The International Energy Agency (IEA) released the world energy outlook 2022 (WEO 2022) recently. The report articulates the present energy price crisis triggered by the disaster in Ukraine but argues that the energy crisis is a turning point towards a cleaner and cheaper future. One of the conclusions is that substantial increase in natural gas prices that are equivalent to an oil price of US$250/barrel (b) along with an increase in coal prices is driving up electricity prices. The increase in electricity prices is the highest in the European Union (EU) followed by India.
High energy prices are not only driving fears over compromise on energy security but also pushing up food prices that is detrimental for poor households. The number of people without access to electricity is expected to increase as roughly 75 million people who recently gained access to electricity are expected to lose the ability to pay for it. In addition, more than 100 million people are expected to be pushed back to the use of firewood.
The financial flows have also been unexpectedly reversed both in quantity and direction. Advanced economies have committed to spend over US$500 billion to shield energy consumers from price increases. The irony is that advanced economies persistently advised poor countries to eliminate energy subsidies, notwithstanding the fact that energy accounted for a far higher share of spending of poor households than what the Ukraine conflict has inflicted on households in advanced economies. The Ukraine crisis has also enriched fossil fuel exporting countries with a US$ 2 trillion windfall revenue over and above net income in 2020-21. Despite these unexpected developments in energy price and financial flows, WEO 2022 is optimistic that a clean and affordable energy sector will be in place by the end of 2030. The projections for India are particularly ambitious.
To evaluate optimistic projections of WEO 2022 for India, it may be instructive to look into projections made by WEO 2011 and compare them with the reality in 2022. The assumptions behind scenarios made by WEO 2011 for India under “current policies” included trading of renewable energy (RE) certificates; measures under the national solar mission for enhanced energy efficiency under the perform, achieve, trade (PAT) scheme. Under the “new policies” scenario a 20 percent reduction in carbon intensity compared to 2005 levels, auto efficiency standards and 20 GW (gigawatt) of solar generation capacity were assumed. Under the “450” scenario, a 20 percent reduction in carbon intensity compared to 2005 levels and expansion of feed in tariff for RE were assumed. Solar power generation capacity is more than three times 20 GW in 2022 and India’s carbon emission intensity has fallen by about 35 percent compared to 2005 levels. But the success of the perform, achieve, trade (PAT) scheme and trading of RE certificates in 2022 have not met expectations projected in 2011.
The projections made in 2011 for primary energy consumption in 2020 are fairly close to actual consumption levels except for RE for which the projection was 65 percent lower than the actual level. The projection for coal consumption was 16 percent higher than the actual level in 2020, for natural gas it was 27 percent higher and for nuclear it was 28 percent higher. The projection for oil consumption was 10 percent lower than the actual level in 2020, for hydro and biomass (burnt directly as fuel for cooking) it was 5 percent lower than the actual level. The most significant under-estimation was for RE power generation capacity. Possible reasons are that the IEA did not anticipate decline in cost of manufacturing solar panels in China and the tremendous policy support in the form of financial and non-financial incentives for production and consumption of RE especially in China and India.
Most of the WEO 2022 is dominated by optimistic projections for the expansion of clean energy production capacity. Globally the share of fossil fuels is projected to fall from 80 percent today to about 60 percent in 2050. By 2025, India will be the most populous country in the world and demonstrate the highest growth rates for energy demand on the back of rapid industrialisation and urbanisation. Despite the substantial increase in RE investment and capacity development, India’s fossil fuel import bill is expected to double in the next two decades with oil imports accounting for the largest component. Coal based power generation in India is expected to peak after 2030 with its share in generation falling from the present 75 percent to 55 percent in 2030. RE is expected to account for about 35 percent of power generation.
Oil consumption growth in 2021-30 at 2 million barrels per day (mb/d) is expected to be higher than the 1.9 mb/d growth recorded in 2010-19. Natural gas consumption is expected to grow by 50 billion cubic meters in 2021-30 compared to negative growth in 2010-19. Coal consumption in 2021-30 is expected to slow down to 150 million tonnes (MT) compared to 180 MT in 2010-19. RE is expected to double growth from 2 exajoules (EJ) in 2010-19 to 4 EJ in 2021-30. Emissions are expected to grow marginally from about 0.8 giga tonnes of carbon-di-oxide (Gt CO2) to 0.9 Gt CO2.
