Page 2 - Clean Energy

India to enhance power demand forecasting for improved grid stability

Changing power usage patterns, rising use of intermittent solar and wind energy and increasingly frequent extreme weather events have complicated demand forecasting, requiring systemic reforms

Tata Steel UK inks contract for electric furnace in green steelmaking drive

Tata Steel said it has signed a contract with an Italy-headquartered metals technology multinational to deliver a state-of-the-art electric arc furnace (EAF) as part of its green steelmaking drive in the UK. The Indian steel major's pact last week with Tenova for its Port Talbot site in Wales, the UK's largest steelworks, has been described as a significant milestone on the road to reducing carbon emissions by 90 per cent a year once it is commissioned from the end of 2027. Under the agreement, Tenova is to supply an EAF with an annual capacity of 3 million tonnes of steel similar to the output of the site's blast furnaces decommissioned recently by melting scrap steel sourced from the UK. "This partnership follows in the footsteps of an improved deal between the government and Tata Steel, and is further proof of our commitment to a bright future for UK steelmaking," said UK Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds. "Technology like the furnaces made by Tenova is critical t

Tata Power firm launches programme to promote solar power in Tamil Nadu

Initiative provides subsidies to households to adopt green energy, says company

L&T partners with US firm to provide clean energy solutions globally

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on Friday said it has entered into a pact with US-based Clean Core Thorium Energy (CCTE) for providing efficient solutions in clean energy globally. The partnership aims to accelerate nuclear power deployment globally, particularly in developing countries which require large amount of carbon-free electricity for their growth. "Larsen & Toubro...announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on providing efficient solutions globally in clean energy through CCTE's patented ANEEL (Advanced Nuclear Energy for Enriched Life) fuel," the company said in a filing to BSE. ANEEL is a nuclear fuel that combines thorium and high assay low-enriched uranium. It's designed to be used in pressurized heavy water reactors, such as CANDU (Canadian deuterium-uranium) reactors. This fuel is expected to significantly reduce life-cycle operating costs and the waste produced (by over 85 per cent while improving safety due to its Accident Tolerant

Andhra eyes Rs 10 trn investment in clean energy for net zero by 2047

Andhra Pradesh is eyeing Rs 10 lakh crore investment in the clean energy sector in the state as it unveiled a new policy that incentivises investments across solar, wind and round-the-clock renewable energy projects to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2047. Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu unveiled the AP Integrated Clean Energy (ICE) Policy that envisages incentives ranging from hassle-free land acquisition at reasonable price to power subsidy to certain sectors. The ICE Policy will involve a proposed investment outlay of Rs 10 lakh crore, creating direct and indirect employment for 7,50,000 workers, the policy document said. The policy looks to leverage the state's vast renewable energy potential across wind, solar and hybrid sources, storage capabilities through pumped storage projects, a long coastline, six operational ports (with four under development) and skilled manpower availability as it pivots energy transition. The Andhra Pradesh government is ...

'Age of electricity' to follow looming fossil fuel peak, says IEA

Surplus fossil fuel supplies would likely lead to lower prices and could enable countries to dedicate more resources to clean energy, moving the world into an age of electricity, they said

India emerging as clean energy superpower, delivering beyond expectations

By 2026, the country will be able to assembly 172 GW of panels per year, according to Mercom India Research, a renewables consultancy

Should aim to become clean energy exporter by 2030: Former NITI CEO Kant

India should aim for 750 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity and become a clean energy exporter by 2030, former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said on Monday. At a roundtable discussion here, Kant said that there is no shortage of global funds for clean energy, but India needs to establish strong financial systems, such as escrow accounts, to attract private investments for renewable projects. He emphasized that it is "very important that India is able to drive its own agenda" amid multiple global crises, including the Russia-Ukraine war, West Asia conflicts, and trade barriers from countries like the US and Europe, which are affecting free trade and renewable energy prices. "And the Indian agenda must be very clear -- we are an importer of fossil fuels worth USD 180 billion, and our goal must be to become an exporter of clean energy... Our objective must be to surpass 500 gigawatts and reach 750 gigawatts of renewable energy," Kant said. India has committed to achieving 500 GW of

India, Germany to improve cooperation in clean energy, mobility sectors

Ahead of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's visit to India, New Delhi and Berlin have decided to shore up cooperation in the areas of renewable energy, urban development, agroecology and mobility. Ways to expand engagement in these key areas figured prominently at the development policy negotiations led by India's Department for Economic Affairs and Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, German officials said on Saturday. Both sides agreed to continue their cooperation in the areas of renewable energy, urban development, mobility and agroecology in the coming years, they said. The Indo-German cooperation is strategically guided by the "Partnership for Green and Sustainable Development", which was established in 2022 following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Scholz. The German chancellor is scheduled to visit India next month. "Germany and India share a long-standing, trusting and strategic partnership," said Barbara Schafer, the head of th

