Quick Notes
Decarbonising road transport in India: More wheels needed
Background
Indians travel nearly
5,000 kilometres (km) each year, a threefold increase since 2000. Vehicle ownership per person has grown
five‐fold since 2000, with particularly significant growth in the fleet of two and three‐wheelers (2Ws & 3Ws). 3Ws provide shared mobility and
public transport, complementing a relatively low stock of 2 million buses that serve mass and public transport needs.
2Ws & 3Ws have grown faster than any other mode of personal transport in the last decade. The average daily distance travelled by 2Ws in Indian cities is about
27−33 km with a maximum of
86 km and the average annual distance travelled is about
8800 km with a maximum of
22,500 km. The high share of 2Ws & 3Ws in India’s vehicle fleet is the reason why personal vehicles account for only
18 percent of its overall transport emissions and
36 percent even if 2Ws & 3Ws are added. This is much lower than in many other countries; in the United States (US), passenger cars account for
57 percent of total transport emissions. Under the push for decarbonisation of transport, India is
subsidising the purchase of electric 2Ws (e2W), e3Ws and e4Ws through financial incentives including rebates on the retail price and tax exemptions and non-financial incentives such as priority access to roads, parking and charging facilities. Most of the electric vehicle (EV) sales are accounted by e2Ws and e3Ws. In 2023,
96 percent of the vehicle stock was 2Ws & 3Ws. Even if 2Ws & 3Ws are electrified completely as envisaged by the government, it may be inadequate for decarbonising transport in India.
Emissions from Transport
About
60,000-75,000 vehicles of all types are sold daily, and there are now at least
42 cities and towns in India that have over a million vehicles each. Indian cities with more than 1 million inhabitants already account for nearly
30 percent of total registered vehicles in India, and the level of vehicle ownership in urban households is higher than in rural households. In 2019, the motorcycle ownership rate was
1.4 times higher in urban areas than in rural areas and the passenger car ownership rate was
twice as high.
The transport sector is now the
fastest‐growing energy end‐use sector in India. Energy use in India’s transport sector has increased fivefold over the past three decades, reaching more than
100 Mtoe (million tonnes of oil equivalent) in 2019. Transport is heavily reliant on oil, with
95 percent of demand met by petroleum products. Just under half of India’s oil demand is accounted for by transport. Oil demand has more than doubled
since 2000 because of growing vehicle ownership and road transport use. The rapid growth of mobility was enabled by the expanding road network in India, which increased from
3.3 million km in 2000 to
6.3 million km in 2019. India’s total road network is now the
second largest in the world, behind the United States.
Subsidising Electrification
In 2022, India had a stock of
2 million electric two and three‐wheelers (e2Ws & e3Ws) on the road. Driven by subsidies and other incentives, the number of e2Ws & e3Ws has grown by more than
60 percent each year on average since 2015. Lead acid battery‐powered e3Ws (also called e‐rickshaws) are serving the demands of over
60 million people per day, mostly in urban areas. Sales are modest in terms of the size of the overall market with around
982,885 e2Ws & e3Ws sold accounting for about
4.7 percent of total sales. Under current federal and state policies, subsidies are offered only for EVs with advanced battery chemistries, rather than lead‐acid variants that make up most e3Ws & e2Ws on the road today.
High taxes on petrol and diesel (about 60 percent of retail prices), lowering of goods and services tax (GST) from
12 percent to 5 percent on EVs along with tax and other incentives offered to EV purchasers are expected to drive the growth of EVs.
Lifecycle Carbon Emissions of EVs
Cradle-to-grave assessments in the transportation sector model the environmental effects associated with the “complete” life cycle of a vehicle and its fuel. This consists of the vehicle’s raw material acquisition and processing, production, use, and end-of-life options, and the fuel’s acquisition, processing, transmission, and use. Life cycle assessments (LCA) of EVs, both in isolation and in comparison to ICE vehicle technology, is extensive and growing. However, as the literature grows, so does the range of results. The divergence is due to the different system parameters of each study, including the selected goals, scopes, models, scales, time horizons, and datasets.
One recent research concluded that EVs must be driven
200,000 km before their “whole of life” carbon emissions equal that of an ICE vehicle. The large quantity of energy (and by extension carbon-di-oxide
2> emissions) needed to manufacture a lithium-ion battery and the typical weight of an EV which is on average 50 percent higher than a similar ICE that requires more steel and aluminium in the frame are among the reasons. The “embedded carbon” in an EV before the sale is, therefore, 20 to 50 percent more than an ICE. A modern lithium-ion battery has approximately 217,261 km of range before it degrades to the point of becoming unusable. According to the study, an EV will reach CO2 emission parity with an ICE vehicle just as its battery requires replacement. If this is correct, it raises concerns over the CO2 reduction potential of EVs. Other studies on the time it takes for how long EVs need to be driven to reach CO2 parity with ICE vary. It varies on factors such as the size of the EV's battery, the fuel economy of an ICE car and how the type of power used to charge an EV is generated.
As in the case of most EVs, e2Ws face power and cost challenges. The rapidly falling price of batteries could reduce the total cost of the e2Ws; however, to achieve cost parity with ICE, 2Ws (motorbikes), the ratio of the battery pack cost to total vehicle cost also needs to be higher, in addition to a low battery pack price. A higher battery-to-vehicle cost implies a reduction in the cost of the rest of the vehicle.
The efficiency and emission parameters of ICE vehicles have substantially increased in the last decade and are likely to continue improving in the future. For example, Euro 6 diesel has emission levels comparable to EVs. In addition, lower acceleration and lighter weight of ICE vehicles create less road dust and tyre and road degradation which is an important source of urban pollution. Globally an increase of EVs from the current level of about 5 million vehicles out of a billion to over 300 million out of 2 billion vehicles in 2040 is estimated to reduce oil demand only by less than 1 or 2 million barrels annually. However, the improvement in the efficiency of ICE vehicles is expected to reduce oil demand by over 20 million barrels per day which could substantially reduce pollution and CO2 emission levels.
Issues
Policies for decarbonisation of road transport through electrification without decarbonisation of power generation will merely shift pollution from the tail pipes of vehicles to smokestacks of thermal power generators. The huge prior investment must be made in developing charging infrastructure. Though power generation capacity is not likely to be a deterrent to EV adoption in India in the next five years, advances in anticipation of electricity demand patterns for EVs and grid management will remain challenges. Most importantly ways and means to recoup taxes on petroleum derivatives that make a significant contribution to public finances must be found. A wiser policy will move from picking technologies towards a technology-agnostic view with a focus on outcomes such as level of CO2 reduction.
