Kudankulam could work on next-gen N-fuel in near-term: Russia
The Russian-built Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) in Tamil Nadu could, in the near future, be operating on the newer generation TVS-2M fuel assembly, which offers increased uranium capacity, improved heat reliability and enhanced operational safety, a senior Russian official has said. “Today we can offer our Indian colleagues a more modern design of nuclear fuel — TVS-2M — with improved economic and technical characteristics,” Oleg A. Grigoryev, Vice President of TVEL, the fuel company run by the ROSATOM national atomic energy corporation, told IANS in an e-mail interview from Moscow. “Negotiations on this issue are already underway with Indian partners. We are ready to change KNPP’s fuel as soon as possible according to all requirements of the Indian Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) for greater reliability and security of fuel assemblies,” he said. Currently, the first two 1,000 MW units are operational at Kudankulam. Four more are in the pipeline. According to Grigoryev, the only restriction on supplying the advanced nuclear fuel assemblies is the existing agreement over the UTVS fuel now being supplied. “The only restriction for this project is time. As soon as the UTVS fuel has been used, the station will operate on the new fuel,” Grigoryev said. TVEL accounts for around 17 per cent of the global nuclear fuel market. The company supplies fuel worldwide for research, transport and commercial power reactors. TVEL’s fuel development programmes for Russian-designed VVER light water reactors in Russia and abroad aim to increase their service life and cost-effectiveness. “After transfer to TVS-2M the customer will not face additional difficulties. The new fuel will save (create) 60-70 operational days in around three years (due to reduced downtime),” the Russian said. Grigoryev also spoke of “localisation” of production. “We are ready to support the efforts of our Indian partners in the localisation of the production of nuclear fuel in India. But it should be understood that the plant should be cost-effective,” he said, echoing the argument of Chinese solar module manufacturers, for instance, who have to grapple with India’s domestic component requirements under the National Solar Programme. “We have repeatedly carried out economic calculations and estimated the number of plants to which fuel has to be supplied to make it profitable. The result, together with regional and country-specificity, ranges from 10 to 12 units,” Grigoryev said. “We hope that in the next 10 years the first components produced in India will be used in the fuel for Indian nuclear power plants,” he said, adding, however, that preparations need to start right away “to work on adaptation of Indian legislation to Russian standards, to teach Indians who will be engaged in manufacturing.” Russia has offered India a new range of reactor units — the VVER-Toi (typical optimised, enhanced information) design — for the third and fourth units of the Kudankulam project. In this connection, former Atomic Energy Commission chairman and ex-secretary Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) M.R. Srinivasan said TVEL has supplied fuel for KNPP and fuel pellets for India’s Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors. “India will work with TVEL on localisation of nuclear fuel. This could be achieved in about five years,” he said. “There will be more localisation for KNPP units 3, 4, 5 and 6. Cooperation between India and TVEL will grow in the coming years,” he added. An inter-governmental agreement between India and Russia was signed in December 2008 for setting up Kudankulam’s units 3 to 6. The ground-breaking ceremony for construction of units 3 and 4 was performed earlier this year. According to Grigoryev, India plans to increase the number of Russian design reactors to 12 in the next 10-15 years. Chad Kelly Womens Jersey
‘Nagpur-Mumbai expressway project report by month-end’
The proposed expressway between Nagpur and Mumbai will be a “game-changer” for Maharashtra and its detailed project report (DPR) will be finalised by the month-end after which tenders will be floated in October, said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The 710-km high-speed road corridor, connecting two key cities of the State and costing ?46,000 crore, will pass through nearly a dozen districts, most of them spread over backward Vidarbha and Marathwada regions. Boost to agro units The Maharashtra government will finalise its DPR by the end of this month and float tenders in October, he said. “The project will usher in prosperity, boost agro-based industries, attract globally competitive manufacturing units in Vidarbha and Marathwada, create thousands of job opportunities directly and indirectly for youth and put Maharashtra ahead of other States by at least 20 years in terms of infrastructure and economic growth,” he said. The project will be a “game-changer” and also lead to a turnaround in the farm sector and make the dream of sustainable agriculture a reality, he said. Fadnavis was talking to a group of regional editors at State Guest House ‘Sahaydri’ in Mumbai on Monday. He also made a power-point presentation on the project on the occasion. Crosses 30 talukas The expressway will start from Nagpur and pass through 30 talukas of Wardha, Amravati, Washim, Buldana, Jalna, Aurangabad, Ahmednagar, Nashik and