Global News Post: Energy

Iran to Export Electricity to India-Pakistan

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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">TEHRAN,
Iran (NNN-Bernama) -- Minister of Energy Majid Namjou said on Sunday that
Iranian experts will construct a power plant soon on Iranian border with
Pakistan to export electricity to that country and India, Iran's IRNA reported.
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He
said the plan is under negotiations between the two countries' officials, and
will be implemented upon a request made by the Pakistani President to his
Iranian counterpart. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Pointing
to the signing of a relevant agreement between both countries, Namjou said <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iran</st1:country-region> will export 1000 MWs of electricity to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Pakistan</st1:place></st1:country-region> based
on the agreement. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He
said <st1:country-region w:st="on">Pakistan</st1:country-region> also has asked
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region>
to construct CGP and DG small power plants which will be built by MAPNA Company
once a consensus is reached. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
minister also expressed <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iran</st1:country-region>'s
readiness to construct another power plant with the capacity of 6,000 MWs with
Indian investment to export power to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> based on his negotiations
with his Indian counterpart. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Some
4,000 MWs of electricity to be generated will be consumed in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iran</st1:country-region> the remaining 2,000 MWs will be exported
through under water cables to <st1:country-region w:st="on">Pakistan</st1:country-region>
and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>,"
Namjou added. --NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Iran to Export Electricity to India-Pakistan

TEHRAN, Iran (NNN-Bernama) -- Minister of Energy Majid Namjou said on Sunday that Iranian experts will construct a power plant soon on ...

Tiny Island Chain Becomes World's First Solar-Powered Territory

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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
remote islands of Tokelau have become the first territory in the world to be
powered by the sun, officials say. The move is expected to save money and ease
the environmental burden of relying on imported fossil fuels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“The
Tokelau Renewable Energy Project is a world first. Tokelau’s three main atolls
now have enough solar capacity, on average, to meet electricity needs,” said <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New Zealand</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s
foreign affairs minister Murray McCully in a statement.  “Until now, Tokelau has been 100 percent
dependent upon diesel for electricity generation, with heavy economic and
environmental costs.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
group of islands situated in the South Pacific between <st1:country-region w:st="on">New Zealand</st1:country-region> and <st1:state w:st="on">Hawaii</st1:state>
are administered by <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New
  Zealand</st1:place></st1:country-region>, which estimated the cost of the
project to build three solar grids at around $7 million.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">It
is estimated that oil imports account for up to 30 percent of national income
in some isolated parts of the Pacific, and the move to solar power could save
Tokelau about $1 million per year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Tokelau
is comprised of three atolls Atafu, Nukunonu and Fakaofo, and has about 1,500
inhabitants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
island nations of Samoa and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Tuvalu</st1:place></st1:country-region>
are aiming to get all of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. The <st1:place w:st="on">Cook Islands</st1:place> plans to start converting to solar panels
and wind turbines, while most houses in the South Pacific archipelago will
begin to use solar water heaters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<st1:place w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">East Timor</span></st1:place><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">'s government has promised that no
households in the capital, Dili, would be using firewood for cooking by 2015
and said 50 percent of the country's electricity would be from renewable
sources by the end of the decade.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“Building
on the success of clean and affordable energy solutions for Tokelau, Tonga, and
the Cook Islands, New Zealand will co-host a Pacific energy summit in March
next year,” said McCully.---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Tiny Island Chain Becomes World's First Solar-Powered Territory

The remote islands of Tokelau have become the first territory in the world to be powered by the sun, officials say. The move is expecte...

