Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Green 3D-printing comes closer to reality

The effect of 3D printing on the environment is well-known, but now a recent study has shown that plants may offer a green solution. For centuries, cellulose not only formed the basis of the world's most abundantly printed-on material: paper, but also may soon become an abundant material to print with, potentially providing a renewable, biodegradable alternative to the polymers currently used in 3-D printing materials, the MIT research, which appears in the journal Advanced Materials Technologies, found.... Read more..

Date : Mar 15

Source: Deccan Chronicle

Google’s Project Sunroof now shows solar potential in all 50 states

Google today announced another expansion of Project Sunroof, its web app for showing how much money you can save by installing solar panels at home. Now people can check locations in areas within all 50 U.S. states.

That’s up from 42 states in May 2016, 9 states in December 2015, and just 3 metro areas in August 2015, when Google first announced the initiative. Now Google has determined how much solar power... Read more..

Date : Mar 15

Source: Venture Beat

Solar water pump will light up salt workers' home

The government's solar water pump scheme has now come in handy in taking power to untapped areas in Gujarat. The Indian Salt Manufacturer Association (ISMA) has planned to install solar water pumps in the salt belt of Kutch region and some parts of Saurashtra which will see surplus power being consumed by salt workers for residential purpose.

This is set to save diesel cost for salt producers. ISMA will... Read more..

Date : Mar 15

Source: Business Standard

Germany provides support of EUR 200 million for India's Energy Efficiency Programme

The German Development Bank (KfW) signed - on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) - a loan agreement of over EUR 200 million (1,400 crores INR) with India's Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL). With this, the total German commitment for better energy efficiency in India stands at EUR 600 million (INR 4,200 Crore).

The agreement was signed by Selva Kumar, Joint... Read more..

Date : Mar 14

Source: The Economic Times

Solar capacity grows over 3 folds to 10 GW in three years

India's solar power generation capacity has crossed 10,000 megawatt (MW), a more than three-time jump in less than three years as government pushes for renewable energy sources to meet galloping demand.

The milestone came as NTPC Ltd, India's largest power producer, commissioned a 45 MW solar power project at Bhadla in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

Date : Mar 14

Source: The Economic Times

NTPC installs India’s largest Floating Solar PV Plant in Kerala

NTPC started power generation from India’s largest floating solar power plant at Kayamkulam in Kerala, on Friday.

The 100 kWp floating solar generation plant, largest of its kind in India, was indigenously developed as a part of ‘Make In India’ initiative, at Rajiv Gandhi Combined Cycle Power Plant (RGCCPP) in Kerala’s Kayamkulam district, the company said in a statement.

Date : Mar 14

Source: The Economic Times

Ramky Enviro commissions 24 MW waste-to-energy plant in Delhi

Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd, through its subsidiary Delhi MSW Solutions Ltd (DMSWL), has commissioned a ₹650-crore, 24 MW waste-to-energy plant in Delhi.

The plant has been synchronised with the grid and commercial production has commenced. The Delhi Electricity regulator has fixed the tariff at ₹7.03 per kWh.

Date : Mar 14

Source: Business Line

Parliamentary panel picks holes in rural electrification scheme

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy has called for more robust monitoring and implementation of the rural electrification programme.

In its 26th report on Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy noted, “Though many States have made commendable progress, some States are still lagging behind”.

Date : Mar 14

Source: Business Line

Greenko Group eyes Bhoruka Power’s clean energy portfolio

Greenko Group is looking to acquire hydro and wind power producer Bhoruka Power Corp. Ltd’s renewable energy portfolio of 310 megawatts (MW).

L&T Infrastructure Finance Co. Ltd holds an equity stake worth Rs350 crore in Bhoruka Power, which currently operates 110MW of hydropower capacity, 170MW of wind capacity and 30MW of solar capacity in Karnataka, Rajasthan and Haryana, and is building a 200MW wind... Read more..

Date : Mar 14

Source: livemint

IIT Madras Solar Tech aims to go commercial

After taking electricity to remote villages in various corners of the country, IIT Madras is gearing up for a pan-India commercial launch of its solar-powered microgrid technology by this year-end.

Microgrids are small power supply networks set up in remote villages, which obviate the massive investment needed to provide electricity to inaccessible and difficult terrains.

Date : Mar 14

Source: The New Indian Express

Government falls way short of renovation and maintenance targets

The renovation and modernisation of ailing thermal power plants under the 12th Five Year Plan has been severely affected by poor financial condition of state utilities as a mere 4,702.26 MW capacity could be modernised against the planned target of around 30,000 MW for the period 2012-17.

Higher project cost of more than 1.5-2.0 crore/MW made companies apprehensive to go ahead with the renovation and... Read more..

Date : Mar 14

Source: The Financial Express

Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) supplying non-treated water to consumers

The present water supply projects in Guwahati cater to the need of only 29 per cent of the city’s population and the supplied water too is inadequate, a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India for the year ended March 31, 2016 has observed.

Presently, there are three agencies which provide water in the city – Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) and... Read more..