Thane districts. It will have 22 nodes or prosperity hubs where truck terminus, commercial facilities, knowledge city, IT industries, and manufacturing units will come up, Fadnavis said. Land pooling method Making a departure from conventional approach to acquire land from farmers, the BJP-led government has adopted a participative approach for this project. It has opted for land pooling method by offering cash and developed land annuity-based returns to farmers, thus making them true partners in prosperity, he said. The six-lane highway would require 9,000 hectares of land. “So far, the response from farmers, particularly those from dryland areas, has been excellent,” Fadnavis stated. The land pooling model is being implemented by the government in Andhra Pradesh for building a new river-front capital city of Amaravati. Payment to farmers “The Maharashtra government, in its notification issued on July 5, 2016, has spelt out the details (on land acquisition). There will be no project affected person,” he said. “We will pay farmers, who voluntarily give land for the project, an amount of ?20,000-40,000 per acre for a period of 10 years with assured increase on annuity basis. “Moreover, farmers will get back around one-fourth of the area or a developed plot admeasuring 10,800 sq ft. “This is the first time the Maharashtra government will be pooling land for a project of this gigantic scale,” he said. Vince Coleman Authentic Jersey
Digital transformation enhances travel experience at Bengaluru airport
Digital transformation has paved the way for enhanced travel experience at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB). Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) has stepped up the game by committing to a futuristic and innovative vision of The Smart Airport – a digitised, seamlessly connected and intuitive airport that is positioned as the ‘Gateway to South India’. In the first phase, the unique and exclusive features of the app include: Flight information and Flight tracking- offers real-time flight status updates One-touch WIFI connect – No repeat input of OTP and user-details, the details once shared as a first time user, will connect a passenger to Wi-Fi automatically when at the airport Navigation with Google Indoor Maps- Easy navigation through the airport using the Google Indoor Map feature Must Try (F&B) and Must Buy (Retail) – Experience the airport retail and F&B Contextual notifications, powered by Beacons – Receive relevant notifications based on your location Feedback – Allows user to share feedback about their airport experience using the BLR Airport app BIAL in collaboration with ThoughtWorks, a global technology company, on Friday announced the launch of the BLR Airport app, as part of its digital platform offering. Through the digital platform bouquet of services, BIAL aims at revolutionising the travel experience at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB) through a combination of digital technologies that include the Internet of: things, people, services and data. The airport will build on its existing technological capabilities to engage with its customers and provide integrated services across various touch points. The newly built digital platform’s innovative potential will keep adapting to the Bengaluru airport’s evolving digital needs. Through these efforts BIAL aims to future-proof its airport operations and services by making meaning of the abundant digital data available and create a more personalized, just-in-time travel services. Ibraheim Campbell Jersey
Indian flyers display rude behaviour: UAE report
The probe by the UAE aviation authorities into the crash-landing of an Emirates flight at Dubai last month has shown Indian flyers in poor light. Flight EK-521 was flying from Thiruvananthapurm in Kerala to Dubai on August 3 with 282 passengers -of which 226 or over 80% were Indians -when the aircraft burst into flames minutes after landing. The preliminary report by UAE General Civil Aviation Authority talks about “passenger behaviour and carry-on baggage” during the crucial sec .. “The cabin crew members stated that when the aircraft got impacted and slid along the runway, passengers started to unfasten their seatbelts and stand up. An announcement was made for the passengers to remain seated. When the aircraft came to rest, some passengers were screaming, grabbing their belongings, and asking the cabin crew members to open the doors,” the report says. “The cabin crew members followed the operator’s safety instructions that prohibit passengers taking their carry-on baggage during an evacuation, and they instructed the passengers to leave their bags behind. However, several passengers evacuated the aircraft carrying their baggage. Footage of the evacuation showed a number of passengers outside the aircraft with their baggage,” the report adds. While panic in such situations is normal human behaviour, several crew members and pilots of Indian carriers and even some crew of foreign airlines that fly abroad say Indians are by and large seen as flyers with “special behaviour” -a euphemism for displaying not-so-good behaviour in air. First timers are, however, not seen as the only `troublesome’ desi flyer. “The behaviour of scores of frequent flyers is also not good. They hanker for free liquor so much that crew has to firmly deny them more drinks. Their behaviour with the crew is also not appropriate as they can be rude to airhostesses,” said another pilot. New England Patriots Jersey
