Energie Terug naar discussie overzicht

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1. voda 23 maart 2015 16:37

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   GSEC to build 800 MW supercritical power plant at Wanakbori
   
   Mr Saurabh Patel, State Energy Minister, said in the state assembly that the Gujarat government informed that it will set up an 800 MW thermal power project based on supercritical technology at Wanakbori in Central Gujarat. This will be the first-ever supercritical thermal power project by a State-run company, Gujarat State Electricity Corporation in the state.
   
   Responding to a question raised by an MLA from Mr Anand, Mr Patel informed that the proposed project at Wanakbori will use Supercritical technology that will have lesser emission, lesser heating and lower fuel consumption. Also, the project will require minimum investment and minimum consumption of water and power consumption.
   
   Gujarat has private power producers generating electricity through thermal fuel by using supercritical technology which includes Adani Power and TATA Power's UMPP.
   
   Notably, GSEC has already inked EPC contract with BHEL in December 2014 for implementing the 800 MW Supercritical Thermal power project at Wanakboti. The project is estimated to cost around INR 4,800 crore.
   
   Source – Business Line
   
2. voda 8 april 2015 17:14

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   Heineken gaat bier brouwen zonder gebruik fossiele brandstoffen
   Door Bart Koster
   
   Van DOW JONES NIEUWSDIENST
   
   AMSTERDAM (Dow Jones)--Heineken nv (HEIA.AE) gaat nog dit jaar in het Oostenrijkse Goss bier brouwen, waarbij geen fossiele brandstoffen meer gebruikt zullen worden.
   
   "Door een combinatie van gebruik van biomassa, zonne-energie en thermische energie wordt de brouwerij de eerste grote bierbrouwerij ter wereld, met een productie van meer dan 1 miljoen hectoliter per jaar, die 100% vrij zal zijn van fossiele brandstoffen en dus volledig CO2-neutraal", zegt Heineken-directeur Global Sustainable Development Michael Dickstein in een toelichting op het duurzaamheidsrapport 2015 tegen Dow Jones.
   
   De Oostenrijkse brouwerij gaat in november over naar het nieuwe energiesysteem voor het brouwen van onder meer het lokale merk Gosser. In het project wordt samengewerkt met de Brau Union Osterreich, de firma BioEnergy International AG en regionale en lokale overheden.
   
   Intussen is Heineken samen met de VN-organisatie Unido (United Nations Industrial Development Organisation) bezig met een studie om te onderzoeken hoe overtollige energie van een nog nader te selecteren lokale brouwerij in Afrika optimaal kan worden aangewend als hernieuwbare energievoorziening van de lokale bevolking.
   
   "We zijn nu bezig met een haalbaarheidsstudie, en hopen samen met Unido nog voor de zomer een keuze te maken voor de locatie, waar we het proefproject dan samen met de lokale autoriteiten, organisaties en bevolking verder kunnen uitwerken", zegt Dickstein.
   
   Heineken heeft in de afgelopen zes jaar wereldwijd EUR75 miljoen kunnen besparen op vermindering van energie- en watergebruik, blijkt uit het woensdag verschenen duurzaamheidsrapport. In het afgelopen jaar werd gemiddeld 3,9 hectoliter water per hectoliter bier gebruikt en het bierconcern wil dit verder terugdringen naar 3,5 hectoliter water per hectoliter bier.
   
   Heineken heeft de CO2-uitstoot per hectoliter bier sinds 2008 met 30% verminderd, en inmiddels komt 20% van alle gebruikte energie uit herbruikbare bronnen, blijkt uit het duurzaamheidsverslag.
   
   Door Bart Koster; Dow Jones Nieuwsdienst; +31 20 571 5201; bart.koster@wsj.com
   
   
3. voda 13 april 2015 16:15

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   'Bezuinigingsronde bij energiereus RWE'
   
   MAANDAG 13 APRIL 2015, 15:57 uur | 14 keer gelezen
   
   ESSEN (AFN/DPA) - De Duitse energiereus RWE gaat snijden in de eigen organisatie om kosten te besparen. Dat meldde de Duitse krant Handelsblatt maandag op basis van een interne nota van het noodlijdende bedrijf. Volgens de memo moet in sommige afdelingen van het bedrijf tot 30 procent aan kosten worden bespaard. RWE is het moederbedrijf van het Nederlandse Essent.
   
   De maatregelen zijn onderdeel van een omvangrijke reorganisatie. Afgelopen jaar zag het bedrijf zijn nettowinst met 45 procent slinken naar 1,3 miljard euro.
   
   Een woordvoerder van het bedrijf bevestigde het bestaan van de nota, maar wilde niet ingaan op details. Volgens Handelsblatt zal een eerste bezuinigingsronde nog deze maand plaatsvinden, gevolgd door een tweede ronde in juni. RWE wil met een reeks van maatregelen in 2017 circa 2 miljard euro besparen.
4. voda 13 april 2015 16:58

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   Stroom komt straks overal vandaan
   Gijs den Brinker
   vrijdag 10 april 2015, 21:00
   
   Energie en data gaan goed samen. Met computermodellen dalen de kosten en maakt groene stroom meer kans. Maar er zijn zorgen over privacy en veiligheid.
   Stel, u heeft een paar zonnepanelen op het dak staan. In de meterkast hangt een slimme meter en in uw woonkamer een display die u eraan helpt herinneren dat het stroomverbruik daalt zodra het licht in de badkamer uitgaat. Het heeft wat gekost, maar u krijgt er wel wat voor terug: de energierekening is sinds deze investeringen enkele tientjes per maand lager.
   
   Slim bezig? Zeker, maar het kan allemaal nog veel slimmer. Maar daarvoor moet u wel een andere bril opzetten. De veranderingen in uw huis staan namelijk niet op zichzelf en zijn pas het begin van een lang veranderingsproces. Steeds meer mensen hebben inmiddels panelen op het dak, en met de introductie van de slimme energiemeter, die dit jaar begon, zullen steeds meer handigheidjes hun intrede doen in ons dagelijks leven, die vooral zijn gericht op energiebesparing. Denk bijvoorbeeld aan de samenwerking tussen energiebedrijf Eneco en autofabrikant Tesla. Recentelijk lanceerden de twee bedrijven een app waarmee de batterij van de elektrische auto slim gevuld wordt: op momenten dat de prijs van stroom laag is.
   
   Door de energienetten zijn consumenten en producenten van elektriciteit innig met elkaar verbonden. En door die netten met het internet te verbinden, zullen er de komende jaren tal van nieuwe producten en diensten ontstaan.
   
   Dat gebeurt op microniveau, maar ook op grote schaal. De exploitanten van de stroomnetten bouwen intensief aan slimme netten, met als doel elektriciteitsstromen op afstand, realtime te sturen en te managen. Het gaat om het efficiënt afstemmen van vraag en aanbod. Dat is nodig, want door de opmars van lokaal opgewekte groene stroom wordt het aanbod van elektriciteit een stuk onoverzichtelijker. De natuur (wind en zon) bepaalt vaker wanneer stroom wordt opgewekt en bovendien komt de groene stroom uit alle hoeken en gaten van het land, en niet meer alleen van een beperkt aantal centrales op kolen, gas en aardolie.
   
