4 Mahagenco plants shut due to no demand
For the first time in the history of the state-run generation power company Mahagenco, it has completely shut down four of its seven power plants. The total generation has gone below 2,000MW, which has also happened for the first time. The reason is no demand for power from state-run discom MSEDCL. According to Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (MERC’s) merit order dispatch order, MSEDCL has to buy cheap power first before going in for costlier power. As the rate of generation of Mahagenco is higher than some private plants, the company has taken a beating. A Mahagenco official said that all the units of Koradi, Khaparkheda, Bhusawal and Parli plants were offline. “Even though MSEDCL increased power supply to agricultural consumers from eights hours a day to 12, it has not helped. Heavy rains in many parts of the state has reduced demand for power. Farmers are not required to use their pumps. Moreover, the demand had increased during Ganeshotsav but now with the festival over the extra demand is no longer there. Presently, the total maximum demand is in the range of 13,500MW, which is quite low,” an official said. The official added that Parli plant was closed down last year due to water shortage. “Now there is water in its feeder dam to run two units but we are unable to start them due to lack of demand,” he added. Last month, Mahagenco had started all the five units of the 1,340MW Khaparkheda power plant but had to close all of them down within a few days. A MSEDCL official said that demand had also gone down due to increase in solar and wind generation. “The wind is strong during the rainy season and hence wind power generation has gone up. Many people are going for our solar roof top policy and this too is gradually reducing our demand,” he said. The MSEDCL has become hugely power surplus from facing an acute demand supply gap a few years ago. Fred Biletnikoff Jersey
Security management system to safeguard country’s power grid
The Centre plans to safeguard the country’s power grid by putting in place a security management system with the help of states amid growing fears of cyber attacks that can cripple the economy. Power secretary PK Pujari told ET that power generating companies, transmission firms and power distribution companies have been asked to implement information security management systems to safeguard the grid. The power ministry has asked all power companies to nominate a senior officer as their chief information security officer, who will coordinate cybersecurity related issues with the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) that was created under National Technical Research Organisation for taking all measures for protection of critical infrastructure in India. NCIIPC prevents cyberattacks against critical infrastructure, minimises vulnerabilities to such threats and reduces damage and recovery time when such attacks take place. Energy sector is seen as a key critical infrastructure whose destruction could cause a debilitating impact on national security, governance, economy and social well-being of a nation. Transportation, banking, telecom and defence are next on the list. “With increased technology usage, we see a bigger threat to the national electricity grid. It is more vulnerable to cyberthreats and can have a major impact on the economy,” Pujari said. The generating companies and transmission network are fairly protected with security systems in place, he said, but distribution companies have not paid attention to threats, making them vulnerable to attacks. A cyberattack on distribution companies can be more damaging as the utilities are the link between consumers and the power generation and transmission system, Pujari said. Indian Electrical & Electronics Manufacturers’ Association (IEEMA) director general Sunil Misra said the government is now well aware of the potential cyberthreats to the electricity grid. “IEEMA has written to the National Security Advisor (NSA) to deliberate on ways to prevent and minimise such risks by holding talks with the power ministry, NITI Aayog and stakeholders like us,” he said. The domestic electrical equipment industry has been raising concerns about contracts awarded to Chinese companies for installation of supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADA) for power distribution that can lead to foreign control over a sector critical to the country’s growth. Many contracts for implementation of SCADA—for better power distribution and management—in Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Puducherry have been bagged by foreign firms. Local power equipment manufacturers said it could also be a threat to national security as electric distribution systems carry power to pipelines, water systems, telecommunications and other critical infrastructure, while also serving critical government and military facilities. Distribution-level cyberattacks that disrupt electric service to such facilities can have severe economic and security consequences. Such attacks can lead to control of the distribution system from remote areas, exchange of critical data and a greater threat to the national grid, IEEMA has said. Between 2005-06 and 2013-14, India’s imports of electrical equipment increased 19.73% to Rs 58,354 crore. China’s share in Indian imports of electrical equipment is nearly 40% now compared to 15.26% in 2005-06. Cheaper imports have also affected the local transmission and distribution equipment manufacturing sector, which is underutilised. Alec Ogletree Authentic Jersey
India to ratify Paris Agreement on climate change