INDIA: 'Large-Scale Users to Meet 6% Power from Solar'

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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">CHENNAI
(NNN-PTI) -- With the state facing acute power shortage, the Tamil Nadu
government in its solar energy policy has made it mandatory for large-scale
power consumers to meet six per cent of their energy requirements from solar
power by 2014.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
new solar energy policy envisages production of over 3,000 MW of power,
exclusively from solar power, in the next three years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">As
per the policy, it will be mandatory for high-tension consumers in SEZs, IT
parks, telecom towers, colleges and residential schools, industries guaranteed
with round the clock power supply and buildings with 20,000 sq mt built up area
to go in for 6 per cent Solar Purchase Obligation (SPO).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">On
the other had, the domestic consumers, huts, cottage and tiny industries,
powerlooms, LT industrial and agricultural consumers are exempted from the
solar purchase obligation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Stating
that the state electricity board would administer SPO by industries, it said
consumers may meet their SPO by generating captive solar power or buying
equivalent to or more than their SPO from third party developers or purchasing
power from Tamil Nadu generation and distribution corporation ltd (Tangedco) at
solar tariff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Besides
promoting solar rooftops in government buildings, the policy note said solar
roof tops would be provided in a phased manner in existing government
buildings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
state has very good solar potential with 300 clear sunny days since it receives
very high solar radiation, indicating a very clear potential for solar power,
it said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Observing
that the Government has launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission
with a view to achieve 22GW of solar energy capacity by 2022, it said, “22 MW
is scheduled for Tamil Nadu”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
entire capacity addition would be made using solar photo-voltaic technology, it
said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
government would also mandate installation of solar water heating systems for
industries having hot water boiler using fossil fuel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">As
part of promoting solar power manufacturing, the policy note said, “Local solar
manufacturing industry (of about 1000 MW per annum) will result in substantial
direct and indirect job creation”.--NNN-PTI<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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INDIA: 'Large-Scale Users to Meet 6% Power from Solar'

CHENNAI (NNN-PTI) -- With the state facing acute power shortage, the Tamil Nadu government in its solar energy policy has made it man...

INDIA: 2nd Gen Biofuels Could Meet Half of India's Gasoline Demands

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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">NEW
DELHI (NNN-Bernama) -- India can meet up to 59 per cent of its gasoline demand
by 2020 by producing second generation biofuels from its huge agricultural
residue, according to a global bio-tech organisation official.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Second
generation biofuels have the ability to help India meet its growing energy
needs while providing reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the
opportunity for economic and job growth through the domestic production of
biofuels," said Steen Riisgaard, CEO of Denmark-based Novozymes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"This
would help the country move from a high dependence on foreign oil towards
greater transport fuel self-sufficiency," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Riisgaard
said his company, which controls 60 per cent of biofuel enzyme market in the
world, is working with its partners on second generation ethanol across the US,
Latin America, Europe, China and India to build a bio-based society.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"We
recently introduced Cellic CTec3, which brings the cost of the second
generation biofuels closer to the cost of gasoline or corn ethanol," he
said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"With
the energy security looming over and oil prices spiralling, and with <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">India</st1:country>'s unique advantage in terms of
agricultural residue availability, there is a huge opportunity <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country> has in
this regard."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Novozymes
has "many plans" for <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country>
and these will be implemented on priority basis, said Riisgaard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">India</st1:country></st1:place>
is a significant market for Novozymes and we believe we can positively
contribute to the sustainable future of the country," he said.--NNN- BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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INDIA: 2nd Gen Biofuels Could Meet Half of India's Gasoline Demands

NEW DELHI (NNN-Bernama) -- India can meet up to 59 per cent of its gasoline demand by 2020 by producing second generation biofuels from...