Government programmes, such as the Gati Shakti National Master Plan and the aatmanirbhar bharat abhiyaan or self-reliant India scheme are expected to drive growth in capacity addition of RE and also push electric mobility mainly for two and three wheelers. By 2030, RE is projected to meet over 60 percent of growth in demand for power with solar photovoltaics (PV) alone accounting for 15 percent of power generation in India. However, coal is projected to meet a third of primary energy demand and oil another quarter by 2030. Investments in the coal sector increased by 10 percent in 2021 and an investment growth of another 10 percent is expected in 2022. Though amendments to the Energy Conservation Act that allows for the establishment of a carbon market was officially passed only in December 2022 (by the upper and lower houses of the Indian Parliament) the WEO 2022 confidently states that it was passed in August 2022 when only the lower house of the Indian Parliament had approved it. It is possible that this reflects the confidence of the Indian private sector (that accounts for over 90 percent of RE investments) in the success of its lobbying effort to pass bills that favour production and consumption of RE rather than faith in India’s democracy and its ability to pass laws that has the support of the majority. During the debate on the Energy Conservation Act in the Indian Parliament, legislators raised concerns that it was passed without consultation with the state governments and that proposed carbon trading will impose huge costs on small enterprises that dominate most industrial sectors. The PAT programme initiated in the early 2010s under the national mission on energy efficiency raised similar concerns.
Projections made by the IEA in 2011 for fossil fuel consumption in 2020 and the actual consumption in 2020 are close. Supply and demand of fossil fuels are largely driven by market fundamentals and projections made based on economic and demographic changes are likely to be fairly accurate. However, projections for policy driven RE consumption are difficult to make. Projections for RE consumption made in 2011 appear to have under-estimated policy push to drive RE consumption. In 2022 projections for RE supply and consumption in 2030 seem to be over-estimating policy push, especially in the Indian context.
The government asked smart meter makers to bring down the cost of meters to make it more affordable. According to Union Power Ministry, safety, quality and design should be the key parameters for manufacturing of smart meters. The Ministry advised that the Indian Electrical & Electronics Manufacturers’ Association (IEEMA) should focus on capacity building of the utilities and finding opportunities to change conventional meters into smart meters with sustainable disposing option. As per industry estimates, a smart meter costs around US$ 50, including manufacturing and installation charges. Around 250 million smart prepaid metres are to be installed by March 2025 under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) at an outlay of INR3.3k billion (bn) (US$40.3 bn). Amit Kumar, Chairman of IEEMA Meter Division and Vice President of Schneider Electric India Private Limited, said the combined annual production capacity of the Indian meter industry is more than 100 million smart meters which is sufficient to meet the 2025 target.
A subsidiary of Adani Transmission plans to foray into Thane, Navi Mumbai, Panvel and Uran to supply electricity. It has already made an application for discom licence for these supply areas before the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC). While the matter is yet to come up for hearing, Adani Electricity said the power utility has drawn a roadmap to lay new distribution lines which could start from a few pockets in Thane and Navi Mumbai and will cover the entire zones within five years. If everything works fine, the first set of Adani customers in Thane and Navi Mumbai could get power supply from 2023. At present, MSEDCL is the sole power supplier in these areas. Adani has already conducted a field study of Thane and Navi Mumbai and expects to increase their consumer base once the licence is granted by MERC. The process will involve MERC seeking suggestions and objections from various stakeholders, including consumers. Consumers, however, welcomed competition as some of them felt that this could improve the quality and reliability of power supply.
The total trade volume of Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) dipped 13 percent to 7,972 million units (MU) in October compared to a year ago. The IEX achieved 7,972 MU volume in October 2022, including Green Power trade of 403 MU, and 358 million RECs (equivalent to 358 MU).
India’s power consumption grew 1.64 percent to 114.64 billion units (BU) in October in contrast to the year-ago interval, in accordance to authorities information. The energy consumption rose solely marginally in October, primarily due to incessant unseasonal rains which stored the mercury ranges low and decreased the usage of cooling home equipment. The farmers use electricity to run tubewells for irrigation for brand new crops. The peak power demand met, which is the very best provide in a day, in October rose to 186.90 gigawatt (GW). The peak energy provide stood at 174.44 GW in October 2021 and 169.89 GW in October 2020. The peak energy demand met was 164.25 GW in October 2019, which was the pre-pandemic interval. Electricity consumption in October 2019 stood at 97.84 BU. Experts opined that the marginal development in power consumption in October doesn’t level to sluggish restoration in the financial system because it has occurred simply due to unseasonal rains which affected demand of electrical energy quickly.
