Energy News Monitor | Volume XII; Issue 16

[September 2015: The Problem of Plenty - India]

                             “The problem of plenty is the theme that comes to mind in both the domestic and the international context when we look at the key developments in the energy sector in September. But they are playing out differently in each of the contexts. In the domestic context the problem of plenty is not that there is too much energy but too few who want more energy. How much energy can a person with a single light bulb use? How many litres of motive fuels can a person without a motor vehicle use?…”

Energy News

[GOOD]

The end to endless tariff hikes in Delhi must be celebrated!                                       

                                                                                                  [BAD]

24*7 power for all cannot be a moving target forever!

[UGLY]

Having villages yet to see their first light bulb in Delhi’s backyard is a shame!

 

NEWS BRIEF

[NATIONAL: OIL & GAS]

September 27, 2015. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has been swamped with offers in a tender it floated for hiring five deep sea rigs for its KG-basin gas block campaign. As many as 30 deep-water drill ships and semi-submersible rigs have been offered by about one-and-half-dozen companies to ONGC in the tender. National oil companies like ONGC are the only ones in the world who are going ahead with new field developments while the global majors postpone investments in view of oil prices halving to less than USD 50 per barrel. The trend of falling charter rates was visible when Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) extended lease period of Dhirubhai Deepwater KG2 rig of US rig contractor Transocean by three months for a day rate of USD 295,000, which is USD 100,000 less than the previous contract. The new contract will expire in October. ONGC needs up to five rigs for developing oil and gas finds in its KG-DWN-98/2 or KG-D5 block in Bay of Bengal, where it plans to drill 45 development wells, starting next year. The company had in 2010 hired Platinum Explorer rig from Vantage for USD 585,000 a day and Sevan Driller-II from Norway's Sevan Marine ASA for day rate of USD 524,900. Prior to that in 2009, it had also taken on lease from RIL DDKG-1 rig for USD 510,000 per day. The lowest rate ONGC has ever got was in 2008 when it had hired Discovery Seven Seas deep-sea drill ship from Transocean at a day rate of USD 357,000. Nine drillers offered 13 rigs in the first tender for three anchor-moored rigs capable of operating in water depths up to 2,500 feet. Bidders include China Oilfield Services, Diamond Offshore, Northern Offshore, Opus Offshore, Seadrill, Queiroz Galvao, Transocean, Ratnamani Oilfield Services and Dynamic Drilling. ONGC got offers for 19 rigs from almost a dozen companies for its second tender for ultra-deepwater drilling units. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

September 26, 2015. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) is in talks with UK-based Tullow Oil to buy a 10% stake in its discovered oil block in the South Lokichar Basin in Kenya with an estimated one billion barrels of oil reserves, of which 600 million barrels may be recoverable. At current oil prices, the resource potential is valued at $27 billion and BPCL may have to shell out about $2.7 billion, depending upon the recoverable resource potential of the block. BPCL has lined up investments of ` 1 lakh crore, of which ` 25,000 crore have been earmarked for upstream assets alone. A part of the ` 25,000 crore will go for the development of the prized gas block in Mozambique while the rest will be used for acquisitions. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

September 26, 2015. Oil India Limited (OIL) holds participatory interest (PI) in 27 NELP blocks at the end of NELP IX bidding round. OIL is holding 40 percent PI in one CBM block in Assam, the oil majors Chairman and Managing Director U P Singh said. Exploratory drilling is undergoing in both KG Basin and Mizoram blocks where Oil India is the operator, he said. Of the 27 blocks, it has the right of operatorship/joint operatorship in 12 blocks and as non-operator in 15 blocks at the close of the bidding round which ended on March 31, 2015. Singh said during the year, OIL made 12 hydrocarbon discoveries, of which 11 were in the upper Assam basin and the last is a gas discovery in NELP VI BLOCK KG-ONN-2004/1 falling in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. (indiatoday.intoday.in)

September 28, 2015. Two years after Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), with its consortium partners Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Japanese conglomerate Mitsui, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up a regasification liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal at New Mangalore Port, the project is again on the back burner. In March 2013, the consortium had signed the MoU to carry out a feasibility study for a terminal with 2-3 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) capacity, expandable to five mtpa. Petronet LNG is mainly involved in importing LNG and setting up and running terminals. It is a venture jointly promoted by GAIL India, ONGC, Indian Oil Corporation and BPCL. All the partners put together hold a 50 percent stake in Petronet LNG. Petronet LNG’s Kochi terminal, commissioned in August 2013, operated at a capacity utilisation of 2.1 percent in 2014-15. Oil marketing and refining major BPCL had originally planned to bring in natural gas from its Rovuma Basin in Mozambique to Mangaluru, but the consortium partners of Bharat Petro Resources Limited (BPRL), the upstream arm of BPCL, tied up most of the gas with customers in Asia, except from India. BPRL, along with its consortium, had formed marketing teams in 2012 to talk to companies in Japan, China and Thailand. These countries agreed to pay more for gas. Besides, the players need to maximise their revenue as they plan to set up two LNG trains. (www.business-standard.com)

September 28, 2015. Indian oil refiners will pay Iran $700 million on Sept. 30 for crude oil imports, their first payment this year as international sanctions on the Persian Gulf nation are set to be eased. An equal amount is expected to be paid next month, asking not to be identified before an announcement. In November, the refiners paid Iran $400 million of dues, which accumulated since early 2013. Indian refiners including state-owned Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd., Indian Oil Corp. and Hindustan Petroleum Corp. and non-state company Essar Oil Ltd. owe Iran about $6.4 billion, blocked because of international sanctions. The Indian refiners will pay state-owned UCO Bank in rupees and the bank will remit the amount to Iran in dollars through the Reserve Bank of India, the central bank. (www.bloomberg.com)

September 26, 2015. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) will be investing around ` 1.5 lakh crore in various activities of which ` 50,000 crore would be towards expansion of its refinery capacity both in terms of quality and quantity. IOC said that investments to a tune of one-third of its total investment over the next five to seven years would be in new refineries as well as in capacity augmentation of the existing ones. At present, the refining capacity is 215 million tonnes and consumption is just 165 million tonnes and India being a performing country and a growing economy striving for a double digit growth, capacity augmentations are planned taking into account the future energy demands. IOC and its subsidiary Chennai Petroleum Corporation have 10 operational refineries. The 11{+t}{+h}refinery of IOC was almost ready for commissioning at Paradip in Odisha and would have the capacity to process 15 million tonnes of crude oil per year. Capacity augmentation also needs to take into account the qualitative changes, now that India plans to go in for only BS IV standard fuels from April 1, 2017, IOC said. On LPG bottling plants, IOC said that the new plant coming up at Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu will be commissioned anytime and capacity augmentation was being taken up at the other existing plants while the Salem bottling plant in Tamil Nadu will be fully modernised soon. (www.thehindu.com)

September 28, 2015. Hindustan Petroleum Corp Limited (HPCL) will be cautious in buying Nigerian oil, as the company is still scouting for a vessel to lift a cargo for early October loading after the African nation sought a "letter of comfort" from shippers. HPCL bought the 2 million barrels of Qua Iboe from Totsa, a trading arm of France's Total, for Oct. 7-8 lifting on a free on board (FOB) basis, meaning the buyer pays the cost of marine freight, insurance, unloading and other costs to destination. The Indian firm had chartered the Ridgebury Progress to lift the cargo, but the vessel owner refused to sign the "letter of comfort" sought by the Nigerian authorities. Nigeria lifted a ban on certain oil tankers sailing into its territorial waters that was implemented in July. But as a condition for the ban removal, it created the letter of comfort requirement in an effort to target oil theft. (in.reuters.com)

September 25, 2015. The Maharastra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has complained to state Legal Metrology Department (LMD), accusing HPCL, BPCL and IOC of short delivery. MSRTC said a complaint was lodged with the LMD, following which LMD has taken action against the three companies. In the complaint, the corporation has accused that Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) and Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has tampered with the pipelines of its tankers through which diesel is transported in bulk to the corporation, which resulted in short delivery. MSRTC said that the malpractice could be a "big scam" and claimed that it may result in loss to the tune of ` 35 crore per month to the corporation. It has also taken action against the companies for short delivery as per Legal Metrology Act. LMD also asked the companies to make requisite changes, amendments in terms of technology and its terms of process to deliver accurate fuel to the dealers. (indiatoday.intoday.in)

September 24, 2015. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has taken an initiative to bring cooking gas using water route of neighbouring Bangladesh as the key Assam-Agartala National Highway (NH44) remained blocked for a week due to landslide and breaking of roads due to incessant rains in Assam. IOC has already asked the central government to take up the matter with Bangladesh to arrange for bringing cooking gas from West Bengal via Ashuganj port in Brahmanbaria district of the neighbouring country which is about 50 kms. (www.newindianexpress.com)

