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Sustainability Outlook Headlines
For Developing Countries, More Solar Power – and More Lead ContaminationAt the 2018 United Nations climate meeting in Poland, the European Union and the Indian-led International Solar Alliance (ISA) signed a joint declaration that climate change activists say could help India meet its renewable energy target by 2022. The country is one of several – including China, Brazil and Bangladesh – that have announced ambitious initiatives to expand their use of solar power. A year later, at the next UN climate summit in Madrid, India’s environment minister, Prakash Javadekar, urged more countries to join the ISA “to speed up this alliance to trap solar energy in a big... Read more.. Date : Jun 4 Source: The Wire
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Disposable cutlery and packaging make a comebackThe pandemic has undone months, if not years, of awareness campaigns on the need to use more eco-friendly options such as steel cutlery and crockery. In the past two months, there has been a shift to disposable items such as paper cups – not all of which are recyclable – plastic containers and spoons. Even parcel packaging that was slowly moving towards sustainable material has taken a step back with multi-layered aluminium foil and plastic making a comeback. Several supermarkets have taken to wrapping vegetables in plastic in an attempt to make products ‘contact free’. “People are not... Read more.. Date : Jun 4 Source: The Hindu
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State discoms end Force Majeure period, restart power purchasesWith electricity demand picking up, state power distribution utilities are ending the force majeure period and have restarted power purchases they had earlier suspended. However, private power companies have started exploring legal options to contest non-payment of fixed charges by states for about 60 days of the force majeure event, sources said. Senior officials in private power firms said they have begun seeking legal opinions for sending notices to power distribution companies as power bills for supply in March have started getting due. In the absence of consensus among state... Read more.. Date : Jun 3 Source: ET Energy World
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Power staff from Punjab, Haryana join nationwide protest against electricity billLakhs of employees from the power sector across the country on Monday joined hands against the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020 and move to privatise the power distribution in Union Territories, said V K Gupta, spokesperson of All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF). The employees and engineers observed protests wearing black badges and holding gate meetings in Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Assam, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, West Bengal. Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, and others. Gupta termed the bill as “anti-farmer”... Read more.. Date : Jun 3 Source: ET Energy World
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Solar eclipse: India braces for 11,943 MW hit to solar power; POSOCO readies systemsPower System Operation Corporation (POSOCO) has started preparing power systems for the 21 June annular solar eclipse as it expects a reduction in solar power generation by 11,943 megawatt (MW) across India. The solar eclipse will begin at 09:56 am IST at Dwarka, Gujarat and will end at 14:29 pm IST at Dibrugarh, Assam. This would be the fourth solar eclipse India would witness in the past decade. The last one occurred in December 2019. “Eclipse would lead to reduction of all India solar generation by about 11,943 MW at maximum obscuration time and total estimated reduction in energy will... Read more.. Date : Jun 3 Source: ET Energy World
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ReNew Power close to signing Rs 1,500 cr deal with Ayana RenewableReNew Power is close to inking an agreement to sell its wind farms in Karnataka to UK government-backed Ayana Renewable for ₹1,500 crore, according to people aware of the matter. The wind farms being sold are housed in a single entity in which Ayana is likely to acquire 100% shareholding, according to these people. “The negotiations are in final stages and would result in the transfer of around 300 megawatts (MW)of wind power generation facilities for which supply agreements with state electricity boards are in place,” a person in the know said. Sale of the wind farms could help ReNew... Read more.. Date : Jun 3 Source: ET Energy World
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MG Motor to increase investment in EVs from 2022MG Motors India Pvt Ltd, one of the new entrants in the domestic market, plans to increase its investment in the electric vehicle space in India from 2022. The company expects economy to return to normalcy in a couple of years and feels such zero emission vehicles will get a significant traction in the domestic market in the medium to long term, a senior executive at the automaker said. MG Motor will launch an affordable electric vehicle in the range of ₹12-15 lakh which will qualify for the subsidy under the Indian government's FAME or Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &)... Read more.. Date : Jun 3 Source: Livemint
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SunSource Energy bags another IndianOil projectNoida-headquartered SunSource Energy has bagged yet another solar power project for Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IndianOil), a state-owned fossil fuel giant. The commercial and industrial solar energy and storage solutions provider’s scope of work will include the complete engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the rooftop solar plant and asset management for five years. The project is expected to generate over 22 million kWh of electricity over a 25-year lifetime. It will be developed across ten buildings in Vadodara at IndianOil’s flagship Gujarat Refinery and its township... Read more.. Date : Jun 3 Source: PV Magazine India
