Sustainability Outlook Headlines

TN (India) textile mill owners urge for interest-free loan

Textile manufacturers in Komarapalayam, Tamil Nadu, India have urged the Central Government of India and the State Government of Tamil Nadu to grant them ‘interest-free’ loans for setting up the Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) in Pallakapalayam.

More than 200 textile processing mill owners have formed the Komarapalayam Green Cauvery General Textile park cluster and have identified 60-acre land in the... Read more..

Maharashtra’s new textile policy gives subsidy for self-financed projects

Aiming to modernize and boost the textile industry in Maharashtra, the state government has announced capital subsidy for the upcoming self-financed projects in the state.

According to new textile policy 2011-2017, capital subsidy will be given to self-financing textile projects — spinning mills, cotton ginning, processing and printing units, which will get 35 per cent capital subsidy, technical textiles and... Read more..

Hindustan Powerprojects likely to list itself before subsidiaries

Hindustan Powerprojects Pvt. Ltd, backed by private equity firm Blackstone Group LP, is reworking its fund raising plans. The power producer plans to first take the holding firm public instead of listing its solar unit, a company spokesman said.

Hindustan Powerprojects, formerly Moser Baer Projects Pvt. Ltd, had in 2014 said it would list its solar unit Hindustan Cleanenergy on the Indian exchanges. The... Read more..

Electrifying India, With the Sun and Small Loans

A few years ago, the hundred or so residents of Paradeshappanamatha, a secluded hamlet in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, gathered along the central pathway between their 22 densely clustered homes, and watched as government workers hoisted a solar-powered streetlamp. As the first display of electricity in the town, it was an object of mild interest, but, being outside, the light didn’t help anyone cook or study, and only attracted moths.

... Read more..

How renewable energy sector performed in India in 2015

For India’s energy sector, the past year held promise, thanks to a commendable fall in electricity shortage, a global recognition for the country’s focus on renewables, a grand plan to shore up the finances of state-run utilities and a sharp fall in the cost its oil import basket to the lowest level since 2014.

At the same time, there were some misses as well, notably on the oil exploration front which still... Read more..

MP: Rooftop solar policy notification likely in Jan

The Madhya Pradesh government notification on rooftop solar power projects policy for individual households on net metering system basis is expected in January, 2016.

Delay in fine tuning the draft has led to the notification coming in January, an official of state new and renewable energy department said on condition of anonymity.

... Read more..

Rooftop solar systems gaining popularity in Coimbatore

Several independent houses in the city are going in for rooftop solar systems, making Coimbatore one of the top districts in the State to harness solar energy.

According to an official of Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency here, 300 applications were approved and installations inspected in the district in the last one year. This included systems that were set up in Coimbatore, Karamadai, Pollachi and Anamalai.

On an average, about 20 applications are received in the district almost every month from domestic consumers and many of them are for installations in bungalows. Of... Read more..

Solar Park inaugurated in Visakhapatnam

A private agency launched Solar Park, the first of its kind in the country, here on Tuesday.  Named Suryakiran, the park would be set up in Thatipudi, Kothavalasa and S Kota where radiation levels were said to be very high.

Representatives of  Mahitha Infra Private Limited, the promoters of the company, told reporters that they were aiming at generating 50 MW of power through solar  energy available in the area for over 300 days in a year.

Each park will be set up in an area of 30 acres to 50 acres spread over the three places-S Kota, Nothavalasa and Thatipudi. Plots... Read more..

IGL to issue stickers to CNG certified cars from tomorrow: Rai

Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai today said that Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) will issue its stickers to CNG-certified cars from tomorrow. The Aam Aadmi Party government has given exemption CNG-run cars having IGL's stickers from odd-even scheme that begins from January 1. However, the government warned that if anyone was found using a fake or a copy of these CNG stickers, he or she will be prosecuted under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code besides imposing a heavy penalty.

"The IGL will start distributing a special logo for the CNG-run vehicles with special features and... Read more..

Budget for solar energy via rooftop hiked to Rs 5,000 crore

India’s cabinet on Wednesday approved a significant hike in the budget for tapping solar energy through rooftop installations from Rs 600 crore to Rs 5,000 crore.

This will support installation of 4,200 MW Solar Rooftop systems in the country in next five years.

“The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the scaling up of budget from Rs 600 crore to Rs 5,000 crore for implementation of grid connected rooftops systems over a period of five years up to 2019-20 under National Solar Mission (NSM),” said a cabinet statement.

“It will come up through... Read more..

Supermarket Kaufland joins hand with Greenpeace in Detox campaign

A growing number of retail chains support the Greenpeace campaign against polluting chemicals in textile production. Now the supermarket chain Kaufland (Neckarsulm) has agreed to participate in the “Detox” campaign by Greenpeace. Kaufland confirmed the signing of a voluntary commitment by 2020 gradually refraining from using polluting substances in the manufacture of textiles and shoes. Greenpeace called on retailers like Edeka / Netto, Norma or the Metro subsidiary Real to join the action. Kaufland has 1200 stores in Germany and Eastern Europe.

Greenpeace initiated the campaign in... Read more..

BHEL commissions Prayagraj power plant unit in UP

Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) on Tuesday said it has commissioned a 660 MW unit of the Prayagraj Super Thermal Power Project at Bara in Uttar Pradesh.

“The unit has been commissioned at the upcoming 3×660 MW Prayagraj Super Thermal Power Project (STPP) at Bara in Allahabad district of Uttar Pradesh,” BHEL said in a statement here.

This is the first super-critical thermal unit in the state to achieve capacity addition on attaining full load, it said. Super-critical units, by consuming lesser coal, are more efficient and eco-friendly.

The statement said BHEL is the... Read more..