It is not uncommon for policy makers to subsidise the adoption of new technologies. These subsidies will evolve over time according to developments in technology. But the extent to which India can subsidise the electrification of road transport and how this may affect other developmental and economic goals has not received the attention it deserves. Subsidies are increasing the adoption of EVs, but these subsidies also interact with other goals such as limiting public spending and spending on other more immediate and vital necessities such as education and health care. The government values cumulative adoption of EVs and the international prestige of achieving targets for decarbonisation but the government should also be concerned about spending scarce public funds on electrification. Potential adopters of e3Ws & e2Ws have heterogeneous, private values for EVs. Subsidies for EV adoption has a strong impact when there are a lot of inframarginal consumers who would adopt EVs even at low subsidy levels, but it is weak when most consumers are on the margin like 2W & 3W users in India. This means that without subsidies these users are unlikely to opt for EVs. The policy element missing in decarbonising transport in India are disincentives for investing in ICE vehicles by users who can do without subsidies. This will shift the burden of decarbonisation, at least partly, on the affluent population in India. In the total vehicle stock of just over 340 million in 2023, the share of 2Ws and 3Ws is 75 percent (five times more than that of passenger cars) but their share of fuel consumption is only 20 percent. Vehicles excluding 2Ws & 3Ws are responsible for 80 percent of CO2 emissions. A comprehensive policy that uses sticks or disincentives on the purchase of ICE 4Ws by affluent urban families while limiting the use of carrots or incentives such as subsidies for e2Ws and e3Ws that low-income users of two wheelers may be more appropriate for India.
Source: India Energy Outlook 2020, International Energy Agency
Monthly News Commentary: NON-FOSSIL FUELS
Solar Manufacturing Gathers Momentum
India
Solar Manufacturing
Tata Power aims to operationalise its solar cell and module facility being set up in Tamil Nadu by December-end of this year. In July 2022, Tata Power inked a pact with the Tamil Nadu government to invest INR 30 billion (bn) (US$365 million (mn)) for setting up a new facility to manufacture solar cells and modules in Tirunelveli district of the state. The construction work is going on in full swing. The equipment to set up the unit has already been ordered. As per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government, Tata Power company has to set up a greenfield 4 gigawatt (GW) solar cell and 4 GW solar module manufacturing plant in the southern state. The company awaits regulatory approval and clearance from the regulatory commission for the purchase of power for the 225 megawatt (MW) hybrid project in Karnataka. In December 2022, Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd (TPREL), a subsidiary of Tata Power, had received a letter of award (LoA) from Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (TPDDL) to set up the wind and solar hybrid power project in Karnataka.
RE Policy and Market Trends
India will exclude renewable power companies from government contracts for between three and five years if they do not meet project completion deadlines, as the country looks to speed up green power projects. The blacklisting will be for a period of three to five years. So far India has not blacklisted any company from renewable energy generation contracts for delays, but the government order said the blacklisting was in accordance with the government’s General Financial Rules that would apply to all tenders. India needs to install more than 40 GW of capacity annually - about 2.5 times the rate of addition in 2022 - to achieve its commitment to increase its non-fossil fuel capacity to 500 GW by 2030. The country had set a target to achieve 175 GW in renewable energy capacity by 2022 but failed to meet that objective. Green energy capacity currently stands at 121.55 GW. Big hydro projects make up 46.85 GW of the total while nuclear makes up 6.78 GW of total capacity of 411.65 GW including thermal.
Keen on taking its plans for green tourism forward, the state government has begun designing a road map for Goa’s transition to green energy. Among the objectives of the draft plan are the development of a green rating system and decarbonising programmes or schemes for tourism and allied sectors in the state. Goa’s 100 percent renewable energy plan entails a transit towards low-carbon pathways while maintaining the state’s development aspirations.
The Delhi government will increase power generation capacity in the city by 6,000 MW in the next three years using renewable energy sources through various initiatives, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said. The city government is working on a war footing to meet Delhi's electricity demand using renewable energy, he said. He emphasised on faster adoption of rooftop solar panels by Delhi government offices, schools and other buildings, as per the city's new solar policy. The renewable sources are primarily solar energy and wind energy that contribute approximately 2,000 MW to Delhi's power supply. The draft of the new solar policy of the Delhi government will encourage Delhiites to install solar panels on rooftops through a generation-based incentive (GBI) of INR 2-3 per unit of power for residential sector and INR 1 for the commercial sector.
The Union government has sanctioned five solar parks at an estimated cost of INR 164 billion (US$1.99 billion) for a state with an approved capacity to generate 4,100 MW of power. While Kurnool and Kadapa will get one solar park each, three parks would be in Anantapur district, including a solar and wind park at Ramagiri. The solar park scheme has been extended up to March 2024 for completion.
India’s non-fossil fuel-based power generation capacity was at 174.53 GW at the end of 31 December 2022. The country’s total power generation capacity, including 235.81 GW from the thermal base, was at 410 GW at the end of 2022. The capacity includes 63.30 GW solar power, 46.85 GW large hydro, 41.93 GW wind power, 10.73 GW bio power, 4.94 GW small hydro power and 6.78 GW nuclear power. During April-December period of 2022-232,97,609 million units (MU) of energy generated from various sources of renewable energy.
Over 500 energy industry heavyweights and 30,000 participants descended on the southern Indian city of Bengaluru to discuss the future of renewables and fossil fuels at India Energy Week — the first big ticket event of the country’s presidency of the Group of 20 leading economies. India is currently the third highest emitter of planet-warming gases but has pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2070 and dramatically ramp up its renewable energy capacity. Most of the Indian participants at the event belong to either government-owned or private fossil fuel companies, sparking concerns from climate experts. But others said it’s important to keep the conversation with fossil fuels interests going as they remain key players in energy.