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EPIC Group and Arvind Envisol join hands; focus on sustainabilityAiming at implementing ZDHC progressive norms for effluent treatment, Hong Kong-based EPIC Group announced its strategic partnership with Arvind Envisol (water treatment business of Arvind Limited). This partnership aims at integrating best practices of water and wastewater treatment and use, thereby reducing the environmental footprint across manufacturing units of Epic Group in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Jordan and future projects in India. While EPIC Group is one of the leading garment manufacturers for global brands and retailers, Arvind Envisol, a subsidiary of Arvind Limited, is... Read more.. Date : Jun 3 Source: Apparel Resources
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Global COVID-19 recovery strategy must be green: IRENAThe competitive costs of power generation make investment in renewables highly attractive as countries target economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a latest report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) published on Tuesday. It added that renewable power is increasingly cheaper than any new electricity capacity based on fossil fuels and said that next year, up to 1,200 gigawatts (GW) of existing coal capacity could cost more to operate than the cost of new utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV). “We have reached an important turning point in the energy... Read more.. Date : Jun 3 Source: ET Energy World
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NTPC forms JV to set up waste to energy projectState-owned power giant NTPC on Monday said it has incorporated a joint venture firm NTPC EDMC Waste Solutions for developing and operating waste to energy project. "The NTPC Ltd has incorporated a Joint Venture Company with East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) with equity participation of 74:26 respectively, in the name of NTPC EDMC Waste Solutions Pvt Ltd with the Registrar of Companies, of Delhi & Haryana on June 1, 2020, to develop & operate state of the art/modern integrated waste management & energy generation facility," the company said in a regulatory filing. In its... Read more.. Date : Jun 2 Source: ET Energy World
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Power Exchange India starts real-time market for electricity transactionsPower Exchange India Ltd (PXIL) on Monday said it has kick-started Real Time Market (RTM) for electricity transactions. The RTM enables consumers, including distribution companies (discoms) and captive users, to buy power on exchanges just an hour before delivery. "The first trade conducted on PXIL's platform were from clients of Kreate Energy Private Ltd and PTC India Ltd. The initial auction sessions also saw participation from distribution utilities of Telangana, Meghalaya, Manipur, Sikkim and Jharkhand," a PXIL statement. Commenting on the launch, Prabhajit Kumar Sarkar, MD & CEO... Read more.. Date : Jun 2 Source: ET Energy World
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DST launches energy storage innovation challengeIndia’s Department of Science and Technology has launched an innovation challenge to develop economically viable energy storage solutions that can be integrated with appropriate renewable energy sources to provide an uninterrupted power supply for rural households and enterprises. The challenge is open to faculty members/scientists working in a regular position in recognized academic organizations, public-funded R&D institutions or laboratories, and Department for Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR) recognized scientific and industrial research organizations. Technology... Read more.. Date : Jun 2 Source: PV Magazine India
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Ircon Partners With NIIFL, Ayana to Explore Opportunities in Solar EnergyIrcon International Limited, formerly Indian Railway Construction Limited, an engineering and construction organisation has announced that it has signed a pact with the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIFL) and Ayana Renewable Power for exploring opportunities in the solar energy segment. NIIFL and Ircon will evaluate strategic partnerships across infrastructure projects and have agreed in principle to identify, bid and execute solar energy projects through joint ventures/consortium arrangements, as per the agreement. Ayana is an independent power producer with 800 MW... Read more.. Date : Jun 2 Source: Saur Energy International
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Tata Power eyes Rs 3,000-crore divestment, revamp of green assets to cut debtTata Power Company hopes to raise about Rs 3,000 crore from divestment of non-core operations and restructuring the renewable energy business with an aim to cut debt by at around 40% this financial year. The company, which has an installed capacity of 12,742 megawatts, hopes to raise the divestment proceeds despite the disruption caused by the pandemic, in the global economy, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Praveer Sinha told ET. “Our attempt is to reduce the debt to the levels of Rs 25,000 crore by the end of this fiscal year from Rs 44,000 crore; it is an indicative target... Read more.. Date : Jun 2 Source: ET Energy World
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EPAM raising £2 million of equity for energy transition in IndiaThe aim is to use the growth funding to bring UK companies and investment to opportunities in the $12 billion Indian energy efficiency market. EPAM will employ the equity to identify and execute transations that provide technology and know-how that help India drive towards greater energy efficiency. This will also generate opportunities for UK-based companies working in the energy transition seeking to enter the Indian market, creating measurable economic and social impact and developing further revenue and investment opportunities for EPAM. EESL EnergyPro Assets Ltd (EPAL), EPAM’s joint... Read more.. Date : Jun 2 Source: Renewable Energy Magazine
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Plunging cost of wind and solar marks turning point in energy transition - IRENAPlunging costs of renewables mark a turning point in a global transition to low-carbon energy, with new solar or wind farms increasingly cheaper to build than running existing coal plants, according to a report published on Tuesday. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) said the attractive prices of renewables relative to fossil fuel power generation could help governments embrace green economic recoveries from the shock of the coronavirus pandemic. "We have reached an important turning point in the energy transition," Francesco La Camera, director-general of IRENA, said in a... Read more.. Date : Jun 2 Source: ET Energy World
