Low Carbon News in India in February 2015
Budget 2015: India raises coal cess; electricity tariff to go up by 4-6 paise per unit
The clean energy cess will be increased from Rs100 to Rs200 per tonne of coal to finance clean environment initiatives. The government on Saturday proposed to raise levies on greenhouse gas-emitting coal, a move that will increase electricity tariffs while strengthening India’s position at upcoming global climate change negotiations. “I propose to increase the clean energy cess from Rs.100 to Rs.200 per tonne of coal, etc. to finance clean environment initiatives,” finance minister Arun Jaitley announced in his budget speech. The cess, which applies to coal mined in India as well as imported coal, will result in a tariff increase of 4-6 paise per unit. This comes in the backdrop of India working on a plan to reduce borrowing costs and improve the viability of solar and wind power projects by extending hedging support for foreign loans, leveraging the National Clean Energy Fund.
Read more at: http://www.livemint.com/Politics/w1EIczEeyXgRdtnnNQvIIL/Budget-2015-India-raises-coal-cess-electricity-tariff-to-g.html?utm_source=copy
Economic Survey 2015: Solar Mission being scaled up five-fold to 100,000 megawatts
The country’s National solar Mission is being scaled up five-fold to 1,00,000 megawatts by 2022, says the Economic Survey for 2014-2015. “In the next five years proposals are likely to generate business opportunities of the order of $160 billion in the renewable energy sector,” the survey says.
“It offers very good opportunity for businesses to set and scale up industry, leapfrog technologies and create volumes. Some of India’s major immediate plans on renewable energy include scaling up cumulative installed capacity to 170 gegawatts (GW) and establishing a National University for Renewable Energy,” it adds.
India’s total renewable power installed capacity as 31 December 2014 has reached 33.8 GigaWatts(GW). Wind energy continues to dominate this share accounting for 66 per cent of installed capacity followed by biomass, small hydro power and solar power.
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-02-27/news/59585143_1_national-adaptation-fund-green-climate-fund-national-action-plan
Coal cess to fund forest protection schemes
The cess slapped on coal in last year’s budget will help pay for schemes to protect and regenerate forests and clean up polluted sites announced in this year’s Budget.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has allocated Rs. 200 crore each to the Green India Mission, an ambitious ten-year Mission which is a key element of India’s climate change strategy, and environmental remediation programmes to combat the pollution problems that have emerged as serious public health concerns.
The money has been earmarked from the National Clean Energy Fund. This Fund was announced exactly a year ago, to collect revenue from the Rs. 50 a tonne tax imposed on both Indian and imported coal. It was to be used to sponsor research and innovative projects in clean energy technology, which would help combat climate change. Another special allocation of Rs. 200 crore has been made to clean up some important rivers and lakes of cultural and historical significance, to supplement the ongoing efforts to clean up the Ganga.
http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/coal-cess-to-fund-forest-protection-schemes/article1498700.ece
Budget 2015: Rs. 75 Crore Earmarked for Electric Vehicles
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today earmarked Rs. 75 crore for faster adoption and manufacturing of electric vehicles in 2015-16, a step which electric vehicles makers termed as a good beginning.
“Government is also launching a scheme for faster adoption and manufacturing of electric vehicles (FAME) with an initial outlay of Rs. 75 crore,” he said while presenting the Budget for 2015-16 in the Lok Sabha.
Further, the concessional excise duty of 6 per cent on specified goods for use in manufacture of electrically operated vehicles and hybrid vehicles, presently available up to this March, is being extended up to another year. In addition to supporting the industry National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) will create a significant positive impact on the health index of country by promoting zero pollution electric vehicles and reducing the dependence on the fossil fuel.
http://profit.ndtv.com/budget/budget-2015-rs-75-crore-earmarked-for-electric-vehicles-743204
Budget 2015: India targets 1,75,000 MW green power by 2022
Emphasising the need to generate more electricity from clean energy sources, the government today announced a massive renewable power production target of 1,75,000 mw in the next seven years.
