Indraprastha Gas aims to replace diesel generators by gas generator
Indraprastha Gas Ltd is aiming to replace diesel generators by gas generator sets in housing complexes and factories, pitching it as a cheaper and environment-friendly option for the national capital region, which is facing rising pollution due to polluting factories, increasing number of cars and construction activity. A joint venture of state-run GAIL and Bharat Petroleum that supplies piped gas to homes, malls, factories and cars in Delhi and its satellites, IGL is working to capture a new segment of business, the backup generators used by factories and housing complexes due to the shortage of grid supply. These generators almost always use diesel to produce power that is thrice as expensive as grid supply and contributes to worsening pollution. By targeting to replace diesel backup generators, the company aims to sell one lakh cubic metres a day of gas to factories in Rewari, about 100 km from Delhi, where it’s about to launch its services, and about two lakh cubic metres a day to housing complexes in the national capital region in about three years, said ES Ranganathan, the managing director of IGL. The targeted volume is about a third of its current sales to homes and factories. “You have power cuts for more than four hours daily in the national capital region, which also suffers from a lot of air pollution. There is talk of banning diesel cars. This is where replacing diesel by natural gas in generator sets can help cut pollution,” said Ranganathan. Delhi is one of the worst polluted cities in the world and so are its satellites. The winters are especially unbearable with smog enveloping the national capital region. Adopting gas-based generators can also be economically rewarding, Ranganathan said. “At current gas and diesel prices, a gas-based generator can provide electricity for Rs 12 per unit compared to Rs 18 for a diesel generator set,” he said. IGL is working on multiple options for customers to accelerate gas generators’ adoption. A 250 KV – the average capacity at housing complexes – gas generator costs about Rs 45 lakh, compared to Rs 20 lakh for a diesel set, according to IGL. Assuming the set is used for four hours of power backup and given that gas is cheaper than diesel, the user can recover the additional cost incurred in purchasing gas generator in about 20 months, as per IGL. Another option for a customer is to retrofit an existing diesel generating set that would run on a combined ratio of 60% gas and 40% diesel. The cost of retrofitting is about Rs 4-5 lakh, which can be recovered in about six months. But a 40% use of diesel lightens the pitch of environment-friendliness. IGL is also in talks with third-party service providers who will invest in setting up generators and sell power at Rs 12 per unit at current gas prices. “We have finalised a partner for this and are talking to more players so that customers can have more choice,” said Ranganathan. The company plans to shortly install gas-based generators in two-three housing complexes in Indirapuram on the outskirts of Delhi, which will act as a model for other areas, he said. The company also plans to reach out to hospitals for this. A sharp fall in natural gas prices and the government’s preference for it have prompted city gas distributors to think of many ways to promote its consumption. The government wants piped gas to reach one crore customers by 2019, a steep target that has put IGL and other city gas distributors under tremendous pressure. About 34 lakh customers today use piped gas across the country. Tress Way Womens Jersey
India, Bangladesh In Gas Pipe Talks
India and Bangladesh are discussing how a gas pipeline that would link their two countries to Myanmar might be financed. “We are working towards getting a gas pipeline between the two countries,” foreign ministry official Sripriya Ranganathan said at the International Conference on India-Bangladesh Multi-Sectoral Cooperation in Delhi, the New Indian Express reported January 23. Indian state owned Oil and Natural Gas Company (ONGC) and Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation are in negotiation to build the 6,900-km pipeline that would link Bangladesh, Myanmar and north-eastern states of India. “The negotiations are going on to finalise who will finance the pipeline,” Ranganathan told the New Indian Express. The pipeline project was conceived under the Hydrocarbon Vision 2030 for the north-eastern region and is planned to connect Chittagong (in Bangladesh), Sitwe (in Myanmar) with north-eastern states. Demand for gas in Bangladesh is rising rapidly as the economy continues to expand. Dhaka has sought New Delhi’s help in facilitating gas imports from Myanmar. Myanmar’s gas exports to Thailand and China, its two main customers, have fallen in recent months and Dhaka feels Bangladesh could be a replacement as domestic demand is rising steadily. Bangladesh is also keen on importing LNG and is building adequate import infrastructure. Apart from signing agreements for FSRUs, state owned Petrobangla has signed a memorandum of understanding to set up LNG import infrastructure with Indian Petronet. Eric Fisher Womens Jersey
14 deals signed as UAE aims $75bn investments in India
The UAE and India signed 14 pacts, including defense and energy, as part of groundwork for a strategic partnership between the two countries. The pacts were signed following a meeting between Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Wednesday. The agreements aim at establishing cooperation in defense manufacturing and technology, research, innovation, and cooperation between public and private sector institutions of the two countries. The two countries will also collaborate in armaments, defense industries and transfer of technology. In a joint statement issued at the end of the state visit, the two leaders reviewed the progress in realizing the $75 billion target for UAE investments in India’s plans for rapid expansion of next generation infrastructure development, as reported by WAM. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd. (ISPRL), agreed to establish a strategic crude oil storage in the southern Indian city of Mangalore. ADNOC will store about 6 million barrels of oil at Mangalore, taking up about half of the site’s capacity, said Sunjay Sudhir, joint secretary for international cooperation at the Indian Oil Ministry. The agreement with ISPRL, an Indian government-owned company mandated to store crude oil for emergency needs, covers the storage of 5.86 million barrels of ADNOC crude oil in underground facilities, at the Karnataka facility. Copies of the agreement were exchanged by Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber, UAE Minister of State and ADNOC Group CEO, and India’s Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, at a ceremony in New Delhi. Dr. Al-Jaber said: “This agreement, championed by the leadership of both countries, introduces a new strategic energy partnership with India that leverages the UAE and ADNOC’s expertise and oil resources. “This mutually beneficial partnership will create opportunities for ADNOC to increase its market share in delivering high quality crude to India’s expanding refining industry, while also helping India meet its growing energy demand and safeguard its security. “India is an important energy market and this storage agreement reinforces ADNOC’s role as one of the world’s most trusted and reliable suppliers of oil. We will utilize the Mangalore facility to not only build on our existing business relationships across India but also to explore new downstream opportunities for ADNOC’s expanding range of refined and petrochemical products,” he added. Pradhan said: “It is our hope that this strategic agreement will build on the strong bonds of cooperation between our two nations and provide the foundation for a mutually beneficial energy partnership.” Ben Hutton Womens Jersey