MonitorsPublished on Aug 05, 2017
Energy News Monitor | Volume XIV; Issue 8

COAL CESS TO UNDERWRITE INDIA’S MANY TRANSITIONS

Coal News Commentary: July 2017

India

Coal cess, originally meant to fund research and projects on clean energy was diverted to clean the Ganga last year.  This year it is expected to underwrite the transaction costs in shifting to GST. The government said that coal cess will contribute to the GST compensation fund, a corpus meant for compensating states for revenue losses in the wake of shifting to the new indirect tax regime. The cess on coal has been continued at ₹ 400/tonne under the GST regime. After five years, any amount left would be shared on 50 percent basis between Centre and States.

Credit rating agency Ind-Ra expects domestic coal consumption growth in India to remain tepid on account of subdued demand from thermal power plants, with an expectation of power plant capacity utilisation remaining sub-65% in the medium term. It has estimated that prices for the benchmark Newcastle coal with 5,500 calories of energy value will hover between $50/tonne and $60/tonne between 2018 and 2020. Ind-Ra feels that government’s policies on large seaborne trade and persistent substitution to renewable energy are likely to have a significant influence on coal prices. However, India’s domestic coal production is set to increase on account of government efforts to reduce imports. The higher target is partly to be met by production in coal blocks fraught with clearances issues. Freight costs and volume-based taxes make an economic case for steady demand for high-quality coal. For instance, India doubling clean energy cess to ₹ 400/tonne reduces the economic value of low-quality coal. Ind-Ra believes investment in new coal projects is likely to remain subdued globally due to gloomy long-term demand prospects. Many top global suppliers may not invest in raising output, creating a strong floor for prices. Although coking coal prices are likely to weaken in 2018 due to a production recovery in Australia and China, the average price for the full year may continue to remain high compared with that for first half of 2017 due to continued supply-side constraints and low inventory levels. However, with the restart of idle sites and new capacity ramp-ups, supply from top producer countries could improve in 2019. Ind-Ra estimates medium-term price of coking coal at about $100/tonne.

CIL has invited applications from independent power producers to take part in the auction of coal linkages under the Scheme for Harnessing and Allocating Koyala Transparently in India (Shakti). In May, the coal ministry had directed the coal producer that the miner may grant coal linkages to the power producers or IPPs having long-term power purchase agreements. The ministry said the coal linkage auction would be based on discounts on the power tariff. The discount by generating companies would be adjusted from the gross amount of bill at the time of billing, i.e., the original bill shall be raised as per the terms and conditions of the PPA and the discount would be reduced from the gross amount of the bill. The ministry had said CIL/SCCL may grant future coal linkages on auction basis for power producers/IPPs without PPAs that are either commissioned or to be commissioned. With the third tranche of linkage auction on the anvil, the coal ministry now wants to adopt a flexible mode of transportation using both the roadways and railways for easy evacuation of coal. Following the second tranche of linkage auction in which CIL offered 15 mt the miner could not conclude the fuel supply agreements since there were supply constraints from MCL, SECL and CCL. SECL has recently notified that they would not take booking over trigger level for power utilities but power utilities, if required, could place orders above trigger level if they were ready to carry coal through road mode. CIL has the obligation to supply 75% of the required coal to new power plants and 90% to old power plants, which is known as trigger level. Failing to supply this quantity CIL is liable to pay a penalty to its consumers. Non-power consumers also receive a certain percentage of their annual coal requirement. The railways generally give preference to the coal sector in supplying these wagons because of priority supplies to the power plants.

The railway ministry along with Konkan Railway is keen on identifying a solution to prevent pollution while transporting coal from MPT to steel plants in the Bellary-Hospet region of Karnataka. The coal, which arrives at MPT, is transported by trucks through Vasco town, which causes a lot of dust pollution. Coal from MPT is typically loaded onto rail wagons and sent through southwestern railways to Hospet via Londa. Along with the expansion at the port, the single-track route is being upgraded to a double-track, which has irked Vasco residents and civil society. An ambitious plan to reduce the dependence of India’s coal-fired power plants on freshwater has stalled in its starting blocks. The policy for some plants to use treated sewage water, introduced last year, is impractical and economically non-viable, according to the Greenpeace report, “Pipe Dreams”. A severe drought in 2016 forced several coal plants to shut down, causing the loss of nearly 11 billion units of power and an estimated potential revenue of $560 million between January and July 2016. The energy ministry, through a government notification in January 2016, made it mandatory for all thermal power within 50 kilometres of a sewage treatment plant to use treated wastewater in their operations. Only eight percent of all coal plants in India are able to completely meet their water needs in this way, according to the report. Some five percent of plants can partially satisfy their water needs through treated sewage, but a staggering 87 percent of India’s 200 GW coal power plants cannot follow the policy because they have no access to treated sewage water. The report also states that less than 11 percent of total treated sewage water can be used by thermal power plants. Coal-fired power plants are a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions that lead to climate change. They use water to run turbines and for cooling, which account for 80 percent of the total consumption. Some 3.5 litres of water are needed to produce one unit of energy and, across India, coal power plants use an estimated 4.6 bcm of freshwater per year, enough to meet the basic needs of 250 million people. The states of Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, for example, jointly produce 77 GW of coal power but can only supply enough treated sewage water to generate 1.5 GW. The report concludes that switching from freshwater to treated sewage water will not reduce the impact of coal power plants on India’s water scarcity.

CIL has decided to close down high-risk mines. CIL has graded all mines in high, moderate and low risk categories. Mine-wise action plan to mitigate high and moderate risks and bring such mines into low risk category has been done by CIL. The government has made it mandatory to annually conduct safety audit of all coal mines. In December last year, CIL arm Eastern Coalfields saw Lalmatia mine collapse that claimed 18 lives. The incident took place on December 29 when a massive mound of earth came crashing down on excavators at the Lalmatia open cast coal mine, the worst such disaster in over a decade. Even as Essar Power seeks tariff hike to revive its 1200 MW imported coal-based power plant at Salaya in Gujarat after the apex court denied compensatory tariffs to power plants based on imported coal, the company has started exploring options to import coal from countries other than Indonesia to reduce the impact of higher coal price. The higher cost of coal has led to high under recovery of around 55 paise per unit at the Salaya plant, leading to complete wipe-out of its net worth in the last five years. Essar Power is evaluating coal sourcing from Russia, Mongolia, Cambodia, China and Australia to isolate its Salaya plant from the current volatility of coal price. The company, is negotiating the landed price of coal through reverse e-auction method to arrive at cheaper options instead of spot market price. At present, the landed price of coal from Indonesia is around $85/tonne, which has more than doubled in the last six months. Salaya plant has the capability to process around 30 different type of coal, which it plans to optimise for its best use. The company has sought hike in tariff to the extent of increase in imported coal cost excluding the fixed cost.

KPMG will chart out Vision 2030 for CIL, which is uncertain about the future of coal and wants to diversify. The monopoly has just issued a letter of intent to KPMG, which would soon be followed by awarding of contract following which, the consultant will submit its report in 14 weeks. PwC, Delloitte India and KPMG were in the race. But KPMG was chosen for the job. In fact, KPMG has prior experience with CIL when it prepared Vision 2020 for the company a few years ago. The monopoly invited bids for vision 2030 because coal is likely to decline in India’s energy mix although it is expected to remain the mainstay for several years. According to CIL, the government believes that India does not need additional coal-fired power plants till 2027 because some 50,025 MW coal-based power plants are under construction along with some 100,000 MW renewable power capacity. According to the document inviting bids, KPMG will have to present a draft document of the Vision 2030 within eight weeks. This would be followed by two workshops — one for coal producers and another for coal consumers. It will then have to upload the draft document online for public opinion. After two additional weeks, KPMG will make a presentation to consumers along with public opinion to CIL as well as the coal ministry and then submit the final report.

NTPC Ltd plans to invest $10 billion in new coal-fired power stations over the next five years despite the electricity regulator’s assessment that thermal plants now under construction will be able to meet demand until 2027. In the first phase, India’s biggest power producer, NTPC, plans to build three new plants with a combined capacity of more than 5 GW, nearly double the capacity of those currently being phased out. The proposal also comes as several coal-fired stations built in the last power boom a decade ago are standing idle due to softer-than-expected demand. CIL is struggling to sell its stockpile as a result. More than 300 million of India’s 1.3 billion people are still not hooked up to the grid, according to NITI Aayog, which makes policy recommendations to the government. As connections improve, the panel reckons, the country’s per-capita power consumption could jump around a third to up to 2,924 kilowatt-hours by 2040 from 2012 levels. In the next decade, the around 50 GW of capacity from thermal plants due to come online by 2022 will meet demand, the CEA said. Around 78 percent of generated power in India at the moment still comes from coal-fired plants, however, making it one of the biggest users of the dirty and cheap fuel in the world. NTPC’s proposal is to build plants of two 660 MW units each at Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh and Talcher in Odisha.

