Uncertainty Preventing Investments in Hydel Projects: Power Minister Piyush Goyal

[Hindustani78]

A solar power plant on the BHEL campus.— Photo: M. Moorthy
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities...solar-energy/article9351044.ece?homepage=true

The plant's operational life is expected to be around 25 years and the solar energy meets a portion of the unit's power requirement.

The Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Tiruchi, has commissioned a 5 MW captive solar power plant.

The plant with an array of 19,968 photovoltaic modules has been set up on 25 acres in the BHEL campus. The modules have been set up in 832 strings, each with 24 modules. The strings are divided into fours sectors. The plant has generated about 23 lakh units of electricity since the end of June and is expected to help BHEL achieve substantial savings in energy costs in long term, S.Mohan, Additional General Manager, Maintenance and Services, BHEL, Tiruchi, told reporters here on Tuesday.

BHEL is expected to recoup the investment of about Rs.30 crore (including civil work for the plant) in five years. The operational life of the solar plant is expected to be around 25 years. The plant is integrated with the grid and the solar energy meets a portion of the power requirement of the unit.

The power plant, including the photovoltaic modules, power conditioning units, high tension switch gear panels and the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system were manufactured and supplied by BHEL’s electronic division, Bengaluru. According to officials, BHEL, Ranipet, has installed a 5 MW plant and its Bhopal unit was going in for a 10 MW unit.

He said the plant would require minimum maintenance such as periodic cleaning of the modules. Pipe lines have been laid along the strings for easier and quicker cleaning of the modules. The power conditioning unit, developed by the Electronics Division and BHEL Corporate Research and Development Division, is fully automated with ‘sleep’ and ‘awake’ functions. The plant starts generating power automatically as soon as adequate solar radiation available in the mornings and goes to ‘sleep’ in the evenings.

The SCADA system could pinpoint faults, if any, in a particular string of modules so that appropriate remedial measures could be taken immediately. CCTV cameras have also been installed in the plant for ensuring safety.

BHEL, Tiruchi, has commissioned two 50 kW and 20 kW on the roof tops of office buildings including the administrative building. Five 30 kW, one 25kW and a 5 kW roof-top solar plants are in operation in the BHEL Township schools.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Coal
17-November, 2016 17:38 IST
15 New Coal Washeries to be set up to Augment Washed Coal Supply to Thermal Power Plants


15 new coal washeries would be set by Coal India Limited (CIL) and its subsidiaries, out of which 9 are for beneficiation of non-coking coal with an aggregate capacity of 94 Mty (75.5 Mty in 1st phase) to increase the washed coal supply. This was stated by Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of State (IC) for the Ministry of Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.


Further, the Minister informed that setting up coal washeries is an ongoing activity and several washeries are being planned by CIL and other companies. All efforts will be made to complete the washeries by September 2017. The washeries will help to augment supply of non-coking coal below 34% ash for power sector, ensure better efficiency and less generation of air pollutants and solid waste at Power Plants.

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Ministry of Coal
17-November, 2016 17:35 IST

Decrease in Coal Imports on Account of Availability of Surplus Coal


On account of increased production by Coal India Ltd. (CIL) in 2015-16, coal imports have fallen from 217.78 Mte. in 2014-15 to 199.88 Mte. in 2015-16. In order to meet coal demand internally and make India self-sufficient in coal production, the focus of the Government is on increasing the domestic production from indigenous sources which includes efforts to expedite Environment & Forest clearances, land acquisition and coordinated efforts with Railways for movement of coal.


A roadmap has been prepared by CIL to enhance production of coal to 1 billion tonnes by 2019-20. This includes capacity addition from new projects, use of mass production technologies and identification of existing on-going projects with growth potential.


This was stated by Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of State (IC) for the Ministry of Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

In accordance to the Presidential Directive issued to Coal India Limited (CIL) and under the provision of new Fuel Supply Agreement (FSA), option is given to Power utility sector consumers to opt for supply of a part of Annual Contracted Quantity (ACQ) from imported coal through CIL. No Thermal Power Plant/Coal company has approached CIL for supply of imported coal for 2016-17. As coal is an item under Open General License (OGL), it can also be imported directly by the consumers.


As per the initial estimate, the demand for coal in 2016-17 is estimated to be 884.87 MT against which supply plan from indigenous sources has been planned to be 724.71 MT (CIL: 598.61 MT; SCCL: 58 MT & Other sources including captive blocks: 68.10 MT) leaving a demand supply gap of 160.16 MT to be met through imports by consuming sectors.

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Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
17-November, 2016 17:59 IST
Inclusion of Large Hydro Power Projects Under the Ambit of Renewable Energy

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is examining the prospects of including all hydro power projects under Renewable Energy Sector. This was stated by Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today. “Hydro power can be called renewable energy because it uses water for generation of electricity without any consumption and leaves this vital resource available for other uses”, the Minister added.

