Page 97 - Environment
SECI again extends deadline till May 31 for 3-GW manufacturing-linked solar bids
State-owned Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) Tuesday again extended bids submission deadline for manufacturing-linked 3-gigawatt (GW) solar power tender till May 31. On April 22, SECI had extended the last date of bid submission for tender till May 14. "This has reference to...RfS (request for selection) selection of solar power developers for setting up of 3 GW ISTS (inter state transmission system)-connected solar PV power plant linked setting up of 1.5 GW (per annum) solar manufacturing plant under global competitive bidding (phase-II)," a SECI notice on its website said. According to the notice, the last date of bid submission is extended till May 31, 2019 (till 1600 hours). The techno-commercial bid opening shall be carried out from 1700 hours on the same day. Earlier, an industry source had said, "No bidder submitted bids for the tender on Monday (April 22). Thus, SECI had no alternative but to extend the deadline. The main issue is capping of tariff under the tender. ...
Talettutayi Solar emerges lowest bidder in auction with Rs 2.87/unit tariff
Talettutayi Solar Projects Three Private Ltd has emerged as the lowest bidder in an auction conducted by Solar Energy Corporation of India, quoting a tariff of Rs 2.87 per unit on Tuesday. "Out of the 250 MW solar energy projects on the block, Talettutayi Solar bagged 50 MW at a tariff of Rs 2.87 per unit followed by Tata Power Renewable Energy quoting Rs 2.88 per unit for 100 MW at Dondaicha Solar Park in district Dhule of Maharashtra," a source said. Talettutayi Solar is based out of Gurugram. The source also informed that state-run NTPC also won 100MW in this auction quoting a tariff of Rs 2.91 per unit. According to a statement by NTPC, the company participated in the 250 MW tender floated by state-owned SECI for Dondaicha Solar Park. The company said in the reverse auction held on Tuesday, NTPC won 100 MW of solar capacities at a levelised tariff of Rs 2.91 per unit, applicable for 25 years. This solar project shall be set up by NTPC under EPC (engineering procurement and ...
'Fani had longest life span among tropical cyclones in the
Cyclone 'Fani', which pulverized parts of coastal Odisha on May 3, had the longest life span among tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal, an eminent meteorologist said Tuesday. "The elongated time period of the extremely severe cyclonic storm continued for eleven days in the sea and land put together and had the longest life span ever observed in the Bay of Bengal," said S C Sahu, former Director of the Meteorological Centre here. The peculiarity of this strong cyclonic storm was the persistence of its intensity till it crossed the coast and it did not weaken following interaction with land after crossing the coast close to Brahmagiri in Puri district, he said. Besides, it did not cause extreme heavy rainfall in Odisha as was anticipated, Sahu said, adding that the storm's surge in height, as reported by the locals at Satapada, was about ten feet while the wind speed was more than 200 km per hour. The cyclonic storm, which started as a low pressure near the equator on .
Germany's Merkel edges closer to Macron on 2050 climate plan
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she would like to join other European countries in aiming to eliminate virtually all greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, but the goal needs to be achievable. Merkel initially refused to join the initiative put forward last week by French President Emmanuel Macron and eight other EU countries, despite domestic pressure to do so. Merkel said at an international climate change meeting in Berlin on Tuesday that the idea will be put on her Cabinet's agenda and "the discussion is not about whether we can achieve it, but about how we can achieve it." She added that "if we can find a sensible answer, then we can join the initiative.
Gujarat Industries Power Co successfully bids for 100 MW solar power project in Gujarat
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Climate change creeps up on Wayanad, Cong leader says should be top of agenda for next MP
Wetlands are drying, hailstorms increasing, mangoes becoming sweeter and oranges taking on sour overtones, says a new report on the impact of climate change in Kerala's scenic hill district Wayanad. The report and its ramifications should be top of the agenda for Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Wayanad, said his colleague Jairam Ramesh. The report, titled "Sustainable Development Goals and Climate Resilient Strategies, Wayanad district", was released by Ramesh recently. "The agenda awaits the intervention of the new Wayanad MP," the former Environment minister and senior Congress leader told PTI, anticipating that Gandhi, who is contesting from Amethi and Wayanad, will represent the Kerala constituency in the Lok Sabha. Climate change and crisis in the farm sector were a dominant theme during the election campaign in Wayanad, devastated by floods that swept through the area and several other parts of Kerala last year. Major political ...
New plastic that could be fully recycled created
Scientists say they have created a next-generation plastic that can be fully recycled into new materials of any colour, shape, or form, without loss of performance or quality. As plastics contain various additives, like dyes, fillers, or flame retardants, very few plastics can be recycled without loss in performance or aesthetics, said researchers at the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). Even the most recyclable plastic, PET -- or polyethylene terephthalate -- is only recycled at a rate of 20-30 per cent, with the rest typically going to incinerators or landfills, where the carbon-rich material takes centuries to decompose. Now, a team of researchers at Berkeley Lab has designed a recyclable plastic that, like a Lego playset, can be disassembled into its constituent parts at the molecular level. Described in the journal Nature Chemistry, the plastic, called poly diketoenamine, or PDK, can be reassembled into a different shape, ...
