It is one of the leading renewable energy projects in that country. South Africa’s Minister for Energy, Dipuo Peters has announced her department’s approval of the facility, which will utilise Suzlon’s 2.1 MW turbines.

“South Africa needs more energy and it also needs thousands of decent and sustainable ‘green’ jobs. The wind energy sector is well positioned to deliver both of these requirements and more,” Suzlon Group Chairman and Managing Director Tulsi R Tanti said in a statement.

Earlier this year, Suzlon announced its partnership with African Clean Energy Developments (ACED), African Infrastructure Investment Managers (held by Old Mutual Investment Group (South Africa) and Macquarie Capital) and AFPOC.

ACED Managing Director Thomas Donnelly said, “This is an important milestone for the project, ACED and for South Africa. The Cookhouse project marks a major first step in our plans to build a 1 GW renewable energy portfolio over the next three years, with our 200 turbine agreement with Suzlon at the core of our plans.”
Agencies

The plant marks Reliance Power’s first foray into solar energy and is part of its strategy to expand its renewable energy portfolio. ADB is providing a long-term loan of up to $48 million to finance the 40 megawatt solar power project located in Jaisalmer district in the western state of Rajasthan.

Reliance group firm Reliance Infrastructure will buy the electricity under a long term power purchase agreement. The power will be distributed to households in Mumbai, the country’s financial capital. The project, expected to cost about $147 million, is scheduled to be completed by the second quarter of 2012, the statement posted on ADB’s site, said.

The Export Import Bank of the United States is also providing funding for the project. ADB said it aims to help develop, finance and commission 3,000 MW of solar power generation capacity in its developing member countries by mid 2013.
Agencies

This is GAIL’s fourth order with Suzlon, the first two being located in Gujarat. A part of these projects is meant for GAIL’s captive power requirement, with the remaining for power sales to the respective local power distribution utilities. Tulsi R Tanti, Founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Suzlon Group said: “This order underscores our position as a partner-of-choice for large wind investors in India. With the strength of our future development pipeline, our customised end-to-end offerings and our long term service capabilities, we are the best positioned to take advantage of the rapid growth of the Indian wind market.”
Agencies

“This project brings OPIC’s financing for renewable energy in India to more than US $400 million,” said OPIC president and CEO Elizabeth Littlefield. “OPIC is proud to be supporting India’s impressive ambitions to shift to a less carbon-intensive economy.”

Project sponsor Applied Solar Technologies (AST) will use the OPIC loan to supplement cellular towers’ diesel-powered generators with solar hybrid energy systems that use proprietary controllers to integrate and optimize usage through photovoltaic technology, electricity from the electric grid, a battery bank charged by solar panels, and existing generators.

OPIC and other US trade and investment finance agencies played an important role in the US-India Partnership to Advance Clean Energy (PACE). This project, as well as support for Husk Power in Bihar, Azure Power in Punjab, the India-wide South Asia Clean Energy Fund, and two recently announced renewable resources investment funds that can invest in India, are examples of the US commitment to to help India reach its clean energy objectives.

Speaking at a seminar on sustainable energy for economic growth organised by the Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry, state power minister Natham R Viswanathan, said that the state’s wind generation capacity was 6,067 Mw. Of this, nearly 300Mw is not used due to evacuation problems.

To strengthen the grid that carries electricity generated from wind, the government is planning to set up sub-stations and transmission lines at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore. “We have private players in generation. Now we are planning to involve them in transmission and distribution too,” he said.

Viswanathan invited companies to invest in Tamil Nadu without fear of power shortage. He said that the state will have surplus power after 2012. He said that in the next five years, 23,000 Mw will be added to the grid. The power demand in the state was growing at 7 per cent, but there was no proportional growth in the generation sector. The installed capacity is 10,237 Mw and generation is 8,000 Mw. The demand is 10,500 Mw. “Our government has formulated short, interim and long term plans to solve the power crisis in the state,” he said.

Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) chairman Hans Raj Verma has asked private players to set up coastal power generation plants in the state. Verma said Tamil Nadu had a long coastline and many ports, so it would be easy to import coal from Indonesia and Australia. He said the proximity of the sea would ensure that the thermal plants did not face shortage of water. “Tamil Nadu does not have a coal mine, but coal can be imported as we have good ports,” said Verma.

He said private firms can play a role in wind power evacuation. Tamil Nadu has a wind power generating capacity of 6,012 Mw and there is still potential for producing more. But the challenge is to carry the generated power to distribution points without wastage. “If the grid infrastructure can be strengthened, we can utilise every unit generated,” said Verma.