Rajasthan, which is the leader in solar energy generation in the country and has inked MoUs worth over INR 8k billion (US$97.23 bn) during the ‘Investment Rajasthan’ summit, is likely to benefit from Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s focus on the sector. Presenting the Budget, Sitharaman announced measures to make solar a dependable power as she focused on battery manufacturing, pumped hydro storage, and green hydrogen among others. The Minister said the government is implementing many programmes for green fuel, green energy, green farming, green mobility, green buildings, and green equipment, and policies for efficient use of energy across various economic sectors. The Minister announced an inter-state transmission system for evacuation and grid integration of 13 GW renewable energy from Ladakh. The infrastructure will be constructed with investment of INR 207 bn (US$2.52 bn) including central support of INR 83 bn (US$1.01 bn), the Minister said. On the green hydrogen mission, the Minister referred to the recently launched national mission with an outlay of INR 197 bn (US$2.39 bn). It will facilitate transition of the economy to low carbon intensity, reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports, and make the country assume technology and market leadership in this sunrise sector, the Minister said.
Rooftop/Distributed Solar Projects
In line with Volkswagen Group’s global ‘goTOzero’ mission, Skoda India inaugurated a 18.5 MW solar-power rooftop at its Chakan plant in Pune, Maharashtra. Besides reducing its dependence on non-renewable energy, this move aims to help meet the Group’s global target of carbon neutrality at all its sites by 2030. With this augmentation in solar power, the Group’s Chakan facility claims to produce 26.6 million kWh (MU) of energy annually. India targets net zero emissions by 2070 and plans to meet 50 percent of its electricity requirements from renewable energy sources by 2030.
Hydro Power
The Himachal Pradesh government urged the Centre to enhance the state's share of hydropower projects from 12 to 15 percent. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister urged the Union Minister of Power, New and Renewable Energy to enhance the state's share in the power projects which were commissioned 25 years back having completed their loan repayments. Around 12,000 MW of hydropower potential in the state was yet to be harnessed. Besides, the state also has ample scope for setting up solar projects.
Wind Power
In what is being projected as one of the country’s biggest renewable energy push, the Union government has granted in-principle approval for offshore wind power generation on the Gujarat coastline. With an expected investment of about INR 160 bn (US$1.95 bn) in setting up offshore windmills and an additional investment of between INR 200 bn to INR 240 bn (US$2.92 bn) in setting up onshore transmission infrastructure, the ambitious project envisages wind power generation to the tune of 20,000 MW or 2 GW. The state government will purchase all the power generated under the proposed project. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. will invite bids to set up offshore wind power generation infrastructure off the Gujarat coast. The state government will partner with the Centre to set up necessary infrastructure along the coastline, including transmission networks.
Biomass/Biopower/Waste to Energy
Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) has floated a tender to establish a bio-methanation plant, with a capacity of 50 tonnes, to produce bio-CNG using organic waste at a cost of INR 220 mn (US$2.67 mn). This will be the first such plant to come up in the city. Although land is yet to be identified, the plant is likely to be set up at Yelahanka and gas will be sold in cylinders. The successful bidder, after establishing the plant, should operate and maintain it for about 15 years. The tender was floated on Tuesday and the last date for submission of bids is 4 March. Once the tender is awarded, the agency has to complete the work within nine months.
Punjab New and Renewable Energy Sources Minister Aman Arora called on R K Singh, Union Minister of Power, New & Renewable Energy to seek Viability Gap Funding (VGF) to set up 100 MW Biomass Power projects in the state. He said that the proposed projects would consume 1 million ton paddy straw per annum, and it will go a long way to save the environment by finding a sustainable solution to the agriculture residue burning menace. He requested Singh to consider the demand for providing INR 50 mn (US$0.608 mn) per MW VGF for these 100 MW Biomass Power projects. He also sought financial assistance and technical support for setting up Biomass Solar Hybrid Power projects in the state.
The Uttar Pradesh (UP) state government is in talks with Denmark for assistance in adopting a new technology for making ethanol and methanol from agricultural waste. Ambassador of Denmark Freddie Svane met chief secretary D S Mishra recently and discussed the technology used in conversion of stubble straw into bio straw briquettes into ethanol or methanol. There is a possibility that after setting up the first plant in Denmark by 2025, the country will help the state government set up the next one in UP. The Ambassador of Denmark informed the chief secretary that bio methanol and e-methanol are being produced from agricultural waste, wheat, and paddy straws. E-methanol is produced from hydrogen and carbon dioxide produced through the fermentation process. Denmark is setting up the first project based on this patented technology and it is proposed that production will start in 2025. Meanwhile, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is setting up a 2G ethanol plant on a 50-acre plot in Gorakhpur with a proposed investment of about INR 8 bn (US$97.3 mn). The plant will use cellulose as raw material, which includes sugarcane by-products, agricultural residue, vegetable oils and sugar. The proposal to make Bio-CNG from wet waste is also under consideration by the urban bodies in major cities of the state.
Nuclear Energy
North India’s first nuclear power plant is coming up in Gorakhpur, Haryana, about 150 km north of the national capital, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said. He said that during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s regime, one of the major achievements would be the installation of nuclear/ atomic energy plants in other parts of the country, which were earlier confined mostly to the southern states like Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh or in the west in Maharashtra. He said that this was keeping in line the focus on increasing India’s nuclear capacity. He said that a bulk approval of installation of 10 nuclear reactors came under the Modi government.
Rest of the World
EU
Industrie De Nora aims to reach 8 Gigawatts hours (GWh) of electricity generated from renewable sources each year by the end of 2025 by installing solar panels at all of its 12 production sites, the Italian electrode maker said. All of De Nora’s plants were studying the feasibility of initiatives aimed at generating electricity from renewable, the company said. De Nora said it would reach an overall 3.3 GWh already by the end of 2023 thanks to a photovoltaic park at its production site in Germany, which will bring 1.3 GWh annually alone - as well as the involvement of its two Italian plants of Milan and Cologno and Brazil’s Sorocaba site.
A new investment fund with €87.5 mn (US$92.63 mn) will finance solar power production across Africa, with a focus on West and Central Africa, French fund manager RGREEN INVEST and investment adviser ECHOSYS INVEST said. The AFRIGREEEN Debt Impact Fund’s first closing will finance on- and off-grid solar power plants for small- and medium-sized commercial and industrial consumers across the continent. The project aims to provide direct lending and asset-based debt facilities for regional and international developers and African commercial and industrial companies to develop solar infrastructure. The groups are looking to have a portfolio of twenty to thirty investments, with aim of meeting long-term debt financing needs of between 10 million euros and 15 million euros, with an average of around 5 million euros over eight to 10 years.