Of the total 1,75,000 mw proposed to be tapped by 2022, solar power will have a lion’s share of 1,00,000 mw followed by 60,000 mw from wind energy, 10,000 mw biomass energy and 5,000 mw of small hydro projects, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in his Budgetary proposals.
At present, the solar power generation capacity of the country is about 3,000 mw.
The Finance Minister said the power sector had witnessed rapid growth due to efforts of the government despite uncertainty on the coal front.
Power, Coal and New and Renewable Energy Minister Piyush Goyal had said the country’s renewable energy sector is looking to attract USD 200 billion in investments as several domestic and international firms have evinced interest in tapping the potential of green power.
At present, renewable energy contributes about 6.5 per cent to the electricity mix. It is proposed that this would be taken to about 12 per cent in the next three years.
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-02-28/news/59612832_1_power-sector-solar-power-generation-capacity-wind-energy
Budget 2015: Delhi Metro gets 22 per cent hike
The allocation of funds for Delhi Metro in the Union Budget has seen a 22 per cent jump with it being alloted over Rs 4,200 crore as its network extends deeper into the National Capital Region.
A total of Rs 4,259 crore has been allocated to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, a joint venture of the Central and the state governments. It is an increase of 788 crore from the last year’s Rs 3,470 crore.
DMRC officials termed the amount provided in the Budget as “adequate” for its ongoi ..
Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/46412054.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
PM: India’s Thrust to be Given for Renewable Energy Production as an Effort to Ensure Universal Energy Access for India’s Poor
PM : Wind , Solar & Bio-Mass to add up to the “Seven Horses Of Energy”
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today described India’s thrust towards renewable energy production as an effort to ensure universal energy access for India’s poor. Observing that India has now graduated from Megawatts to Gigawatts in terms of renewable energy production, the Prime Minister said that even today there are lakhs of families in the country that are deprived of energy connectivity. He said the fruits of development will not reach the common man until energy connectivity reaches every last household of the country. The Prime Minister asserted that in this age of globalization, we have no option but to make a quantum leap in energy production and connectivity.
The Prime Minister asserted that India’s stress on renewable energy is not aimed at impressing the world, but to meet our own people’s energy requirements.
The Prime Minister spoke of the “seven horses of energy.” He said that so far, India has focused on thermal, gas, hydro and nuclear power. But now we need to add Solar Energy, Wind Energy and Biomass Energy.
The Prime Minister said India is also working towards evolving a consortium of about 50 countries that are blessed with abundant solar radiation. This will aim to pool research and technological advancements in the field of solar energy, to improve its accessibility to the poorest of the poor, and in the remotest of locations.
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/pmreleases.aspx?mincode=28
Renewable energy sector to generate $160 billion business in five years: Economic Survey
Positioning India as a responsible nation committed to sustainable development, the Economic Survey 2014-15 has said the Indian clean energy sector is likely to generate business opportunities to the order of $160 billion for the next five years.
“…We have an opportunity to avoid excessive dependence on fossil fuel-based energy systems and carbon lock-ins that many industrialized countries face today,” the Economic Survey said.
Some of India’s major immediate plans on renewable energy include scaling up cumulative installed capacity to 170 GW that includes 100 GW of solar power by 2022 and establishing a National University for Renewable Energy. To provide a big push to solar energy, two new schemes — ‘Scheme for Development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects’ and ‘Pilot-cum-Demonstration Project for Development of Grid Connected Solar PV Power Plants on Canal Banks and Canal Tops’ — were rolled out in December 2014.
Supplementary guidelines were issued under the existing ‘Solar Pumping Programme for Irrigation and Drinking Water’ schemes to solarize the targeted one lakh pumps throughout the country during the current year. Under the ‘Pilot-cum-Demonstration Project for Development of Grid Connected Solar PV Power Plants, ‘in principle’ approval has so far been accorded to canal-top projects for generation of 34 MW solar power and canal-bank projects for 35 MW.
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-02-27/news/59584932_1_energy-sector-renewable-energy-solar-energy