Himachal cabinet decides to amend hydro policy 2006
Himachal Pradesh cabinet on Monday decided to amend the Hydropower Policy 2006 in respect to transfer of shares by Himachalis to non-Himachalis. Now Himachalis can sell or transfer 49% equity shares to non-Himachalis at any stage after allotment of projects upto 2 MW capacity and full disinvestment after two years of commissioning of the projects. In case of bona fide Himachalis, to whom projects upto 2 MW to 5 MW capacity are allotted, they can sell or transfer 51% equity share to non-Himachalis at any stage after allotment of projects and full disinvestment after two years of commissioning of the projects. However, subject to the condition (in both the above cases), it was decided to levy some appropriate fee for transfer of equity. The cabinet gave its nod to cancel four projects namely Joiner-II (3MW) in district Chamba, Kanda (0.80 MW) in district Sirmaur, Rawin (1 MW) in Shimla district and Chahod (2 MW) in district Mandi. It approved the Himachal Pradesh Miscellaneous Adventure Activities Rules, 2004, which, besides existing HP Aero Sports and River Rafting Rules, also would include miscellaneous adventure activities like river crossing, zorbing, hot air ballooning, skiing, trekking, rock climbing, bungee jumping, rolling balls or water balls and zipline among others. However the objections and suggestions with regard to rules would be invited from the general public before finalization. Cabinet approved amendments in section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Tax on entry of goods into Local area Act, 2010. It also accorded approval to 100 units of free electricity per month to families affected by hydel projects as per subsidized tariff determined by Himachal Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (HPERC) from time to time with respect to local area development committees of the districts and the balance amount equivalent to quantum of subsidy with state government. This shall be done once in a year since the tariff is determined by HPERC. It was also decided to provide 35kg ration to the Above Poverty Line (APL) families in tribal areas. All three pulses would be provided to all ration card holders. Darius Slay Jersey
NTPC snaps power to BSES discoms
Aravali Power Company (APCPL) on Sunday night stopped the supply of 445MW power to BSES discoms Rajdhani and Yamuna over non-payment of dues of Rs 961.58 crore. The NTPC-run generation company had sent a notice to the distribution company last week, but BSES failed to make any payments by the stipulated time. APCPL in Jhajjar has been supplying power to the discoms since March 5, 2011. While BSES Rajdhani gets 372MW, Yamuna gets 73MW. BSES Rajdhani owes APCPL Rs 695.25 crore and Yamuna Rs 266.33 crore. The power supplier said that payments by the discoms had become irregular. “The matter was brought before the Supreme Court, which in its judgment dated March 26, 2014 directed the discoms to ensure payments of all energy bills from January 1, 2014. However, the dues have continued to accumulate,” NTPC said. tnn NTPC said that APCPL has to pay in advance to its fuel suppliers, which constitutes about 70-80% of its monthly energy bills. “Aravali power cannot meet its commitments, including payment to fuel suppliers, debt servicing requirements and salaries to its employees, if BSES doesn’t pay the dues. APCPL had no other option but to regulate power to the discoms,” it added. Meanwhile, BSES has assured that there would be no power cuts in their areas despite the regulation. “The power demand between September and March in BSES areas ranges from 2,600-3,000MW. We have a long term power arrangement of around 3800MW for this period, apart from power banking with other states. In case of unforeseen circumstances, we will buy power from the exchange at economical rates,” said a BSES official. Nathan Beaulieu Womens Jersey
Oil block auctions under Hydrocarbon Exploration Licensing Policy by early next year
India will likely begin auctioning its major oil and gas blocks early next year under its fresh Hydrocarbon Exploration Licensing Policy (HELP) that heralds a major shift from the previous policy by bringing in revenue sharing between companies and the government, offering companies the option to carve out blocks, and the freedom to market gas. “We are currently working on the procedures and the methodologies to help operationalise the new policy. his should be ready by early next year, which is when we will allow companies to bid under this,” said an oil ministry official, who didn’t want to be named. In March, the government notified the new hydrocarbon policy, replacing the NELP, or New Exploration Licensing Policy that guided Indian hydrocarbon space for more than a decade. Some of the key changes the new policy introduced include just one license for extraction of all forms of hydrocarbons,. freedom to market gas, and a revenue-sharing system that puts an end to micromanagement by bureaucrats and the accompanying