Naveen Patnaik seeks PM’s intervention for people affected by power
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today urged the Prime Minister to instruct NTPC to address the concerns of 27 villages in Jharsuguda district to be adversely hit by a 1600 MW super thermal power project being set up in Chhattisgarh. “NTPC is setting up a 1600 (2X800) MW Super Thermal Power Project at Lara in Chhattisgarh at a distance of about two km from the border of Odisha,” Patnaik said in a letter to Narendra Modi. Twenty-seven villages of Kandeikela, Remata, Kanaktora, Charpali, Pithinda and Badimal gram panchayats of Lakhanpur block in the said disrict will be adversely affected by the project, he said. It is learnt that while public hearing regarding Environment Impact Assessment has been done in the villages affected by this project in Chhattisgarh, no such public hearing had taken place in the project-affected villages in Odisha, the Chief Minister claimed. It is also learnt that CSR activities in nine villages in Chhattisgarh have started, Patnaik said, adding when this project is commissioned the environment, livelihood and health conditions of the people of the 27 villages of Odisha will be seriously impacted. Stating that this issue has been constantly hammmered by the afffected people and their representatives, particularly the Bargarh MP and Brajarajnagar MLA, the chief minister said he had also taken up the matter with the Union Minister for Power and Renewable Energy. “In view of the sensitivity of the issue involved, I would request you to kindly intervene in the matter and issue suitable instructions to the NTPC authorities to address the genuine concerns of the people of the project-affected people of our state,” Patnaik said. Jason Kidd Jersey
Brazil to reschedule power transmission lines auction to attract bidders
The Brazilian government has decided to postpone the transmission lines auction scheduled for September 2 to try to avoid a failure due to lack of bidders, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Monday. The government had expected to attract investments of up to 12.6 billion reais ($4 billion). But the Energy Ministry decided to review the terms of the auction to ensure interest from investors. State-owned power holding company Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA rescheduled the privatization auction of Centrais Eletricas de Goias SA last week also due to lack of bidders for the distribution company. Corey Seager Jersey
DDUGJY brings light to a further 28 villages in the past week
28 villages have been electrified across the country during last week (from 15thto 21st August 2016) under DeenDayalUpadhyaya Gram JyotiYojna(DDUGJY). Out of these electrified villages, 4 villages belong to Assam, 5 Chhattisgarh, 3to Jharkhand, 10to Meghalaya and 6 to Rajasthan. 10,079 villages have been electrified till date. Out of remaining 8,373 villages, 525 villages are uninhabited.5,069 villages are to be electrified through grid, 2,590 villages to be electrified through off-grid where grid solutions are out of reach due to geographical barriers and 189 villages are to be electrified by the State Government. Total 1654 villages were electrified during April 2015 to 14thAug 2015 and after taking initiative by Government of India for taking it on mission mode, 8,425 additional villages have been electrified from 15thAugust 2015 to 21stAugust, 2016. In order to expedite the progress further, a close monitoring is being done through Gram VidyutAbhiyanta(GVA) and various actions are also being taken on regular basis like reviewing the progress on monthly basis during the RPM meeting, sharing of list of villages which are at the stage of under energization with the state DISCOM, identifying the villages where milestone progress are delayed. Gordie Howe Womens Jersey
Let Bengal raise old power plants to super-critical levels: Goyal
Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday suggested the West Bengal government convert two of the state’s old power plants into super-critical base plants. He also said the Centre would take steps to simplify mining operations in the Deocha Pachami coal block which was allocated to West Bengal along with other states. “To start with, I have suggested the state convert two of its old power plants — Kolaghat Thermal Power Station (KTPS) with a capacity of 1,260 megawatt (MW) and Bandel Thermal Power Station having 455 MW capacity — into super critical base power stations,” Goyal said. The state will take its own decision, he said. Located in the south western part of Birbhum Coalfield in West Bengal, Deocha-Pachami coal block with a coal reserve 2,000 million tonnes was offered jointly to West Bengal, Bihar, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam. The state government, however, has been saying that the mining operations would be difficult with so many players being allocated to the mine. “We are trying to provide some other blocks to some of the states which got the allocation in Deocha-Pachmi. The process is to simplify the mining operations in the Deocha Pachmi,” he said. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee created a special purpose vehicle, Bengal Birbhum Coalfields Ltd, to develop the mine. Goyal also said the Centre’s policy to conduct reverse bidding process to award coal extraction works to allocated coal mines has yielded benefits to the state. The Centre allocated six coal blocks to the state. After settling with the legal disputes, the process of awarding mine development and operations of the blocks has been completed in reverse bidding process. The work order will be issued shortly. “The cost of carrying out coal mining in Pachwara (North) coal block having capacity of 15 mt of coal per year was Rs 1,564 per tonne , the cost came down in the reverse bidding process to Rs 774 crore. The reduction in cost will benefit the state,” he said. Jarvis Jenkins Authentic Jersey
Discoms turn to smart meters to manage power demand in Delhi