European manufacturers are considering investing hundreds of millions of dollars in Vietnam to build wind turbines plants, as the country gears up to exploit its large untapped potential in offshore wind. The Southeast Asian country is seen as a potential major player in the sector because of its strong winds in shallow waters near coastal, densely populated areas, according to the World Bank Group. The companies were looking for sites near ports but talks with local authorities and industrial parks were still preliminary, as investors were waiting for the country to approve clear rules on offshore wind farms. The government has set ambitious targets in draft plans for the offshore wind sector but has struggled for years to approve them, with more delays seen as likely, and no offshore wind projects currently in operation.
European Union (EU) countries are preparing to endorse a diplomatic stance calling for a global phase-out of fossil fuels, as they prepare for this year’s UN climate change talks, a draft document showed. The EU conclusions on climate diplomacy, which member countries' foreign ministers aim to approve at a meeting on Monday, seek to anchor the bloc's priorities ahead of COP28, the UN climate summit beginning 30 November in Dubai. Last year’s UN climate summit disappointed some countries for not yielding a deal on phasing down fossil fuel energy. A proposal by India to include this had gained support from more than 80 governments, including EU countries, but was opposed by Saudi Arabia and other oil- and gas-rich countries. The latest EU draft included stronger wording than a previous version, reported by Reuters, which had not explicitly endorsed a "phase-out". EU diplomats said Germany and Denmark had pushed for more ambitious wording. The draft is still being negotiated, however, and some diplomats said it could be delayed because some countries were unhappy with other elements of the text, which covers topics including promoting renewable energy and EU efforts to stop using Russian gas.
Norway’s Equinor and the German energy group EnBW plan to jointly develop offshore wind farms in Germany, the two companies announced. Germany, which seeks to cut its reliance on fossil fuel, in November raised its national renewable energy target to 80 percent of power generation by 2030, and aims to accelerate onshore wind installations to over 12 GW per year by 2025. Germany’s Bundesnetzagentur regulator plans to hold auctions in June and August this year offering energy companies a chance to bid for acreage to build a combined 8.8 GW of offshore wind capacity. EnBW plans for installed renewable energy capacity to account for 50 percent of its generating portfolio by the end of 2025.
Renewable energy developer and fund manager Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) intends to invest €8 bn (US$8.6 bn) in a large offshore wind power park in Portugal that is preparing its first auction of such concessions. CIP said it aimed to create an installed capacity of 2 GW in a project called Nortada off central Portugal’s Atlantic coast, which would amount to 20 percent of the country’s 2030 target for offshore wind power. CIP said it has more than 50 GW of offshore wind projects in its portfolio, in Europe and the United States (US). Portugal aims to generate 80 percent of its annual electricity usage from renewable sources by 2026, up from around 60 percent in 2022, which was already one of the highest ratios in Europe.
EU countries may seek support for an agreement to phase down fossil fuels ahead of this year’s UN climate change talks. The EU country diplomats are negotiating conclusions to guide their diplomacy on climate change this year. On the table is an agreement to promote a shift away from so-called unabated fossil fuels, those burned without using technology to capture their planet-warming emissions, according to a draft. The bloc has yet to reach an agreement, however, as some EU countries are seeking weaker wording while others want a stronger, more explicit call to phase out fossil fuels. The EU plans to update its 2030 emissions-cutting target under the Paris climate accord, and set a new one for 2040 to guide countries toward the goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.
The heating plant in Munich’s southern Sendling neighbourhood has been run for more than a century on gas, often imported from far away. But increasingly, it is the hot waters from deep underground the station that provide the energy. Tacked on to the side of the original 19th-century red-brick plant is a boxy new geothermal unit surrounded by a tangle of pipes. Everywhere in Europe, interest in geothermal projects has grown in recent years as officials search for ways to decarbonise their energy systems.
Africa & Middle East
Kenya is constructing 136 solar powered mini-grids in far-flung areas not properly served by the national electricity grid, Energy Minister Davis Chirchir said. Off-grid solar power, spearheaded by start-ups, has gained popularity in Africa in recent years for homes left off mainstream electricity grids. The new solar mini-grids are part of a US$150 mn programme funded by the World Bank. Powered by solar panels, the grids use batteries and backup generators to provide electricity independent of the main national grids. Although Kenya generates a large chunk of its electricity from renewable sources such as hydropower and geothermal, it runs dozens of diesel-powered generation units following years of drought.
Russia & Central Asia
Myanmar’s military-led government, working with Russia’s state atomic energy company, has inaugurated a nuclear power information centre as a step toward developing atomic power to fill energy shortages in the strife-torn Southeast Asian nation. Russia has been promoting cooperation on nuclear power with several Southeast Asian nations including Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Asia Pacific
Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated K-III power plant, which will generate 1,100 MW electricity. The third unit of Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP) has been completed with assistance from China. The PM said that Pakistan was gifted with enormous resources with the potential of producing 60,000 MW through hydel power and regretted that the power generation stood merely at 10,000 MW. He said in view of The US$27 bn fuel import bill, Pakistan required alternative and cheaper sources of energy including solar, wind, hydel and nuclear.
News Highlights: 1 – 7 March 2023
National: Oil
Domestic gas cylinder prices up by 56 percent in 4 years
5 March: While a recent hike of INR 50 in the price of the 14.2 kg domestic liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder led to the cost of the cylinder touching INR 1,103, data has disclosed that the price has registered a rise of nearly 56 percent in the last four years. The retail selling price (RSP) of a domestic LPG cylinder (14.2 Kg) on 1 April 2019 was INR 706.50 which increased to INR 744 in 2020, INR 809 in 2021 and INR 949.50 in 2022. The price increased to INR 1,103 from INR 1,053 on 1 March this year. While the price of the domestic LPG cylinder has recorded a substantial rise over the last few years, government data disclosed that the total subsidy on LPG has come down significantly over the last few years. Details of the subsidy on LPG given by the government during each of the last four years showed that it was INR 372.09 bn in 2018-19 and came down to INR 241.72 bn in 2019-20, INR 118.96 bn in 2020-21 and INR 18.11 bn in 2021-22. As per the information from the Ministry of Petroleum, the prices of petroleum products including LPG in the country are linked to the price of respective products in the international market. The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was launched in 2016 to provide deposit free LPG connections to women members of poor households under which 80 mn connections were given. Under Ujjwala 2.0, all PMUY beneficiaries are provided a free first refill and stove as well, in addition to deposit free LPG connections. As on 1 February 2023, 16 mn connections have been given under Ujjwala 2.0. During the COVID-19 pandemic, as a pro-poor initiative, the government announced a scheme for providing up to three free of cost LPG refills to Ujjwala beneficiaries from 1 April 2020 under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP).
