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Power
Quality 24X7 power supply key for accelerated economic growth: R K Singh
Power Minister R K Singh said that providing quality and reliable power supply round-theclock is a key factor for accelerated growth of the economy. "Providing 24x7 quality and reliable power supply with enhanced consumer satisfaction is very important as this is the key ingredient for accelerated growth of economy and country at large.
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At the meeting, Singh said the power sector has witnessed tremendous growth over the past few years in the areas of generation, transmission and distribution. With a total installed generation capacity of 384 GW, the country has transformed from a power deficit to a power surplus country.
Transmission network has been expanded to connect the whole country into one integrated grid with inter-regional transfer capacity of over 1 lakh MW.
Discoms to submit proposals for Rs 3.03 lakh cr scheme by Dec 31: Power Min
The government has extended the deadline to states for enrolling into the Rs 3.03 lakh crore revamped electricity distribution scheme by two additional months to December 31, power minister R K Singh said. The scheme guidelines
issued asked state power distribution companies to apply for participating in the scheme by October 31.
The deadline for detailed project reports (DPRs) submission would be December 31 2021 and no submission beyond that deadline would be accepted, Singh said at a review meeting with state power ministers.
The action plans and DPRs need to be formulated by the discoms in consultation with ministry of power REC and Power Finance Corp (PFC). The distribution utilities will indicate specific activities and reforms required to improve their performance as part of the action plans.
Power ministry seeks coal cess waiver for FGD power plants
The power ministry has sought the waiver of Rs 400 GST compensation cess on coal supplied to thermal power projects that implement emission control equipment to offset the increase in power tariff to end consumers due to implementation of emission control equipment as per the directions of the environment ministry.
“The power ministry has proposed to the ministry of finance that they might consider exempting the cess on the power plants that are in compliance with the FGD (Flue-gas desulfurisation) norms. If FGD norms are complied, the power cost will go up by 35 paisa. FGD should not be penalising power companies, distribution companies or the consumers,” a senior government official said.
The power ministry has in its recent letter to the finance ministry proposed that waiver of coal cess can be provided to power plants from the date of commissioning of FGD equipment starting July next year, the official said.
Centre may introduce annual service- based ratings for power utilities
The Centre would introduce an annual serviceoriented rating programme for power utilities that would be ranked on metrics such as duration and quality of electricity supplies, billing and collection efficiency, and grievance redressal. REC is the nodal agency for the program assessing customer centricity.
Multiple rounds of stakeholder consultations have been held with several discoms, including private distribution utilities and sectoral institutions like the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), Prayas Energy group and Smart Power India.
Supply reliability or uninterrupted quality power is the most important parameter of the rating. The second metric would be performance on services the consumer needs - ease and speed in new connections, metering efficiency, transparency and accuracy.
CCEA approves Rs 3.03-lakh cr scheme for power discoms
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved a five-year-long reform-based result-linked power distribution scheme worth Rs 3.03 lakh crore.
The Reform-Based Result-Linked Power Distribution Scheme was announced in Budget earlier this year. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman again announced the scheme as part of stimulus package post second wave of COVID-19, to boost the economy.
For availing this scheme, the states will have to pre-qualify criteria like publication of audited financial reports, upfront liquidation of state government’s dues/subsidy to discoms and non- creation of additional regulatory assets.
The scheme envisages 25 crore smart meters, 10,000 feeders, four lakh km of low-tension
overhead lines planned under the ongoing works under central government schemes.
Power demand to grow over 5% this fiscal, a three year high: Crisil Ratings
Rising industry demand is expected to prop up India’s energy consumption by over 75 billion units (BUs) this fiscal, or 5 per cent on-year – the fastest growth in the past three fiscals, Crisil Ratings Ltd said.
The heightened demand will be met largely by thermal generation companies (gencos) as generation from renewable, hydro and nuclear remains small at less than 25 per cent of the overall generation mix. That should charge up plant load factor (PLFs) of thermal gencos to ~58 per cent, higher than the pre-pandemic level of 56 per cent, an official statement said.
The growth in demand and improvement in PLFs assume a gradual recovery over the rest of the fiscal year and remain sensitive to any lockdowns imposed in response to further waves of Covid-19, the statement said.
Giving efficient plants priority in coal power despatch could save Rs 9,000 cr annually: CEEW
Discoms in India could save up to Rs 9,000 crore every year by prioritizing coal power despatch based on efficiency rather than the prevailing system which prioritizes based on variable costs, according to research done by Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW).
This can provide much-needed respite to public discoms, which reported a loss of Rs 61,360 crore in 2018-19, CEEW said in a statement.