Rising energy consumption in cities is making power distribution companies change the way they are doing business. Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (TPDDL) is getting into solar power generation for large customers and installing smart meters for all its residential consumers as part of a plan to manage energy demand. While solar power generation through partner companies will help address rising peak demand, smart meters will facilitate billing of customers based on the time at which power is consumed, TPDDL chief executive officer and managing director Praveer Sinha said. Utilities, which are currently allowed to charge industries differently depending on the time of the day, plan to seek permission from state electricity regulators for similar charging of residential users as well, once smart meters are in place. Tata Power, which distributes electricity in the north and north-west parts of the national capital region, will get 400 megawatt (MW) of solar power generated for its large customers over the next few years through partner companies. This is expected to lower consumption of price-regulated electricity. It is also in the process of finalizing bids for procuring smart meters for 1.5 million customers. It had earlier installed these devices for 170 of its industrial customers under a pilot study. “Now, we are going ahead with full-fledged implementation. In the first phase, we will install 200,000 smart meters and will scale it up to 1.5 million in five to six years. We will invest about Rs.100 crore a year for this,” said Sinha. Smart meters will communicate with the distribution company on the consumption pattern and on details of the power supply, which will help in maintaining the quality of energy supply and in determining power bills based on consumption at different times of the day. Power consumption is usually high during the afternoon and at night. For customers with a rooftop solar power generation facility, smart meters will also facilitate selling surplus power during the day to the grid, get credits and use it to pay for consumption at night. Reliance Power Ltd-owned BSES Yamuna Power Ltd and BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd, which supply electricity to about 3.5 million residential, institutional and business consumers in Delhi, are also in the process of shifting to smart meters in phases, a person aware of the companies’ plans said, requesting anonymity. “Considering the huge cost involved, this exercise is being done in phases. In the first, consumers who use more than 500 units a month will be covered by the end of 2017,” said the person. A BSES official, who asked not to be named, said the two BSES companies in the capital had installed 185 rooftop solar ‘net metering’ connections (smart meters measuring net consumption from the grid after selling surplus solar power from rooftop panels to the grid). These installations have a sanctioned load of 6.6MW. The companies are installing 30 more with a sanctioned load of 1.37MW. Around 40 schools and educational institutes have opted for ‘net metering’ connections from BSES. The savings consumers make range from Rs.1,800 a month to around Rs.10 lakh a month depending on the sanctioned load. Around 110-120 sq. ft is required for each kilowatt of capacity, explained the official. Experts said state electricity regulators have to catch up with the changing industry dynamics. “Indian utilities have utilized limited functionality of smart meters, or have deployed largely for high-value consumers. There is a case for enhancing both aspects, but for that electricity regulators should innovate on tariff design. This could include time of day, demand response, interruptible tariffs, and allow behind-the-meter applications,” said Kameswara Rao, leader of the energy utilities and mining practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers in India. Many solar power developers are now independently approaching customers with attractive financing schemes to have panels installed on their rooftops as the cost of a rooftop solar power generation facility lasting 25 years could be recovered in three to four years. The government has set a target of generating 40 gigawatt (GW) of residential rooftop solar power capacity by 2022 as part of its renewable energy strategy. Sinha said power consumption in the capital is growing by about 10% a year, partly because of higher consumption by existing customers and partly because of new customers. According to Delhi Transco Ltd, power demand hit a historic high of 6,268MW on 1 July due to rising heat and humidity. Curtis Lazar Jersey
Gulf Petrochem to distribute IPOL lubricants in UAE & Oman
For this, the company has partnered with UAE’s NGC Energy and Oman’s National Gas Company SAOG. The UAE-based Gulf Petrochem will distribute Indian subsidiary GP Petroleums Ltd’s IPOL brand of lubricantin the UAE and Oman, in partnership with NGC Energy and with National Gas Company SAOG in Oman over a period of five years. Both partners have set targets of 100 metric ton per month of lubricant volumes each in the UAE and Oman, by the end of the first year of trading. Prerit Goel, group director, Gulf Petrochem, commented, “This partnership seems like a natural step for all concerned and will only serve to enhance the availability of quality products on the market in UAE and Oman. We believe there is a huge market in the region for IPOL, which is specially tailored for industries, and in partnering with National Gas Company and NGC Energy, we have secured business with trusted firms who share our ambition and drive.” Operations are expected to fully commence in Q3 of 2016, with National Gas Co and NCG Energy currently recruiting additional sales staff and developing infrastructure facilities, including warehouses and delivery vehicles, as part of the agreement. Nalin Chandna, general manager of National Gas Company SAOG, said, “Since we signed the agreement in September 2015, we have been working together to put all the necessary infrastructure in place, in order to meet our expected demand levels when operations begin. In this time, we have seen similarities in the way we both work and believe our partnership can only be fruitful for all concerned. IPOL is a quality product which suits the market in UAE and Oman and we are delighted to be able to distribute the product there.” Gulf Petrochem Group, with a turnover of about $ 3 billion, specialises in oil trading & bunkering, oil refining, grease manufacturing, oil storage terminals, bitumen manufacturing, and shipping & logistics. Headquartered in UAE, and having a presence in South Asia, the Far East Asia, Africa and Europe, the group has emerged as one of the well-established manufacturers of petroleum products in major parts of the world. In India, its subsidiary GP Petroleums Ltd manufactures and markets industrial & automotive lubricants, process oils, transformer oils, greases and other specialties under the brand name IPOL. GP Petroleums plants in India has an annual production capacity of 80,000 KL. Its in-house base oil storage plant of 15,000 kilo litre (KL) is one of the largest facilities in the Indian industry. Terry Bradshaw Womens Jersey
Greenfield refinery in TN to meet fuel supply shortfall?