Rest of the World

Coal prices’ march to eight-month highs, driven by China’s huge appetite for power consumption, looks like an interlude in a longer-term decline and is seen losing traction later this year. Asia’s benchmark physical coal prices have gained more than a third from lows seen in May to nearly $98/tonne while European benchmark API2 2018 coal futures are at eight-month highs of around $74/tonne. China had cut coal capacity by 111 mt by the end of June, representing 74 percent of its target for this year. Analysts expect average futures prices to fall to $60-$70/tonne in the third and fourth quarters of this year and $50-$65/tonne in the first quarter of next year. China plans to add 200 mt of new coal mining capacity this year, in addition to the 90 mt already added in the first half of this year. In January, the NDRC said it wanted Chinese coal prices to trade in a range of $74-81/tonne and would take action if they were outside this. Mining and electric utility executives in China are preparing for a possible government intervention into coal markets after prices hit the $88.25/tonne threshold the NDRC said would trigger steps to cool prices. A prolonged heatwave across northern China, hydropower cuts in the south, a fresh crackdown on mine safety and imports curbs have triggered a weeks-long rally in the world’s top buyer of the fuel. In January, NDRC said in a document it is comfortable with a price of $69.12 to $83.82/tonne and will use measures to cool the market if it rises above 600 yuan. But spot physical prices offered by major producers, such as Shenhua, ChinaCoal and Shandong Energy, are already at $89/tonne sources with the three companies said driven by strong demand.

The US EIA has projected that coal will briefly retake its crown from natural gas as the primary fuel for power generators in 2017 due to an increase in gas prices. Coal, however, is expected to lose that title again in 2018 as producers boost gas output and utilities to retire more coal plants for environmental and economic reasons, the EIA said. Coal lost its title to gas for the first time ever in 2016 when gas prices dropped to their lowest since 1999. Coal had been the primary fuel for US power plants for the last century. It projected coal’s share of generation would rise to 31.3 percent in 2017 before sliding to 31.2 percent in 2018. That compares with 30.4 percent in 2016. Despite the projected increase in coal’s use in 2017, EIA forecast total energy-related carbon dioxide emissions would fall to 5,141 mt in 2017, the lowest since 1992, before rising to 5,230 mt in 2018 due to an increase in emissions from the transport sector.

Nearly 60 percent of Polish energy in 2030 will come from bituminous coal and lignite, Deputy Energy Minister Grzegorz Tobiszowski said. Poland, due to a lack of alternative energy sources and as trade unions retain their grip on the industry, currently generates more than 80 percent of its electricity from burning coal produced by its state-owned mines. Despite European Union requirements to cut carbon emissions, Poland has vowed to stick to coal, saying it is its only accessible source of energy and switching to others in a short time would be too costly.

Urging China to cut down on its “severe” coal power overcapacity, the report by Greenpeace East Asia said this could save enough water to meet annual needs of 27 million people in water-stressed areas. The report said that despite reduction in coal powered plants since 2014, the Chinese coal-fired capacity in areas of high water stress continues to increase. However, China’s per capita water resources amount to only one-third of the global average. According to the report, by 2020, more than 60 percent of the coal power industry’s water consumption is projected to take place in areas of high water stress. China is the world’s largest coal consumer, the report said. The report said that if the expansion goes unabated, the coal power capacity in water stressed areas is projected to jump from 437 GW in 2016 to 527 GW in 2020. Based on the report’s findings, Greenpeace urges that China reduce excess coal power capacity in high water stress areas by 179 GW before the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period which ends in 2020. To support its West-to-East Power Transmission Project of the central government, many coal bases were developed in Central and Western China during the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015).

Green Peace would be happy to see the opposition to coal in Myanmar said to be motivated by western NGOs.  Opposition to a planned $3 billion coal-fired power plant in eastern Myanmar is highlighting the challenges facing Aung San Suu Kyi’s government in crafting a coherent energy policy in one of Asia’s poorest and most electricity-starved countries. With only a third of the country’s 60 million people connected to the grid and major cities experiencing blackouts, finding investors is tough for Myanmar and it is now looking at options, from coal to deep-sea gas, to boost its power supply. Coal would be one of the quickest ways to ramp up power generation but, as protests against the proposed 1,280 MW project in the eastern Kayin state show, the option is unpopular in Myanmar.

NATIONAL: OIL

West Bengal CM criticises Centre’s decision to raise LPG prices

July 31, 2017. West Bengal Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee criticised the Narendra Modi government’s decision to raise prices of subsidised cooking gas or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) every month to eliminate all subsidies. The government has ordered state-run oil companies to raise subsidised cooking gas prices by Rs 4 per cylinder every month to eliminate all the subsidies by March next year, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said. The government had previously asked Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) to raise rates of subsidised domestic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) by Rs 2 per 14.2-kg cylinder per month (excluding Value Added Tax). Now, the quantum has been doubled so as to bring down the subsidy to nil, he said. Every household is entitled to 12 cylinders of 14.2-kg each at subsidised rates in a year. Any requirement beyond that is to be purchased at market price.

Source: The Economic Times

Soft crude prices to keep outlook for Indian upstream sector negative: ICRA

July 31, 2017. Outlook for the Indian upstream sector remains negative for the near to medium term due to soft crude prices, rating agency ICRA said. The rating agency expects the profitability of domestic upstream companies, to be subdued in the near to medium term. OPEC (Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) had in November agreed to cut total crude oil production of its member countries by 1.2 million barrels per day from January 2017 which had led to a spike in global crude oil prices by Rs 15-20 percent to levels of $55-57 per barrel. The rating agency does not see any tailwinds for the gas segment in India. Weak crude prices, however, is expected to lead to a further decline in gross under recoveries for oil marketing companies.

Source: Business Standard

Petrol pumps in Delhi to get vapour recovery systems by September

July 30, 2017. Delhi may get vapour recovery systems at all its petrol pumps by September 30, 2017. Delhi environment minister Imran Hussain reviewed the progress on their installation by oil companies. Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) said that they have installed vapour recovery systems at 95 of their petrol pumps out of 97. Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) has completed installation at 31 petrol pumps out of 42 and Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has installed the system at 60 out of their 190 stations. Vapour recovery systems prevent evaporation of petrol and diesel while tankers are filled at fuel stations. Petrol contains volatile organic compounds including Benzene that evaporate inside the fuel tank of a vehicle and fill the space above the liquid fuel.

Source: The Economic Times

ONGC confirms government slapping it, RIL with $3.9 bn demand

July 27, 2017. The government has slapped ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corp), Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and Royal Dutch Shell with a demand of $3.9 billion (Rs 25,487 crore) in dues following an arbitration award in its favour. The demand notice pertains to interpretation of the contract for the Panna-Mukta and Tapti (PMT) oil and gas fields in the Arabian Sea. ONGC, which owns 40 percent stake in PMT fields, said its share out of the demand notice amounts to $1.57 billion, equivalent to Rs 10,195 crore. RIL and Shell hold 30 percent stake each. ONGC said the production sharing contracts (PSCs) for Panna-Mukta and Mid and South Tapti areas were signed on December 22, 1994, for 25 years. It also upheld that the cost recovery in the contract is fixed at $545 million in Tapti gas field and $577.5 million in Panna-Mukta oil and gas field. The two firms wanted that cost provision be raised by $ 365 million in Tapti and $ 62.5 million in Panna-Mukta.

Source: The Economic Times

NATIONAL: GAS

GAIL under CCI scanner for breaching competition norms

August 1, 2017. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is investigating at least seven cases of alleged abuse of dominance by GAIL (India) Ltd in dealing with its customers, the outcome of which could potentially redraw the rules of the gas marketing business in India. The Commission has clubbed for investigation two cases from this year and five from the previous year in which customers – Rathi Steel, Mohan Meakin, Rico Auto, Omax Autos and Rico Castings -have alleged GAIL abused its dominant position by incorporating unfair terms and condition in the Gas Sale Agreement (GSA) and imposing take-or-pay (ToP) liability. ToP requires customers to pay for 90% of the contracted volume even if it lifts less in a year although the unlifted amount can be taken later. GAIL has denied allegations by customers. The investigation would examine almost every aspect of GAIL’s procurement, price determination, the way company imposed take-or-pay liability on all customers in 2015, and how it commits ToP liability to its upstream customers. The complainants have alleged that many of the provisions related to the quality of gas or the purchase terms favour GAIL more than customers. The most important dispute is linked to the imposition of the take-or-pay liabilities on customers for the year 2015, when changes in the global market had made long-term gas more expensive than spot, encouraging more consumers to switch to spot where possible.

Source: The Times of India

ONGC seeks marketing freedom to open India’s 8th sedimentary basin

July 30, 2017. ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corp) has sought pricing and marketing freedom to help bring to production a one-trillion cubic feet gas discovery that will open up a new sedimentary basin after over three decades. ONGC, which has opened for commercial production six out of India’s seven producing basins, has made a significant natural gas discovery in the Gulf of Kutch of Gujarat coast that can produce about three million standard cubic meters per day, the company said. This will open up the country’s eighth sedimentary basin – the first in over three decades – for oil and gas production in two years. ONGC reviewed the project with Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and set out conditions that will help monetise the gas reserves. India has 26 sedimentary basins, of which only seven have commercial production of oil and gas. Except for the Assam shelf, ONGC opened up for commercial production all the other six basins, including Cambay, Mumbai Offshore, Rajasthan, Krishna Godavari, Cauvery and Assam-Arakan Fold Belt.

