Page 3 - Energy Industry

Industry body seeks PLI expansion, cut in GST on batteries, charging infra

Industry body India Energy Storage (IESA) has demanded that the government reduce the goods and services tax (GST) on batteries and electric vehicles charging infrastructure services as well battery swapping. Ahead of the India Energy Storage Week 2024 (IESW) in New Delhi from July 1-5, 2024, the IESA also suggested expansion of production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes for battery components and battery raw materials processing industry, in a wishlist submitted to the government, a statement said. "Lithium ion batteries current GST rate is 18 per cent and other batteries is 28 per cent. We want all batteries to come under the 18 per cent GST bracket. Charging infra services and battery swapping services should be reduced to 5 or 18 per cent from the existing 28 per cent," IESA President Rahul Walawalkar said in the statement. He lauded the government for the initiatives like advanced chemistry cell battery (ACC-PLI), Auto-PLI, Auto Components PLI, etc. He suggested further expansi

Energy ministries: Delicate balance between energy security, rising demand

Rising energy demand could tilt India's energy basket towards fossil fuels from coal to oil, natural gas.

Reliance's tech pact with Norway's Nel to accelerate new energy investments

Reliance Industries Ltd's technology partnership with Norway's Nel ASA will help accelerate its new energy investments, including in the production of green hydrogen that will aid billionaire Mukesh Ambani's pivot towards green energy. Reliance (RIL) on May 21 entered into a technology licensing agreement that provides the company with an exclusive license for Nel's alkaline electrolysers in India and also allows it to manufacture the Norwegian company's alkaline electrolysers for captive purposes globally. "We see this as a win-win for RIL and Nel as it supports RIL's ambition to accelerate its new energy ambitions, build an integrated energy vertical (new energy powering existing energy investments) and decarbonise the portfolio," brokerage Morgan Stanley said in a note. For Nel, it provides a revenue stream that it could not access on a standalone basis in India and may provide a new revenue stream that will not solely depend on the company's ability to execute on securing new ..

Supporting the Government Clean Energy Initiative, Mercury EV-Tech breakthrough Hydrogen Storage Partnership with Hydrogen Horizons Ltd

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Eyeing $1 bn revenue, Happiest Minds revamps organisational structure

Each new industry group will be led by a head who will frame the strategy, business plan, go-to-market, sales, domain capability, and overall customer and people experience

Adani Energy Solutions appoints Kunjal Mehta as CFO with effect from Apr 1

Adani Energy Solutions Ltd on Monday announced the appointment of Kunjal Mehta as its Chief Financial Officer with effect from April 1, 2024. The development follows the resignation of incumbent Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Rohit Soni on Monday, Adani Energy Solutions Ltd (AESL) said in an exchange filing. "Kunjal Mehta, presently serving as CFO within Adani Portfolio of Companies, will assume the role of Chief Financial Officer of the company (a key managerial personnel, categorised as senior management personnel), commencing from April 1, 2024," the company said. Soni will relinquish his position as CFO of the company from the business hours on March 31, 2024. Soni will assume the new role of CFO at Adani New Industries Ltd (ANIL), the green hydrogen arm of Adani Enterprises, the filing said. While accepting the resignation letter from Soni, the company's board also approved the appointment of Kunjal Mehta as the new CFO-designate. Mehta presently serves as CFO of Adani Electr

Coal production to touch 1 bn tonnes for first time: Union minister Joshi

Union Minister for Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday said for the first time, the country's coal production is going to cross 1 billion tonne. India is going to stop the import of substitutable coal from next year, Joshi said at the second State Mining Ministers' Conference here. The union minister said there are going to be many difficulties in the coming days as the country will have to do gasification of coal. "Along with these things (difficulties), as far as coal is concerned, this time we are going to cross production of one billion tonnes. This is happening for the first time... I am assuring the country that we are going to stop the import of all substitutable coal from next year," Joshi said. According to him, like petroleum and natural gas, the mining ministry is also very important for the country's economy to grow and become the third largest in the world. Further, he said that the mining revenue of Odisha was Rs 5,000 crore in 2013-14 and after the auction was .

Reliance to commission new energy giga complex in Gujarat this year

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Ltd will commission a new energy giga complex in Gujarat in the second half of 2024, the company said in an earnings statement and investor call. Reliance is building a giga complex spread over 5,000 acres in Jamnagar in Gujarat. The complex comprises five giga factories for photovoltaic panels, fuel cell system, green hydrogen, energy storage and power electronics. "On track to commence new energy facilities in phases this year," the company said in a post-third-quarter earnings call with investors. Post announcement of third-quarter earnings on Friday, Ambani stated that the "New Energy Giga Complex is all set to be commissioned in the second half of CY24. I am confident that Reliance's New Energy business will play a pivotal role in the global movement for adoption of cleaner fuels." The Dhirubhai Ambani Green Energy Giga Complex will be among the largest integrated renewable energy manufacturing facilities in the world. Reliance

Pawan Munjal-backed Exponent raises $26.4 million in Series B round

The fund would help the firm to deploy 1,000 e-pumps (charging stations) and have 25,000 EVs powered by Exponent by 2025

Energy stocks boost India's blue-chips; financials and IT caps gain

Small- and mid-caps have gained 37% and 28% in 2023 so far, compared to 7.4% rise in the Nifty

