‘India to get electricity from offshore wind energy in 5 yrs’
India will get electricity generated by wind-propelled plants installed in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu in about five years as part of the country’s green energy development programmes, an energy expert has said. “We are preparing India for offshore wind (and) providing MNRE a road map for offshore wind for Gujarat and Tamil Nadu,” said Mathias Steck, Executive Vice President and Regional Manager at DNV GL, an international renewable energy group. “It would take three to five years that we see commercial offshore winds projects in India,” said Steck who is an expert in renewable energy at DNV GL, which has a 30-consultant team in India and made its entry into the Indian market in 1989. A 100-megawatt pilot project will likely be installed in ocean off Gujarat in about three years, he said on the sidelines of the Singapore International Energy Week held last week. It is to kick start a new power generating sector under the Facilitating Offshore Wind in Industry (FOWIND) programme funded by the European Union. A FOWIND consortium has done a series of report on wind conditions for wind-generated electricity and its integration into a grid along the coastlines of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. FOWIND is supported by Euro 4 million grant from the Indo-European Cooperation on Renewable Energy programme and Euro 500,000 contribution through the Gujarat Power Corp Ltd (GPCL). The consortium, Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), comprises GPCL, DNV GL, the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), and the World Institute of Sustainable Energy (WISE). The project is being implemented in close cooperation with Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and National Institute of Wind Energy. “Over the time DNV GL has been in India, we have looked over 50-gigawatt of onshore wind projects,” he said, adding “this is a market leading position” as DNV GL works for a large number of clients in renewable energy projects. DNV GL is also looking at prospects in solar and tidal wave energies in India, Steck added. Aaron Rodgers Authentic Jersey
Offshore wind power to grow over six times by 2030 globally:IRENA
Globally offshore wind could grow more than 6.5 times by 2030, becoming a key power generation technology, International Renewable Energy Agency has predicted. The agency says that offshore wind power has the potential to grow from just 13 gigawatts in 2015, to 100 GW in 2030. Adnan Z. Amin, Director-General of IRENA said: “Offshore wind power is poised to become a leading power generation technology in a decarbonised global economy. Now that onshore wind power is cost-competitive with conventional power generation technologies, more attention is shifting to offshore applications, characterised by high technical power generation potential.” According to IRENA technology innovation will be a key driver of the offshore wind boom. The report highlights upcoming innovations that will enable sector development, including next generation wind turbines with larger blades, and floating turbines, which will open up new markets in deeper waters. These advancements, combined with other sector developments, will reduce average costs for electricity generated by offshore wind farms by 57% over time – from $170 per megawatt hour (MWh) in 2015 to USD 74 per MWh in 2045. “The potential for offshore wind is enormous, but to realise it, governments must support technology innovation, and implement mechanisms to reduce technical risk and finance costs,” said Stefen Gsaenger, Secretary-General of the World Wind Energy Association. “This report from IRENA helps lay the foundation for this needed action.” Wesley Walker Womens Jersey
200 ‘power farmers’ to light up Uttarakhand with solar energy
Around 200 individuals in the state will now be known as ‘power farmers’, thanks to Uttarakhand Renewable Energy Development Agency (UREDA) that has roped in natives to set up solar power generation plants on their land. These farmers will directly supply the renewable energy to the state government at a fixed price of Rs 4.35 per unit. Under the scheme, solar power plants will be set up in all the 13 districts of the state. “Right now, 200 individuals have been selected to set up solar plants in villages, while we we are still getting proposals from people living in urban areas in the plains to set up solar panels on rooftop of their house. We plan to establish over 300 such plants in urban areas,” an officer said. The infrastructure for the plant, like solar panels, battery banks and grid-tie metre, was already put in place in the villages four months ago. Chief project officer of UREDA, Arun Tyagi, said “The individuals will be called power farmer. The solar power plant will be set up on their land and a power purchase agreement will be signed for selling the energy generated. They will generate power and earn from directly selling it to the state government.” Tyagi said that the selection process for the scheme has been completed and all the plants will be operational in next five months. “70% of the funds are been provided by the central government, while the state government is giving 20%. For the remaining 10%, individuals will have to take loans from banks,” he said. The solar plants, between 5 KV to 500 KV in capacity, will be set up depending on the space availability. The cost of solar plant is Rs 70,000 per KV and people opting for the scheme, will earn money by selling the power to state government. The officer claimed that under the village-level scheme, UREDA is expecting to build solar power plants with a total capacity of 1,000 in the next four month. “Each individual will be able to earn Rs 1,500 to 2,000 per month, after paying off loans and other expenses.” He further said that all the technical assistance and know-how to set up the plant will be given by UREDA. For commercial solar power production in plains, the UREDA office in Dehradun is flooded with over 300 proposals to set up plants in different districts. Leonard Fournette Jersey