   De digitalisering van het energiesysteem zorgt ook voor problemen. De zorgen over de privacy van klantgegevens duiken weer op nu de slimme meter zijn intrede doet. Ook blijft de angst bestaan dat hackers de controle weten te bemachtigen over uw zonnepanelen — of zelfs over een kerncentrale. De kans is klein, maar het valt niet uit te sluiten.
   
   En wie door een glazen bol naar het energiesysteem van de toekomst probeert te kijken, ziet dat er nog grotere veranderingen aan zitten te komen. Experimenten met kernfusie gaan gestaag door. Wanneer kernfusie economisch rendabel wordt, gaan hoog ontwikkelde landen beschikken over een zeer grote nieuwe energiebron — mits er natuurlijk nog een reeks politieke en maatschappelijke obstakels overwonnen wordt.
   
   Hoe dan ook: in de toekomst zullen, naast zonne- en windenergie, nieuwe manieren van energieproductie ontstaan. Door innovaties als supergeleidende magneten voor energieopslag, elektrische auto’s en de introductie van warmtenetten, zal de complexiteit van onze energie-infrastructuur toenemen. De ICT voor het tot op de microseconde managen van nationale en internationale, bijna oneindig vertakte energienetwerken is hiervoor van cruciaal belang.
   
   Meer data door fijner netwerk
   
   Data helpen bij het reguleren van vraag en aanbod in de energiesector. Zo bespaar je op onderhoud en kunnen bedrijven gunstiger stroom kopen.
   
   Elektriciteit uit het stopcontact is niets meer dan elektronen die via een spanningsverschil door een koperdraad worden geduwd. De mens kan dit natuurfenomeen al een dikke honderd jaar prima exploiteren. De elektronen houden zich keurig aan de natuurwetten: elektriciteit is goed meetbaar en stuurbaar. En diezelfde twee eigenschappen maken het energiesysteem, in combinatie met de toenemende complexiteit van het netwerk, bij uitstek geschikt voor big-data-analyse.
   
   Maar daarvoor moeten de gegevens wel eerst inzichtelijk gemaakt worden: een proces dat momenteel in volle gang is. Netbedrijven als Alliander en Stedin steken honderden miljoenen euro’s in IT-toepassingen, waardoor ze steeds beter weten wat er gebeurt op hun fijnmazige stroomnetten.
   
   De grootschalige uitrol van de slimme meter zorgt er bovendien voor dat er steeds meer inzicht komt in het lokale stroomverbruik en de opwekking van elektriciteit en warmte.
   
   Het uitdijende informatiemeer van elektriciteitsgegevens biedt allerlei nieuwe mogelijkheden. De uitbaters van de stroomnetten kunnen bijvoorbeeld door sensoren te plaatsen veel sneller en nauwkeuriger ontdekken waar een breuk in een kabel zit. Dat kan betekenen dat niet meer een hele straat, maar slechts een klein deel van het netwerk open hoeft. Het spreekt voor zich dat dat veel kostenbesparingen zal opleveren.
   
   Maar er kan meer. Denk aan het experiment van netwerkbedrijf Enexis in het Brabantse Etten-Leur. In de wijk Keen heeft Enexis een groep huizen met veel zonnepanelen gekoppeld aan een lokaal opslagsysteem. Door de huishoudens aan elkaar stroom te laten leveren, en groene stroom tijdelijk op te slaan als er een overschot is, hoopt het netwerkbedrijf de wijk met dunnere en dus goedkopere kabels te kunnen verbinden aan het landelijke stroomnet. Kortom, door lokaal opgewekte energie ook lokaal te consumeren is er een minder zwaar landelijk net nodig.
   
   Omdat er voor vele duizenden kilometers aan kabel in de Nederlandse bodem ligt, gaat het om serieus geld. Zonder dit soort maatregelen zouden de kabels de komende jaren juist veel dikker moeten worden, doordat er meer elektrische apparaten bij komen zoals de elektrische auto.
   
   De groeiende hoeveelheid energiedata biedt ook kansen voor commerciële partijen. Nu al zijn er bedrijven die grote energie­slurpers helpen kosten te besparen met hulp van realtimeprijsgegevens. Met slimme computerprogramma’s kan een uitbater van grote koelinstallaties de koeling bijvoorbeeld een paar uur uit laten zetten als de stroomprijs hoog is, om die daarna weer iets harder te zetten om de lichte daling in de temperatuur goed te maken.
   
   De mogelijkheden zullen afhangen van de ruimte die de overheid biedt. Vooralsnog hebben de netwerkbedrijven een geheimhoudingsplicht voor veel van de gegevens die uit de slimme meters komen. Wel is afgesproken dat de gegevens die commercieel gebruikt mogen worden, voor iedereen beschikbaar zijn, want dat prikkelt ondernemerschap en concurrentie.
5. voda 13 april 2015 16:58

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   Deel 2:
   
   Slim netwerk is ook kwetsbaar
   
   Met de groei van ICT in de energiesector neemt ook de kans op cyberaanvallen toe. Ook de slimme meters in huis zijn nog niet waterdicht.
   
   Op 1 januari 2015 begonnen de Nederlandse netbeheerders met de grootschalige uitrol van de slimme meter. Binnen twee weken doken de eerste berichten op over beveiligingsproblemen.
   
   Onafhankelijk journalist Jaap Meijers toonde aan dat het kinderlijk eenvoudig is om via apps voor de mobiele telefoon het energieverbruik van vreemden in te zien. Bij een reeks apps werd namelijk niet nagegaan of de aanvrager ook op het opgegeven adres woont. De verkregen informatie ging niet verder dan het stroomverbruik per kwartier en de gasmeterstand per uur, maar het is voldoende om ruwweg te kunnen bepalen wanneer mensen thuis zijn: nuttige informatie voor inbrekers.
   
   De gevonden beveiligingslekken zullen inmiddels gedicht zijn, maar het voorbeeld geeft aan hoe lastig het is om digitale apparaten goed te beveiligen. Dat blijkt ook uit een verklaring van de samenwerkende netbeheerders. Net als bij internetbankieren en mobiel bellen is 100% veiligheid niet te garanderen. Het risico is wel heel klein te maken, zo staat op de gezamenlijke website slimmemeters.nl onder het kopje ‘privacy’.
   
   Dat het zo eenvoudig was om gebruiksgegevens te ontfutselen, was pijnlijk. De lancering van de slimme meter was al jaren uitgesteld omdat er in eerdere versies ernstige beveiligingslekken zaten. Om gebruik te kunnen maken van de verbruiksdata moeten consumenten slimme meters laten installeren. Daarvoor zijn vertrouwen en acceptatie nodig, en dit soort berichten helpt daarbij niet.
   