The first unit of the 1980 megawatt (MW) North Karanpura power plant underwent a trial run and generated power from its 660 MW unit. NTPC Limited, which took almost 22 years to reach this stage, described the development as “big”. Foundation stone of the plant was laid on 6 March 1999, by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Tandwa. NTPC officials hope that the first unit will start commissioning in December.
Chief Minister (CM) of Tamil Nadu, M K Stalin inaugurated 14 new substations set up by TANGEDCO (Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited) in different parts of Tamil Nadu. The new substations set up at INR3.73 bn (US$45.6 mn) are located on the Millers Road, Kannammapet, Vadapalani, Kodambakkam in Chennai, Anakaputhur in Chengalpet district and in some in places in Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts. Also, the new transformers with additional capacity have been installed in 57 existing substations across the state at a cost of INR915.7 mn (US$11.2 mn). The chief minister virtually laid foundation stones for another eight new substations to be set up in Karur, Cuddalore, Ariyalur and Thanjavur districts at a cost of INR1.3 bn (US$15.9 mn).
Kalpataru Power Transmission has bagged orders worth INR12 bn (US$146.7 mn). The new orders include work in overseas markets in the T&D (transmission and distribution) business, oil and gas pipeline works and railway works in India. The company’s total order intake in this fiscal year is around INR68.9 bn (US$842 mn). The company said that the order intake reflects significant growth compared to the same period in the last fiscal year. KPTL is currently executing projects in over 30 countries and has a global footprint in 67 countries.
The five discoms (distribution companies) of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) stated to the Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC), that they have charged more than INR40.1 mn extra from power consumers for new connections. Earlier on 21 October, the discoms had presented a figure of merely INR22.7 mn (US$0.28 mn). PVVNL (Pashchimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited) said that discom charged INR37.49 lakh excessive from consumers and would complete the refund in next 15 days.
The Rajasthan government has approved a proposal to give exemption from electricity duty to industrial units under the Rajasthan Investment Promotion Scheme-2022. Chief Minister (CM) Ashok Gehlot has approved the proposal to give exemption in electricity duty to the beneficiaries of Rajasthan Investment Promotion Scheme-2022 (RIPS-2022). With this approval of CM, the units involved in RIPS-2022 will be able to get exemption in electricity duty on the electricity used by them. The units will be able to get the benefit of the said exemption as per the rules of the RIPS-2022 scheme. RIPS-2022 scheme has been started recently by the CM to provide a better environment for proper development and investment of industries in the state.
Nearly 30 percent of the electricity consumers and subsidy beneficiaries are yet to apply for the power subsidy even as the last date of application, 31 October, inches closer, the government said. According to the government, over 3.3 million electricity consumers have so far applied for the power subsidy in the national capital. Delhi Chief Minister (CM) Arvind Kejriwal had announced 31 October as the deadline to apply for power subsidy for the month. He had said that those who do not apply for the subsidy will have to pay their non-subsidised bills but can apply next month. There are 5.8 million domestic power consumers in Delhi, of whom 4.7 million avail the subsidy. He said people can give a missed call or send a WhatsApp message on 7011-3111-11 to opt for the subsidy. Out of 4.7 million electricity consumers who avail the subsidy, nearly 3 million are those who get zero bills and 1.6-1.7 million who get a 50 percent subsidy. At present, consumers with a power consumption of less than 200 units do not have to pay any charges and those with a consumption of up to 400 units get a 50 percent subsidy.
Deputy Chief Minister (CM) Manish Sisodia of Delhi said making the electricity prices flexible like that of petrol and diesel would prove harmful for people and that power tariffs would never come under control. He said that if electricity rates fluctuate on the basis of prices of other commodities in the market, all the burden would come on the common people. The Delhi government said that electricity regulatory commissions fix the rates of electricity in their respective states considering several factors such as the expenses of the electricity companies, salaries of employees among others and the same system should continue.
The Tamil Nadu government has made linking of Aadhaar with electricity consumer number mandatory to avail subsidy, including 100 free units for all domestic consumers. The government has said that an eligible individual desirous of availing benefits of the subsidy schemes is required to furnish proof of possession of Aadhaar number or undergo Aadhaar authentication.
Singapore will import more electricity from the region and is on track to reach its import targets of up to 4 GW of electricity by 2035, Tan See Leng, the manpower minister and second minister for trade and industry, said. The city-state’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) has launched requests for proposals for electricity import projects from the region, Tan said. The EMA has since received more than 20 proposals from Australia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia and Thailand, Tan said. About 95 percent of Singapore’s electricity is generated from natural gas, though the country plans to ramp up sources of renewable energy.
Nepal’s electricity consumption reached the highest level at about 1,700 MW during Laxmi Puja — the first day of the five day festival of light Deepavali. More than 1,300 MW of electricity was consumed domestically during the Laxmi Puja and 385 MW was exported to India, according to Pradeep Thike, the Deputy Managing Director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). Nepal started celebrating the festival of light in its real sense in 2016 when the load shedding of electricity ended as power produced within the country became surplus. Prior to this, Nepal was witnessing up to 16 hours of load shedding mainly due to mismanagement of electricity and shortage of power. This year, the consumption of electricity during Tihar, or the festival of light, increased by 100 MW. The maximum electricity consumption during Tihar last year was around 1,200 MW. Nepal is currently witnessing a surplus of electricity and exporting power to India since June. The Himalayan nation is exporting 385 MW of electricity to India.
Lebanon’s state power company Electricite du Liban (EDL) raised the price it charges for electricity for first time since the 1990s, EDL said, in a move officials say will pave the way for an eventual increase in power supply. Lebanon has not had round-the-clock power since the 1990s and cash transfers to EDL to cover chronic losses have contributed tens of billions of dollars to the country’s huge public debt. Electricity-sector reform is a key demand of donor nations who have pledged to help Lebanon exit a financial crisis if it undertakes reforms. Government said that increasing the price of power would allow the state to afford to purchase more fuel to fire power plants, thereby increasing supply from an hour or two per day to up to 10 hours per day.
United States (US) power consumption will rise to a record high in 2022 due to rising economic activity and hotter summer weather, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) said. EIA projected power demand will climb to 4,034 billion kilowatt hour (kWh or Unit)) in 2022, from 3,930 billion kWh in 2021, then slide to 4,001 billion kWh in 2023 as temperatures moderate. That compares with an eight-year low of 3,856 billion kWh in 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic depressed demand, and an all-time high of 4,003 billion kWh in 2018. EIA projected 2022 power sales would rise to 1,507 billion kWh for residential consumers, 1,372 billion kWh for commercial customers as more people return to work in offices and 1,013 billion kWh for the industrial sector. That compares with all-time highs of 1,477 billion kWh in 2021 for residential consumers, 1,382 billion kWh in 2018 for commercial customers and 1,064 billion kWh in 2000 for industrial customers.
The Russian-installed administration in Ukraine’s Kherson region said that a number of settlements, including Kherson city had lost water and power supplies after what it said was an act of “sabotage”. The Russian-installed Kherson administration said that electricity and water supplies were “temporarily absent” after what it said was a “terrorist attack” damaged three power lines in the region. The city’s power supply was planned to be restored by the end of the day. 10 settlements, including Kherson city, which had a pre-war population of 280,000, had been left without electricity.
A 40 percent cut in deliveries of Russian natural gas is hitting Moldova’s ability to provide sufficient electricity for its 2.5 million people, the Deputy Prime Minister of the small ex-Soviet state, Andrei Spinu, said. Spinu said Russian gas giant Gazprom had promised to supply only 5.7 million cubic metres of gas per day – well short of the 11.5 million needed to ensure enough power.
Illumination on Slovenia’s highways will be reduced onwards in a bid to save energy, the country’s state-owned company DARS has announced. The move will save 2,000 megawatt hours of electricity per year, which is equivalent to the average annual consumption of 600 households. From September, the government imposed a one-year price cap on electricity prices for households and small businesses, to ease the burden of rising energy prices on the population. Next month it plans to introduce a scheme to help medium and large companies overcome the energy crisis.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly thanked the country’s power workers for maintaining the electricity supply as Russia continues to target energy infrastructure ahead of the winter. Authorities have ordered rolling blackouts in many parts of the country and urged households to limit consumption as electricity infrastructure is targeted by Russian attack drones. In a likely response to the Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, a power plant just outside the city had suffered minor damage in a drone attack. A drone hit a transformer and sparked a fire but did not affect its overall operation and did not interrupt the electricity supply.
