India's Power Sector

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 15 Apr 2016 16:00

Centre to bid out power transmission projects worth Rs 30,000 cr

In what would bring cheer to the private-sector power transmission companies, the government has decided to award transmission projects associated with new solar parks through tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB).

These projects are estimated to be worth `30,000-50,000 crore.

“The evacuation system under the inter-state transmission system (ISTS) for future solar parks normally would be constructed through tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) route,” power secretary P K Pujari was recorded as saying during the progress review meeting of evacuation system for solar parks.

Additionally, the minutes of meeting reviewed by FE said PGCIL was executing power transmission systems for six solar plants in five states. The government had awarded Power Grid Corp (PGCIL) with these projects, with an estimated cost of nearly `15,000 crore, on nomination basis.

The decision to adopt the TBCB route for new solar parks means the private sector would be allowed to compete for 21 prospective solar parks.

The ministry of new and renewable energy has received a proposal for 27 solar parks from 21 states with aggregate capacity of over 18 gigawatt (GW). A part of these projects is being executed by PGCIL as ISTS. However, the secretary said that the evacuation system for other parks would be executed under intra-state system as opposed to the ISTS.

The solar parks, with a concentration of solar power projects in a defined area, provide developers with infrastructure and other amenities to minimise project risk associated with land acquisition and right of way. The concept of large solar parks with more than 500 MW of capacity has been able to bring down the cost of solar power.

“It is essential to ensure power evacuation infrastructure to the investors in solar projects. It takes 3-6 years for the developers to commission transmission lines while the solar project can be ready in six months. Private participation will ease the burden on the government (PGCIL) to commission transmission projects in a limited time,” an industry source said on the condition of anonymity.

Planning! Not just aiming for 100GW solar power and building power plants, but planning to evacuate the power cheaply.

hanumadu · Post by **hanumadu** » 23 Apr 2016 23:07

Piyush Goyal calls out America's bluff. Do watch it.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 24 Apr 2016 00:04

^^^ Excellent video. Loved Piyush Ji's honest enthusiasm for his work. Really admire the man.

P.S. 1st 30 mins is what one has to watch. Rest is repeat.

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 24 Apr 2016 02:48

Excellent video!

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 24 Apr 2016 04:00

Very nice. Must see !

One question though.
In my state which is in eastern India, there is still load shedding for about 1 hour in the morning and evening each.
But the vidyutpravah.in website shows 100% electricity availability. Why is this so?

hanumadu · Post by **hanumadu** » 24 Apr 2016 04:23

Because your state doesn't want to spend the money to buy it.

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 24 Apr 2016 04:24

As per this video, the state electricity board has to pickup the extra power needed from the Grid, which it isn't doing.

The purpose of the app is to apprise the consumer to question their state govt and their state electricity board.

JohnTitor · Post by **JohnTitor** » 02 May 2016 14:59

It would have been helpful to explain what each of the figures mean in simple english:

For instance http://vidyutpravah.in/state-data/karnataka

Power Purchased
From Exchange
Yesterday : 174 MW
Current : 60 MW

What does that mean in terms of availability - i.e. KA purchased 174MW yesterday, but how much was available to purchase?

Each of the terms need to be put in plain english.. i.e.

Available: xx MW
Price: yyy Rs
Purchased: xxx MW
Demand: xx MW
Shortage : ..

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 03 May 2016 01:39

Shonu, it's the other way round. Power Grid is running a big surplus - over 3000MW (see top left corner - Surplus Power at Power Exchange). The states buy whatever shortage they want to meet. Almost all states are running a deficit simply because they lose cash for every extra MW they buy because of free power being given away, because of pre-UDAY debt making it impossible to meet payments and continually sinking under interest burden, and because of resistance from some non-BJP states. The web portal wants to show in a transparent manner cost per unit so states can compare to their break even point.

JohnTitor · Post by **JohnTitor** » 04 May 2016 23:52

oh i see - its very interesting. I hope people check it out. I know there is an app too, but people in non-urban areas will be ignorant of this great tool, i feel

Kashi · Post by **Kashi** » 05 May 2016 07:02

Shonu wrote:oh i see - its very interesting. I hope people check it out. I know there is an app too, but people in non-urban areas will be ignorant of this great tool, i feel

During my travels in Eastern UP recently, it dawned that even the people in hinterland had smartphones with reasonable internet access.

