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Sustainability Outlook Headlines
COVID-19: Renewable power generation remains unaffected amid lockdown, says reportAmid the COVID-19 lockdown, renewable power generation remained unaffected due to their ‘must-run’ status while electricity from thermal sources were impacted most due to a decline in power demand in March and April 2020, according to a recent report by Indian Ratings. It added that with the decrease in demand, electricity generation -- excluding renewables -- also decreased 8.8 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) to 97.7 billion units (BU) in March 2020 with thermal generation declining 11.1 per cent y-o-y. According to the report titled ‘Power Watch: March 2020’, thermal plant load factor (PLF... Read more.. Date : May 6 Source: ET Energy World
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ICRA Stands in Favour of Draft Amendments Proposed in Electricity ActICRA Limited, an independent investment information and credit rating agency, has stated that it believes that the draft amendments proposed in Electricity Act, 2003 have the scope to strengthen the sanctity of power supply contracts and bring reforms in the distribution segment. The Ministry of Power (MoP), Government of India, has recently proposed amendments to the Electricity Act, 2003 in the form of draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020 notified on April 17, 2020, to address the issues plaguing the power sector and impeding its investment prospects. As per ICRA note, the... Read more.. Date : May 6 Source: Saur Energy International
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Plans for first lithium plant in India forges aheadPlans for India’s first lithium refinery are forging ahead after Neometals Ltd. and Manikaran Power Ltd approved a feasibility study for a project that aims to supply a nation set to become the fourth-largest electric-vehicle market by 2040. The refinery will have a proposed capacity of 20,000 tons a year of lithium hydroxide, Australia’s Neometals said Thursday in a statement. The study will support staged investment decisions for a potential 50:50 joint venture to develop the project. India’s ambition of becoming a global hub for making EVs faces challenges from a lack of access to raw... Read more.. Date : May 6 Source: Livemint
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Adani Green plans to complete 1,300 MW of hybrid projects by 2021Adani Green Energy, a renewable energy firm of the Adani Group, plans to complete 1,300 megawatt (MW) of hybrid projects by calendar year (CY) 2021, said its Chief Executive Officer Jayant Parimal in an analyst call on Monday. “We have signed 1,300 MW of hybrid projects, out of this, 600 MW was with Solar Energy Corporation of India at Rs 2.69 paise with a PLF requirement of 30 per cent. We had signed another 700 MW of hybrid project with BSES-AEML where the PLF requirement is 50 per cent at Rs 3.24 paise. We are trying to complete some portion by March 2021 and in any case the entire... Read more.. Date : May 6 Source: ET Energy World
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Moody's lowers forecast for green bond issuance this yearMoody's said on Tuesday it had lowered its estimate for green bond issuance this year to $175 billion to $225 billion, down from its previous forecast of $300 billion, due to the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Green bonds are fixed-income securities that raise capital for projects with environmental benefits, such as renewable energy or low-carbon transport. The bonds make up a small fraction of the overall bond market, but they are attracting attention because meeting emissions-cutting targets will need trillions of dollars of capital from public and private sectors. Green... Read more.. Date : May 6 Source: ET Energy World
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Govt to do away with mandatory washing of coal for thermal power unitsThe Centre is planning to do away with the mandatory requirement of washing of coal before it is transported to thermal power stations. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), in a discussion note, suggested that coal washing should be done away with, as it does not bring down the ash content in coal. In 2014, as part of its climate change commitments, the government had made coal washing mandatory for supply to all thermal units beyond 500 kms from the coal mine. This was done in line with India’s stand in climate change negotiations - not to reduce coal... Read more.. Date : May 6 Source: Business Standard
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SECI extends bid submission deadline for 4-MW floating solar plantThe Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has once again extended the bid submission deadline for its 4-megawatt (MW) floating solar power plant with battery storage system in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. “The last date of bid submission is hereby extended till 18 May, 2020. The techno-commercial bid opening shall be carried out on 21 May, 2020,” SECI said in a notification on Monday. The earlier deadline was 4 May, 2020. For the first time, the deadline was extended from February 13, 2020, to February 28, 2020. Followed by another extension from February 28, 2020, to March 13, 2020,... Read more.. Date : May 5 Source: ET Energy World
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CEL seeks to empanel BOS suppliers for small solar power packsCentral Electronics Limited (CEL) has invited Expression of Interest for empanelment of BOS suppliers and/or installation and commissioning (I&C) of solar power packs ranging from 1 kWp to 5 kWp. CEL will sell these power packs to customers from its four retail offices located at Sahibabad (Uttar Pradesh), Delhi, Pune (Maharashtra) and Chennai (Tamilnadu), for installation in and around Pune, Chennai, Delhi NCR and Sahibabad. The power pack will consist of solar module (CEL make), grid-tied inverter (IEC standard), power conditioning unit (IEC standard), VRLA/Li-ion battery (IS... Read more.. Date : May 5 Source: PV Magazine India
