Renewable Energy For India

Another interesting take on WIND power..

Wind energy has the potential to power the world 100 times over, yet only 4% of the world’s electricity comes from wind. The Makani energy kite system integrates advances in aerospace engineering, materials science, and autonomous controls to create a lightweight design that is easy to transport and install.





Also this:

Alphabet is turning yet another one of its X projects into a business, but this time it's enlisting the help of an unusual ally. Makani Power, a venture making electricity-generating kites (see above), has become a full-fledged subsidiary of Alphabet thanks in part to a minority investment from Shell.

There is momemtum in renewable fuels for commercial jets. Boeing is beginning a journey with airlines to offer biofuels for its jets. 737 Max jets filled with biofuel blends made of 20 percent blend of biofuel made from forest residuals are going to be flown by Alaska Airlines.

A crew from Etihad Airways flew the world's first using aviation biofuel made from plants grown in salt water. The biofuel powered a Boeing Dreamliner 787-9 on a 6.5 hour flight to Amsterdam. The plant Salicornia, which is salt resistent, is grown with nutrient rich fish farm effluents.

India has flown commercial jets (SpiceJet) using Jatropha biofuel.

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If India can fly all its commercial jets with biofuels that would be an enormous win in aviation travel.

Another idea to create energy from renewable sources and use the energy during lean times (night time or no wind time)

Researchers want to store excess renewable energy as methane

One of the major drawbacks to renewable energy sources like wind and solar is that we don't have an effective way to store excess energy.

In nature, the microorganism Methanococcus maripaludis consumes hydrogen and carbon dioxide and exudes methane. So, the researchers are using renewable energy-powered electrodes to split water and free its hydrogen atoms. Those hydrogen atoms are fed to the microbes, which then pull carbon dioxide from the air and release methane.

Then, at times of peak demand or when renewables aren't producing, the methane can be burned much like fossil fuel sources. It might seem backwards to turn renewable energy into methane, which releases carbon dioxide when it burns. But, this methane is produced by pulling carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, so the process is carbon-neutral.

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India plans to set up 500GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030

• This comes in the backdrop of the NDA government’s agenda of providing reliable, sustainable and affordable electricity to the masses in its second term
• India would have installed 175GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022, says secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy

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New Delhi: In what will help India reshape the global energy market dynamics, the country plans to set up 500gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity by 2030. This announcement was made by Anand Kumar, secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy on Tuesday at the 17th meeting of the International Renewables Energy Agency (IRENA) council in Abu Dhabi.

The significant announcement comes in the backdrop of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government running the world’s largest renewable energy programme and plans to achieve 175GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022 as part of its climate commitments. India has an installed renewable energy capacity of around 80GW.

“India would have installed 175GW of RE (renewable energy) capacity by 2022 without taking into account large hydro and 225 GW including large hydro. By 2030 India plans to establish 500GW of renewable energy capacity," Anand Kumar said in a statement issued by the MNRE.

This comes in the backdrop of the NDA government’s agenda of providing reliable, sustainable and affordable electricity to the masses in its second term and focusing on changing the energy mix towards green energy sources. Also, as part of the new hydro policy, the large hydropower projects have been declared as a renewable energy source, thereby making them a part of the renewable purchase obligation, which requires power discoms to purchase a fixed amount of renewable energy to cut dependence on fossil fuels.

“In his speech at IRENA meet, Shri Kumar stressed that fighting against climate change and adoption of renewable energy is a matter of faith and commitment for India. He also shared efforts being made by India for de- dieselisation of farm sector," the statement added.

The interest in India’s emerging green economy continues unabated. Earlier this month, sovereign wealth funds GIC Holdings Pte Ltd and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority agreed to invest $495 million in Greenko Energy Holdings, in one of the largest funding rounds by an Indian clean energy producer. Also, oil giants such as Russia’s Rosneft, Norway’s Statoil ASA, France’s Total SA and Royal Dutch Shell Plc are looking to diversify and invest in India’s green economy as the conventional hydrocarbon space undergoes technological disruption. For example, Malaysia’s state-run oil and gas company, Petroliam Nasional Bhd or Petronas has acquired Amplus Energy Solutions Pvt. Ltd, one of India’s largest rooftop solar power producers. have also been exploring opportunities in India’s clean energy space.