Chennai Petroleum Corp plugs leak in crude oil pipeline off Nagapattinam coast
4 March: Workers of Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) plugged the leak of crude oil from a crack in the underwater pipeline that resulted in an oil spill a few kilometres off the Nagapattinam coast. The leak occurred in the nine-km long pipeline used to carry crude from the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)’s Narimanam oil wells to the CPCL’s, now defunct, second refinery at Nagapattinam. CPCL said the leak in the 20-inch dia pipeline was detected. Oil dispersants had been deployed to clear the oil and a recovery system was deployed to clear the area in totality. This activity will be continued till the area is clear of hydrocarbons. The pipeline will also be flushed to make it free of hydrocarbons. CPCL said oil dispersants had been deployed to clear the oil and a recovery system was deployed to clear the area in totality. This activity will be continued till the area is clear of hydrocarbons. Pipeline will also be flushed to make it free of hydrocarbons.
India’s petrol, diesel sales surge in February after winter lull
1 March: India’s fuel demand witnessed the sharpest rebound in February as petrol and diesel consumption rose by double digits after a winter lull in the previous month, preliminary industry data showed. Petrol sales of state-owned fuel retailers jumped 12 percent to 2.57 million tonnes (MT) in February, as compared to 2.29 MT of consumption in the same period of last year. Sales were 1.57 percent higher than in COVID-marred February 2021 and 20 percent more than in the same period of 2020. Month-on-month, the demand was up 13.5 percent, reversing the dip in the previous month. Sales had fallen 5.1 percent month-on-month in January as cold conditions cut vehicular movement. Diesel, the most used fuel in the country, posted a 13 percent rise in sales during February to 6.52 MT, as compared to the same period last year.
Maharashtra’s opposition MVA lawmakers protest ‘steep hike’ in prices of cooking gas
1 March: Maharashtra’s opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) staged a noisy protest against the steep hike in cooking gas prices for domestic and commercial users and demanded a rollback. A majority of the MVA legislators from Congress-Nationalist Congress Party-Shiv Sena- UBT demonstrated with banners and placards on the footsteps of the Maharashtra Legislature. They raised slogans against the government for inflicting yet another hike on gas prices which have made life miserable for poor and middle-classes in the country. The Centre announced a hike of INR 50 on a domestic LPG cylinder of 14.2 kg, and INR 350.50 on a commercial cylinder of 19 kg. Accordingly, the prices of cooking gas cylinders have now shot up from INR 1,053 to INR 1,103, and of the commercial cylinders prices from INR 1,769 to INR 2,119.50.
National: Gas
Mahanagar Gas surges 7 percent to hit 52-week high on acquisition of Unison Enviro
6 March: Shares of Mahanagar Gas (MGL) rallied 7 percent to hit a 52-week high of INR 969.60 in intra-day trade, after the company signed agreement to acquire 100 percent stake in city gas distributor (CGD) Unison Enviro (UEPL) for INR 5.31 bn. The stock of state-owned CGD company surpassed its previous high of INR 931.45, which it had touched on 16 February 2023. The company has signed a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) with Unison Enviro Private Limited (UEPL) and existing shareholders of UEPL (Ashoka Buildcon Ltd and an investment fund managed by Morgan Stanley India Infrastructure) to acquire 100 percent stake in UEPL. UEPL has been authorised by PNGRB to implement the CGD network in Geographical Areas (GAs) of Ratnagiri, Latur & Osmanabad in the state of Maharashtra, and Chitradurga & Davangere in the state of Karnataka. The acquisition of shareholding of UEPL is subject to Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) approval. The objects of acquisition were to enter new geographical areas to pursue inorganic growth opportunities. MGL has been supplying Natural Gas by way of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to vehicles and Piped Natural Gas (PNG) to domestic, commercial, and industrial consumers in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, including adjoining areas and Raigad district.
National: Coal
India’s booming economy stretches coal and power supplies to limit
7 March: India’s power generators and coal mines are being stretched to the limit to meet surging demand for power stemming from a fast-growing economy and rapid electrification. Coal units increased generation by almost 16 bn kWh (+18 percent) compared with a year earlier, in part to offset reduced output from expensive gas-fired units. Mine production and coal trains dispatched to power plants both increased last year by 12 percent, which was impressive but still below generators’ requirements. India’s railways loaded an average of 271 coal trains per day bound for power producers in February, well below the plan for 313 trains, and no higher than in February 2022. The rail system is becoming a binding constraint on the ability to move more coal to generators and ensure they have sufficient fuel.
Mahalakshmi and Satyam consortium wins bid for largest coal reserve of Northeast India
2 March: Consortium of Mahalakshmi and Satyam Group won the auction of the largest coal reserve of Northeast India at Nampuk Namchik in Arunachal Pradesh. The consortium stated in the recent auction of North East’s largest coal mine located at Nampuk Namchik in Arunachal Pradesh, two major industrial groups of eastern India, Satyam Group and Mahalakshmi Group won the auction. Last year the auction of most of the coal mines across the country was completed and coal mining had also started. But due to various technical reasons, the auction of Nampuk Namchik coal mine could not take place. The consortium stated that this time the auction rate of the mine here was kept 55 percent above the base price. The consortium of these two groups won the game by bidding 65 percent. Illegal coal mining and its transportation has been a major problem in the Northeast.
National: Power
Government accepts expert panel report on smart electricity transmission system in India
7 March: The power ministry said that the government has accepted a report of a task force or expert panel, which paves the way for a modern and smart electricity transmission system in India. The country will soon have a modern and smart power transmission system with features such as real-time monitoring and automated operation of grid, better situational assessment, capability to have increased share of renewable capacity in the power-mix, enhanced utilisation of transmission capacity, greater resilience against cyber-attacks as well as natural disasters, centralised and data-driven decision-making, reduction in forced outages through self-correcting systems etc., the ministry said.