Date : Mar 14

Source: Assam Tribune

Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency to develop water distribution network for solar pump

The Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA) will develop an elaborate water distribution network for its solar community irrigation projects in 29 locations of the State, officials informed.

The key districts where the solar community irrigation projects had been focussed are — Gariaband, Dhamtari, Kabirdham, Mahasamund, Raigarh, Janjgir-Champa, Jashpur and Sukma.

Date : Mar 14

Source: The Pioneer

NGT asks Visakhapatnam Port Trust and pollution board to control coal dust

In a major blow to Visakhapatnam Port Trust, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed VPT and the Pollution Control Board (PCB) to immediately check air pollution and bring it under control by the end of 2018.

The NGT has asked VPT to submit quarterly reports so that they can check if pollution levels are under the permissible parameters.

Date : Mar 14

Source: Times News Network

Railways to reduce water consumption by 20%

Indian Railways joined hands with United Nations Environment Programme to draw out a roadmap for achieving 20 per cent reduction in water consumption at rail establishments.

Besides, the cooperation with the UN body aims to concretise an action plan for the development of green technology and also to set up waste management centres at all major railway stations.

Date : Mar 10

Source: Money Control

Tata Power-DDL plans to set up 1000 electric charging stations

Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd today said it is planning to install 1,000 electric vehicle charging stations in next four to five years in Delhi.

The company plans to set up these charging stations at various locations in North and North-West Delhi and is already in discussions with Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for space.

Date : Mar 10

Source: The Economic Times

India, China, EU To Lead If US Withdraws From Paris Pact: UNEP Chief

Even if the US pulls out of the Paris Agreement, as President Donald Trump has threatened to do, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) will bank on India, China and the European Union (EU) and India for the success of the accord, which aims to limit global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius, if now below 1.5 degrees Celsius, above pre-industrial levels by 2100 its top administrator has said.

"I... Read more..

Date : Mar 10

Source: NDTV

Actis sets aside $500 million for renewable energy projects in India

Private equity fund Actis Capital, which has just completed raising $2.75 billion, has earmarked $500 million for investing in India’s wind and solar projects, according to industry sources.

Actis completed its fourth energy fund a couple of days back. It had targeted $2 billion, but ended up with $2.75 billion upon oversubscription.

Date : Mar 10

Source: Business Line

Price of solar power may fall further in FY18

Solar power generation costs are set to dip further during third and fourth quarter of 2017-18, helped by expected softening of interest rates and a drop in solar panel prices due to a supply glut in the international market, analysts say.

Solar power costs had hit a low of Rs 3.30 per unit last month, which is equal to average generation tariffs of NTPC, which produces bulk of its power from coal.... Read more..

Date : Mar 10

Source: The Economic Times

Mitsui Group said to be looking for a role in India’s clean energy story

Taking a cue from JERA Co. Inc., Japan’s Mitsui Group is looking at investments in India’s clean energy sector.

Interest from one of Japan’s largest corporates in India’s renewable energy play comes in the backdrop of India courting investments for its clean energy sector.

India has witnessed record low... Read more..

Date : Mar 10

Source: livemint

NTPC eyes entry in India’s electric vehicles segment

Enthused by India’s electric vehicle (EV) market potential, state-owned energy company NTPC Ltd is exploring a new business around it.

To start with, India’s largest power generation utility is looking at setting up charging stations to help create the demand for electricity generated by its plants and keep pace with the fast-changing power sector.

Date : Mar 10

Source: livemint

20 hydro projects of 6,329 MW stalled or stressed, says Piyush Goyal

As many as 20 under construction hydro power projects totalling 6,329 MW are either stalled or stressed in the country and Rs 30,147.08 crore has already been spent on them, Parliament was informed today.

"Out of 44 HEPs (hydro electric projects above 25 MW) under construction presently, 20 HEPs totalling 6,329 MW are stalled/stressed and an amount of Rs 30,147.08 crore has already been spent on these HEPs... Read more..

Date : Mar 10

Source: Economic Times

Shell CEO urges switch to clean energy as plans hefty renewable spending

The oil and gas industry risks losing public support if progress is not made in the transition to cleaner energy, Royal Dutch Shell Plc Chief Executive Ben van Beurden said on Thursday.

The world's second largest publicly-traded oil company plans to increase its investment in renewable energy to $1 billion a year by the end of the decade, van Beurden said, although it is still a small part of its total... Read more..

Date : Mar 10

Source: ET Energyworld

Arunachal Pradesh to relook hydropower policy

Small hydropower projects in Arunachal Pradesh are facing delays in execution with some being stalled for almost a decade.

In all, there are nearly 140 hydropower projects (large and small) in the State stuck in the long development period that were allotted after policies came out in 2007-2008.

The delay... Read more..

Date : Mar 10

Source: Business Line

China's first wastewater plant using radiation

Radiation is now being explored to treat industrial waste in developing countries like China which has set up its first such plant to clean wastewater from a textile dyeing facility. The technology though being used in industrial countries is not available in the developing world. The plant is part of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) project.

Other countries with significant textile manufacturing... Read more..

Date : Mar 10

Source: Fibre 2 Fashion