The Minister further said that the norms of Small Hydro Power Projects (SHP) differ from country to country. In some countries station capacity with more than 25 MW is classified as SHP, example- Brazil -30 MW, Canada-50 MW, China- 50 MW, Pakistan- 50 MW, Vietnam- 30MW and Eastern Europe / Russian countries - 30 MW. Shri Goyal informed the house that the implementation of Hydro Power up to 25 MW station capacity was brought under the ambit of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy from Ministry of Power during 1999.

Government has set the target to reach 175 GW of Renewable Energy capacity by the year 2022 which includes 5 GW from Small Hydro (up to 25 MW station capacity). So far larger hydro plants are not considered as Renewable Energy. In case of large hydro capacity (above 25MW) being added to the renewable category, India’s Renewable Energy capacity could reach 225MW.

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Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
17-November, 2016 17:57 IST
90,710 Solar Pumps Installed in the Country

A total of 90,710 solar pumps have been installed throughout the country as on 31st October, 2016. The remaining pumps are at various stages of implementation. This was stated by Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

“A target of 50,000 pumps for irrigation and potable water consumption has been set for installation for during the year 2016-17”, the Minister added.


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Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
17-November, 2016 17:54 IST
3019 MW of Solar Energy Capacity Added in 2015-16

A total of 3019 MW of solar energy capacity addition was recorded during the year 2015-16. This was stated by Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

Shri Goyal further said that the World Bank has recently approved a total amount of US $ 625 million consisting of World Bank loan of US $500 million, Clean Technology Fund (CTF) loan of US $120 million and a CTF Grant of US $ 5 million for Grid-connected Rooftop Solar Programme. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has also submitted a proposal to Ministry of Finance for the World Bank Financing of US $200 Million for Internal Infrastructure development of Solar Parks.

The Minister informed that an agreement for the Rooftop loan was signed between the World Bank and the State Bank of India (SBI) on 30th June, 2016. Under this agreement, the World Bank loan is taken by the SBI. Thereafter, SBI provides loan through its branches for installation of rooftop solar systems.



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[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...mps-for-animals/article9363824.ece?ref=tpnews

Project shows excellent results; tigers and elephants sighted near waterholes: officials
Two solar-powered deep water pumping systems have been installed at Bandipur Tiger Reserve by the WWF-India in collaboration with the Forest Department in a bid to ease water scarcity for the wild animals during summer.

They have been installed at Omkara and Kundukere ranges of the national park where vegetation is dry deciduous. These ranges are the epicentre of human-elephant conflicts. “These installations are not only innovative, clean and use renewable energy, but also an excellent example in habitat management following sound scientific technology,” stated WWF-India in a press release. WWF-India State director Hari Somashekar said they realised the need for it while observing the ground realities and suggested the idea of solar deep water pumping system to the Forest Department.

WWF-India said the pump delivers water directly to the waterhole and the solar pump works six-seven hours per day depending on the availability of sunlight. The pump has a capacity of supplying 50,000 litres of water per day and the overflow from the waterhole is discharged to tanks in the downstream through gravity flow. In all, 17 solar panels of 300 Watts have been installed. The authorities are impressed with the outcome and have observed the congregation of wild animals at the water holes.

Chief Conservation of Forests Heeralal, who is also the director of Bandipur Tiger Reserve, said of the 300 tanks or waterholes, 180 have already dried up and the animals were searching for water, and straying out into human habitations. The need for a solution was imperative and the solar deep water pump has addressed the problem, he said.

Local officials say there was water scarcity in the range and the animals were finding it extremely difficult to sustain, especially in the Omkara range, which has no water source and the forests are fast drying up. This project has shown excellent results so far and wild animals such as tigers, elephants, spotted deer are sighted near these holes now, say the officials.

The installation of pumps, it is reckoned, will help reduce conflict situations.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Coal21-November, 2016 15:25 IST
Operationalisation of Coal blocks allocated under the open auction of Coal Mines



Under the provisions of the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015, and the rules made there under, 83 coal mines have been allocated for specified end uses which includes Power, Steel, Cement and Captive Power Production as well as for sale of coal. This was stated by Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of State (IC) for the Ministry of Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines, in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

Further, the Minister informed that out of the 83, 31 coal mines (17 Schedule II & 14 Schedule III) have been allocated through auction. For the purpose of auction, specified end-uses other than power viz. Iron & Steel, Cement and Captive Power Plants have been clubbed as “Non-Regulated Sector”. The Government has so far successfully auctioned 22 coal mines to the ‘Non-Regulated Sector’ and 9 coal mines for specified end use ‘Power’ under the said Act, the details of which are as given below:

Detailing further, the Minister informed that out of the 17 Schedule II coal mines auctioned under the provisions of the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 which were operational before cancellation of the 204 blocks by the Supreme Court, mining operations have commenced/mine opening permission granted in 10 Schedule II coal mines. In addition, 1 Schedule III coal mine is also operational. Since commencement of mining operations, 9.56 Million Tonnes (provisional) of coal have been produced from these coal mines subsequent to allocation under the said Act, the Minster added.