A 2 April IRENA report said that 171GW of renewable energy was added in 2018, resulting in 2,351 GW or a third of global power generation capacity being fuelled by renewable sources. Interestingly, Asia accounted for 61% of new capacity in 2018.

India has witnessed a record low solar tariffs of ₹2.44 per unit. India’s wind power tariff also fell to a record low of ₹2.64 per unit. Of the targeted 175GW of clean energy capacity by 2022, 100GW is to come from solar projects. Of this, 60GW will be from ground-mounted, grid-connected projects, and 40GW is to come from solar rooftop projects. Wind power projects are to contribute 60GW.

Getting this quantum of solar and wind power on the grid would require forecasting the generation and setting up of renewable energy management centres (REMC). To put this into play, the government’s 100-day plan has proposed setting up eight such REMCs in wind and solar rich states such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

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A solar power solution with a difference

Units set up on sub-station land and near end customer help EESL save on cost and to ramp up capacity quickly
This is clearly a solar power solution with a difference.

If what Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) has attempted is anything to go by, this distributed/de-centralised solar power unit model in Maharashtra could well be replicated in other States with huge agriculture load, estimated to be taking up about ₹65,000 crore in subsidy.

Apart from being a distributed solar project initiative, it is aimed at supporting agriculture loads with a flat tariff of ₹3 per unit, over the next 20-25 years.

Set up in the vacant land offered by the power substation sites, there is no transmission and distribution (T&D) loss as the end consumers are located close by and the Discoms too gain as they get power at a cheaper price if the overall cost to supply the end consumer is taken into account.

“Thus far we have set up about 35 MW and within days (before August 15) we will achieve 100 MW capacity which we managed to do so within months of initiating the plan. Our target is to increase this to 500 MW by next year and possibly have a 2 giga watt (2,000 MW) within couple of a years,” said Saurabh Kumar, Managing Director of EESL.

EESL, a State-owned energy service company, was floated through a joint venture of power PSUs, NTPC, Power Finance Corporation, Rural Electrification Corporation and PowerGrid.

“Our services are based on identifying a problem and coming out with innovative solutions. And the grid-connected de-centralised solar power generation model is something which we initiated as a pilot with the Maharashtra government, where there is a huge demand for power from the agriculture sector,” he said.

Even though the solar power tariff is contracted at, say, ₹2.44 per kwh, if the levellised tariff over the years and transmission cost are taken into account, this goes up. And for Discoms, the supply to the end farmer works out to ₹5-7 a kwh.

These solar units are set up on vacant land offered by the State utility at the power sub-stations.

No T&D loss
The power thus generated is supplied at ₹3 a unit. In doing so, it is ensured there is no T&D loss, the Discom gets committed power at the daytime for supply to the agriculture pump sets, and EESL offers services as an ESCO.

“By March 2020, we expect to achieve a capacity of 500 MW and plan to take this up to 2 Giga Watt in a couple of years as we offer similar services to other States, where there is huge demand for power from the agriculture pump-sets, We are able to set up .5 MW to 2 MW at these locations, ideal for management too,” he explained.

“There are at least 10-12 States with huge power demand from the agriculture sector and we have the capability to offer them similar solutions. These States include Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu,” he said.

Windpower is coming a long way. GE has a 12MW windmill which is super exciting especially for off-shore power. The coastal area of India can invest in such windmills offshore, with a 12 MW ocean wind turbine can generate 67 GWh annually. A 2/3 coastal line for India can produce enough energy to supplant conventional coal-fired power stations with just wind power alone. Tuticorin, Rameshwaram in TN and Gujarat Kutch, Cambay bay are ideal locations.

