Kolkata firm meets CM over power plant- Raigad

Kolkata firm meets CM over power plant

Times of India 17 Oct 2008, 0036 hrs IST, Prafulla Marpakwar, TNN

MUMBAI: A high-level team comprising senior officials of Kolkata-based Universal Success Enterprises Group (USEG) led by Prasun Mukherjee made a presentation before chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh over the setting up of a Rs 25,000 crore thermal power plant near Raigad. The on-going agitations in the entire coastal Konkan region over new power projects and acquisition of lands for SEZ projects did not hamper their efforts.

Industries secretary Aziz Khan and his energy counterpart Subrato Ratho confirmed that nominees of the universal group recently called on Deshmukh for setting up a 5,000 MW power plant along the coastline. Immediately after the meeting, Deshmukh set up a three-member committee comprising Ratho, maritime board secretary Sudhir Srivastava and Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation chief executive officer Rajiv Jalota to study the proposal. "The committee will study the proposal and is expected to draft new guidelines for setting up industrial units along the coastline,'' a senior official told TOI.

Post Nandigram and Singur violence, the proposal assumes political significance. "It is for the first time that a leading industrial house from Kolkata, having overseas operations, has knocked on the doors of the state chief minister,'' the official said.

USEG vice-president T G Shridhar also confirmed that his organisation members had a prolonged meeting with Deshmukh about setting up a thermal power plant. "We were impressed by his approach. We were given a red carpet welcome,'' Shridhar told TOI.

Elaborating on the project, Shridhar said the project will require 2500 acres of land in the Konkan region. "As we plan to import coal by the sea route, we are looking for locations near the coast. Of course, we will be happy if no social problems occur in the process of acquisition of land,'' Shridhar said.

Major power projects in the Konkan region have been indefinitely delayed owing to the state government's failure to provide land. "All four power projects in the private sector have the approval of the authorities, but as we are unable to provide land, none of these projects were able to take off in a real sense,'' a senior energy department official said.

A senior Congress minister said it was welcome news that entrepreneurs were keen on investing in the Konkan region despite violent agitations.

N-trade: It's a $40 billion opportunity

N-trade: It's a $40 billion opportunity-India-The Times of India

11 Sep 2008, 0648 hrs IST,
Srinivas Laxman,TNN
NEW DELHI: The NSG waiver is a truly global opportunity. As India opens its doors for nuclear trade, it will generate worldwide business worth $40 billion, allow Indian companies to supply components to foreign N-plant makers, offer power-generation opportunities to Indian firms and increase the nuclear power level in the country to 52,000 megawatt by 2020 from the present 4120 megawatt, according to nuclear experts."India will set up 24 imported civilian nuclear light-water reactors along its coasts in the next 11 to 15 years," chairman and managing director of Nuclear Power Corporation S K Jain said on Wednesday. The corporation headed by Jain manages all the civilian nuclear plants in India.Speaking to TOI, Jain said apart from countries like the US, France and Russia, more vendors will now be knocking at India’s atomic door for a share in Rs 2.4 lakh crore project. In fact, the French nuclear major, Areva, has already set up an office in Mumbai, waiting to begin formal business discussions with the NPC.Disclosing that the plan to import reactors to enhance India's nuclear power programme formed a part of the 11th five year plan between 2007 and 2012, the NPC chief said, "We will begin the modalities of financing the acquisition now that we have the NSG clearance."With regards to the imported reactors, Jain said that every chosen region of the country will get reactors from one particular country only. For example, at Jaitapur in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district all the reactors will come from France.Jain, one of the top nuclear officials in the country, added that the setting up of imported reactors will give a chance to Indian companies to collaborate with foreign companies. "Western technology will be married to the competitiveness of Indian industry," he said.Since the NSG approval also permits export of nuclear components from India, Jain said the US manufacturers may source components from India. "Now armed with the NSG approval, India will compete with other nuclear powers to collaborate with these nations to set up their atomic power plants," Jain said.According to some NPC officials, it is possible that the organisation may form a separate wing for international collaboration. "We now have a huge business opportunity and will now become truly global nuclear player," an official remarked.Secretary-general of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce R K Chopra also sees good opportunities for Indian firms. "A number of Indian companies could become a manufacturing hub for making nuclear-related parts and export them to the US and other countries. India can also team up with the bigger countries and export components to smaller nations," Chopra said.The waiver will also open business doors for many Indian companies. A spokesperson of the Confederation of Indian Industry told TOI that the NSG green signal has now directly opened up business opportunities worth Rs 1,20,000 crore for global and Indian firms in the next 15 years.According to the CII official, NTPC, Jindal, L&T, Tata Power and Reliance Power are among the key companies that would have huge business opportunities now. "Other companies, which have traditionally not been in this field are likely to foray into the area as well, owing to the magnitude of the business potential," he said, expressing confidence that once the US government gets the deal approved in the Congress, India would modify its Atomic Energy Act of 1962 to allow private sector participation in nuclear power generation in the country.The waiver will not only help nuclear power, according to experts, it will also benefit trade in high-technology areas like pharma, semi-conductors, precision engineering, defence equipment, advanced and speciality chemicals, electronics, sensors, environmental technology, space, automation and robotics.