Thane villages get electricity this Diwali
Two remote villages in neighbouring Thane district emerged out of darkness for the first time this Diwali, after they were electrified with the installation of a 2.5 kilo watts micro grid system. Sri Sri Rural Development Program (SSRDP) in collaboration with Rupantar training and consultancy brought solar electricity to Dapurmal and adjoining Khorgardwadi, literally lighting up the lives of 285 people there. “When we started working in the villages, we felt road connectivity and electricity were their biggest challenges. We immediately started looking for resources to help us implement this. We want to do this in many more such villages,” Snehal Naik, director, Rupantar Training and consultancy said, in a short film made on the project. Rupantar’s objective was to electrify the villages through solar micro grids and establish a self-driven system in the village for long-term maintenance. “Our team took the initiative to do solar electrification in the village just before Diwali. The team has brought electricity to many far-flung villages in India,” Rudresh Kumar Singh, Faculty, Art of Living said. Marcus Cannon Jersey
Over 30 hydel power projects left in limbo
More than 30 hydel power projects with an envisaged capacity of almost 10,500 megawatts have been held up due to agitations by local communities fearing dislocation and ecological damage and lack of funds. Preliminary surveys could not be carried out in some areas due to resistance by residents. “These projects have not been shelved and are very much on the priority list. The government is trying to evolve ways and means to make sure that the projects turn into reality,” said Central Electricity Authority, chairman SD Dubey. “The Centre along with local authorities is trying to persuade locals so that these projects can be taken up. For the ones that have faced financial crunch, the government is trying to solve issues faced by the project developers.” An example is the Lower Subansree project in Arunachal Project that’s now adequately funded following government intervention. A similar move by the central and state governments will ensure that finances won’t be a hurdle for the 1,200 MW Teesta III project in West Bengal. The 1000 MW Naba project in Arunachal Pradesh has been held up. The project site is in a remote area and local law and order is seen as a problem. The 815 MW Tamak Lata project in Uttarakhand has run into legal hurdles and is now in the Supreme Court. The 800 MW project in Arunachal’s Niare project is also located in a remote area and facing protests. The 10,500 MW in question is part of the government’s plan to set up a total hydel generation base of 50,000 MW in the country. Hydel power is cheaper than either solar or thermal energy but the impact of flooding vast areas is being questioned by the people who will be worst hit. Calvin Ridley Womens Jersey
Power crisis looms over Karnataka as dry spell continues
A power shortage threat looms large over Karnataka, even as a chilly winter sets in. The dry spell is worrying the state government, which fears it may lead to a power crisis much before summer arrives. Normally, by now, all thermal units should start shutting down in a phased manner for overhauling. But this season, with no inflows into the reservoirs, and water levels in hydroelectric reservoirs reaching dead storage levels, thermal units have been working overtime, say official sources. A contingency plan on the power situation was finalized by a high-level meeting held last week by chief minister Siddaramaiah and attended by energy minister DK Shiva Kumar. It envisaged meeting the exigency by purchasing power from power traders and other states. This situation has resul ted from a prolonged drought, especially in South Karnataka where hydroelectric reservoirs are located. The state government has already declared drought in 110 taluks and is contemplating declaring another 25-30 taluks droughthit. Last year, an equal number of taluks was declared drought-hit. An official confirmed a crisis was brewing. “Water levels in hydroelectric projects are not bad since it’s the beginning of the dry season. When temperatures hit 35-36 degrees Celsius in February , electricity consumption will be much higher. As power demand for agriculture increases, there is more stress on the grid and this can lead to frequent outages,” the official added. Another official said the gap between demand and supply for power is estimated at 1,500MW to 1,800MW now.But this could go up to 2,5003,000 MW in April-May . The total demand for power in Karnataka is estimated to be more than 12,000MW, and 25% of this is consumed by Bengaluru . The crisis will be compounded by frequent repairs and maintenance activity at thermal plants in Udupi, Raichur and Ballari. A shortage of coal and water may make it worse as five of eight units at the Raichur station fell short of their production targets, due to shortage of water in the Krishna river last year. However, the government is confident it will be able to meet the situation without any cuts, except in the case of rural areas even during sum mer. P Ravi Kumar, additional chief secretary , department of energy , insisted