Subduction increasing dissolved iron in Indian Ocean: Study
A group of researchers here claimed to have for the first time found that the subduction process in the Indian Ocean is also causing an increase in the dissolved iron which is beneficial for the growth of marine life. The study on the subduction phenomenon was jointly undertaken by the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, and Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO). Subduction is a geological process that takes place at convergent boundaries of tectonic plates where one plate moves under another and is forced to sink due to gravity into the earth's mantle. So far, dust particles, riverine inputs, continental margin sediments, extra-terrestrial inputs from meteorites and anthropogenic pollution sources were understood to be responsible for the dissolved iron in the ocean waters, NIO director Sunil Kumar Singh said. "But it has now been recorded only in the Indian Ocean that iron is coming from the subduction area, where the Indian plate is going down," ...
N. Korea demands release of cargo ship seized by US
North Korea on Tuesday demanded that the US should release a cargo ship seized on suspicions of violating UN sanctions, denouncing the seizure as an "outright denial" of the spirit of last year's first summit between leader Kim Jong-un and American President Donald Trump.
After the storm: Odisha village picks up pieces after Cyclone Fani
Just four coconut trees stand upright after the storm that was, still strong and unbending, quite like the people of this famed crafts village, despairing but resilient as they come to terms with the destruction Cyclone Fani left in its wake. Raghurajpur, home of Odisha's famous Pattachitra art, is a village ruined, priceless pieces of art washed away by the cyclone that stormed through the state on May 3, bringing down houses, trees -- and livelihoods. The crafts village, about 15 km from the coastal town of Puri, is also called Mini Odisha' and is a major tourist attraction. It is home to around 700 people of 140 families, each of which has an artist, many of them award winners. But the extremely severe storm has not taken away the essence of generosity of the people, now dependent on the staples of rice, jaggery and 'chura' from the state government. All they have left is the cluster of coconut trees -- that also provide the raw material they need for their craft -- still standing .
How methane-eating bacteria create 'green' fuel decoded
Scientists have identified an enzyme that helps some bacteria remove methane from the environment and convert it into a usable fuel -- paving the way for a creating a novel, sustainable source of energy. Known for their ability to methanotrophic bacteria have long fascinated researchers. A team from the Northwestern University in the US found that the enzyme responsible for the methane-methanol conversion catalyses this reaction at a site that contains just one copper ion. The finding could lead to newly designed, human-made catalysts that can convert methane -- a highly potent greenhouse gas -- to readily usable methanol with the same effortless mechanism. "The identity and structure of the metal ions responsible for catalysis have remained elusive for decades," said Amy C Rosenzweig, from Northwestern University. "Our study provides a major leap forward in understanding how bacteria methane-to-methanol conversion," Rosenzweig said in a statement. "By identifying the type of copper ..
ReNew Power Conferred LEED Gold Certification by US Green Building Council
/ -- Renewable energy leader's corporate office secures green building certification Joins select list of LEED Gold Certified buildings in India ReNew Power Ltd. ("ReNew Power"), India's leading renewable energy Independent Power Producer, has been conferred with the LEED Gold Certification by the US Green Buildings Council (USGBC). LEED (Leadership in Energy and Design) is one of the world's most sought after certification programmes and a globally recognized symbol for sustainable construction. Mr. Mahesh Ramanujam, President & CEO, USGBC, in his letter to Sumant Sinha, Chairman & Managing Director, ReNew Power, congratulated him on this achievement and appreciated ReNew for its role in upholding sustainability and demonstrating transformational leadership in the field of environment-friendly corporate offices. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/653741/ReNew_Power_New_Logo.jpg ) Mr. Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan, MD, APAC & Middle East, Green Business Certification ...