India's solar power installations increase by 36% yoy at 2,170 Mw in Q3

Installations in the Indian solar market rose by 36 per cent year-on-year during third quarter of calendar year 2019, reaching 2,170 Mw from 1,592 Mw a year ago. Compared to the second quarter of 2019, installations are up by 44 per cent. However, solar installations in the first nine months of 2019 reached 5.4 gigawatts (Gw), down 19 per cent from 6.7 Gw of capacity added in the first nine months of 2018, according to Mercom India Research.

In Q3 of 2019, large-scale installations totaled 1,925 Mw compared to 1,218 Mw in Q2 2019 and 1,157 Mw in Q3 of 2018. The large-scale solar project development pipeline for the country has increased to 22.6 Gw. About 37 Gw of solar has been tendered and was pending auction at the end of the quarter.


Rooftop solar installations declined by 16 per cent quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) in Q3 of 2019, totaling 245 Mw compared to 292 Mw installed in Q2 2019. Rooftop solar installations fell by 44 per cent YoY compared to 435 Mw in Q3 of 2018.

“Solar installations in Q3 of 2019 beat the downward trend seen over the past five quarters; however, we are revising our forecast down for 2019 as over 1 Gw of projects have been delayed. The rooftop market continues to be weak amid a lack of financing and consistent regulatory issues,” said Raj Prabhu, CEO and co-founder of Mercom Capital Group.

The revision in the solar forecast was attributed to the slowdown in rooftop solar installations was due to partial commissioning of large-scale solar projects, and over a gigawatt of projects that were scheduled to be commissioned in the third and fourth quarters getting pushed to 2020 due to a number of reasons, including: legal issues, land acquisition problems, execution delays, tariff approvals, AP state Issues – policy instability, and access to financing.

Total power capacity addition during nine months of 2019 was 13 Gw from all power generation sources. Of this, renewable energy sources accounted for nearly 56 per cent of installations, with solar representing 41.4 per cent of new capacity and wind with 13.6 per cent. Coal accounted for almost 44.1 per cent of new capacity in 9M of 2019.

India’s cumulative solar installations stood at 33.8 Gw by the end of third quarter of 2019. However, rooftop installations still made up only 12 per cent of total solar installations. Because of the liquidity crunch and worsening economic conditions, commercial & industrial (C&I) companies are struggling to finance rooftop projects. The country has crossed 4 Gw of cumulative rooftop solar installations and achieved only 10 per cent of the 2022 target of 40 Gw.

Mercom India Research has revised its solar forecast down to about 7.3 Gw for capacity additions in CY 2019 from the previous estimate of 8 Gw. Mercom is estimating about 10 Gw of solar installations in CY 2020, assuming stable market conditions.

Tamil Nadu was the top state for large-scale solar installations in Q3 2019, followed by Rajasthan and Karnataka. Large-scale solar installations were mostly concentrated in five states, which made up 96 per cent of installed capacity in the quarter.

“The pipeline of projects due to be commissioned in 2020 looks a lot stronger and we should see the solar market resume year-over-year growth again. But a lot will depend on the economy getting back on track, which will affect lending and power demand,” added Prabhu.

Finally, Ladakh gets going with Bonanza of power projects

With Ladakh becoming a separate Union Territory directly administered by the Central Government (Lieutenant Governor as an administrator), a cluster of hydro electric and solar power projects with intent to ensure production of power in ‘profusion’ in the Union Territory of Ladakh, at a cost of Rs.50000 crores, was going to be completed in a record period of four years which only reiterates the commitment of the Central Government to see an economic turnaround of Ladakh. 7500 MW power was going to be produced all by 2023 in the region. Using Srinagar Leh transmission line for distribution of power, 14 solar projects for Leh and Kargil are envisaged.

Such infrastructural projects not only provide solutions by creating periodic employment avenues but post completion , many hands get work and avenues to earn livelihood on a regular basis.

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BTW India is on track for Global emissions of greenhouse gases but will over-achieve its target by about 15 per cent. Even if all countries meet the unconditional commitments they made at the Paris conference in 2015, GHG emissions will be way more than what they should be. India is among the few countries that are on track to meeting their Paris targets.