industries would not be subjected to any cut and that seven-hour supply would be maintained at all costs to agriculture pumpsets. Government to buy power Sources said the government has issued instructions to the authorities to make arrangements to provide electricity for the maximum time, till the 2018 assembly elections. The government also restricted independent power producers from selling power to other states The additional burden will eventually be passed on to the consumer through a tariff hike. P Ravi Kumar, additional chief secretary, department of energy, said: “The state is set to become self-sufficient in the electricity sector after two new thermal plants at Ballari and Raichur are opened in one or two months. The government is aware of the power situation in summer and plans to purchase power only to safeguard the interests of the consumers.Buying power this time won’t be a problem as our neighbouring states, including Telangana and Tamil Nadu, have surplus power and the state can buy it cheaply any time.” Delano Hill Womens Jersey
UPPCL in overdrive to supply 24-hour power across state
A day after chief minister Akhilesh Yadav promised 24 hours of power supply across the state, the top brass of UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) went into an overdrive to make arrangement of power in excess of demand. According to UPPCL sources, while demand was expected to touch 16,500 MW, the corporation has made arrangements of around 18,000 MW. This is almost 1,500 MW more than the expected demand. UPPCL MD AP Mishra said the idea was to provide 24 hours of power supply not only in urban but also rural areas. The excess arrangement was made in view of any exigency. UPPCL going into an overdrive to make adequate power arrangement comes at a time when UP heads towards the crucial assembly elections. According to the arrangement, UP on Sunday had 14,500 MW from sources like state-owned power plants, central sector and independent power producers. In addition, UPPCL made arrangement of 2,200 MW from the energy exchange. Mishra said the corporation purchased power worth around Rs 8 crore, the highest ever in a single day, on Sunday. The cost of power from the exchange varies between Rs 2 and Rs 3.5 per unit. In all, the corporation purchased around 27 million units from the exchange. Mishra said they might resort to thermal backing (shutting down the power plants which provide relatively expensive power) to strike a balance with power purchased and supplied. Experts said power availability should also be backed by a robust transmission and distribution system to avoid tripping.Chief secretary Rahul Bhatnagar had pointed out the fact soon after the state government announced 24 hours of power to the urban as well as rural areas. Kam Chancellor Jersey
GLOBAL LNG-Prices rise as South Korea to wrap up major tender award
Asian spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices rose this week as strong expected demand from South Korea added to appetite from India and Taiwan, while supply from the United States was slow to return from maintenance. The price of LNG for December delivery was $6.95 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), up around 15 cents from a week earlier. Attention was on a tender by Korea Gas Corp which has by all accounts exceeded its initial scope and drawn bids by 25 companies offering to supply around 50 cargoes in total – even though it only advertised demand for four shipments. In reality, though, Korea Gas Corp is expected to purchase up to 15 or more cargoes to cover strong winter needs as nuclear outages and low LNG stocks prompt a buying spree. Exact numbers could not be confirmed, but companies in line to supply include Royal Dutch Shell, BP, Trafigura, Statoil, PetroChina as well as others, trade sources said. Transaction levels are estimated in the high $6/mmBtu and, depending on delivery period, $7/mmBtu, traders said, while the large number of cargoes put forward suggests suppliers had more on tap than they were letting on. Two separate South Korean firms also picked up a cargo from Japanese trading firm Itochu in a tender, traders said. Taiwan’s CPC is to bring in two cargoes over November-December, traders said. Egypt also launched the world’s biggest mid-term LNG purchase tender for 96 cargoes over 2017 and 2018, drawing significant interest despite new rules forcing suppliers to wait up to six months to get paid. Given Egypt’s worsening credit profile, traders said participation in the bidding round could be less, potentially pushing some conservative oil majors into supplying the country through trade houses. Argentina, meanwhile, withdrew from further buying activity until March owing to low gas demand, ample hydroelectric reserves and high fuel oil stocks, according to traders. State-run buyer Enarsa has pushed back shipments due this year until August 2017, as well as having cancelled other cargoes altogether. Spot trading interest was firmly fixed on Far East markets, showing premiums to the Middle East, helping rekindle arbitrage plays between Atlantic and Pacific markets. Indian demand remains strong. Bharat Petroleum and Gail India are seeking to buy a combined four shipments over December-January and Torrent Power seeks 38 cargoes over four years beginning April 2017. Due back from its month-long maintenance a week ago, Cheniere Energy’s Sabine Pass liquefaction plant is only now moving to restart, judging by gas intake levels. Spot demand was weak in top LNG consumer Japan. “In November, Japanese utilities negotiate their annual delivery programmes (ADP) for next year, and so for January, February and March they won’t be looking seriously for spot cargoes if they get what they want in their ADP talks,” a source said. Dont’a Hightower Womens Jersey