Source: The Economic Times

Black & Veatch wins EPC contract for India’s first floating LNG project

July 28, 2017. Engineering, Procurement and Manufacturing (EPC) firm Black & Veatch announced it has been awarded a contract by Swan Energy for constructing part of India’s first Floating Storage and Re-gasification Unit (FSRU) for liquefied natural gas (LNG) import at Jafrabad in Gujarat. The FSRU is expected to go on-stream by early 2020. Swan Energy had received approval from Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) for commencement of construction of LNG terminal with ancillary structures for its FSRU in December. Swan Energy, which is building the project in joint venture with Exmar of Belgium, plans to expand the capacity to 10 million tonnes through the deployment of a second FSRU. The company operates primarily into gas processing, sulfur recover, gasification and LNG technologies.

Source: The Economic Times

ONGC takes step to increase natural gas production in Tripura

July 27, 2017. ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corp) is taking steps to increase production of natural gas in Tripura, S C Soni, executive director of ONGC and in-charge of Tripura Asset, said. A total of 221 wells have been drilled by ONGC in the state till April 2017 and 116 wells are found to be gas bearing which corresponds to the success ratio of 2:1 and presently 76 wells are producing around 4.3-4.5 million metric standard cubic meter per day (mmscmd), he said. Soni said that ONGC s average sales in Tripura has increased from 1.7 mmscmd in 2012-13 to 3.92 mmscmd in 2016-17. Till September 2016, only three drilling rig were operational in ONGC Tripura Asset and at present total drilling rig strength has been increased seven rigs to intensify exploration and generate more gas production. Three rigs were engaged for exploration only in Khubal area in the northern part of the state where a Rs 5000 crore fertilizer company would be set up in a joint venture with ONGC, Tripura Government and Rajasthan based Chambal Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd. ONGC started exploration in the state in 1962.

Source: The Times of India

NATIONAL: COAL

India’s coal imports in first quarter fall 8.1 percent on higher output

July 28, 2017. During April-June 2017-18, 52.74 million tonnes of coal was imported against 57.38 million tonnes (mt) in the corresponding previous period registering a 8.1% fall, according to the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence & Statistics. In fact, coal imports has been declining over the last three years. During 2014-15, India imported 217.78 mt of coal, which declined to 203.95 mt in 2015-16 and further to 190.95 mt in 2016-17. Vendible stock of Coal India Ltd (CIL) has increased form 53.62 mt as on April 1, 2015 to 61.92 mt on April 1, 2017. Off-take or dispatch of coal of CIL has also increased from 488.86 mt in 2014-15 to 542.82 mt in 2016-17. Vendible stock of CIL on June 1, 2017 was 49.90 mt.

Source: The Economic Times

CIL asks five arms to save 40 mt for auction under Shakti Scheme

July 28, 2017. Coal India Ltd (CIL) has asked five of its seven subsidiaries to keep aside a total of 40 million tonnes (mt) of coal for auction to independent power producers under the Shakti scheme. South Eastern Coalfields and Central Coalfields will supply 12 million tonnes each, while Northern Coalfields will provide 4 million tonnes; Mahanadi Coalfields 9 million tonnes and Western Coalfields 3 million tonnes. The quality of coal, from 31 mines, would vary from G10, or gross calorific value (GCV) of 4,300-4,600, to G13 that has a range of 3,400-3,700 GCV. These grades are suitable for generating power. Bidders would seek better grades from mines closer to the plant to cut costs. The source and quality of this coal on offer would be made available to bidders minutes before the auction. They would bid for discounts on existing tariffs and aim to get the best quality coal from the nearest source to cut costs. Each power producer will have to bid for discounts on the tariffs mentioned in their power purchase agreements. The winner will sign a 25-year supply contract for a particular category of coal, while the second-ranked bidder can get the next-best quality.

Source: The Economic Times

India’s dependence on coal to continue beyond 2047

July 26, 2017. India’s dependence on coal will continue even after three decades from now with an estimated share of 42-50 percent of the country’s energy mix, the report, titled ‘Energising India’, has been jointly prepared by the NITI Aayog and the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ) said. The report said that penetration of renewable energy will increase from 3.7 percent in 2012 to 11-14 percent in 2047. It said India, with the fourth largest coal reserves, would like to use its abundant supplies efficiently to maintain energy security. It said that the share of coal in the energy mix for India and the world is 58 percent and 29 percent, whereas that of natural gas is 6.5 percent and 24 percent, respectively.

Source: Hindustan Times

NATIONAL: POWER

Government plans major change in power purchase norms to help stressed projects

August 1, 2017. The government is planning a major change in the power purchase norms to help stressed plants get coal supplies and start generation as the revised sales pact will make it more attractive for distribution companies to buy electricity from them. Norms are likely to be tweaked to remove contractual requirement for the buyer to pay a fixed cost to the plant even if no power is purchased. This is expected to encourage distribution companies to float tenders for electricity supply and sign new power purchase agreements (PPAs), which in turn will help the stranded power stations get fuel supply from Coal India Ltd (CIL). In a meeting called by the power ministry, it was decided to constitute a committee to look into the prospects of power plant developers voluntarily waiving off fixed costs for state distribution companies (dicsoms) that sign PPAs with stressed power plants. The proposal, however, will mandate the state distribution companies to offtake a minimum capacity of electricity from the plants, the government said. About 14,000 MW plants do not have power supply tie-ups, which are mandatory for procuring coal supply from CIL.

Source: The Economic Times

NTPC has no plans to acquire stressed power projects: Government

August 1, 2017. NTPC Ltd has no plans to take over stressed assets in the power sector, the government said. NLC India Ltd has identified Damodar Valley Corp’s Ragunathpur thermal power plant for acquisition, Power Minister Piyush Goyal said. NLC India has also shortlisted two suitable stressed power assets for a possible takeover to increase its electricity generation capacity, he said. The recovery of non-performing assets, he said, is an ongoing process that depends on various factors, including the resolution plan.

Source: The Economic Times

Rajasthan government approves new policy for power connections to small and marginal farmers

July 31, 2017. Rajasthan government has approved agriculture connection policy-2017 for power connections to small and marginal farmers. As per the new provisions, small and marginal farmers belonging to below poverty line (BPL) category will get priority over others in receiving agriculture connections of 5 horsepower. Farmers living on the periphery of Indira Gandhi Canal Project who are affected due to the problem of waterlogged areas will also get the same benefit. Earlier, famers in BPL category along with those living near Indira Gandhi Canal Project were not able to avail connections on a priority basis. Under the new policy, power connections that were cut off can be reconnected for which interest rates on amount paid has been slashed from 16% to 12% yearly. The new policy will only be applicable on connections for five-star rated pump sets approved by bureau of energy efficiency and upto 20 horsepower. Also, those replacing their standard motors with five-star rated pump sets will receive subsidy of Rs 750 per horsepower from the government.

Source: The Economic Times

UP electricity earnings grow 28 percent to Rs 78.2 bn current fiscal

July 31, 2017. A severe crackdown on electricity theft following the implementation of the centre’s flagship scheme Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) has led to a growth of 28.5 percent in power bill earnings for Uttar Pradesh (UP) in the first quarter ended June, the power ministry has said. The state’s collection of power supply revenue grew to Rs 7,822 crore in the three months between April 2017 and June 2017 from Rs 6,086 crore in the corresponding quarter previous financial year (2016-17). In volume terms, the first quarter collections in electricity procurement in Uttar Pradesh witnessed a growth of 15.5 percent as compared to the corresponding period in the previous fiscal. The state’s electricity procurement stood at 31,400 million units as compared to 27,200 million units in the same period last fiscal.

Source: The Economic Times

UDAY Scheme turning around power discoms performance: Ind-Ra

July 31, 2017. The Modi government’s Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) scheme for power distribution reforms has started bearing fruits with major improvement witnessed in both financial and operational performance of debt-laden distribution companies (discoms), Credit rating agency India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has said. It said a reduction in interest cost has also benefitted discoms’ finances which is estimated to have freed up Rs 22,000 crore capital of the banking sector. At the end of March 2017, 26 states and one union territory have joined UDAY. Nagaland, Odisha and West Bengal have not joined the scheme.

Source: The Economic Times

Cut power losses to below 10 percent in 6 months, Centre tells states

July 31, 2017. The power ministry has asked states to slash electricity losses due to theft and technical reasons to below 10% within six months, an ambitious target given that some towns in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar lose up to 90% of power. The target was put before the states in a review, planning and monitoring meeting held on July 22 by Power Minister Piyush Goyal with power secretaries of states. About 4,041 towns are being targeted under the proposal. Cities such as Ahmedabad and Visakhapatnam would find it easier to meet the target since they lose close to 10% power due to theft and technical reasons, but the move is being resisted by states such as Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar where pilferage and technical problems are a huge challenge. The power ministry said that the national aggregate technical and commercial losses in states reduced to 20% in 2016-17 from 21% in FY16, 25% in FY15, and 23% in FY14.

