Low Carbon News in India in November 2013
Despite recent reports attributing half of global carbon emissions from developing countries, India will not agree to take any emissions cut under the new climate treaty to come into force from 2020 and wants rich countries to enhance its commitment to fight climate change. In a submission to United Nations a few days before the annual climate talks at Warsaw in Poland, India has made it clear that they were opposed to the developing countries having to cut emissions.
Negating the bid of United States to use ad-hoc working group on Durban Platform to push India and China to take emission cuts, India has made it clear that the work group has not been constituted to “re-invent the wheel” but to build on the “post outcomes” and enhance implementation of the convention. As a first step in this direction, India has suggested that the working group should take up review of adequacy of the commitments made by the developed world and ensure that they cut emissions to keep the global temperature rise below two degree Celsius by turn of the century.
India defends firewall between rich and poor countries at Warsaw
At the climate negotiations in Warsaw, India demanded that the decisions countries would take in 2015 for the new agreement should not be prejudged at the Polish capital. Suggesting that decisions to break the differentiation between developed and developing countries were against the basic principles of the convention, India along with several allies in the developing world, including China fought a pitched battle. India warned that the two-step process of putting emission pledges EU had pushed and found active support from South Africa would not sail and should not be pushed into the decisions of Warsaw. The two-step process that EU proposes that all countries first pledge their commitments and this is then reviewed to check if they add up to meet a global target. But India noted that the way it would practically work out the rich countries would be able to push their share of the burden on to the poor countries.
India argues against steep emission cuts
The developed countries must step up to the plate to come true on their existing commitments to fight climate change, said Jayanthi Natarajan, Indian Environment Minister, while addressing the U.N. climate negotiations. “There is a huge ambition gap between what developed country have pledged and what is required by science and their historical responsibilities. The irony is that developing countries have pledged much more than developed countries in pre-2020 period,” she said. Warning that developing countries cannot be expected to do more while the rich countries slip away from their existing obligations, she said, “I would like to underline that it is not conceivable that we can get high post-2020 ambition through low pre-2020 ambition. High ambition is the bedrock for 2015 outcome.”
The rich countries had committed two years ago to increase their emission reduction targets in the short run, provide U.S. $100 billion annually by 2020 and resolve issues of technology transfer. But since then most developed countries, including the U.S. and EU have refused to increase their emission reduction targets to the levels recommended by the UN scientific panel on climate change. They have also changed stance to say that U.S. $100 billion pledge should not be primarily public funds but more private investments for which developing countries should create the right investment regimes.
100 MW power plant to come up in Rajasthan State
Reliance Power on Friday said it is on track to commission a 100 MW solar project in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district by March next year. “Pre commissioning activities have commenced (at the 100 mega-watt) Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district,” the company said in a statement. The project is the world’s largest CSP project based on CLFR technology.
“The project is all set to be commissioned by March 2014,” the statement said. The project is the largest investment undertaken by any private sector entity in CSP Technology in India. It is being financed through debt from multilateral agencies like Asian Development Bank (ADB), Export Import Bank of US, Financerings Maatschappu Voor Ontwikkelingslanden NV (FMO), Netherlands and Axis Bank. “The innovative CFLR Technology for the project is provided by Areva Solar of France and is simple in design, having minimal environmental spill, lesser land requirement.
New Indian Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy Database
The Clean Energy Solutions Center has announced the launch of the new Indian Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy Database (IREEED). Developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) under the U.S.-India Energy Dialogue, IREEED disseminates information on India’s renewable energy and energy efficiency policies, regulations, and incentive programs.
This new public database provides succinct policy information for the benefit of project developers, businesses, and consumers.
IREEED includes:
- Summaries of policies, regulations, and incentive programs for the central government and all states in India
- Faceted search function
- Links to policy and regulatory documentation
- Links to resources on energy efficiency and renewable energy
- Summary information on the most pertinent policy types, including Generation-Based Incentives and Renewable Purchase Obligations.
Link: http://lcedn.com/new-indian-renewable-energy-and-energy-efficiency-policy-database/
Govt to roll out 4 solar ultra mega power projects; groundwork underway in Sambhar
The ministry of new and renewable energy plans to set up four solar-based ultra mega power projects (UMPPs) to bring down the cost of power.
The government has already commenced ground work on the first solar UMPP in Rajasthan. A joint venture firm will be formed for this project.
Solar Energy Corporation will be sole authority to sell the power produced from the project. The entire project is expected to be completed in seven years.
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) announces request for proposal for developing web based biomass knowledge portal
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, is implementing a MNRE – UNDP / GEF assisted Project on “Removal of Barriers to Biomass Power Generation in India.” The aim of the Project is to accelerate the adoption of environmentally sustainable biomass power technologies by removing the barriers identified, thereby laying the foundation for the large scale commercialization of biomass power through increased access to financing. The Biomass Conversion Technologies that are proposed to be deployed in establishment of Model Investment Projects (MIPs) are – Combustion, Gasification and Cogeneration using different type of captive and distributed biomass resources.
One of the key objectives of the Project is to enhance capacities and confidence of Project Promoters, Financial Institutions, Regulators, Policy Makers, SNAs, other stakeholders through collection and dissemination of updated, accurate and effective information related to the biomass sector. One of the mediums identified for addressing the information barriers is an interactive and updated web based knowledge portal.
Link: http://www.mnre.gov.in/file-manager/tenders/Biomass-portal-MNRE.pdf
Continuation of Scheme for Promotion of Grid based Wind Power Generation Projects based on Renewable Energy Technologies
The Scheme for Promotion of Grid based Power Generation Projects based on Renewable Energy Technologies for Wind Power projects of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has been granted continuation during the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17). The scheme will be implemented in continuation with the earlier norms and guidelines. The ministry will continue to provide financial support for carrying Wind Resource Assessment, organization of trainings/symposiums workshops, capacity building, testing facilities, undertaking studies, etc. on a case by case basis.
Study on low carbon growth for Kolkata city
The findings of a study by the University of Leeds and Jadavpur University on how to transform Kolkata into a low carbon economy revealed that even in a business as usual scenario, the city will continue to become more energy efficient. Even as Kolkata’s total energy use is projected to grow by 62% by 2025, the economy has become 50% more energy-efficient.
In a business-as-usual scenario, household energy use will grow 47% by 2025 and bills by 107% (at current rate) while household carbon emission will grow by 66%. In commercial establishments like offices and shops, energy use will increase by 36%, bills by 133% and carbon emission by 68%. In transport, energy use will grow 62%, energy bills 95% and carbon emission 44% by 2025.
Unlike British cities Leeds, Birmingham, Sheffield and The Humber where no major development is taking place but a lot of money is needed to retrofit if they want to transform into low-carbon cities, Kolkata has the advantage of starting at a time when half the city is yet to be developed and getting things right.