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Kashmir’s retreating glaciers could be influenced by local land use changeKolahoi Glacier, the largest glacier in Kashmir Himalayas which feeds two major tributaries of the River Jhelum – Lidder and Sindh – has further reduced in area over three years, a new research paper has revealed, as it compared its recent findings to that of a 2017 study. Scientists said that rapid retreating of Kolahoi and other glaciers in the region is largely attributable to global factors and climate driven by the local land-use changes also has some influence on glacier-retreat. “Kolahoi glacier has rapidly receded due to climatic changes prevalent over the Kashmir region. The... Read more.. Date : Jun 2 Source: Mongabay India
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Climate meet COP26 to be held next NovemberThe 26th conference of parties, or COP26, of the United Nations scheduled to be held in Glasgow later this year has now been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic to November 2021 following consultations with stakeholders, officials said on Friday. Alok Sharma, business secretary in the Boris Johnson government and the COP26 president, said: “While we rightly focus on fighting the immediate crisis of the coronavirus, we must not lose sight of the huge challenges of climate change”. “With the new dates for COP26 now agreed, we are working with our international partners on an ambitious... Read more.. Date : Jun 1 Source: Hindustan Times
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MSME Solar Parks Feasible When State’s Lower Transmission Charges: GadkariUnion Minister of Road Transport & Highways of India and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Nitin Gadkari has said that he believes that the entry of MSME in the solar parks sector was a good idea, but would only be viable if state governments reduce transmission charges. Speaking through video conferencing to members of the Pune-based Maratha Chambers of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA), Gadkari advised the entrepreneurs to approach Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to get transmission charges reduced. He also said the prime minister’s economic package... Read more.. Date : Jun 1 Source: Saur Energy International
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India oil import bill falls 10% to $101 billion in FY20At least in the oil sector, the global health emergency posed by the spread of the novel coronavirus has come to the country's advantage. India's oil import bill has fallen close to 10 per cent in FY20 as the increasing spread of coronavirus and demand squeeze globally has depressed the crude oil prices to about 30 a barrel now against a high of over $ 70 a barrel in September and again in January this year. According to provisional data from Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC), in FY20 India's oil import bill slipped to $ 101.4 billion from a level of $ 111.9 billion in previous... Read more.. Date : Jun 1 Source: ET Auto
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MoU signed with Housing and Urban Development Dept Govt of OdishaCSE has signed a three-year MoU with the Housing and Urban Development Dept. (HUDD), Govt. of Odisha, for implementing WSUDP strategies and mainstreaming Rainwater Harvesting in towns and cities of Odisha. CSE has been leading the movement on sustainable water management, especially Water Sensitive Urban Design and Planning (WSUDP) and Green Infrastructure, through its research, advocacy and capacity building initiatives in India, and the wider global south. This is in line with the vision of the Govt. of Odisha, and their willingness to implement RWH and other WSUDP solutions to address... Read more.. Date : Jun 1
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CPPIB, KKR, others eye Fortum’s Indian solar projectsAt least six firms, including Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), Brookfield Asset Management Inc., private equity firms Actis Llp, KKR, Macquarie Group, and Edelweiss Infrastructure Yield Plus Fund, have separately evinced interest in acquiring a majority stake in Finland’s state-controlled power utility Fortum Oyj’s 500 megawatts (MW) Indian solar projects, said two people, requesting anonymity. Fortum’s move to seek financial investors reflects growing consolidation in India’s clean energy space. With India slowly opening up for business, the deal activity has picked up for... Read more.. Date : Jun 1 Source: Livemint
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Mahindra tweaks EV strategy, to focus on electric three-wheelersMahindra and Mahindra (M&M), the country’s leading electric vehicle manufacturer by volumes, has revised its strategy to focus aggressively on development and sales of electric three-wheelers instead of electric cars in the coming years, two people aware of the company’s plans told Mint. M&M’s electric vehicle development business comes under its wholly-owned subsidiary Mahindra Electric Mobilty Ltd. The company has set a target of selling 10,000 units of such vehicles on a monthly basis, and has also been talking to different state governments and private entities to push these... Read more.. Date : Jun 1 Source: Livemint
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Plastics For Change raises $2 million from Mirova Natural CapitalBangalore-based Plastics For Change (PFC), a recycled plastic supply chain organisation, has raised $2 million from Mirova Natural Capital, an affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers. The funding will support PFC's business model to help coastal communities across India and South Asia to prevent discarded plastics from entering the ocean-bound waterways. "In addition to this, the investment will enable an increasing number of brands and manufacturers access high-quality recycled plastic material from transparent and responsible supply chains," according to PFC. The funding round was led... Read more.. Date : Jun 1 Source: Livemint
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