Transaction advisors appointed for Dholera Airport: DMICDC
Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (DMICDC) today said it has appointed transaction advisors for the greenfield Dholera Airport in Gujarat. The advisors have been “tasked with analysing and evaluating various plans, including detailed project report prepared by Airports Authority of India and suggesting a suitable mode of implementation,” DMICDC said in a statement. PricewaterhouseCoopers Pvt Ltd in consortium with Airport Planners and Design Consulting Pvt Ltd and SPA Legal, has been named transaction advisors for the airport which will be built over 1,426 hectares,” it said. The airport will serve the logistical requirement of a key node — the Dholera special investment region of the Delhi- Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). This region is being implemented by the Centre in partnership with the government of Gujarat and is being designed as a global hub for economic activities, equipped with world-class infrastructure and civic facilities. It said the airport project is being managed and executed by a special purpose vehicle, the Dholera International Airport Company Ltd. All necessary approvals including a no objection certificate from the Ministry of Defence, site clearance from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and environmental clearance have already been obtained, it added. An aviation zone and MRO facility has also been planned over 2,500 hectares of adjacent government land, it said. India’s ambitious USD 90 billion DMIC project is aimed at creating mega industrial infrastructure along the Delhi-Mumbai Rail Freight Corridor. Japan is giving financial and technical aid for the project, which will cover seven states totalling 1,483 km. Willie Brown Authentic Jersey
HAL gets membership of APAQG with voting rights
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited today said it has been conferred the prestigious membership of the Asia-Pacific Aerospace Quality Group (APAQG) under the category ‘Full Member with voting rights’. This makes India the seventh nation to join the APAQG under TRHE International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG). The other nations of APAQG are China, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore and Japan, the company said in a release. “HAL is now a part of Global Quality team dedicated to bring improvements in the Aerospace Quality. The company can participate in international forums and contribute to the development and revision of current and new quality Standards,” HAL CMD T Suvarna Raju said. “The membership enables HAL to have access to various Quality System Standards and other guidelines developed by IAQG,” he added. The IAQG is an international non-profit cooperative global organisation that brings aviation, space and defence companies together to deliver more value at all levels of the supply chain. It establishes and maintains Quality Management System standards (9100 series) and controls the certification system. The IAQG comprises Americas (AAQG), Europe (EAQG) and Asia-Pacific (APAQG) sectors. To become a part of IAQG, HAL has to be a member of APAQG and then graduate to IAQG as a voting member by virtue of being an OEM in India, the company said. HAL participated in the Council meeting recently held at Zhuhai, China and made a presentation to the APAQG members and the Council on the company’s activities with thrust on quality management, it added. Adam Gotsis Womens Jersey
Report on removal of 25MW renewable cap on hydro projects soon
A report on removing the 25 MW cap for hydro power projects to treat it as renewable would be put out soon for public consultation. “India’s renewable energy capacity could touch 225 GW by 2022 if hydroelectricity is added to the renewable category as is being done the world over,” Goyal told after his visit to the city and Limkheda in Dohad yesterday. “It is only in India where hydro projects below 25 MW are considered renewable and those above are considered non-renewable. I had asked officials to look into removing this distinction,” he said. The report is almost complete and will soon be put out for public consultation, he said. The minister visited Limkheda for reviewing arrangements for the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow for launching several tribal welfare schemes, including providing drinking water facilities. During his visit to Vadodara, Goyal met officials of the state government and Gujarat Urja Vidyut Nigam which along with Union Power Ministry will host the international Switch conference on energy sector here from October 6 to 10. A comprehensive policy to promote hydropower generation is likely to be announced soon with viability gap funding for projects, compulsory hydropower purchase obligations for distribution companies and a set of good practices that states have to follow. The idea is to address factors that drive hydropower costs up way above those of other sources of power and give policy support in its market development. The ministry will also expand the scope of power distribution companies’ renewable power purchase obligations to include hydropower from projects with a capacity greater than 25 MW. At present, only power from those with less than 25 MW is considered renewable. Goyal had earlier said that the new hydropower policy will be comprehensive. “It will explore the possibility of providing to hydroelectric projects beyond 25 MW the benefits that are at present available to renewable energy,” he said. Robert Alford Womens Jersey
