000 Mw solar power, one-time settlement of power duesThe Telangana government on Wednesday said it would go for one-time settlement of dues of panchayats and municipalities to state-run electricity organisations and warned that henceforth heads of local bodies will be 'punished' for non-payment of bills on time. Chief Minister K Chandrasekar Rao, who presided over a review meeting on the power sector, said the government will bear the expenditure for the supply of free power to farmers and for the lift irrigation projects and a special grant will be made in the... Read more.. |
Green move: Charging e-vehicles now cheaper in DelhiWith an eye on pollution-free transportation, Delhi Electricity Regularity Commission (DERC) has reduced the rates for charging stations of e-rickshaws and other electric vehicles. Low-tension e-vehicle users (those who charge at home) will pay Rs 4.5 per kW instead of Rs 5.5, while high-tension users (at public charging stations) will pay Rs 4 instead of Rs 5 per kW. "The tariff for high tension e-vehicle users is lower because more losses are incurred while charging at low-tension stations. The idea is to... Read more.. |
CLP India, Piramal look to buy Mahindra Susten’s solar assetsMahindra Susten, the renewable business arm of Mahindra group, which is in the process of selling 160 megawatts (MW) of solar assets, has received interest from two potential buyers, CLP India and the Piramal group, said two people aware of the development, requesting anonymity. Mint had reported in April that the Mahindra Group had appointed investment bank Avendus to seek buyers for a part of its solar portfolio. “They (Mahindra Susten) have received interest from CLP India and Piramal, which recently tied... Read more.. |
Government revises solar pumps costs before installing 17.5 lakh unitsThe ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) has revised the benchmark costs of solar pumps for FY20. The latest bench-marking comes at a time when the government is preparing to install 17.5 lakh stand-alone solar pumps and connect 10 lakh existing agriculture pumps with solar power through the recently approved Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) scheme. Since all component purchased through the scheme will have to be manufactured domestically, it opens up a potential... Read more.. |
India offers $100 mn aid to Benin to meet sustainable development goalsIndia on Monday offered concessional financial assistance of USD 100 million to Benin with an aim to help the West African country meet its Sustainable Development Goals. President Ram Nath Kovind is currently on the first leg of his three-nation visit to Africa, having reached the port city of Cotonou in Benin on Sunday. He was accorded a ceremonial welcome by his Beninese counterpart Patrice Talon on Monday, following which the two sides held a meeting on bilateral relations. The two sides signed four... Read more.. |
Govt Proposes Scrappage Scheme For Vehicles Older Than 15 YearsThe government has proposed certain amendments to the Central Motor Vehicle Rules. Proposal includes scrappage scheme for vehicles that are 15 years or older. Fitness certificate renewal for vehicles that are 15 years or older to be reduced to six months. Increased fee for fitness tests proposed for medium and heavy motor vehicles - Rs 1,200 for manual and Rs 2,000 for automatic vehicles. Fee for new vehicle registration and renewal of registration for medium and heavy vehicles to be set at Rs 20,000 and Rs... Read more.. |
5,645 electric buses sanctioned for 65 cities: NITI AayogAccording to NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog an Inter-Ministerial Panel has sanctioned 5645 electric buses for operations in 65 cities and for inter-city operations to 8 state transport undertakings. The announcement in this regard was made by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant. The move will give huge impetus to automobile sector, clean up cities & drive Make in India intiative. Niti Aayog has also proposed that all two-wheelers below capacity of 150cc sold in country after March 31,... Read more.. |
CECRI to make EV batteries; invest ₹100-crCentral Electrochemical Research Institute to upgrade Chennai facility The Tamil Nadu-based Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CECRI), a research institute under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, has decided to set up a factory to produce batteries for electric vehicles. It plans to invest ₹100 crore to set up the unit at its campus in Taramani, Chennai. This is a marked departure for the research body that has developed technologies, on its own or as a sponsored initiative, and... Read more.. |
India’s largest renewable energy companies: Acme, Adani and Greenko top the listAcme Solar, Adani, and Greenko have topped the list of India’s largest solar power producers by capacity while in the wind energy sector Renew Power, Greenko and Sembcorp top the charts, according to latest data compiled by the International Energy Agency and CEEW. The latest data, compiled in a report “Clean Energy Investment Trends 2019”, shows Acme Solar Holdings had 2,300 Megawatt (Mw), Adani 1,970 Mw while Greenko Energy Holdings had 1,916 Mw of solar PV generation capacity at the end of May 2019. These... Read more.. |
SunSource Energy plans to start work on 70 Megawatt solar power project in UPDistributed solar power company SunSource Energy today announced it will start work on constructing a 70 Megawatt (Mw) solar power project in Uttar Pradesh at an estimated investment of around Rs 300 crore. The project was awarded under the open access project allocation in the state and its power will be sold through long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) to commercial and industrial customers. “This project is part of the 200 MW solar projects that the company has committed to develop in Uttar Pradesh... Read more.. |
The 4 factories that could solve one of the last pieces of India's EV puzzleThe plan involves setting up at least four factories — of 10 gigawatt hours each. India, famous for its affordable entry-level cars, remains the only major market without a genuine electric vehicle. The market share of electric vehicles in the country stands at a mere 0.06%, compared with over 30% in a number of developed nations, government figures show. But that could soon change — the country's plans to go big on electric vehicles may now have finally been put on the fast lane. According to latest reports... Read more.. |
Tamil Nadu: Lack of meters stop homes from tapping solar energyPeople trying to tap green energy by installing roof-top solar panels are finding it next to impossible to get the mandatory net meter from Tangedco, the state’s discom. Net meter measures the quantum of power generated, consumed and provided to the grid. Many plants installed in the city are idling for three to six months because of non-availability of the meter. Area engineers and contractors empanelled to install solar panels say Tangedco orders and gets net meters in batches, and the next batch is awaited... Read more.. |
Parched manufacturing city in India brings in water by railAmid the green Yelagiri hills of southern India, the train inches along the tracks, carrying what has become precious cargo: drinking water bound for Chennai, India’s parched Motor City. Demand for water in the manufacturing and IT hub on the Bay of Bengal far outstrips supply, forcing authorities to take extreme and costly measures to serve the city’s 10 million people. And so, every day, the train sets out on a four-hour, 216-kilometer (134-mile) journey; its 50 tank cars carrying 2.5 million liters (660,... Read more.. |
Tata Power arm to develop 250 MW solar power project in GujaratTata Power on Monday said its renewable energy subsidiary TPREL has received a letter of award from Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL) to set up a 250 MW solar project in Dholera Solar Park in Gujarat. This is in addition to 100 MW project awarded by GUVNL in May 2019 for Raghanesda Solar Park, the company added. "Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd (TPREL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Power, has received a Letter of Award (LoA) from GUVNL to develop a 250 MW solar project in Dholera Solar Park of Gujarat... Read more.. |