Source: The Economic Times

Modi government looks to rollout DBT type benefit in power sector

July 29, 2017. To meet the twin goals of curbing wasteful electricity consumption and limiting power subsidies to the really needy, the government is looking at replicating the direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme in the sector. While a clutch of pilot projects for DBT-Power is set to be launched soon, Union power secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla said that improving electricity metering was a prerequisite for the success of the scheme. DBT-Power, if implemented efficiently, could practically solve sticky issues in the power sector as it will help slash the losses of the power distribution companies. The draft national energy policy, published by NITI Aayog, had noted that adoption of DBT would protect the vulnerable electricity customer from rise in electricity prices when fuel costs go up. Once DBT-Power is introduced, state governments can directly subsidise customers. This will also engender salutary behavioural changes in consumption. Even the subsidised power users will be paying tariffs calculated on the basis of actual cost of electricity generation and transmission and distribution while receiving the subsidy amounts in their bank accounts. DBT is also expected to gradually reduce cross-subsidisation, helping to moderate industrial power rates — another issue the government is trying to address. Industrial customers, to compensate for low agricultural power prices, pay hefty tariffs of more than Rs 7.40 per unit.

Source: The Financial Express

Power distribution firms should make accounts public: Delhi BJP

July 29, 2017. The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) opposed any hike in power tariff in the national capital and demanded that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government ask distribution companies to make their financial accounts public. The three distribution companies (discoms) — BSES Yamuna Power Ltd (BYPL), BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd (BRPL) and Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (TPDDL) — have been seeking hike in tarrif pointing that the last such increase of 5 percent was effected way back in July 2014. The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) had held a public hearing on the petitions of the discoms to balance tariff, expenses and aggregate revenue requirement, but it was boycotted by the representatives of resident welfare associations. Manoj Tiwari, the Delhi unit president of the BJP, said the BJP will continue its support to the RWAs opposing any possible tariff hike.

Source: The Economic Times

PGCIL’s mega plan to monitor supply

July 29, 2017. PGCIL (Power Grid Corp of India Ltd) is working on what would be the largest project for monitoring and controlling of electricity supply across the country. Called ‘Unified Real Time Dynamic State Measurement (URTDSM)’, the central transmission utility would install ‘Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs)’ at all substations and generating stations. This would also form the backbone for efforts underway to integrate the large amount of renewable energy envisaged. The plan is to install PMUs at close to 1,300 locations on the national grid in phase-I; 1,000 have been installed. In the second phase, another 500 PMUs would be installed along with a network of Optical Ground Wire, for facilitating communication services in the power network, PGCIL said. The PMU network will facilitate monitoring of grid events in real time, such as power flow, voltage, backing down, demand & supply synchronisation, etc. This would improve grid reliability, reduce the probability of blackouts and minimise the impact of grid curtailment. It would also pave the way for remote communication and management of power supply. PGCIL is already monitoring the grid at a regional level through a National Transmission Asset Management Centre (NTAMC), which is monitoring 192 locations through nine control centres. Headquartered in Manesar, Haryana, it keeps an eye on all substations of PGCIL through remote-controlled cameras and alarm systems for any snag.

Source: Business Standard

Over 13k consumers caught stealing power in Bareilly by UPPCL

July 28, 2017. During a three-month special drive launched by Uttar Pradesh Power Corp Ltd (UPPCL) to check power theft in Bareilly division, the department has found 13,068 consumers who despite having legit power connections either tampered with the meters or installed illegal connections. The connections of such consumers have been disconnected. FIRs have been lodged against 172 consumers for power theft. The move comes following the Yogi Adityanath government’s decision to curb power theft, which is rampant in UP. In April, the power department inspected as many as 220 localities of both Bareilly city and Bareilly rural. The department had booked 68 people in connection with power theft.

Source: The Economic Times

EESL issues large tender for 50 lakh smart electricity meters

July 28, 2017. Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) has issued a large tender seeking supply of 50 lakh smart meters on behalf of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The tender sale will next month. Implementing smart meters is one of the operational performance parameters of the Centre’s Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) in which most states are lagging behind. The UDAY portal showed that only 1 percent of the overall target of 1.7 crore smart meters has been met so far.

Source: The Economic Times

Power generation flat in June 2017 at 97 bn units

July 28, 2017. Power generation in June 2017 remained flat at 97 billion units on account of lower demand from distribution companies according to a credit rating agency. Power generation in June 2017 remained flat at 97 billion units on account of lower demand from distribution companies. Continuous spell of pre-monsoon showers across northern India in June 2017 led to reduction in temperature leading to lower power demand, Credit rating agency India Ratings and Research said. In June 2017, power generation from Punjab and Haryana reduced year over year (y-o-y) by 39 percent and 11 percent, respectively. Lower generation led to reduction in all-India PLF (Plant Load Factor) for coal and lignite-based power plants by 326 basis points to 57.4 percent. PLF of NTPC Ltd owned plants registered a y-o-y decline of 462 basis points to 77.2 percent in June 2017.

Source: The Financial Express

CESC to infuse Rs 10 bn in power business in current fiscal

July 28, 2017. RP Sanjiv Goenka flagship company CESC Ltd will invest Rs 1000 crore in the current fiscal in the power business. The company has already stated that it will focus in power distribution instead in generation due to high regulatory interventions. CESC chairman Sanjiv Goenka stating their achievement of Rajasthan, Kota distribution franchisee since takeover said, transmission and distribution loss has reduced by six percent and it will achieve a revenue of Rs 1300 crore representing some 16 percent of group consolidated power distribution revenue. CESC has won distribution franchisee in cities of Kota and Bharatpur in Rajasthan. Goenka said the company was keen to invest in Uttar Pradesh given the transparency and commitment shown by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s government. The company owns Papu and Phanchung hydel power projects in Arunachal Pradesh. CESC has total generation of 187 MW in renewables including wind and solar.

Source: The Economic Times

J&K records Rs 46.5 bn deficit in power tariff collection: CAG

July 27, 2017. The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government has recorded Rs 4,650 crore deficit in collection of power tariff during the year 2015-16, a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has said. The report said the target for tariff collection has not been achieved and the shortfall was Rs 1,503 crore during 2015-16. It said the deficit in power tariff collection has increased to Rs 4,650 crore in 2015-16 as compared to Rs 1,993 crore in the year 2011-12. There was a deficit of Rs 2,976 crore in collection of power tariff in 2014-15, Rs 2,205 crore in 2013-14 and Rs 2,281 crore in 2012-13, the report said. Electricity supply to consumers is handled departmentally in J&K as de-bundling and power reforms have not been achieved yet, the report said. Hence, the receipts and expenditure on procurement and supply of electricity forms part of the state government’s accounts, the report said. The steadily rising gap between the Power Development department’s revenue expenditure and revenue receipts is the most significant structural imbalance in the government’s budget and a drain on the resources, which could otherwise be deployed for developmental outlays, the report said.

Source: The Economic Times

NATIONAL: NON-FOSSIL FUELS/ CLIMATE CHANGE TRENDS

India’s performance in solar power not so encouraging: Parliamentary panel

August 1, 2017. Cautioning that India’s performance in renewable energy areas like solar, small hydro, biogas is not so encouraging, a parliamentary standing committee said that the government should not act as bystander and adopt more proactive approach to arrange finances for solar power projects. It a lso said that 40,000 MW target of grid connected rooftop solar by 2022 is “unrealistic” and it is “highly unlikely that this target will be achieved”. It suggested that government should give it a “serious relook” at it otherwise it will derail the National Solar Mission target of 100,000 MW by 2022. It also pressed upon government to “urgently formulate” a dedicated programme to establish India as a solar manufacturing hub. Prior to Paris Climate Summit in December 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government announced an ambitious renewable power programme of 175,000 MW which includes 100,000 MW solar power and 60,000 MW wind power. At present, India has a total of 58,303.35 MW of renewable power of which 32,508.17 MW comes from wind power alone, while solar energy accounts for 13,114.85 MW. The committee also cautioned about falling solar tariff and observed that per unit price of solar power has dropped from Rs 10.95 in December 2010 to Rs 2.44 in May 2017.

Source: Livemint

41 hydro power projects running behind schedule: Govt

August 1, 2017. A total of 41 under-construction hydro electric projects (above 25 MW) with a combined capacity of 11,792.5 MW are running behind schedule, Parliament was informed. The projects are lagging on account of natural calamities, delays in forest clearances and land acquisition and law and order problems, Power Minister Piyush Goyal said. He also said NHPC is scheduled to generate 4458.69 million units additional power from two of its under- construction projects – Parbati-II (800 MW) in Himachal Pradesh and Kishanganga hydro electric project (330 MW) in Jammu & Kashmir. While Parbati-II is scheduled to be commissioned in October 2018, Kishanganga is scheduled to begin in January 2018, he said.