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Coronavirus risks future of India's coal-fired power plants: IEEFAThe coronavirus pandemic and subsequent nationwide lockdown have highlighted the growing financial risks to India's coal-fired power plant sector, a technology being replaced by new, cheaper, and cleaner renewable energy, an IEEFA note said on Monday. Entitled 'Who Would Still Fund a New Coal Power Plant in India?', the note said renewable energy delivered more than two thirds or 9.39 gigawatts (GW) of India's new generating capacity additions in the fiscal 2019/20, while new thermal power plants delivered 4.3GW, net of the 2.5GW removed due to end-of-life plant closures. Further, coal-... Read more.. Date : May 5 Source: ET Energy World
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Solar-plus-storage systems to see major boost in renewable energy marketThe renewable energy sector will see a shift to grid-independent systems in the coming months and storage systems such as solar-plus-storage will see a major boost in the market, according to industry executives. “In the next six months to a year, a lot of focus would shift to grid-independent systems. The role of storage systems in the form of technologies such as solar-plus-storage will be huge and there is likely to be a boom in the rural or off-grid solar systems,” Gagan Vermani founder and chief executive officer of MYSUN, a rooftop solar power company, told ETEnergyworld in an... Read more.. Date : May 5 Source: ET Energy World
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Electric vehicle makers see huge opportunity post Covid-19With more and more Indians adopting the social distancing norms, the private vehicle sector is poised to witness a significant momentum in the country making way to a substantial increase in the adoption of electric vehicles as the idea of clean-energy alternatives are becoming more mainstream. Post Covid-19, the global electric vehicle and electric vehicle infrastructure market is projected to reach 4.18 million units by 2021 from an estimated 3.42 million units in 2020, at a CAGR of 22.1%. India is expected to be a significant contributor to this growth. The impact of Covid-19 witnessed... Read more.. Date : May 5 Source: The Times of India
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Green recovery can revive virus-hit economies and tackle climate change: studyMassive programmes of green public investment would be the most cost-effective way both to revive virus-hit economies and strike a decisive blow against climate change, top U.S. and British economists said in a study published on Tuesday. With co-authors including Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz from Columbia University and prominent British climate expert Lord Nicholas Stern, the findings are likely to fuel calls for "green recoveries" gathering momentum around the world. "The COVID-19 crisis could mark a turning point in progress on climate change," the authors wrote, adding that much... Read more.. Date : May 5 Source: ET Energy World
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MNRE extends phase-III of off-grid solar programme till March next yearThe Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has announced the extension of the off-grid and decentralised solar photovoltaic (PV) applications programme phase-III till 31 March, 2021. The ministry added that during the extended period, the sanction of new projects under the Scheme will be available only in the northeastern region. The instruction is in line with the instructions issued on continuation and extension of public-funded ongoing schemes by the Ministry of Finance. “Approval of President of India is hereby accorded for continuation of the off-grid and decentralised solar PV... Read more.. Date : May 4 Source: ET Energy World
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Solar industry gets more time to submit responses for safeguard duty reviewDomestic producers, importers and also foreign producers have until May 11 to submit their responses to the questionnaire posed by the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry as it probes the need for continuing with the imposition of safeguard duty on solar cells, whether or not assembled into modules. The extension in the timeline—earlier set for April 30—has been granted in view of the difficulties faced by the industry due to the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown. “Various interested parties have expressed their inability to file responses... Read more.. Date : May 4 Source: PV Magazine India
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AP: Uninterrupted power for farmers, Work on 10,000 Mw solar park to start soonChief minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has directed the energy department to provide nine-hour uninterrupted power supply during the day to agriculture pump sets during the next Rabi season. The CM asked the officials to complete all pending works to provide day-time power to the agriculture sector at the earliest. The CM reviewed the progress of energy projects with the senior officials on Friday. During the review, the officials told the CM that the system has been upgraded to provide day-time supply through 81 per cent feeders. They said only about 58 per cent feeders were equipped to... Read more.. Date : May 4 Source: ET Energy World
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India doubles down on solar, gas at coal's expense as electricity use fallsIndia's solar and gas-fired electricity generation rose in April even as overall power demand fell at the steepest monthly rate in at least thirteen years, a Reuters analysis of provisional government data showed. Solar-powered electricity generation rose 16.9 per cent, accounting for a record 5.6 per cent of the country's total output, while gas-fired power output was 13.7 per cent higher, an analysis of daily load despatch data from state-run power operator POSOCO showed. However, wind-powered electricity generation fell 11.4 per cent. Electricity generation from coal - India's primary... Read more.. Date : May 4 Source: ET Energy World
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COVID-19 impact: Green energy installation trips in February, MarchOnly 222 mw of solar capacity and 25 mw of wind capacity was installed in March as activities came to a halt following the Covid-19 outbreak, and installation would remain slow for another two months, said industry. Construction work began to slow down around the first week of February, they said. Immediately after the extension of the Chinese New Year holiday, problems cropped up. “Up until February, module shipments were happening more or less uninterrupted,” said a solar developer, requesting anonymity. In February, only 62 mw of wind projects and 370 mw of solar projects were installed... Read more.. Date : May 4 Source: ET Energy World