Shri Goyal further stated that rest of the Schedule II coal mines are in the process of starting mining operations after obtaining necessary statutory clearances as well as appointment of mining contractor. Almost all the clearances at the level of the Central Government have been granted for commencement of mining operations.

Meetings have been held from time to time with allottees of the coal mines / blocks, representatives of the State(s) concerned and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change with a view to bring the allocated coal mines into production expeditiously. Online Coal Project Monitoring Portal has been established in Ministry of Coal for resolving issues pending at State level. Clarifications have been issued on various issues hampering mine development for expeditious operationalisation of coal mines, the Minister informed.

In many cases, the matter of appointment of Mine Developer & Operator is sub-judice. Schedule III coal mines are expected to commence mining only in the next 2-3 years as they were not operational at the time of the allocation.

Replying to another question in Rajya Sabha, the Minister informed that the revenue already generated till October, 2016 from the allocation of 83 coal mines under the provisions of the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 is Rs. 2,779.36 Crores (excluding Royalty, Cess and Taxes) which is being deposited with the coal bearing State concerned.

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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Coal
21-November, 2016 15:22 IST
Domestic Production of Coal

All India coal production has increased from 565.77 MT in 2013-14 to 639.23 MT in 2015-16. On account of increased production by Coal India Ltd. (CIL) in 2015-16, coal imports have fallen from 217.78 MTs in 2014-15 to 199.88 MTs in 2015-16. This was stated by Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of State (IC) for the Ministry of Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines, in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.


Shri Goyal informed the House that a roadmap has been prepared by CIL to substantially enhance production of coal by 2019-20. This includes capacity addition from new projects, use of mass production technologies and identification of existing on-going projects with growth potential. As a result, all India coal production has increased to the values given above.


The focus of the Government is on increasing the domestic production which includes efforts to expedite Environment clearances & Forest clearances expeditiously, pursuing with State Government for assistance in land acquisition and coordinated effort with Railways for movement of coal, the Minister added.


In a reply to another question , the Minister informed that as per the current import policy, coal is kept under Open General License (OGL) and consumers are free to import coal from the source of their choice as per their contractual prices on payment of applicable duty. The quantity and value of imported coal during the last five years is given below.

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Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
21-November, 2016 15:20 IST
14.30 GW RE Capacity added during last two and half years under Grid Connected Renewable Power

A capacity addition of 14.30 GW of renewable energy has been reported during the last two and half years under Grid Connected Renewable Power, which include 5.8 GW from Solar Power, 7.04 GW from Wind Power, 0.53 from Small Hydro Power and 0.93 from Bio-power. This was stated by Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

The Minister further said that NITI Aayog presented the achievement of the various infrastructure Ministries including Ministry of New & Renewable Energy before the Prime Minister on 22nd August 2016. The progress and overall achievement made under Wind Power, Solar Power, Solar Roof Top, Solar power capacity tendered, state policies etc were satisfactory

In order to achieve the targets, various initiatives have been taken by the Government which interalia include:

Ø amendments in the Tariff Policy for strong enforcement of Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) and for providing Renewable Generation Obligation (RGO);

Ø setting up of exclusive solar parks;

Ø development of power transmission network through Green Energy Corridor project;

Ø identification of large government complexes/ buildings for rooftop projects;

Ø provision of roof top solar and 10 percent renewable energy as mandatory under Mission Statement and Guidelines for development of smart cities;

Ø amendments in building bye-laws for mandatory provision of roof top solar for new construction or higher FAR;

Ø infrastructure status for solar projects;

Ø raising tax free solar bonds;

Ø making roof top solar a part of housing loan by banks/NHB;

Ø incorporating measures in Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) for encouraging distribution companies and making net-metering compulsory

Ø raising funds from bilateral and international donors as also from the Green Climate Fund to achieve the target. and

Ø creation of Surya Mitras for installation and maintenance of the Solar Projects.



“In coming years, Ministry is going to focus on : conducive policies for promotion of Grid Interactive Renewable Power so as to reach 175 GW by 2022, Low cost Financing with long tenure for Renewable Energy technologies and Projects, creation of transmission infrastructure for evacuation of Renewable Power, focus on promoting indigenous technologies, technological innovation and research & development in the renewable sector and creation of qualified and skilled man power”, Shri Goyal added.

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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Power
24-November, 2016 17:26 IST
LED Bulbs procurement price drops to Rs 38 per unit

The procurement price of LED Bulbs is reduced from Rs 310 per unit in February 2014 to Rs 38 per unit in August 2016 due to the aggregation of demand and bulk procurement. This amounts to reduction of about 88% in procurement prices. This was stated by Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

Highlighting the achievement of Energy Efficiency programme, Shri Goyal informed that 17.89 crore bulbs have been distributed by Energy Efficiency Services Limited ( EESL) under Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP) and 14.45 lakh street lights have been replaced by LED bulbs under Street Light National Programme (SLNP) as on 21st November 2016.