The silver-solar connection

Climate finance and advances in solar technology will shape the future of the energy industry

Repos Energy to raise Rs 100-300 cr in Series A funding by June next year

Energy distribution startup Repos Energy plans to raise Rs 100-300 crore in Series A funding round for building technology and enhancing geographical reach, its co-founder Aditi Bhonsale Walunj has said. The company is expecting to raise the capital in the next 6-8 months, and is in discussion with various investors including private equity as well VC investors, she said. The Pune-based firm, a supplier of diesel-dispensing browser for door-step delivery to commercial buyers for fuel, has raised Rs 50-60 crore so far in both equity and debt, Walunj said. Going ahead we are planning to raise around Rs 100-300 crore in our Series A round depending upon the right valuation that we get and the requirement at that time, Walunj said. She said the capital raise could come from VCs, PE funds, HNIs or through a strategic partnership and the talks are going on with all of them. The funds are going to be utilised primarily for expansion of geographical reach along with building technology

Diversity best bet, no one-size-fits-all solution to energy transition: PM

We are perhaps the first among the G20 countries to have achieved our climate targets nine years ahead of the scheduled date, he said

Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin discusses energy industry prospects at Energy panel

An Energy Panel was held as part of the XXVI St Petersburg International Economic Forum and Rosneft's Chief Executive Director Igor Sechin gave the keynote speech at the event.

There two NSE indices look bullish on charts amid market volatility

Considering the bullish trend in the Nifty Energy Index, the recommended trading strategy would be to buy on dips

Essar Oil appoints corporate governance expert Tony Fountain to board

He will chair board's health, safety, security and environment committee and be a member of another one

Indian Energy Exchange commences trade on high price day ahead market

Indian Energy Exchange on Friday said it has commenced trade in the High Price Day Ahead Market segment to provide a new avenue of high variable cost electricity generators like imported coal and gas-based projects. "IEX, India's premier energy exchange, today announced the commencement of trade in the High Price Day Ahead Market (HP-DAM) segment," an IEX statement said. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) in its order dated February 16, 2023, approved the introduction of HP-DAM in the Integrated Day Ahead Market segment in the power exchange. This will provide a new avenue to the high variable cost generators which may not have been able to participate in DAM due to the existing price ceiling of Rs 12/kWh or unit, it explained. The HP-DAM segment was launched by Union Power Minister RK Singh during a webinar held on March 9, 2023. Speaking at the launch of HP-DAM, the minister said that it is a step towards reforming the evolving power market by meeting the curre

Power Grid Corporation board approves investments of about Rs 4,071 crore

State-owned Power Grid Corporation's board has approved investments of nearly Rs 4,071 crore for two transmission projects in the country. "Board of Directors of POWERGRID in their meeting held on 6th March 2023, have accorded investment approvals," a BSE filing said. The board has approved the transmission system for Kurnool Wind Energy Zone/ Solar Energy Zone (AP) -- Part-A & Part-B -- at an estimated cost of Rs 3,546.94 crore, scheduled to be commissioned by November 2024. It has also approved the Eastern Region Expansion Scheme-XXIX (ERES-XXIX) at an estimated cost of Rs 524.04 crore, scheduled to be commissioned by November 2025.

Genesis, IGL to invest Rs 110 cr to set up meter manufacturing plant

Genesis, an arm of Vikas Lifecare Limited (VLF), has inked a pact with Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) to set up a meter manufacturing plant at an estimated cost of Rs 110 crore. The unit will be set up through a joint venture company, VLF said in a statement on Monday. Genesis Gas Solutions Pvt Ltd (Genesis) has entered into a JV agreement with IGL to set up a smart meter manufacturing plant with a capex of Rs 110 crore, it added. "The unit will manufacture diaphragm gas meters equipped with IoT technologies like LoRa, LoRaWAN, Bluetooth, NFC, NB-IoT etc.," the statement said. Initially, the smart meter plant will have an installed capacity to manufacture one million meters annually. In the JV, IGL and Genesis will have equity participation in the ratio of 51:49. The unit is expected to be operational by April 2024. Vikas Garg, Chairman of Vikas Group & Director Genesis, said the JV will be a game changer. It will also aim to tap the demand in the international market, besides .

Thermax profit after tax up 59% y-o-y to Rs 126 cr in Dec quarter

Energy and environment solutions provider Thermax on Tuesday posted a 59 per cent jump in its net profit to Rs 126 crore in the December quarter mainly due to higher revenues. "Profit after tax (PAT or net profit) stood at Rs 126 crore, up 59 per cent as compared to Rs 79 crore in the corresponding quarter of FY 2021-22," a company statement said. For the third quarter of FY 2022-23, Thermax posted a consolidated operating revenue of Rs 2,049 crore in the quarter compared to Rs 1,615 crore in the same period a year ago. The profitability was driven by good performance in all three segments - Energy, Environment and Chemical; last year's margins were affected by higher commodity and freight costs, which have now stabilised, the company said. As of December 31, 2022, Thermax Group had an order balance of Rs 9,859 crore. The order booking for the quarter was 10 per cent lower at Rs 2,204 crore compared to Rs 2,462 crore in the same period year ago. The order book last year was highe