OIL to invest Rs 25,000 cr in clean energy for net zero emissions by 2040

State-owned Oil India Ltd plans to invest Rs 25,000 crore in clean energy projects to help achieve the net zero carbon emission goal by 2040, its chairman Ranjit Rath said on Saturday. OIL's net zero plan includes a combination of cutting down the flaring of gas and commercialisation of stranded gas as well as setting up renewable electricity generation capacity, building green hydrogen plants and constructing biogas and ethanol plants. The net zero plans will go alongside its target to raise crude oil and natural gas production to 9 million tonnes of oil and oil equivalent gas by 2025-26 from 6.5 million tonnes produced in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, he told reporters here. The company also plans to lay an 80-kilometer pipeline to bring natural gas from fields in Arunachal Pradesh to Assam to help replace polluting liquid fuels in transport as well as industries. "Achieving a net zero target involves a bouquet of activities," he said. It already has firmed up plans for

Circularity of critical minerals for India's clean energy transition

The clean energy sector offers significant opportunities for the Indian economy

ISA partners with MIGA to fund Solar Energy projects in Sub-Saharan Africa

MIGA and ISA will work together to launch solar power and distributed energy projects in eligible developing countries

Cabinet approves India's agreement with 14-member IPEF economic bloc

The Union Cabinet has approved the commerce ministry's proposal to sign the 14-member IPEF (Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity) bloc's agreements on a clean and fair economy, an official said on Monday. In June in Singapore, 13 IPEF bloc members signed these agreements, while India said it would ink the deals after getting domestic approval. The official, who does not wish to be named, said that the proposal to sign these agreements has been approved by the cabinet in its meeting here on Monday. Agreement on a clean economy intends to accelerate efforts of IPEF partners towards energy security and transition, climate resilience and adaptation, GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions mitigation, finding/developing innovative ways of reducing dependence on fossil fuel energy, promoting technical cooperation, workforce development, capacity building, and research collaborations, and collaborate to facilitate development, access, and deployment of clean energy and climate-friendly ..

ReNew signs clean power sale agreement worth 437.6 MW with Microsoft

ReNew on Tuesday announced the signing of a clean power sale contract of 437.6 megawatt (MW) with Microsoft. The contract is expected to generate over one million units of green electricity attributes annually, contributing to Microsoft's aim to become carbon negative by 2030, ReNew said in a statement. "ReNew today announced the signing of a green attribute sale contract of 437.6 MW with Microsoft," it said. ReNew will direct about USD 15 million of revenue from the contract towards a community fund to support environment-focussed initiatives. This work will be delivered in partnership with the ReNew Foundation, the philanthropic arm of ReNew, which works to create sustainable communities through climate action with a focus on women and youth and whose efforts are aligned with Microsoft's Environmental Justice priorities. Puneet Chandok, President, Microsoft India & South Asia, said, "This agreement with ReNew accelerates our progress towards these goals while benefiting local ..

Survey finds half of Mumbai's bakeries using wood, pitches for cleaner fuel

An environmental non-profit has raised concerns over the alarming use of wood as fuel in Mumbai's bakeries, warning that it poses serious health risks to citizens and batting for the adoption of cleaner methods to combat air pollution. The Bombay Environment Action Group (BEAG) surveyed 200 bakeries across the city over six months and found that about 47 per cent of these establishments rely on wood fuel, primarily scrap sourced from furniture stores, for their operations. This practice releases harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM2.5) into the air, which leads to asthma and other diseases, BEAG has said in a report. PM2.5 refers to fine particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less. They can enter the lungs and even the bloodstream, making them particularly harmful to human health. As per the study, the Byculla and Mumbai Central areas (E ward) have the highest concentration of bakeries, with 84 establishments, followed by Andheri (K West war

Goa CM calls for use of biofuels to create future with clean energy

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday advocated using biofuels to create a future with clean, accessible and sustainable energy. World Biofuel Day is observed on August 10 to create awareness about biofuels made from agricultural waste, animal waste, algae, trees, crops, etc, which are a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. In a post on 'X', Sawant said, "Biofuels, made from organic matter, offer a cleaner, greener alternative to fossil fuels, reducing greenhouse gas emission and mitigating climate change." "On this #WorldBioFuelDay, let us pledge to harness the potential of biofuels to create a future with clean, accessible and sustainable energy for all," he wrote.

Budget 2024: FinMin announces Critical Mineral Mission; what we know so far

Union Budget 2024: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the government will soon conduct the first round of offshore mineral auction round under the Critical Mineral Mission

Citigroup expects India to attract $100 billion in foreign Investments

Apart from climate transition, India's forays into electronics and infrastructure-related manufacturing are gaining prominence with investors abroad, an expert said

Experts predict Budget to boost clean energy investments with new measures

The government is expected to announce a slew of measures in the full Budget for fiscal year 2024-25 to promote investments in the renewable energy space, experts say. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the 2024-25 Union Budget in Parliament on July 23. Their expectation is that the government may announce policy-related measures, viability gap funding (VGF) and incentive schemes for the clean energy industry, the experts said. "We expect the focus of the budget to remain green growth based... We expect the budget to focus more on renewables, storage, transmission and distribution network strengthening schemes. "We expect policy measures to incentivise, and to encourage investments in (battery) storage groups," Girishkumar Kadam, Senior Vice President & Group Head - Corporate Ratings, ICRA Ltd said. There is a slow progress being witnessed in pumped storage projects (PSP) space. Some policy bridges need to be announced to expedite the implementation of these projects

The need for hydrocarbon focus

India's green transition must go hand in hand with enhancing private investment in oil and gas exploration