India’s prime minister said Sunday that his country will ratify the Paris Agreement on climate change early next month. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his government will ratify the agreement Oct. 2, coinciding with the birth anniversary of India’s independence leader Mohandas Gandhi, who believed in a minimum carbon footprint. Modi made the announcement at a meeting of his Bharatiya Janata Party’s leaders in the southern Indian town of Kozhikode. India accounts for around 4.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said this month that 60 countries accounting for about 48 percent of emissions had already joined the agreement. The Paris Agreement asks both rich and poor countries to take action to curb the rise in global temperatures that is melting glaciers, raising sea levels and shifting rainfall patterns. It requires governments to present national plans to reduce emissions to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). On Sunday, Modi said global warming especially poses a threat to coastal countries and cities. Last week, Moroccan Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar said he expects to announce that countries accounting for over 55 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions have formally joined the treaty – the threshold needed to trigger the landmark agreement – when he presides over the 22nd U.N. Climate Conference in Marrakesh that starts on Nov. 7. The Morocco conference is expected to hammer out the difficult details of how to make the agreement work and raise the $100 billion needed each year to meet its ambitious goals. Mezouar said developed countries are expected to come up with $100 billion in climate financing each year, with half of that going to help countries adapt to green energy and the other half to mitigating the effects of climate change. Boomer Esiason Authentic Jersey
Centre may fund new power connections
The Ministry of Power is working on a scheme to extend financial support to states to offer new electricity connections to every household, free of cost. As per the proposal, the Centre intends to sanction long-term loans to electricity distribution companies to enable them to provide connections at the earliest. The Rural Electrification Corporation, a state-run company under the ministry, is preparing the guidelines for the scheme. The proposal will be discussed in the state power ministers’ conference, to be chaired by Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal, on October 7 in Gujarat, a senior officer in the ministry told DH. Currently, free connections are being given only to below poverty line (BPL) families. The Centre will mainly fund the laying of electricity lines and installation of metres and other accessories. The distribution companies will have to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the corporation to implement the scheme. According to the ministry, as on August 31, a total of 5.76 crore households in the country were yet to get electricity, with Uttar Pradesh topping the list with 1.81 crore households, followed by Bihar with 1.45 crore households. In Karnataka, as many as 9.5 lakh households are yet to get access to electricity. With most of the distribution companies not being able to meet the expenses to provide electricity connectivity, the ministry has decided to fund them. In many remote areas, individual households are not able to pay for laying power lines, the official said, adding if the financial burden on laying electricity cables was absorbed by the distribution companies, it would also help expedite the scheme. In the power ministers’ conference held in June, Goyal said all the states had resolved to provide 24×7 power supply to every household by March 2019 or earlier. Markus Naslund Authentic Jersey
The power of transmission
Power Grid Corporation of India (Power Grid) has near monopoly on the country’s inter-state and inter-regional power transmission network. Tariffs set by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission enable it to earn assured returns on its commissioned projects. We spoke with I.S. Jha, Chairman and Managing Director, Power Grid, on the state of India’s power transmission network and the company’s growth prospects. What have been some noteworthy improvements in the country’s transmission infrastructure in recent years? What remains to be done? The broad objective of the government is 24X7 power supply to people. This is possible only if power reaches everyone at the cheapest price. What is happening is that the power stations in the Southern region may price power at ?3.50 a unit while those in Chhattisgarh can make power available at ?2.30 a unit. If you have a good transmission network, then you won’t buy electricity from the local power station in the South and will instead take the ?2.30 per unit power because the cost of transmission is very low (only a few paise). Earlier the role of transmission was to evacuate the power generated, today it is the enabler of the market. Today, we have one National Grid and here Power Grid has played a major role. In the last four years, our transmission assets have doubled. They have grown at 10 per cent (CAGR). The transmission capacity (importing power from other regions) ofthe country’s two most deficient regions — the South and the North — has gone up by 71 per cent and 100 per cent in the last two years. All this has brought a lot of flexibility in the grid for transmitting power. Since the grid is becoming more complex, the control systems also have to be good for smooth power transmission. Since the 2012 Delhi power outage, there have been no such incidents even though the quantum of power transmitted has gone up substantially. This is because we have automated many substation operations. Our control centre at Manesar in Gurgaon manages all our substations through remote control. We have also brought in very high technology such as +_800kV HVDC (high voltage direct current) line from the North-Eastern Region to Agra, the first in the world. On the maintenance side, too, we have ensured better patrolling of the transmission network so that uninterrupted power supply is available to consumers. You need to patrol to keep a check on thefts and also because if there is even one breakage anywhere, power will not flow. Since the network has become very extensive, we have introduced helicopter patrolling. In the last six months, we gave also started using drones in the Northern and the Western regions. Is the power transmission network in the North-Eastern Region still not at par with the other regions of the country? In one way, you can say. What’s happening is that Power Grid’s transmission network (inter-State) is okay but the intra-State distribution network (which is under the States) is weak. This is why the Centre has formulated a ?10,000 crore scheme for the seven North-Eastern States and Sikkim. The schemes for Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, the cost for which is about ?5000 crore, are being funded by the Centre. The balance cost for the remaining States is being funded by the World Bank. Power Grid will be undertaking the construction work and then hand over the infrastructure to the state governments. Is the intra-State transmission network weak in other States too? The inter-State transmission network, which is set up by Power Grid, is the backbone of the system. It has to be very strong. But, the intra-State transmission is not up to the mark and that is being realised. The government is now focusing on strengthening this network. Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have a lot of intra-State power transmission work going on. In Bihar, Power Grid and Bihar Power (Holding) Company have formed a joint venture. We are constructing the network here. This serves two purposes — since the intra-State gets strengthened, Power Grid’s inter-State system gets utilised more effectively and, second, our business also increases. What is the current status of the National Smart Grid Mission? How will the project benefit the final consumers of electricity? The grid can be made smart at every level. I will talk about the Smart Grid at the distribution (consumer) level. Smart Grid basically refers to two-way transmission. Today, information on what the consumer wants does not come to the operator. Under Smart Grid, we will have smart meters that will communicate data to the control centre. We have already installed smart meters in Puducherry on pilot basis. The government has decided on 14 pilot projects in different States and Power Grid is the consultant for seven of these. Smart cities are also coming up and a city cannot be smart without a smart grid. That’s why, the mission has to be implemented in all these cities. At the transmission level, Power Grid is commissioning the Smart Grid. Here the Smart Grid has been introduced in a different way. It is basically for our operations. Under this, we are installing PMUs (Phasor Measurement Unit) which are like meters that collect data. Suppose we have a substation in Agra and the control centre is in Delhi, then tonnes of data is collected from Agra and sent to Delhi. Today, this is being done on a small scale. Now, all areas are being integrated and the meters are being synchronised through GPS. Projects won under tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) account for what percentage of Power Grid’s total project portfolio? Are the returns on these projects significantly lower than those under the regulated return model? Since 2011, only 23 projects worth ?50,000 crore have been bid out. We have won 35-40 per cent of them, which is about ?15,000-20,000 crore. This is a very small portion of our total portfolio. Currently, we have total work in hand worth ?1 lakh crore. When Power Grid bids for
NTPC case: Court pulls up CBI for not probing properly
The CBI’s director has been asked to supervise further probe in a case of payment of alleged kickbacks by a Russian firm for a Rs 2,066-crore NTPC contract by a court which pulled up the agency for not investigating it properly. “It appears that CBI officials are not inclined to further investigate the matter to ascertain the criminal negligence or abuse and misuse of official positions by senior NTPC officials as well as the members of the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure, Government of India, as these senior officers and the politicians appear to have high connections and appear to have a big say in the functioning of Government of India,” Special CBI Judge Brijesh Garg said. Refusing to accept the charge sheet filed by CBI, the court said the agency has tried to “save” senior officers of NTPC and members of the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure. Ordering the CBI Director to supervise further probe, the court asked him to assign the investigation to an officer not below the rank of a Joint Director. The court had in April last year returned CBI’s charge sheet filed in the case while directing the agency to further probe it on the aspect of fixing of responsibility of NTPC officials who had “deliberately” not pointed out the deficiencies in the tender documents of Russian firm Technopromexport (TPE). The court, however, was annoyed that no further probe has been done by CBI for the last over one-and-a half years to comply with its earlier order. According to CBI, from 2002 to 2005 some NTPC officials had obtained illegal gratification in award of super thermal power contract at Barh in Bihar. The FIR in the case was registered on information from Interpol, London, which alleged that 15 million pounds were lying in a UK bank account and appeared to be meant for kickbacks. CBI had alleged that NTPC had entered into three contracts with TPE Russia and transferred USD 53,633,554 to it as advance money. It had said that TPE later transferred USD 10,37,36,221 and USD 10,37,2,441.07 to Delhi-based Ravina Associates Pvt Ltd at Natwest Bank on May 5 and May 18, 2005, respectively. CBI alleged that more than USD 20.07 million was paid by TPE Russia to Ravina Associates Pvt Ltd as commission equalling a percentage of the contract. CBI, in its fresh charge sheet filed in August this year, had named as accused M/s FGUP VO Technopromexport, its two officials, Ravina and Associates Pvt Ltd and its director. Shane Doan Authentic Jersey
Large population still without power in India: Report