Germany’s government plans to introduce a cap on electricity prices for households and industry to ease the impact of soaring energy costs. To help finance the cap and pay for the stabilisation of power transmission grids, Berlin is considering skimming off some electricity companies’ profits. The cap, which the draft did not quantify, would be based on historical annual electricity consumption. As part of the plan, Berlin may skim off 90 percent of the power profits that electricity companies make above production costs. Germany’s economy ministry paper showed that power production from hard coal, gas and biomethane would not be included in the measures, due to their higher production costs.
Portugal’s electricity regulator ERSE proposed to increase by just 2.8 percent the regulated prices for hundreds of thousands of households and small businesses, protecting them from soaring prices in the Iberian wholesale market. The limited electricity price increase would have an effect on Portuguese inflation which stands at levels close to a three-decade high lifted by soaring energy prices as the country, like most of Western Europe, depends on imports for oil and gas. Regulated prices are expected to rise by an average 1.8 percent this year, after similar regulatory containment measures. In Portugal, prices regulated by ERSE remain fixed throughout the year, although they can be revised quarterly to a limited extent. The limited regulated price increase in 2023 helps around 925,000 Portuguese consumers with contracts based on the price, mainly households and small businesses, ERSE said. They represent about 15 percent of the total 6.4 million customers in the country. Spain and Portugal capped the price of gas used in power generation in June and have electricity wholesale prices much lower than other European countries. Still, ERSE said that on the wholesale Iberian market MIBEL the average price of electricity in 2023 is expected to rise to 262.06 euros per megawatt hour, compared to around €107 currently. Portuguese households and small businesses can move freely between contracts with regulated and market prices.
14 November: The Centre is ready for bringing petrol and diesel under the GST (Goods and Services Tax) regime but it is unlikely that the states will agree to such a move, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said. The Minister said that it is unlikely that the states will agree to such a move as liquor and energy are revenue generating items for them. Asked if the people can expect some respite in terms of fuel prices, the Minister said India has seen one of the lowest increases in these prices in the past one year. The Minister said India has been able to insulate itself from the rising fuel prices by taking a number of steps, including reducing the excise duty by the Centre.
12 November: The United States (US) is happy for India to continue buying as much Russian oil as it wants, including at prices above a G7-imposed price cap mechanism, if it steers clear of Western insurance, finance and maritime services bound by the cap, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said. The cap would still drive global oil prices lower while curbing Russia’s revenues, Yellen said. Russia will not be able to sell as much oil as it does now once the European Union (EU) halts imports without resorting to the capped price or significant discounts from current prices, Yellen said. The existence of the cap would give India, China and other major buyers of Russian crude leverage to push down the price they pay to Moscow, Yellen said.
10 November: Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the country’s top refiner, plans to resume operations at its Panipat naphtha cracker in northern India by 15 December, the company said, after a scheduled turnaround that started in the last week of September. The naphtha cracker at IOC’s Panipat plant annually consumes about 2.3 million tonnes (MT) of naphtha and produces 857,000 tonnes of ethylene. IOC is not planning to cut runs or extend the shutdown of the cracker due to softening regional margins as India’s domestic consumption of petrochemicals is rising. India’s per capita petrochemical consumption is about a third of the global average. Asian refiners have been grappling with poor naphtha cracking margins, mainly due to poor petrochemical demand in the region, especially China.
10 November: Oil India Ltd (OIL) reported its highest quarterly net profit of INR17.20 bn for July-September despite a newly introduced windfall profit tax taking away some of the gains accruing from a surge in oil prices. The company, which is the nation’s second largest state oil producer, earned an average of US$100.59 for every barrel of oil it produced and sold in Q2 as compared to US$71.35 per barrel earnings last year. Oil production was almost unchanged at 0.79 million tonnes (MT) while gas output inched up marginally to 0.823 billion cubic meters. The record profit was despite the government levying a new tax from July on domestically-produced crude oil to take away some of the gains following a surge in international oil prices. Domestically produced crude oil is sold at a price benchmarked to global rates.