Total GHG emissions, including from land-use change, reached a record high of 55.3 GtCO2e (Giga tonnes of Carbon dioxide equivalent) in 2018. Fossil CO2 emissions from energy use and industry, which dominate total GHG emissions, grew 2.0 per cent in 2018, reaching a record 37.5 GtCO2 per year. By 2030, emissions would need to be 25 per cent and 55 per cent lower than in 2018 to put the world on the least-cost pathway to limiting global warming to below 2˚C and 1.5°C, respectively.

The goal is to create more forests so as to absorb 2.5 billion to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and three, 40 per cent of installed capacity for electricity generation based on non-fossil fuels.

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{ the amount of hubris emanating in Euro/West of GHG and its implementing systems to combat them is just more Green-hous-gas talk. The Internal Combustion engine (ICE) in cars/trucks has caused untold damage. India can do this without signing onto global treaties. Just planting trees has caught on in a big way and Solar/Wind/Hydro projects are galloping due to sheer economics. We don't needs lectures since India has always thought of damage to environment. The banana leaf is an excellent example of recycling nature. Migrating to electric and hydrogen fuel for all vehicles is the next step. All railways going electric is on track. Since an individual's consumption in India is modest compared to the Global levels, India can perhaps became a major leader in showing the way forward. }

India has Offshore Wind Potential of 67 GW off the Coast of Tamil Nadu, Gujarat

Approximately 36 GW offshore wind power potential exists off the coast of Gujarat and 31 GW off the coast of Tamil Nadu, MNRE Minister RK Singh has said

Based on the preliminary studies carried out by the National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) in collaboration with various multilateral agencies, the Government has identified eight zones each off the coast of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu as potential offshore wind energy zones, Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy RK Singh has said.

Answering a question raised in the Lok Sabha, the minister said that “based on mesoscale mapping, it is estimated that, approximately 36 Giga Watt (GW) offshore wind power potential exists off the coast of Gujarat and 31 GW offshore wind power potential exists off the coast of Tamil Nadu.”

Further adding that the National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE), Chennai had commissioned a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) equipment in November 2017 for measurement of wind resources off the coast of Gujarat. Wind measurement data collection for two years has been completed and also validated with a ground-mounted wind monitoring station at Jafrabad, Gujarat

Further, it required a geophysical study for an area of about 365 sq. km has been completed along with geotechnical studies for five bore holes in the Gulf of Khambhat, off Gujarat Coast. A rapid Environment Impact Assessment study has also been conducted through the National Institute of Oceanography for proposed one GW offshore wind energy project off the Gujarat Coast.

Answering the question on the steps taken/being taken by the Government to develop offshore wind energy projects in Tamil Nadu, the minister said that “the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has already allocated required budget to NIWE for installation/ commissioning of three LiDARs off the coast of Tamil Nadu in Gulf of Mannar for carrying out offshore wind measurements at specific locations along with geotechnical investigations. The installation of LiDAR off the Tamil Nadu coast could not be done in April 2018 because of opposition from the local fisherman community. NIWE has once again initiated the process of getting required clearances from various agencies for alternative locations.”

Recently, the minister had also announced that 2043 MW of new wind energy capacity has been installed in the country in the current fiscal year up until February 29, 2020.

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https://www.saurenergy.com/solar-en...ential-67-gw-off-the-coast-tamil-nadu-gujarat

Top five states for solar power production across India profiled
By NS Energy Staff Writer 01 May 2020

India’s prolific solar power producing states have helped towards the country's aim of achieving 100,000MW of renewable energy by 2022


Top five states for solar power production in India profiled

In 2010, when India’s National Solar Mission was launched, the country had just 17MW of installed solar power — but with its current 30,000-megawatt (MW) production capacity, India has far exceeded the target of 20,000MW set to achieve by 2020.

It is now the fourth-largest solar power producer in the world, with more than a third of its total energy capacity produced from renewable sources.

India’s biggest solar power producing states are found in the west and south of the country.



Top five states for solar power production in India
NS Energy profiles the top five solar power producing states of India.



