World Bank Group to provide $517 mln for Ghana oil and gas project
The World Bank Group said on Thursday it would provide $517 million to Ghana in debt and guarantees to support the $7.7 billion Sankofa oil and gas project being developed by Italy’s ENI and upstream trader Vitol Ghana. The finance adds to a $700 million guarantee package and brings its total financing to around $1.217 billion for the offshore project, whose gas component is set to open in 2018, a statement said. The Bank’s investment arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), has committed a loan of $235 million to Vitol Ghana and is arranging another $65 million in debt. Guarantees by the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, another Bank institution, will support Vitol Ghana’s commercial borrowing needs for the project and will be issued for up to 15 years. “Sankofa is expected to generate $2.3 billion in revenues for Ghana’s government per year and provide a stable, long-term source of domestic gas that will solve Ghana’s chronic gas supply constraints,” an IFC statement said. ENI holds a 44.4 percent stake in Sankofa, Vitol holds 35.6 percent while Ghana National Petroleum Corporation holds a combined carried and participating interest of 20 percent. Ghana first began pumping oil in 2010 at the offshore Jubilee field operated by Tullow, a British company that this August opened a second field called TEN. Sankofa is expected to generate about 1,000 megawatts of power to Ghana and combined with gas from two other new fields could eliminate the need for Ghana to import gas from Nigeria through the West African Gas Pipeline Company. Minkah Fitzpatrick Authentic Jersey
Gajendra Singh to be Gail marketing director
The country’s biggest gas utility, Gail, is set to get a new director (marketing) in Gajendra Singh at a time when the government is pushing to create a gas-based economy. Singh, who is executive director in Gail at present, has been chosen by the Public Enterprises Selection Board from among 10 candidates short-listed for interviews for the post. A software engineer, Singh started his career with ONGC in 1985 and joined Gail in 1986 when the gas industry was at its nascent stage. Since then, Singh has been involved in the execution of prestigious projects of GAIL including the country’s first arterial gas pipeline — Hazira-Viajipur-Jagdihpur line. His current responsibility entails expanding gas market and ensure capacity utilisation of Gail’s pipeline network. As a director on the company’s board, once his appointment is cleared by the pertinent Cabinet panel, his scope of work would expand to include driving future growth in gas use in line with the government’s aim of creating a gas-based economy. Julien Gauthier Jersey
Centre sanctions Rs 30 crore for solar cities programme
Funds worth over Rs 30 crore have been sanctioned to 21 states and union territories under the solar cities development programme, the government said today. These funds were sanctioned during the last three years till November 30 this year. Out of the total sanctioned amount of Rs 30.36 crore under the ‘Development of Solar Cities Programme’ for 21 states and union territories, around Rs 12.98 crore have been released, Power and Renewable Energy Minister Piyush Goyal told the Lok Sabha. In a written reply, he said 60 places have been included in the solar cities programme. It includes Gaya (Bihar), Mysore (Karnataka), Kochi (Kerala), Pune (Maharashtra), Panaji City (Goa), Howrah (West Bengal), Imphal (Manipur), Aizawl (Mizoram), Kohima (Nagaland), Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) and Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh). Goyal said at least one city in each state would be included in the solar cities programme. Central Financial Assistance (CFA) of up to Rs 50 lakh is extended for each solar city. “Financial support up to Rs 9.50 crore is available to eight model solar cities and up to Rs 2.50 crore to 15 pilot solar cities for setting up of renewable energy projects/ systems/ devices…,” Goyal said. The money would be given provided that an equal amount is made available by the concerned municipal corporation, city administration, state or from any other resources. Mark Bavaro Jersey
Akhilesh Yadav writes to PM to expedite road projects in UP
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to direct officials concerned to speed up certain road projects in Lucknow and Varanasi. The Chief Minister requested the Prime Minister to direct officials to give working permission for a proposed bridge, a flyover and broadening of a road in Lucknow, according to an official release. Akhilesh also requested for release of Rs 396.54 crores for four laning of Shivpur-Lahartara road in Varanasi at the earliest, it said. The CM stated that the proposed Pipraghat bridge on Gomti has been stopped because of the objections raised by Army for which letters have been sent to the defence minister in the past. Draymond Green Womens Jersey
Land acquisition hurdle for proposed state highway
The opening of the proposed Thuravoor-Pamba state highway which will connect NH47 with Sabarimala will be delayed further as authorities failed to begin land acquisition for Makkekadavu bridge. To open this much-awaited highway, the construction of the 800-metre bridge connecting Alappuzha and Kottayam districts should be completed. “The total length of the bridge is 800 metre, and 720 metre of this bridge will be constructed across the Vembanad lake. The remaining 80 metre of the bridge can be constructed only after acquiring private land from Kottayam and Alappuzha districts. We need land of only 25 families for constructing the bridge. However, four families were not ready to accept the land value we offered to them. We have offered Rs 5.17 lakh per cent to them. We have approached the district-level purchase committee led by district collector to convene a meeting of the families to settle the issue,” said PWD executive engineer Deepthi Bhanu. “The total cost for the construction of Makkekadavu bridge