It's upto the government and the cadres on the ground to make people aware of the fact that power is available, but the load shedding they continue to face is because their state governments are unwilling to purchase additional power.

Of course the inept, pseudopopulist netas will not give up so easily. We may very likely see an increased clamour for "giving out free power to the poor when the grid is running a surplus and the extra power will go waste anyway"

prahaar · Post by **prahaar** » 05 May 2016 08:23

The power scenario explains the industrialization deficit in UP. A small state like Gujarat consumes as much power as UP. A relatively power surplus state like Gujarat buys few hundred MWs each day but UP buys zero. Net effect I saw in Gujarat first hand during peak summer months (43-44 C) with ACs blazing around the town, uninterrupted. In last two weeks power outage was 2 minutes, that too probably due to local transformer or substation issues, not load-shedding.

The most interesting part is that the power available at the exchange is X times cheaper than consumer charge. Also, why is power available to Gujarat at a cheaper rate than to UP?

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 06 May 2016 04:01

Wind energy picks up steam

FY16 saw the highest wind energy installation in a year at 3,472 megawatt (Mw), up 50 per cent from the previous year. The last time the wind energy sector witnessed such frenzied activity was in FY12.

Around 4,500 Mw is expected to be added in 2016-17 across the country, as the 'accelerated depreciation' (AD) is coming to an end in March 2017.

Clean energy projects get Rs 86,000 crore investment: Piyush Goyal

Renewable energy projects have received Rs 86,000 crore investment, most of it from private sector, in the last three years with Madhya Pradesh at the top with Rs 14,313.80 crore.

"Most of the investment in renewable energy came from private sector. Total estimated investment in renewable energy power projects during the last three years is around Rs 86,000 crore," New and Renewable Energy Minister Piyush Goyal said in a written reply to Lok Sabha on Thursday.

According to the statement, around 15,400 million units has been generated through solar power projects during the last three years.

Southern India hit hard by weak power grid

Lack of power transmission capacity in the southern region is creating varied problems for these states. The estimated shortage in this regard is about 4,000 megawatt (Mw). Close to 3,000 Mw of demand through long-term agreements is stuck due to lack of transfer capacity. Of this, Tamil Nadu needs 2,000 Mw and Karnataka another 1,000 Mw.

Three major transmission lines were shortlisted in 2014 to be awarded through rate-based competitive bidding in the region. These transmission corridors are expected to increase the capacity by 20,000 Mw. However, tenders have yet to be even issued.

Total demand from the southern region is 34,000 Mw and one reason for supply shortfall is weak transmission links. The Jaipur-Gajuwaka HVDC line, which supplies 500 Mw has tripped five times in the past week, with peak summer demand surging. “As the line trips, power transfer capacity is reduced, while demand keeps going up. At the same time, the high temperatures lead to tripping as well,” said a power market executive.

34,000 Mw
Power demand of south region (SR)

6,000 Mw
Interstate transmission capacity in SR

3,000 Mw
Pending long-term agreement for SR

2,000 Mw
Pending projects with Power Grid for SR

20,000 Mw
Pending projects yet to be awarded for SR

Rs 2.5 per unit
Average spot power price of all regions

Rs 4 per unit
Spot price in south region (SR)

Rs 4.4 per unit
Price discovered in SR on May 5

vinod · Post by **vinod** » 09 May 2016 17:07

Speaking to a friend from Delhi last week, he mentioned that electricity bills are very low in delhi and people are very happy about it.

Can anyone please enlighten me, how AAP is doing this? Is it a big subsidy? Does any one know the details and predict how long this will last...

JayS · Post by **JayS** » 09 May 2016 17:57

^^not from Delhi, but was checking some stuff related to this last week. They are giving 50% subsidy for those whose usage is below 400units per month. Delhi Govt takes the burden of this subsidy which is of 1600+ crore per year. AK had claimed the electricity tariff was inflated owning to corruption. If that's correct then he ideally should prove that and being down the tariff itself, removing the subsidy totally. When this will happen is anyone's guess. I do not know how long can Delhi govt sustain 1600cr additional burden.