Progress of Implementation of National LED Programme as on 21.11.2016 is given below :-

Parameters - DELP - SLNP


Total number of bulbs/street lights replaced - 17.89 crores -14.45 lakhs
Avoided capacity generation - 4649 MW - 47.69 MW
Energy saved - 23.2 billion kWh/year - 512959 kWh/day
Reduction in carbon foot print- 18.8 million tonnes CO2 / year - 435 tonnes CO2 /day


The Minister further stated that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the National LED programme on 5th January, 2015. The programme is being implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture company of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) under the Ministry of Power. Two initiatives, viz., Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP) and Street Light National Programme (SLNP), have been initiated under this programme, wherein household lighting and street lights respectively are replaced with LEDs. EESL has developed an innovative business model in which the entire investment in these programmes is made by it and the investment is paid back over a time from energy savings. This obviates a need for any Government funding for this programme.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Coal
28-November, 2016 19:03 IST
Coal Stock with Thermal Power Plant Increased to 38.9 MT



The coal stock with Thermal Power Plants (TPPs) has increased to 38.9 MT (equivalent to 27 days’ requirement) as on 31.03.2016 from 26.1 MT (equivalent to 18 days requirement as on 31.03.2015). This was stated by Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today. He also said that there is no reported shortage of coal in the country.

Replying to a question about imported coal, Shri Goyal said that as regards import by CIL, under the provisions of new Fuel Supply Agreements in accordance to the Presidential Directives issued to CIL, option is given to Power Utility sector consumers to opt for supply of a part of the Annual Contracted Quantity (ACQ) from imported coal through CIL (viz. 15% of ACQ up to 2014-15, 13% of ACQ in 2015-16 and 5% of ACQ from 2016-17 onwards).


The Minister further stated that the scheme of supply of imported coal arranged by CIL to willing Thermal Power Plants (TPP) on cost plus basis was started only in 2014-15. 3 TPPs in 2014-15 and 3 TPPs in 2015-16 had opted for supply of imported coal arranged by CIL on cost plus basis. Accordingly, CIL had imported 4.83 lakh tonnes of coal with sales value of Rs.333.31 Crores in 2014-15 and 3.57 lakh tonnes with sales value of Rs. 163.81 Crores in 2015-16. For 2016-17, none of the TPPs have opted for supply of imported coal through CIL.

Informing the house about coal mines allocation, Shri Goyal said that till now, 83 coal mines have been allocated to private and public sector under the provisions of the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act 2015. So far, a revenue of Rs. 2779.36 crores (approx.) has already been generated from these allocated 83 coal mines and is being transferred to the respective state Governments where the coal mines are located.

Shri Goyal also informed the house that CIL has planned to gradually increase its annual production of coal from 536.50 Million Tonnes in 2015-16 to One Billion Tonnes by the year 2019-20. The Minister further stated that so far, mine/projects have been identified to produce about 908 Mt and for balance to reach 1 Bt is underway. Roadmap prepared by CIL to substantially enhance production of coal by 2019-20 includes capacity addition from new projects, use of mass production technologies and identification of existing on-going projects with growth potential.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
01-December, 2016 16:42 IST
5791.54 MU Electricity generated by Cumulative Solar Installations till September 2016

As per information received from Central Electricity Authority (CEA), 5791.54 MU electricity is produced by cumulative solar installations in the country from April 2016 to September 2016. This was stated by Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.


Quantum of electricity produced by cumulative solar installations in the country is given below

Year-Energy generation (MU)

2015-16-7447.92

2016-17 * -5791.54

* from April-2016 to September, 2016.

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Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
01-December, 2016 16:44 IST
Guidelines for setting up of Wind Power Projects

Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has sanctioned a Scheme for Setting up of 1000 MW Inter State Transmission System (ISTS) connected Wind Power Projects on 14 June 2016. The Scheme provides for formulation of Guidelines by MNRE for implementation of the Scheme. This was stated by Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today. Accordingly, after stakeholders’ consultation, MNRE issued Guidelines on 22 October 2016. The salient features of the Guidelines are given below:


(i) Scheme to be implemented by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).

(ii) Wind projects will be selected through open and transparent competitive bidding

process followed by e-reverse auction.

(iii) Eligible project capacity will be minimum 50 MW and maximum 250 MW per bidder.

(iv) Trading Company, selected by SECI, will sign Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with selected bidder and back-to-back Power Sale Agreement (PSA) with buying entities at a pooled price of the total bids selected. The duration of PPA and PSA will be 25 years from commercial operation date of the project.

(v) The transmission of power up to the point of interconnection where the metering is done for energy accounting shall be the responsibility of the bidder. Use of State transmission system to bring wind power at ISTS point also allowed.