September 25, 2015. The Andhra Pradesh (AP) government signed two pacts for setting up a floating LNG Terminal at Kakinada Deep Water Port in the state. The first Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is the terminal company agreement between Andhra Pradesh Gas Distribution Corporation (APGDC), GDF SUEZ and Shell. It supports the development/execution of the terminal. The second MoU is the trading company agreement between GAIL, GDF SUEZ and Shell and covers both the sourcing of LNG and the marketing of the regasified LNG from the terminal. GAIL, GDF SUEZ and Shell would have 48 percent, 26 percent and 26 percent equity, respectively, in the project. The Floating storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) would be constructed with a cost of ` 1,800 crore initially, it said. The Kakinada LNG terminal would use the FSRU with a peak capacity of five million tonnes per annum (mtpa) with the provision to double the capacity. The terminal would use high-end technology and be one of the first of its kind of PPP projects in India, it said. (economictimes.indiatimes.com)

September 24, 2015. India is seeking from its largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplier Qatar a cut in gas prices to match the 60 percent slump in global rates in the last one year. India buys 7.5 million tonnes of LNG a year on a long-term 25 year contract, indexed to a moving average of crude oil price. The price of LNG from Qatar comes close to $13 per million British thermal unit as compared to the $6-7 rate at which it is available in the spot or current market. Petronet LNG Ltd said the prices of LNG in the spot or current markets have come down considerably in the past one year. Petronet LNG Ltd, which has been buying LNG from Qatar on a long-term contract since 2004, has reduced the annual off take by at least 30 percent this year because of the high price. Dahej capacity will be raised by 50 percent to 15 million tons by December 2016 and a further expansion to 17.5 million tons is planned. (www.businesstoday.in)

September 23, 2015. The fate of India’s investment in Iran, that includes setting up a urea plant and others in the Chabhar SEZ area, cumulatively at ` 1 lakh crore, would depend solely on at what rate the country offers gas, Union Minister for Road Transport and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari said. Iran has offered India gas at $2.95 per million British thermal unit (mmBtu) for the urea plant, but India seeks the gas at $ 1.5 per mmBtu, Gadkari said. Gadkari said that various ministries have been asked to submit their proposals for investment in Iran. The minister also said that his ministry has also received proposals from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka for setting up ports. The rate offered by Iran is less than half the rate at which India currently imports natural gas from the spot or current market. Long-term supplies from Qatar cost four-times the Iranian price. India, which imports around 8-9 million tonnes of the nitrogenous fertiliser, is negotiating for a price of $1.5 per mmBtu with the Persian Gulf nation in a move which if successful will see a significant decline in the country’s ` 80,000 crore subsidy for the soil nutrient. (www.financialexpress.com)

September 23, 2015. Piped gas consumers can expect market competition among suppliers as the monopoly of city gas firms in Mumbai, Delhi and about 20 other cities is likely to end. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), the downstream regulator, has initiated a consultative process to end the marketing monopoly of city gas distributors. In a public notice, the regulator has said it “intends to declare the end of exclusivity period” for several city gas distribution networks and invited suggestions and objections from all stakeholders likely to be affected by the decision. Currently, distribution in each city, or geographical area, is a monopoly. Having won the bid in an open auction and made large investments in building gas network, the distributors have an exclusive right to use the infrastructure and market gas in the area. Under the law, however, the regulator has the authority to end this exclusivity following a consultative process where the current distributor must be heard. The regulator can fix the terms and conditions subject to which the pipeline or network may be declared as a common carrier or contract carrier while keeping in mind the key objectives of promoting competition among distributors and protecting consumer interest. Once the network is declared a common carrier, it would allow other gas marketing companies to use the existing network for a fee to sell their gas to customers in that area. The current distributor would earn a transportation fee from the newcomers but will also be competing with them for customers, resulting in a probable slimming of margins. The cities for which the process has been initiated include Kota, Dewas, Kakinada, Sonipat, Meerut, Mathura, Bareilly, Pune, Indore, Firozabad, Hyderabad, Agra, Gandhinagar, Anand, Surat and Bharuch. (www.diligentia.net.in)

 [NATIONAL: POWER]

September 28, 2015. Power and infrastructure major Lanco Group said it will sell power assets with a combined capacity of 3,000 MW in the financial year 2018 by when the execution of all the ongoing power projects would be complete, to reduce the debt levels. The group is currently sitting on a pile of around ` 34,000 crore debt and it will eventually go up to around ` 45,000 crore by the time it execute the power projects under construction before its plan to sell off the power assets kicks in. In April this year the company had announced the successful completion of sale of its 1,200 MW Udupi power project to Adani group. Recently the company had secured the lenders approval for cost overrun proposals for four of its under construction projects-the coal fired Amarkantak phase 2, Babandh and Vidarbhapower projects each of 1,320 MW capacity and the 76 MW Mandakini hydro power project with a total investment of around ` 33,000 crore. With the commissioning of these plants the company will have a consolidated operating power capacity of around 8,000 MW by FY 2018. Of the 4,500 MW odd capacity, the company expects to complete 2,720 MW, including Mandakini hydro power project, in the financial year 2017 and the another 1,320 MW of project in the financial year 2018. (www.business-standard.com)

September 28, 2015. Next time the thermal power plants in Udupi and Ballari stop production owing to technical problems, the city may not have to face power cuts as it did in the past month. It will be in a more comfortable position once production begins in 2018 at the 350 MW gas-based power plant coming up in Yelahanka. The Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) is considering a proposal to convert the defunct diesel-generating station at Yelahanka into a gas-based one. Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar visited the site to understand the proposal and to inspect the 350 MW project as well. (www.thehindu.com)

September 27, 2015. If the West Bengal government is willing, then the Centre is ready to revive the nuclear power plant project in Haripur in Purba Medinipur district, the Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Sekhar Basu said. Basu, also a board member of Nuclear Power Corporation of India, said that BARC is planning to set up a similar power plant in Andhra Pradesh (AP), though it has not been finalised yet. Basu said for an annual gross domestic product growth of eight percent, a similar growth in electricity supply is also required. (www.thehindu.com)

September 25, 2015. The restarting of the first 1,000 MW unit at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) has been postponed once again. According to Power System Operation Corporation Limited (PSOC), the KNPP first unit is expected to restart power generation on October 7. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) had said the first unit would restart operation. However, NPCIL said that the unit may go on stream by this month-end. The unit was shut down on June 24, 2015 for annual maintenance. Despite the unit being first of its kind in the country and that it has been shut down regularly, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) this year issued a five year operating licence for the plant. Normally AERB issues operating licence for a year if the plant is first of its kind in the country and based on the test reports the licence would be renewed, NPCIL said. The first unit was connected to the southern grid in December 2014. The unit was operating at 60 percent capacity for some time before it was shut down for annual maintenance. At the time of its shut down in June, NPCIL said the unit will restart after 60 days post annual maintenance and refuelling. The NPCIL is setting up two units at KNPP with Russian equipment. The second unit on which work has been completed to the extent of 98.44 percent is expected to start the fission process in November 2015. (www.business-standard.com)

September 23, 2015. Sutlej Jal Vidyut Jal Nigam (SJVN), a mini navratna PSU, aims to achieve an installed capacity of 10,564.6 MW. The Corporation had already commissioned three projects with capacity of 1,960 MW - nine projects with 8,489 MW are at different stages of execution while three projects with 2,070 MW capacity are in preliminary stage. After the success of 1,500 MW Nathpa-Jhakri Hydropower Project, the Corporation has forayed into thermal, solar and wind power generation and the Nathpa-Jhakri project has produced 7,058 million units of electricity against the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) target of 8,520 million units by Union Power Ministry during the current year. An Ultra Mega Renewable energy project envisaging generation of 3,500 MW power through solar and 600 MW through wind energy was in the pipeline while pre-construction activities of 1,320 MW Thermal Power plant at Buxar in Bihar is in progress. (indiatoday.intoday.in)

September 28, 2015. ABB, power and automation technology group, has energised the first pole of the North-East Agra 800 kilovolt (kV) ultra-high voltage direct current (UHVDC) transmission link, which will supply clean hydropower from northeastern India to a nodal substation in Agra and from there, feed it across north India. The project is being executed by ABB together with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited on a turnkey basis, including design, system engineering, supply, installation and commissioning for Power Grid Corporation of India Limited. This completes phase one of the project, which enables transfer of up to 1,500 MW of electricity along this link, across a distance of 1,728 kilometers. When fully commissioned in 2016, the link will become the world’s first multi-terminal UHVDC connection, capable of transmitting enough electricity to serve around 90 million people, based on average national consumption. (www.thehindubusinessline.com)

September 25, 2015. Despite government polices and promises by political parties, some 80,000 residents across 87 villages of Bijnor district are yet to light a bulb. Gas lanterns and 'diyas' are still lit at night at these villages. Incidentally, Bijnor is less than 150 km from the national capital. These villages are spread across 11 blocks and the largest number is in Afzalgarh block and are close to the Amaangarh forest range. Many villages have electric poles, which were installed in 2002 but few are wired and fewer get any power supply. The 80 schools in the area, including high schools, have been running without electricity for ages. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