TN power loom workers welcome government move for 250 units more of free power
5 March: Power loom workers of Tamil Nadu (TN) are elated after the state government announced 250 units more of free power for the sector. The state government, in an order, increased the number of free units to power looms from 750 to 1,000 units, while for hand looms, there is an increase of free power from 200 units to 300 units. The state government has also reduced the power tariff units above 1,000 units from INR 1.40 to 0.70 paisa per unit. There are 6 lakh powerlooms in Tamil Nadu of which 4 lakh function in Erode, Salem, Namakkal, Tiruppur, and Coimbatore districts. Power loom workers of Erode, which has the largest number of power looms in the state, were angry at the government not providing the Pongal contract for Veshti and Saris before August 2022, thus, leading to a delay in production. Workers were worried about the future of the power loom industry but the decision of the government to provide 250 more free units has left them happy.
Delhi may set 3 kW load cap for power subsidy
3 March: Consumers having domestic electricity connections of more than three kilowatt (kW) sanctioned load may stop getting power subsidies even if their monthly consumption is up to 400 units. The recommendation has come from power regulator DERC (Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission). Delhi power department may soon forward the proposal to the cabinet. If approved, the move will save the government about INR 3 bn annually. At present, domestic consumers who have opted for the subsidy get "zero bills" if their monthly electricity consumption is up to 200 units and get a 50 percent discount if they use 201 to 400 units. Almost 91 percent of domestic consumers have sanctioned the load up to 3 kW and will continue to get the benefit if they've opted for the scheme. Expecting that their move to exclude domestic consumers with sanctioned load above 3 kW from the discounted power scheme will be implemented, the Delhi power department has asked for a lower allocation for electricity subsidy for the next fiscal. While, earlier, all domestic consumers using up to 400 units got the subsidy, the government in September last year made it mandatory for them to give a consent - online or offline - on whether they wished to continue getting the benefit by "opting in" for the "voluntary subsidy scheme".
Indian Energy Exchange trade volume falls 7 percent to 8,200 mn units in February
3 March: The total trade volume at the Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) declined seven percent to 8,200 million units in February on an annual basis, due to lower availability of electricity. Sell side liquidity continued to be affected due to high input costs, the IEX said. The overall trade volume on the IEX in February was 8,200 million units, a de-growth of 7 percent on a year-on-year basis. According to the IEX, the demand for power increased due to unusually warm temperatures witnessed in February across several parts of the country, and sustained momentum in economic activities.
Centre must think of 'one nation, one power tariff' policy: Bihar CM
2 March: Bihar Chief Minister (CM) Nitish Kumar called for a 'one nation, one power tariff' policy across the country, asserting that there is an urgent need to bring parity in the cost of electricity. Bihar gets electricity from the Centre’s power generation plants at a higher rate compared to other States and provides the same to consumers at a much lower rate, he said while replying to the debate on the Governor’s address to the joint sitting of the legislature. The Central Government must think of a “one nation, one power tariff” policy, the CM said. To maintain transparency, the Bihar Government decided to install smart prepaid electricity metres in the State and 12.5 lakh such metres have been installed, the CM said.
Demand for power from consumers scales new heights in Telangana
1 March: Demand for power from consumers continues to scale new heights. Telangana’s discoms (distribution companies) registered the highest peak demand of 14,794 MW. Just a couple of weeks ago, the peak demand was 14,649 MW. The rise in power demand in the state was due to soaring day temperatures, agriculture power usage and also industrial electricity usage. Farmers are using the borewells in the current yasangi agricultural season and the demand is expected to touch 16,000 MW soon.
National: Non-Fossil Fuels/ Climate Change Trends
Kolkata-based Ramkrishna Forgings plans to setup 85 MW solar capacity
5 March: Kolkata-based Ramkrishna Forgings is planning multi-crore investments to set up around 85 megawatt (MW) renewable energy capacity, company CFO Lalit Khetan has said. The company aims to execute the plan over the next 12 months, he said. Out of the planned 85 MW green capacity, about 8 MW roof-top solar project will be set up at the company's forging plants at Sariekella and Dugni, in Jamshedpur, he said. As per industry estimates, to set up 1 MW of solar project, investment of around INR 50 mn is needed.
Goa aims for 100 percent renewable energy usage across all sectors by 2050: CM
3 March: Goa Chief Minister (CM) Pramod Sawant said the state government has set a goal to ensure 100 percent renewable energy usage across all sectors by 2050. The government is committed to generating 150 MW of green energy in the next two years and will be setting up 100 MW solar power plants throughout Goa, he said.
‘Solar panels on all metro rail buildings, depot in Patna’
3 March: All the stations of Patna Metro Rail Corporation (PMRC) will have green buildings while the elevated stations and the depot are designed in an energy-efficient manner to straight away accommodate rooftop solar panels. The steps have been taken to make the metro most environment-friendly, provide power supply to the stations and reduce carbon footprint. On the lines of Delhi metro model, the Patna metro has planned to use solar power energy for auxiliary services at the stations, like elevators, escalators, lighting, signalling, telecommunication, firefighting and fare collection system. PMRC said considering the futuristic technology and potential for solar power generation, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the nodal agency of the Patna metro project, will implement rooftop grid-connected solar power panels at selected locations of elevated stations and maintenance depots. The solar panels will generate approximately 6.5 megawatt (MW) of electricity per day. Different sheds and buildings of the establishment are proposed to be used for solar photovoltaic (SPV) installation to optimise the solar energy potential.
Adani Green’s operating renewable portfolio reaches record 8 GW
2 March: Adani Green Energy said its 700 megawatt (MW) hybrid green energy project has become operational, which took its total operating renewable portfolio to 8,024 MW, the largest in India. The project is its fourth wind-solar hybrid power plant fully operational at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, the company said. It said that the 700 MW plant is the world's largest wind-solar hybrid power plant. The plant harnesses the potential of renewable energy by resolving intermittency of the generation and provides a more reliable solution to meet the rising power demand.