   Als er steeds meer ICT te pas komt bij het energiebeheer, neemt ook de kans toe dat er cyberaanvallen worden uitgevoerd. Een van de rampscenario’s is dat een vijandelijk regime een kerncentrale of een landelijk stroomnet platlegt. Hiervan zijn enkele voorbeelden bekend, zegt beveiligingsexpert Rob de Wijk van The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS). ‘De Amerikanen hebben eind jaren tachtig een Russisch gasverdeelstation op afstand opgeblazen.’ Ook roept hij in herinnering dat de Amerikaanse en Israëlische veiligheidsdiensten hoogstwaarschijnlijk achter het zogeheten Stuxnet-virus zaten. Met dat virus is het Iraanse nucleaire programma ontregeld, wat tot jarenlange vertraging leidde.
   
   Toch komen cyberaanvallen op cruciale energie-infrastructuur maar weinig voor, aldus De Wijk. De reden is dat het complex, duur en meestal niet effectief is. Het voorbereiden van een goede cyberaanval kost jaren voorbereiding en is daardoor erg kostbaar. Bovendien kun je een aanval maar één keer uitvoeren, omdat de zwaktes in de beveiliging daarna meteen duidelijk worden en kunnen worden gerepareerd. Voor terreurdoeleinden is het doeltreffender wat Isis nu doet: gruwelijke video’s rondsturen die angst zaaien.
   
   Dat neemt niet weg dat het beveiligen van energie-infrastructuur en het voorkomen van aanvallen handenvol geld kosten en zodoende een rem zetten op de vooruitgang. Het geld had immers ook anders kunnen worden ingezet.
   
   Megaprojecten met kernenergie
   
   Eilanden midden op zee met kerncentrales die worden aangedreven met megawindparken: dat toekomstbeeld schetst hoogleraar Rob Meijer.
   
   Als de plannen in het Energieakkoord van 2013 uitkomen, verschijnen de komende jaren vijf windparken van 700 megawatt op de Noordzee. Dat zijn meer dan honderd windmolens per park. Volgens de huidige standaarden is dat veel, maar waarom zou je geen windparken van 100.000 windmolens bouwen?
   
   Het is een vraag die hoogleraar Informatica Rob Meijer van de UvA opwerpt. ‘Ik zeg niet dat windenergie de energietechnologie van de toekomst is, maar er valt veel voor te zeggen om de energieproductie, in welke vorm dan ook, op te schalen.’
   
   Volgens Meijer, die ook als onderzoeker verbonden is aan kennisinstituut TNO, is de huidige technologische vernieuwing vooral gericht op efficiencyslagen en besparing, maar zou er meer vooruitgang geboekt worden als de technologie wordt gebruikt voor schaalvergroting. ‘Ik denk dat we voor een schaalsprong staan: tien keer zo grote megaschepen, tien keer zo grote fabrieken, tien keer zo grote satellietsystemen en, ja, ook tien keer zo grote energie-infrastructuren. Die schaalsprong gaat niet zonder gebruik van ICT en grootschalige data-analyse.’
   
   Het zijn vergezichten waar de onderzoeker graag hardop over nadenkt. Zo ziet hij voor zich dat er over een aantal decennia kernfusiereactoren worden gebouwd op eilanden ver op zee. Op die eilanden zal de stroom komen van megawindparken op de Noordzee of de Atlantische Oceaan. De elektriciteit wordt met hulp van supergeleidende kabels met amper vermogensverlies aan land gebracht. ‘Je moet groot denken. Trek dan gelijk een kabel naar Amerika, zodat je kan beslissen welke kant je de stroom op stuurt, afhankelijk van de behoefte.’
   
   Juist bij dit soort enorme infrastructurele projecten komt veel ICT om de hoek kijken, aldus Meijer. Zo moeten supergeleiderkabels worden gekoeld met stikstof. Dat luistert nauw, want bij de onderbrekingen in de koeling geleidt de kabel niet meer, en kan je de stroom niet meer afvoeren.
   
   Een ander voorbeeld is volgens Meijer dat transportschepen in de toekomst nog veel groter kunnen worden. Als je ze tien keer zo groot maakt, kun je ze laten varen op kernreactoren.
   
   Meijer beseft dat er nog wel veel moet veranderen. ‘Niet alleen moeten havens wereldwijd veel groter worden, straks komen een soort drijvende stations op zee. Ook zal de huid van een schip moeten kunnen bewegen, omdat de krachten die er straks op worden uitgeoefend te groot zijn. Maar het kan: dit gebeurt al bij jachtvliegtuigen.’
   
   De ICT-systemen die daarvoor nodig zijn, zijn van een volgende generatie, aldus de hoogleraar. Hij spreekt van ‘cyber physical systems’, een term in de informatica die wordt gebruikt voor apparaten waarvan elk onderdeel slim is. ‘Je moet bedenken dat dan zelfs de schroeven kunnen communiceren met een centraal computersysteem. In feite is het ICT-systeem dan een soort zenuwsysteem geworden. Zover is het nog niet, maar die kant zal het wel op gaan.’
   
   Bron: FD.nl
6. voda 15 april 2015 16:48

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   UAE expects 10pct in deployment of renewable energy by 2030
   
   steelguru_uae-expects-10pct-in-deployment-of-renewable-energy-by-2030_7444.jpg Gulf News reported that the UAE envisages a quantum leap in deployment of renewable energy by 2030. Currently, the target is only at a 0.9% share of renewables. However, a new report released on Tuesday evening suggests that the UAE could achieve a 10% renewable energy leap in the national mix, saving billions of dirhams annually, apart from boosting health and environmental benefits.
   
   Mr Thani Al Zeyoudi, UAE’s Permanent Representative to the International Renewable Energy Agency, and the Director of Energy and Climate Change at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that “The 10% was selected as a relatively modest achievable number, though higher penetration of renewables is, of course, possible.”
   
   He was launching the report titled 'The Renewable Energy Prospects: UAE,' which was part of Irena’s REmap 2030 project that examines the realistic potential of renewable energy shares in the energy mix of 26 nations by 2030.
   
   Mr Adnan Z Ameen, DG of Irena, explained the relevance of the Remap project in his keynote speech. Mr Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and Chairman of Masdar, and other senior officials attended the event.
   
   Mr Al Zeyoudi said that the achievement of this target 10% renewables by 2030 will help reduce domestic consumption of oil by up to 8.5% and natural gas by up to 15.6% that could be exported otherwise. The sum total of national carbon dioxide emissions could total 29 megatonnes per year after 2030.
   
   As Gulf News reported on Wednesday, this would also help the UAE achieve energy savings of USD 1.9 billion annually by 2030. If health and environmental benefits of clean energy are also included, they could amount to an additional annual net savings of USD 1 billion to USD 3.7 billion by 2030.
   
   Source : GULF NEWS
7. voda 15 april 2015 16:54

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   Vancouver commits to run on 100 percent renewable energy
   
   The Guardian reported that Vancouver has become the latest city to commit to running on 100% renewable energy. The city of 600,000 on Canada’s west coast aims to use only green energy sources for electricity, and also for heating and cooling and transportation.
   