September 23, 2015. Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) inked two separate agreements with Andhra Pradesh (AP) utilities to provide ` 9,000 crore loan for 500 MW solar power plant and transmission network for state's capital. The first Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation Limited (APGENCO) is for ` 3,000 crore for setting up a 500 MW Solar power generation project in Anantpur during the 12^th Five Year Plan (2012-17) Period. Another MoU is with Andhra Pradesh Transmission Corporation Limited (APTRANSCO) is for ` 6,000 crore for Transmission & System improvement projects in the Capital region of state. The objective of MoUs is enhancing the generation of Green Power and for creation of Transmission network in Andhra Pradesh. (profit.ndtv.com)

September 29, 2015. The central government is on the way to frame a policy to liberalise coal linkages within intra-companies enabling them to swap coal linkages within same companies to help bring down cost of power, Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal said. According to the coal ministry, reassessment of coal grades more accurately and permission of intra-companies linkages will help India save approximately ` 20,000 crore in power bills. Goyal said the government has initiated third party sampling to check the grade quality of coal and the coal ministry will be asking the fossil fuel controller to reassess the grades of all coal mines. The government will also be setting up large-scale coal washeries which can handle 250 million tonnes of coal in next three years. The minister confirmed that coal will continue to be the mainstay of power in the country but the pollution level can significantly be kept low with innovative technologies. (www.business-standard.com)

September 29, 2015. Cost of delayed projects, especially in the power sector, runs into "lakhs of crores", which is which is completely "avoidable", state-run NTPC's founding chairman D V Kapur said. He was speaking at a panel discussion on his book 'The Bloom in the Desert: The Making of NTPC' at the Observer Research Foundation. He received handsome praise from Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, who was also present on the occasion. Reminiscing the early days of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Kapur said that the power major bucked the conventional notion about the public sector by successfully producing power projects and "power leaders". (economictimes.indiatimes.com)

September 27, 2015. The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) has decided to encourage industrial establishments to shift their activities to off peak hours, wooing them with financial incentives, as part of its efforts to stabilise electricity availability. DERC has decided to extend the Time of Day Metering scheme, a concept borrowed from European countries, to all commercial consumers having sanctioned load of 25 kilo watt so as to discourage them from consuming more power during peak hours. Time of Day metering (ToD), also known as Time of Usage (ToU) or Seasonal Time of Day (SToD), metering involves dividing the day, month and year into tariff slots and with higher rates at peak load periods and low tariff rates at off-peak load periods. DERC said the Commission wants the commercial consumers to shift to ToD so that consumption of power during peak hours could be limited. The DERC has kept off peak hours from 3 AM to 9 AM, while the peak hours are from 1-5 PM and 9 PM to 12 AM. Experts said bringing down the load to 25 KV will help a large number of commercial consumers to migrate to ToD, thereby aiding the private power distribution companies to address the problem of load shedding. Experts say the DERC's decision on ToD will also help the discoms financially as often they have to procure additional power from the market at very high rates to meet the peak hour demand. DERC wants to put in place an effective demand response mechanism through which consumers will be able to save money on power consumption, while discoms will be able to cut down power purchase cost. As per the discoms, the cost of buying power has risen over the years primarily on account of an increase in the input cost of raw material like coal and gas. According to official figures, around 80-90 percent of total revenue of discoms goes into purchasing power from central and state government-owned entities through long-term power purchase agreement at rates determined by the central and state regulators. (www.business-standard.com)

September 25, 2015. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claimed credit for the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission's (DERC) move to not hike power rates in the city at the end of its annual tariff determination process. The ruling party also questioned the "silence" of BJP and Congress over the issue and accused the two parties of being "hand in glove" with the power discoms. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had attributed "honest politics" behind the DERC's decision of not announcing any power hike. The AAP leader maintained that the party and the government will now work to bring down power tariffs. (www.mid-day.com)

September 24, 2015. Coal India Limited (CIL) expects to revise the earlier estimate of its five-year capital expenditure, due to land acquisition issues. It has to acquire 20,000 acres to meet its annual output target of 908 million tonnes (mt) by 2019-20. For this, it had fixed a capex estimate of ` 60,000 crore over the next five years. It has signed an agreement with Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad. The latter will train CIL executives about changes in rules and regulations, to form a framework for acquisition and compensation and digitise land details in coal bearing zones and in communicating with states. In the first quarter of this financial year the company produced 121 mt, about 12 percent higher than a year before, the highest for a single quarter in CIL's history. Union coal secretary Anil Swarup had said that the rise was due to a pick-up in land acquisition and speedy environmental clearances, resulting in more mining. (www.business-standard.com)

September 23, 2015. The government is aiming to provide 24x7 power across India by 2019 by creating cost effective infrastructure which will be sustainable and inclusive of clean energy solutions, Power Minister Piyush Goyal has said. Addressing a India-US Ministerial energy dialogue, he emphasised that India was committed to pursue a green path to growth. During the dialogue, Goyal reviewed the progress made by the six working groups of the energy dialogue and identified new areas for cooperation. At the energy dialogue, Goyal also elaborated on India's plans for deploying 175 GW of renewable power capacities by 2022, including 100 GW of solar and 60 GW of wind, which could require investment of around $150 billion in the next seven years. (www.business-standard.com)

 [INTERNATIONAL: OIL & GAS]

September 29, 2015. Bulgaria has picked Royal Dutch Shell to carry out deepwater oil and gas (O&G) exploration off its Black Sea coast and plans to sign a contract by the end of October, hoping the project will help reduce its reliance on imports from Russia. The Balkan country, eager to reduce its near total dependence on Russian gas, had in April opened tenders for two offshore blocks, Silistar and Teres. Shell, the only bidder for a five-year exploration permit at Silistar, which covers 7,000 square km, has pledged to invest € 18.6 million ($21 million) in seismic surveys of the block. Silistar is close to a block in Romanian waters, where Austria's OMV has said it could produce up to 84 billion of cubic meters of gas, raising Bulgaria's hopes that it will be able to exploit reserves off its own coast to diversify its energy supplies. French major Total along with OMV and Spain's Repsol are expected to start drilling for oil and gas in Bulgaria's biggest offshore block, Han Asparuh, between February and May. (www.reuters.com)

September 29, 2015. CIMIC Group announced that its construction company, Leighton Contractors, has been awarded a contract by Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG) to deliver gas field development works in the Surat Basin, Queensland, Australia. The Collaborative Well Delivery (CWD) project is expected to generate revenue of approximately $209 million (AUD 300 million) to Leighton Contractors over two years. Under the contract, which has an additional two year option, Leighton Contractors is expected to deliver approximately 200 wells per annum in a series of work packages. The project’s planning phase for the first Project Works Package is underway and construction works commence in early October 2015. (www.rigzone.com)

September 28, 2015. Bowleven, the Africa focused oil and gas exploration group, has discovered hydrocarbons at the Moambe exploration well, the second well in a two exploration well program, in Bomono Permit, Cameroon. Preparations are underway to test Moambe initially prior to moving back to the first well, Zingana, where further testing is currently planned. The extended well testing programme is designed to determine the productivity and connectivity of the shallower reservoir units which it is intended will provide the basis for the initial supply of gas for power generation. The evaluation of the deeper reservoir units is therefore expected to follow later. (drillingandproduction.energy-business-review.com)

September 24, 2015. Range Resources revealed that it is on track to achieve its previously announced production target of 1,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) in Trinidad by the end of 2015. The company’s average production in Trinidad during the last 30 days was 590 bopd and the latest well, called MD 42N, was spud in the region on September 4, 2015. Range’s estimate of recoverable oil from the well is 72,000 barrels. The company expects to spud four additional wells in Trinidad before the end of October. Range Resources announced that it planned to increase production in Trinidad during the second half of 2015, following a production decrease of eight percent during June and July this year. Overall production for Range in the region dropped during June and July to 570 barrels of oil per day, compared to 620 bopd in May. (www.rigzone.com)

September 23, 2015. Canadian oil producer and refiner Imperial Oil has added 120,000 barrels per day (bpd) of heavy crude supply from two new projects this year even as prices languish near 6-1/2 year lows. At an investor day in Toronto, Chief Executive Officer Rich Kruger said the Kearl oil sands mine was producing 200,000 bpd after the successful start-up of its Phase 2 expansion project added capacity of 90,000 bpd. Once the ramp-up is complete, Kearl's total capacity will reach 220,000 bpd. Projects like Kearl and Nabiye were approved by Imperial and largely paid for when oil was still around $100 a barrel. (www.reuters.com)

September 28, 2015. Gunvor Group Ltd., the Swiss commodity trader seeking to diversify from its Russian roots, is in exclusive talks to buy Kuwait Petroleum Corp.’s Q8 Europoort refinery in Rotterdam. Gunvor secured the talks with a bid pledging to keep the 88,000-barrel-a-day refinery operating and preserve jobs. The potential acquisition of Q8 will give Gunvor a third European refinery, alongside the plants it controls in Ingolstadt, Germany and Antwerp, Belgium. The closely held company has been seeking asset deals in Europe, Asia, Africa and the U.S. to complement its commodity-trading operations. (www.bloomberg.com)