Asia's biggest solar thermal power plant at Nagpur

There is good news too ....

Nagpur to have Asia's biggest solar thermal power plant

Nagpur to have Asia's biggest solar thermal power plant



Nagpur, Sept 2 (PTI) Asia's biggest solar thermal power plant will be set up here to generate 10 MW electricity for the national grid.
"The generated power will be put on the national grid. It is a small step but a big leap for solar energy generation," Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Vilas Muttemwar said today.

The unique 10 MW solar thermal generation facility will serve the purpose of demonstration for solar energy enthusiasts across the country, he told PTI here.

Nagpur has been selected because of high sun radiation besides its central geographical location, the minister said adding solar energy is environment friendly and pollution free.

Besides, the plant load factor is between 80 to 90 per cent of the installed capacity, he said.

Moreover, there are no transmission and distribution losses in generation of solar energy unlike in thermal power generation.

Muttemwar said his ministry has approached the Maharashtra government for allotment of land, so that the process of setting up the plant could start. PTI

Meeting to seek power crisis solution !

Meeting to seek power crisis solution - Express India

Meeting to seek power crisis solution
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Express News Service
Posted online: Sunday , August 24, 2008 at 03:10:04
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Pune, August 23 There is hope for the city on the power front, as state Energy Minister Dilip Walse-Patil on Saturday said the power situation in Pune might improve after a joint meeting on the Pune model of zero load shedding to be held in Mumbai on Monday.

In July, the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) imposed load shedding owing to the drought-like situation. The city had to go through six hours of load shedding daily. However, after the sufficient rains in August, the MSEDCL last week officially declared a ‘no load shedding’ situation again. However, it continued the load shedding from the next day, saying Tata Power Trading Company Limited (TPTCL), the franchisee appointed for providing additional power, did not assure firm contracted power to them. As a result, the city is still reeling under load shedding.

Against this scenario, the state Power Minister has assured that the Monday meeting might bring something positive for the city. From Pune, state council chairman of CII, Pradeep Bhargava, Shantanu Dixit of Prayas Energy Group and Vivek Velankar of Sajag Nagrik Manch will attend.

Stressing that energy conservation should be the new mantra, Walse-Patil said the state government would add another 6,500 MW through new power generation plants in the next three-four years, with a total investment of Rs 18,000 crore. The power addition is also going to come from private players, including Jindal Power, Tata Power Company and Adani Group, which are going to set up power bases in Ratnagiri, Mumbai and Gondia in Vidarbha respectively, Walse-Patil said.

“Industry consumes 31 per cent of the total energy. However, we have high potential in conserving energy. The government of India enacted Energy Conservation Act in 2001 and Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has been appointed the agency for that in the state. The installed power capacity of the state is 15,000 MW, while the daily shortage is 4,000-5,000 MW,” he said.

He said the state was also working towards the usage of non-conventional energy. “We have sanctioned three projects in this regard,” Walse-Patil said, adding that if the Indo-US nuclear deal goes through, Maharashtra would get 10,000 MW of power.

RNRL Ready to operate defunct Gas power plants

"It is Good news. Options are always there everywhere for cleaner energy generation. But alas !, no one is serious about such minimal impact power generation options !

Ready to buy power plants: RNRL

Ready to buy power plants: RNRL
Bs Reporter / Mumbai August 22, 2008, 0:49 IST

Acquired units to utilise RIL’s KG gas till Dadri facility kicks off.