is Rs 100 crore. The construction work of the bridge has been entrusted with Cherian Varkey Construction Company. They have agreed to construct the bridge for Rs 78 crore. The state government has allotted Rs 4.3 crore for acquisition of the private land for the project. We have started piling works of the bridge at the lake portion. However, the construction of the bridge can be completed only after getting the private land,” said officials of PWD (bridge). It was on February 2, 2013, the construction work of Thuravoor-Pamba state highway was inaugurated by the then chief minister Oommen Chandy. The construction of Thykkattuserry bridge was first started under this project. Once the Thuravoor-Pamba state highway is opened, the transportation facilities, especially cargo movement between coastal areas of Alappuzha and high range areas will be improved. People living in high range areas will also get an easy access to Kochi via Alappuzha once this state highway is opened for traffic. The road will also become the main entrance to Kochi from Kottayam, Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts. It was on May 27, 2015, the then chief minister Oommen Chandy had opened the first bridge, Thykkattuserry, of this state highway. Then he announced that the second bridge – Makkekadavu -would be opened in 2017. However, the land acquisition for the second bridge has not been started so far owing to strong opposition from landowners. Frank Clark Jersey
84 infra projects report cost overrun of Rs. 1.14 lakh crore
As many as 84 infrastructure projects with a cost of Rs. 150 crore or above each, including those delayed due to issues like fund constraints, have reported a cost overrun of Rs. 1.14 lakh crore, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. “There are 84 projects showing cost overruns accompanied with delays with respect to their original schedules. The original cost of the 84 projects was Rs. 1,12,623.98 crore and the anticipated cost is Rs. 2,27,149.87 crore, implying a cost overrun of Rs. 1,14,525.89 crore,” Statistics Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation monitors ongoing central infrastructure projects costing Rs. 150 crore and above on time and cost overruns through its online computerisation monitoring system (OCMS) on the basis of information provided by project implementation agencies. According to the statement, as on September 30, 2016, 1,174 projects costing Rs. 150 crore and above were on the watch of this Ministry. Of these 1,174 projects, 333 were delayed with respect to their original schedules. The reasons for delay are project-specific. However, it said the major reported reasons for delay in timely completion of the projects are law and order problems, delay in land acquisition, environment and forest clearances, fund constraints, rehabilitation and resettlement issues, local body and municipal permission, utility shifting, contractual issues and the like. Jussi Jokinen Womens Jersey
Install solar panels at your home, save on bills
Aiming to promote renewable energy, a Vizag-based startup – RED Solar Private Limited – is working towards promoting the use of solar energy and installing solar panels in residential and commercial buildings in the city. Founded by Venkatesh Majji and Rajesh Varma Bhupatiraju who did their masters in the US and returned to the city after gaining experience there, RED Solar has already installed five solar energy systems in the current financial year. The company intends to complete 20 such installations in the city by the end of this fiscal. Speaking to TOI, RED Solar co-founder Venkatesh Majji said, “Both of us (Venkatesh and Rajesh) have worked in the US and are passionate about renewable energy sources. We realised that there is a huge potential for solar energy in India. At the same time, we believe that by investing in solar energy, we can also provide employment to students from core branches such as civil and electrical engineering.” Furthermore, he said, “Until now, we have set up solar energy systems in two colleges and three residential houses. In addition to reaching out to individual customers, we are reaching out to many EPC contractors and be a sub contractor for them. There are lot of people who are interested in such solar energy systems in Vizag.” Co-founder Rajesh Varma Bhupatiraju said installing solar energy systems helps reduce the cost of electricity for customers. “The smallest system starts at Rs 85,000 generating about 180 units per month, which is approximately equal to a bill of around Rs 1,000 per month and it goes up to Rs 2 lakh generating 600 units, which is equal to a bill of around Rs 5,000 per month. Apart from installing the systems, we also provide maintenance for a period of five years,” he said. Elaborating on the advantages, he said, “We provide a complete system based on the grid concept. So, we provide net meter by collaborating with EPDCL. Whatever excess power is generated can be sold to the discom. During the day, people can use the solar energy to meet their requirements and at night power can be drawn from the discom. So customers will be charged only for what they use and the remaining is sold to the discom.” Mentioning that the startup wants to first focus on the Vizag market, he said eventually they want to set up their presence in other states such as Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. “We are targeting a revenue of around Rs 10-20 crore in the next three years and also intend to hire around 30 people for our company.” Nicklas Lidstrom Jersey
‘Time to adopt renewable energy sources’