OVL completes acquisition of 11% add’l stake in Vankor
ONGC Videsh Ltd, the overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp, has completed the acquisition of additional 11 per cent interest in Russia’s Vankor oilfield, taking its total stake to 26 per cent. The company signed a deal with Rosneft Oil Company to acquire additional 11 per cent stake in the East Siberian field for USD 930 million on October 28. “We raised a bridge loan of USD 930 million from overseas lenders to pay for the acquisition cost of 11 per cent stake,” OVL CEO and Managing Director Narendra K Verma said here. OVL, which had previously bought 15 per cent stake in Vankor from Russian national oil firm Rosneft for USD 1.268 billion, will get an 7.3 million tons of oil equivalent from its 26 per cent stake. OVL will tie-up long-term financing in the next 6 to 9 months to replace the bridge loan, he said. Besides OVL’s 26 per cent, a consortium of comprising Oil India (OIL), Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Bharat PetroResources (BPRL) has acquired 23.9 per cent stake in the field at a cost of USD 2.02 billion, giving them 6.56 million tons of oil. After the stake sales, Rosneft holds 50.1 per cent stake in JSC Vankorneft, the company that operates the Vankor oilfield. Verma and Igor Sechin, CEO, Rosneft, had on September 14 in Moscow inked an agreement to take the additional equity stake in Vankor. That agreement was subject to certain conditions including approvals from the Indian and Russian governments. All approvals are in place, leading to closure of the deal, he said. “The completion within very short period of the binding agreement reflects the speed and cooperation with which both OVL and Rosneft have moved and the support that the investments by Indian companies in Russian oil sector enjoy with the Russian and Indian governments.” Vankor is Rosneft’s (and Russia’s) second largest field by production and accounts for 4 per cent of the country’s production. The daily production from the field is around 410,000 barrels per day of crude oil and 26 per cent stake would give OVL about 107,000 bpd. “The acquisition of additional 11 per cent would add about 30 per cent to the existing OVL’s production at the current rate and approximately 2.2 million tons of oil and 1.0 billion cubic meters of gas annually,” he said. The field has recoverable reserves of 2.5 billion barrels. The USD 2.2 billion OVL spent for acquiring 26 per cent stake in Vankor will be its third biggest acquisition. It had in 2013 paid USD 4.125 billion for 16 per cent stake in Mozambique’s offshore Rovuma Area 1, which holds as much as 75 Trillion cubic feet of gas reserves. In 2009, it had bought Russia-focused Imperial Energy for USD 2.1 billion. Prior to that, it had in 2001 paid USD 1.7 billion for 20 per cent interest in the Sakhalin-1 oil and gas field off Russia’s far eastern coast. Devontae Booker Jersey
Bangladesh considers buying Chevron’s local natural gas assets – sources
Bangladesh is considering buying Chevron Corp’s interest in three natural gas fields in the country, worth an estimated $2 billion, two senior government officials said, as Dhaka looks to secure the supply of a critical source of energy. Chevron, the second-largest U.S.-based oil producer, said in October last year that it plans to sell about $10 billion of assets by 2017 amid a prolonged slump in energy prices. Chevron recently said it is in discussions about the potential sale of three fields it operates in the northeast of Bangladesh. Dhaka sees the gas fields, which account for more than half of the country’s production, as a matter of “national interest” and a purchase is on the table, said Istiaque Ahmad, chairman of Petrobangla, the state-owned oil and gas company, on Thursday. He added, however, that their efforts were at a preliminary stage. Ahmad said Petrobangla was waiting for Chevron to approach it about a bid. Petrobangla is also likely to appoint a consultancy firm to assess the assets, including proven and recoverable gas reserves, to arrive at a valuation, he said. A Chevron spokesman said the company has been in commercial discussions about its assets but no decision had been made so far to sell them. “We will only proceed if we can realize attractive value for Chevron,” the spokesman said in an emailed statement on Monday. Bangladesh officials have said that the South Asian nation of 160 million needs more energy to realize its vision of becoming a middle-income country by 2021. The country is currently short of about 500 million cubic feet a day of gas, according to the energy ministry. Bangladesh will buy the assets through an open bidding process, a government source said last week. “Why should we hand it over to someone else?” the source said. Dhaka’s interest would likely make it harder for a third-party to buy the assets. The Chevron unit sells its entire output from the three fields to Petrobangla under a production sharing contract. Under the terms of the contract, the Bangladesh government has the right of first refusal in any asset sale, Mohammad Hussain Monsur, former Petrobangla chairman, said on Monday. Monsur also said that funding the purchase of the assets would not be a problem since the country could rely on its foreign exchange reserves, which stand at more than $31 billion. In 2015, Chevron’s net daily production in the country averaged 720 million cubic feet of natural gas and 3,000 barrels of condensate, accounting for more than half the gas production in Bangladesh. Cameron Artis-Payne Womens Jersey