Sustainability Outlook Headlines

SECI commissions India’s second-largest grid-connected rooftop solar project in UP

India’s government-owned Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) announced it has commissioned the country’s second largest rooftop solar PV power plant at GAIL’s Petrochemical complex at Pata in Uttar Pradesh. 

The 5.76 Mega Watt peak (MWp) solar plant would generate about 7,930,000 units of electricity per annum for GAIL’s captive use. The plant is expected to reduce approximately 6,000 tons per annum of... Read more..

Indian Railways eyes power from 1,050MW solar park in Madhya Pradesh

Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) could auction a solar park of 1,050MW capacity in the state of Madhya Pradesh, from which Indian Railways plans to purchase the power generated.

A note from the state-owned transport giant said that the park would be spread across three districts in Madhya Pradesh. Indian Railways has been enticed by the decline in solar power tariffs, which remained low in the two... Read more..

UK govt’s CDC Group announces clean energy platform Ayana Renewable Power

CDC Group Plc, the UK government’s development finance institution, on Tuesday announced the launch of Ayana Renewable Power, a renewable energy platform for India and neighbouring countries.

Mint reported about CDC Group’s plan on 23 February last year.

Ayana will develop hundreds of megawatts of... Read more..

Tata's 50 MW solar plant in Karnataka goes on stream

Tata Power Renewable Energy (TPREL) has announced that it has commissioned its 50 MW DCR solar plant at Pavagada Solar Park in Karnataka. 

The project was won by the company on April 4 under the National Solar Mission Phase-II Batch-II Tranche-I State Specific Bundling Scheme. The commissioning takes Tata Power's installed operating capacity to 1664 MW. 

... Read more..

Power ministry not in favour of retrofitting old plants to meet emission norms

The power ministry is mulling using supercritical power plants to meet new emission norms instead of retrofitting the old polluting units, which could increase their tariff by up to 93 paise per unit.

The government has estimated a capital expenditure of Rs 88 lakh to Rs 1.28 crore per megawatt for retrofitting the old plant to meet new emission norms.

... Read more..

UP remote villages to get solar power

In an attempt to provide electricity to houses in remote and inaccessible areas of the state where electrification is not possible due to difficult geographical terrain, the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) will soon be providing off-grid electricity by setting up solar power plants. 

According to officials at the UPPCL, the task to identify the areas that are inaccessible and have not yet... Read more..

Trending: Barclays, TD Bank Catalyze Low-Carbon Economy Through Sustainable Finance

Catalyzing the transition to a low-carbon economy will require more than just innovation — capital is required to bring meaningful solutions to scale. Banks have an important role to play in this regard, providing investors and businesses alike with the tools necessary to incentivize and drive change. Following in the footsteps of ING and Triodos, Barclays and TD Bank have developed new financial products designed to support the development of a more sustainable economy.

... Read more..

Chandigarh to go 100 per cent green on power by end of 2018

If all goes according to the plans of the ministry of new and renewal energy (MNRE), City Beautiful will be on green energy by the end of 2018. After the selection of Chandigarh for development as a model solar city, MNRE directed Chandigarh administration to make the city 100% renewable energy powered. The project deadline is the end of 2018. 

In recent years, the Centre has been laying considerable... Read more..

Renewable energy sector adds 12 GW capacity in Jan-Nov

The renewable energy sector in the country has added close to 12 GW of new capacity during the first 11-months of calendar year 2017. It is expected to end the year with the largest-ever annual capacity addition.

A total of 11,788 MW of grid-connected power generation capacity from renewable energy sources has been added during January-November , according to Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.... Read more..

Clean energy developers look to diversify in bid to boost profits

India’s clean energy firms such as ReNew Power Ventures Pvt. Ltd and Greenko Group are looking at diversifying across the electricity value chain in segments such as transmission and distribution to derive better value.

This comes against the backdrop of record low green energy tariffs that will impact project developers’ margins.

... Read more..

Air Pollution: Centre approves Rs 100 crore project to tackle stubble burning

Seeking to handle issue of stubble burning in a comprehensive and coordinated manner, the environment ministry has approved launching of a regional project to tackle the menace that adversely affects air quality and soil health. The project will be implemented in a phased manner under the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC). 

The first phase of the project, costing approximately Rs 100 crore... Read more..

Only six states, UTs comply with Centre's renewable purchase obligations

New Delhi, Only six out of 29 states and seven union territories are complying with the central government's Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) targets, a Greenpeace India report said on Wednesday.

Under the RPO, states are suppose to achieve certain targets by ensuring that their power-share comes from green or renewable sources. In case the states are unable to produce enough renewable due to any-reasons... Read more..