Diesel Price Hike a Step in Right Direction: Indian PM

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">NEW DELHI, India (NNN-Bernama) -- Unfazed by large scale protests over diesel price hike, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday asserted it was a step in the right direction and expressed the hope that economy would rebound in the second half of the current fiscal, reports Press Trust of India. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">"The recent increase in diesel prices is an important step in the right direction," he said while addressing the meeting of the Full Planning Commission which was called to approve the 12th Five Year Plan document. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The Prime Minister also made a case for comprehensive review of energy policy saying it was vital for energy security of the country. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Energy, Manmohan said, "is a difficult area where policy needs a comprehensive review. We are energy deficient and import dependence is going up. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">It is vital for our energy security that we increase domestic production and also increase the energy efficiency." <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">"Rational energy pricing is therefore critical. Our energy prices are out of line with the world prices", he added. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The government had recently increased the price of diesel by Rs 5 (RM0.28)a litre and capped the use of subsidised Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder to six in a year per family, evoking sharp protests all over the country. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Referring to global economic issues, Manmohan said, "these short term problems present a challenge, but they should not lead to undue pessimism about our medium term prospects. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">"The economy has gained many strengths. Our immediate priority must be to orchestrate a rebound in the second half of the current year. We should then try to accelerate growth to reach around nine percent by the end of the Plan period," he added. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The 12th Plan (2012-17) is proposing an annual average growth rate of 8.2 per cent, which is lower than the earlier estimate of the nine per cent. The economy recorded a growth rate of 7.9 per cent in the 11th Plan. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">According to the Prime Minister, the 11th Plan growth rate was commendable, "for a period which saw two global crises - one in 2008 and another in 2011". <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Manmohan further said that poverty declined twice as fast between financial years 2004-05 and 2009-10 than it did in the previous ten years, while the agriculture grew at 3.3 percent per year in the 11th Plan, much faster than the 2.4 percent observed in the 10th Plan. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">As regards the growth prospects in the 12th Plan, Manmohan said, "we must also recognise that the 12th Plan is starting in a year when the world economy is experiencing difficulties and our economy has also slowed down". <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Cautioning that growth could slip if adequate actions were not taken, Prime Minister said, "I believe we can make Scenario I (which envisages growth rate of 8.2 per cent) possible. It will take courage and some risks but it should be our endeavour to ensure that it materialises." -- NNN-BERNAMA <o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Diesel Price Hike a Step in Right Direction: Indian PM

NEW DELHI, India (NNN-Bernama) -- Unfazed by large scale protests over diesel price hike, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturda...

INDIA: PM Monitoring Power Situation

INDIA: PM Monitoring Power Situation

NEW DELHI, India (NNN-UNI) -- Concerned over the July 30-31 power grid failure which plunged almost half of India's population into da...

INDIA: Power Outrages Hit Economy

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">  <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MUMBAI, India (NNN-Xinhua) -- As India limped back to normal Wednesday after power was restored to its full capacity following two days of blackout due to the collapse of the three electricity grids, the country's economy has undergone a jolt.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">India has set a goal -- Mission 2012: Power for All. But, economists and captains of the industries say that the current supply and demand situation in the country apparently make it evident that the objective may not be achieved. In fact, the fear now is that the power crisis may stunt India's economic growth.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"Energy is like blood in your veins. It is as vital as that to the economic growth. If there is a shortage of blood, you can't function -- similarly if there is a shortage of energy, the economy can't work," Rajiv Kumar, secretary general of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry, told the media.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another leading business lobby, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), has said that the industry, particularly the small and large business, had suffered a loss of billions of rupees. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“The repeated outages carry a very negative image of India, when already sentiments about the country are low on account of the current economic situation," CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee has said in a statement.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Though major industries have their own power back-ups, the inconsistent supply hits investment and disrupts small businesses, according to a senior official of the Indian Commerce Ministry, unwilling to be named.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">India currently generates more than 65 percent of its total electricity from non-renewable sources of energy such as coal, gas and oil. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">About 19 percent comes from hydro power, just over 2 percent from nuclear energy and 12 percent from other renewable sources.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">India is Asia's third-largest economy. The country always suffers a peak-hour power deficit of about 10 percent, affecting economic growth.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"As the Indian economy has grown, so has its energy appetite. Power failure for two consecutive days has hit industry sentiment very badly. It is time that the Indian government starts taking a serious look at other sources such as solar power," said the official. -- NNN-XINHUA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

INDIA: Power Outrages Hit Economy

MUMBAI, India (NNN-Xinhua) -- As India limped back to normal Wednesday after power was restored to its full capacity following two days ...

