Page 11 - Electricity Sector

Power minister asks industry to set targets under Green Open Access Rules

Union New and Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh on Saturday directed the industry to set targets under Green Open Access Rules 2022. In June 2023, the government notified the Green Open Access Rules 2022 to further accelerate India's renewable energy programmes. These rules were notified for promoting generation, purchase and consumption of green energy including through waste-to-energy plants. It also enables a simplified procedure for the open access to green power. Singh chaired a meeting with Industry and other stakeholders in New Delhi on Green Energy Open Access Rules, an official statement said. "The minister exhorts industry leaders to set targets for going green. He called upon the industry leaders to set targets for going green and take advantage of the provisions of Green Energy Open Access Rules to get green power at reasonable rates," the ministry of power said. The Green Energy Open Access Rules 2022, Singh said, are a major step towards India cutting emissions by

Yogi govt launches Bijli Mitra initiative to stop electricity theft in UP

It is notable that the state government is taking strict measures to stop electricity theft along with providing uninterrupted power supply to every family

Torrent Power incorporates two wholly-owned subsidiaries TU9, TU13

Torrent Power on Thursday said it has incorporated two wholly-owned subsidiaries -- Torrent Urja 9 Pvt Ltd (TU9) and Torrent Urja 13 Pvt Ltd (TU13) -- for carrying out business in the power sector including renewables. "Company has incorporated a WOS (wholly owned subsidiary) namely 'Torrent Urja 9 Private Limited' (TU9) on April 26, 2023," a BSE filing said. TU9 is incorporated in India and registered with the Registrar of Companies, Gujarat at Ahmedabad on April 26, 2023 and is yet commence its business operations. It stated that the TU9 is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company. TU9 is incorporated with an objective to carry on the business of generation, transmission, distribution, purchase, procurement, sale, trading, import, export or otherwise deal in all forms of electrical power and energy including non-conventional and renewable sources of energy. TU9 has 10,000 equity shares of Rs 10 each with paid up share capital of Rs 1,00,000. Another BSE filing stated that the .

Power Min revises framework to supply cheapest power lot first to consumers

The government has revised the framework for electricity supply to provide the cheapest power lot first to consumers and help state utilities to meet demand in a cost-effective manner. The power ministry has revised the structure of the Day-Ahead National level Merit Order Despatch Mechanism to lower the overall cost of electricity generation, which will translate into lower power prices for consumers, an official statement said Wednesday. As per the revised mechanism, the cheapest generating resources (power) across the country will be despatched (supplied) first to meet the system demand. The gains out of the proposed Day-Ahead National Merit Order Dispatch Mechanism would be shared between generating stations and their consumers. This will result in increased annual savings for electricity consumers. The existing mechanism of merit order dispatch in real-time was made operational in April 2019. The mechanism optimised the total variable cost of generation pan-India while meeting

Orient Green Power loss narrows to nearly Rs 19 cr in March quarter

Orient Green Power Company on Thursday posted a consolidated net loss of Rs 18.97 crore in the March quarter on the back of higher expenses. The consolidated net loss of the company was Rs 32.35 crore in the year-ago period, a BSE filing stated. The company's total income stood at Rs 46.45 crore during the quarter as against Rs 40.20 crore a year ago. The total expense of the firm rose to Rs 71.99 crore during the period under review from Rs 70.88 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year. The consolidated net loss also narrowed to Rs 33.33 crore in 2022-23 as compared with Rs 35.78 crore in the previous fiscal. "The current fiscal is a moderate one in terms of wind availability with a dip in generation. This is expected to be recouped from an early onset of wind season next year," T Shivaraman, Managing Director and CEO, said in the statement. The previous year witnessed a one-time income of Rs 2,465 lakh due to resumption in REC (renewable energy certificates) trad

Electricity demand hits record as heat boosts cooling device usage

The India Meteorological Department has forecast a hotter summer in parts of the nation, with temperatures already crossing 44C (111F) at some places

Himachal Power Board to spend Rs 156 cr to modernise electricity supply

The Himachal Pradesh Power Board on Wednesday said it will spend about Rs 156 crore to modernise and strengthen the electricity supply system in Hamirpur -- the home district of chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. According to Rajesh Kumar, superintending engineer of HP Power Board, Hamirpur, an estimate of Rs 156 crore has been prepared for strengthening and modernisation of the power supply system in the district. The funds would be spent on the construction of new electrical sub-stations as well as modernisation of transformers and lines and many other works, he said, adding that once the modernisation plan is implemented, the district will stop facing any power supply related problems. He informed that a provision of Rs 5.54 crore has been made for a 33-KV power sub-station at Ukhli and Rs 7.87 crore has been sanctioned for the construction of a 33-KV electric sub-station in Saloni. Similarly, a 33-KV sub-station will be constructed in Danddu at a cost of about Rs 8.80 ...

