Low Carbon News in India in June 2015
Revision of cumulative targets under National Solar Mission from 20,000 MW by 2021-22 to 1,00,000 MW
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today gave its approval for stepping up of India’s solar power capacity target under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) by five times, reaching 1,00,000 MW by 2022. The target will principally comprise of 40 GW Rooftop and 60 GW through Large and Medium Scale Grid Connected Solar Power Projects. With this ambitious target, India will become one of the largest Green Energy producers in the world, surpassing several developed countries
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/pmreleases.aspx?mincode=28
Implementation of scheme for setting up over 2,000 MW of Grid-Connected Solar PV Power Projects with Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under Batch-Ill of Phase II of the JNNSM
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister ShriNarendra Modi, has given its approval for setting up of over 2,000 MW of Grid-Connected Solar PV Power Projects on Build, Own and Operate basis by Solar Power Developers (SPDs) with Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under Batch-III of Phase-II of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM).
This would help in:
o Creation of additional 2000 MW capacity of Grid-connected solar PV power generation projects.
o Employment generation of about 12,000 people in rural and urban areas.
o Reduction of about 3.41 Million T of CO2 emissions into the environment every year.
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/pmreleases.aspx?mincode=28
China, India stress need for faster pace of climate negotiations
China and India said the pace of negotiations on mitigating climate change needs to quicken.
In a joint statement with Brazil and South Africa, the nations said they are disappointed over “the continued lack of any clear road map” from developed countries to provide financial support to the developing world in the fight against climate change.
The comments come ahead of a United Nations meeting on climate change in New York later today (June 29), which the four nations said they hope will serve as a springboard for successful talks in Paris later in the year.
http://www.todayonline.com/chinaindia/china/china-india-stress-need-faster-pace-climate-negotiations
Metro launched in Chennai city
The first phase of the much anticipated multi-crore Metro Rail chugged into the city, with Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa flagging off the inaugural service steered by a woman driver.
The route dedicated to the public is an elevated structure covering a distance of 10.15 km. The route of the train has been mainly on the busy 100 ft road and would cater to lakhs of commuters when fully completed. The 45 km Metro Rail project is estimated to cost Rs 14,600 crore and would cover two routes. According to sources, the minimum fare for the metro service may be Rs. 10 and the maximum Rs. 40 for this 10 kilometre journey with the ride expected to take less than 20 minutes.
SunEdison Inaugurates 50-Megawatts of Solar in Central India
SunEdison, Inc., the world’s largest renewable energy development company, today announced the inauguration of the Dammakhedi 50-megawatt (MW) DC solar power plant in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
Dammakhedi is the first solar power plant in the state to use single axis tracker technology to maximize energy production. The project created more than one thousand jobs during construction, and was completed two months ahead of schedule.
Dammakhedi is connected to the Madhya Pradesh state grid, delivering power to the central government’s Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). It is among the first projects to be commissioned under the second phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), an ecologically sustainable growth initiative by the State and National Governments of India. Madhya Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Department (MPNRED) is the state nodal agency assigned to oversee the project on a local level, and Sterling and Wilson and Larson and Toubro assisted as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors for the project. The plant was interconnected in December 2014.
India Blames Climate Change for Heat Wave Deaths
Soaring temperatures in three Indian states over the past week have claimed the lives of about 2,330 people, mostly construction workers, the elderly or the homeless, officials say.
The whole country is counting the days to the onset of the annual cooling monsoon rains, which are about a week late and are forecast to bring less than average rainfall. India’s Minister for Earth Sciences Dr. Harsh Vardhan described the ongoing extreme heat situation and deficient monsoon rains as “manifestations of climate change.”
The Ministry of Earth Sciences has acquired cutting edge capacity for predicting monsoons. A polar remotely operated vehicle was put to work in the glaciers of northern Antarctica. Through the reading of currents there it is possible to understand the south-west monsoon better.
Periodic heat waves afflict India just before the monsoon rains. In early June 12 years ago, the death toll from a heat wave sweeping the country surpassed 1,200.
http://ens-newswire.com/2015/06/02/india-blames-climate-change-for-heat-wave-deaths/
MP state to generate 20,000MW renewable energy by 2020
Madhya Pradesh will generate 20,000MW renewable energy by year 2020 and renewable energy projects in the state will be completed at a rapid pace. Addressing “Re-invest-2015”, minister for renewable energy Rajendra Shukla assured investors of every possible cooperation from state government. Investors were informed about facilities given for renewable energy projects in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. It was informed that MoUs for 194 renewable energy projects of 12,000MW have been signed during global investors summit-2014 in Madhya Pradesh. Shukla said that a separate department was created in 2010 to promote alternative energy sources in the state. He informed that capacity of renewable energy projects has been increased from 438 MW in year 2012 to about 1600MW He said maximum 306MW renewable energy projects in the country were established in Madhya Pradesh in the year 2013-14. He also said a 750MW solar energy plant is being established in Rewa district.
Symposium on climate change on June 13 & 14
National symposium on climate change, its effects and precautionary methods will be held in Gwalior on June 13 and 14. Chief Minister of the state and Union minister of steel and mining will inaugurate the symposium. Eminent subject experts of the country and state will express their views on the topic “Climate Change and Smart Agriculture Technologies”.
Suzlon Plans India’s First Offshore Wind Mill Project in Gujarat
Wind turbine maker Suzlon group has said it will focus on the domestic market in the short-to medium-term while it comes out of the debt burden. There is also a plan to enter the offshore market in the country and the first such project will come up in Gujarat. Suzlon is in the process of increasing its production capacity at its wind park in Kutch.
http://www.eai.in/360/news/pages/15051#sthash.AZZDQzMN.dpuf
Wind sector to add over 3,500 MW capacity in 2015-16
Wind energy turbine manufacturers expect 3,500-Mw wind capacity addition in the country during the current financial year. Madhusudan Khemka, chairman of the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTA), said the country saw a total 2,310-Mw wind capacity addition in the last financial year. In a letter published in the association’s internal magazine, he said the market response to the accelerated depreciation (AD) programme had been good, adding the AD market would cross one giga watt (Gw) capacity in the current fiscal. “Incentives of AD, Generation-Based Incentive (GBI) and 80 IA benefits have enhanced investments in the sector,” he said.
http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/wind-sector-to-add-over-3-500-mw-capacity-in-2015-16-115061600178_1.html
Criteria for selection of ‘Smart Cities’ announced
Given the challenges involved in developing the proposed 100 smart cities, only the capable cities will be chosen under the programme through a two-stage competition. This was indicated in the Operation Guidelines for Smart Cities Mission released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while launching the Mission here today. The selection criteria to be used in both the stages of competition was elaborated in the guidelines. In the stage-1 of ‘City Challenge Competition’, each state and Union Territory will score all their cities based on a set of criteria and nominate the top scorers as per the indicated number of potential smart cities for participation in the stage-2 of competition. According to a senior Urban Development official, the evaluation criteria for stage-1 of competition within the state/UT involves points system, such as existing service levels (25 points), institutional systems and capacities (15 points), self-financing (30 points) and past track record (30 points).
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/47820584.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst