Proposed Indian Nuclear Power Plant in Zone Subject to Earthquakes

[kristopher]

Proposed Indian Nuclear Power Plant in Zone Subject to Earthquakes
Written by John Daly
Tuesday, 17 January 2012 00:00

Like many energy poor countries with rapidly rising economies, India’s government sees the development of a nuclear power industry as a potential godsend to meeting soaring demands for electricity.

But the country’s proposed nuclear program has run into increasing resistance, following the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami that on 11 March 2011 devastated Japan’s Daichi nuclear power plant complex, taking all six Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) reactors offline. Public opinion in India is concerned because the country is subject to both of the natural phenomena, and authorities are declining to release relevant materials.

The issue is not insignificant, as nuclear power is now the fourth-largest source of electricity in India, exceeded only by thermal, hydro and wind power, with its 19 online nuclear power plants (NPPs) generating 4,560 megawatts of electricity.

In the most recent example of governmental stonewalling, New Delhi is declining to release to the public a geological study of the Jaitapur region in Maharashtra State on the Arabian Sea, where the government intends to construct a NPP.

India’s government has already seen significant public protests over...

http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Nuclear-Power/Proposed-Indian-Nuclear-Power-Plant-in-Zone-Subject-to-Earthquakes.html

Renewable Energy is the future of mankind, India’s minister Dr Farooq Abdullah

An exclusive interview with Dr Farooq Abdullah, India’s renewable energy minister ahead of the official opening of World Future Energy Summit 2012 in Abu Dhabi tomorrow, highlights the role of renewable energy in India’s economic growth.
Dr. Farooq Abdullah is the Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy in the Government of India. He is best known for his energetic leadership of the pathbreaking and transformational initiative in renewable energy – The Jawahar Lal Nehru National Solar Mission. He is also known for a number of other initiatives in the renewable energy space in India-notably, renewable energy for energy access, the introduction of Generation Based Incentives and the move towards introduction of Renewable Energy Certificates.

How important is renewable energy and clean technologies to emerging markets, such as India?
The challenge facing the world today is to meet its increasingly large energy needs while minimizing the damage to the environment. This is why, while striving to bridge its energy deficit, the world must necessarily increase the share of clean, sustainable, new and renewable energy sources. Therefore, we in India look at Renewable energy and clean technologies as vehicles of sustainable development. We are now at the verge of a second transition as far as renewables are concerned. We have passed through the phase of research, development and small scale deployments and now have an installed base of over 22,000 MW renewable based capacity, which is around 11 per cent of India’s total power generation capacity. We have added over 11 GW capacity in the last 5 years and plan for another 30 GW in the next 5 years.

Is it realistic to expect renewable energy to meet the growing energy needs of these countries in the next 10-15 years?
I am confident that renewable energy is an idea whose time has come. There is an unmistakable shift from the use of conventional energy to renewable sources of energy. While 10 years may be an ambitious time frame to aim for a total transformation, the role of renewables will continue to increase, not only in India but in the entire world. Whether or not renewable energy completely replaces fossil fuel, we must all work together to develop renewable energy to its fullest potential.

What are the initiatives that India is ...

http://www.dubaichronicle.com/2012/01/15/renewable-energy-india-minister-farooq-abdullah/

India secures new solar PV plant
By Annie Dang on 17 January 2012

India’s sunny climate and low cost of production is making it one of the fastest-growing solar markets in the Asia-Pacific region.

Leading manufacturer of next-generation thin-film photovoltaic modules, Abound Solar and Indian solar system integration company, Integration Systems India (Solarsis) announced yesterday that it will commission a 1MW solar photovoltaic plant in Kadiri, Andhra Pradesh, India.

The commissioning officially took place on January 14, 2012...

http://www.myfen.com.au/news/india-secures-new-solar-pv-plant--1

Indian villagers' lives transformed by new energy delivery system
A social enterprise is providing low-cost mobile-charging and light services through micro grids in Uttar Pradesh, enabling the poorest to cease relying on kerosene – and to stay connected

It's late December and an icy fog cloaks the northeastern state of Uttar Pradesh. Here, far from the cities, smoke rises in dense, choking spirals from meagre wood fires and scantily-clad children shiver against the cold. These are largely farming families, and their mud huts fortified by the occasional brick wall are for the most part devoid of light, heat or clean water.

But it is here in Uttar Pradesh, one of India's largest and poorest states, far away from the country's straining power grid, that US-born entrepreneurs Nikhil Jaisinghani and Brian Shaad have started to pioneer a wholly different energy system, designed to meet some of the most basic needs of the poorest.

Their company, Mera Gao Power (MGP), provides ultra-low cost lighting and mobile phone charging services to individual houses by building and operating solar-powered micro grids at a village level.

Each household that signs up to their service receives two LED lights and one mobile-charging point in their home at a cost of 25 rupees (£0.301) per week. The setup cost is an additional one-off payment of 40 rupees (£0.48). "This is the kind of price point that the majority of them can afford," Sandeep Pandey, MGP's operations manager, explained.

The benefits of these simple services for a village household are multiple....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2012/jan/16/india-solar-power-system

[kristopher]

1. India Emerges as Solar Energy Hotspot

India Emerges as Solar Energy Hotspot
By Andrew Burger | January 17th, 2012 0 Comments

India emerged as a solar energy market hotspot in 2011, as the Indian government set a goal of scaling up solar power generation from 20,000-megawatts (MW) to 20,000-MW by 2020. Government support to achieve the ambitious target is attracting private sector investment from a host of domestic, as well as some foreign, solar energy industry participants, the latest one being Talma Chemical Industries.

Part of the Bhanshali family group of companies, Talma Chemical Industries is diversifying into solar energy with the launch of Visual Percept Solar Projects, according to an Economic Times of India report. Through Visual Percept, Talma plans to invest Rs 1,700 crore (~USD 37 million) in solar energy projects with capacity totaling 100-MW.


Private Sector Leveraging Indian Government’s National Solar Plan
Vallabh Bhanshali, the patriarch of the Bhansali group of companies, made his fortune as an investment banker perhaps best known for introducing Infosys to the capital markets. Having sold the investment banking and brokerage arms of domestic financial services provider Enam to Axis Bank in 2010, he’s been looking to expand and diversify since, the Economic Times recounts. His nephew, Akash Bhanshali, is leading the Visual Percept Solar Projects venture.

The Indian government’s plans to rapidly scale up solar power generation is attracting investments from India’s largest industrial and power companies and conglomerates, including Tata Power, Reliance Power, GMR Energy and Adani Power...

http://www.triplepundit.com/2012/01/india-emerges-solar-energy-hotspot/