Even though government data shows low power deficit and a surplus situation in the country, a large population is still without electricity and power cuts are part of daily life, says a report. According to clean energy consultant Mercom Capital Group’s latest report, the power deficit numbers in India do not paint the full picture. “….large populations in India are still without electricity and power cuts are still part of daily life in urban areas and more so in rural areas,” the report ‘India Solar Quarterly Market Update’ said. “The reduction in the power deficit we are seeing is largely due to a combination of a drop in power demand in the commercial and industrial sector, and the financial health of discoms,” it added. Falling demand has led to record low prices on the power exchanges, it said. According to Central Electricity Authority (CEA), plant load factors have fallen by 20-30 per cent due to the drop in power usage from commercial and industrial customers, a major source of revenue for discoms. These customers also usually end up subsidizing residential and rural customers for whom discoms refuse to increase tariffs in line with costs, leading to massive losses year after year. Discoms, which continue to have financial struggles, are purchasing cheaper power from the exchanges, which is resulting in curtailment issues for solar power. Some discoms are simply resorting to power cuts as they cannot afford to even purchase power at low rates on the exchanges. Some states have surplus power but still do not supply power round the clock for fear of losses due to low tariffs from residential and agricultural customers. Ramon Foster Womens Jersey
LG scraps AAP govt’s appointment of DERC head
The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Najeeb Jung, has set aside the appointment of Krishna Saini as Chairperson of Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission and has asked the elected government to initiate the process of selection of a new chairperson. Jung’s office said Saini was appointed as the chairman of the power regulatory body of Delhi in March with the approval of the LG as mandated under the procedure. “As the constitution of the Selection Committee as well as the appointment of the Chairperson, Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) was done without putting up the matter to the Lt. Governor at any stage, for his views and concurrence, the entire process of appointment of DERC Chairperson has been vitiated right from the beginning and suffers from serious legal infirmities, ” LG’s office said in a statement. It further said DERC is a statutory body, discharging important functions and illegalities in the appointment of Chairperson are bound to have legal and other repercussions. “In the given circumstances, the appointment of Chairperson, Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) has been declared as void, ab initio,” LG’s office said in a statement. The Delhi High Court is also hearing two public interest litigations regarding the appointment of Saini. The next hearing of the PILs is in Friday. Will Hernandez Womens Jersey
IPCL to adopt smart grid with USTDA in Gaya
India Power Corporation Ltd has entered into a partnership with US Trade & Development Agency to implement smart gird technology on India Power’s distribution network – particularly to its Gaya Franchise in Bihar. It will boost efficiency and reliability while minimizing wastage. A smart grid is commonly characterized by the application of digital processing and communications to centralize data flow and information management. American expertise will help overcome challenges like integration of new grid information – one of the key issues in designs of smart grids. At present, electric utilities now find themselves making three classes of transformations: improvement of infrastructure; addition of the digital layer; and business process transformation, necessary to capitalize on the investments in smart technology. Much of the work going on in electric grid modernization, especially for substations and distribution automation, is now included in the general concept of the smart grid. The opportunity to conduct USTDA sponsored technical assistance for IPCL will be completed by interested US firms through Federal Business Opportunities. Marqise Lee Authentic Jersey
NTPC bullish on power demand, to add 24 GW at Rs 1.6 lakh cr
Amid global economic uncertainty, state-owned NTPC remains sanguine about domestic electricity demand and has planned a total capacity addition of 24 GW entailing an investment of Rs 1.6 lakh crore. “Various projects of the company having an aggregate capacity of around 24 GW are under implementation at 23 locations across the country,” NTPC CMD Gurdeep Singh said while addressing the company AGM today. Singh said, “This (24 GW) includes 4,050 MW being undertaken by joint venture and subsidiary companies. This translates into a capex of about Rs 1,60,000 crore.” The installed capacity of the NTPC group today stands at 47,228 MW, which includes 800 MW of hydro and 360 MW of solar generation capacity. The company has planned an all-time high stand-alone capex of Rs 25,960 crore exceeding the MoU target of 23,000 crore (with the power ministry) and the NTPC group capex stood at Rs 32,091 crore last fiscal. Singh is of the view that the national trends suggest a promising future for NTPC despite the overall atmosphere of uncertainty in the global business scenario. “India is the fastest growing major economy in the world with a huge potential appetite for power consumption… On September 9, 2016, actual energy demand met in India was all-time highest at 3,539 MU and NTPC (with group entities) contributed 866 MU (million units),” he said. “Thus, green shoots are visible as far as upswing in power demand goes and this is in line with our long held expectations of growth.” NTPC has commissioned 10,125 MW in the Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012-17) so far and aims to commission around 4,500 MW more during 2016-17. He also said that under UDAY scheme for revival of debt-laden discoms, bonds worth about Rs 1.66 lakh crore have been issued, relieving the balancesheets of state utilities and thereby enabling higher capacity utilisation by generators. He further informed shareholders that with about 7 billion metric tonnes of geological reserves estimated at its 10 coal blocks, NTPC expects to produce about 107 million tonnes of coal per annum. He also told that the mining operations have commenced in Pakri Barwadih and the company has progressed well in other coal blocks too. The company has moved forward on coal freight rationalisation, thereby reducing coal transportation cost. With improved domestic coal supplies, NTPC has been able to minimise import of coal. With these steps, it has been able to reduce the tariff by 14 paise (4.3%) in the first quarter of 2016-17 from a year ago. Kevin Hayes Jersey