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
Expansion, Lower Interest Outgo To Power Adani Transmission
The net profit of Adani Transmission, India’s largest private sector power transmission company , fell by 38% year-on-year to Rs 99.5 crore in the September quarter on account of higher interest outgo. The management expects to cut interest expense in the next two quarters following debt refinancing. This along with expansion of its transmission network is likely to retain investor interest. Interest cost as a percentage of operating profit (EBITDA) increased to 53% in the September quarter compared with 40% in the previous quarter. The total debt in the September quarter was Rs 8,803 crore. The average interest rate is likely to come down after the debt refinancing at an attractive rate by using instruments such as masala bonds and US bonds of 10-year maturity. The company said in a conference call after the September quarter earnings announcement that the average interest rate is expected to fall by around 150 basis points to 9.66% from nearly 12% in the first half of the current fiscal, thereby improving net profit in the coming quarters even though the outstanding debt will rise by nearly Rs 800 crore. The company is on track to double its transmission line in the next three years from 5,050 circuit kilometers (km). Recently, the company has acquired 384 circuit km line from GMR and 3,521 circuit km from Reliance Infrastructure. This will help the company to reach the 10,800 circuit km target by FY19. The company aims at a market share of 1820% of transmission capacity as compared with 7%, currently. A power transmission company earns revenues based on the fixed 15.5% return on equity(RoE) deployed for a project and can add expenses such as depreciation, interest charges on normative loans, interest on working capital and operating and maintenance (O&M) cost. Given that most of these projects have a life of 35 years, increasing transmission lines provide revenue visibility and stable cash flows for the long term. Wesley Johnson Womens Jersey
Kerala electricity commission simplifies application procedure
Applying for an electricity connection would be a less hassle-free experience from now on. The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission issued orders on Wednesday, simplifying the procedure for releasing new connections. The changes include a simplified application format, an online facility for filing the applications and making payments, and just two documents to be provided as proofs instead of the seven required at present. Proof of identity and proof of ownership/legal occupancy will alone be needed now. The norms were relaxed on the basis of an instruction issued by the state government under Section 108 of the Electricity Act in September. On some other points, the commission has sought more details from the Power Department, it is understood. The three-member commission headed by chairman T M Manoharan met on Wednesday to decide on the changes. On the other hand, the commission has not made any amendments to the Electricity Supply Code, 2010, although the government wanted it to ‘rework’ it to make the changes. “Amendments to the code will take time as it involves several steps including pre-publication of the proposed changes and public hearings. We have used the provision for ‘difficulty removal’ in the code to relax the norms,’’ commission member K Vikraman Nair said. It was on September 20 that the LDF government briefed the commission to ‘rework’ the supply code to simplify the process, a key requirement if the government was to keep the March 31, 2017, deadline for its ambitious total electrification project. In fact, the government had been specific that the changes were critical to meeting this target. So far, over 1.16 lakh people have registered in the project, according to the Power Department.?? The changes are necessary for the government to keep its promise – through the Kerala State Electricity Board – of giving connections within 15 days of applying (within two days if new posts are not needed). The government’s instructions to the commission were based on a Union Power Ministry directive which sought a simpler, three-step process for releasing connections. Section 108, of the Electricity Act, 2003, requires the commission to be guided by government directives in policy matters involving public interest. Alex Lewis Jersey
4 ex-CMs owe over Rs 59L in pending electricity dues, says U’khand Power Corp
Adding further to the woes of the ex-chief ministers who have been asked to vacate their government bungalows by December 16, the Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) has alleged that four of the five ex-CMs have failed to pay cumulative dues of over Rs 59 lakh arising out of the electricity usage at their official accommodation in Dehradun. The Uttarakhand high court had on Monday refused to allow the ex-CMs more time than the two months given by the state government to leave their bungalows. Sources in the power discom told TOI that the amounts pending came to a cumulative total of Rs 59,51,728. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank is believed to owe Rs 3,18,252 for his Yamuna Colony house as well as Rs 27,34,127 for the accommodation at Circuit House annexe; N D Tiwari, who has been allotted a bungalow in the FRI campus has dues of Rs 13,63,821 while Bhagat Singh Koshyari whose official accommodation is in Cantt Road, has pending bills of Rs 10,79,313. BC Khanduri, who has been given two electricity connections at his bungalow in Yamuna Colony, has balance dues of Rs 4,56, 215. A UPCL spokesperson said that the pending bills had been calculated from the time the former CMs had demitted their offices but kept occupying the official accommodation. He added that all the ex-CMs had been sent notices and reminders earlier and now, details of their dues have been given to the state government. “We have not given notices directly to the CMs but to the establishment department of the state government. As per the high court order, the state government will be calculating the market rent payable by the ex-CMs and informing the court by November 21. We have asked for the electricity dues to be also added to the rent recoverable from them,” he said. A close aide of Nishank said that “we will pay whatever legitimate dues are pending.” He added that a “massive amount of Rs 27,34,127 had been wrongly attributed as dues to be paid by Dr Nishank for the Circuit House annexe.” “A number of former chief ministers were using the Circuit House annexe and it is wrong to put the bill in just one ex-CM’s name,” he said. Meanwhile, commenting on the power corporation’s move to recover the electricity dues from the ex-CMs, social activist Avadhash Kaushal, who had filed the PIL regarding the huge bungalows being occupied by the former CMs years after demitting office, told TOI, “It is a gross misuse of power by the ex-chief ministers that UPCL, which promptly disconnects the common man’s power connection if one fails to pay the bill for even a month, had been so slow in taking up the case of recovery of dues from these politicians.” Mitchell Marner Womens Jersey
RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group may reorganise power biz
The Rs 32,000 crore RP Sanjiv Goenka group is evaluating the possibility of re-organising its power business facilitation consolidation of generation and distribution units. “The consultant is yet to give the final report and we haven’t taken a final call,” RP Sanjiv Goenka group chairman Sanjiv Goenka said. “We see merit in having all generating units together. And distributions can come under a separate umbrella. I personally don’t see the logic of my distribution business in Rajathan or distribution is Noida under separate companies,” Goenka said. I now need separate management and multiple CFOs or MDs for each of these businesses, there could be probably holding companies each for generation and distribution businesses, Goenka pointed out. A group presentation shows six companies engaged into power business having close to Rs 10,000 crore revenue. They are: Haldia Energy, Dhariwal Infrastructure, Crescent Power, Noida Power, Surya Vidyut and CESC Ltd. CESC has both generation and distribution rights in Kolkata, parts of Howrah and Hooghly in West Bengal, Noida in Uttar Pradesh, and distribution franchisee Kota and Bharatpur in Rajasthan. Additionally, it has renewable capacity of about 100MW. Goenka did not respond when asked if evaluation of re-organisation was restricted to power or other business. Chester Rogers Jersey