1. Karnataka — 7,100MW
The south-western state of Karnataka heads India’s list of states producing solar energy. With total installed solar power capacity of about 7,100MW — notwithstanding the 1,000MW of projects in the pipeline — Karnataka is way ahead of the other states.

Karnataka’s 13,000-acre Pavagada Solar Park (or Shakti Sthala) in Tumakuru district is one of the biggest solar plants in India, with a production capacity 2,050MW.

The state is likely to see three more ultra mega solar power parks, with a capacity of 2,500MW each, in the districts of Bidar, Koppal and Gadag.



2. Telangana — 5,000MW
After Karnataka, the southern state of Telangana comes second in terms of solar power capacity in India. Launched in 2014, following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana’s total installed solar energy has reached about 5,000MW — a figure that it had set for itself to achieve by 2020. This includes standalone rooftop solar units as well as grid-connected ones.

The state also opted for a distributed solar installation model, which has managed to earn it about Rs. 450 crore in the form of savings. Instead of concentrating these projects at a single location, Telangana has spread them across more than 180 locations.

Telangana has spread solar projects across more than 180 locations (Credit: Sebastian Ganso/Pixabay)


3. Rajasthan — 4,400MW
One of the most solar power savvy states of India, Rajasthan has a higher potential for solar power generation than any other state in the country — yet, it trails behind Karnataka and Telangana. As of November 2019, the operational solar power projects in Rajasthan accounted for about 4,400MW of solar energy, while 1,900MW more are in the pipeline. By 2025, Rajasthan aims to install a total capacity of 30,000MW of solar energy.

The 14,000-acre Bhadla Solar Park in Jodhpur is currently the world’s largest fully operational solar park, with a capacity of 2,245MW of installed solar energy. Rajasthan is also home to India’s only tower type solar thermal power plant.

The central government recently revealed plans for a 25,000MW ultra mega renewable energy park. In the next three years, during the project’s first phase, 10,000MW of solar power capacity will be installed in the state.



4. Andhra Pradesh — 3,470MW
Claiming to be India’s second-largest state in terms of clean energy, Andhra Pradesh possesses about 10% of the nation’s capacity for green energy. With its solar and wind projects adding up to about 7,700MW, Andhra’s cumulative capacity of commissioned solar power is more than 3470MW, placing it the fourth on this list.

Andhra Pradesh houses the 1,000MW ultra mega solar park in the district of Kurnool. Another 1,500MW solar park is in the planning stage and two more large-scale parks are on the verge of completion in the district of Kadapa.

Due to the rising demand for power in the state, the government of Andhra Pradesh is planning for a 10-gigawatt (GW) mega solar power project, and intends to supply this power without interruption and free of charge to the agricultural sector.

Andhra Pradesh houses the 1,000MW ultra mega solar park in the district of Kurnool (Credit: Ulrike Leone/Pixabay)


5. Gujarat — 2,654MW
Out of Gujarat’s current total renewable energy production of 9,670MW, about 2,654MW consists of solar energy. It is planning to boost its renewable energy capacity to 30,000MW by 2022.

The state is the top in India for domestic rooftop solar installations — a total of 50,915 — which account for nearly 64% of the country’s total of 79,950, as of March 2, 2020.

To support India’s target of installing 100,000MW capacity of solar power under the National Solar Mission, of which 40,000MW has been planned through solar rooftops, Gujarat will be aiming for a solar energy capacity of 8,024MW by 2021-22, while bringing in 3,200MW via the rooftop segment.

Gujarat’s single-biggest solar power generation capacity can be found in Patan district’s Charanka Solar Park, which currently produces 600MW and is soon expected to reach 790MW.

SECI tender gets bids to supply round the clock renewable power at ₹ 2.90 a unit

Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) Limited has received bids from project developers to supply round the clock power from renewable energy (RE) sources at ₹ 2.90 a unit.

This tender is special because the developer would be mandated to supply power 24x7 by ensuring that a storage system would back the renewable energy project.