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Battery storage, smart grid, energy efficiency companies raise $252 m in VC funding in Q1 2020Battery storage, smart grid, and energy efficiency companies raised $252 million during the first quarter of 2020 (Q1), a 20 per cent increase from the $210 million raised in Q1 2019. According to a Mercom Capital Group report, “Total corporate funding, including VC, debt, and public market financing, in battery storage was $244 million in nine deals compared to $635 million in 10 deals in Q4 2019. Funding was up 88 per cent year-over-year (YoY) compared to $130 million in nine deals in Q1 2019.” Venture capital (VC) funding, including private equity and corporate venture capital, raised... Read more.. Date : May 4 Source: The Hindu Business Line
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MNRE scraps AJAY Phase-II scheme; experts say result of fiscal constraintsThe Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has announced the closure of the Atal Jyoti Yojana (AJAY) Phase-II due to the Coronavirus outbreak but, according to sector experts, this could be a result of the financial constraints at the ministry level. “Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the government has decided not to operate Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) for two years -- for 2020-21 and 2021-22... Accordingly, the ministry has decided to close the Phase-II of AJAY Scheme from 1 April, 2020,” MNRE said in an Order last week. According to Girishkumar Kadam, vice-... Read more.. Date : May 1 Source: ET Energy World
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MNRE Extends Deadline for Comments on Draft Standards for Utility Grid Inverters till May 7In continuation of providing time extension for various schemes, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has now extended the deadline for submission of comments and suggestions by the industry stakeholders on the draft standards for utility grid inverters till May 07, 2020. MNRE has written to all experts and related industry stakeholders informing them of the extension in the deadline for submission of comments and inputs on the draft standard on “Technical requirements for photovoltaic (PV) grid-tie inverters to be connected to the utility grid in India” which was earlier issued... Read more.. Date : May 1 Source: Saur Energy International
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CERC proposes draft regulation for tariff determination from renewable energy sourcesIndia's power sector regulator Central Electricity Regulatory Commision (CERC) has released draft regulations for determination of tariff from renewable energy sources. The last date for submission of comments on the draft is 28 May, 2020. The regulations will come into force from July 2020 and unless reviewed earlier will remain in force upto March 2023. The control period under these regulations will be from July 2020 to March 2023. The regulations will apply to cases where tariff for a grid-connected generating station or a unit commissioned during the control period is to be determined... Read more.. Date : May 1 Source: ET Energy World
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Trina Solar Wins First 100MW+ Contract in India for its New Vertex Bifacial ModulesTrina Solar Co Ltd, a leading provider of integrated photovoltaic (PV) modules and smart energy solutions, has won a contract from Noida-headquartered SunSource Energy to supply 105 MW of its new Vertex modules. This is the first 100 MW plus contract in India for the company’s Vertex bifacial modules, and it is likely to start the module shipment during the fourth quarter of 2020. SunSource Energy is a leading provider of solar-based energy and storage solutions in India, South East Asia and emerging markets. These bifacial modules will be used by SunSource for its projects across multiple... Read more.. Date : May 1 Source: Saur Energy International
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EV companies tweak product strategy, defer capex to meet post-COVID scenarioThe electric vehicle industry is preparing for life after lockdown by deferring capex and tweaking its product strategy to focus on new and emerging segments. EV manufacturers including Hero Electric, Kinetic, Mahindra Electric and others have indicated deferral of capex and programmes deemed non-critical in an effort to conserve cash. “We will invest only in the most critical programmes which we have already started and all other capex programmes will be postponed by 2-3 quarters. Some programmes like half tonne delivery fleet vehicle will continue,” said Sulajja Firodia, founder &... Read more.. Date : May 1 Source: The Times of India
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Leaders in an open letter call for solarisation of clinics in rural areasTwenty leaders from across the country in an open letter released on Thursday have called for action to make all unelectrified healthcare clinics in rural areas solarised. The signatories were from various think-tanks, research groups, renewable energy firms, sustainable development organisations, industry associations, and healthcare services. “The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has highlighted several existing systemic gaps in services, especially to the rural poor. Inadequate healthcare infrastructure is one of them. Over 39,000 sub-centres -- the first point of contact between primary... Read more.. Date : May 1 Source: ET Energy World
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COVID-19: Labour migration to pose short-term challenges for power, renewable energy sectorsThe COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the country under an extended lockdown creating a cascading effect on economic growth but the labour migration caused by it is posing serious challenges for the power and renewable energy industries. The exodus of migrant labourers from major metro cities has given rise to a shortage of non-technical workers working in the energy industry and even if the government opts for a staggered lifting of the lockdown, the process of remobilisation would pose challenges for companies, according to industry executives. “Demobilisation of labour is still easy but... Read more.. Date : May 1 Source: ET Energy World
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