September 25, 2015. Aruba's Energy Ministry said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with PDVSA's U.S. unit Citgo Petroleum to explore reopening and operating the island's refinery, idled since 2012 because of low margins. The 235,000-barrel-per-day refinery had been operated by U.S. firm Valero Energy Corporation. Attempts to reopen some processing units or sell it to firms including Venezuela's PDVSA and PetroChina have been unsuccessful. The facility is currently used as an oil storage terminal, with state-run oil company PDVSA among its main clients. Valero said that the company was not interested in reopening it. But PDVSA and Citgo could use the nearby refinery to run different types of crude and produce much needed heavy naphtha, used by Venezuela as diluent to make oil more marketable. (www.reuters.com)

September 23, 2015. Singapore has issued a stop work order on a fire-hit unit at Royal Dutch Shell's 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery on Pulau Bukom island off the city-state, Shell said. In May, Shell was planning to shut Bukom's largest 210,000 bpd crude unit and a diesel-producing hydrocracker unit for one to two months in the third quarter for planned maintenance. The refinery suffered production losses in September 2011 due to a fire that forced the company to shut down a crude unit and a fluid catalytic cracker. (www.reuters.com)

September 28, 2015. The removal of international sanctions on Iran is expected to be one of the most consequential events for global energy markets. U.S.-based think-tank the Atlantic Council has evaluated possible consequences of Iran's full return to world energy markets on Eurasian energy architecture and Eurasian geopolitics with a report titled "A Post-Sanctions Iran and the Eurasian Energy Architecture: Challenges and Opportunities for the Euro-Atlantic Community." The report predicts that if Iran reaches its 40 million ton liquefied natural gas (LNG) export target, it will have 12.8 billion cubic meters (bcm) to 32.8 bcm available for pipeline exports. In this instance, Tehran would face a stark geopolitical choice for the destination of its pipeline exports. The report suggests that Iran can be encouraged to transport 7 bcm annually through the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) with sufficiently effective incentives offered by Turkey and Azerbaijan. Accordingly, the relative power balance between the EU and China in the Eurasian energy architecture will be determined by the natural gas export volumes each receives from Iran and Turkmenistan. (www.dailysabah.com)

September 28, 2015. Poland's PKN Orlen has welcomed a plan to link its Lithuania refinery to a Baltic sea oil terminal. Energy Minister Rokas Masiulis said that Lithuania was willing to help finance construction of the pipeline to the Klaipedos Nafta terminal. The Mazeikiai refinery had been supplied with Russian oil via a pipeline through Belarus, but the pipeline ceased to operate after PKN took over in 2006, beating potential bidders from Russia. Mazeikiai has struggled to break even in recent years, partly due to high transport costs. It relies on rail for crude deliveries and to ship refined products to the terminal on the Baltic Sea, more than 100 km away. (af.reuters.com)

September 28, 2015. Iran and Oman have signed a bilateral agreement on the construction of a sub-sea gas pipeline worth US$1 bn to deliver Iranian gas from Iran to the sultanate. The offshore gas pipeline would stretch over 200km, from Kuh-e Mubarak in Iran to Sohar in Oman, and would be operational in five months. The construction of the 200 km onshore section in Iran, from Rudan to Kuh-e Mubarak would take 6 months. Gas exports to Oman are scheduled to start in 30 months (by mid 2018). Oman plans to import around US$60 bn of gas from Iran for 25 years. (www.enerdata.net)          

September 27, 2015. Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has enforced rationing of petroleum products as the stock started dwindling following continuous obstruction in supply of petroleum products from India to Nepal. The state-owned monopoly made the decision to implement the rationing and fixed quota for different vehicles, according to NOC. As per the decision, two-wheelers will get three litres and private cars 10 litres per week. The Ministry of Home Affairs has already enforced odd-even licence plate. For public vehicles, fuel will be distributed on the basis of odd-even licence plate system on alternate days. (thehimalayantimes.com)

September 25, 2015. Australian energy group Santos has commissioned the first 3.9 Mt/year train of its 7.8 Mt/year gas liquefaction project, Gladstone LNG, on Curtis Island near Gladstone on schedule and within budget (total investment of US$18.5 bn). Construction works are continuing on the second train, which is expected to enter into operation by the end of the year. The project has two 140,000 m³ storage tanks. (www.enerdata.net)

September 24, 2015. Russia is looking at allowing companies other than Gazprom to export natural gas, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said. Russian energy giants, including the world's top listed oil producer Rosneft and gas producer Novatek, have long been vying for lucrative exporting rights. Gazprom, Russia's top gas producer, has had the pipeline gas exporting monopoly since 2006, generating more than half of its revenues from selling gas to Europe. He said that details of such measures should be discussed. Rosneft and Novatek have already successfully challenged Gazprom's monopoly to export seaborne liquefied natural gas. Rosneft has claimed that in order to make its far-flung gas projects in East Siberia viable, it should be allowed to export gas. (www.reuters.com)

September 23, 2015. Beijing Gas Group becomes China's latest importer of liquefied natural gas outside dominant state energy firms, after the government permits third-party use of idle capacity at import terminals built mostly by the majors. The Beijing firm, the dominant natural gas distributor to the Chinese capital that makes up some 9 percent of the country's gas use, is slated to receive its first import LNG cargo in late November. The 150,000 cubic-metre cargo will be sourced from French utility ENGIE, part of a cooperation agreement signed in July between Beijing Enterprises Holding Ltd, parent of Beijing Gas, and the French firm. Gas demand typically surges in winter in the 21-million-populated capital for heating homes and hotels. The metropoli is among the world's top gas users with annual consumption of 10.5 billion cubic metres, that also feeds power plants and buses. Beijing Gas said the firm aims to become a longer-term LNG buyer with a plan to establish its own procurement team, beyond a traditional role of a middleman between Chinese energy producers and consumers. The cooperation with ENGIE may evolve into longer-term supply deal. China is freeing up the nation's LNG trade as part of broad reforms that allow private companies to invest in oil and gas exploration as well as pipelines and tank farms, and to engage in importing and exporting. The aim is to help secure supplies while boosting competition and efficiency in an energy sector long dominated by state firms. (af.reuters.com)

September 28, 2015. The Chinese government has granted two independent refiners licences to import crude oil directly, shortly after they were allowed quotas to use imported crude oil, the commerce ministry said. The two refiners are Dongying Yatong Petrochemical Co and Baota Petrochemical Group, according to the ministry. (af.reuters.com)

September 25, 2015. Russia’s biggest budget crisis in years is leaving the government stumped as it debates a range of options to steady public finances, from spending cuts to higher oil taxes. The choice may be to select all of the above, according to economists surveyed. Rather than opting for a narrowly tailored solution, the cabinet will resort to a wider range of measures that may also include increased borrowing and a freeze on pension-fund contributions, according to survey. The new deadline for submitting the budget to lawmakers is Oct. 25. President Vladimir Putin instructed the government to study the possibility of tapping into some of the gains reaped by exporters from ruble devaluation. The proposal by the Finance Ministry has sent Russian stocks tumbling, led by the nation’s biggest oil and mining companies. The government, which relies on oil and gas for almost half of its revenue, is drafting next year’s budget by assuming a deficit under 3 percent at an average oil price of $50 a barrel. Unlike this year, when it plans to use more than a half of the Reserve Fund, or as much as 2.7 trillion rubles ($40.8 billion), to cover the fiscal gap, Russia can’t continue to rely only on its wealth funds in 2016, according to Finance Minister Anton Siluanov. (www.bloomberg.com)

September 24, 2015. North Dakota regulators gave the energy industry 10 extra months to reduce the amount of natural gas burned off at oil wells, acquiescing to industry worries that construction delays have made it all but impossible to meet existing targets. Regulators in the No. 2 U.S. oil producing state stopped short of approving the full two-year extension sought by companies grappling with the steepest price downturn in years.  Governor Jack Dalrymple and the two other members of the North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC) voted unanimously to change the date when companies must capture 85 percent of natural gas produced from their wells to Nov. 1, 2016. The extension pushes back potential penalties for companies, including forced reductions in oil output, and gives contractors next summer to try and expand a crucial network of natural gas gathering pipelines. (www.reuters.com)

September 23, 2015. Russian oil companies should revise their investment policies to align themselves with low oil prices, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said. He said that oil price of $100 per barrel was unlikely to return. (www.reuters.com)

September 23, 2015. Indonesia expects the Masela Abadi natural gas project currently being developed by Japan's Inpex and Royal Dutch Shell, to commence commercial production in 2024, the oil and gas regulator (SKKMigas) said. The government expects to decide on Oct. 10 whether to proceed with existing plans to make an offshore floating LNG production plant or to develop a land-based LNG plant onshore connected to the Masela gas fields via a pipeline, the regulator said. The government is targeting to have a final investment decision on the project in 2018, the regulator said. (af.reuters.com)

 [INTERNATIONAL: POWER]

September 29, 2015. Singapore-based energy group Sembcorp has been awarded a build-own-operate (BOO) project by the government of Bangladesh. Sembcorp will develop a 426 MW gas-fired CCGT power project in the Sirajganj district of Bangladesh. Expected to be commissioned in 2018, the power plant will supply power to the grid under a 22.5-year power purchase agreement with the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB). (www.enerdata.net)     

