Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Develop vehicles that run on clean energy or be bulldozed: Nitin Gadkari warns auto makers

Carmakers producing vehicles that run on traditional fuel, take note -- Union minister Nitin Gadkari has a clear message: Go for alternative fuel, else he will not mind "bulldozing" them in his bid to check pollution and imports. According to the road transport and highways minister, a Cabinet note on electric vehicles is ready that will take care of charging stations. "We should move towards alternative fuel... I am going to do this, whether you like it or not. And I am not going to ask you. I will bulldoze it. For pollution, for imports, my ideas are crystal clear... The government has a... Read more..

State discoms playing spoiler on open access for solar power

There is an increasing opportunity to innovate in solar markets in India thanks to the rapidly declining price of photovoltaics (PV). While large-scale ground-mounted solar parks are seeing tremendous growth, an area that still remains largely untapped is open access (OA) for the sector.

OA was one of the main components of the Electricity Act (2003), introduced in an effort to attract private investment in the electricity generation sector, thereby encouraging competition.

OA allows bulk consumers (>1 MW) to enter into agreements with independent power producers (IPPs)... Read more..

NGT directs states to shut distilleries sans PESO nod

The National Green Tribunal has directed all states to shut down distilleries and sugar mills manufacturing, storing and transporting ethanol, without obtaining permission from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO).

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said no industry can run without having appropriate authorisations under the rules as well as license from PESO.
“PESO as well as State of Uttar Pradesh and all concerned States shall take appropriate action in accordance with law, that is hazardous waste and chemical waste rules and the... Read more..

Solar PPA disputes in Madhya Pradesh but SkyPower claims first operational Indian plant

Renewable energy developers SkyPower and Renew Power are involved in legal disputes with the distribution company (Discom) of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh over solar project deadlines and PPAs, while SkyPower has also claimed to have successfully brought into operation its first ever project in the state.

Parag Sharma, COO, Renew Power Ventures, told PV Tech that Renew Power won a 51MW project in the state in July 2015, which is now under dispute. In this case, the Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company Limited (MPPMCL) found issue with Renew for allegedly failing to complete... Read more..

BSE Carbonex index outperforms Sensex so far in 2017

Stocks of Indian companies which are committed to mitigating risks arising from climate change have fared better this year. The BSE Carbonex index has climbed 23.16% in comparison with an 18.91% jump in the benchmark Sensex so far this year.

In the three-year period till 6 September, the Carbonex has jumped 26.72% and the Sensex gained 17.15%, belying the belief that socially responsible investments find it tough to generate long-term performance.

The BSE Carbonex is a thematic index which measures companies’ ability to address climate change risk and opportunity. The index... Read more..

Madhya Pradesh cracks whip, cancels solar PPAs signed with Canadian firm’s India unit Sky Power Solar

Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company (MPPMC), the holding company of all the electricity distribution companies of the state, has cancelled two 50-MW power purchase agreements (PPAs) it had signed with the Indian unit of Canada-based Sky Power Solar in 2015. The PPAs were cancelled as Sky Power failed to set up the projects within the stipulated time. `23.6 crore from Sky Power’s bank guarantee of Rs 30 crore (Rs 15 crore X 2) will also be forfeited as delay penalties.

According to the PPA conditions, the projects were to be set within 210 days of signing the agreements. An... Read more..

EESL enters Malaysian market to sell LED bulbs in Melaka

State-run Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) has entered the Malaysian market to sell its economical and energy-efficient LED bulbs in State of Melaka, a Power Ministry statement said today.
The scheme, which has seen successful implementation in the UK, was launched by Chief Minister of Melaka Datuk Seri Utama Ir Hj Idris Bin Hj Haron.
Under the scheme, each household in Melaka will get 10 high quality 9-watt LED bulbs at a cost of only RM 10 (10 Malaysian Ringgit), which is a special price and is almost half of what in being offered in the market.
The EESL plans to... Read more..

Baijal directs civic bodies to increase capacity of waste to energy plants

In a meeting with officials of the three municipal corporations of Delhi, lieutenant governor Anil Baijal directed the civic bodies on Tuesday to increase the capacity of waste-to-energy plants in order to cater to more municipal garbage, which is otherwise being dumped at the landfill sites.

The direction came just four days after a portion of the garbage mound at Ghazipur collapsed on September 1, killing two people. The Ghazipur dumping site had long outlived its lifespan and had also exceeded the permissible height of 20 metres. It was nearly 50 metres when it came crashing down... Read more..

Renewable target moves closer as 750 Indian railway stations receive solar boost.

Train stations along one of the most used railway corridors in the world will soon have their dependence on traditional sources of energy loosened thanks to the power of the sun. The 750 stations in north India belonging to Indian Railways, one of the largest railway networks in the world (carrying more than 8 billion passengers annually) has a 25 percent renewable target by 2025. Tropical northern India is blessed with abundant sunlight with 300 sunny days a year, and solar power is a natural alternative to conventional electricity, much of which is generated using coal.

This... Read more..

Ganga cleaning: NGT asks panel to submit report on Haridwar-Unnao stretch

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday directed a committee, set up to monitor the execution of its directions on the cleaning of the Ganga, to submit a report on the progress made in rejuvenation of the river.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar ordered the panel, headed by the secretary in the Water Resources Ministry and comprising IIT professors and officials from the UP government, to submit the report on the cleaning work between Haridwar and Unnao before September 12.

The green panel also asked various parties and stakeholders to submit... Read more..

Indian Scientists Make Fuel From Sunlight With Artificial Leaf

Indian scientists have developed an artificial leaf that absorbs sunlight to generate hydrogen fuel from water, an advance that may provide clean energy for powering eco-friendly cars in the future. The ultra-thin wireless device mimics plant leaves to produce energy using water and sunlight.

"It is known that hydrogen generation from renewable resources will be the ultimate solution to our energy and environment problems," said Chinnakonda S Gopinath, a senior scientist at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research's National Chemical Laboratory in Pune.

CSIR is a... Read more..

NTPC commissions 250MW solar project in Madhya Pradesh

India’s largest utility NTPC has commissioned the 250MW Mandsaur solar project in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, according to a Bombay Stock Exchange filing.

The project, officially completed on 1 September, is split in to five separate 50MW plants. Back in April, NTPC said the project would require an estimated investment of INR15.03 billion (US$225 million). In the same month, Indian state-owned power equipment manufacturer Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) won an EPC contract from NTPC for at least 50MW of the Mandsaur project.

NTPC’s cumulative installed... Read more..