Reliance Natural Resources (RNRL) has said it is willing to buy or lease gas-based power plants until its Dadri power plant in Uttar Pradesh is commissioned, if Reliance Industries (RIL) agrees to supply gas. RNRL is engaged in a court battle with RIL for sourcing gas from the Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin.

RNRL also said it would trade the excess gas supplied to it in line with government policy.

RNRL’s counsel Mukul Rohatgi said on Thursday in the Bombay High Court, “Since RNRL will need three years to set up the power plant, it can either lease or buy gas-based power generation facilities, which are lying idle in states like Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, and use the gas supply to generate power. It can also trade the gas with other parties in line with the government of India policy as RIL would do.” After RNRL’s plant takes shape, it will use the gas for captive consumption.

A NEW TWIST

# RNRL said it would trade the excess gas supplied to it in line with government policy
# The firm's argument comes as a surprise because the company had so far maintained that it would not trade the gas, but use it only to generate power from its plant
# After RNRL's plant takes shape, it will use the gas for captive consumption.
# The RNRL counsel told the court that they were ready to negotiate with RIL on the case and share the cost of exploration of gas

RNRL’s argument comes as a surprise because the company had so far maintained that it would not trade the gas, but use it only to generate power from its plant. According to RNRL, the gas sale master agreement (GSMA) is a commercially non-bankable agreement, which has prevented RNRL from raising funds and bringing its power plant on course.

According to GSMA, RNRL is entitled to be supplied 28 million cubic metres of gas per day from the KG basin at a price of $2.34 per million British thermal unit (mBtu) for a period of 17 years.

Mukesh Ambani-promoted RIL’s senior counsel, Harish Salve, while presenting his case on July 31, had said RIL feared RNRL would trade the gas it got from it at cheap price to a third party since it did not have its power plant in place. “We will buy the gas from RIL at the agreed price of $2.34 per mmbtu and trade it at market price,” said Ram Jethmalani, a senior counsel for RNRL. Earlier in the day, the RNRL counsel told the court that they were ready to negotiate with RIL on the case and share the cost of exploration of gas — which according to RIL has run into Rs 40,000 crore so far — provided RIL shared with them the gas produce from the KG basin.

Jethmalani reiterated, “Mukesh Ambani and his directors should be prosecuted for criminal breach of trust as the drafts of GSMA and GSPA (gas sale and purchase agreement) were approved by the board of RIL at a time when the board of RNRL was also under the control of Mukesh Ambani.”

Meanwhile, arguing on the central government’s behalf, government cousel T S Doabia today told the Bombay High Court that National Thermal Power Corporation has no contract with RIL, contradicting NTPC’s own stand in its case against RIL. “NTPC has been arguing all along that it has a concluded contract with RIL. With this statement, NTPC has no case at all,” said Rohatgi.

“This shows your government is corrupt,” added Jethmalani. However, Doabia maintained “my instructions are that NTPC does not have a concluded contract with RIL”.

RIL won NTPC’s bid for supply of 12 million metric standard cubic metres gas per day in 2004, but the contract is now stuck in a legal row over the issue of cap on liability in case of breach of contract. The matter is pending before the Bombay High Court and NTPC’s stand in the case is that RIL is bound by a concluded contract. RIL, on its part, says the contract is not yet final. The resolution of the NTPC case is important in the RIL-RNRL case as the agreement between RIL and RNRL will provide for RNRL getting 12 mmscmd of additional gas if the RIL-NTPC contract fails. This would entitle RNRL to have a total of 40 mmscmd of gas.

RNRL, which began its arguments last week, had said either GSMA between RNRL and RIL be implemented or destroyed. Else, RIL should compensate RNRL in monetary terms to the tune of Rs 50,000 crore.

The hearing in the case has been adjourned to September 1.

A NEW TWIST

RNRL also said it would trade the excess gas supplied to it in line with government policy.

The firm’s argument comes as a surprise because the company had so far maintained that it would not trade the gas, but use it only to generate power from its plant

After RNRL’s plant takes shape, it will use the gas for captive consumption.

The RNRL counsel told the court that they were ready to negotiate with RIL on the case and share the cost of exploration of gas

There is no buyers for Power ?

This is quite interesting, While everyone is after making new Power plants "at any co(a)st" to combat power shortage, This is shockingly contradictory !