   Mr Park Won-Soon, Mayor of Seoul, South Korea at the ICLEI World Congress 2015, the triennial sustainability summit of local governments where Vancouver made the announcement, said that “Cities and urban areas are responsible for 70% to 75% of global CO2 emissions and that’s where real action on climate will happen.”
   
   Mr Park said to nearly 15,000 members of local government including more than 100 mayors that “We are the green tide coming together to save the world from climate change.”
   
   Ms Andrea Reimer, deputy mayor of Vancouver, said that “There’s a compelling moral imperative but also a fantastic economic case to be a green city. The 100% goal is likely to be set for a target year of 2030 or 2035.”
   
   Ms Reimer said that “People and businesses want to live and work in clean and green urban areas, whoever develops expertise in shifting to 100% renewable energy will own the 21st century.”
   
   She said that Vancouver can achieve 100% renewable electricity in a few years but heating, cooling and transportation will take longer. The city’s ambition is to be the world’s greenest city by 2020 despite the fact Canada has had one of the most environmentally irresponsible national governments for the last 10 years.
   
   Mr Park announced that Seoul, with 11 million people and growing fast, will reduce its energy use and increase renewable generation, including rolling out 40,000 solar panels to households by 2018 and 15,000 electric vehicles. By 2030 it is hoped that CO2 emissions will be cut by 40%.
   
   More than 50 cities have announced they are on their way to 100% renewable energy including San Diego and San Francisco in California, Sydney Australia, and Copenhagen. Some are aiming for 2020, others by 2030 or 2035.
   
   Some, like Reykjavik, Iceland, are already there for electricity and heat. The entire country of Costa Rica was powered by renewables for 75 consecutive days this year.
   
   Source : THE GUARDIAN
8. voda 15 april 2015 16:59

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   Global renewable energy investment rose 17pct in 2014 - Report
   
   Green Tech Lead reported that Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2015, the 9th annual report published by the United Nations Environment Programme shows global investment growth in renewable energy.
   
   The report was jointly prepared by Frankfurt School-UNEP collaborating Centre for Climate and Sustainable Energy Finance and Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
   
   According to the report, Germany attracted 17% more global investments in renewable energy in 2014.
   
   In monetary terms that was an increase by USD 270 billion after two years of decline and despite the slump in oil prices.
   
   Researchers believe the main cause for the growth in renewable energy initiatives was the expansion of solar installations in China and Japan, and record investments in offshore wind projects.
   
   Some experts, such as Mr Udo Steffens, the president of the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, suggest that the present growth notwithstanding, the dip in oil prices is only going to dampen investor confidence in at least parts of the sector.
   
   Mr Steffens said that countries that export oil are likely to go slow on solar investments. The fall in oil prices has already affected prices of biofuels in most parts of the world.
   
   Biofuel prices fell by 8% and biomass and waste-to-energy prices dropped by 10%.
   
   Source : GREEN TECH LEAD
9. voda 20 april 2015 17:00

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   • voda

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   India's annual electricity generation in 2014-15 cross 1000 bln units
   
   For the first time in the country, the annual electricity generation in 2014 to 2015 crossed one thousand Billion Units or one Trillion Units. Power generation during the 2014 to 2015 is 1048.403 billion units showing a growth rate of 8.4% over the previous year which is the highest growth rate in the last two decades. Since 1991-92, the Compounded Annual Growth Rate of electricity generation has been around 5 to 6.6%. The biggest contributor was generation from the coal based power stations which recorded an annual growth rate of 12.1%.
   
   The generation capacity addition during 2014 to 2015 was 22,566 MW against a target of 17,830 MW, which is the highest ever achievement in a single year. The capacity addition during the first 3 years of 12th Plan is 61,014 MW which has not only exceeded the capacity addition of 54,964 MW of the entire 11th Plan but also constitutes 68.9% of the total 12th Plan target of 88,537 MW.
   
   Out of 22,566 MW added during the year 2014 to 2015, contribution of thermal sector was significant i.e. 20,830 MW. It includes NTPC's 660 MW unit at Barh in Bihar where the first indigenously manufactured super critical units by BHEL have been commissioned. The year marked turn around in Hydro sector with 736 MW contribution in Central sector that included NTPC’s maiden contribution and entry in hydro sector with Koldam units.
   
   NHPC and SJVNL completed their projects at Parbati III and Rampur respectively. The gas based Monarchak Power Plant of 65.4 MW, Agartala ST-II of 25.5 MW and Palatana Unit-II of 363.3 MW were also commissioned during the year in Tripura which will benefit the entire North East. Commissioning of Kudankulam Nuclear power station of 1,000 MW during the year will help all the Southern States.
   
   The focus is now more on transmission and distribution sector. Following a number of steps taken by the Government for expediting forest clearances and intensive monitoring of critical transmission lines, 22,101 circuit kilometers of transmission lines have been commissioned during the year 2014 to 2015 against 16,748 circuit kilometers commissioned during the same period last year, thus having a growth of 31.96% which is the highest ever achievement in a single year. This is 106% of the annual target of 20,882 circuit kilometers fixed for 2014 to 2015.
   
   Similarly, the overall increase in the transformation capacity has been 65,554 MVA during 2014 to 2015 which is record achievement in a single year and constitutes 137% of the target of 47,871MVA fixed for 2014 to 2015.
   
   The major inter-state transmission system commissioned in 2014 to 2015 includes Raichur-Sholapur 765 KV 2nd circuit which strengthened the synchronous interconnection of Southern Region with rest of the country thereby facilitating reliable operation of single frequency National Grid. The commissioning of 2nd 765 KV line from Raipur to Wardha to Aurangabad during the year provides an important corridor for transfer of power from Chhattisgarh area towards load centres in Maharashtra and further to Southern Region.
   
   Commissioning of Sholapur, Pune 765 KV S/c line has also facilitated improvement of power supply in Maharashtra and SR. Commissioning of Silchar – Imphal and Silchar – Bongaigaon line during the year will result in significant improvement in power supply to Manipur and North-East.
   
   The huge capacity addition coupled with higher generation and improved transmission capacity has resulted in considerably reducing the electricity energy shortage from a level of 7 to 11% during the last two decades to a record low of only 3.6% during the year 2014 to 2015.
   
   Source : STRATEGIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE
10. voda 21 april 2015 16:25

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    Tennet leert en rekent: er kan meer 380 kV ondergronds
    
    Ilse Kleijne
    
    ARNHEM (Energeia) - De eerste tien ondergrondse kilometers 380 kV-koper gedragen zich keurig –reden voor landelijk netbeheerder Tennet om het jarenlang gehanteerde maximum van 20 kilometer los te laten, nog voor die 20 er volledig ligt. Wat laat het ondergrondse koper tot nu toe zien, dat Tennet die stap aandurft?
    "Weinig. De ondergrondse kabel heeft tot nu toe weinig laten zien", zegt een montere John Zwaal van Tennet. Zwaal is als manager grid development & strategy bij Tennet verantwoordelijk voor de ontwikkeling van het Nederlandse transport en de leveringszekerheid van morgen. "En dat de kabel weinig heeft laten zien, is positief. De conclusie is dat er geen gekke dingen gebeuren en de kabel heel betrouwbaar reageert."
    