India’s Northern Grid Fails Again for a Second Day

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NEW DELHI, India (NNN-UNI) -- A day after restoration of a collapsed northern power grid, the power supply today failed again possibly at the same spot - Agra, an Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation official said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Talking to UNI, the official said efforts were being made to locate the problem. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Following the collapse of the grid, the immediate effect was felt in the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation services which cater to over 20 lakh passengers in the capital. (One Lakh: 100,000) <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Similar was the fate of the Railways too. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The nothern grid serves the states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. -- NNN-UNI <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Meanwhile XINHUA news agency reports:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">POWER OUTAGE HITS INDIA AGAIN<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NEW DELHI, India (NNN-Xinhua) -- More than half of Indian population were affected Tuesday after a massive power outage hit the country for the second day in a row.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The northern and eastern grids have failed this afternoon, causing power cuts in the entire eastern and northern regions, including the national capital Delhi, a Power Ministry official said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"Both the eastern and northern grids have collapsed. We are trying our best to restore power," V.K. Agarwal, the general manager of the northern grid, told media.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The two grids serve more than half of India's 1.2 billion people.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Local TV channels reported that all trains originating from the national capital have come to a halt and there is complete chaos on the road as power cuts have shut off traffic signals.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Commuters are having a harrowing time even as Delhi Police has deployed over 4,000 cops to man road traffic, the reports said, adding that emergency services like the hospitals are also affected by the outage.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This blackout came a day after northern India experienced power cuts following failure of the northern grid. Indian Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had ordered a probe into the crisis. -- NNN-XINHUA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India’s Northern Grid Fails Again for a Second Day

NEW DELHI, India (NNN-UNI) -- A day after restoration of a collapsed northern power grid, the power supply today failed again possibly at...

Huge Blackout Leaves Millions without Power in India

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">By VOA News<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYpvTrCqoH4uZckLVAJnpJ8D3xp9xXdYlZ8GKda5-vLaU1fDDFM6Uju5YoTWK4NTlV5C5HiaypnIc5tO6czcOhMCUiPpFXfZxjSN2kpfYghvagdozlIlN5f73tg7V0SEbZX-GdLtqMlo/s1600/2012073013104600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="407" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYpvTrCqoH4uZckLVAJnpJ8D3xp9xXdYlZ8GKda5-vLaU1fDDFM6Uju5YoTWK4NTlV5C5HiaypnIc5tO6czcOhMCUiPpFXfZxjSN2kpfYghvagdozlIlN5f73tg7V0SEbZX-GdLtqMlo/s640/2012073013104600.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL"><span dir="LTR" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Massive power cut strikes northern india. Residents of Dholibawri, Rajasthan experience a massive power cut following failure of the Northern Grid across northern India, including in the capital, New Delhi at 2.30 a.m. (local) 30 July 2012.The states affected are Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. Photo courtesy udaipurtimes.com---NNN<o:p></o:p></span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The power outage severely disrupted transport networks including the rail service, while traffic signals went out in major cities, causing huge traffic jams in the capital, New Delhi.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Indian authorities were in the process of restoring electricity to the seven affected states, with officials saying that power would be restored fully by the end of the day.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Hospitals were forced to use emergency generators and water pumping stations ran dry for much of Monday.  Electricity was being brought in from India's eastern and western regions, as well as from Bhutan.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said he was not sure exactly what caused the power grid failure, and that a committee has been set up to investigate the blackout.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Limited power outages are common in India, but analysts say an outage of this magnitude highlights deficiencies in the country's infrastructure as it strives to become an economic superpower.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">India relies heavily on coal for electricity production.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div></div>

Huge Blackout Leaves Millions without Power in India

By VOA News Massive power cut strikes northern india. Residents of Dholibawri, Rajasthan experience a massive power cut following fai...

S. Africa Aims to Cash in on E. Africa Energy Boom

S. Africa Aims to Cash in on E. Africa Energy Boom

CAPE TOWN (NNN-ANGOP) -- South Africa's budding energy service industry is aiming to reap the benefits of new natural gas and oil find...

Iran to Export Electricity to Syria, Lebanon

Iran to Export Electricity to Syria, Lebanon

TEHRAN (NNN-IRNA) -- Iran and Syria have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on export of electricity to Syria and Lebanon as of A...

India Sets Up New Board for Fast Nod to Energy, Infrastructure Projects

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NEW DELHI (NNN-PTI) -- In a major move to boost investor confidence, the Indian government has decided to set up a high-powered board to ensure speedy "one-time" clearances to projects in energy and infrastructure sectors and address the problems in getting regulatory permissions</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The decision to set up the Project Clearance Board on the lines of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) was taken by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) against the backdrop of several projects, including 70 in oil and natural gas sector, facing delays because of lack of necessary clearances</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Board, to be headed by the Cabinet Secretary, will include representatives from the Ministries of Home, Defence, Environment & Forests, Commerce, Coal, Department of Space and other infrastructure and energy related Ministries/Departments, a PMO statement said</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>"</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In a meeting held in PMO to review the status of clearances of Oil & Gas Blocks awarded under the NELP, it was decided that a Project Clearance Board along the lines of FIPB, would be constituted under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary for review and issue of one-time clearances, including security clearance," it said</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Board will meet on a monthly basis to review the status of clearances for energy and infrastructure projects and expedite issuing of security and other clearances</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It noted that "one of the biggest hurdles" to speedy implementation of projects is the delays faced by project implementing agencies and private firms with concessions, in obtaining security related clearances from many agencies</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It cited the example of progress in exploration work in over 70 oil blocks awarded under the NELP which has slowed down due to lack of clearances. There are similar problems in other areas such as Ports and infrastructure sectors, it said</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The PMO said the decision to set up the Board was taken as there is "a need to have an institutionalised mechanism for issuing clearances in a time-bound manner</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>". </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>"</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There is already a model for clearing foreign investments in the form of the FIPB where foreign investment clearances are given through regular meetings of the FIPB under the Department of Economic Affairs," the PMO statement said</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>"</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A need for a similar mechanism was felt for other clearances so that the issue of delayed clearances is resolved," it said</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ministries would report to this Board the status of issuing of clearances after following their internal due diligence processes</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For the Petroleum & Natural Gas sector, the special cell for clearances being set up in DGH will act as the secretariat, the statement said</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A common mechanism for all sectors will be evolved soon and the Board will be set up in the coming weeks</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The decision to set up the board comes at a time when the government is facing allegations of policy paralysis and there are apprehensions among foreign investors</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">US President Barack Obama had told PTI last week that investment climate in India had deteriorated</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The PMO announcement comes on a day Tata group Chairman Ratan Tata said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh must restore government credibility and place the country on a growth path once again by "removing roadblocks". -- NNN-PTI<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
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India Sets Up New Board for Fast Nod to Energy, Infrastructure Projects

NEW DELHI (NNN-PTI) -- In a major move to boost investor confidence, the Indian government has decided to set up a high-powered board to en...

Dutch Multinational Philips Helping to Light up Kenyan Roards with Solar Panels

Dutch Multinational Philips Helping to Light up Kenyan Roards with Solar Panels

By Stanley Wabomba NAIROBI (NNN-KBC) -- Dutch multinational Philips Electronics is partnering the Kenyan government to light up streets a...

Coal Shortages Cripple Power Plants in India

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By Anjana Pasricha<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">NEW DELHI — India is reeling under severe power outages as coal shortages cripple many of its power plants.  Energy shortages are being blamed for slowing economic growth in the country.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The business hub of Gurgaon on the outskirts of the Indian capital was the scene recently of an angry protest. As summer temperatures crossed 45 degrees celsius, hundreds of sweltering residents blocked traffic and threw stones to protest power outages extending up to eight hours a day.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gurgaon is not the only town where anger is boiling over. As India swelters under one of the hottest summers in recent memory, residents and industries across much of the country have been reeling under severe power shortages.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">India had hoped to bridge a chronic gap in power production by encouraging private investment in the sector in recent years. But a crippling shortage of coal to fire thermal power plants has set back many multibillion dollar projects.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Among them is Kineta Power in southern Andhra Pradesh state, which had hoped to   produce nearly 2000 megawatts of electricity this year. The company’s director, Venkateswarlu Badveti, says efforts to get the project on stream have been delayed due to the company’s failure to secure coal supplies from the government, for which they applied nearly four years ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Unfortunately we have been updated that the coal clearance will come soon, but it has not materialized yet,” said Badveti.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">India is suffering from coal shortages despite ample supplies - it has the world’s fourth largest coal reserves.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The problem is blamed on a host of factors. The state controlled firm that produces most of the country’s coal has not scaled up production sufficiently to meet the growing demand. Plans to develop new mines have been put on hold by concerns of damaging the environment.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Private power plant producers have scrambled overseas to boost fuel supplies. But a senior official at the Association of Power Producers of India, Raghvendra Upadhyay, says rising costs have added to their problems.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“While Indian power producers did step out and they acquired coal mines, the prices have gone up because of domestic conditions in those countries," said Upadhyay. "That has meant that the cost of power has also gone up. The problem is consumers have not been really been shoulder much of that burden, which has led to this current problem.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many industries say they have to routinely cut back on production due to the energy outages.  Others rely on much more expensive power generated with diesel to make up the shortfall. Experts say the power shortages are one of the factors holding back economic growth at a time when the economy is slowing down.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> ---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Coal Shortages Cripple Power Plants in India

By Anjana Pasricha NEW DELHI — India is reeling under severe power outages as coal shortages cripple many of its power plants. Energy sh...

Solar Power Transforming Lives Mozambique

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkSATpt9HlTzGav8T6P_Fc-fV1bRGKQ5YwlmzrwPzDDP9FdQgbI3p04u3pGnoVuLvpc2-LRdblFVT0XvWeVpifw9bBSR9D_wkO-XZI6GUD80LjlPebEZUL4G48URTz2-LM7aga5D0wxNY/s1600/2012070411594522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkSATpt9HlTzGav8T6P_Fc-fV1bRGKQ5YwlmzrwPzDDP9FdQgbI3p04u3pGnoVuLvpc2-LRdblFVT0XvWeVpifw9bBSR9D_wkO-XZI6GUD80LjlPebEZUL4G48URTz2-LM7aga5D0wxNY/s1600/2012070411594522.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">NNN--- Solar power is improving the living conditions of schools in northern Mozambique. The solar panels have been installed by the National Energy Fund (FUNAE) to provide electricity for homes, schools, health units, police stations, public lighting and public buildings in districts of Chiure and Meluco in Cabo Delgado Province, Nipepe in Niassa Province and Monapo in Nampula Province on 3 July 2012. In the health units, the power is being used for refrigerators to conserve medicines and to provide lighting so that patients can be treated at any time of day. Photo courtesy itpower ---NNN<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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Solar Power Transforming Lives Mozambique

NNN--- Solar power is improving the living conditions of schools in northern Mozambique. The solar panels have been installed by the Nati...

Eurasia has Potential to Address India's Energy Needs: Krishna

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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">DUSHANBE (NNN-PTI): Identifying Eurasia as a panacea for its energy security needs, India today asked its top envoys in the resource-rich region to work on converting their country's "enormous goodwill" into "tangible economic and strategic advantage".<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Addressing a conference in the Tajik capital of Indian Heads of Missions of 11 countries in the region, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna underlined the importance of India's 'Connect Central Asia' policy and its engagement with the strategic region.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">He emphasised the need of 'Commerce, Connectivity, Consular and Community'- to improve its engagement with the natural-resources-rich region.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"I would urge all of you to ponder over four Cs namely 'Commerce, Connectivity, Consular and Community'-related issues, and initiate innovative solutions with the sole aim of further improving the quality of our engagement with the countries of your accreditation as well as the region," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"I need not emphasise the significance and importance of the Eurasia region for India. As this region undergoes rapid transformation, a time has come for us to evolve calibrated and coordinated responses in our engagement with each of the countries as well as the region to further secure our core national interests," the minister said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Krishna, who is here on a two-day visit, identified the Eurasia region has the potential of "significantly addressing" India's energy security needs.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Krishna said India's envoys in the region should deploy all available tools "to capitalise on the enormous goodwill that exists for India, and convert it into a tangible economic and strategic advantage". -NNN-PTI<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Eurasia has Potential to Address India's Energy Needs: Krishna

DUSHANBE (NNN-PTI): Identifying Eurasia as a panacea for its energy security needs, India today asked its top envoys in the resource-rich ...

Solar Plane Soars from Europe to Africa

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">By Michael Lipin<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">A Swiss adventurer is flying an experimental solar-powered plane from southern Europe toward northern Africa in a bid to complete the world's first inter-continental flight by an aircraft without using fuel.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Bertrand Piccard took off from the Spanish capital Madrid, early Tuesday aboard the Solar Impulse plane on an 830 kilometer journey to the Moroccan capital, Rabat. Several hours later he was nearing Spain's southern coast while cruising at an altitude of 3,600 meters. After crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, the plane is due to enter Moroccan airspace over Tangiers and land at Rabat's airport after 9 pm local time (2200 UTC).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Solar Impulse has a huge 63-meter wingspan covered by 12,000 solar cells connected to a set of electrical motors that power the single-pilot aircraft. Despite its size, the plane weighs only about as much as an average family car.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Speaking as he flew over Spain, Piccard said his goal is to try to change public perceptions about renewable energy sources, showing that they can be used not just for airplanes, but also on the ground to power cars and home appliances such as air conditioners.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Organizers picked Morocco as the flight's destination to highlight the North African nation's plan to build the world's biggest solar power plant. Piccard said the solar power plant will help Morocco to create jobs and become more independent from fossil fuels. He said many other nations can boost their purchasing power and wealth by following Morocco's example.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Solar Impulse's flight from Madrid to Rabat also is a trial run for a much longer round-the-world flight scheduled in 2014. Piccard said his team is preparing for that attempt by building a second, larger plane with water-tight wings that can fly in rainy conditions for five to six days in a row without landing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The team's current aircraft made history in 2010 as the first manned plane to fly for 24 hours using only the sun's energy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Internet users can follow the flight's progress with live images from an on-board camera at solarimpulse.com. ---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Solar Plane Soars from Europe to Africa

By Michael Lipin A Swiss adventurer is flying an experimental solar-powered plane from southern Europe toward northern Africa in a bid to...

India: Use of Rice Husk and Solar Power

India: Use of Rice Husk and Solar Power

New Delhi (PIB) --- Dr. Farooq Abdullah, the Minister of New and Renewable Energy informed the Rajya Sabha (upper house of the parliament...

Indian PM Says Country Faces Formidable Challenges on Energy

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">NEW DELHI, India (NNN-Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Saturday that the country is facing "formidable" challenges in the energy sector particularly due to the spiralling global oil prices.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"The challenges we face on the energy front are formidable. We needs adequate supplies of energy at affordable prices. Domestic sources of crude oil and gas are inadequate to meet the growing demands of our rapidly expanding economy," the Prime Minister said after inaugurating a 4 billion U.S. dollars refinery in the northern state of Punjab.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">He added: "With imports accounting for about 80 percent of our crude supplies, the spiralling prices of crude in the international market have put a severe strain on our import bill. We also need to rationalize prices and at the same time ensure that the poor and needy are shielded from the effects of such a rationalization."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">India had in 2010 deregulated petrol prices but state-owned oil companies haven't been able to raise oil prices because of political pressure.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Claiming that the country's refinery sector has grown leaps and bounds, Singh said India has emerged as a refining hub with capacity increasing from 62 million tonne per annum in 1998 to 213 million tonne currently.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"We have sufficient refining capacity to enable us to export petroleum products," the Prime Minister boasted. -- NNN-XINHUA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Indian PM Says Country Faces Formidable Challenges on Energy

NEW DELHI, India (NNN-Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Saturday that the country is facing "formidable" chall...