State energy secretary Ramesh Kumar Khanna said 4,640 Mw will be added to the grid by the end of 2012. The state is also gearing for a capacity addition of 8,900 Mw. Khanna said the state will soon come up with a renewable energy policy which would include solar power. “We are also trying to reduce transmission loss from 18.5 per cent to 18.1 per cent,” he said.
Times of India

The aviation sector is considered to be the highest emitter of Co2. How much will be the reduction in emissions after shifting to bio-fuel?
The aviation sector is actually responsible for only 2 per cent of the world’s carbon emissions, much less than many other sectors. Lufthansa takes the mission of carbon-neutral growth very seriously and has already achieved good results: Flying a passenger for 100 kilometres on the airline’s network today consumes less fuel than transporting him the same distance in his own car. The average fuel needed to fly one passenger 100 kilometres has fallen from around six litres in 1991 to just over four litres today. The average fuel consumption on Lufthansa’s long-haul routes is only three and a half litres per passenger for every hundred kilometres flown. However, advancing globalization and a growing global population are leading to an increased demand for mobility. It is a demand that cannot be met in the long term in an environmentally-friendly way by only harnessing the finite resources of fossil fuels. The search for eco-friendly alternatives is one of the biggest challenges the airline industry is facing and Lufthansa is squaring up to this challenge. One of the first stages of the airline’s sustained plan in reducing carbon emissions is the testing of bio-fuel for a period of six months under the project burnFAIR on the Hamburg-Frankfurt route. So far, only limited useful information has been obtained regarding the use of bio-fuel in aviation. This is something we want to change with our industry leading bio-fuel trial.

What are the main aims for the six month long trial of bio-fuel on the jet?
In the long term, this trial will help Lufthansa achieve its climate protection targets. The initiative is being implemented as part of an overarching research project that will not only investigate the compatibility of bio-fuel, but also other issues such as new propulsion and aircraft concepts or other fuels, e.g. from oil-producing algae.

Whether the aircraft fuel network been modified for the use of bio-fuel?
The current aircraft being used for this project operates between Frankfurt and Hamburg, the two main hubs of Lufthansa Technik. The aircraft will be filled with fuel at Hamburg Airport by tankers and not via a central underground system. This enables the bio-fuel and conventional kerosene to be kept separate. Hamburg also has a suitable storage tank for the bio-fuel.

How difficult is to source the fuel? What is the arrangement for the fuel supply for the next six months / the trial period?
Lufthansa has sourced this bio-fuel from Neste Oil. The Finnish petroleum company has many years’ experience in the production of bio-fuel and is well equipped to meet Lufthansa’s bio-fuel requirements.

How will using bio-fuel affect your balance sheet?
During the six months test run period, the use of bio-fuel will reduce CO2 emissions by up to 1,500 tonnes on the Frankfurt – Hamburg route, saving considerable amount of conventional fuel and its costs.

How are you planning to take this initiative forward? (Continued usage of Bio-fuel)
In the next step Lufthansa will start ensuring quality control procedures along the entire supply chain for aviation bio-fuels. Such Quality system shall start at the feedstock producing farms and shall end at the aircraft wing. In addition Lufthansa will consider extending flights with bio-fuel-blends in 2012 subject to final board approval as the price level for bio-kerosene is still higher than the price for conventional jet fuel plus any surcharge for Co2 emissions commencing 2012.

Could you elaborate on the green initiatives of Lufthansa in general?
Lufthansa is very committed to protecting the environment and reducing carbon emissions. This is why Lufthansa is actively exploring the potential of alternative fuels. The airline fully supports the ICAO and IATA initiatives to reduce carbon emissions and to carry out research on bio-fuel and other alternative energy sources.  This is not all: The current fleet renewal and the use of new, modern aircraft like the Boeing B747-8 and the Airbus A380, which Lufthansa also plans to introduce on Indian routes in the future, will further reduce Lufthansa’s specific fuel consumption and help cut emissions even further. The company is implementing an ambitious investment programme for new eco-friendly aircraft. Currently on order are another 150 aircraft, valued at a total of more than 15 billion euros at list price and scheduled for delivery until 2015

The solar system installed at U.S. Foodservice-Los Angeles, which was co-developed with SunExpress, utilized 4,998 pieces of DelSolar’s D6P230A3E multi-crystalline 230Wp PV module. It included a 1,124 kW rooftop section, and two canopies of 16 kW and 10kW, which will together generate close to 1,656,774 kWh/year.

Gene Steffes, division president, US Foodservice-Los Angeles said, “We are safeguarding the environment, minimizing waste, conserving resources, recycling materials and providing customers with environmentally preferable products. The solar panel installation is both good for business and the right thing to do.”

Stephen Torres, Director of DelSolar Development USA added, “This is the largest PV Solar turn-key solution that DelSolar has completed in the North America, and the largest solar installation at any US Foodservice facility.

The project was partially funded thru the California Solar Initiative (CSI) incentive program. The La Mirada project created over 50 jobs in construction and installation related services, helping to foster the recovery of local economy.