12 November: Disagreements over a cut in supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to India by a German-state-backed company has turned into a diplomatic tussle between New Delhi and Berlin. Diplomats had been called to resolve disagreements, and India is also in touch with Russia for a solution to fill the supply gap. There have been disruptions since May in gas supplies from Securing Energy for Europe GmbH, a Berlin-based company, to GAIL (India) Limited. Post-Russia’s sanctions, it became impossible for the company to source cargoes from Moscow. India suggests the company source alternative supplies from its portfolio to meet contractual obligations. SEFE’s Singapore unit in September said that it cannot fulfil its long-term LNG contract with GAIL.
10 November: India’s top gas importer, Petronet LNG Limited, is running its western import terminal of Dahej at more than 80 percent of capacity after some customers increased purchases of the super cooled gas, finance chief V K Mishra said. Petronet supplies gas, mostly procured under long-term deals with Qatar and Australia, to Indian energy companies for sale to end-users. These companies also have booked capacity at Dahej to directly import gas. The price of gas sourced through long-term deals is about US$12 to US$13 per million British thermal units, far lower than spot prices. Petronet plans to set up a 4 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) floating storage and regasification terminal at Gopalpur in eastern India by 2026, for which Mishra said it was seeking a 1.6 mtpa LNG import deal.
13 November: Despite India being bullish on green energy options as it aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070, the geo-political situation triggered by the Russia-Ukraine war has led to supply chain constraints, rising energy prices and pushing inflation to highest-ever levels in several countries. All these factors combined together have compelled India to continue to depend on coal-based thermal energy. Recently, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that uncertainties in the energy sector are an area of concern for the government. She noted that like many other nations, India too will have to rely more on coal in the near future due to global uncertainties and supply chain disruptions. She said that India’s plan to shift to renewable energy has received a jolt and therefore ways to reduce coal dependency and return to eco-friendly energy resources, need to be devised. Greenpeace India’s Lead for climate and energy campaign Avinash Kumar gave a realistic perspective to India’s growing dependence on coal despite its aggressive green energy push. Kumar further informed that in the light of the fact that coal is increasingly becoming economically unviable and the cost of renewables continues to drop, there is a need to phase out of coal soon. India’s dependence on coal can be gauged from the fact that owing to the shortage of the fossil fuel in thermal plants, Coal India Limited, the country’s largest producer, was in June this year, forced to import 8 million tonnes (MT) of coal for this fiscal. It was for the first time in the 50 years of Coal India’s existence that the public sector undertaking was asked to import the dry fuel.
10 November: After successful auction of 64 coal mines in first five tranches, Union coal ministry organized an investors’ conclave in Indore and launched the process for auction of 133 coal mines under 6th round of commercial auctions. Of the 133 coal mines, 71 are new and 62 mines are rolling over from earlier tranches of commercial auctions. Additionally, eight coal mines under 2nd attempt of 5th round of commercial auctions are also being launched where single bids were received in the first attempt. According to the ministry, the list of mines has been finalized post detailed deliberations. Mines falling under protected areas, wildlife sanctuaries, critical habitats, having forest cover greater than 40 percent, heavily built-up area etc. have been excluded. The block boundaries of some of the coal mines where there was presence of dense habitation, high green cover or critical infrastructure etc. have been modified based on comments received during stakeholder consultations to enhance bidders’ interest and participation in these coal blocks. Coal India Limited, had in May this year decided to import coal as its shortage was reported in many states. As per the reports, the decision to import coal was taken for blending on government-to-government basis and supply to thermal power plants of state generators and independent power producers.
13 November: The ongoing electricity crisis in Rajasthan will continue to persist despite the onset of winter season as demand is expected to clock 17000 MW as per the state power distribution estimation. To tackle the situation, the state’s distribution companies (discoms) have also renewed a 380 MW power supply contract with Coastal Gujarat Power Limited. It has been decided to purchase power at the rate fixed by the central government. Increased demand for electricity in Rajasthan is becoming challenging with the supply of coal from the PEKB Chhattisgarh mine disrupted due to the local agitation. Due to this disruption, the number of rakes received by the Rajasthan Vidhyut Utpadan Nigam (RVUN) has come down by 16 rakes per day.
15 November: Enviro India, a facilities management company based in Gurugram, recently announced that it has installed 1098 solar panels to date across its commercial and residential properties across Delhi-NCR. The initiative has contributed significantly to mitigating energy consumption costs by producing 4,941 kilowatt peak (kWp) units of energy per day. Enviro India has invested over 50 mn in various projects located at different cities in India. The firm has plans to source the latest technology in batteries and panels from countries like Germany and Taiwan. As the world moves towards sustainable energy sources, solar energy is a viable way to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and achieve self-reliance. This initiative by Enviro India will prove greatly effective as India strives to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy in the perceivable future.