acrimony between the government and the contractor. The officials at the oil ministry and its technical arm, the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons, are now figuring out every operational detail for a smooth launch of HELP. The oil ministry is currently managing the auction of 67 small discovered oil and gas fields for which roadshows are being organized. The policy for these small fields also offer freedom to market gas and a revenue sharing model and this bid round will test the key policy measures’ attractiveness for investors. The experience gathered in holding the discovered small field bid round will come handy in preparing the most optimal procedure for operationalising HELP, the oil ministry official said. Once the procedure is ready, companies can submit an initial expression of interest indicating the area which they wish to take up for exploration. Following this, the government will put this area up for auction and the highest bidder will be granted the right to explore. Just because someone has first identified the area for exploration will not grant him any special right to obtain exploration license. Alexandre Texier Jersey
Iran ready to raise oil output to 4 million bpd depending on demand -NIOC
Iran is ready to raise its oil production to 4 million barrels per day (bpd) in a couple of months depending on market demand, a senior official from the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) said on Monday. “We can increase crude production based on market requirement,” Seyed Mohsen Ghamsari, the director for international affairs at NIOC said at the Argus Crude Forum. The OPEC producer is currently producing a little over 3.8 million bpd, Ghamsari said. Evan Longoria Womens Jersey
India allocates imported gas to nine stranded power plants
Nine stranded power plants with an installed capacity of 5.070 GW in southern India have been allocated 9.93mn m³/day of imported natural gas after a reverse e-auction process, India’s power ministry said September 3. It was the fourth phase of auctions intended to use gas-fired capacity more. These plants would generate 8.81bn kilowatt-hours for delivery from October 1 to March 31, 2017. The grid connected gas based power generation capacity in the country is 24.150 GW. Of this, 14.3 GW had no supply of domestic gas. These comprise 29 plants which were eligible to participate in the auction process held on September 3, of which 14 plants with a cumulative installed capacity of 7.575 GW participated in the latest round. Indian power plants are using more gas as the price is low. LNG imports have witnessed strong growth during the first four months of fiscal year 2017. Cumulative imports during April-July were 8.092bn m³, up almost by 22% on the same period last year. Imports in July were, however, marginally lower at 1.96bn m³, down 3.8% compared with the same month last year. The cost of importing LNG has dropped sharply this year after New Delhi signed a revised long term contract with Doha. Qatar is the largest supplier of LNG to India. Given the backdrop of low global LNG prices, Petronet LNG insisted on renegotiating its long term contract with RasGas. In December and the two parties revised their deal, which now takes the three-month average figure of Brent crude oil, replacing a five-year average of a basket of crude imported by Japan. Pavel Bure Authentic Jersey
IOC submits bid to enter local market with MPPE
Indian Oil Corporation has submitted a bid to enter the fuel retailing market in Myanmar, the Business Standard newspaper reported on September 3. “We have submitted a bid to start retail outlets and also set up LPG plants in Myanmar,” Mr Anish Aggarwal, director (pipelines) at IOC, India’s biggest state-owned refinery operator, told the New Delhi-based newspaper. The report said state-owned Myanma Petroleum Products Enterprise had last year invited private companies to form a joint venture for importing, storing, distributing and selling all petroleum products. A report in April said the joint venture agreement would be for 30 years, with the possibility of two 10-year extensions, with MPPE holding a 51 percent share. IOC is the second Indian state-owned refining company to express interest in entering the fuel market in Myanmar in recent weeks. The Numaligarh Refinery at Morangi in Assam was in talks with the Myanmar government to export up to 500,000 tons of petrol a year, Bloomberg reported on August 18. The facility is a subsidiary of India’s second-biggest state-owned refiner, Bharat Petroleum Corp. The Bloomberg report quoted London-based BMI Research as saying Myanmar imported more than 60 percent of its refined fuel and three domestic refineries capable of producing 57,000 barrels a day operated at 30 percent capacity in 2015. BMI Research estimated that fuel consumption in Myanmar would expand at an average of six percent a year between 2016 and 2020, outpacing Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. Austin Hooper Authentic Jersey