28 percent fall in cost of emissions reductions by Indian businesses
1 March: A carbon market simulation study, implemented in 2020-21, included 21 large Indian businesses, representing about 10 percent of India’s industry emissions, and all elements of a carbon market demonstrated a 28 percent reduction in the total cost of emissions reductions. According to the World Bank (2021), carbon markets now cover 16 percent of global emissions. A carbon market that covers India’s industrial sector and sets targets aligned with the average ambition level of the existing voluntary commitments by the Indian corporate sector has the potential to reduce the emissions intensity of GDP by an additional 5.6 percent in 2030 compared to a current policy scenario, which is equivalent to a cumulative reduction of 1.3 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent between 2022 and 2030. At COP26, India announced its ambition of reducing the emission intensity per unit GDP by 45 percent by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2070. India announced that it aims to reduce 1 billion metric tonnes of carbon emissions by 2030. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency will administer India’s carbon trading framework, which is getting ready for its rollout. The Bill amended the Energy Conservation Act, 2001, to empower the government to establish carbon markets and specify a carbon credit trading scheme.
International: Oil
Shell, Chevron and Petrobras weigh Guyana oil auction bids
6 March: Guyana’s coming auction of offshore oil exploration blocks has lured at least 10 companies including Shell, Petrobras and Chevron, to consider the decade’s hottest oil region. The South American country is offering 14 offshore blocks in an attempt to speed economic development and reduce an Exxon Mobil-led consortium's dominance of its oil sector. Winning bidders are expected to be picked next month. Guyana Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo spoke at the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston to drum up support for the country's first competitive bidding round. Guyana is considering a state investment firm that would hold stakes with partners in offshore blocks offered through government-to-government talks, Guyana Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said. Guyana estimates it has up to 25 billion barrels of oil and gas in place off its coast. A consortium that includes Exxon Mobil, Hess and CNOOC operates the country’s most important area, the 6.6-million-acre (26,800 sq km) Stabroek block, with more than 30 discoveries to date. Exxon, QatarEnergy, Shell PLC, Chevron Corp and Petrobras are among the oil giants that have paid US$20,000 for the geologic information available on the 11 shallow water and three deep-water blocks.
Uganda set to begin oil drilling after French court dismisses case against TotalEnergies
2 March: A French court has dismissed a landmark lawsuit against controversial TotalEnergies projects in east Africa, which was filed by six French and Ugandan activist groups in 2018, using a 2017 law on multinationals operating outside France. This was the first time that NGOs tried to halt an oil project through a Paris courthouse. As Uganda looks to drill its first of more than 400 oil wells and build a 1,400-kilometre pipeline, part of the massive Tilenga project in Uganda, critics have said the government and its French and Chinese partners are damaging the environment and impeding wildlife migration. The court’s ruling rejected the case against oil giant TotalEnergies that was accused of failing to protect people and the environment as it pursues oil projects in Uganda and Tanzania. The world’s longest heated oil pipeline will pass through forest reserves and game parks before running alongside Lake Victoria, a source of fresh water for 40 million people.
China’s March imports of Russian oil may hit record
2 March: China’s seaborne imports of Russian oil are set to hit a record after refiners took advantage of cheap prices as domestic fuel demand rebounded, but Russia’s plan to cut exports will likely cap buying in coming months. Hefty Chinese buying, alongside robust Indian demand, has been spurred by steep price discounts but is providing Moscow much-needed revenue after the Group of Seven imposed a US$60 price cap on Russian crude. Tanker tracking consultancies Vortexa and Kpler estimated nearly 43 million barrels of Russian crude oil, comprising about at least 20 million barrels of ESPO Blend and 11 million barrels of Urals, are set to reach China in March. The previous high for Russian seaborne crude imports was 42.48 million barrels in June 2020, ship tracking data showed. China, Russia’s largest oil buyer including via pipelines, has been taking steady volumes of ESPO crude as refiners - mostly its independent plants - favour the oil’s high quality and proximity. ESPO Blend is a light, low sulphur grade exported from Far East ports. State refiners, however, scaled back buying Urals crude in late 2022 due to worries about sanction risks after Western governments imposed a price cap on Russian oil imports and implemented embargoes over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. State-owned PetroChina and Sinopec recently resumed buying Urals - a medium heavy, high sulphur crude loaded from Russia’s European ports - after receiving permission from their headquarters, looking to boost refining margins.
Norway’s Equinor nears deal to buy Suncor’s UK oilfields
1 March: Norway’s Equinor is close to reaching a deal to buy Suncor Energy’s British North Sea oil and gas assets for around US$1 billion. The deal includes Suncor’s 40 percent stake in the Equinor-operated offshore Rosebank oil and gas project, located some 130 km (80 miles) northwest of Shetland Islands, and one of the largest developments in the ageing basin. The deal follows the British government’s decision late last year to increase a windfall tax on North Sea oil and gas producers to 35 percent from 25 percent, bringing the total tax rate to 75 percent, one of the highest in the world. Suncor flagged plans to divest its upstream assets in Britain last August as the company aims to focus on its core oil sands operations in northeast Alberta. The deal also includes a 29.9 percent stake in the Buzzard oilfield, the largest supplier to Forties, one of North Sea crude oil grades underpinning the Brent crude benchmark, delivering more than 20,000 barrels of oil equivalent (boe) net to Suncor, according to the company.
US President Biden faces dilemma in fight over large Alaska oil project
1 March: United States (US) President Biden administration is weighing approval of a major oil project on Alaska’s petroleum-rich North Slope that supporters say represents an economic lifeline for Indigenous communities in the region but environmentalists say is counter to President Joe Biden’s climate goals. A decision on ConocoPhillips Alaska’s Willow project, in a federal oil reserve roughly the size of Indiana, could come by early March. On average, about 499,700 barrels of oil a day flow through the trans-Alaska pipeline, well below the late-1980s peak of 2.1 million barrels.
International: Gas
Tanzania completes negotiations with Shell, Equinor on US$30 bn LNG project
7 March: Negotiations for the construction of a US$30 bn liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal between Tanzania, Norway’s Equinor and Britain's Shell are complete and contract preparations are underway, Tanzania’s energy ministry said. The development of Tanzania’s vast offshore gas resources has been held up for years due to regulatory delays. Last June, all three parties involved signed a framework agreement aimed at bringing closer the start of the project's construction. The government aims to reach a final investment decision in 2025 for the facility. Shell operates Tanzania's Block 1 and Block 4, which hold 16 trillion cubic feet in estimated recoverable gas. Norwegian oil and gas producer Equinox also operates Block 2, in which ExxonMobil holds a stake and which is estimated to hold more than 20 trillion cubic feet of gas. Equinor and Shell, along with Exxon Mobil, Ophir Energy and Pavilion Energy, plan to build the LNG plant in Tanzania’s south east Lindi region. Tanzania already uses some of its natural gas discoveries for power generation and to run manufacturing plants. It also plans to build a fertiliser plant. The government has put the country’s total estimated recoverable gas at 57.54 trillion cubic feet, as of June 2022.
