Page 31 - Energy Sector

CRISIL analysis: Oil, gas use to see 10-15% rise in FY24 amid sector growth

The trends indicate a positive trajectory across various segments of natural gas consumption

Suzlon bags 300 MW project from Apraava Energy to supply wind turbines

Renewables solutions provider Suzlon on Thursday said it has bagged a 300 MW wind energy project from Apraava Energy. Suzlon will instal 100 Wind Turbine Generators (WTGs) with a Hybrid Lattice Tubular (HLT) tower, and a rated capacity of 3 MW each at the client's site in Karnataka, a company statement said. Suzlon Group won a new order for developing a 300 MW wind power project for Apraava Energy Private Ltd, as per the statement. As part of the agreement, Suzlon will supply wind turbines and supervise the project, including commissioning. Suzlon will also undertake comprehensive operations and maintenance services post-commissioning. "Apraava has been a long term, repeat customer for us and we are delighted to partner again with them," Suzlon Group Vice Chairman Girish Tanti said in the statement. Suzlon Group Chief Executive Officer J P Chalasani said, "While the project itself is part of the SECI (tranche XIV) auction, the electricity generated from this project will be used

Troubled Meenakshi Energy Ltd becomes wholly-owned arm of Vedanta

Anil Agarwal-promoted Vedanta on Wednesday said Meenakshi Energy Ltd has become its wholly-owned subsidiary. The National Company Law Tribunal had earlier approved Vedanta's acquisition of Meenakshi Energy for Rs 1,440 crore. "Meenakshi has allotted 10,00,000 fully paid-up equity shares of Rs 10 each amounting to equity capital of Rs 1 crore to the company, consequent to which, Meenakshi has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company with effect from December 27," Vedanta said in a regulatory filing. Vedanta had earlier said that it will acquire bankrupt thermal power company Meenakshi Energy for Rs 1,440 crore through an insolvency process. "This letter is in continuation to the stock exchange announcements made by Vedanta Limited (the company) vide its letters dated August 11, 2023 and January 18, 2023 pursuant to Regulation 30 of Listing Regulations regarding the acquisition of Meenakshi Energy Ltd (Meenakshi) under Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process in accordance with

Adani Group announces key partnerships, project wins in energy sector

The group's transmission entity, Adani Energy Solutions, said it has entered into a smart meter joint venture with Esyasoft Holdings Ltd.'s smart metering solutions arm

Nifty FMCG, Nifty Energy: Sell on rise amid likely correction ahead

The anticipated profit booking in Nifty FMCG is expected to continue until the index reaches support levels at 53,681 and 53,100, says Ravi Nathani

Vedanta approves dividend, Siemens India to set up energy business arm

Vedanta said its board of directors have approved a second interim dividend of Rs 11 per share, for the Financial Year 2023-24 amounting to Rs 4,089 crore

Average power purchase cost increases by 71 paise per unit during FY22-23

Average power purchase cost increased by 71 paise per unit during FY22-23 due to a rise in various overheads like transmission and distribution rates, Parliament was informed on Thursday. On the rise in power cost due to increased use of imported coal, Union Power Minister RK Singh, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, said, "Average power purchase cost increased by 71 paise only between FY22 and FY23. This is because of increase in various costs including an increase in transmission and distribution costs". The minister explained that with the rise in electricity demand from July 2021 onwards, the consumption of coal in thermal power plants increased. The supply of domestic coal on a daily basis was less than consumption, which resulted in the depletion of coal stock and stocks at plants came down from 28.7 million tonnes (MT) as of June 30, 2021, to about 8.1 million tonnes (MT) as of September 30, 2021, he added. Therefore, in December 2021, the Ministry of Power advised state

NMET-funded 11 mineral blocks auctioned, six under process: Coal minister

The government on Wednesday said as many as 11 mineral blocks funded by the National Mineral Exploration Trust have been auctioned while six other blocks are under the sale process. The National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) was set up in 2015 to boost regional and detailed mineral exploration activities. "Since inception NMET has funded 270 mineral exploration projects, out of which 162 projects have been completed and the remaining 108 projects are ongoing. "Out of 162 completed projects, 11 projects have been auctioned by the respective state governments and six projects are in pipeline," Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. Of the 11 projects, three are in Odisha, two each in Rajasthan and Maharashtra, and one each in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka, he said. Of the six NMET blocks under the auction process, five are in Tamil Nadu and one in Karnataka. NMET receives proposals from exploration agencies and