ADB to Help Finance Rajasthan Solar Plant, One Of Largest In India

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<div class="Section0"><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wYePHQtzYgPBCQhm89gGQd627VZ0uJx9-Fa0G5iU0FCwP3pcmJ2-HECtF31LYWJERN0aT_4bXTV7m-JFMXNH_lzbfNklpm-kSNyf77z9SNvGoEsY-8Q365s7NqVpDoF7gFBwVAtLztg/s1600/2012042515452277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wYePHQtzYgPBCQhm89gGQd627VZ0uJx9-Fa0G5iU0FCwP3pcmJ2-HECtF31LYWJERN0aT_4bXTV7m-JFMXNH_lzbfNklpm-kSNyf77z9SNvGoEsY-8Q365s7NqVpDoF7gFBwVAtLztg/s640/2012042515452277.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">NNN--- </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">A worker working on India's first top solar power plant at Chandrasan village near Mehsana, 45 kms from Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The power plant generates 1.6 million units of electricity per year and is developed by the Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL). The plant was inaugurated by Gujarat state Chief Minister, Narendra Modi on April 24. Photo courtesy narendramodi.in</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">---NNN</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">  </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">JODHPUR (INDIA)</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">(NNN-ADB) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will lend US$103 million to Reliance Power Ltd. to help finance a solar plant in Rajasthan state that will power homes and businesses in India and help bring the country closer to its ambitious solar power generation goals. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><br />
</span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">The plant will be one of the largest solar plants in India, and the loan marks ADB’s first-ever financing for a concentrating solar power project. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><br />
</span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">"This 100-megawatt plant will help meet growing energy demand in India, in a way that avoids emission of harmful greenhouse gases," said Michael Barrow, Director in ADB's Private Sector Operations Department. "We hope that the success of this project will spur others to invest in the solar energy sector, which has massive potential in India." </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><br />
</span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">Barrow was speaking at the fourth Asia Solar Energy Forum that is gathering public and private sector experts, investors, and companies in Jodhpur in the Rajasthan state in India.</span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">Under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (NSM) – an initiative unveiled by the Government of India in January 2010 – India aims to have two gigawatts of installed solar power generation capacity by 2013, 10 gigawatts by 2017, and 20 gigawatts by 2022. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><br />
</span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">Reliance Power was one of the successful bidders to develop 470 megawatts of concentrating solar power capacity under the first phase of the NSM. The plant will be located near the village of Dhursar in the Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan, 180 kilometers west of the city of Jodhpur. The site has one of the highest levels of direct sunlight in the country. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><br />
</span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">The plant will avoid more than 250,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year, compared to the energy produced by a conventional fossil fuel plant. The project will share a transmission line with the adjacent Dahanu solar power plant, a 40-megawatt solar photovoltaic plant also partly financed by ADB. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><br />
</span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">Concentrating solar power captures solar energy to convert water into steam, which in turn drives a steam turbine to produce energy. Photovoltaic plants convert sunlight into electricity through solar panels using semiconductors. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><br />
</span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">The plant, which is expected to be completed in May 2013, will cost around $415 million to build. As well as ADB's loan, other bilateral agencies and local commercial lenders will provide funds. It will be the first thermal solar energy plant built by Reliance Power, a listed company of the Reliance ADA Group. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><br />
</span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">ADB is supporting the development of solar energy in developing Asia as part of its goal of promoting environmentally sustainable economic growth. Under its Asia Solar Energy Initiative, announced in May 2010, ADB aims to commission or support 3,000 megawatts of solar power capacity in developing member countries by May 2013. -- NNN-ADB</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div></div></div>

ADB to Help Finance Rajasthan Solar Plant, One Of Largest In India

NNN--- A worker working on India's first top solar power plant at Chandrasan village near Mehsana, 45 kms from Ahmedabad, Gujarat. ...