India’s Iran oil imports surge to highest in at least 15 years in Aug
India’s daily oil imports from Iran in August surged to their highest in at least 15 years as the OPEC producer boosted its shipments to recoup market share ceded to rivals Saudi Arabia and Iraq under pressure from economic sanctions. India received about 576,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian oil in August, up about 10 percent from July, according to trade sources and ship arrival data compiled by Thomson Reuters Supply Chain & Commodities Research. The August oil imports from Iran are likely a record although reliable data is available only back to 2001. Iran used to be India’s second-biggest oil supplier – a position now held by Iraq – before sanctions aimed at Tehran’s nuclear programme began undercutting its petroleum trade. The sanctions were lifted in January, and in August, Iran’s crude exports, excluding condensate, rose to near pre-sanctions levels at 2.11 million bpd, with loadings headed for India surpassing those for China, Tehran’s top oil client. India’s oil imports from Iran last month were nearly triple the 199,000 bpd taken in August a year ago, according to the tanker arrival data. In April-August, the first five months of India’s current fiscal year, Iran’s share in its overall imports surged to 10.7 percent, its highest since 2010/11. India’s Iran oil purchases rose nearly 70 percent to 451,000 bpd over those five months from about 266,000 bpd in the same period a year ago, the data showed. India’s oil imports from Iran are set to surge to a seven-year high in the year that began April 1, with the nation’s state-owned and private refiners together buying at least 400,000 bpd on average. In the first eight months of 2016, India’s oil imports from Tehran rose 84 percent to about 395,000 bpd, the data showed, in comparison with 214,000 bpd a year ago. Private refiner, Essar Oil, was the top Indian client of Iran in August, followed by Indian Oil Corp and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd. Laken Tomlinson Jersey
Maharashtra Government decides to demerge Ratnagiri Gas and Power Pvt Ltd
Maharashtra Government today decided to demerge Ratnagiri Gas and Power Pvt Ltd (RGPPL) into two independent companies – electricity generation centre and Regassified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) terminal. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, an official said. The RGPPL is shut since November 2013 due to unavailability of gas. The Cabinet also approved the Court Infrastructure Policy. The policy will be helpful for construction of court buildings and residential quarters for judges as well as expansion and repairs of existing infrastructure, he added. Gale Sayers Womens Jersey
Piyush Goyal asks electrical equipment makers to ensure quality
Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal on September 15 asked electrical equipment manufacturers to ensure quality to face competition from China, Korea and other countries. The minister also sought support from Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers Association (IEMMA) for “exposing those who use second-grade sheets, recycled copper or any of these products which damage the life, quality or accuracy of electrical equipment, and bring bad name to country.” Goyal was in Vadodara to take stock of arrangements being made for holding of first ever Switch global expo on energy sector. One of the largest electrical expos in the country, Switch is to be held from October 6 to 10. It represents one of the biggest networks of electrical manufacturers, innovators, technologies and partners in the industry. The event is being organised by Power Ministry in collaboration with Gujarat government and Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL). Addressing reporters, he said, “I brought to notice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi the incidents of electrical transformers catching fire in various parts of country, which may be due to over loading”. He said that PM opined that substandard quality of the equipment was responsible for the damage. Goyal said Ministry of Power, Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and Power Grid have come together to ensure that electrical equipment of poor quality are not produced. “This message has gone to entire industry that this government will not at all tolerate any compromise on quality. Power Secretaries of states may note that because we fund a lot of these schemes that are happening in states, all of India is one. We want best quality in states as well,” he added. He said as many as 24 countries have already confirmed their participation in Switch expo. Power Ministry will hold a two-day conference of state Power, Coal and Mines ministers after Switch expo. “The NDA government at Centre effectively increased transmission capacity to south India which has perennially faced shortage of power by 71 per cent in last two years,” Goyal said. “In the next 18-24 months, we will expand it (transmission capacity) further. So effectively in three years of Modiji’s government we would see 400 per cent (four-fold expansion) in transmission capacity to south India,” he added. Vincent Lecavalier Womens Jersey