Lanco Infra bets big on solar biz, eyes $300m annual rev - CNBC-TV18 -

After acquiring Australian coal mining company Griffin, Lanco Infratech is now betting big on the solar business. The company is looking at USD 300 million of annual revenue from its solar SEZ and hopes to list its solar biz in two years, reports CNBC-TV18’s Mehak Kasbekar and Malvika Jain.

It is all stones and boulders now but this is where India's first solar SEZ is set to take shape. Lanco Infratech plans to invest Rs 3000 crore to set up a solar photovoltaic manufacturing unit over 250 acres at Rajnandgaon, Raipur in the state of Chattisgarh. The SEZ will have an annual manufacturing capacity of 250 Mw photovoltaic cells and aims to meet 15% of India's demand for solar energy equipment. But the big bucks will flow in from abroad, as the company plans to export 50% of the equipment at competitive prices to Europe and USA.

L Madhusudhan Rao, Chairman, Lanco Infratech said, "Solar for us is an independent company. That is how we want to position this company. We want to bring in this independence from 2-3 yrs from today. at some point of time we may separate this and list this."

The project, being funded with a 75:25 debt-equity ratio, involves an initial investment of 1,370 crore rupees in the first phase that is expected to be completed in 15 months. The manufacturing unit shall be fully commissioned by 2014.

Rao said, "Gas today has become little bit tricky. There is going to be 50-60 mmscmd of gas available in the next 3-4 yrs and we don't see much scope beyond that in short to medium term.”

The company is restructuring its business to create a separate power vertical. Lanco has a long-term plan to increase its power generation capacity from nearly 2,100 MW to 15,000 mw by 2015. The company may also look at listing the arm soon.

Source: Lanco Infra bets big on solar biz, eyes $300m annual rev - CNBC-TV18 -

World’s Longest Wind Turbine Blades to Be Built by Alstom & LM Wind Power in Denmark | Wind Power

LM wind power, in collaboration with Alstom want to develop the world’s longest wind turbine blades. The new blades will be designed to fit Alstom’s 6MW wind turbine.

The first prototype made out of polyester and glass fiber will be created in the company’s Danish factory in Lunderskov. According to company officials, Alstom prototype sites from Europe will have such blades by the end of 2012.

The length of the new blade has not been specified, but will be longer than LM’s longest blade, the 61.5m/202-ft 61.5P2, which is manufactured at the company’s Lunderskov, Denmark, factory.

“This new blade builds on the innovative features developed for our recent design, offering an additional annual energy production of four to five per cent compared to standard blades,” said Roland Sundén, CEO of LM wind power.

Being one of the world’s largest supplier of blades, brakes and services to the wind industry, LM wind power has created about 130,300 blades over a time of 30 years.

Alstom is a global leader in power transmission, power generation and infrastructure (including nuclear, hydro, coal, gas and wind power), having sales of over €23 bln in 2010. Recently the company started collaborating with Brookfield Renewable Power to produce plant equipment to two hydro-power facilities in Brazil.

Read more: http://www.greenoptimistic.com/2011/02/12/alstom-longest-wind-turbine-blades/#ixzz1DuQ5pK5g

Source: World’s Longest Wind Turbine Blades to Be Built by Alstom & LM Wind Power in Denmark | Wind Power

India's Simhapuru targets S.African coal

CAPE TOWN: India's Simhapuri Energy , a unit of the Madhucon Group , wants to buy new or existing collieries in South Africa from where it aimed to export a minimum of 5 million tonnes within five years, an official said on Tuesday. 

Indian companies are buying coal assets in top five global exporter South Africa as it moves to secure resources for a growing economy and to feed coal into new power plants. 

"We want to invest in coal and are looking at some acquisitions. From South Africa we are targeting a minimum of five milion tonnes of coal for export within five years," Nama Krishnaiah, director of Simhapuri Energy, told Reuters on the sidelines of an African mining conference. 

Displacing Europe, India and China are emerging as the two main destinations for coal from South Africa, which last year shipped some 63 million tonnes of thermal coal. 

Maducon Group has interests in the construction, coal and sugar industries, with Madhucon Projects listed in Bombay. 

Krishnaiah said the company, which recently opened offices in Johannesburg, was in discussions with unnamed junior miners, as well as applying directly to the Department of Mineral Resources for mining licenses. 

"At this moment we are targeting some brownfield projects that have mining licenses, but we are looking at greenfield (developments) also," said Krishnaiah, adding that Zimbabwe's coal fields were also attractive. 

He said the company, which was developing a 1,920 megawatt power plant near India's Krishnapatnam port, was financially strong and had capital to purchase coals assets. 

The company already owns coal mines in Indonesia.

Source: India's Simhapuru targets S.African coal - The Economic Times