L-G's approval to extend power subsidy pending; people will suffer: Atishi

Delhi Power Minister Atishi said power subsidy to nearly 46 lakh people in the city will cease from Friday onwards as Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena is yet to clear the file to extend the subsidy to consumers. In what could emerge as the latest flashpoint between the city government and the Lt Governor office, the minister said she has sought a meeting with Saxena over the issue but there has been no response. The subsidy we give to 46 lakh people will stop from today. From Monday onwards, people will get inflated bills without subsidy," she said in a press conference here. The minister said the Delhi Cabinet has approved the extension of power subsidy for the year 2023-24 but the file is still pending in the LG office. Till the file is approved we can't give subsidy. I even sought time from the LG office to discuss the matter but it's been more than 24 hours and I have not been given time. The file has also not come back yet," she alleged. Atishi said that the file was sent a few

Adani Power begins electricity supply from Godda plant to Bangladesh

Adani Power on Sunday said that it has begun supplying electricity from its plant in Godda in Jharkhand to Bangladesh. Adani Power Ltd (APL), a part of the diversified Adani Group, has commissioned the first 800 MW ultra-super-critical thermal power generation unit at Godda in Jharkhand. The plant has started with supplying 748 MW of power to Bangladesh, a company statement said. The electricity supplied from Godda will significantly improve the situation in the neighbouring country as it will replace expensive power generated from liquid fuel, bringing down the average cost of power purchased, it stated. The Godda Power Plant is a strategic asset in the India-Bangladesh's long-standing relationship, said S B Khyalia, CEO of Adani Power, in the statement. It is the first power plant in the country, which has started its operations from Day One with 100 per cent Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD), SCR and Zero Water Discharge, it stated. In November 2017, Bangladesh Power Development

27,000 ckm of power transmission lines to be added by 2024-25: Govt

This addition has been proposed in the Inter State Transmission system (ISTS) network at 220kV and above voltage level

Govt sets criteria for allocation of power from central pool to states, UTs

Electricity from the central pool will not be allocated to states and UTs which will impose taxes on clean energy projects, impede the inter-state flow of power and have not cleared subsidy dues on electricity tariff, according to an official order. The Ministry of Power in an office order also stated that the power from the central pool will not be allocated to those states which have regulatory assets. Regulatory assets come into existence when power regulators acknowledge that the tariffs imposed on electricity consumers do not adequately cover the power purchase costs of distribution companies (discoms). Certain aspects will be examined whenever a request will be received from any state/union territory (UT) for allocation of power from the unallocated quota of Central Generating Stations, the order dated March 31, 2023, said. The ministry will take into account non-creation of regulatory assets and timely payment of subsidy declared, if any, in the consumer tariffs by the state

Delhi government extends power subsidy scheme for another year: Minister

Delhi cabinet in its meeting on Tuesday approved extending the power subsidy scheme for next one year, despite "conspiracies" to stop it, Power minister Atishi said in a press conference. The people of Delhi will continue to get free electricity on monthly consumption of 200 units. Those using 201-400 units will get a 50 per cent subsidy. Applications received for power subsidy from October till now will be considered valid till April 2024, said the minister. "The decision comes despite efforts by the BJP and the Lieutenant Governor to stop the scheme," said the minister, who had earlier claimed that attempts were being made to stop free electricity provided by the Kejriwal government to the farmers and lawyers. In the wake of her allegations, the BJP had accused her of lying that farmers were getting free power supply and claimed they were receiving bills of thousands of rupees due to fixed charges. In a statement, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal thanked the people of Delhi

Nepal seeks to sign electricity deal with India during Prachanda's visit

Nepal is keen to sign a 25-year agreement with India on selling its surplus power to the neighbouring country during Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda's expected visit to New Delhi. Though the official date of Prachanda's visit to India is yet to be announced, the Kathmandu Post newspaper, quoting Nepali officials, reported on Sunday that the prime minister is likely to travel to New Delhi after the second week of April. However, the two sides have yet to announce the dates, it said. We are preparing a proposal for the Indian side on the 25-year agreement. But a lot also depends on whether the Indian side agrees to include our proposal in the agenda, the report quoted a senior official at the energy ministry as saying. Dinesh Ghimire, secretary at the ministry, said the issue of the long-term inter-governmental agreement was under discussion at the ministry but was yet to be forwarded to Nepal's foreign ministry to make it an agenda item ahead of the prime minister's ...