State-owned Coal India's capex rises 7.6% to Rs 10,492 cr in Apr-Nov period

State-owned CIL on Tuesday said that its capital expenditure increased by 7.6 per cent to Rs 10,492 crore in the first eight months of the ongoing financial year. The public sector enterprise's captital expenditure was Rs 9,751 crore in the year-ago period, Coal India Ltd (CIL) said in a BSE filing. "CIL's capital expenditure increased by Rs 741 crore in eight months ending November FY 2024 to Rs 10,492 crore," the company said in a statement. Coal India accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal output. "We are striving to achieve around 80 per cent of the current financial year's total targeted capex of Rs 16,500 crore by the third quarter ending December," a senior executive of the company said. CIL's intensified focus on strengthening coal evacuation infrastructure in its mining areas saw the capex going up to Rs 3,247 crore, representing 31 per cent of the entire capex, till November in the current fiscal. "Setting up railway sidings and corridors at Rs 1,842 crore; ...

The safe bet of underground mining

In the face of coal's challenges, its underground mining can prove to be a promising and environmentally conscious path to safeguarding India's energy future

Open access solar capacity grows 21% to 907 MW in Sept quarter: Mercom

The country recorded a 20.6 per cent rise in new installations of open access solar capacity to 907 MW in the September quarter, according to Mercom India. India had added 752 MW (Mega Watt) of open access solar capacities in the year-ago period, the research firm said in its 'Q3 2023 Solar Open Access Market Report'. On a quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q) basis, the capacity addition was 36 per cent higher than the 666 MW in the April-June quarter, the report said on Monday. As of September 2023, the country's cumulative installed open access solar capacity was 11 GW (Giga Watt). Under the open access model, an individual or a company can set up a green energy plant and sell the clean power generated in the open market to discoms or private consumers. "The drop in solar project costs attracted consumer attention this quarter. Power purchase agreements that were on the back burner are now being signed," Priya Sanjay, Managing Director at Mercom India, said. Emphasis on greening products

Explosion rocks hydrocarbon refinery in Iran's special economic zone

Rescue teams have temporarily withdrawn from the spot due to the constant threat of further explosions. No casualties have been reported in the incident, according to IRNA report

Bimal Dayal appointed as CEO of Adani Infra, will oversee energy projects

Adani Energy Solutions' transmission business chief Bimal Dayal has been appointed as the CEO of Adani Infrastructure India. Dayal will oversee the implementation of the pipeline of infrastructure projects in thermal, renewable energy and green hydrogen by Adani Infrastructure India, Adani Energy Solutions Ltd (AESL) said in a statement on Friday. The current management team of AESL led by Anil Sardana, Managing Director, and Kandarp Patel, who has been given charge of all verticals of AESL, will drive the ambitious growth of transmission, distribution and smart metre segments. The leadership changes have been made to support enhanced growth of Adani Infrastructure business, the statement said. This decision has been duly approved by the board of directors of AESL. "With this executive-level transition, the Adani portfolio of companies has taken another significant step towards strengthening their resolve to grow the infrastructure business at an aggressive rate of over 15 per cen

Woodside in talks with Santos to form $52 billion Australian gas giant

Santos says it's exploring a range of alternative structural options

Rooftop solar installations rise 34.7% to 431 MW in Jul-Sep: Mercom

The rooftop solar installations in India registered a 34.7 per cent year-on-year jump to 431 MW during July-September 2023, aided by a fall in module prices, Mercom India said. The rooftop solar installations were at 320 megawatt (MW) during the three-month period of 2022, the research firm said in a report. The rooftop solar capacity addition was also higher at 1.3 gigawatt (GW) in the first nine months of 2023, compared to 1.2 GW in January-September 2022. India's cumulative rooftop solar capacity reached 10.1 gigawatts (GW) at the end of September 30, 2023, the 'Q3 2023 Mercom India Rooftop Solar Report' said. "We are starting to see a surge in momentum in rooftop installations. The significant drop in module prices has reached a turning point, sparking increased procurement activities that offer attractive returns for rooftop solar investments. We foresee two very robust quarters coming up," said Raj Prabhu, CEO of Mercom Capital Group. The majority of installations were in th

