India

ABB has won an order worth $71 million from Steel Authority of India Limited to supply a substation package for its Bhilai Steel Plant located in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh.

With a string of problems preventing the timely commissioning of the 44 MW Chutak hydro electric project, NHPC has lashed out at BHEL for its laid back attitude and failure to take adequate action regarding critical activities for the project.

 NTPC-SAIL Power Company Limited  has requested the Ministry of Power to place its new power projects nder the central public sector undertaking category in order to fast track the allocation of coal linkage.

The 30-minute load-shedding program is likely to continue in the Indian state of Kerala as a result of fall in power supply from the Central grid. This load shedding applies to all categories of consumers.

Aravali Power Company Pvt Ltd has threatened to cut power supply to the Delhi based distribution companies if the Letter of Credit was not renewed.

South Korea's Hyundai Engineering and Daewoo International will sign an agreement with Ashuganj Power Station for the construction of a 225MW power plant in Bangladesh.

BHEL has bagged a Rs 3,800-crore order from Dainik Bhaskar Power for setting up a 1,320-Mw thermal power plant in Madhya Pradesh.

Tatith Solar will use the US$19 million direct loan to buy SolarWorld Industries America panels for its 5MW project in Gujarat. The transaction is the sixth Ex-Im Bank-backed PV installation in India in the current fiscal year.

The Ministry of Coal has been forced to step in and help expedite the commissioning activities at the site of the 250 MW Barsingar thermal power project, which is being operated by Neyveli Lignite Corporation.

Neyveli Lignite Corporation is expected to conclude tendering activities for its new thermal power project, consisting of 2 units of 500 MW each.

Brahmaputra Valley Energy and Power has sought allotment of Gas NCV 37519.29 Kacl/SCU.M for their proposed 500 MW gas based power plant at Kathalguri, Assam.

State owned Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) said that it had commissioned the transmission system for two units of the Mundra Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP) in Gujarat. The 4,000 Mw Mundra project, being developed by Tata Power, would be the first UMPP to start power generation in the country. “The line is ready to evacuate power from two units of Mundra UMPP (2X800 Mw) in normal condition and more than 1,200 Mw in the contingency from today onwards,” Power Grid said in a statement. The transmission system was commissioned on Thursday. According to the statement, the system commissioned consists of high capacity Mundra-Bachau-Ranchodpura 400 kV double circuit line along with 630 MVA Bachau 400/220 kV sub-station. These are part of the transmission system associated with Mundra UMPP, being implemented by Power Grid at an estimated cost of about Rs 5,000 crore, it added. “About 770 circuit kilometer transmission line has been commissioned in challenging conditions like passing through tough terrains in creek area of Arabian Sea… Excessive water logging due to heavy rains, etc,” the statement said.  

Nuvia India is eyeing around 20 million euro, around Rs 120 crore, in revenues from the country over the next two to three years.

The Board of Directors of the United States Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) has recently announced a $150 million financing to expand the use of solar energy to power telecommunication towers in India, a project that will significantly reduce CO2 emissions.

The construction of a 2x500 MW capacity coal based plant in Tamil Nadu is likely to see an extension of a minimum of eighteen months.

Nalco plans to diversify into nuclear power investing Rs 11,450 crore. Nalco CMD BL Bagra said his firm has dentified Kakarapar Atomic Power Station – 3 & 4 Project for development, jointly with Nuclear Power Corporation of India at a cost of Rs 11,450 crore. The recommendation for the investment is under consideration by the Government. Bagra said the company had been pursuing to set up a smelter and power project in Orissa. However, considering uncertainty on location, company might have to explore for an alternate location elsewhere in the country, he said.