September 28, 2015. Sable Mining has signed an agreement with China's CITIC Construction Co. to build a 600 MW coal-fired power plant at the company's Lubu Coal Project in Zimbabwe. The agreement is supported by the Republic of Zimbabwe and the Ministry of Energy and Power Development, which is the administration in charge of power development, the UK-based mining company said. The project aligns with the government's objective to development of energy and power generation in Zimbabwe. (www.breakbulk.com)

September 24, 2015. Aboitiz Power subsidiary Hedcor Bukidnon has secured PHP10bn ($213.3 mn) loan from a consortium of lender-banks to fund the construction of the 68.8 MW Manolo Fortich hydroelectric project in Bukidnon, Philippines. Aboitiz Power said that loan and credit accommodation was issued by consortium of lender-banks to Hedcor Bukidnon, through Aboitiz Renewables. The funding will be used to develop, build, operate and maintain the PHP12.5bn ($270.9 mn) hydroelectric power plant. Construction work of the project is already underway since April and is planned to be completed by the end of 2017. Featuring two units including 43 MW Manolo Fortich 1 and the 25 MW Manolo Fortich 2, the power plant is designed to generate clean power using hydropower resources. The firm is planning to generate 2 billion kWh of power by 2020. (hydro.energy-business-review.com)

September 23, 2015. Jaks Resources Bhd’s joint-venture (JV) partner China Power Engineering Consulting Group Co Ltd (CPECC) secured US$1.402 billion (RM6.01 billion) financing for the proposed construction of a power plant (IPP) in Vietnam. Jaks said the principal financiers for the US$1.4 billion loan are Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank Corporation and Export-Import Bank of China. Jaks chief executive officer Ang Lam Poah said that once the JV receives financial closure, it will move to groundbreaking and the commencement of construction work of the power plant itself. He is confident that the power plant will be completed by 2020. To recap, the JV proposed to build a 25-year build-operate-transfer 2x600 MW coal-fired thermal power plant project at Phuc Commune, Kinh Mon District in Hai Duong Province, Vietnam. The US$1.87 billion power plant project will be executed in two separate contracts. (www.theedgemarkets.com)

September 29, 2015. The recently re-elected Greek government is seeking alternatives to make its power transmission network operator ADMIE independent without privatising it, as planned in the latest EU-IMF bailout. In July 2014, the previous government had passed a reform bill paving the way for the privatisation of a up to 30% stake in national power utility Public Power Corp (PPC) in 2015, spurring massive demonstrations and strikes in the company and leading to brief power outages. The privatisation was part of the country's efforts to liberalise its energy market, as required by the European Union and the IMF to disburse the next tranche of a €240 bn bailout programme. The new government has agreed to implement a third €86 bn bailout, including a series of privatisations in the next two years, but will negotiate on the liberalisation of its energy market and on the possible sale of PPC. (www.enerdata.net)  

September 29, 2015. French electricity transmission network operator RTE has published its forecasts on power supply through 2020: until 2020, France should have security margins (up to 4,800 MW per year) in terms of power supply. On the supply side, power generation capacities will benefit from the availability of fuel-fired power units and of gas-fired CCGT power plants (no CCGT unit mothballed during the 2015-2016 winter). Load shedding should continue to develop (more than 3 GW/year until 2020) while the new capacity mechanism should help additional capacities to emerge as of 2017. On the demand side, RTE expects power consumption to decline by 5.5 TWh until 2019 to 483 TWh. (www.enerdata.net)                    

September 29, 2015. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has extended the operating license of the Sequoyah nuclear power plant located in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee. The license renewal will enable Tennessee Valley Authority to operate the Units 1 and 2 at the Sequoyah power plant from its original operating licenses, which were set to expire in 2020 for Unit 1 and 2021 for Unit 2.

The new licenses will conclude on 17 September 2040 for Unit 1 and 15 September 2041 for the Unit 2. The Sequoyah plant comprises two pressurized water reactors, each with a generation capacity of 1,160 MW. In total these units produce enough electricity for more than 1.3 million homes a day. The Sequoyah operating licenses renewal marks the 78^th commercial nuclear power reactors with renewed licenses by the US NRC, which is also reviewing an additional 16 renewals. (nuclear.energy-business-review.com)

September 27, 2015. The World Bank Group (WBG) approved a credit of $20 million for Nepal to implement the ‘Power Sector Reform and Sustainable Hydropower Development Project’.  The project will help strengthen the capacity of power sector agencies in Nepal to plan and prepare hydropower generation and transmission line projects along international standards and best practices and improve the readiness of power sector agencies to undertake regulatory and institutional reforms. The first project component will support the preparation of the Upper Arun Hydroelectric Project and the Ikhuwa Khola Hydroelectric Project, identified as priority public investments by the government.

The project will also support the preparation of transmission line projects to be identified by the ongoing ‘Transmission System Master Planning’. A second component will finance studies and propose policy recommendations critical for power sector reforms. It will also promote river basin planning in an integrated water resource management approach for selected river basins and recommend improvements in water resource management and regulations, according to the WBG. The third component will support capacity building for safeguards management and sustainable hydropower development. (thehimalayantimes.com)

September 25, 2015. Mexico’s first-ever energy auction will award contracts priced in U.S. dollars in an effort to make the country’s newly opened power industry more attractive to developers. The Mexican peso has tumbled 13 percent against the dollar this year, and contracts priced in the more stable U.S. currency will help developers prepare proposals and arrange financing, Leonardo Beltran, secretary of Mexico’s Energy Ministry, said. Developers are waiting for details such as possible tax benefits for renewable energy or different ceiling prices for each energy source.

The country is planning at least one auction a year, Beltran said. Developers will be bidding for 15-year contracts to new generation projects of any type, including nuclear, thermo-electric and renewables. Clean-energy plants will also be able to sell 20-year clean-energy certificates, which large electricity consumers buy to meet an obligation to get 5 percent of their energy from sustainable sources by 2018. (www.bloomberg.com)

September 24, 2015. The Mexican Government has awarded a contract to Iberdrola to build 850 MW Noreste combined cycle power plant in the municipality of Escobedo in the state of Nuevo León, which require an investment of $400 mn. Under the contract, Iberdrola will construct, own, operate and maintain the power generation plant which can generate electricity required to power 2 million Mexican consumers.

The Mexican Federal Electricity Commission will purchase the power generated from the facility under 25-year power purchase agreement with fixed capacity charges. Constriction work on the Noreste power plant is scheduled to be commenced in early 2016 and be completed in July 2018. Iberdrola will develop infrastructure including the power lines and the transformer substation, required for connecting the power plant to the national electricity system. (fossilfuel.energy-business-review.com)

 [RENEWABLE ENERGY / CLIMATE CHANGE TRENDS]

September 29, 2015. Wind turbine maker Suzlon Energy said it has completed the commissioning of 100.8 MW wind power turnkey project for CLP India. The project is located at Tejuva, Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. The project will provide electricity to over 50,000 homes and curb 0.21 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually. Suzlon will offer operations and maintenance for 20 years through an Integrated Service Package contract, the company said. (www.dnaindia.com)

September 29, 2015. Global investors are willing to commit up to USD 10 billion in the country's renewable energy sector, Power and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal said. Goyal, who also holds the new and renewable energy portfolio, was speaking to reporters after the release of the report titled 'Access to Clean Cooking Energy and Electricity - Survey of States' (ACCESS). He said the western world should give up its consumerist philosophy and actually start contributing to combating climate change. Goyal released an independent study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), in collaboration with the Columbia University. According to the largest energy access survey in India, only a fifth of rural households have access to an LPG connection and 95 percent of rural households use some form of traditional fuel for cooking. Although a majority of rural households do not have LPG or other clean cooking options, Uttar Pradesh scored better than other states while Jharkhand reported the lowest level of access to clean cooking energy, the survey found out. ACCESS is India's largest energy access survey, covering more than 8,500 households, 714 villages and 51 districts, across Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. (economictimes.indiatimes.com)

September 29, 2015. Jaiprakash Associates Limited said its board will consider a proposal to sell its wind power plants with aggregate capacity of 49 MW. Earlier another Group firm Jaiprakash Power Ventures had said that its shareholders have approved the sale of the company's entire stake held in its arm Himachal Baspa Power Company Limited (HBPCL) for about ` 9,700 crore as per an agreement on November 15, 2014 with JSW Energy. HBPCL has two operating Hydro Power assets-300 MW Baspa-II hydroelectric project (HEP) and 1,091 MW KarchamWangtoo HEP. (profit.ndtv.com)