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 09 May 2016 18:23

That subsidy plus free mediicines, clinics, water, etc will take up a lot from the budget. My expectation is that Delhi infra is going to see a downward spiral. But Delhites being pampered - as the CG puts in a lot of money into Delhi e.g. the metro will feel it less and vote for the freebies.

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 09 May 2016 18:33

I have heard the cost of power, water to the upper classes has risen in Delhi. May be he is cross-subsidizing the lower classes. Don't know if it is true.

disha · Post by **disha** » 12 May 2016 23:09

prahaar wrote:In last two weeks power outage was 2 minutes, that too probably due to local transformer or substation issues, not load-shedding.

Local transformer blowouts are common during peak summer. Particularly in remote parts of Gujarat (yes they also have 24x7 electricity!!)., just go to Dhrangdhra in peak summer (@47*C)* ....

The most interesting part is that the power available at the exchange is X times cheaper than consumer charge. Also, why is power available to Gujarat at a cheaper rate than to UP?

Assured payment on time.

*PS: I got to know about Dhrangdhra when I was planning a Kutch visit and my agent gave unbelievable rates!!! Turns out he was phishing me for summer

Ashokk · Post by **Ashokk** » 24 May 2016 10:16

E-bidding helps cut power tariff in some states

NEW DELHI: The power ministry's move to channel procurement of short-term power by states through reverse auction on its e-bidding platform appears to be paying off.

The first round of bidding on the DEEP (Discovery of Efficient Electricity Price) portal has seen tariffs go down by more than a third from a year-ago. Uttarakhand, Kerala, Bihar and private discom Torrent Power kicked off the DEEP bidding process, with Kerala discovering a price of Rs 3.14 per unit, the lowest for May in the slot of the day, against Rs 4.70 per unit paid for round the-clock supplies a year ago.

Uttarakhand discovered a price of Rs 2.59 per unit, the lowest for July on round-the clock basis. The state discoms had procured short-term power at Rs 3.41 per unit last year in the same period.

Bihar received the lowest rate for July at Rs 3.08 per unit, while Torrent Power received the lowest price of Rs 2.95 per unit for May-June in slot of the day. While the state did not procure power through bidding before this, Torrent did not procure short-term power in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

Bidding for Uttarakhand and Kerala concluded on April 29, for Torrent Power Ltd on May 3 and for Bihar on May 9, the power ministry said on Sunday. Lower prices are expected to reduce the overall cost of procurement of power for discoms and ultimately benefit consumers.

Power minister Piyush Goyal had last month inaugurated the portal, making it mandatory for discoms to procure short-term power through reverse e-bidding. The move is aimed at curbing opaque procurement deals at high prices by vested interests and bring transparency and cost-efficiency in discom operations.

Goyal has asked all states to put their power purchase data on the portal within a month. He also announced award for the first five that put data on the portal within a week.

Viv S · Post by **Viv S** » 24 May 2016 11:16

vinod wrote:Speaking to a friend from Delhi last week, he mentioned that electricity bills are very low in delhi and people are very happy about it.

Can anyone please enlighten me, how AAP is doing this? Is it a big subsidy? Does any one know the details and predict how long this will last...

They've introduced additional consumption slabs, but in general peak power tariffs in Delhi aren't significantly lower than those elsewhere (save for Kolkata & Mumbai). They're actually higher than most states.

http://www.bijlibachao.com/news/domesti ... -2015.html

vina · Post by **vina** » 25 May 2016 08:49

Hmm. How come Dilli has power outages when the country as a whole is "power surplus" now. I think the usual nonsense about subsidy and robbing the discoms to dole out free power /subsidies is coming back to haunt Kejriwal. This clearly is a lack of investment in distribution they don't have the capacity to evacuate the power needed from the central grid.

Way to go. Populism comes back to bite after all. Two more years of brown outs and blackouts, the Dilli Billis with A/Cs not working in 47C will be ready to throw this joker out and then the next govt has to increase the tariffs significantly to have a good enough ROE to make investments viable.

vina · Post by **vina** » 25 May 2016 08:53

subhamoy.das wrote:The cost is about rs 2/unit for purchase by distribution companies but becomes 10/unit when it reaches consumer. This 5 times multiplier is normal by world standard? I feel that this is the middle man story in here also. They need to be cut down for consumer to get a lower cost.