The study found that prioritising efficiencybased despatch during this time could have improved coal fleet efficiency by 1.9 per cent, resulting in annual coal savings of 42 million tonnes (MT) and a commensurate reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
“Given that India will continue to rely on coal power in the coming decade, it must rein in wasteful coal use and improve generation efficiency. Decommissioning a part of the fleet could make coal power generation more efficient and less polluting, and accelerate decarbonisation in the power sector.
Delhi: 50 per cent of power needs may be met by green sources by 2024
By the year 2024, more than 50 per cent of the power needs of a large section of the city would be met through green energy, comprising solar, wind, water, waste to energy and hybrid power.
By the financial year 2023-24, 3,300 MW of green power will be operationalised by BSES discoms. Discom sources said that out of this, 2,291 MW will be “pure play renewable”, comprising solar, wind and waste to energy and around 1,000 MW comprising hydro power. This means that by 2024, 36 per cent of BSES’s longterm arrangements will comprise pure play renewable energy and 16 per cent, would be hydro power, adding up to a total of 52 per cent. The BSES discoms recently inked a power sale agreement with the Solar Energy Corporation of India to procure 510 MW of solar and bundled hybrid power. Of the total quantum of 510 MW, 300 MW is solar power and 210 MW, hybrid power, including Mumbai, Nashik, Pune, Igatpuri and Nagpur, the company said in a statement.
Ladakh's power scenario changed for better in a short span of time: Lt Guv
The power scenario of Ladakh has changed for better in a short span of time, Lt Governor R K Mathur said, asserting that with solar, hydrogen and geothermal projects in the pipeline, the sector has great potential for changing the face of the union territory. Mathur said many new areas have been electrified and power consumption in the last one year has grown by more than 10 per cent, while reiterating the need for time-bound removal of all diesel generator sets to achieve carbon neutrality in the region. The secretary power informed the meeting of upcoming projects such as installation of new transformers in Leh city to address the issue of low voltage, introduction of smart metering system, maintenance and replacement of DG sets. It was noted that smart metering systems would help strengthen the mechanism of revenue collection and the department is pacing up the implementation of the project.
The turnaround in the power transmission and distribution sector in the past one year in Jammu and Kashmir has helped in achieving reliable, quality, and sustainable electricity supply, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said as he dedicated seven power infrastructure projects worth Rs 10.11 crore to the public. The new projects inaugurated by Sinha target four districts of the Kashmir Valley - Pulwama, Bandipora, Ganderbal and Budgam - and would benefit 30,400 households.
The lieutenant governor (L-G) said that hardly any work was done in the past three decades to strengthen the power infrastructure in the J&K UT and the administration inherited a plethora of problems confronting the power generation, transmission, and distribution sectors.
"But, we are determined for a time-bound solution to the problems. Rs 5,000 crore has been allocated to transform the power infrastructure and I am certain with a pragmatic approach, we will be able to mitigate the challenges of this sector," the L-G said.
SECI plans 2,000 MWh capacity standalone energy storage project
The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is planning a 2,000 MWh standalone energy storage system which will be executed by the private sector. The state-owned solar energy focused corporation said the projects will be set up on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis with a 25-year agreement.
"SECI has initiated a project for 2,000 MWh standalone energy system. The detailed tender will be floated by August end. SECI has issued a notice for request for selection. SECI will enter into an agreement with the successful bidders for 25 years as per the terms, conditions, and provisions.
NTPC to halve coal plants in portfolio by 2032
Country’s largest power company NTPC Ltd will reduce coal-based generation to half of its capacity in a decade, while raising the share of renewable power under a publicly-listed arm.
The company plans to list its green subsidiary NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd in 18 months as it expects to make Rs 2,50,000crore investment toward the renewable energy generation capacity addition targets.
The company also plans to tap cheaper funds through its pact with National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) that was signed a year ago. NTPC is exploring development of large-scale offshore wind power plants with Oil and Natural Gas Corp through a joint venture signed last year.
India will play leadership role in area of renewable energy: Piyush Goyal
Union minister PiyushGoyal said that India will play a leadership role in the area of renewable energy in the years to come. While addressing the valedictory session of the second edition of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat- Self-Reliance for Renewable Energy manufacturing', he stated that from the hydro-power in the initial stages, we are already looking at the future & have started engaging in hydrogen technologies. He mentioned that 'LED (light-emitting diode) Mission (lights)' have saved the country billions of dollars in electricity bills. "As a nation, it brought down our carbon emissions by over a 120 million tonnes every year," he said. The minister projected that by 2023-24, India is going to be 20% blending ethanol in petrol products "with an ultimate target to run vehicles that can take up to 100% ethanol."