    Om omwonenden die geen hoogspanningsmasten door hun woongebied wilden tegemoet te komen, besloot Tennet om delen van de nieuwe Randstad 380 kV-verbinding te verkabelen. In het al gerealiseerde zuidelijke deel liggen inmiddels tien aaneengesloten kilometers onder de grond, in het nu in aanbouw zijnde noordelijke deel komen nog eens tien kilometer verspreid over vier secties onder de grond.
    
    Het maximum van twintig werd bepaald omdat er internationaal geen ervaring was met zo’n afstand aan 380 kV-kabel. Daarom werd een monitoringsprogramma opgezet. "We wilden het gedrag van de kabel bestuderen, en wetenschappelijke modellen opstellen om het gedrag in vast te leggen, voor als we meer kabel wilden leggen", licht Zwaal toe. Bij normaal gedrag van een kabel gaat er stroom doorheen en gebeurt er niks bijzonders in het net als Tennet het net aanstuurt door bijvoorbeeld schakelhandelingen te verrichten, of componenten uit en weer in bedrijf neemt voor onderhoud. De vraag was dus of dat ook zo zou blijven als een deel onder de grond lag. Dat blijkt tot nu toe het geval.
    
    Dat Tennet nu de al de 20 kilometer-grens durft los te laten terwijl er nog geen 20 kilometer ligt waar ervaring mee is opgedaan, is een gevolg van berekening die Tennet heeft kunnen maken met de huidige ervaringen. "We hebben nu al gezien dat we nog steeds aan de veilige kant zitten ten aanzien van harmonische impedantie en frequentie als we nog eens tien kilometer toepassen. We hebben meer inzicht in de impact van kabels in netdelen."
    
    Zwaal wijst nog een keer op de voorwaarden waaronder Tennet daarom meer dan 20 kilometer ook aan durft. Geografische spreiding is van belang vanwege de impact op het net. "We moeten dus niet nog een stuk leggen bij Bleiswijk-Wateringen, maar kunnen bijvoorbeeld wel bij Tilburg of Eindhoven kijken wat er kan." Ook leerde Tennet dat een ondergrondse kabel meer merkt van een zogenaamde punt-tot-punt-verbindingen: een ondergrondse aantakking op het hoogspanningsnet, meestal voor elektriciteitscentrales. Zulke verbindingen hebben bij een ondergrondse kabel meer invloed op de harmonische impedantie (de harmonische impedantie zegt iets over de weerstand van het net bij de verschillende frequenties) dan bij een bovengrondse lijn, en daar moet volgens Zwaal dus ook rekening mee worden gehouden.
    
    © 2015 Energeia.
12. voda 21 april 2015 16:37

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    China to invest USD 37 billion in various energy projects
    
    Business Recorder reported that out of the total USD 45 billion investment in Pakistan, China will invest up to USD 37 billion in various energy projects while give USD 8 billion concessional loan for infrastructure development projects of Pak-China Economic Corridor project.
    
    This was stated by Mr Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms while speaking at a press conference along with Information Minister Mr Pervez Rashid and Mr Tariq Fatemi, Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs.
    
    Briefing journalists about the 2 day state visit of Chinese President Mr Xi Jinping, who will arrive here on Monday, Mr Ahsan Iqbal said that the investment in energy and infrastructure projects would be done by the Chinese companies and the Chinese banks will provide loans.
    
    To a question about the exact mark-up rate of the loan, Mr Ahsan Iqbal did not divulge the exact rate but added that the markup of the concessional loan being acquired for the infrastructure projects will be much lesser than the market rate and it will be for a period of 15 to 20 years.
    
    He said that the government was trying to give maximum share to the private sector to invest in these projects. About completion of the energy projects, he said most of the coal projects would be completed in three years while the projects related to wind and solar will take up to one year to be completed.
    
    He said that the energy projects with Chinese support would generate a total of 16,500 MW electricity, adding the work on 10,400 MW projects would be completed by 2018 in the first phase. While projects of 60,00MW will be completed in the 2nd phase.
    
    In Thar, Mr Ahsan said that 10 coal-based power plants will be installed on commercial basis which will generate up to 6,600 MW electricity from coal.
    
    To a question, he rejected the controversy around various projects, saying that all the concerned provinces have been consulted on the energy projects.
    
    According to him, projects of 8,500 MW will be undertaken in Azad Jammu and Kashmir while there are various hydel projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, coal in Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab.
    
    When asked why the chief ministers of other provinces other than Mr Shahbaz Sharif, CM of Punjab, were not being involved in the ongoing dialogue with Chinese government, he advised media to avoid making things controversial through such questions.
    
    He said that "Mr Shahbaz Sharif is indeed brother of PM Mr Nawaz Sharif but he has a good political repute and Pak-China relations are not confined to the government of any particular party in the country."
    
    He maintained that the reservations of the political parties on the route of Pak-China Corridor have mostly been addressed in a meeting with representatives of the political parties on Wednesday.
    
    He said that 3 basic routes of the project, the Western route which will link D.I. Khan with Gwadar via Qila Saifullah, Zhob and Quetta, adding there was a missing link of 400 KM between Sorab and Gwadar and work on it has already been started by FWO last year and would be completed by 2016.
    
    He said that the 124 KM road from Quetta and D.I. KHAN is being upgraded with the help of Asian Development Bank while the road between Multan and Quttta is being upgraded with the help of Japan.
    
    According to him, the second route will be from Gwadar to Rato Dero and Sukkur via Indus Highway and the third route, which can be called as Eastern route, will be from Gwadar to Sukkur via Motorway from Peshawar and Lahore to Karachi, adding the work on all the routes has been started.
    
    Source : BUSINESS RECORDER
13. voda 24 april 2015 15:34

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    Sembcorp expects 1400 MW renewable capacity by 2022
    
    Economic Times reported that Sembcorp Industries, Singapore's leading utilities and marine group, is looking to invest over a billion dollars over the next 5 to 7 years to double its clean energy generation portfolio in the country while gradually moving away from large, greenfield thermal coal projects that are still reeling under land acquisition and fuel linkage logjams.
    
    The recent confusion over capping fixed tariffs has also also made them wary of the recent coal auctions.
    
    Earlier this February Sembcorp Utilities, a wholly owned subsidiary, acquired a controlling 60% stake in Green Infra, a leading renewable energy platform, from its private equity owners IDFC Alternatives for INR 1051 crore. This was their first investment in the space in India, after already backing 2 coastal thermal coal projects in Andhra Pradesh since 2011. This was also the first and only FDI into the power sector in India in the last one year of the Marendra Modi government.
    
