The power sector being the largest emitter of CO2 has a key role to play if India wants to achieve its target of going net-zero by 2070. This will mean that we would need to move away from coal-based
India needs to rethink its power generation strategies for the sake of environment
Administrative Reforms
One of the giant snails controversially translocated to New Zealand's West Coast has died. The creature was one of the 367 rare Powelliphanta augustus snails, which were moved from their natural
The Delhi Government has taken possession of land given by the DDA for construction of a gas-based power plant at Bamnauli. The 50 acres that will be owned by the Delhi Government and leased to the Power Department has fetched the DDA Rs.109 crore. The land will be used for setting up a 750 MW gas-based power plant. Power Department officials said the environment impact assessment would now be carried out by NTPC and the plant would be completed by 2010. A MoU has already been signed with Petronet for supply and purchase of gas.
Coal India Ltd (CIL) and IL&FS Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (IL&FS IDC), today entered into a memorandum of agreement (MoA) to float a joint venture company, with 50 per cent equity contribution each by the two organisations, to undertake project development for mine, power and other coal-based projects. The MoA document was signed by NC Jha, director (technical) of CIL, and DK Mittal, managing director of IL&FS IDC, at the CIL headquarters in Kolkata today, in presence of CIL Chairman Partha S Bhattacharyya and other officials of the two organisations.
Coal India Ltd (CIL) and IL&FS Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (IL&FS IDC), a unit of IL&FS, have signed a deal to float a 50-50 joint venture to undertake develop mining, power and other coal-based projects. A special purpose vehicle, Integrated Power & Coal Development Co Pvt Ltd (Intec), will set up a project development fund of Rs 10 crore per project with equal shares from the two partners to fund each project that it takes up. CIL's technical director NC Jha and IL&FS IDC's managing director DK Mittal signed the pact at CIL's headquarters here in the presence of CIL chairman Partha S Bhattacharyya and others. The SPV will undertake the entire chain of project development activities, from project identification, site selection, facilitation in land acquisition and technical and environmental studies to preparation of DPR, EIA, obtaining various clearances and approvals, obtaining linkages, tying of sales (power sales as relevant to power projects), finalisation of evacuation arrangements, financial modeling, legal documentation, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract, O&M, project structuring and marketing with lenders and investors. The SPV will work on projects that involve improving mine performance, accessing difficult mines, developing or implementing pithead coal-based power projects, development of washeries, power plants based on asheries and so on. The venture will also help private sector Companies that have been allotted mines to develop them. CIL expects to gain from the SPV's activities by way of low-cost power from pithead-based power plants and by selling power instead of coal.
Of the seven broad development themes in the draft 10th plan document, which will be discussed and approved by the new parliament, the highest budget allocation, Nu 20.465 billion, is for building and maintenance of national highways, roads to hydropower projects, new power transmission lines and development of air and surface transport.
Firm to set up coal-based plant in Jharkhand or Chhattisgarh. Godawari Power and Ispat (GPIL), an integrated steel manufacturer based in Chhattisgarh, is mulling foray into commercial power generation with projects in Chhattisgarh or Jharkhand with capacities ranging between 300 to 1,000 mw with coal and coal rejects as fuel. A consortium led by GPIL has been allocated four coal blocks at Nakia and Madanpur in Chhattisgarh with 243 million tonnes of total reserves, of which, GPIL's share is 63 million tonnes. Of this, 40-50 per cent will be wastage such as coal ash and gases during coal processing. GPIL was planning to optimise its coal mines with coal rejects-fired power plants as part of its backward integration expansions, said sources familiar with the development. GPIL would start mining by 2009 and set up power generation facilities by then, added sources. "Our board of directors is yet to consider or finalise any plan and, now, we are concentrating only on the existing expansion plans to increase our operating margins. We may enter into commercial power business in future since our businesses are closely associated with power generation,' said Dinesh Gandhi, director, finance. GPIL is a mid-sized integrated steel player producing sponge iron, steel billets, steel wires, wire rods and ferro alloys and generates captive power from waste gases produced at its steel manufacturing facilities. GPIL currently has 53 mw of captive power consumption, which includes a 25 mw captive power plant commissioned in the first half of 2007-08. Of this, 11 mw is produced using byproducts of sponge iron. According to sources, B L Agarwal, managing director of GPIL, in his personal capacity has picked up 25 per cent stake in Maruti Clean Coal and Power, a company floated in Chhattisgarh to set up a 270 mw coal-fired power plant with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore. However, GPIL has not firmed up any fuel linkages for this project, sources said. GPIL is setting up a coal washery unit and a 0.6 mega tonnes per annum (mtpa) pelletisation plant with an overall capital expenditure of Rs 230 crore. This expansion would reduce the raw material cost helping increase operating margins up to 40 per cent. With captive iron ore and coal mines ready for raw material supply by 2009, the company could enter into areas such as power production in a big way, said sources.
With the ministry of forests and environment (MoEF) giving the crucial environment clearance, implementation of Tata Power's 4,000-mw Mundra ultra mega power project (UMPP) has gathered momentum. However, Reliance Power's 4,000-mw Sasan UMPP is yet to receive the MoEF clearance. The ministry has emphasised the need for an integrated proposal for forest clearance, covering forest area involved in the project limits, and the mining area. While the implementation schedule of the main plant of Sasan project is spread over five years, the development of mines takes about two years. Thus, with the main plant in the process of being implemented, the forest clearance proposal for the mining area can be submitted separately after obtaining an approval for the mining plan. According to power ministry sources, "Power secretary Anil Razdan has recently reviewed the implementation progress of Mundra and Sasan UMPPs. The Coastal Gujarat Power Limited (CGPL)
Leading power equipment manufacturer, OSRAM, on Thursday announced that it had joined hands with the largest German power generation company RWE to launch their first energy efficiency project in India based on the Kyoto Protocol guidelines at a cost of 150 million Euros. Under the programme, high-quality OSRAM energy-saving lamps will be distributed to around 700,000 households in the Vishakhapatnam region in the first phase. The project will be financed exclusively via CO{-2} certificates under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) based on the Kyoto Protocol for reducing CO{-2} emissions in developing and emerging countries, according an official release here. The energy-saving lamps are being distributed by the local power supply company in cooperation with self-help groups. At the same time, ordinary light bulbs will be collected from the households and sent for eco-friendly recycling. In all, this project is likely to save up to 400,000 tonnes of CO{-2}. "The project together with our partner RWE will reduce CO{-2} emissions in India and help the country keep its energy requirements down. It will also give a broad cross-section of population who would not otherwise be able to afford energy-saving lamps the opportunity to save money,' said Wolfgang Gregor of OSRAM.