(vi) Part commissioning allowed subject to commissioning of atleast 50 MW or 50% of the allocated Project Capacity, whichever is higher.

(vii) Project to be completed within 18 months from issue of Letter of Award. Maximum period of 27 months allowed for completion of project with penalties.

(viii) Minimum declared Capacity Utilization Factor to be 20%. Provision of compensation in case of shortfall in minimum generation.

(ix) Wind projects to submit monthly performance data through Online.

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Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
01-December, 2016 16:46 IST
Integrated Energy Policy Formulated covering all sources of Energy Including Renewable Energy Sources

Government has formulated an Integrated Energy Policy (IEP) document gives a roadmap to develop energy supply options and increased exploitation of renewable energy sources. In addition, for promotion of Renewable Energy, Government has amended the National Tariff Policy for electricity in January 2016. By this amendment several provisions for promotion of renewable energy have been made. This was stated by Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

Giving details of plan to achieve 100 GW of solar capacity installation by 2022 through installation of projects under various schemes, the Minister said several schemes have been launched by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) which are as follows :

(I). Scheme for Development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects.



(II). Scheme for Development of Solar PV Power Plants on Canal Banks/ Canal Tops.


(III). Scheme for setting up of 300 MW of Grid connected Solar PV Power Projects by Defence Establishments under Ministry of Defence and Para Military forces with Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under Batch-IV of Phase-II/III of National Solar Mission.


(IV). Implementation of scheme for setting up of 1000 MW of Grid- Connected Solar PV Power Projects by CPSUs with VGF under Batch-V of Phase-II of JNNSM.


(V). Implementation of Scheme for Setting up of 15000 MW of Grid connected Solar PV Power Projects under Batch II of Phase II of National Solar Mission (by NTPC/NVVN)


(VI). Setting up of 2000 MW Grid connected solar power with VGF through Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI)


(VII) . Development of Solar Cities Programme.


(VIII). Scheme for Development of Solar Zones in the country.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Coal
08-December, 2016 19:07 IST
All India Coal Production target for 2016-17 fixed at 724.71 MT: Shri Piyush Goyal

A roadmap has been prepared by Coal India Limited (CIL) to substantially enhance production of coal to 1 Billion Tonnes by 2019-20 from the current level of production of 538.75 MT in 2015-16. As per Annual Plan document of Ministry of Coal, all India target of coal production for 2016-17 was fixed at 724.71 MT. This was stated by the Union Minister of State (IC) For Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal, in a written reply, in Lok Sabha today.

Shri Goyal informed the house that the focus of the Government is to increase the domestic production of coal which includes efforts to expedite Environment clearances & Forest clearances, pursuing with State Government for assistance in land acquisition and coordinated effort with Railways for movement of coal. This includes capacity addition from new projects, use of mass production technologies and identification of existing on-going projects with growth potential.

The Minister added that steps have also been taken by CIL and its subsidiaries to improve the production of coal by adopting latest available technologies such as Continuous Miners, Selective Mining, Surface Miners and clean Coal Technologies, Coal sizing and sampling technologies.

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
08-December, 2016 19:13 IST
Government Released Rs 1667.99 Crores and Rs 366.47 Crores for Installation of Solar and Wind Energy Projects

The total installed capacity in the country from solar power was 8727.64 MW and from wind power was 28279.40 MW as on 31.10.2016. This was stated by Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.


Shri Goyal further informed that Ministry has released amount of Rs 1667.99 Crores and Rs 366.47 crores for installation of solar and wind energy projects respectively till 31st October 2016 in different State/UTs.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
09-December, 2016 09:17 IST
SECI to Launch 1000 MW Rooftop Solar PV Scheme for Government Sector

Largest Rooftop Tender to be Launched by SECI, Expected to give a Big Boost to Rooftop Solar Power Generation Segment

As a step towards fulfilment of the Government of India’s target for installation of 40 GW rooftop solar power plants by the year 2022, Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is launching today a tender of 1000 MW capacity for development of grid-connected rooftop solar capacity for Central Government Ministries/Departments. This would be the largest rooftop tender to be launched by SECI, and is expected to give a big boost to the hugely potent rooftop solar power generation segment.



The 1000 MW tender, one of the largest globally, is a move to rapidly escalate rooftop solar capacity in the country, and comes in quick succession to SECI’s earlier tender of 500 MW capacity, targeting buildings in the residential/institutional and social sectors.

SECI is the leading PSU in the rooftop solar segment, and has already commissioned over 54 MW capacity of rooftop solar projects under multiple government schemes.

The upcoming 1000 MW tender is especially targeted at utilising the numerous buildings of the Central Government Ministries/Departments. The highlight of this tender is its innovative ‘Achievement-Linked Incentives scheme’ wherein the incentives in terms of capital subsidy shall be provided on the basis of performance achieved by designated Ministries/departments against their committed targets in the given timespan.

