Zorlu Enerji Elektrik Uretim to Expand Capacity of Wind Energy in Pakistan

Turkish power utility, Zorlu Enerji Elektrik Uretim has announced that the company would deploy more wind turbines to enhance the output capacity of its wind power project in Sindh province from 6 MW to 56.4 MW.

The wind farm, which is situated 100 km northeast of Karachi, is anticipated to be finished by 2012. The expansion of the wind farm will require an investment of about $147 million.

The Asian Development Bank has granted a $36.8 million loan to Zorlu Enerji Elektrik Uretim to augment the output power of its wind farm in Pakistan. Zorlu Enerji has to payback the loan amount with interest within a period of 12 years with an extension of two years.




Source:-http://www.evwind.es/noticias.php?id_not=10161

India’s Solar Power Market Is El Fuego

While Europe and the United States have attracted major investments in solar energy in recent years, a growing number of solar outfits – big and small – are placing their biggest bets on significant and sustained growth in India’s solar energy market.

The prodigious amounts of electricity needed to power India’s emerging economy – which is grappling with supply shortfalls in electricity – combined with concerns about curbing carbon emissions has resulted in a patchwork of government policies and programs across India promoting investment in solar energy. These include a national REC market, feed-in-tariffs, tax incentives and so on and so forth.

With over 15 percent of the world’s population, India’s demand for electricity is already significant. India is already Asia’s third largest energy consumer, and primary electricity consumption is expected to rise at 6.4% annually from 2005 to 2020. Solar power capacity is projected to grow by 27% annually in coming years, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

U.S.-based companies like Astonfield Renewable Resources Limited and Sun Edison have bet heavily on strong growth in India’s solar energy sector. Astonfield, which plans to invest $2 billion in the green energysector in India over a period of five years, is building a 250 MW solar photovoltaic power plant in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. These bets have also taken the form of ambitious joint ventures and technology partnerships with local firms and organizations.

For example, U.S.-based SunPower Corporation and Enterprise Business Solutions (EBS) have established a joint venture to build a $110 million manufacturing facility. SunPower and EBS also plan to construct a chain of solar power plants, including rooftop solar projects on government buildings, across the State of Punjab to generate nearly 1,000 MW of power over the next two years.

Roughly 400 million Indians remain without access to power. If India is to meet its projected GDP growth rate of 10%, with an average growth of 8% over the next 15 years, the country’s energy consumption must expand. The country faces a deficit of 11% in overall demand, and anywhere from 12-17% when demand peaks. Coal comprises over 71% of that generation, a share that is expected to decrease to 51% by 2035.

Source: India’s Solar Power Market Is El Fuego - William Pentland - Clean Beta - Forbes

SAIL may not get nod to mine Chiria

Forest Advisory Panel Asks Ministry Not To Grant Clearance To PSU
Urmi A Goswami NEW DELHI

Akey environment ministry panel, the Forest Advisory Committee, has recommended that the public sector steel major SAIL not be allowed to mine iron ore from the Chiria reserves in Jharkhand. The recommendation is likely to put Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh in a tough spot yet again. It is likely to re-open the economic growth versus the ecological and environmental imperatives debate. 

The steel ministry is keen that SAIL be given the clearance to mine the Chiria reserves. These reserves, located in the West Singbhum district of Jharkhand, have depositis of nearly 2 billion tonnes of high grade iron ore. SAIL has the rights to half of these deposits or 1 billion tonne. SAIL has argued that it needs access to the Chiria reserves to fuel its expansion plans. 

However, the forest panel has recommended to the ministry not to grant the clearance. This is because the Chiria mines are located in the Saranda forests bordering Orissa and Jharkhand. This is among Asia’s largest and best sal forests. It is also an important elephant habitat. The Saranda forests area is home to tribal groups like the Ho. 

Uncontrolled mining, both legal and illegal, for iron ore has been destroying the forest and wildlife. The area is dotted with iron ore mining towns including Gua, Chiria, Kiriburu and Noamundi. The impact on the forests has been significant. State forest reports show that that between 1997 and 1999, about 3,200 hectares of forest was lost in the Singhbhum region. Between 2001 and 2003 some 7,900 hectares of dense forests were lost in the East and West Singhbhum districts. Experts say that further degradation of the Saranda forests, which has been affected, will have serious consequences for the area’s considerable biodiversity. It will also have an adverse impact on the livelihood of the local tribal communities. 

The Chiria reserves are located in an elephant corridor and habitat. The report of the Elephant taskforce stated that mines are a major issue in the region, especially in the rich sal forest of Saranda, which is a prime elephant habitat. 

The taskforce report Gajah: Securing the future for elephants in India suggests that Saranda forests “can be secured with careful regulation to protect intact habitat from being fragmented by mines.”

Source: Article Window