The programmes organised by the Society for Energy Engineers and Managers (SEEM) across the State as part of observance of the Energy Conservation Month concluded on Wednesday, which is observed as the World Energy Conservation Day. Delivering a lecture at the concluding ceremony of the programme here, Mayor Soumini Jain said it was high time the entire humanity switched to renewable energy sources. “The demand for clean energy is increasing, while supply is declining. We need to shift to cleaner energy sources like solar power for achieving energy efficiency and reducing pollution,” said Jain. Under the campaign, which was launched in Thrissur on November 14, various schools, colleges, industries and residential areas were covered. The campaign was marked by awareness classes, distribution of LED lamps at discounted prices, and magic shows on the theme of ‘energy conservation.’ The Energy Conservation Month is observed for creating awareness on the use of all forms of energy and ways and means to reduce energy usage. The theme of the campaign was set as ‘Energy Conservation in Daily Life,’ as the major energy consumer in Kerala is the domestic sector,” said SEEM chairman P S Antony Joseph. Devin Hester Authentic Jersey
CEA’s power plan sounds death knell for thermal capacities
The draft national electricity plan of the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) sounds the death knell for thermal power capacity addition. Given the massive capacity addition plans in the renewable sector, CEA estimates there is no requirement for new coal plants in 2017-22. Based on demand projections, CEA estimates new coal-based capacity requirement of 44,085 megawatts (MW) in 2022-27. But with 50,025MW of coal power projects already in different stages of construction and likely to yield benefits in 2017-22, the agency does not foresee any immediate requirement for new coal power plants. If indeed things pan out as per the forecast, it can spell trouble for equipment suppliers in the capital goods sector, especially in the industry-boiler, turbine generator and related segments. Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (Bhel) is estimated to have manufacturing capacity for power equipment of 20,000MW a year. Apart from this, several domestic firms have?joint?ventures?(L&T-MHI, Alstom-Bharat Forge, Toshiba-JSW, Gammon-Ansaldo, Thermax-Babcock and Wilcox, BGR Hitachi) with indigenous manufacturing capacity for supercritical boilers at 16,200MW and supercritical turbine generators at 14,000MW, CEA says. With most firms already strapped for orders, a dearth of new coal power plants can have an adverse impact on equipment suppliers. But as Rabindra Nayak, an analyst at Dolat Capital Market Pvt. Ltd, points out, all firms may not be affected uniformly. With a substantial number of thermal plants getting old and recommended for retirement or modernization, refurbishment and efficiency improvement orders will come to the rescue of some of them. According to Nayak, an estimated 30,000MW of thermal plants needs refurbishment or modernization. The opportunity can generate an annual business of Rs25,000 crore for five years. Given Bhel’s historical ties with state utilities, the firm may be better placed for this business. But firms such as BGR Energy Systems Ltd, with only manufacturing capability and limited access to technology, may be forced to look overseas for business. That said, the spurt in renewable capacities may provide respite for gas power plants. The infirm nature of renewable capacities—solar power generation peaks during day and varies depending on climatic conditions—means gas capacities are seen as ideal balancers. They can be ramped up quickly and are said to offer better efficiencies. The plants are, however, operating at low capacities (utilization stood at 23% in 2015-16) due to shortage of fuel. But improvement in supplies, either through imports or local production, can make gas plants good balancers to renewable energy and ensure grid stability. “The role of gas-based plants during evening to meet the balancing power and ramping requirement is vital for the Indian grid,” CEA says. “Therefore, for effective utilization of available gas-based plants in India to meet the balancing and ramping requirement of the grid, availability of a minimum quantum of gas to the tune of 53.56 MMSCMD needs to be ensured.” MMSCMD is short for million metric standard cu. m a day. While the views should bring relief to gas power plant owners, the only challenge is to find sufficient quantities of affordable fuel. Kurt Warner Jersey
Centre promises Rs 9,000 crore for Andhra Pradesh energy sector
In a move that could gladden the Chandrababu Naidu government in the state, the Centre has promised to release about Rs 9,000 crore for strengthening the energy sector. The Centre has proposed to implement the dual action plan in the state where the infrastructure development schemes in urban and rural areas will be taken up separately. The LED street-lighting programme implemented in urban local bodies will be extended to rural local bodies. Union minister Piyush Goyal heaped praise on AP for topping the charts in energy conservation measures. He presented awards to the best discoms and states at a function held in New Delhi on Wednesday. While the AP conservation mission secured the national best award, eastern power distribution company limited bagged the first prize in discom category. Energy conservation mission chief executive officer A Chandrasekhara Reddy and EPDCL CMD M M Naik received the awards from the Union minister. “We are expecting an additional financial support to a tune of Rs 1,000 crore for taking up LED programme in rural local bodies in the state,” Chandrasekhara Reddy told TOI. He said that rural LED programme would save around 3,000 million units of power which is equal to generation of 1,000 MW annually. He said the Centre had agreed to spend around Rs 6,000 crore to replace about 17 lakh agriculture pump sets in the state in a phased manner. Energy principal secretary Ajay Jain said that energy efficiency plays a pivotal role for economic development of Amaravati in the field of transportation, Hi-tech manufacturing including IT and electronics, food processing and helps for employment generation of over five lakhs jobs in 10 years. Several global agencies like Indo-Swiss, USAID, World Bank are approaching Centre to extend technical, operational and financial support for Amaravati in energy efficiency (EE) front. Robert Woods Womens Jersey