In this scheme the Grid connected rooftop solar systems shall be installed with the financial assistance for MNRE in the form of Incentives. The power generated from the systems shall be used for meeting the captive requirement of the buildings and the surplus power, if any, shall be fed to the grid under the net-metering arrangement of the respective State.

Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has allocated 21 Ministries/ Departments to SECI interalia Ministry of Human Resource Development, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs etc. The ministries have shown great enthusiasm and have assured their commitment with submission of “Green Energy Commitment Certificates” to MNRE for implementation of Grid Connected SPV power plants at the roof of their offices/other buildings etc., as part of their Clean energy initiatives and achieving National target of alleviating Global Warming. Various ministries/department have been sensitized by MNRE/SECI for implementation of Grid connected rooftop systems.

MNRE has also collated the demand of the various Ministries/departments for implementation of the systems. Based on the indicative list of sites provided by MNRE and various interested Ministries, SECI is carrying out a potential assessment which shall be provided to the solar PV developers (SPD).

The SPDs will be selected state-wise through national competitive bidding process and provision of one Rate / state shall be kept in the scheme. The 1000MW capacity will be distributed between CAPEX and RESCO modes of implementation in the ratio 30/70.

In this scheme, SECI in consultation with MNRE, is also introducing a Payment Security Mechanism which is apparently a first in the history of the rooftop programme, with the assurance of all rightful payments to the SPDs under RESCO model. SECI has also tied up with Financial institutes (FIs) Banks such as IREDA and SBI for disbursement of loans with Special Discount Packages to be offered by these institutions to the developers.

A toll-free number is being set up to ensure ease of communication of various stakeholders to SECI.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Power
14-December, 2016 19:57 IST
NTPC to replace 11000MW Thermal Power Plants older than 25 years with Energy Efficient Super Critical Plants: Shri Piyush Goyal

Union Power Minister gives away National Energy Conservation Awards – 2016

Behavioral Change to ensure participation of each citizen in Environment Protection should ideally start from Children: Shri Piyush Goyal

Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal, exhorted people to spread awareness about energy conservation and help improve environmental equilibrium. Shri Goyal was speaking at a function held here today to celebrate the 26th National Energy Conservation Day 2016 organized by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). During the function, the Minister gave away National Energy Conservation Awards - 2016 to industrial units and other establishments, and National Energy Conservation Painting Competition Prizes to students.

Informing the gathering about a slew of measures taken by the Government to increase energy efficiency, Shri Goyal said that the Nation has embarked on a mission to reduce India’s carbon footprint by phasing out all inefficient thermal power plants, older than 25 years, with modern energy efficient super critical ones. NTPC has already given the in-principle clearance to replace around 11,000 MW of its old, inefficient thermal power plants. The plants would be replaced in about five years, with an investment of around Rs. 50,000 crores, he added.

Further, the Minister informed that the Power Ministry is in talks with the Environment Ministry for clearances, which should not be a problem as it is a huge step in increasing energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. He also urged the State Governments to work in Mission-mode to modernize their 25years old thermal power plants with new super critical technology.

Speaking on other initiatives taken by the Government, the Minister said that there are over 16,000 households in about 800 inaccessible villages in India which lack grid connectivity. The Ministry would be providing, to each such household, a 300 KW Solar panel, 8-hour battery backup, 5 LED bulbs, an energy efficient ceiling fan and a solar power based mobile phone charging socket, all free of cost under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY).

Further, all the companies under the Ministry of Power, under their CSR initiatives, would be providing a solar power based television set to these households. Through this initiative, the Minister added, the children who were deprived of electricity for years would get a chance to integrate with the global community.

Informing about the progress of the UJALA LED scheme, the Shri Goyal said that according to the latest figures from UJALA dashboard, over 18.38 crore LED bulbs have been distributed by EESL and another 25 crore by private sector companies. This drive has witnessed an unthinkable reduction of around 88% in LED prices in just 20 months, which led to an annual saving of around Rs. 10,000 crores for the consumers. The savings would scale up to Rs. 40,000 crores in the next 3 years.

The Minister also added that Gujarat has become the first state in the country to replace all street lights with LED bulbs and this has been achieved with zero investment by the State in the scheme as the financial savings are so huge. Further, he said that India is in talks with the neighboring countries to take the LED programme to them and become a leader in the Energy Efficiency Mission.

Interacting with children from 17 schools from across the nation, Shri Goyal answered their questions and noted that Youth of the Nation has the capability to bring a transformation in the mindsets and take the habit of conserving energy to each family. While answering a question from Port Blair, the Minister informed that the Government is working towards transforming Andaman & Nicobar Islands into ‘Green Islands’. He said that a 20 MW solar power plant has been established and a draft plan has been prepared to scale the solar power capacity in the islands to 100 MW. The Minister also added that India’s solar rooftop capacity would see a jump of 200 times to reach 40GW by 2022, wherein all the commercial and residential buildings would be covered.

