NTPC eyes Maldives for solar energy generation news

The state-owned National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) of India is looking at the feasibility of establishing solar powered energy projects within the Maldives. In the event the move comes through, it would boost the thermal power generator's green footprint.

NTPC is conducting feasibility study within the islands to research the potential of the island nation for creating solar power projects. The final report is predicted next three to four months, in accordance with NTPC chairman and managing director Arup Roy Choudhury.

Talking to reporters about the sidelines of a function in New Delhi on Thursday, Choudhury declined to offer specifics about the investment that India's biggest power generator would make in Maldives. "Let the (feasibility) report come, then we will see," he was quoted saying.

Meanwhile, NTPC is targetting to add 105 MW of electricity for the national grid by establishing four to five solar energy projects in the united states within the next several years. "We are going to set up 105 the new solar energy plants at our existing facilities at Anta, Dadri, Ramagundam, Sipat and Korba," he said.

NTPC generates over 31,000 MW of power from all reasons for energy. The business intends to increase this chance to 75,000 mw by 2017.

NTPC in addition has formulated an idea for capacity addition of approximately 1,000 MW through renewable resources by 2017. Simultaneously, it will have a capacity addition of 301 MW through Solar PV (photo-voltaic) and thermal by March 2014, Chudhury said. http://solarpowergenerators.ca/category/solar-power-generators

Source: http://www.mediasyndicate.com

SAARC should also focus on energy, environment and food security

Foreign Minister Inamul Haq said on Friday that the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) should focus on new projects of energy, environment, and food and water security, in addition to its ongoing programmes. SAARC aims to accelerate the process of economic and social development in its seven member states – Pakistan Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka. At a meeting with SAARC Secretary General Chankyab Dorji, who is on his farewell visit to Pakistan, Haq called SAARC a “viable mechanism for the promotion of peace, development and progress”. He said the association must establish itself as a credible regional organisation and evolve concrete programmes to reflect the aspirations of the people of the region. Dorji praised the valuable contribution of Pakistan in making SAARC a success. He also met Foreign Secretary Riaz Muhammad Khan on Friday and discussed the implementation of SAARC’s major decisions with him. Dorji told Khan about achievements SAARC made under him, including holding of two summits, expansion of the association to include Afghanistan and grant of observer status to the United States, European Union and China. app

Source: dailytimes.com.pk

India looks big on alternative energy - Medical waste in the Maldives into energy

Imagine running your computer on a solar energy backup for five hours a day! It's possible, says an expert who sees India as a promising destination for alternative sources of power.

Terence "Terry" J Hart, vice chairman and technical director of IT Power India Pvt Ltd, sees states like Karnataka and West Bengal ahead in the use of alternative energy.

A lot is happening in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu too, and Gujarat is coming up well.

"In Himachal Pradesh, there's micro-hydro and in Uttarakhand there's work going on over the restoration of traditional watermills for power and grain-grinding," Hart the agency in an interview.

He estimates that one could run a computer on a solar energy backup, for five hours a day, at an installation expenditure of $250.

Hart says while India is seeing "a very large production" of solar panels with a capacity of 100 MW per year, most of this is exported to Europe, the US and Japan.

"That seems completely ridiculous. But there are policy issues involved. The history here has not been of a free market. Subsidies are offered, for instance, in the case of solar lighting. Without a level playing field, the possibility of commercial-based growth will be killed," he says.

Hart argues that nobody can compete with subsidised production.

"Once the 100,000 subsidised units are sold, you are back to square one. Subsidy is largely responsible for the lack of growth. There are both state and central subsidies," he says.

Hart argues that the collapse of gobar gas plants in India was largely due to the huge subsidies involved.

Hart's firm has also been closely working in the field of alternative power.

"We developed a solar powered vaccine refrigerator. It's the first of its kind, which has no batteries. Two of these were installed in the home of the president of India, who wanted to be the first person to buy the same."

Each is priced at $1,500. These are believed to be the first commercial ones of their kind. It was worked in collaboration with WHO, Unicef, Greenpeace and PATA (Programme for Applied Technology in Health).

India is also working on the phase-out of CFCs over the past six to seven years. Production has stopped, and it is now down to 15 percent of what it was. By 2010 CFC-producing fridges are expected to be completely phased out in India, he says.

IT Power itself has subsidies in 12 countries, two offices in Britain, and 50 staff in India. They do work on solar power, wind power, micro-hydro and ocean energy.

In India, Hart's company is headquartered in Pondicherry, with offices in Delhi and Pune. "We are just starting up operations in Bangalore," he says.

But why is alternative power still seen as so illusory in its potential? "People are out of date (on the possibilities of this technology)," says Hart.

He argues that what is needed really is micro-finance. "That is finally emerging in India, and it is becoming a vehicle for offering credit to families," he says, optimistically.

His company has been involved in attempting to convert medical waste in the Maldives into energy, a costly input anyway in that island nation.

Source: Hinthusthan Time