That is because of the cross subsidy. Close to 40% of the power bought is given away free (farmers, rural poor, urban poor etc..etc), then there are T&D losses (Theft and Dacoity, not Transmission & Distribution) and then the guys who are suckers to pay have to pay for all of that free power and the T&D. That is why, YOU end up paying Rs 10 for something that costs Rs 2 .

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 25 May 2016 09:44

Supratik wrote:That subsidy plus free mediicines, clinics, water, etc will take up a lot from the budget. My expectation is that Delhi infra is going to see a downward spiral. But Delhites being pampered - as the CG puts in a lot of money into Delhi e.g. the metro will feel it less and vote for the freebies.

That is exactly what the paapi am jantha in dilli want.

They fully expect the centre to take care of the infrastructure, no ifs and buts.

Kakkaji · Post by **Kakkaji** » 03 Jun 2016 05:38

X-posting from the Achievements Thread:

For the first time in history, India will not have power deficit situation in FY17

NEW DELHI: India has, for the first time in history, declared that it will not have a power deficit this year, a situation officials say is an outcome of the current government's initiatives to resolve burning issues like fuel scarcity. The country will have a surplus of 3.1% during peak hours and 1.1% during non-peak hours during 2016-17, latest data from the Central Electricity Authority shows.

The data, based on gap between demand raised and demand met, shows that June onwards the country will have more electricity than required. Half of the states will be surplus, while others may face shortage in varying degrees.

The NDA government says power surplus scenario as one of its big achievements. Coal output , which was stagnant for years, has increased significantly, helping many stranded power plants start generating electricity. The government has also launched a high-profile scheme to reform state distribution companies, which are a vital link between power plants and customers.

Those of us who have lived through 16 hours+ of load-shedding can appreciate how important this is.

alexis · Post by **alexis** » 04 Jun 2016 15:26

Kakkaji,

The figures are misleading. If load-shedding is removed, the demand will be higher and there will not be any surplus.

the surplus assumption is based on projected demand (based on current demand). This is highly understated as states dont buy enough power for 24/7 supply.

hanumadu · Post by **hanumadu** » 04 Jun 2016 16:42

^^ 2019 (was 2022) is the date for 24/7 power without load shedding.
At what rate will industry be provided power? Will there still be cross subsidization? Cheap power for industry is vital for competitiveness.

Ananth · Post by **Ananth** » 27 Jun 2016 06:49

Here’s how Modi govt plans to save Rs 36,000 cr, cut your power bill

The government is set to allow power generation units run by central and state governments and public-sector undertakings to transfer coal stocks among themselves to cut costs by optimum use of efficient plants

Mollick.R · Post by **Mollick.R** » 15 Aug 2016 18:58

http://www.business-standard.com/articl ... 511_1.html

Government today approved Rs 1,554 crore R&D project to develop advanced ultra super critical (AUSC) technology for thermal power plants, a move that would ensure energy security.

The CCEA "approved a proposal of R&D project for development of Advanced Ultra Super Critical (AUSC) technology for thermal power plant with an estimated cost of Rs 1,554 crore and providing one time budgetary support of Rs 900 crore spread over a period of three years, commencing from 2017-18, to be provided as plan Gross Budgetary Support to BHEL for implementation of the R&D project,"

A consortium of three government entities -- Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), Indira Gandhi Centre of Atomic Research (IGCAR) and NTPC -- have proposed a R&D project for development of AUSC technology for thermal power plants of future, envisaging reduced coal consumption as well as Carbon Di-Oxide (CO2) emission, it said.

The project is formulated with a timecycle of two and a half years, with an estimated cost of Rs 1,554 crore, with a contribution of Rs 270 crore from BHEL, Rs 50 crore from NTPC, Rs 234 crore from IGCAR, Rs 100 crore from Department of Science and Technology (DST).

Balance amount of Rs 900 crore will be contributed by Department of Heavy Industry (DHI) as grant, the statement said.

The project will enable Indian industries to design, manufacture and commission higher efficiency coal-fired power plants with indigenously developed technology and manufacturing processes.

This will be the first time large power plant equipment will be manufactured with advanced technologies, but without any technological collaboration/licensing agreement with foreign companies.