Shrinking Moon generating lunar quakes: Study
The Moon is shrinking as its interior cools -- getting over 50 metres skinnier through the last several hundred million years -- and causing quakes on the lunar surface, a study has found. Just as a grape wrinkles as it shrinks down to a raisin, the Moon gets wrinkles as it shrinks, researchers said. Unlike the flexible skin on a grape, the Moon's surface crust is brittle, so it breaks as the Moon shrinks, forming "thrust faults" where one section of crust is pushed up over a neighbouring part. "Our analysis gives the first evidence that these faults are still active and likely producing moonquakes today as the Moon continues to gradually cool and shrink," said Thomas Watters, senior scientist at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in the US. "Some of these quakes can be fairly strong, around five on the Richter scale," Watters said in a statement. These fault scarps resemble small stair-step shaped cliffs when seen from the lunar surface, typically tens of metres high and
Kanpur: Months after Kumbh Mela ends, Tannery owners still waiting for nod to reopen
Although Kumbh Mela ended on March 4, hundreds of tanneries in Kanpur are still closed. The tannery workers are now returning home or finding other means to sustain their livelihood.Tanneries were closed before the Kumbh Mela in January to stop sewage or industrial effluent flowing into the river Ganga and ensure that pilgrims could have a cleaner holy dip. However, the Kumbh Mela ended on March 4, and the tanneries were yet not opened as Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) did not issue the requisite clearance certificate.Tanning is a highly polluting industry with a host of chemicals and toxicants being discharged into the river causing immense pollution."We do not know for how long tanneries will remain closed, but losses are already running into crores. Labourers are returning to their villages as they are not getting any work. The government is not giving us any intimation as to how long these will remain closed," said Manoj Gupta, a tannery owner."I have no work since .
Diver finds plastic bag at bottom of Mariana Trench
An American undersea explorer who has completed what is claimed to be the deepest manned sea dive ever recorded, found a plastic bag and candy wrappers in the southern end of the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench.
Tar balls on Goa beaches may harm human beings: Study
The tar balls surfacing annually on Goa's beaches are home to pathogens that might be harmful to marine life and eventually to human beings through fish consumption, according to a new study. Scientists from the state-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) have been sampling water and sediments from Vagator and Morjim beaches in North Goa district and Cansaulim and Betul in South Goa district, which are hot-spots of tar balls arrival from the sea. The kind of pathogens (bacteria, virus or other micro-organisms that can cause disease) coming on the beaches due to tar balls are not good, NIO's senior scientist Rakhee Khandeparkar, who is heading the team conducting the research, told PTI. "It is indirectly changing the biota of marine waters, which might affect planktons, zooplanktons and thereby affect fish which we humans eat," she said. The NIO, a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has taken up a three-year ...
Researchers invent new concept to degrade polythene
Researchers from Botany department, Savitribai Phule Pune University have invented a new concept to degrade polythene.Researchers have found that polythene can also be degraded by Fungi. They have identified certain fungi with high polythene degradation potential from mangrove rhizosphere soil.Dr AB Ade, Researcher, Savitribai Phule Pune University: "We have focused on the biodegradable concept. For biodegrading, microbial degradation is one of the parts. During microbial degradation, bacteria and fungus come to the fore that are also known as scavengers of the ecosystem. They convert big pollutants into simple molecules. There are enzymes in microbes which are biocatalyst.""If polythene strip is inserted into food material medium of microbes or plastic material is inoculated into it, microbes' enzymes will release into that compound and help in degradation," he said.Polythene contributes to around 64 per cent of the total plastic waste and takes about 1,000 years to degrade under ...
Germany tests its first electric highway
Germany is set to test 'electric highways' to promote eco-friendly freight transport system.The country is testing the eHighway system, a 3.1-mile stretch of the Autobahn between Frankfurt and Darmstadt, using a hybrid electric truck, Engadget reports.The trucks use pantographs to latch on the overhead cables to draw electricity as they drive. In the initial run, only five trucks will run the electrified stretch each day.
Light to moderate rains to continue in parts of Telangana for next 2 days
Light to moderate rains are likely to continue in parts of Telangana for a couple of days after which the heat conditions will prevail, said a scientist from Meteorology Department in Hyderabad on Monday.Speaking to ANI, Dr K Nagaratna Scientist-D, Meteorology Department, Hyderabad, said, "Present weather situation indicates that due to an isolated turf that is running from Telangana to Cape Comorin, there are chances of thunderstorms all over Telangana in the upcoming two days."Nagaratna said, "After rains, the heat waves are likely to hit Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. This is due to heat waves coming from North Western states. The temperature in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will rise up to 45 degrees from May 16 onwards till the monsoon arrive here."The people have been advised not to step out during the daytime as the heat waves humidity level across the state will also increase."People should carry water bottles along with them to keep themselves hydrated and we advise people to ..
Defence Secretary reviews submarine, warship projects in Mumbai
Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra on Monday led a high-level delegation here where he reviewed several ongoing important naval projects including the Scorpene submarine project.The delegation includes Navy Vice Chief Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar and Chief of Materials Vice Admiral G Pubby. They visited both the Naval Dockyards and shipbuilding PSU Mazagon Dockyards Limited (MDL)."The delegation also called on Western Naval Commander Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar and discussed the ongoing projects under him," Navy officials said.The delegation reviewed the progress of dry docks and wharves focusing on the dry dock being constructed at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai.The MDL is one of the most successful defence shipyards, which is producing six French-origin submarines Scorpene class submarines of which one is already in operational service. It has also produced the largest of the indigenous destroyers and frigates.