Source: The Economic Times

Gadkari pitches for lower GST on alternative fuels

August 1, 2017. Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has written to Finance Minister (FM) Arun Jaitley seeking a reduction in excise duty on alternative fuels such as biodiesel and ethanol, to encourage eco-friendly fuel. Biodiesel attracts zero excise duty. Some states such as West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan used to charge zero VAT (Value Added Tax) on biodiesel. The Biodiesel Association of India had said that the higher GST (Goods and Services Tax) rates could adversely impact the sector. The body feared that a high GST rate could shut the biodiesel industry, already reeling under the pressure of complex and varied taxation policies of the states. The government wants to cut its crude oil import by 10 percent, but high tax on biodiesel would make it costlier than diesel and ultimately make it uncompetitive, the association had said. Under GST, biodiesel, ethanol and other mixing products would be charged 18 percent. The industry body said high tax rise of Rs 5 a litre would restrain mass consumption by even existing users like oil marketing companies, railways and road transporters. Also, farmers will switch back in to use of polluting fuels and other products. Another request the road transport minister has made to Jaitley is for a reduction in tax on hybrid cars. Under the GST, hybrid cars attract peak rate of 28 percent and a 15 percent cess. Gadkari has urged the FM to bring the tax rates down on such cars as they primarily run on alternative fuels. The automobile industry had expressed concern over the high rate on hybrids as it would disrupt government plans to promote green vehicles. Earlier, hybrid vehicles attracted excise duty of 12.5 percent with an effective overall tax rate of 30.3 percent. Some of the popular hybrid vehicles sold in India are Camry Hybrid and Prius from Toyota and Honda Accord. These cars are priced between Rs 31.98 lakh and Rs 38.96 lakh.

Source: Business Standard

India, Russia sign 3 contracts on KNPP

August 1, 2017. India and Russia have signed contracts for priority design works and supply of main equipment for units 5 and 6 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) in Tamil Nadu, two months after the main framework agreement for these units were signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia. Three main contracts were signed between Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd (NPCIL) and Russia’s JSC Atomstroyexport for priority design works, working design and supply of the main equipment for stage III of KNPP, the Russian company said. JSC Atomstroyexport is a key foreign trade engineering company of State Corporation “Rosatom” for construction of nuclear power facilities abroad. After overcoming initial hurdles, India and Russia signed the General Framework Agreement (GFA) and credit protocol for Units 5 and 6 of the KNPP on June 1, a major outcome of the annual summit talks between PM Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg. The Kudankulam NPP was the outcome of an inter-governmental agreement between the erstwhile Soviet Union and India in 1988. It is the single largest nuclear power station in India. The power station was envisaged to have six units with total capacity to generate 6,000 MW of electricity (1,000 MW each).

Source: NDTV

IDFC infrastructure fund set to buy First Solar’s India portfolio for $300 mn

July 31, 2017. The infrastructure fund of multi-asset manager IDFC Alternatives is set to make its biggest acquisition till date by taking over the entire 200 MW of First Solar’s operational portfolio of solar power projects in India for around Rs 1,950 crore ($300 million) as consolidation picks up momentum in the renewable energy sector. These projects — seven in all — are located in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Arizona-headquartered First Solar is an American photovoltaic (PV) manufacturer of rigid thin film modules, or solar panels, and a provider of utility-scale PV power plants and supporting services like finance, construction, maintenance and end-of-life panel recycling. In India, it has supplied over 1 GW worth of panels while globally its supplies are worth over 17 GWs, according to the company. The First Solar acquisition will be carried out by a platform company wholly owned by IDFC’s infrastructure fund called Vector Green. Vector Green in the past has acquired a 24 MW wind asset from Jindal Steel and Power and another 40 MW solar project from Punj Lloyd. The next 12 months will be interesting for wind and solar sectors from a regulatory and competitive intensity standpoint, IDFC said.

Source: The Economic Times

Tamil Nadu falls behind Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan in installed solar capacity

July 29, 2017. Tamil Nadu is no longer the top state in terms of installed solar capacity. MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy) data shows that at end-June, Tamil Nadu, with an installed capacity of 1697 MW, fell behind Andhra Pradesh (2010.87 MW) and Rajasthan (1961 MW). Statistics show only 630 MW of solar power was installed in Tamil Nadu in 2016-17 against 919.24 MW in 2015-16. In the same period, Andhra Pradesh added 1,294 MW, Karnataka 882 MW and Telangana 759 MW. Across the country, around 5525 MW of solar energy was added in 2016-17, an increase of 66% over 2015-16. Unlike Andhra Pradesh, which acquires land for solar parks, Tamil Nadu leaves developers the land acquisition responsibility, which takes time.

Source: The Times of India

Indian coal utilities seek state funds or tariff hike to cut emissions

July 28, 2017. Indian power companies are seeking billions of dollars of federal funding to retrofit coal-fired plants to cut emissions, saying hefty tariff increases would otherwise be needed to pay for the technology, according to internal documents. Private companies such as Reliance Power Ltd, Adani Power Ltd and GMR and state-run NTPC Ltd, have also asked for an extension to a December deadline to meet the new pollution standards. The government, which has been pushing a clean energy campaign hard, has given no indication it would be willing to fork out the money for the new technology, which the private companies estimate to cost as much as $38 billion, potentially setting up a confrontation with the industry. Thermal power companies account for 80 percent of all industrial emissions of particulate matter, sulfur and nitrous oxides in India, and their slowness in complying with new standards shows the difficulties India faces in cleaning up its air, among the most polluted in the world. The power producers, who account for the second-biggest portion of India’s $150 billion in bad loans after the steel industry, have sought access to the more than $4 billion National Clean Energy Fund to help install cleaner technology, according to letters to the government reviewed. The upgrades are needed to meet stringent rules set out by the environment ministry in 2015 to cut emissions that cause lung diseases, acid rain and smog. Adani Power said it would implement emission-cutting equipment in accordance with schedule finalised by the government. Around 78 percent of generated power in India comes from coal-fired plants, making it one of the biggest users of the dirty but cheap fuel globally. Most power plants have yet to meet the new emission guidelines, the Central Electricity Authority said in May, suggesting the environment ministry extend the deadline on sulfur dioxide emissions standards by as many as six years. NTPC, in particular, is worried that if it fails to meet the deadline, it would affect its prospects to raise international funds because they are tied to meeting environmental standards. The environment ministry said no formal discussions had taken place about reviewing the December deadline.

Source: Reuters

Bengaluru street vendors can soon tap solar energy

July 28, 2017. The National Association of Street Vendors of India estimates that there are around 30,000 street vendors in Bengaluru. Small businesses like these face innumerable challenges, given their make-shift existence. The Selco Foundation has been finding sustainable solutions for marginalised communities. It called for entries to build sustainable, cost-effective energy kiosks that can be used by street vendors and marginalised immigrant communities for their daily energy needs through the competition Design + Build 2017 in May. The pilot, to be built at a cost of Rs 6 lakh, is to be set up at the Clarence School bus stop in Richards Town. Using solar power, it would be able to charge 60 lights, which would be rented out at Rs 10 per light to vendors and community members on the street. Selco Foundation said the cost of power from these kiosks would be cheaper than kerosene lamps. In the long term, these kiosks could help in rural areas, for migrant or low-income communities and in disaster and relief situations.

Source: The Economic Times

Haryana executing solar power-run micro irrigation project under PMKSY

July 28, 2017. The Haryana government is executing a unique solar power-run micro irrigation pilot project under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojna (PMKSY). Additional power generated by solar power panels at the project would be supplied to the nearest power sub-station, which would be connected to 24-hour plant of 11 KV line. With a view to ensuring water supply to every farm, Canal Area Development Authority (CADA) has established this pilot project on micro irrigation under the PMKSY in the state.

Source: The Economic Times

India aspiring for global leadership in climate action

July 28, 2017. India is aspiring for a global leadership in climate action and has set an “ambitious” goal of receiving 40 percent of its power from renewable resources by 2030, a target it is likely to achieve eight years ahead of the schedule, Anand Mahindra, chairman and managing director of the Mahindra Group, said. Noting that India and China have been accused of being the “worlds top polluters”, Mahindra said the two Asian giants, now emerging from their developing status, have some responsibility towards global warming. While India and China have contributed less to it than the industrialised West, they are the leaders in the effort to reduce industrial pollution, he said. Mahindra said that there was a concerted effort in India to shift from coal to solar. Asserting that India has formed an alliance to expand solar power production in the developing world, Mahindra said the goal is to provide electricity to all the people by promoting development of solar, wind, biomass and hydropower energy. Mahindra Electric boasts one of the worlds largest fleets of electric cars and is working closely with the government of India on new policies for electric vehicles and setting up charging infrastructure, he said.

Source: India Today

Health cost of air pollution 8 times spent on fuel subsidies in India

July 28, 2017. A new report by Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), an European environmental non-profit has assessed the spending of seven economically powerful countries on fossil fuel subsidies and health costs associated with fossil fuel subsidies. India, according to the report spent as much as $16.9 billion on oil, gas and coal subsidies in 2013 and 2014 but health costs to meet the burden of air pollution linked diseases is eight times the fossil fuel subsidies at 140.7 billion dollars. The report ‘Hidden Price Tags’, highlights that India can provide 375 million households with solar lamps or train nearly 32,000 extra doctors for rural areas with the fossil fuel subsidy spending of $16.9 billion annually. This is assessed considering that each solar lamp costs about $22.5, and All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) recent estimates suggest a cost of Rs 1.7 crore to educate a doctor. The subsidy amount could even fund 24% of the total money needed to implement health care coverage for all Indians, the report suggests. On India’s spending on fossil fuel subsidies, researchers from the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) who drafted the India chapter noted that two-thirds of electricity in India continues to be generated from coal, one of the biggest contributors of air pollution. Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Kerosene are also subsidized. The report said not all fossil fuels are bad, in fact LPG has significant health benefits when its used to substitute biomass or coal as cooking fuel.