Quoting Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi’s statement, ‘Saving electricity is cheaper than generating electricity’, Shri Goyal said that 1 unit of electricity saved is equivalent to avoiding generation of 1.33 units. 25% of energy produced in India is wasted which can be saved by bringing a change in mindset of each citizen. There is a need to effect a behavioural change to ensure participation of each citizen in environment protection, and the change should ideally start from children, he added.

Shri P. K. Pujari, Secretary Power and Shri B.P. Pandey, Special Secretary (Power) and Director General, BEE, congratulated the awardees and encouraged everyone to work in unison with the Government to achieve a Green Future for India.

Over 900 Industrial units and 1.14 students participated in various categories of awards. Other dignitaries present at the event included distinguished Members of Parliament, senior Ministry Officials, Industry stalwarts and families of the awardee students.

*****

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Power
15-December, 2016 18:04 IST
India to Receive Euro 1 billion Soft Loan for ‘Green Energy Corridors’ from Germany


Union Minister for State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal in a written reply in Lok Sabha today, said that in order to facilitate integration of large scale renewable generation capacity addition, a comprehensive scheme including Intra-State and Inter-State transmission system has been identified as a part of ‘Green Energy Corridors’. Intra-State Transmission System is being implemented by respective State Transmission Utilities (STU) and Inter-State Transmission System is being implemented by Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (PGCIL).


The Minister informed that for the funding of green energy corridors in both intra and inter State transmission projects, under the framework of cooperation between Govt. of India and Govt. of Germany, KfW Germany is providing soft loan to the tune of Euro 1 billion. Intra State transmission schemes under Green Energy Corridors (GEC) are to be funded as 20% equity of the State Govt., 40% grant from National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) and 40% soft loan, whereas, the inter State transmission schemes are to be funded as 30% equity by PGCIL and 70% as soft loan, he added.


For Inter-state transmission projects pertaining to Part A, B and C of Green Energy Corridor, loan agreement for financial assistance of Euro 500 million from KfW, Germany has been signed by PGCIL and the projects are likely to be completed by 2018. Further, for implementation of transmission schemes under Green Energy Corridor-Part D, PGCIL has taken loan from ADB.


For Intra-state transmission projects under Green Energy Corridor; the States of Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have signed the loan agreements from KfW, Germany for financial assistance of Euro 76 million, Euro 49 million, Euro 57 million, Euro 68 million, Euro 114 million and Euro 124 Million respectively.


Further, Shri Goyal added that in order to integrate solar parks with the grid, Ministry of Power assigned PGCIL to implement Inter-State transmission scheme for evacuation from 8 solar parks (7200 MW). Transmission scheme for 6 solar parks (5750 MW) is already under implementation [Ananthapuram (1500 MW), Pavagada (2000 MW), Rewa (750 MW), Bhadla-III (500 MW), Bhadla-IV (250 MW), Essel Saurya (750 MW)]. Tender issued for Banaskantha Solar Park (700 MW), whereas Long Term Access (LTA) application for other MP solar park from the developer is awaited.


To evacuate power from the renewable capacity addition in renewable rich States (Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu), transmission system strengthening, both Intra State and Inter State, along with setting up of Renewable Energy Management Centre (REMC) and the control infrastructure is being implemented under GECs.

 

[Hindustani78]

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Ministry of Power
16-December, 2016 18:19 IST
NTPC and NALCO signs MoU to establish a 2400 MW Coal based power project at Gajmara, Odisha

Union Minister of State (IC) for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal presided over the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NTPC Limited and National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), here today. The MoU will facilitate the setting up of a Joint Venture (JV) Company to establish a 2400 MW coal based power project at Gajmara, Dhenkanal, Odisha.

Addressing the media, Shri Goyal informed that the generated power will be taken by the NALCO as a JV partner for the Brownfield expansion of its 5 lakh tonne Aluminium smelter at Angul and the Greenfield project of a 6 lakh tonne smelter at Kamakhya Nagar, Odisha. The estimated investment in all these projects will be approximately Rs. 36,000 crores.

Further, Shri Goyal noted that this JV is a unique win-win project for both the companies. In a situation of India being Coal surplus and power prices coming down, NTPC would be able to provide uninterrupted power supply to NALCO’s plants through this project. On the other hand, NALCO would be able to produce Aluminium in the country, which previously was not possible due to high power prices, he said.

“We have brought back Aluminium smelter plant to the people of Odisha, which was going to be established outside the country due to lack of cheap power in the country a couple of years back. This would not only give a boost employment generation in the region but also give a fillip to economy of the country as a whole”, Shri Goyal said.