    Mr Tan Cheng Guan, EVP & Head, Group Business Development & Commercial, Sembcorp Industries, the man in charge of the Indian operations, said that "We are a globally ambitious company. But compared to China, we were late entering the Indian market because it took it took us a few years to understand the amendments in Indian Electricity Act amendments of 2003. But in the last 5 years, we have increased our overall power generation capacity to 2640 MW in two projects. With Green Infra, we now have 3,340 MW in our portfolio here."
    
    There is a long way to go. Low consumption, power deficit yet high economic growth of 7% to 8% opens up a lot of opportunities."
    
    Source : ECONOMIC TIMES
14. voda 24 april 2015 15:35

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    Power giant RWE slams Germany's plans for coal levy
    
    German power giant RWE hit out Thursday at government plans to impose a levy on older fossil-fueled power plants, warning of tens of thousands of job losses in the industry and soaring electricity prices.
    
    In a bid to meet its goals of reducing carbon emissions by 40% by 2020, Mr Sigmar Gabriel, Economy and Energy Minister, has proposed a climate fee on older coal-fired power plants. But energy companies and unions are up in arms.
    
    Mr Peter Terium CEO of RWE said shareholders at the group’s annual general meeting in Essen that “If the undertaking by the economy and energy ministry is implemented as planned, it will lead to major structural upheavals in the lignite industry.”
    
    Mr Terium said that an early abandoning of coal would mean the loss of a secure, low-cost and subsidy-free source of energy, in and for Germany. It would have a tangible impact on security of supply, particularly as Germany has also committed to phasing out nuclear energy by 2022.
    
    Source : AFP
    
15. voda 26 april 2015 15:49

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    French govt study shows 95pct renewable mix cheaper than nuclear and gas
    
    Mr Terje Osmundsen, Senior Vice-President of Norwegian independent solar power producer Scatec Solar, wrotes that a new French government study shows that the cost to the French consumer of a 100% renewable scenario is more or less equal to a scenario close to today’s, with only 40% renewables. It is yet another instance of leading energy experts asserting that a 100% renewable future is possible.
    
    Something remarkable is taking place that is bound to lead to a deep reshaping of the energy debate, starting in Europe and North America. It used to be the visionaries and the NGOs who talked about a 100% renewable future, but now leading number-crunchers and energy experts are joining the chorus. In California, the government energy regulator were recently quoted saying that California’s power grid could handle 100% renewables.
    
    The city of Vancouver is an example of a big city that recently committed to run 100% on renewables for power, heating and transportation within 20 years. New studies have been released showing the US can get to 100% renewables by 2050, at marginal extra cost.
    
    'Vers un mix electrique 100% renouvable en 2050' is the name of the brand new report from French Agency for Environment and Energy Management, the government agency responsible for green and renewable energy in France. The publication of the report was considered controversial by the French government currently busy securing a majority in the Senate for the new energy transiton law that recommends an electricity mix with 50 % nuclear, down from 75% today.
    
    A political decision was therefore made to postpone the publication of the study, but after the media house Mediapart got hold of it, it has now been published by ADEME.
    
    The 120-page report provides a number of interesting and surprising insights. First of all, the study demonstrates that a 100% renewable power system in France is both possible and economically attractive, also when taking into account a number of alternative scenarios including extreme weather, stricter regulations against wind, solar and high-voltage connections, slower technology development and the like..
    
    Secondly: The cost to the consumer of the 100% renewable scenario is more or less equal to a scenario close to today’s, with only 40% renewables. The reason is simple: Whereas the cost of wind and solar continue to fall, the cost of natural gas including CO2 will rise steadily. But also nuclear is becoming more expensive, primarily due to the new safety regulations.
    
    The study describes a new generation of wind technology that it believes will lead to fewer conflicts with local communities, and assumes that people will accept the high number of new transmission links foreseen in the reference 'High-Wind' scenario. For the same «rational» economic reasons, it does not expect rooftop PV to reach more than 10% of total generation by 2050.
    
    In my view, the study underestimates the potential disruptive power of solar PV compared to alternative sources of renewable and non-renewable energy. The Levelised Cost of Electricity for respectively ground-mounted and rooftop PV will fall gradually and reach EUR 6 and EUR 8.5 per MWh in 2050. This makes ground-mounted PV cheaper than onshore wind in 2050 and the cost of rooftop PV roughly the same as wind power from fixed offshore farms. One big difference however, is that small and medium-sized PV are close to the load centers and hence cheaper to bring to the end-customer.
    
    Furthermore, it should be noted that the assumptions regarding the cost of PV cited above are conservative; most industry experts would expect significantly lower costs in 2050. In addition, rooftop PV and most ground-mounted PV installations are easy and relatively quick to develop and install.
    
    The outcome of all this would therefore most likely be that PV and wind would reach about equal share of the electrity mix in 2050, i.e. 35% to 40% for each, bringing the total installed capacity of PV to the range of 80 GW to 90 GW. Not a bad performance for a country that so far has installed only about 4 GW.
    
    With wind and PV growing to 80% of total power production in 2050, the study gives a lot of attention to how and at what cost the different regions can fill the gap when neither the wind nor the sun can meet the demand. What comes out is a combination of demand management, import/export, short term storage and hydropower.
    
    But the main contribution is long-term storage, from 'Power to Gas' to 'Gas to Power.' In other words, the 'hidden potential' for storage revealed in the ADEME study is not batteries but cheap methane produced in a process of mixing CO2 with hydrogen. The methane gas will then be stored, or be transported in the existing gas pipelines to a site for storage, and converted to peaking power during winter months. This hydrogen/methane route represents more than half of all storage solutions foreseen in the 100% renewable scenario, equal to close to 20 GW in 2050.
    
    It’s perhaps no coinsidence the French experts are so convinced by the methanisation way to storage. After all, the Sabatier reaction involving the reaction of hydrogen with carbon dioxide to produce methane and water was first discovered in France 100 years ago. The inventor was the French chemist Paul Sabatier.
    
    Source : ENERGY POST
16. voda 27 april 2015 12:50

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    Germany will review jobs impact of coal levy before decision - Mr Gabriel
    
    Mr Sigmar Gabriel, Economy Minister of Germany, said energy unions that Germany will make no decision on a proposed coal levy before a review is conducted regarding possible job losses.
    
    Germany is looking to safeguard its energy supply while reducing its C02 emissions by 40% by 2020 and exiting nuclear power two years after that.
    
    The government has proposed penalties for the oldest and most polluting coal-fired power plants to help cut emissions.
    
    But energy companies and German states fear the measure will damage coal generation and cost jobs. Mining unions plan mass demonstrations on Saturday in Berlin against the proposed coal levy, which union IG BCE says could put 100,000 jobs at risk.
    
    Germany's largest power producer, RWE and other energy groups have said the levy would lead to the immediate closure of RWE's lignite-fired power plants.
    
    Mr Gabriel said in the letter to IG BCE and another union Verdi dated April 24th that "We need certainty about the numbers and consequences. Nothing will be decided prior to that."
    
    Mr Gabriel said that he had commissioned a review into the impact of the proposals on electricity prices, CO2 emissions targets as well as on the operations of power stations and mines.
    