Source: The Times of India

ISA to float global tender for 5 lakh solar pumps before December

July 27, 2017. International Solar Alliance (ISA) plans to come out with a global tender for price discovery of 5 lakh solar pumps before December and presumed the prices of solar pumps will come down, Upendra Tripathy, director general, ISA, said. The current price of solar pumps is about $10,000 globally on an average. On the bio mass segment in the country, Tripathy said. By 2035, solar energy will be cheaper than any other form of energy, he believes.

Source: The Times of India

JSW Energy eyes solar rooftop, energy storage

July 26, 2017. JSW Energy is planning an asset-light strategy and is evaluating options in the solar rooftop and energy storage segments for a stronger foothold in renewable energy. JSW Energy said not much progress had been made in the company’s pending deal with Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) to buy the steel company’s power plant in Chhattisgarh. An agreement to sell 1,000 MW thermal power generation capacity to JSW Energy was signed in May 2016. JSPL was committed to closure of the agreement, the company said. In addition to renewables, JSW Energy will evaluate options in thermal power.

Source: Business Standard

INTERNATIONAL: OIL

US gasoline demand rises for second straight month in May: EIA

August 1, 2017. US (United States) gasoline demand rose year-over-year for the second consecutive month in May, according to US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. The gasoline figures combined with strong distillate demand numbers helped push overall oil demand up 4.3 percent to 20.21 million barrels-per-day (bpd), EIA data showed. US gasoline demand rose in May by 1.5 percent to 9.59 million bpd versus last year, following a more modest 0.4 rise in April, EIA data showed. April represented the first year-over-year increase since December. The gasoline figures support those who dismissed the early bearish signals and predicted that gasoline demand was destined to pick up, thanks to relatively cheap gasoline and strong economic numbers. US gasoline demand, which accounts for 10 percent of global consumption, has risen each year since 2012, hitting record figures last year. US distillate demand rose by 6 percent year-over-year in May to 3.97 million bpd, EIA data showed.

Source: Reuters

Platts considers changes to Singapore gasoline price assessments

August 1, 2017. Oil price agency S&P Global Platts is mulling changes to its Singapore gasoline price assessments ahead of more stringent fuel standards being considered in Malaysia and Indonesia. Platts, a unit of S&P Global Inc, said it is reviewing the specifications of its assessments for free-on-board Singapore gasoline 92-octane, 95-octane and 97-octane. Malaysia is targeting October 1, 2018, to implement Euro 4M gasoline specifications for its 95-octane gasoline that would limit sulfur to 50 parts per million (ppm) from the current 500 ppm, Platts said. Asia’s top gasoline importer Indonesia is expected to move to Euro 4 gasoline specifications from Euro 2 by October 2018, the pricing agency said. That would also limit sulfur to a maximum of 50 ppm. Implementation in Indonesia, however, could take longer as state-owned Pertamina said in June that it plans to delay some refinery upgrades and a new project due to financing issues. Platts last made changes to gasoline specifications in July of last year. The company is requesting for feedback from its clients by September 29.

Source: Reuters

Saudi Arabia may raise September light crude prices to Asia

July 31, 2017. Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia is expected to raise prices for light crude grades it sells to Asia in September to track a stronger Dubai benchmark and improvements in regional gasoline and gasoil margins, traders said. The September official selling price (OSP) for flagship Arab Light could rise by 5-15 cents from the previous month, traders said.  Arab Heavy’s OSP hit its highest in more than three years in August. Potential sanctions by the United States on Venezuela’s oil sector may further tighten supplies. Saudi crude OSPs are usually released around the fifth of each month, and set the trend for Iranian, Kuwaiti and Iraqi prices, affecting more than 12 million barrels per day of crude bound for Asia. State oil giant Saudi Aramco sets its crude prices based on recommendations from customers and after calculating the change in the value of its oil over the past month, based on yields and product prices.

Source: Reuters

Statoil begins production at Byrding field in Norwegian North Sea

July 31, 2017. Statoil alongside its partners has brought the Byrding oil and gas development project on stream by commencing the production activity in the Norwegian Continental Shelf. In contrast to the original estimate of about NOK3.5 bn ($440 mn), Statoil and its partners have brought down their investment in the Byrding project to NOK1bn ($130 mn). Located to the north of the Troll natural gas and oil field in the North Sea, Byrding has estimated recoverable volumes of 11 million barrels of oil equivalent.

Source: Energy Business Review

Nigeria to continue oil exploration in Lake Chad Basin despite kidnapping

July 31, 2017. Nigerian scientists will continue to search for oil in the restive Lake Chad Basin region despite a kidnapping of some researchers by suspected Boko Haram members, a university and state oil firm NNPC said. Members of an oil prospecting team were kidnapped in the northeast’s restive Lake Chad Basin region, prompting a rescue bid that left at least 37 dead including members of the team, rescuers from the military and vigilantes.

Source: Reuters

Russia’s Urals oil futures contract stalls due to lack of support, scarce supply

July 31, 2017. Russia’s attempts to establish a futures market for its flagship Urals oil grade are faltering due to lack of support from international trading houses and the scarcity of oil on offer. Russia launched trading of a futures contract for Urals oil URL-E in Moscow in November, to secure greater prominence for its export blend. But the taxation and clearing process have not been fully thought through. President Vladimir Putin had long called for the creation of a Urals futures contract, making clear his unhappiness that Urals is sold at a discount to benchmark Brent crude. For Western trading houses, it is much easier to buy oil directly from producers via tenders or pre-financing operations, which often promise discounts and guaranteed volumes. Vitol, Glencore and Trafigura are key global oil traders working on the Russian market, taking more than half of Urals’ seaborne export volumes from Russia. The Urals’ futures market was launched at a time when Russia has been the target of economic sanctions imposed by United States and European Union over its actions in eastern Ukraine, although oil trading is not under sanctions.

Source: Reuters

Canadian heavy oil plugs gap left by OPEC, Latin America

July 31, 2017. Canada’s struggling oil market has found something of a lifeline as traders scramble for heavy crude due to Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) production cuts and sinking Latin American output. Output has fallen in OPEC and non-OPEC Latin American countries such as Mexico and Colombia, leading refiners as far away as China to look to Alberta’s oil sands to fill the gap. The interest has boosted the price for heavy Western Canada Select (WCS) oil, which is within range of its tightest discount to US crude ever. Canadian heavy oil is an easy substitute for Middle Eastern and Latin American grades, and the rising demand represents a rare bright spot for the oil sands, which have been hit hard by falling prices and the high cost to produce and blend Alberta’s heavy, tar-like bitumen. OPEC is attempting to rebalance global markets by cutting sour crude output, keeping light sweet barrels flowing as US shale producers are pumping at record levels.

Source: Reuters

OPEC oil output jumps to 2017 high on further Libya recovery

July 31, 2017. OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) oil output has risen this month by 90,000 barrels per day (bpd) to a 2017 high, a survey found, led by a further recovery in supply from Libya, one of the countries exempt from a production-cutting deal. A dip in supply from Saudi Arabia and lower Angolan exports helped to boost OPEC’s adherence to its supply curbs to 84 percent. While this is up from a revised 77 percent in June, compliance in both months has fallen from levels above 90 percent earlier in the year. The extra oil from Libya means supply by the 13 OPEC members originally part of the deal has risen far above their implied production target. Libya and Nigeria were exempt from the cuts because conflict had curbed their production. As part of a deal with Russia and other non-members, the OPEC is reducing output by about 1.2 million bpd from January 1, 2017 until March next year.

Source: Reuters

European oil producers’ weak hedging shows bet on price rebound

July 31, 2017. Europe’s smaller oil producers are more optimistic about the market than they have been for the past couple of years as a significant reduction in hedging shows they are betting on higher prices. Oil producers typically sell ahead a sizeable part of future production to protect themselves against a sudden drop in prices. Lower hedging means they are more exposed to the downside, so if prices fall they risk a heavy blow to revenue. But volatile crude oil trading in the second quarter with prices averaging below $50 a barrel meant they have been reluctant to lock in future sales at these weak levels, betting on a rebound in prices instead. Tony Durrant, chief executive officer of North-Sea focused Premier Oil, said Premier Oil, which is currently producing more than 80,000 barrels of oil per day, has hedged less than 10 percent of its combined oil and gas output for 2018. Premier Oil’s reluctance to fix future prices is reflective of an attitude also taken by its peers in the sector.

Source: Reuters

Iran, Iraq moving closer to construction of Kirkuk pipeline: Iranian Oil Minister

July 30, 2017. Iran and Iraq are moving closer to building a pipeline that would export crude oil from the northern Iraqi fields of Kirkuk via Iran, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said. Agreements were reached between the two ministers about an international company that will carry out a feasibility study of the project, Zanganeh said. Iraq and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in February to study the construction of the pipeline. Separately, Zanganeh said Iran would begin exporting gas to the Iraqi city of Basra in coming months. He said there had been some problems in receiving payments for current gas exports to Iraq via banks and that Iran was receiving cash payments.