Switching to renewable energy will add 5 lakh jobs in India by 2050, finds study
The refrain to justify not moving away from fossil fuels has been that it would put people out of work. Coal and petroleum are big employers. India alone has about 8.6 lakh energy jobs now. But a new study has found that phasing out fossil fuels would actually add 80 lakh energy sector jobs across the world by 2050, of which over 5.4 lakh would be in India.
“Climate action results in more jobs,” Dr Sandeep Pai, co-author of the paper published in ‘One Earth’ journal, told TOI. Data he shared show that if the Paris Agreement target of temperature rise staying well below 2°C werema met, the number of jobs in India’s energy sector would go up from 8.6 lakh to 14 lakh by 2050. The rest of South Asia, meanwhile, would add about 69,000 jobs. China, on the other hand, would lose over 27 lakh jobs. “According to our study, the US and Middle East and North Africa are clear winners in terms of adding maximum numbers of jobs. They all add over a million jobs by 2050,” Pai said.
India and Germany sign pact for skill boost in solar power sector
Rajasthan Solar Association and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH signed an agreement for the skill development in the solar segment with the help of workshops and training programmes which will be conceived and implemented by the professionals. Indo German Vocational Education and Training Program (IGVET) under the GIZ GmbH is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Suman Kumar and Sunil Bansal, president and general secretary of RSA appraised GIZ executives regarding the RSA’s initiative to start a skill development institute along with a facilitation centre for the solar industry stakeholders at Bap in Jodhpur with the help of the state government.
Govt gives extension to renewable projects delayed due to Covid
The government has extended relief to renewable sector amid the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic by allowing an extension of two-and-a-half months for power projects with commissioning dates between April 1 and June 15, 2021.
With the second wave of the pandemic resulting in lockdowns in different parts of the country, work on several power projects also got suspended resulting in delays in commissioning. The power ministry has also granted an extension of three months to all interstate transmission projects under construction, with the scheduled commercial operation date (SCOD) falling after April 1, 2021, hit by the
India’s C&I rooftop solar segment to add 1,875 MW capacity in 2021: Report
The commercial and industrial (C&I) segment in India is expected to add 1,875 megawatt (MW) of new capacity in 2021, an increase of 47 per cent compared to the previous year, according to a recent report released. It added that the rate of rooftop solar capacity addition by C&I consumers in India was expected to accelerate this year, as new and innovative solar technology solutions provided opportunities for businesses to save on electricity costs and contribute to corporate renewable energy targets. “Solar module and battery prices have already fallen, and with the government’s new Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme to boost domestic solar manufacturing, solar technology prices are expected to drop even further.
The report added that other factors expected to boost uptake of rooftop solar by C&I consumers were more accessible financing options and corporate wanting to switch to 100 per cent renewable energy to meet their RE100 commitments.
Electricity demand faster than renewables: IEA
Demand for electricity is growing faster than the roll-out of renewable energies, leading to a surge in the use of heavily polluting coal and undermining efforts to reach carbon neutrality, the IEA warned.
Electricity demand is expected to grow by 5 percent this year, much more than the 1 percent drop it experienced last year as the global economy tumbled into recession thanks to restrictions to stem the coronavirus pandemic. Coal-fired power stations whose emissions are particularly harmful to the environment and contribute to global warming, are expected to exceed pre-pandemic levels this year. The IEA believes they could hit a record high in 2022. While nations are increasingly committed to reaching net-zero emissions by mid-century in order to limit climate change, the IEA calculates that in order to reach that goal emissions from the power sector need to be falling now.
Total corporate funding for solar sector surges to $13.5 bn in first half 2021: Report
Total corporate funding in the first half (1H) of 2021 for the solar energy sector was $13.5 billion compared to $4.6 billion in the same period previous year, a 193 per cent year-overyear (y-o-y) increase, according to a recent report. "Funding was up across the board in the first half of 2021 compared to last year, which was severely affected by the pandemic. Corporate merger and acquisition (M&A) activity was up significantly. Solar project acquisitions reached a record high in Q2. Solar project acquisitions in 1H 2021 reached 39.3 GW compared to 14.7 GW acquired in the same period last year.
Centre sets up solar thermal components testing facility in Hyderabad
The Union ministry of science & technology said it has set up a concentrated solar thermal (CST) based test rig facility at Hyderabad. The facility can help the solar industry test capability and performance of solar thermal components like solar receiver tubes, heat transfer fluids, and concentrating mirrors. The testing facility will validate indigenous components by assessing their performance at varying operating parameters such as flow rates of heat transfer fluids (HTFs), operating temperature and pressure, among others and different DNI (direct normal irradiance) conditions.