Asia demand to drive Cheniere’s LNG shipments this year
6 March: Cheniere Energy expects to ship more liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Asia this year, after European customers took the lion’s share of its 2022 cargoes. The top US exporter of LNG shipped a total of 638 cargoes last year, with slightly over 70 percent delivered to Europe, Chief Operating Officer Corey Grindal said. Cheniere last year gave the financial go ahead for an expansion of its Corpus Christi, Texas, liquefaction plant and has sought an early environmental review with federal regulators for an expansion at its Sabine Pass, Louisiana , facility, Grindal said. Construction of its and others LNG plants along the U.S. Gulf Coast is stressing existing gas transportation and storage infrastructure. In states including Louisiana, there is a need to continue to expand the infrastructure, Grindal said.
China 2023 gas demand likely to grow, but LNG outlook cloudy: PetroChina
3 March: Natural gas demand in China is likely to grow this year as the economy recovers, but whether the country’s imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) rebound will depend on spot prices, PetroChina said. China’s LNG imports dropped nearly 20 percent to 63.4 million tonnes (MT) last year, pushing it down to the world’s No.2 LNG buyer behind Japan as zero-COVID lockdown measures and high spot prices hit demand. China’s apparent gas consumption was 366.3 billion cubic metres in 2022, down 1.7 percent from the previous year, NDRC (National Development and Reform Commission) data showed. PetroChina, the listed arm of the state-run China National Petroleum Corporation, is the country’s top gas importer. LNG is used to supplement domestic gas production and pipeline imports.
Pakistan risks US$18 bn fine for delaying completion of Iran gas pipeline
2 March: Pakistan could face a whopping US$18 billion as a penalty for not completing the gas pipeline project with Iran in the timeframe stipulated in the agreement. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament deliberated on the non-utilisation of US$4 bn in gas infrastructure development cess, which was collected for developing three mega gas projects, including the building of a pipeline to import gas from Iran. Committee member Syed Hussain Tariq said that the funds are lying idle and the projects are stagnant, warning that Pakistan faces fines if the gas pipeline project with Iran is not completed on time, The Express Tribune newspaper reported. The petroleum ministry said that Pakistan has spoken to the United States (US) about the Iran gas pipeline project to ask for relief. He said that there is a ban on importing gas from Iran, and Pakistan cannot buy it. He also highlighted the safety and security concerns in the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline project. The members of the committee asked how much could be imposed as a penalty on Pakistan for not completing the Iran gas pipeline on time. The petroleum secretary responded that as per the agreement, the penalty could be US$18 bn.
International: Coal
China leans on coal amid energy security push
5 March: China’s state planner underlined a greater role for coal in its power supply, saying the fossil fuel would be used to improve the reliability and security of its energy system. Soaring global energy prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and domestic supply disruption have prompted Beijing to step up its focus on energy security in recent years. The world’s second-biggest economy relied on coal to generate 56.2 percent of its electricity last year, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, but has significantly boosted its use of natural gas and renewable energy in recent years to lower carbon emissions.
Nippon Steel could buy more stakes in coking coal and iron ore mines
3 March: Nippon Steel Corporation could buy more stakes in coking coal and iron ore mines even after its recent decision to invest in a Canadian mine, as it sees a risk of commodity prices staying high, the world’s No.4 steelmaker said. Japan’s top steelmaker said it will spend around 1.15 billion Canadian dollars (US$844 million) to buy a 10 percent stake in Elk Valley Resources Ltd (EVR), the coking coal unit to be spun off from Canadian miner Teck Resources Ltd. Nippon Steel already owns stakes in several coking coal mines, procuring 20 percent of its annual 27 million tonne imports of the coal. The deal will boost that share to 30 percent.
International: Power
Breakthrough close on France-Spain undersea electricity link
2 March: France and Spain are poised to announce a breakthrough in a long-running impasse over hefty costs of what would be their first undersea electricity link. Spanish Energy Minister Teresa Ribera said she expected a final agreement, without specifying further details on the project to double the interconnection capacity, which both countries last year agreed to speed up amid Europe’s energy crisis. The project was designed to double existing transmission capacity between the countries and would allow Spain to feed its bountiful renewable energy into a wider European grid, which makes it growingly important after Russia's invasion of Ukraine unleashed an energy crisis in Europe last year.
International: Non-Fossil Fuels/ Climate Change Trends
US solar panel imports from China grow, alleviating gridlock
6 March: United States (US) imports of solar panels are finally picking up after months of gridlock stemming from implementation of a new law banning goods made with forced labour, according to two Chinese solar companies. The gains are a relief to major Chinese suppliers including Trina Solar and Jinko Solar, who are finally getting products into the lucrative US market after long delays. The movement of panels that have been stuck at the border or awaiting shipment from overseas should help alleviate delays in US solar project development stemming from implementation of the law, which went into effect in June of last year. Trina Solar Co Ltd said that more than 900 megawatt (MW) of its solar panels have cleared US customs in the last four months, with less than 1 percent of those products being detained for examination.
Global energy-related CO2 emissions edged up to record high in 2022: IEA
2 March: Global energy-related emissions of carbon dioxide hit a record high last year, although more clean technology such as solar power and electric vehicles helped limit the impact of increased coal and oil use, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said. Deep cuts in emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels, will be needed over the coming years if targets to limit a global rise in temperatures and prevent runaway climate change are to be met, scientists have said. Global emissions from energy rose by 0.9 percent in 2022 to a record 36.8 billion tonnes, the IEA analysis showed. Lower output from nuclear power plants and extreme weather events including heat waves also contributed to the increase in energy related emissions, the IEA said.
This is a weekly publication of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF). It covers current national and international information on energy categorised systematically to add value. The year 2022 is the nineteenth continuous year of publication of the newsletter. The newsletter is registered with the Registrar of News Paper for India under No. DELENG / 2004 / 13485.
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