September 28, 2015. Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC), which comes under Ministry of Coal, to set up solar power plants to produce 4000 MW of power. Going by the current value (` 7-7.5 crore a MW for setting solar based power plant) the whole project will attract investment to the tune of ` 28,000-30,000 crore. After inaugurating NLC's new 10 MW Solar Power Project at Neyveli, NLC in line with the National Solar Mission announced by the Government of India the proposed projects will come at Tamilnadu, Pondicherry, Karnataka, Kerala, Telungana and Rajasthan. The company will be participating in the Solar Power Parks, announced by the State Governments. These projects will be implemented based on land availability and techno economic viability of the project. To start with, NLC said, land has been identified in Neyveli Township for the installation of 130 MW Solar Power Project. Apart from that, the company has taken a decision for setting up 25 MW Solar Power Project in Barsingsar, Rajasthan at a cost of ` 167.29 crore. NLC is operating, Thermal Power Stations of 4240 MW capacity in Neyveli, Barsingsar in Rajasthan State and Thoothukudi. The company is expanding its power generating capacity by setting up of Coal based Power Station and Renewable Energy Projects like, Wind Mills and Solar Power Plants. To start with, the company has established a 10 MW Solar Photo Volatic project at Neyveli, at a cost of ` 74.60 crore. This is the 1^st Renewable Energy Project, commissioned by NLC, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, The Engineering, Procurement and Commissioning Contractor of this project, will operate and maintain the project for a period of 3 years, after the performance guarantee period of 1 year. Till date, the project has generated 8.65 lakh units of electricity during the trial-run period. The entire power will be fed to Tamilnadu Generation and Distribution Corporation. The power purchase agreement for the project had already been signed. NLC is setting up 51 MW Wind Power Plant at Kazhuneerkulam Village of Tirunelveli District. Among the 34 units of each 1.5 MW capacity, 9 wind mills have already been commissioned. The balance units are expected to be commissioned, during this year. (www.business-standard.com)

September 28, 2015. With the world gearing up for the UN climate change talks in Paris later this year and developing countries like India and China under pressure to take ambitious emission cuts, the Union government is leaving no stone unturned to tell the world the measures taken by it to tackle climate change. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has desired that the country’s efforts in dealing with climate change be highlighted and showcased in the run-up to the talks. The Prime Minister’s Office has asked all Central ministries and PSUs under them to bring out booklets, brochures and short video films which will provide a snapshot of the environmental and green initiatives taken by them. The Conference of Parties (CoP) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is scheduled to be held at Paris (November 30 to December 11) later this year, where the world will discuss and come out with a new climate regime to save the planet from global warming. India is scheduled to submit its ‘Intended Nationally Determined Contributions’ (INDCs), which will talk of the measures the government is taking for mitigating the impact of climate change in the long term, to the UN. (www.newindianexpress.com)

September 28, 2015. Renewable energy solutions provider Orb Energy Ltd unveiled its new plant here to produce solar water heating systems for user industry. The 25,000 square feet new plant will produce solar water heating systems with a durable ceramic finish to handle hard water, which is more prevent in the country, the city-based company said. With 2,000 systems per month, the plant will enable the company to expand its business in the country and step up exports with its product range. The company's heating systems also help residential customers to save up to 60 percent on power bills and are cost effective for commercial users such as hotels, hostels, hospitals and clinics. (www.business-standard.com)

September 28, 2015. Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi met with U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz to discuss collaboration in renewable energy between both nations. Following this, the Prime Minister will have a round table on renewable energy with Moniz and other US officials. Moniz and Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal, and New and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal had co-chaired the U.S.-India Energy Dialogue in Washington DC and held discussions on their mutual goals for combating climate change, ensuring energy security, and fostering economic growth. The two sides discussed ongoing work of five of the established working groups (power and energy efficiency, oil and gas, new technology and renewable energy, coal, and sustainable growth) and welcomed the formation of the new working group on research arm of PACE. The duo convened a series of meetings in September to review progress in these areas since President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Modi agreed in September 2014 to a new and enhanced strategic partnership on energy security, clean energy and climate change, including strengthening and expanding the highly successful U.S.-India Partnership to Advance Clean Energy (PACE). (www.financialexpress.com)

September 27, 2015. The Centre’s plan to replace conventional street lights with energy-efficient LED lamps in cities is gathering momentum, as six urban local bodies (ULBs), including Agartala and Vizag, have already completed the job. Besides, as many as 90 municipalities have finalised agreements under the Street Light National Programme for replacement. Installation was in progress in 88 ULBs in Delhi, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh, to replace 9.3 lakh lights. As many as 302 ULBs had enrolled in the Street Light National Programme (SLNP) as on September 7, 2015 and the target is to install 15 lakh LEDs by March 2016. Under the SLNP, replacement of 3.5 crore conventional street lights will lead to savings of 9,000 million units annually. The total cost savings of municipalities every year will work out to ₹ 5,500 crore. The Energy Efficiency Services (EESL) has been designated as the implementing agency, which replaces conventional street lights with LEDs at its own cost. The consequent reduction in energy and maintenance cost of the municipality will be used to repay EESL over a period of time. EESL’s contracts with municipalities are typically of a 7-year duration, in which it not only guarantees a minimum energy saving, but also provides free replacements and maintenance of lights at no additional costs to municipalities. (www.thehindubusinessline.com)

September 25, 2015. Delhi Division of Northern Railway has introduced a new optimal light control system for conservation of energy which would save the railways about ` 42 lakh a year. The optimal light control system (OLCS), a state of the art system, is primarily aimed at conservation of electrical energy. The system is designed for lighting applications by employing various techniques for saving electricity without compromising on the effective luminosity of an area. The system employs microprocessor based low-loss impedance coil/transformer in the circuit, which reduces the running current and voltage at an optimum level without affecting other parameters. The system has been developed at a cost of ` 67 lakhs, under the patronage of United Nations Development Programme. 65 High Mast Towers have been provided with 10 KVA OLCS over Delhi Division. (zeenews.india.com)

September 24, 2015. Metro is also contributing to the environment by reducing carbon dioxide emissions, according to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) chief Mangu Singh. At the launch of the first solar plant in a parking lot in the HUDA City Centre station, he said it would help in reducing 12.45 million tonnes of CO₂ emission by 2021. A chunk of that will be from the modal shift of passengers to the Metro, accounting for 11.8 million tonnes. In 2014, Delhi Metro reduced 6.7 million tonnes of carbon emission, he said. By 2031, this figure will go up to 26.6 million tonnes of reduced carbon emissions. Ninety-four percent of that figure will come from the modal shift. Delhi Metro's revolutionary regenerative braking technology as well as use of solar power and "green", that is, energy efficient buildings will also contribute to the emission reduction. The average carbon dioxide (CO₂) saved per passenger per trip in the Delhi Metro is 144 gm. According to Delhi Metro, the total cost of all benefits of DMRC's environmental policy is ` 10,364 crore. D S Mishra, additional secretary in the ministry of urban development who inaugurated the solar plant, said that the benefits from the Delhi Metro system would be documented and presented at the world environment summit in Paris later this year. The Delhi Metro also launched the first ever solar plant at a parking lot in the HUDA City Centre Metro station. The plant will have a capacity of 100 KWp and will power escalators and elevators at the station. DMRC has so far commissioned solar power facilities with a capacity of 2.8 MWp with plants at Dwarka Sector 21, Anand Vihar, Pragati Maidan, Metro Enclave, Yamuna Bank station and depot, ITO as well as the stations on the Badarpur- Escorts Mujesar stretch on the Faridabad line. (economictimes.indiatimes.com)

September 24, 2015. Corporate honchos from 16 Chinese firms have offered to set up solar energy plants in India and are holding discussions in this regard with authorities in Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan. The delegation, currently visiting India under the banner of China New Energy Chamber of Commerce (CNECC), is optimistic that if its talks become conclusive, India and China could forge a cementing partnership to harness solar energy to serve the power needs of India in certain selective pockets and belts, CNECC said. (indiatoday.intoday.in)

September 24, 2015. A new hydro-power project will be set up in Kedarnath by the Uttarakhand Renewable Energy Development Agency (UREDA) to provide sufficient electricity to the valley. The project will be executed by the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM). Twenty years ago, a 100 KW project had been set up here, but it has not been able to generate enough electricity to meet current requirements. Besides, the regular breakdown of power supply has affected reconstruction work after the 2013 floods. Once all the new buildings in the area come up, demand will increase. Work is ongoing in the area, for 107 buildings which will rise to three floors above the ground, a height of about 10 metres. These buildings are expected to be completed by May next year, ahead of the rush of Char Dham pilgrims. To meet that deadline, uninterrupted power supply is necessary. In the winter, when the area is under snow, hydro-power generation will become next to impossible. UREDA had sought NIM help for this effort as it was not feasible for them to get the required manpower and machinery to this hard-to-access area. The project will be environment-friendly as water will be diverted through a diversion apparatus and put on the turbines, which will generate electricity. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

September 29, 2015. Sri Lanka is looking to increase the installed renewable energy capacity by over four times over the next two decades, as the country’s power regulator draws up a new long-term policy. The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) recently proposed the Long-term Generation Expansion Plan 2015-2034. Sri Lanka’s installed power generation capacity at the end of 2014 was 3.9 GW, of which 442 MW is based on renewable energy capacity, dominated by mini-hydro power technology, which contributes 293 MW capacity, while wind energy technology represents 124 MW capacity. Renewable energy capacity has a share of over 11% in installed capacity as well as generation. Moving forward, the CEB plans to increase the renewable energy capacity to 972 MW by 2020, which would contribute 20% to the total power generation in the country. Renewable energy’s share in power generation is expected to peak in 2025 at 21.4% with an installed capacity of 1,367 MW. Between 2025 and 2034, share of renewable energy in power generation is expected to reduce marginally from 21.4% to 20.0%. Installed renewable energy capacity in 2034 is expected to reach 1,897 MW, with wind energy being the dominant technology. Wind energy is expected to overtake mini hydro in terms of installed capacity by 2023. In order to boost the development of small-scale and rooftop solar power capacity in the country, the CEB will consider and approve a net metering policy. To boost power generation from large-scale wind energy and solar power projects, the CEB will also look to enhance resource potential mapping and forecasting of power generation. (cleantechnica.com)