15 November: Inaugurating the first solar energy run smart bus station with multiple facilities, UP (Uttar Pradesh) urban development minister A K Sharma said that the smart bus station, set up as per the vision of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, will not only boost transport infrastructure of Varanasi city but will also provide many smart services to people accessing buses on this route. Sharma said that the PM had suggested the concept and Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath ensured to follow it and set up this bus station under the smart city project. It was constructed under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) by Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) in line with the Varanasi Smart City program being run by the municipal corporation. As per the PM’s desire, a team of professionals and urban development department worked on the project for last four months, he said mentioning that this smart bus station is powered by solar energy.
15 November: Goa must reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 189 million tonnes (MT) to make it a zero-emission state by 2050, the Goa State Energy Action Plan (GSEAP) has revealed. The energy action plan in the power sector includes harnessing the entire state renewable energy potential to the tune of 4 GW by 2050, augmenting green power procurement of 17 TWh by 2050, strengthening the transmission and distribution network and obtaining grid stability while increasing the renewable energy share. In the building sector, there needs to be use of 100 percent green electricity for all building operational activities by 2050 and 100 percent solarisation of all thermal energy requirements for heating (hot water) by 2050.
15 November: The government is working on mandating blending of jet fuel with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as the country works on ways to reduce emissions, Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Bansal said. SAF is one of the key elements that will help to achieve emission reduction targets for the aviation sector. Further, Bansal mentioned supply chain issues being faced by domestic airlines, said that those are hindering the growth of the aviation sector.
14 November: At least three of the four top emitters of greenhouse gases — China, the EU (European Union) and India — are expected to see faster progress towards a clean energy economy than they have set out in national plans or NDCs (nationally determined contributions), according to a new analysis released, coinciding with the UN climate summit in Egypt. According to “Global Carbon Budget Report 2022”, the top four CO2 (carbon dioxide) emitters in 2021 were China (31 percent), the US (14 percent), the European Union (8 percent) and India (7 percent). In India, the rollout of renewable energy, particularly solar, is accelerating rapidly and will transform India’s electricity sector this decade. In August, India released its updated NDCs and now stands committed to reducing emissions intensity of its GDP by 45 percent by 2030, from the 2005 level, and achieving about 50 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030. NDCs are national plans to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as advocated in the Paris Agreement.
10 November: Tata Power Company said that its subsidiary Tata Power Renewable Energy has received a letter of award to set up a 150 MW solar project in Solapur, Maharashtra, from Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Corporation. The letter of award (LoA) was won through tariff-based competitive bidding followed by an e-reverse auction. The company said that the project will be commissioned within 18 months from the purchasing power agreement (PPA) execution date. With this, the total renewables capacity of Tata Power Renewable Energy has reached 5,786 MW, with an installed capacity of 3,877 MW (Solar – 2,949 MW & Wind – 928 MW) and 1,909 MW under various stages of implementation.
15 November: British Prime Minister (PM) Rishi Sunak called for efforts to stabilise oil markets in talks with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, who was shunned by US (United States) President Joe Biden over an output cut. Biden was outraged after the Saudi-led OPEC+ oil cartel decided to cut production by two million barrels a day from November, adding pressure to global prices and potentially boosting revenue for energy exporter Russia, counteracting the US-led campaign to isolate Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. Saudi Arabia insisted it was only considering economic factors but the move infuriated Biden as he had taken political risks in June by visiting the kingdom on a mission to ensure the flow of oil.
14 November: Chinese refiners are slowing down Russian crude purchases in December and paying lower premiums in the face of imminent European Union sanctions and uncertainty surrounding the G7’s plan to cap Russian oil prices, traders said. The slowdown in trade is causing Russian crude supplies to build up, weighing on prices, as China and India have become major buyers of the oil since the Ukraine war broke out. The European Union will ban Russian crude and oil products imports on 5 December and 5 February, respectively. About five to seven December-loading ESPO Blend cargoes have been sold to Chinese end users, a fraction of the average of about 30 shipments Russia exports each month, traders said.
14 November: Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) cut its forecast for 2022 global oil demand growth for a fifth time since April and further trimmed next y
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