Mollick.R · Post by **Mollick.R** » 15 Aug 2016 19:10

Another link (PIB) on same topic.
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease. ... lid=148697

The proposed technology is still in research stage in all countries working on it. It is still not matured and demonstrated anywhere in the world. The consortium partners are working on the project from the basics of material development, characterisation of alloys for high temperature and high pressure applications, basic principles of thermal engineering useful in design from scratch for large equipment like boiler, valves and steam turbine suitable for the proposed operating parameters which are far elevated from the present day established parameters, as required for higher efficiency in energy conversion.

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 20 Aug 2016 17:17

vina wrote:Hmm. How come Dilli has power outages when the country as a whole is "power surplus" now. I think the usual nonsense about subsidy and robbing the discoms to dole out free power /subsidies is coming back to haunt Kejriwal. This clearly is a lack of investment in distribution they don't have the capacity to evacuate the power needed from the central grid.

Way to go. Populism comes back to bite after all. Two more years of brown outs and blackouts, the Dilli Billis with A/Cs not working in 47C will be ready to throw this joker out and then the next govt has to increase the tariffs significantly to have a good enough ROE to make investments viable.

This reply is for an old post.

The joker will not be thrown out in Delhi. I just had an experience of a man blaming Modi for an outage in Delhi.

He still has massive support in poor and lower middle class people.

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 20 Aug 2016 17:18

vina wrote:Hmm. How come Dilli has power outages when the country as a whole is "power surplus" now. I think the usual nonsense about subsidy and robbing the discoms to dole out free power /subsidies is coming back to haunt Kejriwal. This clearly is a lack of investment in distribution they don't have the capacity to evacuate the power needed from the central grid.

Way to go. Populism comes back to bite after all. Two more years of brown outs and blackouts, the Dilli Billis with A/Cs not working in 47C will be ready to throw this joker out and then the next govt has to increase the tariffs significantly to have a good enough ROE to make investments viable.

This reply is for an old post.

The joker will not be thrown out in Delhi. I just had an experience of a man blaming Modi for an outage in Delhi.

He still has massive support in poor and lower middle class people.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 20 Aug 2016 19:33

That is powerful! it is not just USA (united states) is blasted, but the local federated states are blasted on Demands.

UP is screwed!
/re: piyush video

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 29 Sep 2016 00:43

I haven't heard the news posted here or elsewhere, but a few months ago our national installed capacity exceeded 300GW, and now stands at 305GW
ALL INDIA INSTALLED CAPACITY (IN MW) OF POWER STATIONS
In terms of breakdown of installed capacity: coal contributes 187GW and NG provides 25GW. Hydroelectric adds 44GW, nuclear almost 6GW and renewable energy is now at 44GW.

The three states with highest installed capacity are MH at 41GW, GJ at 30GW and TN with 26GW.

prahaar · Post by **prahaar** » 29 Sep 2016 01:03

Thanks for the link. Bihar produces less power than Uttarakhand, that is so depressing. The 3 states constitute 1/6 population but generate a third. Of course, most of it is for industrial applications but North and East are lagging.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 07 Oct 2016 04:44

For the first time, power generation capacity addition to meet plan target:
Power generation to meet 12th Plan target

Power generation will be 100 per cent of the envisaged capacity addition target of 88,537 megawatt (Mw) by the end of the Twelfth Five-Year Plan. The sector has missed targets despite them being scaled at times over the previous two Plan periods.

The achievement now is 99.4 per cent and this will likely climb to 100 per cent by March 2017, when the Twelfth Plan ends. This is largely due to capacity increases by private and state thermal power producers, while hydroelectric projects are lagging behind targets.

The enhanced thermal power generation is attributed to improved fuel supply, with coal availability increasing to a historic high and gas supply brought to order through auctions.

During the Tenth Plan period (2002-07), the government had set a target of adding 41,110 Mw. The actual capacity added was 20,950 Mw, 49 per cent of the target. The position worsened during the Eleventh Plan period (2007-2011). The original target of 78,577 Mw was revised to 62,000 Mw, and the actual capacity addition was 50,000 Mw.

The draft Twelfth Five-Year Plan had set a target of adding 100,000 Mw of capacity, but the Planning Commission scaled it down to 88,537 Mw.