September 29, 2015. Canadian solar project developer SkyPower plans to double its investments in solar power projects in Kenya, after having reached an agreement with the country's president. In July 2015, the company signed a Sh220bn (US$2.2 bn) agreement with the government for the development of a 1,000 MW solar power project over the next five years. The deal was part of Kenya's ambitious programme to raise its power capacity from about 2 GW to 5 GW by 2018, by developing renewable power production such as geothermal, wind and solar power. SkyPower is developing more than 25 GW of solar power projects worldwide, with 6 GW recently announced in bilateral agreements for development in Egypt and Nigeria by 2020. (www.enerdata.net)              

September 29, 2015. A slowing Chinese economy threatens to undermine the deadline outlined by President Xi Jinping to introduce a nationwide carbon market by 2017. Xi’s national market would open in 2017, covering industries including power generation and iron, steel and cement makers. China already has seven pilot programs running around the country. The start of a national pollution-trading system is part of a larger push by China to cut global-warming emissions for its most polluting industries. The country has previously committed to bringing emissions to a peak around 2030. Additionally, the world’s most-populous nation has aggressively pushed solar and wind power development. Cap-and-trade systems provide a mechanism for the biggest corporate polluters to buy credits from those that don’t pollute as much. The idea is that the emissions trading system prompts companies to cut their emissions so they can sell their unused allocations. China’s emissions of carbon dioxide fell last year for the first time in more than a decade. Moreover, China’s energy demand will grow at an average annual rate of 2 percent through 2020, according to National Energy Administration. That would be down from growth of 2.2 percent in 2014, compared with the previous year. A drop in China’s carbon emissions would add risks to basing a carbon market on previously inflated projections, according to Lauri Myllyvirta, an energy analyst at Greenpeace East Asia. The Chinese government should introduce a floor price in the design to ensure returns for a carbon-trading market to have sufficient participation, Myllyvirta said. (www.bloomberg.com)

September 28, 2015. Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP) said revenue from its plan to lower greenhouse gas emissions by putting a national price on carbon would be given to the provinces, and jurisdictions that already have an equivalent price in place would be exempt. The NDP’s new details on its plans for a national cap-and-trade emissions-reduction strategy come just three weeks before the Oct. 19 vote in a close- fought race with the Liberal Party and the governing Conservatives. The NDP’s proposed national cap and trade system would set a limit to the carbon released into the atmosphere and cause polluters to pay for their emissions. The plan would allow provinces like British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec to opt out of the national system if their own carbon pricing plan meets or exceeds the NDP’s federal one. (www.bloomberg.com)

September 28, 2015. Spanish energy group Iberdrola has presented its Smart Solar solution, a comprehensive solar PV installation and maintenance turnkey solution for residential customers, SMEs, irrigation communities and large corporations. In this initiative, Iberdrola is offering its customers a comprehensive package that will include the design, assembly and connection of a fully customised solar installation, as well as a finance plan, advice, all-inclusive maintenance, and the possibility to manage and supervise their facilities using web tools and innovative applications. The company will also be offering all the back-up energy that may be needed. Earlier in September 2015, Iberdrola presented a new retail product for solar PV generators, offering producers a fixed price to purchase their electricity generation, financial coverage and maintenance work. (www.enerdata.net)                              

September 28, 2015. RenewableUK and the Solar Trade Association have jointly initiated a campaign, opposing the UK Government’s decision to reduce financial support for small-scale renewables, including wind turbines and solar panels. Through the new campaign, known as People Power, the two renewables industry bodies are calling the public as well as the renewable energy employees to petition the UK Government for providing steady support for the maturing sectors. The agencies are calling people to use social media and by writing to the local Members of Parliament. In July, the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has announced new measures to cut subsidies of small scale solar and biomass power plants, to lower energy bills. The government expects the measures to provide better control over spending as well as ensure best possible deal for bill payers to support a low-carbon economy. The trade bodies said that the proposed plan could halt huge number of renewable energy projects, which in turn would affect jobs. The potential changes would also result in reduced access to home-grown electricity for ordinary households, farmers and small businesses. Recently, Scotland has announced its decision to retain Renewables Obligation (RO) guarantees for solar investments in the country, in contrast to the UK proposal. (solar.energy-business-review.com)

September 28, 2015. The House of Representatives of Argentina has adopted the new Renewable Energy Act, which proposes to cover 8% of the power mix with renewable energies (including biodiesel and municipal solid waste) in 2017 and to raise this share to 20% in 2025. A trust fund ("Foder") will be created to support the financing of renewable energy projects; the government will allocate at least 50% of savings from offset fossil fuels to the fund. Large power consumers (as of 300 kW) will have to meet individually the targets set by the law, covering 1% of their electricity consumption with renewables from the entry into force of the law; the threshold will be raised by 1% every semester, until reaching 8%. (www.enerdata.net)           

September 28, 2015. Jan De Nul Group has received a contract from Nobelwind to provide engineering, procurement, construction and installation work for the 165 MW Belwind 2 offshore wind farm off the coast of Zeebrugge in Belgium. Under the contract, Jan De Nul will use its recently acquired offshore jack-up heavy lift vessel, Vidar, to undertake work related to installation of 51 monopile foundations for 50 wind turbines and the offshore high voltage substation. The company will also be responsible for the supply and installation of scour protection and the installation of 50 wind turbine generators. Belwind 2 offshore wind farm is planned to be developed next to the Belwind wind power plant, around the Bligh Bank sand bank in the Belgian North Sea. Belwind 2 offshore wind farm will feature 50 Vestas-built wind turbines, each with a capacity of 3.3 MW. The power plant, which will be connected to the Belgian power grid through an export cable installed earlier by Jan De Nul in 2013, is designed to generate electricity to power 197,000 homes. Work under the contract is scheduled to commence in April 2016 and is planned to be completed in 2017. (wind.energy-business-review.com)

September 28, 2015. Oman Oil Company's (OOC) South Korean joint venture, GS EPS, inaugurated the largest biomass power plant in Asia with a capacity of 105 MW and investment cost of about $273 mn. GS EPS is a joint venture in Korea between OOC (30%) and GS Holdings (70%). GS EPS biomass power plant will use palm kernel shell (PKS), an environmental friendly fuel as fuel for the plant and produce electricity by the steam turbine and circulating fluidized bed combustion (CFBC) type boiler. The plant has capacity of producing electricity for 110 thousand people. Plus, it is very effective for carbon reduction, comparing to other conventional power plants. (www.constructionweekonline.com)

September 27, 2015. U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron pledged to increase climate aid by a half in a bid to break the deadlock on one of the thorniest issues dividing developed and developing nations as they seek to broker a new deal to rein in global warming. Britain will channel 5.8 billion pounds ($8.8 billion) of assistance from its overseas-aid budget to its International Climate Fund over the five years through March 2021, Cameron said. Britain will also try to leverage nearly as much again in private finance to complement the assistance. Cameron is attempting to tackle one of the most contentious issues as envoys from more than 190 nations aim to finalize a new deal to fight climate change at a UN summit in Paris in December. Industrialized countries pledged in 2009 to increase climate aid to $100 billion a year by 2020 but have since spurned requests from developing nations to spell out how they’ll achieve that. The U.K. contribution in 2020 will be 1.76 billion pounds, Cameron said. Assuming that’s matched by an equal amount of private funding, it would account for more than 5 percent of the $100 billion dollar promise, which included public and private finance. Cameron said U.K. assistance will be split evenly between efforts to cut emissions in the developing world, such as renewable-energy projects, and programs to help the poorest nations adapt to the inevitable effects of higher temperatures, such as longer droughts, more severe storms and rising sea levels. The U.K.’s International Climate Fund was set up in 2011 to channel assistance to climate-related projects in the developing world. Funding through March 2016 will total 3.87 billion pounds. (www.bloomberg.com)

September 27, 2015. Brazil will cut its contribution to climate change by reducing carbon emissions 37 percent by 2025 compared to 2005, President Dilma Rousseff announced, just days before a deadline for countries participating in December’s global climate summit in Paris. The South American country, custodian of the world’s largest tropical rainforest and Latin America’s biggest economy, will also seek to lower emissions 43 percent by 2030, Rousseff said. The announcement comes as Brazil is forecast to suffer its first back-to-back annual recession since the 1930s. Rousseff’s moment on the global stage is a welcome respite from the political and economic crises trailing her at home, where recession, inflation and a crumbling currency threaten the achievements her Workers’ Party has undertaken since 2003. Last year’s drought and current challenges in the oil sector could help force Brazil to develop a more sustainable economy, according to Viviane Romeiro, head of Brazil climate projects for the World Resources Institute. (www.bloomberg.com)