This long term test run is expected to reduce CO2-emissions and deliver research results. Since bio-kerosene has similar properties to those of conventional kerosene, it can be used for all aircraft types without any need for modifications to the aircraft or its engines. During the six months test run period, the use of bio-fuel will reduce CO2 emissions by up to 1,500 tonnes.

Christoph Franz, chairman and CEO of the Lufthansa Group, said, “Lufthansa is the first airline worldwide to use bio-fuel in scheduled daily flight operations. We are thus continuing to steadily implement our proven and successful strategy for sustainability.” As air transport is the only mode of transport that will remain dependent upon liquid fuels for the foreseeable future, the aviation industry and the research community must develop and test alternatives. “Fossil raw materials are finite,” Franz cautioned. He added that next to reducing CO2 emissions the main aim of this long-term operational trial was to examine the effects of bio-fuel on the maintenance and lifespan of aircraft engines.

The biosynthetic kerosene is derived from pure biomass (biomass to liquids – BtL) and consists mainly of jatropha and camelina. In the procurement of bio-fuel, Lufthansa ensures that it originates from a sustainable supply and production process. Suppliers must provide proof of the sustainability of their processes and meet the criteria stipulated by the European Parliament and the Council in the Renewable Energy Directive. The fuel used by Lufthansa is produced by Neste Oil, a Finnish oil company. Neste has extensive experience in the production of bio-fuels and has been a successful partner of Lufthansa for many years.

Lufthansa puts the total costs of conducting the bio-fuel project at about 6.6 million euros. The German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology has awarded 2.5 million euros in funding for this project, which is part of a larger project known as FAIR (Future Aircraft Research) set up to examine other issues besides the compatibility of biofuels, including new propulsion and aircraft concepts and other fuels such as liquefied natural gas (LNG).

 With the addition of this wind farm, OGPL has an operating capacity of 172 Mw of wind energy in Tamil Nadu making it one of the leading wind IPPs in the State. OGPL’s total operating capacity comprising both wind and biomass is 248.5 Mw. The company is expected to make onstream another 40Mw of over the next few weeks.

The steady increase in capacity will see the company consolidate its position as the leading independent renewable energy generation company in the country. P Krishnakumar, managing director – OGPL said, “We are very pleased to announce synchronising of two projects in the space of a few days. Our capacity addition plans have gained momentum and there are a significant projects in progress which will take our renewable energy capacity in Tamilnadu to 342 Mw by end of this financial year. This capacity addition will lead to enhanced availability of power especially in the Tiruppur district, which comprises a large proportion of industrial and SME consumers.”

Renjini Liza Varghese

For a power starved state like Tamil Nadu, respite may come from the renewable sector. Though it may not cover the deficit fully, it will surely reduce the demand-supply gap. What will cater to this deficit is the country’s first grid connected biomass plant. This 10 Mw plant set up by the Orient Green Power Company Limited (OGPL), the power arm of Sriram group, is an independent renewable energy-based power generation company. The power plant situated at Angalakurichi in Coimbatore District in Tamil Nadu will use coconut fronds from the Pollachi area as fuel.

Talking to energybusiness, R Kulothungan, VP, Projects, OGPL said, “Discrepancies in tariff structure in the sector is dampening the growth. Uniform tariff structure will boost biomass sector as the potential is larger.” He also pointed out that a tariff above Rs 5 is financially viable and a feasible price. Unlike solar and wind energy where the fuel is free of cost, biomass power producers spend 60 per cent of the capital in acquiring fuel for the plant. Typically, for a 1 Mw biomass plant, the capital investment is Rs 14 crore, and requires 6,000 to 8,000 tonnes of raw material.

Land acquisition is a concern in majority of the states, but developers like OGPL who have large land banks demarcated to develop renewable energy in their kitty find it easy to set up biomass. To ensure continuous fuel supply OGPL is planning energy plantations. “This will be on contract farming basis as intercrops. Also, will cultivate energy plantation in the wind farm being developed in Coimbatore,” he added.

OGPL currently has biomass plants in 2×8 Mw Rajasthan, totalling the existing biomass capacity to 50 Mw. By the end of the current fiscal, the company aims to achieve close to 120 Mw from biomass alone.

The sector, according to Kulothungan, will see more investments as global players are entering India. The definite power supply makes it more attractive than wind and solar he says.  Renewable purchase obligation is also paving the way in attracting more companies. He pointed out, “The current 10 Mw plant is situated on 5 acres of land and another 15 acres is used for storing the raw material.” Given the low land requirement to set up a biomass plant induce investor interest, this ensures easy grid access and connectivity.

As per statutory norms, any biomass plant above 15 Mw needs Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) clearance. So majority of IIPs are looking at developing plants between 7.5- 10 Mw. The viability of sourcing agriculture waste from the particular district (Currently a plant can source the fuel from 70 km radius of where the plant is situated).