Source: Reuters

ADNOC to decide on Japan oil concession renewal by early next year

July 28, 2017. Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (ADNOC) expects to make a final decision on whether to renew Japanese firms’ oil concessions in Abu Dhabi oilfields before year-end or very early next year, its group chief executive officer Sultan Al Jaber said. ADNOC is making “good progress” in the talks on the stakes and any agreements would be new contracts with “new terms and conditions” rather than extension of existing contracts, Al Jaber said.

Source: Reuters

Nigeria’s aims to diversify as ‘era of oil booms’ ends

July 26, 2017. Nigeria plans to cut its oil exploration costs and move away from reliance on crude for export revenues, according to a national petroleum policy approved by the federal executive council. Africa’s largest oil exporter said it expects oil prices to stay near $45 per barrel “for the foreseeable future” and that it must diversify its economy and develop its own refining and petrochemical sectors. The policy said Nigeria would aim to reduce the cost of extracting its oil, which at $29 per barrel is “one of the highest” in the world. The petroleum policy also calls for a regulator to oversee the oil industry, more private investment across the sector and the revival of Nigeria’s refineries, which have not operated consistently at more than 50 percent of capacity since 2002. The policy also called for a removal of gasoline price caps and the permanent elimination of fuel subsidies. Despite its ambition, analysts said the plan was lacking in detail and faced significant legislative hurdles.

Source: Reuters

INTERNATIONAL: GAS

TransCanada to boost capacity of Canadian Mainline natural gas pipeline

July 31, 2017. TransCanada has revealed its plans to boost the capacity of the Canadian Mainline natural gas pipeline system with an investment of C$160 mn ($128.35 mn). The project underpinned by 15-year contracts aims to supply more gas to the southern Ontario market and Atlantic Canada region through the Trans Quebec & Maritimes Pipeline and Portland Natural Gas Transmission natural gas pipelines. Currently, the 14,114 km long Canadian Mainline sources natural gas from the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin and supplies it to Ontario and other markets. Upon completion, the expansion project will result in an increase in compression and associated facilities on the Canadian Mainline pipeline. This is expected to facilitate the transport of an additional 80 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. According to TransCanada, the expanded capacity would cover the gas demand for nearly 300,000 more homes on a yearly basis. The energy firm plans to file an application with the Canada’s National Energy Board (NEB) in early 2018 after finishing its tariff process for capacity additions, with an aim to begin transport of the additional gas by 1 November 2019.

Source: Energy Business Review

China produces gas from ‘flammable ice’ under South China Sea

July 29, 2017. China has successfully produced natural gas from methane hydrate, also known as “flammable ice”, in an experimental project in the South China Sea, the land and resources ministry said. A drilling platform deployed off the coast of the southeastern Chinese city of Zhuhai for 60 days produced a total of 309,000 cubic metres of natural gas, a record extraction volume from gas hydrate, the ministry said. Flammable ice consists of methane trapped within water crystals, and has been identified as a potential new gas source for China, with the South China Sea thought to contain some of the world’s most promising deposits. The government has promised to “actively develop” natural gas hydrate over the 2016-2020 five-year plan period. The ministry said that two gas hydrate deposits with about 100 billion cubic metres of reserves have been discovered following seismic surveys and drilling programmes in the northern section of the South China Sea.

Source: Reuters

CNPC resumes part of gas production at Changqing field

July 28, 2017. China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) is gradually resuming operations at its closed Changqing gas field in China’s western province Shaanxi, the company said. CNPC, parent of PetroChina, has reopened 9 gas gathering stations alongside its major gas pipelines, which will produce 1.9 million cubic meters per day. A total of 18 gas gathering stations and a gas processing plant in Changqing gas field were shut due to heavy rain, leading to a daily loss of 3.6 million cubic meters gas output. Most of the gas coming from Changqing field, China’s largest natural gas production base, is supplied to the capital city.

Source: Reuters

African LNG exports to get boost from offshore projects

July 27, 2017. Cameroon plans to begin exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) later this year using a newly designed offshore plant that analysts say could slash production costs and unlock African reserves not previously considered economically viable. West and Central Africa’s Gulf of Guinea has seen a wave of new oil and gas exploration, particularly since Tullow Oil discovered Ghana’s huge Jubilee gas field in 2007. But the cost of pipelines and onshore liquefaction facilities means that relatively few gas finds have been developed. However, a new technology has the potential to boost West and Central Africa’s efforts to exploit its vast gas resources by allowing smaller plants to ship gas from less accessible fields.

Source: Reuters

Tokyo Gas gets Bangladesh LNG terminal feasibility study contract

July 27, 2017. Tokyo Gas Co said its wholly owned unit Tokyo Gas Engineering Solutions Corp has got an order to conduct a feasibility engineering study at an onshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal in Bangladesh. The order that was jointly won with engineering consultant Nippon Koei Co was awarded by Bangladesh Oil, Gas & Mineral Corp (Petrobangla), Tokyo Gas said. Bangladesh plans to start importing LNG next year, and its demand for gas is expected to accelerate in the coming years. Petrobangla has signed preliminary deals for two more LNG terminals and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Swiss commodity merchant AOT Energy for help lining up supplies.

Source: Reuters

JAPEX to take $82 mn loss for scrapped Canada LNG project

July 26, 2017. Japan Petroleum Exploration Co (JAPEX) said it would take a loss of about C$102 million ($82 million) in the year to end-March due to the scrapping of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in western Canada. Consortium leader Malaysian state-owned Petronas said it will not proceed with the proposed C$36 billion ($29 billion) Pacific NorthWest LNG Project in British Columbia due to weak global prices, dealing a blow to Canada’s ambitions to become a global LNG player. JAPEX, which has a 10 percent interest in the project, said it would give an earnings forecast for the current business year when it releases its first-quarter results on August 8.

Source: Reuters

INTERNATIONAL: COAL

US company Xcoal Energy to sell steam coal to fuel-strapped Ukraine

July 31, 2017. A Pennsylvania-based coal company said it signed its first contract with Ukraine to sell coal that is burned to produce electricity in a deal sped along by the United States (US) and Ukrainian governments. Privately held Xcoal Energy & Resources agreed to supply Centrenergo PJSC, one of the largest power companies in Ukraine, with 700,000 tons of steam coal in coming months. Ukraine has sought alternative coal suppliers ahead of the upcoming winter as it struggles to get the fuel from pro-Russia separatist-held regions in the east. The deal came together with the help of the US and Ukraine governments, Xcoal said. The company could have more opportunities to do business with Ukraine in the future. Xcoal plans to send the first shipment of 210,000 tons of coal to Ukraine by early September. Terms were not disclosed. US President Donald Trump has said supplying coal to Ukraine is one of the goals of a plan to make the US energy “dominant.” The deal announced was less than the “millions and millions” of tons of coal that Trump said Ukraine has sought. The Ukraine steam coal shipments will do little to help the battered US coal industry which has been hit by a glut of competing cheap natural gas. US coal output last year sank to the lowest level since 1978. US coal exports to the world through May this year rose 60 percent from the same period in 2016 to nearly 37 million tons, a trend the Trump administration was quick to claim was due to its axing of Obama-era environmental regulations.

Source: Reuters

US coal exports surge, but thank China, not Trump

July 31, 2017. US (United States) coal miners are almost certainly cheering the sharp rise in exports of their product, but their good fortune is mainly the result of Chinese domestic policies that have driven up global prices for the polluting fuel. While US President Donald Trump and his administration would no doubt like to claim credit for reviving the coal industry, it’s likely there has been virtually no structural change that will ensure a sustained boost for US coal exports. Rather, the situation of the previous years remains intact, which sees the US as a swing supplier of coal, with additional exports largely dependent on whether prices in Asia are high enough to make the economics of the long sea voyage possible. US coal shipments were 51.9 million tonnes in the first seven months of the year, up 21.3 percent on the same period last year. US coal exports to Asia are almost certainly price-dependent, given they dropped off sharply when Asian coal prices fell for five consecutive years from 2011, but have started to recover as prices rallied in 2016 and maintained strength so far this year. At the current price US coal can compete in Asia, especially on the US east or Gulf coast to India route, but also on the California to China or North East Asia route. Data from consultants CRU show that the weighted average business cost for US thermal coal, or the price where 50 percent or more of operations in the country have positive cash flow, lies at $83.22 a tonne. While this means that it’s currently possible for many US coal miners to export to Asia, they are still only just at viable levels, once freight costs are factored in. Not only do the main coal exporters of Australia and Indonesia have lower production costs, they also enjoy cheaper freight costs for cargoes bound for Asian customers. Coal prices have been supported by ongoing demand from China, with imports surging 23.5 percent to 133.26 million tonnes in the first six months of this year, compared to the same period last year.