Free electricity, jobs for unemployed if AAP forms govt in Assam: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday promised free electricity and jobs for all youths in Assam if his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is voted to power in the Northeastern state. He also claimed the AAP government changed the face of Delhi in seven years, and that nothing but dirty politics took place in Assam, even though BJP has been in power in the state for the same duration. AAP governments in Delhi and Punjab are giving free electricity to their states, and it will be the same in Assam, too, if the party forms government, Kejriwal said at a rally here. He promised jobs for all unemployed youths of Assam if AAP is voted to power, adding that the party has given employment to 12 lakh people in Delhi in seven years, and 28,000 people in one year in Punjab. Kejriwal also assured of providing piped water to all households of Guwahati within a year of the AAP government in the state. "AAP came to power in Delhi in 2015 and the BJP here in 2016. Today, we have changed the face of

DVC registers 'highest' power generation at 43.32 bn units in FY23

Damodar Valley Corporation achieved the highest power generation in its 75 years of existence, with a 6.5-per cent on-year rise in 2022-23 to 43.32 billion units, which mostly came from thermal sources, company officials said. It also registered a robust 29 per cent growth in power sales to Rs 24,432 crore in 2022-23 over the preceding fiscal, aided by tariff revision and a central scheme, they said. The plant load factor, too, stood at a record 74.23 per cent as against 68.96 per cent in the 2021-22 fiscal. "In FY'23, billing was Rs 24,432 crore, which is higher by around Rs 5,461 crore over the previous year. Apart from higher generation, regulatory approvals of tariff revision and the Union government's Late Payment Surcharge (LPS) scheme also boosted revenue collection," DVC Chairman Ram Naresh Singh told PTI. DVC Member Finance Arup Sarkar said billing had risen by about 29 per cent and realisation was higher by 23 per cent in FY'23 to Rs 23,413 crore. The figures are subject

Electricity consumption dips 0.74% to 127.52 bn units in March: Govt data

India's power consumption dipped 0.74 per cent to 127.52 billion units (BU) in March this year for the first time in 31 months, according to government data. The contraction in power consumption is mainly because of widespread rains due to western disturbances in the country and low temperature in March. Last contraction in power consumption was recorded in August in 2020, when it declined by over two per cent to 109.21 BU, compared to 111.52 BU in August 2019. Power consumption had slumped in 2020 due to the impact of lockdown restrictions imposed to curb the spread of deadly coronavirus. Experts are hopeful that power consumption and demand would grow April onwards, due to further improvement in economic activities as well as rise in temperature. In March 2022, power consumption stood at 128.47 billion units (BU), higher than the 120.63 BU in the same month of 2021, the data showed. Electricity consumption in March 2020 stood at 98.95 BU. However, the data showed that the peak

Ford's upcoming electric pickup truck will drive itself, says CEO

Ford Motor Co. plans to make driver-assistance features central to the next electric F-Series pickup - so much so that you might be able to take a snooze at 60 miles per hour

Mizoram plans to set up 5 hydro power plants of 800 MW capacity

The Mizoram government has prepared Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for five hydro-electric power plants in the state with a total generation capacity of around 800 MW, Power & Electricity Department officials said on Tuesday.

Hindustan Power Exchange trade crosses 2.5 bn unit mark in 8 months

Hindustan Power Exchange (HPX) on Monday said that it has crossed the trade milestone of 2.5 billion units within eight months of its launch. "HPX, promoted by PTC India, BSE and ICICI Bank, has successfully crossed the milestone of 2.5 Billion Units of power traded within 8 months of its launch," an HPX statement said. HPX was able to cross this landmark with a rapid increase in trade volume across contingency, weekly, monthly, and Long Duration Contracts (LDC) segments, it explained. The exchange recently concluded monthly long-duration contracts of 453.7 MU (million units) which will be delivered in the months of March and April 2023 and is a part of the above volume. HPX raced to 2.5 BU within a short span of 67 days with a daily average volume of 18 MU, post crossing the historic landmark of 1 BU, which happened within six months of its launch, it stated. This is the fastest increase in volume for the initial few months of the existence of any of the power exchanges operating

NTPC logs nearly 12% growth in electricity generation in April-Feb FY23

State-owned power giant NTPC on Monday said that it has logged nearly 12 per cent growth in electricity generation to 364.2 billion units in April-February period this fiscal compared to year ago. "NTPC Ltd registered 11.92 per cent growth in generation i.e. 364.2 BU in FY23 till February month, compared to the country's generation growth of 9.56 per cent," a company statement said. NTPC continues to demonstrate an increasing trend in coal production from its captive mines. It stated that the NTPC Captive Coal production stood 2.6 Million Metric tonnes(MMT) whereas the despatch stood 2.5 MMT, thus registered a robust growth of 80 per per cent and 87 per cent respectively, in February vis--vis previous corresponding year. On a cumulative basis, the coal production crossed 20 MMT in FY23, it stated. NTPC has taken various steps to augment the coal production from its coal mines. The engagement of high-capacity dumpers as well as an increase in the existing fleet size of excavators h