Australian energy major MetroCoal Ltd has approached NTPC for forming a joint venture for developing that country’s biggest coal mine and ship the fuel for firing the state-run generation utility’s

Grid-based solar power only reaches only households that are connected to energy supply, and simply subsidises costly solar for an already-reached population

India’s solar power policy is now entering round two. Much needs to be reviewed and reworked, since the business of solar energy has seen massive turbulence in India as well as globally. In the first phase (2010 to 2013) of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), the target was to set up 1,000-2,000 MW of grid-based solar power in the country. By 2013, the country has indeed commissioned some 1,000 MW of solar power, but 700 MW of this target comes from a non-JNNSM state, Gujarat.

NEW DELHI: Delhi surrendered its allotment of 2,083 mw, or more than half its current daily demand, from November 1 even as the city suffered widespread blackouts between second week of that month and continued till the first week this month.

While CM Sheila Dixit talked tough and ordered discoms to tie up supplies in advance to avoid similar outages in summer, senior state government officials blamed lower generation at state-run NTPC's power plant at Dadri as a result of fog disrupting rail service and delaying coal supply.

The government plans to divest 9.5% stake in NTPC to raise up to Rs 12,000 cr

In a move that could boost the valuation of NTPC, the government will restore allocation of three cancelled coal blocks of the public sector company on Tuesday, a month before the power generator’s public issue hits the market. The Cabinet had recently given its go-ahead for restoration of the blocks. “The three coal blocks (of NTPC) would be re-allocated tomorrow,” Power Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told reporters after a ministerial panel’s meeting.

Will set up 550 new 33/11 KV sub-stations in the state

In a bid to upgrade the transmission network in the state, the Odisha government will invest Rs 1,650 crore on setting up 550 new 33/11 KV sub-stations in the state. The new sub-stations which will be over and above the existing 550 sub-stations, are expected to be commissioned within two years. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting held on Friday chaired by chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

In the absence of transport network and faster envt clearances, benefits will be limited

After nearly 40 years of state ownership, the chorus of support for privatisation of coal mines is growing louder. With the economy ravenously short of coal to fire its power plants, and the state-owned Coal India Limited (CIL), which has a near monopoly in the sector, failing to meet the ever increasing demand from industry, the cause of privatisation is gathering strength.

As part of the first Indo-French collaboration in the renewable energy sector, two solar photo voltaic-based power plants of a total capacity of 20 MW are being established at Gajner village in Bikaner district at a cost of $ 42 million. The first of the two projects was commissioned under the National Solar Mission recently.

P. R. Fonroche -- a joint venture between P. R. Clean Energy and Fonroche Energie S.A.S. -- has collaborated with Mahindra EPC to commission the projects within a year of the award by NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam.

Aims to maximise realisation to meet Rs 30,000-cr target FinMin to meet ministries this week

To maximise realisations from stake sale in two companies in its disinvestment pipeline — Oil India Ltd (OIL) and NTPC — the government has planned to sort out some of the issues before launching offer for sale (OFS). The stake sale in the two companies is critical to meeting the government’s Rs 30,000-crore disinvestment target for the current financial year, as the government has managed to garner only about Rs 6,900 crore so far.

This would boost NTPC's valuation ahead of its Rs 12,000 cr disinvestment this fiscal

The Power Ministry is in constant touch with Coal Ministry to speed up the re-allocation of three mines to NTPC, which would boost the power producer's valuation ahead of its Rs 12,000 crore disinvestment this fiscal. The government has decided to re-allocate three coal blocks -- Chatti-Bariatu, Kerandari and Chatti-Bariatu (South) -- to NTPC but all the necessary clearances are not in place.

GAIL (India) has announced the successful commissioning of the Dabhol LNG terminal located at Ratnagiri in Maharashtra, around 340 km south of Mumbai.

This 5 million tonnes capacity LNG terminal has been set up with an investment of Rs.4,000 crore and will go a long way in meeting the demand of user industries in Maharashtra. Gas from this terminal would be supplied to southern states through a pipeline that would be commissioned by the end of this month, GAIL (India) Chairman and Managing Director B. C. Tripathi told journalists in Mumbai after commissioning the LNG termina