There has been no hydroelectric capacity addition in the past five years. Private and state thermal power producers have surpassed targets by 112 per cent and 129 per cent, respectively.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 18 Oct 2016 09:40

Modi to inaugurate three mega hydro projects in Himachal
http://energy.economictimes.indiatimes. ... l/54747039

Shimla: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate three state-run mega hydro power projects and address a public rally in Himachal Pradesh on October 18 during a day-long visit to the state, a BJP leader said on Friday.This will be his maiden visit to the hill state after becoming Prime Minister.During his day-long visit, Modi will inaugurate NTPC's 800MW Koldam Hydro Project in Bilaspur district, NHPC's 540MW Parbati Stage-III project in Kullu district and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd's 412MW Rampur project in Shimla district, state BJP chief Satpal Satti told reporters here.
He said Modi will address a public rally in Mandi town after inaugurating the projects from there. On that day, he is also likely to address another rally in Nahan town in Sirmaur district, adjoining Uttarakhand.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 20 Oct 2016 10:39

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/ ... -factories
Modi Said to Plan $3.1 Billion Boost for India’s Solar Factories

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is planning a 210 billion-rupee ($3.1 billion) package of state aid for India’s solar panel manufacturing industry, according to two officials.The so-called Prayas initiative, short for “Pradhan Mantri Yojana for Augmenting Solar Manufacturing,” a central-government plan designed to lift India’s installed photovoltaic capacity as well as to create an export industry, according to two senior government officials with direct knowledge of the plan. They asked not to be identified because the policy isn’t yet public.
Modi wants to raise renewable capacity to 175 gigawatts by 2022 from 45 gigawatts at present. In addition to meeting its own energy targets, which Bloomberg New Energy Finance estimates may cost $200 billion, India wants to emulate industrial developments in neighboring China, where solar manufacturers have created a world-leading export industry.The Prayas program, part of Modi’s “make in India” campaign, is intended to create 5 gigawatts of photovoltaic manufacturing capacity from 2019 and build 20 gigawatts of projects in the country by 2026, according to the officials. The policy, which is being developed by the ministry in charge of renewable energy and industrial policy, along with the Niti Aayog government research group, will be presented to the Finance Ministry within a month before going to the cabinet for final approval, they said.
Catching ChinaLast month Power Minister Piyush Goyal said in Mumbai that a policy to encourage domestic manufacturing of solar equipment is in works. When reached on phone, the spokesman for the power and renewable energy ministries declined to comment.India has become one of the biggest clients of Chinese photovoltaic manufacturers and in the absence of its own domestic capacity, that reliance could potentially grow. In the first six months of 2016, India imported 18 percent of China’s production worth $1.1 billion, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
India’s policy proposal, expected to create thousands of jobs, is also in response to the industry’s demand for help to the country’s solar manufacturers, one official said, adding that multiple tenders of a few hundred megawatts each would be issued for the manufacture of everything from wafers to modules.The government could offer about 9 million rupees a megawatt for manufacturing tenders and 5 million rupees a megawatt for local deployment, according to one of the officials, who said the numbers are subject to change.
The plan “might give a price advantage” if the manufacturing-hub logistics are “well planned,” according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance analyst Jenny Chase. Money alone isn’t a sufficient incentive for companies to set up the most high-tech automated factories needed to compete, she said.Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp. told Bloomberg News last month it’s considering a manufacturing joint venture in India that could produce the solar panels needed to meet Modi’s energy targets.“To build large-scale manufacturing efficiency matching Chinese economics of scale will require government support,” Manoj Kohli, executive chairman of SB Energy said in an interview in New Delhi. He described Indian support policies in an “evolution stage.”

Atmavik · Post by **Atmavik** » 15 Dec 2016 23:07

@PiyushGoyal

NTPC to replace 11,000 MW Thermal Power Plants older than 25 years with Energy Efficient Super Critical Plants

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease. ... lid=155395

Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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 Crore 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.

Neshant · Post by **Neshant** » 23 Dec 2016 11:59

India's new Thorium reactor has gone critical

Hitesh · Post by **Hitesh** » 23 Dec 2016 13:26

This is great news for India's aspirations to be a global civil nuclear power.