Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Solar auctions in Maharashtra & Karnataka put off on lack of bidders

In a reversal of the upbeat sentiment prevailing in solar energy last year, two recent solar auctions – one in Maharashtra and the other in Karnataka – have failed to attract enough bidders, leading to their repeated postponement.

Though India added a record 7,295 MW in 2017-18 until February end, and bid out another 10,500 MW through the year, Maharashtra’s latest 1,000 MW solar auction received bids of... Read more..

Dassault Systemes' Cloud business to drive India's electric vehicles adoption

Announcing its Cloud offerings for India, 3D Experience major Dassault Systemes on Tuesday said its growing Cloud business in India could drive electric vehicles adoption.

"Dassault Systèmes has placed the cloud at the heart of our business experience strategy which is the foundation of next-generation applications and business processes. Cloud is the optimal way to leverage the power of the 3DEXPERIENCE... Read more..

India to meet solar capacity addition target of 10,000 MW

India is set to meet its target of adding 10,000 MW of solar capacity in 2017-18, almost twice that of the increase in 2016-17. The country had added 5,526 MW of solar capacity in the last fiscal, which was itself a record at the time. “Our cumulative capacity was 19,584 MW in end-February, and we will be crossing 22,000... Read more..

Solar power to light up Salt Lake civic headquarters in Kolkata

Solar power will soon light up Poura Bhavan, the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation’s headquarters in Salt Lake. It will help the civic body to save several lakhs annually in the form of electricity bills.

“It will be calculated how much electricity the solar panels would need to generate to light up the entire G+6 building,” said corporation mayor Sabyasachi Dutta.

... Read more..

India most vulnerable country to climate change: HSBC report

The bank assessed 67 developed, emerging and frontier markets on vulnerability to the physical impacts of climate change, sensitivity to extreme weather events, exposure to energy transition risks and ability to respond to climate change. 

The 67 nations represent almost a third of the world’s nation states, 80 percent of the global population and 94 percent of global gross domestic product. ... Read more..

Power firms ask RBI for special dispensation

The Association of Power Producers (APP) asked the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for special relaxation for the power sector in its guidelines on when insolvency proceedings would be triggered.

The industry body said the stress in the sector is largely due to irregularity in payment from discoms, regulatory delays, and coal supply constraints, which are beyond the control of power firms.

... Read more..

In UP, 32 lakh households get electricity, govt meets 87% of year’s target

On the eve of completion of its one year rule in UP, the BJP on Sunday claimed of having met about 87% of the target of electrifying over 37 lakh households in the state in the financial year 2017-18.

UP energy minister Srikant Sharma said the state government has already electrified nearly 32 lakh households and would meet its target fully by the end of the current financial year. “This achievement has a... Read more..

India tweaks $1 billion line of credit plan for solar power boost in Africa

India has announced specific solar energy projects in parts of Africa in consultation with local governments and is seeking to ensure effective implementation of its Line of Credit of $1billion offered at a time when China is striving to emerge as a partner for much of the developing world.

The initiative is part of the external affairs ministry’s efforts to finetune its earlier strategy of extending blanket... Read more..

India ranks 78th on WEF energy transition index; lower than Brazil, China

India has been ranked at 78th, lower than its emerging market peers like Brazil and China, among 114 countries on the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) energy transition index that was topped by Sweden.

The report titled Fostering Effective Energy Transition, ranks countries on how well they are able to balance energy security and access with environmental sustainability and affordability. According to the report... Read more..

CETC (India) lays foundation stone for 200-MW solar PVC unit at Sri City

CETC (India), an ancillary of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC), on Thursday performed the ground-breaking ceremony for 200-MW solar photovoltaic cell (PVC) manufacturing park (phase 1) at Sri City in Andhra Pradesh.

Liu Liehong, General Manager, CEO, CETC, laid the foundation stone for the facility expected to be commissioned within 18 to 20 months.

... Read more..

Phelan Energy in talks to acquire 200MW of solar power projects in India

South Africa’s Phelan Energy Group, which has played a part in lowering India’s solar tariffs with its aggressive bids, is in talks to acquire 200 megawatts (MW) of projects here.

This is the first buyout in India planned by the Cape Town-based firm that bid Rs2.62 per kilowatt hour (kWh) in May last year to win contracts to build a 50MW unit at Bhadla in Rajasthan.

... Read more..

GUVNL to procure 2,000MW to meet summer demand

State-run power utility Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL) has decided to procure 2,000MW of power on a short-term basis, to meet the higher demand for electricity during the peak of summer.

The state’s apex electricity company invited bids for procurement of 2,000MW power from April to June.

Power... Read more..