"Golden chapter added in Indian RE story, as e-RA (e-reverse auction) for 400 MW RE Projects with Round the Clock (RTC) supply conducted by SECI Limited results in historic first year tariff of ₹ 2.90 per kWh. MNRE makes a new beginning towards firm, schedulable & affordable RTC supply through 100 per cent RE power," Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power and Renewable Energy, R K Singh said.

According to officials in the know, ReNew Power quoted the lowest tariff of for the entire 400 MW capacity which was offered by the SECI. Under the tender conditions, this winning tariff will increase by 3 per cent annually for 15 years. The levelised tariff would be around ₹ 3.60/unit.

Additional 15.77GW in 2019-20 whereas in 2018-19 it was 14.2GW.

Coal ws 6.76GW in 2019-20; hydro 0.3GW; renewable 8.71 GW (target was 11.8GW)
India has 87GW renewable as of March, 2020 and coal fired is 198.7GW ; Now ~25% is from renewable energy. Installed capacity is 370.3 GW.

Southern region has 42.4GW of renewable.

Renewable energy production should grow in the coming years and India has capacity to grow up to 100% with power 24x7 by ensuring that a storage system is in place. Each state in the Union should target renewable solar energy of 5GW (around 1GW/year) in the next 5 years. Highly doable with vision set by PM/ Power Ministry.

Tamil Nadu CM, Petroleum Minister inaugurate compressed bio gas plant

Gas produced from plant at Namakkal can run 1,000 vehicles, says Minister

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated a Compressed Bio Gas Plant (CBG) at Namakkal and five CBG fuel stations in Pudhuchattiram and Rasipuram on Tuesday.

The CBG plant has been set up by IOT Infrastructure and Energy Services, a joint venture between Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. and Germany’s Oiltanking GmbH at a cost of ₹25 crore. “The plant will be able to manufacture 15 tonne CBG and 20 tonne bio-manure everyday,” Mr. Palaniswami said during the inauguration that was done virtually.

The Chief Minister said Tamil Nadu was the leading State in the country in renewable energy. “T.N. has a renewable energy potential of 15,876 MW,” Mr. Palaniswami said. The Chief Minister said his government would extend all support to the Government of India to implement clean energy projects.

“The CBG produced from the plant can fuel more than 1,000 vehicles per day in Salem–Namakkal region. The biogas plant shall also fuel 2 industries with green alternative fuel,” Mr. Pradhan said.

The Union Minister said this was the first time that an alternative to natural gas was being sold by oil marketing companies and the number of such projects were to increase manifold in the coming years

“It is for the first time that we are inaugurating facilities that provide an environment friendly gaseous fuel from natural sources in Tamil Nadu, as regular CNG fuel stations are not yet available in this State,” he said.

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The government is planning to impose a basic customs duty in the range of 20-25% on imported solar modules from August 1, which would eventually be raised to 40% a year, power and renewable energy minister R K Singh said. For solar cells, the customs duty will start with a 15% levy this August, and will be raised to 30%. He said the power sector would be made financially viable with new rules and amendments to the law, making it consumer friendly and limiting cross-subsidies




The central government has proposed a major push to domestic manufacturing of renewable energy (solar) equipment in the country that would completely eliminate the need for imports, particularly from countries such as China. The current capacity of solar cell manufacturing in India is about 2,500 MW. This is proposed to rise over three times in the coming years. In the case of solar modules as well, 7,000 MW of capacity is being added in addition to existing capacity. Power minister RK Singh had said earlier that under the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ mission, domestic manufacturing capacities would be expanded at a rapid pace for meeting goals towards import substitution. The plan for the renewable sector, he had said, should not only be sufficient to meet the country’s needs but would also support exports and earn the country valuable foreign exchange. The minister also remained confident that the 175 GW target for renewable energy, set for the end of 2022, will be met.

{ After the Ladakh standoff India needs to step up its local manufacturing and impose tariffs on all China imports. We have no one to blame but ourselves if we cannot see the writing on the wall. A sane plan both tactically and strategically in all areas of commerce is required and implemented in haste. The troika of politicos, babus and business clan have been fooling around for too long. }