September 25, 2015. China will start a national pollution-trading system to cut global warming emissions and make a substantial financial commitment to help poorer countries move away from fossil fuels. In a joint announcement with the U.S., China also will outline changes intended to favor electricity produced domestically by sources that will pollute less. Details will be released when President Barack Obama hosts Chinese President Xi Jinping for a state visit at the White House. The two leaders, who were having a private dinner near the White House, are scheduled to hold a news conference midday. Leaders of the two largest economies are using the announcement as a way to prod talks on a global agreement to stem climate change. The measures are a follow-up to last year’s announcement when Obama and Xi met in Beijing that China and the U.S., the world’s No. 1 and 2 greenhouse polluters, jointly promised to limit their emissions. That agreement injected new life into United Nations-sponsored climate talks. Those negotiations are barreling toward a conclusion in Paris in December, where envoys from more than 190 countries are expected to sign a final deal. At the moment, China’s economy is still largely driven by fossil fuels. Even as policy makers push aggressively to develop cleaner sources of energy, coal still accounts for about 64 percent of the nation’s primary energy, according to National Energy Administration data. In their joint announcement last December, the U.S. promised to cut greenhouse pollution by more than a quarter over the next decade. China pledged its emissions would reach a peak by about 2030 and to boost its use of renewable energy. To cut its reliance on coal, China is aiming to derive 20 percent of its energy from renewables and nuclear by 2030, almost double the current share. (www.bloomberg.com)

September 25, 2015. South Africa promised to arrest its rising greenhouse-gas pollution by 2025, the latest signal that developing countries will contribute to a United Nations (UN)-brokered agreement to fight climate change. Africa’s second-biggest economy will allow its emissions to plateau for about a decade after peaking, before beginning to cut them, the government said in a revised submission to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. South Africa said emissions will reach a peak between 2020 and 2025 and then plateau for the following decade. It gave an indicative range for pollution levels of 398 megatons to 614 megatons of CO₂ between 2025 and 2030. That broad range gives scope for emissions to keep rising from one year to the next. It compares with the 464 megatons that the World Resources Institute estimates the country emitted in 2012, the most recent data. The government said it will need funding of $3 billion a year over the next decade to step up investments in renewable electricity, as well as a total of $349 billion over the four decades through 2050 to completely decarbonize its power industry. It needs $450 million for a carbon capture and storage project, and $513 billion for electric cars through 2050. The African nation pledged to develop an adaptation plan as part of the new climate deal in order to protect its infrastructure from the effects of climate change. To do that, it said it will need to spend $170 million a year for the decade through 2020. (www.bloomberg.com)

September 25, 2015. SolarCity Corp. will finance and install rooftop panels for affordable housing and low-income renters in California as the company moves to address concerns about the accessibility of solar energy. SolarCity, the nation’s biggest provider of rooftop-solar power, will team up with Everyday Energy, a developer of solar for affordable-housing units, to sell its service that promises lower monthly utility bills, according to the San Mateo, California-based company. Under the program, residents will get bill credits for the amount of solar electricity that offsets their individual power use, SolarCity said. The move comes as California regulators weigh changes to how rooftop-solar owners are compensated for their excess green energy under a policy called net metering. SolarCity will also offer solar to builders of new low-income housing projects in California. The company plans to offer similar services in other U.S. states. California regulators have set up programs that provide financial incentives for solar installations on low-income apartments and new affordable housing projects, the company said. (www.bloomberg.com)

September 24, 2015. Chinese power company Amur Sirius is to start construction of a solar power station in Russia’s Samara region soon says the region’s head Nikolay Merkushkin. The company may become the largest investor in the Russian solar power industry. The project is expected to cost 8 billion rubles ($110 million), and construction will be undertaken by the Chinese company’s subsidiary Solar Systems. He says China is among the top five trading partners with the region, with turnover of almost $293 million in the first six months of the year. Last year Solar Systems won a tender to build solar plants with 175 MW capacity in three Russian regions. The company also wants to take part in other Russian tenders, and plans to build a solar panel factory in Tatarstan. (www.rt.com)

September 24, 2015. Indonesia pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 29 percent from projected levels in 2030, adding to commitments from the U.S., European Union, China and other nations toward a global agreement to fight climate change. The world’s fifth-biggest emitter will step up its efforts even more, to a 41 percent cut versus a so-called business-as-usual trajectory, if it receives technological and financial support from developed nations, the country said in a submission to the United Nations (UN). Its pledge outlines a plan to reduce deforestation and to get at least 23 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2025. Indonesia projects emissions to rise to almost 2.88 billion tons of carbon dioxide in 2030, from 1.8 billion tons in 2005, the country said. A 29 percent reduction would lower that by 835 million tons, while a 41 percent cut would slash it by 1.18 billion tons, according to calculations. China, the biggest emitter, has pledged to halt the rise in its emissions by 2030, the U.S. is promising a reduction by as much as 28 percent in the two decades through 2025, while the EU has promised to bring emissions in 2030 40 percent below 1990 levels. (www.bloomberg.com)

September 23, 2015. Total SA plans to invest $500 million a year in renewable energy, a step by Europe’s second-largest oil and gas company to expand in biofuels and solar. Total bought a majority stake in SunPower Corp., one of the largest manufacturers of solar panels in the U.S., for about $1.4 billion in 2011. The company said it would invest € 200 million ($223 million) to transform its unprofitable La Mede oil refinery into a biofuel plant. The $500 million commitment announced comes four months after Total Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanne pledged to lift spending in renewable. Ambition is to modify Total’s future energy mix and become part of the solution to climate change. The spending in renewable energy is, nonetheless, a fraction of the company’s overall investment of as much as $24 billion for this year. Total and some of its European rivals, including Royal Dutch Shell Plc and BP Plc, have taken small steps into renewable energy, partly in response to shareholder concerns about climate change. Earlier this year, the heads of BP, Eni SpA, Shell, Statoil ASA, Total and BG Group Plc signed an unprecedented letter to call for governments to agree on carbon pricing at a United Nations climate summit culminating in December. That opened a schism with their American rivals. The push by Total and its European peers comes as efforts to reduce fossil-fuel investments and spur renewables such as solar have gathered pace in the past two years, with oil companies sitting largely outside the debate. The European firms are more sensitive to environmental issues because governments in the region are leading the way on climate and voters and shareholders are demanding action. (www.bloomberg.com)

You may have received complimentary copies of the ORF Energy News Monitor. Our objective in bringing out the newsletter is to provide a platform for focused debate on India’s energy future. You could be a partner in this effort by becoming a subscriber. You could also contribute recommendations for India’s energy future in the form of brief insightful articles.

We look forward to receiving your patronage and support.

ORF Centre for Resources Management

 

This is a weekly publication of the ORF Centre for Resources Management that covers analysis articles as well as national and international news on energy categorised in a more useful manner. The year 2015 is the 12^th continuous year of publication of the Newsletter.

ORF objective

in bringing out the newsletter is to

provide a platform for focused debate on

India’s energy future

Subscription rate (for soft copy):  ` 1000 per annum 

To subscribe please visit here       OR

 

SMS <ENERGY> <Your Name> <Organisation> <Mobile No.> <Email Id> to 9871417327

 

Registered with the Registrar of News Paper for India under No. DELENG / 2004 / 13485

Published on behalf of Observer Research Foundation, 20 Rouse Avenue, New Delhi–110 002.

Disclaimer: Information in this newsletter is for educational purposes only and has been compiled, adapted and edited from reliable sources. ORF does not accept any liability for errors therein. News material belongs to respective owners and is provided here for wider dissemination only. Sources will be provided on request. 

 

Publisher: Baljit Kapoor	Editorial Adviser: Lydia Powell
Contact: Vinod Kumar Tomar ORF Centre for Resources Management, 20 Rouse Avenue, New Delhi - 110 002, Phone +91.11.4352 0020, Extn 2120, Fax: +91.11.4352 0003, E-mail: [email protected]	Editor: Akhilesh Sati                                            Content Development:                                                                        Ashish Gupta,                                                                                        Dinesh Kumar Madhrey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Observer Research Foundation was established on September 5, 1990 as non-profit public policy think-tank. It provides informed and viable inputs for the policy and decision-makers in the government and to the political and business leadership of the country by providing informed and productive inputs, in-depth research and stimulating discussions.

 

ORF Objectives:

 

·        Aid and impact formulation of policies and evolve policy alternatives.

·        Create a climate conducive to effective implementation of these policies.

·        Strengthen India’s democratic institutions to enable coherent, reasoned and      consistent policy-making.

·        Provide reasoned and consensual inputs representing a broad section of opinion to improve governance, accelerate economic development, and ensure a better quality of life for all Indians.

·        Monitor strategic environment

·        Work towards achieving international peace, harmony, and co-operation.

·        Give direction to India’s long-range foreign policy objectives.

   

• Energy
• India
• coal
• Energy News Monitor
• FDI
• LNG
• MONITORS
• power
• renewable energy

The views expressed above belong to the author(s). ORF research and analyses now available on Telegram! Click here to access our curated content — blogs, longforms and interviews.