India

 THDC is in the process of issuing a tender for a floating rate foreign currency loan of Euro 88.47 million to finance the "foreign component" of the EPC contract given to the consortium of Alstom Hydro France and Hindustan Construction Company Ltd (HCC) for execution of the 4x250 MW Tehri PSP. The contract was awarded to the consortium for a total of Euro 88.47 million along with a Rupee component of Rs 1272 crore and the scope of work includes planning, design & engineering, civil works, supply & services of electro-mechanical and hydro-mechanical equipment as well as erection, testing and commissioning of units. Coface, the Export Credit Agency of France has agreed to provide the necessary export credit insurance, including political and payment default cover for financing the deemed French portion (most equipment would be sourced from France) of the transaction as well as the eligible local portion, the eligible foreign content, the premium to be charged by Coface as well as capitalized interest. Coface guarantee will come into effect once Alstom Hydro submits an application to Coface.  The following are the details of the loan: Tenor: 20 years, Repayment period: 30 semi-annualized repayments, ECA cover: 85% comprehensive cover, Interest: Floating, 6 months EURIBOR plus margin.  

A World Bank team to the North Eastern states of India found the transmission and distribution networks in woeful neglect and a near-complete breakdown of infrastructure.

India's NTPC will be developing Srilanka’s second coal based plant at Trincomalee.

A high capacity transmission corridor is being pursued to increase the power infrastructure in the state of Chhattisgarh.

BHEL has been unable to conclude the trial operation completion for the two 125 MW units of the project of the Barsingar thermal power station.

Australia’s Perdaman Industries termed the Lanco Infratech's move to terminate thier coal supply pact as “wrongful”. 

Pakistan failed to obtain a stay order from the International Court of Arbitration against India’s construction of the Kishanganga Hydroelectric Power Project.

BGR Energy Systems bagged Rs 444.48 crore worth of orders from Nuclear Power Corporation of India.

Russia on Friday showed big interest in joining a project to build a gas pipeline linking Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, according to Xinhua News.

Jindal Powerwants to acquire thermal power plants with a minimum capacity of 1,000MW to double its generation capacity in India.

The power ministry has notified the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) about issue of share of power from the Tehri hydro electric plant (HEP) in place of equity participation in the undivided state of Uttar Pradesh (U.P), raised by the Government of Uttarakhand. Earlier, the state government had pointed out that assets and liabilities of Tehri dam should have been transferred to the state of Uttarakhand in accordance with the provisions of Uttar Pradesh reorganization act. The Ministry of Power (MoP) and the Government of India have given their consent to the claims of Uttarakhand and thus, requisite approval from MHA is to be obtained on these pending issues. 8Notably, Uttarakhand is entitled to 25% share in power from Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited (THDC), which as of now is not being given. The transfer of power from THDC includes 12% free power and the rest 13%, which has been allocated by the Centre, according to the Central Electricity Authority`s intimation. Further, the state needs to be compensated for non-supply of about 2,000 MU of power from THDC, out of a total 9,000 MU being generated since 2007-08. Also, the share of profit from THDC, amounting to Rs 72 crore, allocated to U.P so far is required to be transferred to state of Uttarakhand.  

THDC is awaiting permission from the Government of Uttar Pradesh to use the land owned by the UP Irrigation Department for its Dhukwa small hydro project.

Rising demand for the dominant form of renewable energy worldwide – wood – could drive yet more acquisitions of land in developing countries where food insecurity is rising and land rights are weak, say researchers at the International Institute for Environment and Development. In a briefing paper published today (30 August), they warn that this new trend needs greater public scrutiny and debate.  Wood accounts for 67% of global renewable energy supplies, and many countries in the global North are increasing their use of it both to reduce their reliance on costly fossil fuels and to mitigate climate change.  Such countries are setting ambitious targets for using renewable energy, including biomass, but with demand for wood set to outstrip supply by up to 600% in some countries, and high tree growth rates in the tropics, investors are beginning to look South.  New tree plantations in developing countries that will be harvested to export wood could spell good news in terms of jobs, investment, climate change and conversation — if they are managed well.  But there is also a risk that plantations will displace poor and marginalised communities from land they have tended to for generations but have no formal claim over.  The paper, aimed at policymakers in both developed and developing countries, warns that rising demand for wood could harm food security and the livelihoods of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people if governments lease large areas of land for fuel wood plantations.  “All eyes are turned to food and biofuels, but tree plantations for biomass energy may soon become an important driver in the global land rush,” says Dr Lorenzo Cotula, a senior researcher at IIED and co-author of the paper.  Duncan Macqueen, also a senior researcher and co-author adds: “Wood is a vital renewable energy source, and countries in the South should develop it for local energy security, not export it to fuel Northern energy deficits at the expense of their own people.”  

The over-bearing dependence on regulation.

India's ministry of power has sought an allocation of 56.08 MMSCMD of natural gas for power plants to be commissioned during the 11th Five Year Plan.

The bids received for the EPC contract of civil and hydro-mechanicalworks associated of the 444 MW Vishnugad Pipalkoti hydro-electric project are being evaluated by a panel of technical experts.