Page 15 - Power Sector

Polaris Smart Metering gets Rs 5,200 crore smart meter project in UP

Polaris Smart Metering on Monday said it has secured two smart meter projects totalling Rs 5,200 crore in Uttar Pradesh. "Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (MVVNL) has awarded the contracts for installing over 5.1 million smart meters in the important clusters of Lucknow and Ayodhya/Devipatan, which the company plans to install over the next 27 months," Polaris Smart Metering said in a statement. As per the agreement, Polaris Smart Metering will supply, commission, install and maintain smart meters for consumers and system metering across the consumer base in these clusters for the next 10 years, it said. These smart meters will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology, enabling prepaid billing, real-time energy monitoring, accurate metering, and improved grid management capabilities. This contract comes under a Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Own-Transfer (DBFOOT) agreement. Meanwhile, Polaris has also received Letter of Awards (LOAs) from West Bengal and Manipur worth over

Adani Power Q3 results: Net profit surges to Rs 2,738 cr as volumes swell

In Q3FY24, Adani Power reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 2,738 crore, up from a profit of Rs 9 crore reported in the same period a year ago

Hero Future Energies inks tolling agreement with Pixon Green Energy

Hero Group's renewable energy arm Hero Future Energies on Thursday said it has inked a tolling agreement with PIXON Green Energy for supply of solar modules. Under the agreement, PIXON Green Energy will provide Hero Future Energies with high-efficiency modules for up to 500 MW annually on a prioritised basis for a period of two years from their fully automated Ecoprogetti line based in Rajkot, Gujarat, a company statement said. Both parties will also be involved in the procurement of strategic components for module manufacturing. According to the statement, Hero Future Energies has announced the signing of a strategic tolling agreement with PIXON Green Energy, a leading domestic module manufacturer, for supply of solar PV modules. "Global supply chains have been subject to disruption recently. Entering into a strategic partnership will allow us to control our costs better and have more visibility in our supply chain," Hero Future Energies Global CEO Srivatsan Iyer said in the ...

Tata Power to hold 'lok adalat' for north Delhi consumers on January 28

Power distribution company TPDDL will organise a special "Lok Adalat" in association with the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) to offer on-spot-settlement of electricity theft cases on January 28, a discom official said Thursday. The special court will start at 10 am near Venkateshwar Global School in Rohini Sector-13, the Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) spokesperson said. The litigants can register for the Lok Adalat by dialling 19124 or writing to eac.care@tatapower-ddl.com. The complainants must carry their photo identity and a copy of their theft bill during the Lok Adalat. "Consumers who look forward to settling their power-theft cases can utilise this opportunity for an amicable and immediate settlement of unsolved cases. In case of a default, the company will be obliged to initiate criminal proceedings against the consumers under the Electricity Act, 2003," he added.

Thermal power plants' capacity utilisation to rise to 69% in FY25: ICRA

The capacity utilisation of thermal power plants will increase by a percentage point to 69 per cent in 2024-25, led by the growth in electricity demand and limited thermal capacity addition, says rating agency ICRA. ICRA's outlook for the thermal power segment is 'Stable', supported by the healthy improvement in the thermal plant load factor (PLF), coupled with the reduction in dues from state distribution utilities (discoms) following the implementation of the Late Payment Surcharge (LPS) scheme since August 2022, a statement said. "The current under-construction thermal capacity is about 30 GW, which is predominantly in the Central and the state-owned generation segment and is expected to be commissioned over the next two to four-year period," Girishkumar Kadam, Senior Vice President & Group Head - Corporate Ratings, ICRA, said in the statement. In our view, there is a clear need for incremental capacity beyond this pipeline if the annual electricity demand growth continues to ..

RattanIndia Power net loss widens to Rs 587 crore in December quarter

RattanIndia Power on Tuesday reported a widening of consolidated net loss to Rs 586.97 crore in the December quarter compared to a year ago, mainly due to lower revenues. According to a regulatory filing, the company's consolidated net loss stood at Rs 479.76 crore in the quarter ended on December 31, 2022. In the October-December period, the total income declined to Rs 888.30 crore as against Rs 931.29 crore a year ago.

Domestic coal-based power generation rises 7% to 872 bn units in Apr-Dec

Domestic coal-based power generation increased 7.14 per cent to 872 billion units (BU) in the April-December period of the current fiscal. The rise in domestic coal-based electricity generation reflects an ample supply of coal to meet the growing energy demand in the country, the coal ministry said in a statement. Domestic coal-based power generation was 813.9 BU in the year-ago period, it said. In the country, power is generated from conventional sources -- thermal, nuclear and hydro-- and renewable sources -- wind, solar, biomass etc. Thermal power producers use coal as the main fuel to run the units and the dry fuel contributes to more than 70 per cent of the total electricity generation. Coal-based power generation in the country registered a growth of around 10.13 per cent during April-December period of FY'24, as compared to the corresponding period of previous year while overall power generation grew 6.71 per cent during the same period, the ministry statement said. Coal ..

Power consumption grows nearly 8% to 1,221.15 bn units in Apr-Dec

Power consumption in the country witnessed an on-year rise of nearly 8 per cent to 1,221.15 billion units (BU) during the April-December period of this fiscal, indicating a surge in economic activities. Power consumption in the country stood at 1,132.11 BU in April-December 2022-23. Industry experts said that around eight per cent growth in power consumption in the first nine months of this fiscal year shows a surge in economic activities. Power consumption in the entire fiscal 2022-23 was 1,504.26 BU, higher than the 1,374.02 BU witnessed in the 2021-22 financial year. The power ministry had estimated the country's electricity demand to touch 229 GW during summer in 2023. The demand did not reach the projected level in April-July due to unseasonal rain. The peak demand, however, touched a new high of 224.1 GW in June before dropping to 209.03 GW in July 2023. Peak demand touched 238.82 GW in August. In September this fiscal year, it was at a record high of 243.27 GW. The peak dem

CCEA approves Rs 5,607 cr investments by Coal India in two power projects

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Thursday approved equity investments of Rs 5,607 crore by state-owned South Eastern Coalfields and Mahanadi Coalfields to set up two thermal power projects with total generation capacities of 2,260 MW. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, an official statement said. According to the statement, South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) will set up a 660 MW thermal power plant through a joint venture of SECL and MPPGCL. Similarly, Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) will set up a 2x800 MW thermal power plant through Mahanadi Basin Power Ltd (MBPL - a subsidiary of MCL). There will be an equity capital of Rs 823 crore (plus or minus 20 per cent) by SECL with an estimated project capex of Rs 5,600 crore (accuracy of plus or minus 20 per cent) for the proposed 660 MW supercritical thermal power plant through JV of SECL and MPPGCL at Amarkantak Thermal

Rs 16.93 trn investment in power, RE since 2014, Rs 17.05 trn in pipeline

A whopping investment of Rs 17.05 lakh crore is in the pipeline in power and renewable energy sector, which has attracted around 16.93 lakh crore of investment since 2014, Union minister R K Singh said on Monday. As much as 80 GW of thermal power generation capacity is under construction which we will have by 2030, Singh told reporters, adding that about 99 GW of renewable energy is under construction, at present. Briefing reporters on new rules called Electricity (Amendment) Rules 2024, Singh said that as much as Rs 16.93 lakh crore has been invested in power and renewable energy sectors so far. The Rs 16.93 lakh crore investment includes Rs 11.2 lakh crore in sectors like generation, distribution and transmission while Rs 5.73 lakh crore in the renewable energy sector, the minister explained. He further stated that an investment of Rs 17.05 lakh crore is in the pipeline in the power and renewable energy sectors. The minister said that Rs 7.4 lakh crore would be invested in the

BHEL to set up 2,400 MW thermal power plant at Odisha's Jharsuguda

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) will set up a greenfield thermal power plant of 2,400 MW capacity in Odisha's Jharsuguda district, an official statement said on Saturday. NLC India Limited, a Navaratna company under the Ministry of Coal, has awarded the EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) contract to BHEL to set the 2,400 MW capacity (3x800 MW-stage I) after inviting competitive tenders, it said. The contract scope to BHEL includes engineering, manufacturing, supply, erection and commissioning of equipment such as boilers, turbines and generators for the plant, the statement said. For the thermal project, coal linkage is available from Talabira II and III mines of NLCIL. The water required for the project will be sourced from Hirakud reservoir, it said. The first unit of the project is scheduled for commissioning in the financial year 2028-29.