Speaking about the sensitivity of Ministry of Power towards environment conservation, Shri Goyal said that the Ministry has taken cognizance about the pollution being caused by thermal power plants in the region and NTPC has accorded in-principle approval to modernize all power plants older than 25 years, in the next 5 years, by replacing them with energy efficient supercritical power plants. Hence the people of Dhenkanal will experience an improvement in the Quality of Life in the times to come, he added.

Congratulating the Ministry of Power for executing the long pending project, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan said that after the establishment of this power plant, this less developed region of Odisha would experience the fruits of its own mineral wealth being used for the all-round development of its own people, which was not the case so far. The 2400 MW power plant at Dhenkanal and the increased Aluminium production at Angul and Kamakhya Nagar would fuel industrial growth, in a sustainable manner, that would transform the face of the region in near future, he added.

The JV between NTPC and NALCO has potential to create value for both the companies which have public equity – both Government of India equity as well as publicly held equity. Both the companies will initiate the efforts on fast track and necessary modalities like the Joint Venture Agreement, Power Purchase Agreement etc. will be finalized by the end of the current financial year.

Other dignitaries present at the MoU signing ceremony were Shri Tathagata Satpathy, MP Lok Sabha from Dhenkanal constituency of Odisha, Shri Prafulla Kumar Malik, Minister for Labour & Employees State Insurance, Steel and Mines, Government of Odisha, Shri Gurdeep Singh, CMD, NTPC, Dr. T. K. Chand, CMD, NALCO and other senior officials of the Ministries of Power and Mines.

 

[Hindustani78]

The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar inaugurating the newly built Solar Power Plant of Dombivli Gymkhana, in Mumbai on December 18, 2016.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Power
20-December, 2016 16:47 IST
Next step towards ‘24x7 Power For All’: Shri Piyush Goyal launches GARV-II App to track Rural Household Electrification and Citizen Engagement Window ‘SAMVAD’

Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal launched the ‘GARV-II’ App here today, as the next step in Government of India’s aim to provide access to electricity to all households in the country. Under this module, village-wise and habitation-wise base line data on household electrification for all States, as provided by them, has been incorporated.


Explaining the features of the ‘GARV-II’ app, Shri Goyal said that the data in respect of about 6 lakh villages, with more than 15 lakh habitations having 17 crore people, has been mapped for tracking progress on household electrification in each of the habitations of these villages, which is a remarkable progress over the previous GARV App. In the earlier version of the ‘GARV’ App, launched in October 2015 for the effective and efficient monitoring of village electrification programme, the data of only 18,452 un-electrified villages had been mapped and a 12-stage milestone-based monitoring mechanism was put in place.


Further, the Minister informed that the status of village-wise works sanctioned under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) and release of funds to the States for these projects has also been mapped in ‘GARV-II’ to monitor progress of works in each village. The progress is required to be updated by the implementing agencies of the States on day to day basis. All data would be made available in public domain to ensure transparency, enhance accountability of various stakeholders and facilitate view of near real time progress.


Shri Goyal further said that this app is an important part of the ‘Digital India Initiative’ of Government of India and will contribute in further development of the villages. In order to bring more transparency, the Minister asked the Power Ministry officials to place more details regarding discoms, tenders and contracts in public domain.


For places, where internet facilities are not available, Shri Goyal suggested to publish information regarding rural electrification projects like contractor’s name, amount sanctioned by the Government, deadline of the project etc. to be put on boards on the working sites in villages. This will help people in better monitoring of Government’s work, he added.


Shri Goyal, also urged State governments to determine an average price for electricity connections for APL (Above Poverty Line) families across the State so that they can be given electricity connections through the option of paying by easy monthly installments. The Minister said that the Government aims to achieve ‘24x7 Power for All’ and does not distinguish between BPL and APL households.


The Minister also interacted with State Power Secretaries on the occasion, in which a suggestion for increased appointment of Grameen Vidyut Abhiyanta (GVAs) in districts with heavy work load was well appreciated. Several GVAs also shared their experiences of working in inaccessible and hostile areas to achieve electrification of every rural household. The Minister congratulated them for their immense dedication and zeal in making ‘24x7 Power for All’ a reality.


During the event, Shri Goyal also unveiled the Citizen Engagement Window ‘SAMVAD’ which has been created to enhance participation of public at large. The feedback and suggestions from the people would be automatically forwarded to the concerned Managing Director(s) and Superintending Engineer(s) of DISCOMs through SMS & e-mail on their dashboard for online monitoring and further action.


The Minister presented awards to the best performing GVAs as well as the Digital India Award 2016 to GARV for featuring in the Top 3 best Apps that have played a pioneering role in bringing Good Governance in the country.


Other dignitaries present during the event were Shri P.K. Pujari, Secretary, Power, Shri B.P. Pandey, Special Secretary, Power and CMD, REC Ltd and other senior officials of the Ministry of Power, along with over 400 GVAs from 19 States, who interacted with the Minister. State Power Secretaries from 29 States were also connected through video conferencing.