India's energy needs to double by end of decade, says Mukesh Ambani

India, the world's third-largest energy consumer, will see its energy needs doubling by the end of this decade as it witnesses an unprecedented explosion of economic growth, the nation's richest man Mukesh Ambani said on Saturday. Speaking at the convocation of Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU), Ambani, who heads the nation's most valuable company Reliance Industries Ltd, said the Indian economy will become a USD 40 trillion economy by 2047 from the current USD 3.5 trillion. "And to fuel this growth, the country will need enormous amounts of energy - clean, green energy that won't choke mother nature for the sake of human progress," he said. "In fact, India's energy requirement is set to double just by the end of this decade." Ambani is pivoting its largest fossil-fuel-dominated conglomerate to clean energy, investing billions of dollars in building giga factories to produce new energy ecosystems as well as generate renewable energy, and produce green hydrogen. Addressing t

Sugar to remain mainstay of business amid ethanol expansion: BCML

Sugar major Balrampur Chinni Mills Ltd (BCML) said that sugar will continue to be the primary focus despite expanding its ethanol production by 50 per cent to approximately 33 crore litres this season between November and April. A top company official revealed that the company has no immediate plans to venture into sugar retail. "Our goal is to strike a balance between sugar and ethanol production to maximize profitability and ensure sustainable growth, based on market conditions," BCML Promoter and Business Lead Avantika Saraogi told PTI. She is the daughter of BCML Chairman and Managing Director Vivek Saraogi. "The company foresees a 33:66 ratio between ethanol/alcohol and sugar for the year. Last year, the share of ethanol revenue was about 28 per cent," she said. BCML's decision to optimize its product mix is driven by a combination of factors, including fluctuating sugar prices and the government's ethanol blending policy. Saraogi pointed out that the country's sugar consump

Tamil Nadu in process of developing green hydrogen hub: Minister Rajaa

Tamil Nadu was leading the green energy transition revolution and was in the process of developing a green hydrogen hub, Industries Minister T R B Rajaa said here on Tuesday. At the India EV Conclave event organised on the theme 'Electrifying Tomorrow: Navigating the EV Transition", he said 50 per cent of installed energy capacity in the state was green and the government was targeting to increase it to 75 per cent. "Tamil Nadu is leading the green energy transition revolution. The government's commitment and efforts were acknowledged with the 'UN Promotion Award 2023 for Excellence in Scaling Up Energy Transition Investments' at the recent World Investment Forum held in the UAE," he said. "We are in the process of developing a green hydrogen hub. If we also have a robust electric vehicle charging infrastructure, the transition from fossil-fuel dependency to green energy sources and renewables will benefit all," the minister said. He said leading electric vehicle players such as Ol

Tata Power gets 1st set of BESS from Tata AutoComp for energy storage park

Tata Power on Saturday said it has received the first set of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) from TATA AutoComp for its energy storage park. These BESS will be deployed at a 120 MW energy storage park in Chhattisgarh, Tata Power said in a statement. Tata AutoComp, a leading auto components maker, also inaugurated its manufacturing facility for BESS. The Li-ion-based BESS will be manufactured under its joint venture Tata AutoComp Gotion Green Energy Solutions Pvt Ltd. "With the rise of renewables, energy storage has become critical to address the intermittency of solar and wind energy resources. We shall integrate these BESS at our renewable sites to enable round-the-clock supply of clean power and ensure a speedier green energy transition," Tata Power CEO Praveer Sinha said. Spread over 22,227 square feet, the newly inaugurated BESS facility will have a capacity of 6 GWH (gigawatt hour) and will serve the emerging energy storage industry. Tata AutoComp had earlier entered in

Siemens AG to buy 18% stake in Indian joint venture for $2.28 billion

Once the demerged entity is listed, Siemens Energy is to ultimately acquire a controlling stake in the demerged energy business