Jindal Power proposes to top Adani's bid for coal-power plant: Report

The tussle for the 1,980-megawatt plant in central India, ensnared in insolvency proceedings, comes after the power minister called last November for more private investment

Delhi's coldest morning this winter pushes power demand to all-time high

With Delhi reeling under intense cold, the peak power demand of the city surged to an all-time high of 5,701 MW on Friday morning. According to the State Load Dispatch Centre's real-time data, the peak power demand of Delhi at 10.49 AM on Friday was 5,701 MW. The power discoms have estimated the winter peak power demand to reach up to 5,760 MW this year. The previous highest peak winter demand was 5,611 MW on Wednesday morning. The national capital on Friday recorded its lowest temperature this winter with the minimum dipping to 3.9 degrees Celsius, three notches below the season's average, the weather department said. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said it is the lowest minimum temperature in the last five years. Since January 1, Delhi's peak power demand has risen by over 11 per cent, discom officials said. A BSES spokesperson said that company's discoms -- BRPL and BYPL -- successfully met the peak power demand of 2,484 MW and 1,185 MW respectively. Up to 60 per ce

Power sector financer REC likely to lead National Rooftop Solar scheme

Sources said REC will be made the nodal agency for the scheme to spread its reach across the country and plug the inefficiencies

Energy conundrum: Govt to double coal production despite climate goals

Later, the power minister Raj Kumar Singh set out plans on Dec. 22 to add 88 gigawatts of thermal power plants by 2032. The vast majority of which will burn coal

Power equipment sector's order book charged up on transmission projects

Between April to December 2023, close to 35 projects worth Rs 60,000 crore were offered under tariff-based competitive bidding

TN global investors meet: Tata Power to invest Rs 70K cr in green units

Set to be firm's highest investment in any state

Extreme cold weather leaves thousands without power in Nordic countries

Extremely cold temperatures compounded by gale-force winds and snow wreaked havoc across the Nordic region Thursday, leaving thousands without power while others braved the cold for hours stuck in their cars along clogged highways. Heavy rains in Germany, France and the Netherlands again caused floods in regions that have seen persistent flooding in the last two weeks. One death was reported in France. The deep freeze disrupted transportation throughout the Nordic region amid reports of traffic chaos following closures of sections of highways and major roads. Problems with rail service have also been reported. Electricity was cut to some 4,000 homes in Arctic Sweden where temperatures plummeted to minus 38 degrees Celsius (minus 36.4 degrees Fahrenheit), according to Swedish public radio. In the southern part of the country, motorists were stuck in their cars or evacuated to a nearby sporting complex where they spent the night. In neighbouring Denmark, police urged motorists to avo

CCI clears Punjab State Power Corp's purchase of GVK Power project

The Competition Commission of India on Tuesday cleared Punjab State Power Corporation's proposed acquisition of GVK Power (Goindwal Sahib) Ltd. GVK Power (Goindwal Sahib) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GVK Energy Ltd, which in turn is the subsidiary of GVK Power and Infrastructure Ltd. The combination involves the acquisition of 100 per cent stakeholding of GVK Power (Goindwal Sahib) Ltd by Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL). "CCI approves the proposed acquisition of 100 per cent shareholding of GVK Power (Goindwal Sahib) Limited by Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd," the fair trade regulator said in a post on X. In July last year, PSPCL had filed a bid to take over the 540 MW Goindwal thermal power plant in Tarn Taran after corporate insolvency proceedings were initiated against its owner GVK Power. Deals beyond a certain threshold require approval from the regulator, which keeps a tab on unfair business practices as well as promotes fair competition in the marketplace.

SJVN gets govt approval to form JVs for 8778 MW hydro, renewable projects

State-owned power producer SJVN Ltd on Monday said it has received the finance ministry's permission to form four joint venture firms for the development of hydro and renewable projects with a total capacity of 8,778 MW in India and Nepal. SJVN will be the leading partner in three joint venture companies, whereas SJVN's wholly-owned subsidiary SJVN Green Energy Ltd (SGEL) will be the leading partner in the fourth JV, a company statement said. According to the statement, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), Ministry of Finance, Government of India has agreed to the proposal of SJVN and Ministry of Power to form four joint venture (JV) companies for the development of Hydro and Renewable Projects in India and Nepal. SJVN will form a JV with Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Ltd to develop 5,000 MW Renewable Energy Projects. Another JV will be formed between SJVN, Government of Arunachal Pradesh and Navyuga Engineering Company Ltd. The JV will ..