Lots of power, no buyers; more load shedding - Express India

Lots of power, no buyers; more load shedding
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Posted online: Friday , August 22, 2008 at 12:16:05

Pune, August 21 Power was available in abundance on Thursday — 4,200 MW could not be sold due to lack of buyers at The Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) — yet the city continued to reel under power cuts.

The Pune division CEO of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL), R B Gautam, reiterated that as long as power is available there would be no load shedding. But power was available and there was load shedding

IEX is a nationwide automated and online electricity trading platform. Its CEO, Jayant Deo, said it had 9,663 MW available and sold 5463 MW at rates between Rs 2.90 and Rs 8.90 per unit. Tata Power Company did not purchase power for Pune on Thursday, Deo said.

The city still needs 150 MW of power, Gautam said, adding that load shedding would be enforced when power was not available. On Thursday, areas under Group B like Rasta Peth and others faced power cuts up to four-and-a-half hours.

The dry spell for two days has also raised the overall shortfall in the state to 3,500 MW. According to MSEDCL officials in Mumbai, the statewide demand was 12,700 MW and only 9,700 MW was available.

Thermal power units are still under the annual overhaul, especially units 3 and 5 at Chandrapur, unit 3 at Bhusawal, unit 1 at Khaparkhede and unit 2 at Khoradi. These units jointly generate more than 1000 MW.

Pradeep Bhargava, chairman of the Maharashtra Council of the Confederation of Indian Industry, said he was now working towards procurement of 325 MW from October 1 for Pune and Thane. He and other consumer activists have several questions for the MSEDCL as the latter’s predictions about availability of power have gone awry and an ambiguity has emerged about the load shedding protocol. Vivek Velankar of Sajag Grahak Manch points out that Tata Power Company had successfully provided the required power to mitigate load shedding in Pune during the crucial months of April to June.

Wartsila - Gas power

Wartsila to buy power service provider

Wartsila to buy power service provider
P B Jayakumar / Mumbai August 19, 2008, 0:08 IST

Finland-based power equipment maker Wartsila Corporation, a global leader in small- to medium-size, furnace oil- and gas-based power plants, is exploring big business growth in India.

Wartsila is set to acquire a domestic service provider for the power sector and is in advanced negotiations with power utilities and gas suppliers to form strategic alliances or joint ventures. The ventures are planned for power production, technology, engineering, procurement and construction of power plants and for their operation and maintanence, said Christoph Vitzthum, group vice-president, Wartsila. "India is a major hub for our global operations and considering the growth potential India has in the power and shipbuilding businesses, we will invest substantially in this country," he said.

Christoph, who came to India to inaugurate the new auxilliary manufacturing unit of Wartsila in Khopoli, Maharashtra, said the corporation has already invested about 7-10 million euros in India for production facilities. The new unit, along with the existing unit in Khapoli, will cater to global auxilliary requirements of the company.

Auxilliary units and modules are peripheral accessories to diesel power plants and these process the oil, fuel and water that enter the diesel engines. Rakesh Sarin, the MD of Wartsila India, said the company was in the process of sensitising policymakers and power sector players in the country on advantages of mini-power plants offered by Wartsila, which results in efficiency and reduction in transmission losses due to nearness to load centres, especially during peak load hours. Further, such power plants can come up in quick time compared with large thermal power plants that require years to take off.

ALL CHARGED UP# Wartsila Corporation, a global leader in gas-based power plants, is exploring big business growth in India# The company is in advanced negotiations with power utilities and gas suppliers to form strategic alliances or joint ventures for power production

"We are looking at development of power plants in a cluster form (such as 10 X 300 mw at a single location) near gas pipelines and are talking to many players," he said. The Rs 280-crore Wartsila India, which delisted from stock exchanges last year, has so far installed over 3,200 mw in different parts of India.

Wartsila said it is also looking at the shipping segment in India as a major growth driver for the company,mainly in industrial customers' projects. Operation and maintanence of power plants are another major revenue earner for the company, which operates and manages over 55 power plant sites covering about 148 engines and three steam turbines generating a total of 813 mw.

Christoph Vitzthum said Wartsila, one of the global leaders for marine engines and accessories, is also looking at the shipping segment in India as a major growth driver for the company. "India currently accounts for just 1 per cent of the global shipping industry and this is poised to grow to 8-9 per cent by 2015, displacing major players in Europe and Japan. We expect Wartsila India to contribute a double-digit share of revenues to our global turnover by that time," he said.