Expecting a fuel shortage in Tamil Nadu and other parts of South India, a report on logistics bottlenecks by the Shipping Ministry proposed setting up a new refinery in the central part of the State, near the coast between Cuddalore and Karaikal. Besides Tamil Nadu, a greenfield refinery is also being planned in Maharashtra. The report, Final Traffic Projections and Logistics Bottleneck, prepared by the ministry with the Indian Port Association as a part of its Sagarmala project, states that Tamil Nadu needs eight million metric tons per annum (MMTPA) of motor spirit or high speed diesel. This is expected to rise to 15 MMTPA by 2025. The report says the Centre is working on a two-fold strategy to bridge India’s shortfall of 12-13 million metric tons a year. First, by creating additional refineries, and then by redistributing supply to set right regional supply-demand imbalances through increased coastal shipping to the south and additional pipelines to move the product to deficit areas in the north. Creating additional capacity is the first step. At present, the State has only two refineries: Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd runs one at Manali near Chennai and another at Cauvery basin near Nagapattinam with capacities of 10.50 and 1 MMTPA respectively. However, the actual supply is only 7 MMTPA, resulting in a deficit of 1 MMPTA, says the report. The third refinery being built at Cuddalore, a joint venture between Nagarjuna Group and Tata, is to meet the present and projected demand, but the project has been delayed. As the CPCL plant in Chennai is in the interior of the city, it cannot be expanded due to environmental and safety concerns. A new refinery with a capacity of 5-7 MMPTA is being recommended between Cuddalore and Karaikal by 2018 with a ramp up potential of 3-5 MMTPA, the report says. Gujarat is the refinery hub with a surplus of about 20 MMPTA. This can be redistributed to areas in the North and Maharashtra through coastal shipping and pipelines. Redistribution from Kochi to Chennai and Odisha to Andhra Pradesh by ship will address the deficits, adds the report. Joey Gallo Womens Jersey
Gail to use fuel cell technology to generate clean energy
For this, the company has partnered with the US-based Bloom Energy, which provides solid oxide fuel cell technology that generates onsite power from multiple sources. Gail India Ltd will partner with the US-based BloomEnergy to deploy natural gas-based fuel cell technology to generate clean and reliable electricity. An MoU to this effect was signed by the two companies today. Speaking on the occasion, Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, said, “The biggest beneficiary of this MoU will be urban India because it will significantly decrease pollution caused by back-up power generation.” The solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology of Bloom Energy Servers convert fuel into electricity using natural gas as the base fuel to generate reliable and resilient power in a highly efficient non-combustible process that reduces emissions of greenhouse gas and harmful air pollutants, with minimal use of water vis-a-vis the conventional power producing technologies. The Bloom Energy Servers could be installed onsite at any operating premises or building and can be plugged into natural gas pipeline to generate uninterrupted, efficient, noise-less power round-the-clock. The technology is presently used by over 100 of the Fortune 500 companies such as Apple, Google, Coca-Cola, Walmart, etc that operate in sectors like FMCG, IT, telecom, retailing and e-commerce. Gail’s subsidiary at Bengaluru is already supplying natural gas for energising a multi-MW Bloom Energy project for a large global technology company at the Technology Park. The tie-up seeks to leverage the strengths of both the organisations. While Gail brings a portfolio of natural gas to ensure reliable and competitively available natural gas for Bloom Energy projects, Bloom Energy’s power systems run on advanced solid oxide fuel cell technology that efficiently produces electricity based on natural gas. Dr K R Sridhar, CEO & founder, Bloom Energy, said, “This partnership brings us closer to realise Bloom Energy’s mission to provide access to clean, reliable and affordable energy for India and the world.” Justin Williams Womens Jersey
OVL gets another extension to continue operations in South China Sea block
ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) will continue exploration in its South China Sea hydrocarbon block awarded by the Vietnam government, after it got a fresh extension. The previous extension for block No.128 lapsed on 15 June. This comes in the backdrop of Beijing’s claims over most of South China Sea rejected by the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague last month. The decision came after the Philippines took its territorial dispute with China to the international court. “Extension to OVL for the block has been granted,” said a person aware of the development requesting anonymity. OVL has already got two extensions on the block. The first two-year extension was granted till June 2014, followed by a one-year extension. “The government of Vietnam wants India with them,” said a second person aware of the development requesting anonymity. Vietnam did not want the overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd (ONGC) to exit the block as part of its strategy to leverage India’s state-owned firm’s presence in the controversial waters. It had earlier extended the investment licence by a year till June 2016. “In the process, OVL will also be saving $15 million that it would have to pay if it failed to drill the required number of wells,” said the second person quoted above. OVL has relinquished block No.127, but continues to hold the licence for block No.128 despite finding no hydrocarbons in it. The move is part of a larger strategic imperative on part of India to contain China in the region. Earlier, China had objected to India’s hydrocarbon exploration projects in the South China Sea, off the coast of Vietnam, asserting its sovereignty over the area covering the two blocks. Experts believe this has more to do with India’s national interests rather than being a commercial initiative. “The block is not commercially viable for OVL. However, instead of having a profit motive, the state-run unit has strategic motives behind this. The South China Sea block has always been a tough bet for OVL,” said Jabin T. Jacob, assistant director and fellow at New Delhi-based Institute of Chinese Studies. This comes at a time when ONGC is battling concerns over its domestic production capabilities and diminishing yields at its ageing oilfields. OVL has also set a target of 20 million tons (MT) of oil and oil-equivalent gas by 2017-18 from the current levels of 8.36 MT. Queries emailed to the spokespersons of OVL, embassies of Vietnam and China in New Delhi, India’s ministry of external affairs, petroleum ministry and Petro Vietnam remained unanswered. According to ONGC’s Perspective Plan 2030, OVL will have to contribute 60 MT of the 130 MT targeted total production of oil and oil-equivalent gas, with the balance coming from ONGC’s domestic production. ONGC produced 57.38 MT of oil and oil-equivalent gas in 2015-16. OVL has 37 projects in 17 countries and has invested $23.81 billion in overseas assets. Jordan Wilkins Jersey
Essar Oil eyes LPG business
In the non-subsidied LPG distribution business, Essar Oil looks to target customers with an annual income of Rs 1 million and above. Oil refiner, Essar Oil Ltd, wants to enter the liquified Petroleum gas (LPG) distribution business in the country, said an Essar Oil official on Monday. Mahesh Advani, head of direct sales, Essar Oil, said the company was open to subsidised as well as non-subsidised LPG distribution business in the country. Advani was talking on sidelines of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce annual convention in Mumbai. At present, Essar produces about one million ton LPG, Advani said. In the non-subsidied LPG distribution business, Essar Oil looks to target customers with an annual income of Rs 1 million and above — who don’t get any subsidies. Advani added, the company expects better margins by selling LPG directly to the customers than to the state oil marketing companies. At present, Essar Oil sells its LPG production to the oil marketing companies and does not have any presence in the LPG distribution business. Reliance Industries Ltd is the only private oil refiner in India with an exposure to the non-subsidised LPG business. The current regulations in the country does not allow private companies to distribute subsidised LPG to households. “We can start with the non-subsidised segment which constitutes 30 per cent of the market and then there is commerical LPG,” Advani said. On the timeline of starting operations in the non subsidised LPG distribution business, Advani said,” It is all in the application stage. We are open to doing the non subsidised if the government allows us to do it. ” Essar Oil is also increasing its presence in the fuel retailing business for Petrol and diesel by adding new outlets. Advani also said the company looks to increase the number of fuel outlets from the current 2500 outlets to 5000 outlets in the next eighteen months. The subsidised LPG business in India is currently dominated by the state run companies like Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd with a combined bottling capacity of 15. 2 million ton. As of April 1, 2016, the combined consumer enrollment of the three companies was 204.1 million of which 201.8 million were domestic users. The three state run companies added more than 20 million new customers in the last financial year. Mike White Womens Jersey