Source: Reuters

Mongolia coal export trade up fourfold in H1 on North Korea ban

July 31, 2017. Mongolia’s coal export trade grew more than fourfold in the first half of 2017, with the country benefiting from China’s ban on imports of the commodity from North Korea and curbs on deliveries into smaller ports. Coal made up around half the country’s total export trade over the period, figures from Mongolia’s National Statistics Office showed. Mongolia, wedged between China and Russia, was forced to turn to the International Monetary Fund for relief from debt pressures following a collapse in foreign investment and a decline in commodity prices. But China’s ban on coal from North Korea, as well as the restrictions on deliveries into  smaller ports, has helped boost Mongolia’s total earnings from coal to $1.28 billion over the first half China has been forced to seek alternative sources of coal after banning imports from North Korea as part of a tougher sanctions regime imposed as punishment for its nuclear missile tests.

Source: Reuters

Kosovo faces energy collapse with coal reserves down to two weeks

July 27, 2017. Kosovo is on the verge of an energy collapse with its power corporation holding only two-weeks worth of coal reserves. The problem is there for all to see in the village of Shipitulle where large and rusted excavators, resembling Transformers, stand idle. They can’t get to the coal, even though there is lots of it. Kosovo has more than 14 billion tonnes of proven lignite reserves, the fifth largest in the world. But it has been forced to burn up coal reserves to feed its two creaking power plants. The reason is a government failure to take over private land to get to the lignite it needs to feed the plants. State-owned energy corporation KEK needs to take over 52 hectares (128 acres) of private property to get to untapped coal, but local inhabitants want more money to resettle and the government has not successfully addressed the problem since it arose in 2013.

Source: Reuters

German coal imports seen falling around 1 percent in 2017

July 27, 2017. Germany’s coal imports are likely to fall to 54.6 million tonnes in 2017 from 55.2 million in 2016, lobby group VDKi said. Hard coal and domestic brown coal are still the backbone of power generation in Europe’s biggest economy, but Germany is moving away from nuclear and fossil electricity to renewable energy. Germany used imported hard coal for 17 percent of its 2016 electricity generation while 23 percent came from domestic brown coal. Turning to 2017, VDKi said with ongoing renewable capacity installations and unpredictable weather, coal use would depend on the performance of wind and solar power installations. Germany’s top coal suppliers are Russia, Colombia, the United States, South Africa, Australia and Poland.

Source: Reuters

Glencore signs deals to buy 49 percent of Hunter Valley coal

July 27, 2017. Glencore said it had signed agreements to buy a 49 percent stake in coal mines in Australia’s Hunter Valley for just over $1.1 billion, getting a share of assets it was expected to miss out on to China’s Yancoal. Glencore has long wanted Rio Tinto’s Hunter Valley Operations (HVO) but Yancoal Australia was confirmed as the preferred bidder for Rio’s Australian Coal & Allied division, which owns the mines. Glencore said it would buy a 16.6 percent stake in HVO from Yancoal and 32.4 percent from Mitsubishi Corp, and then form a joint venture to run the mines with Yancoal, which will keep a 51 percent stake. Yancoal’s Chinese parent company Yanzhou said its board had approved the transfer of the 16.6 percent interest in the HVO joint venture, without naming the buyer, provided the Rio sale was completed. HVO is widely regarded as the more valuable of the two Hunter Valley coal complexes that Yancoal is set to acquire from Rio Tinto for $2.7 billion after Glencore lost out in a bidding war with the Chinese-owned coal miner. Glencore wants the assets that adjoin operations it owns in the Hunter Valley. It first tried to acquire Coal & Allied in 2015, when Rio Tinto made it clear that coal was no longer part of its growth strategy. Analysts said Glencore planned to blend the HVO coal with coal from its existing operations to customize shipments to power-generating customers. Glencore is already the world’s largest exporter of sea-traded thermal coal, with interests in 28 mines in Australia, Colombia and South Africa.

Source: Reuters

INTERNATIONAL: POWER

Entergy gets approval to build 993 MW MCPS

July 31, 2017. The Public Utility Commission of Texas has approved Entergy Texas’s proposal to build Montgomery County Power Station (MCPS), a 993 MW combined-cycle natural gas power plant in the US (United States) state. Entergy Texas had filed its proposal to construct the MCPS in October last year. The plant is estimated to offer a savings of $1.7 bn for Entergy Texas’ customers over 30 years. The fuel savings generated by the plant is expected to result in paying off the cost of construction after less than 10 years of operation. The facility is expected to be completed by summer 2021. Currently, Entergy Texas, a subsidiary of Entergy, supplies electricity to over 440,000 customers in 27 counties.

Source: Energy Business Review

PJM to spend $417 mn on electric transmission projects across United States

July 27, 2017. PJM Interconnection said that its board has approved an investment of more than $417 mn to carry out electric transmission projects across select states. The projects are all aimed at improving reliability in electric transmission in the respective areas they would serve. As per the American regional transmission firm, the largest of the projects is the replacement of a massive, outdated substation in Newark, New Jersey. The substation serves healthcare buildings, government, transportation centers, education and other critical infrastructure customers. A new substation named as The Public Service Electric & Gas Newark and built at an estimated cost of $275 mn will be the replacement of the aging equipment, PJM said.

Source: Energy Business Review

China to extend power market reform to cross-region transmission lines

July 26, 2017. China will extend its push to cut power distribution pricing to include transmission lines used to send electricity between regions, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said. The country has since 2014 reformed the cost of using its 32 provincial grids, which the government says has saved a total of 48 billion yuan ($7.11 billion). It is now turning its attention to the power lines that connect those networks, Zhang Manying, an inspector in the pricing department of the NDRC, said. He said that pricing would also be reviewed on the myriad local power networks that operate below the provincial level. China has published two regulatory guides for provincial power pricing in the past two years.

Source: Reuters

INTERNATIONAL: NON-FOSSIL FUELS/ CLIMATE CHANGE TRENDS

Shell invests in Singapore solar firm Sunseap

August 1, 2017. Royal Dutch Shell has invested in Singapore-based solar firm Sunseap Group for an undisclosed sum as part of a planned collaboration on solar projects in the Asia-Pacific region, the companies said. Privately held Sunseap Group has about 160 MW of distributed solar contracts in Singapore, holds an electricity retailer license and has secured utility scale solar projects in the region, the companies said.

Source: Reuters

Mitsubishi to acquire stake in reorganised Areva’s nuclear business

July 31, 2017. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has agreed to acquire a 19.5% stake for an undisclosed sum in a new company that will be formed through the reorganization of Areva Group. In November 2016, Electricite de France (EDF) had agreed to buy Areva’s nuclear reactors business, a transaction which had been approved by the European Commission recently.

Source: Energy Business Review

China iron ore, steel soar on environmental inspections, strong demand

July 31, 2017. China’s iron ore futures surged nearly 8 percent, hitting their trade limit-up with their best daily performance since November 2016, underscoring concerns over tight supply amid environmental inspections and strong restocking demand. China has been sending out environmental inspection teams to iron ore mining operations across the country since late April, and more teams will be sent out by early August.

Source: Reuters

Spain’s ACS wins 1.55 GW capacity at renewable energy auction

July 26, 2017. Spanish construction company ACS has won 1,550 MW of solar generating capacity through its engineering affiliate Cobra, the company said. The government’s renewable capacity auction of about 3,000 MW, most of which was for solar power producers, was the second this year and is part of a drive to make sure 20 percent of all energy consumed in Spain by 2020 is from renewable sources.

Source: Reuters

EU top court rules against ArcerlorMittal carbon challenge

July 26, 2017. The European Court of Justice ruled against steelmaker ArcelorMittal’s challenge against how the European Union (EU) allocates free carbon permits. A number of companies have made legal challenges against the EU Commission, seeking to maximize the free allowances they receive under the cap-and-trade Emission Trading System (ETS). The ETS covers 11,000 energy-intensive industrial plants and power stations and is central to an EU target of a 43 percent cut to 2005 level greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Source: Reuters

Japan’s Environment Minister to urge to rethink on coal project

July 26, 2017. Japan’s Environment Minister Kouichi Yamamoto is likely to recommend the trade ministry reconsider a coal-fired power project planned by Chubu Electric Power Co amid concerns over rising carbon emission. Yamamoto has been increasing calls to tackle rising CO2 emissions in new fossil-fuel power projects.

Source: Reuters

Connecticut Governor orders review of Millstone nuclear plant viability

July 26, 2017. Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy has ordered state agencies to review the economic viability of Dominion Energy Inc’s Millstone nuclear power plant, which critics want shut down in the face of cheaper energy sources. Since 2013, six reactors, including Dominion’s Kewaunee in Wisconsin, have shut for economic reasons. Another six are expected to shut over the next five years.

Source: Reuters

DATA INSIGHT

Household LPG Access in Gujarat & Uttar Pradesh

State

LPG Access (% of Households) by Sectors

for the Year 2011*

  Rural Urban Total
Gujarat 16.74 61.86 37.27
Uttar Pradesh 6.04 66.28 20.06
All India 15.05 67.75 31.52

*Estimated Figures from NSSO 68th round

Trends in Household LPG Access in Gujarat

Trends in Household LPG Access in Uttar Pradesh

Source: Compiled from various NSSO rounds

Publisher: Baljit Kapoor
Editorial advisor: Lydia Powell
Editor: Akhilesh Sati
Content development: Vinod Kumar Tomar

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