    He said that "Should this in fact confirm the misgivings expressed by IG BCE and Verdi of an industry meltdown with a considerable loss of jobs, then the Economy Ministry will of course change its proposals to achieve its climate targets."
    
    In the letter, Mr Gabriel stressed he was open to alternative suggestions on how to achieve Germany's climate goals while protecting jobs and called for a constructive dialogue.
    
    In a sign it was open to compromise, Mr Rainer Baake, state secretary for energy in the Economy Ministry, proposed linking the levy on C02 produced by coal plants above a certain level to the electricity price.
    
    He said that under this scenario, the levy would increase when the electricity price is high and fall when the electricity price sinks below a level of EUR 40 to EUR 42 per MWh.
    
    Sources said that Swedish utility Vattenfall was facing delays in its planned sale of brown coal assets in Germany due to concerns over the levy.
    
    Source : REUTERS
17. voda 1 mei 2015 16:52

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    Renewables supplied 19.2pct of UK's power in 2014
    
    Change doesn't happen in a linear fashion. Indeed, those of us who have been pushing for a low carbon future would have been forgiven for thinking it was a futile cause just a few years ago. Yet now, change seems to be picking up pace. Dramatically.
    
    The latest example of this is news from the UK, reported over at Business Green, that renewables made up 19.2% of the country's power supply last year, up from just 14.9% a year earlier. At the same time, both coal and nuclear dipped, while gas increased its share a little bit too. Digging into what those renewables actually were, it looks like wind and solar were up 16.6% on the previous year, due mainly to new capacity, while hydropower was up 26%.
    
    This is good news indeed, especially when considered in the context of Britain's 10% reduction in electricity demand over the last 5 years too.
    
    When it comes to decreased electricity demand, it's worth noting, of course, that Britain and other Western nations have outsourced many of their carbon-intensive manufacturing operations overseas, so there is an argument to be made that the country's real carbon footprint/energy consumption is considerably higher than just the energy used at home.
    
    But here too, there are some solar-powered silver linings appearing around the cloud, namely Chinese coal use is falling, and global carbon emissions stalled last year.
    
    But now's not the time to take the foot off the pedal. Indeed, with general elections coming up in weeks, the Conservatives are promising a moratorium on onshore wind turbines. No wonder the Greens are so scathing of politics as usual.
    
    Source : TreeHugger.com
    
18. voda 1 mei 2015 16:54

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    Mr Piyush Goyal says power available for free
    
    Business Today reported that with summer setting in and outages becoming a way of life across the country, Mr Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of State for Power, has come up with a 'shocker' when he said that he saw that electricity was available at zero rupee per unit at the Power Grid's Monitoring Office.
    
    Speaking during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, the minister said that power was so surplus that people were willing to give it at no cost per unit because there is no other way to use it.
    
    Meanwhile, the government said that there is sufficient power available while urging states to buy it from exchanges even as some parts of the country grapple with shortages.
    
    Mr Goyal said that most areas of the country have excess power and added that states should buy electricity from exchanges or through power purchase agreements.
    
    He said that the sad part is that states are not acquiring or buying enough to be able to pass on uninterrupted supply to the citizens. The minister suggested that new gas-based power plants should not be set up as many existing ones are stranded.
    
    Mr Goyal who holds independent charge of the portfolios of power, coal and new and renewable energy, said that "I would rather say that they (states) set up a solar plant on that same land rather than going in for a gas-based plant."
    
    He exuded confidence that India would stop importing thermal coal in the next one or two years as the domestic coal production is increasing.
    
    Mr Goyal said that "Overall coal production has risen by 8.3 per cent while in the first 28 days of April this year, Coal India's output went up by 10.2 per cent. We are confident that in the next year or two, we will be able to stop imports of thermal coal while imports of coking coal will continue till we are able to explore more reserves."
    
    Responding to a question on high solar energy prices, he said that the government is working on innovative financing models to reduce its cost from about INR 7 at present to less than INR 5 per unit.
    
    Mr Goyal said that 114 units of under-construction thermal power projects with an aggregate capacity of 57,125 MW are running behind schedule.
    
    He said that the figures are based on information given by project developers to the Central Electricity Authority and added that 8 coal-based thermal generating units with an aggregate capacity of 1,150 MW are closed for renovation and modernisation/life-extension works.
    
    Source : Business Today
    
19. voda 7 mei 2015 17:01

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    Mr Jokowi launches plan to mega power plants
    
    Mr Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo, President of Indonesia, launched his ambitious plan to build power plants to produce 35,000 MW of electricity.
    
    The 35,000 MW for Indonesia Program is expected to be realized within the next 5 years in 240 places across Indonesia.
    
    Mr Jokowi said in his keynote address at Goa Beach, Cemara, Gadingsari, Sanden, Bantul, Yogyakarta that “The program is part of efforts to not depend on fossil fuel.”
    
    Mr Jokowi acknowledged that many had criticized the 35,000 MW for Indonesia Program as being too lofty because Indonesia had only managed to build plants that produce 50,000 MW of power in the past 70 years.
    
    However, he iterated that the program was realistic, as it had been backed up with simplified regulations and the program would be thoroughly supervised.
    
    He said that “This is our debt to the people to uphold their right to electricity. The equal distribution of power throughout the country would also have positive impacts on industry and the downstream economy.”
    
    The program will require an investment of IDR 1.1 quadrillion. The program is expected to propel the industrial sector as 60% of the program’s components are expected to be locally made.
    
    Mr Jokowi said that “We will support the transformer, cable and transmission network industries to meet the needs in the next five years. We will give priority to the private sector. If the private sector does not immediately take part, I will instruct the state-owned enterprises minister to become involved.”
    
    During the inauguration, he was accompanied by Mr Hamengkubuwono X, Yogyakarta Governor, Mr Sudirman Said, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister and Mr Sofyan Basir, state power firm PLN managing director.
    
    Mr Sudirman said that assuming an economic growth of between 5% and 6% annually, an additional 7,000 MW of electricity would be needed annually.
    
    To meet the demand of 35,000 MW in the next 5 years, 10,000 MW will be produced by PLN and the remaining 25,000 MW by the private sector.
    
    The 35,000 MW program needs to be realized because Indonesia will be depleted of oil within 20 years, natural gas within 30 years and coal within 50 years.
    
    Mr Sudirman said that “As many as 20 million people will directly benefit from the program, 100,000 workers will be involved in the program and more than IDR 450 trillion worth of locally made components will be used in the program and this will drive the industrial sector.”
    
    The first phase of the power plant project will focus on Java and Sumatra, and plants powered by more sophisticated technology, such as hydro or solar, will also be built in developing areas in eastern Indonesia, including Papua and Nusa Tenggara.
    
    Mr Jokowi also inaugurated a wind-powered plant project on Samas Beach in Bantul on Monday.
    
    Mr Amin Subekti, PLN Strategic Procurement and Energy director, said that based on a study on wind conditions at Samas Beach, 35 wind turbines would be installed at the Samas Beach power plant
    
    Mr Amin said that “This will be the first and biggest in Indonesia. The turbines are expected to produce 50 MW of power.”
    
    Economists, however, have voiced doubt over Mr Jokowi’s ambitious pledge, saying it could pose economic risks, noting the potential for a deterioration of the current-account deficit, as most of the material used in the plants would be imported.
    
    According to a calculation by Citigroup, power plant projects will be the biggest absorber of machinery imports, including goods like boilers, turbines and transformers, with the amount of overseas purchases standing at USUSD 4 billion annually or about 0.3% of Indonesia’s expected gross domestic product in 2017.
    
    Source : The Jakarta Post
    
20. voda 8 mei 2015 21:49

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    Ground realities about India's renewable power
    
    India is undoubtedly doing well in increasing the share of renewable sources in power generation. Almost 5% of the country’s energy requirements now come from renewable power. This is a fairly respectable number, given the pressure on keeping electricity prices affordable.
    
    The renewed thrust on renewables is also welcome and the interest shown by all stakeholders in the value chain has been overwhelming. But how do we make renewable power truly mainstream and meaningful in fulfilling our energy needs?
    
    The big 'elephant in the room' that still remains is the infirm nature of renewable power and the consequent challenges in keeping the grid stable. The grid becomes increasingly unstable if the share of infirm power increases beyond 20% to 25% of the total generation capacity.
    
    There is no doubt that the basic cost of renewable power has been dropping sharply and almost approaching grid parity, that cost however is notional. If this renewable power has to be made useful and more meaningful, then the cost of storage or some form of 'back-up generation' has to be added.
    
    The present back-up costs range from INR 13 per unit for diesel generation to over INR 20 per unit for battery storage. The total cost of 'useful' renewable power, therefore, is currently anywhere between INR 17 per unit to INR 27 per unit.
    
    In fact, the more we add renewable power to the grid, the more we will increase the financial losses of the utilities, because we still lack the political will to increase power tariffs, commensurate with increase in costs.
    
    We would be doing immense disservice to the renewable sector if we do not address this elephant in the room and take up this challenge squarely. The good news is that we do have solutions available and we need to focus on implementing them alongside adding generation capacity.
    
    Renewable power by definition will be concentrated in those areas where the natural resource is available. These natural resources are usually concentrated in certain geographies. For example, the speed of wind is good in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Solar intensity is good in States such as Rajasthan and Gujarat.
    
    Renewable power generation therefore tends to get concentrated in these areas. If the local grid has to absorb all the renewable power then it certainly gets to be a major challenge.
    
    For example, the Tamil Nadu grid faces serious grid balancing issues when the wind suddenly dies, and almost 20% of the State’s total generation comes down. In the absence of any back-up form of generation, the only way to balance the grid is to then shed load which can cause major disruption.
    
    One way to address this is to interconnect grids so that the share of infirm power as a proportion of the total power generated in the country is smaller and grid management becomes easier. Given the concurrent nature of the power sector it would be necessary for various States and their power regulators to come together to make this happen.
    
    From a policy perspective, we need to shift focus on energy (units or kWh) generation and not just on capacity (kW) addition. For some strange reason, India is obsessed with the name plate capacity (KW) of the renewable generation facility without really focusing on how much of electricity (kWh) the facility actually produces.
    
    Further, the incentivisation regime for renewable power is focused on a capital subsidy (depreciation benefit) rather than incentivising actual generation (GBI).
    
    The more electricity any power generation facility generates, the lower will be the cost of generation and ultimately, the cost of electricity in terms of INR /kWh is more relevant than just capital cost in terms of INR /KW.
    
    Globally, technology development in renewables is focused on increasing generation and making it more predictable rather than just the nameplate capacity rating. In India, the entire emphasis is on increasing the nameplate capacity of the equipment even at the cost of inferior utilisation.
    
    As a global leader in renewable power, India too needs to encourage the right behaviour in both technology development and power generation. This can be achieved encouraging efficient generation over the long term rather than only giving initial capital subsidies.
    
    Given the scale at which India wants to develop renewable power, there is no substitute for a spinning reserve or some form of energy storage. Energy storage is clearly an area where India can take the global lead in encouraging innovation. The country uses diesel generation as the “spinning reserve” in the form back up generation.
    
    Any form of electricity storage, that is cheaper than diesel generation at INR 13 per kWh, can replace polluting diesel. Globally, Gas is the preferred fuel for 'back up / peaking / spinning reserve,' given its lower cost and far cleaner composition. Gas based peaking power would cost around INR 7 to INR 9 per unit.
    
    There is no clear policy in India to address peaking power demand and it’s high time the country formulated one rather than resort to load shedding or diesel generation.
    
    Peaking power solutions will also be able to address the back up requirement for renewable generation. Gas based generation is the cleanest and most affordable of all peaking power solutions.
    
    Lack of distribution reforms can stall the renewable sector. A lot of focus is being put on clearing the bottlenecks in increasing generation. But for every additional unit that is generated, it adds INR 1 per unit of loss on to the distribution company.
    
    This is because the average realisation of revenue from consumers is lower than the cost of electricity production. Over the last few years, additions to coal-based generation capacity have been negligible.
    
    Renewable capacity however did get added which, in turn, has further increased the average cost of power generated. We see renewable power being regularly backed down and developers not being paid for power generated. This situation will only worsen, unless distribution reforms are undertaken on an immediate basis.
    
    We must not wait for a China- like smog situation to arise in our cities and then we sit up and take notice. We must bite the bullet to address the issue of appropriate tariffs.
    
    Source : Business Line
    
21. voda 20 mei 2015 16:56

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    Global energy subsidies to cost USD 5.3 trillion in 2015 - IMF
    
    According to a new study by the International Monetary Fund, the cost of fossil fuels is much higher than previously thought.
    
    The global post-tax subsidy for energy, which accounts for the environmental and health toll, will be an estimated USD 5.3 trillion in 2015, more than 6% of global GDP..
    
    The analysis defines post-tax subsidies as the difference between what the consumer pays for energy and its true cost, including environmental and health damages. It also includes a country’s sales tax rate that the authors said should be levied at the point of consumption.
    
    The IMF researchers said that the figure is higher than previous estimates because of more refined country-level data on the effects of air pollution and health outcomes of burning fossil fuels.
    
    Coal and petroleum make up the most of the global post-tax energy subsidies. Post-tax subsidies for coal will be nearly 4% of global GDP in 2015. Worldwide, coal is undercharged for its environmental impacts, the study said that “Yet no country really imposes meaningful taxes on coal use from an environmental perspective.”
    
    Most of the external costs are felt locally, the authors argue, so any reform would accrue to the local population in the form of benefits such as reduced mortality. Eliminating the subsides altogether could reduce CO2 emissions by more than 20% and cut premature global air pollution deaths by 55%.
    
    The IMF calls for global coordination on reducing subsidies but acknowledges that individual countries, such as India, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Thailand and Tunisia, have made strides.
    
    Source : Greentech Media