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NEW DELHI, JULY 19 :
BHARAT Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has secured contract for setting up a 1,200 MW thermal power plant (2x600 MW) in Chhattisgarh.

The 2,665- crore order has been placed on the company by Dainik Bhaskar Power Limited (DBPL) for supplying and installing the main plant package for their upcoming coal-based thermal power project, located at Baradarha in Janjgir district of Chhattisgarh.

The power equipment maker secured its highest ever orders from private power utilities in fiscal 2009-10. Out of the total orders of 16,489mw MW for Power Plant Equipment received by BHEL during the year, the orders received from IPPs alone accounted for 14,689 MW. This constituted nearly 90 percent of the total orders booked by BHEL's Power Sector.

The company's scope of work in the contract envisages design, engineering, manufacture, supply, erection, testing and commissioning of boilers, steam turbines and turbo-generators along with state-of-the-art Controls and Instrumentation and other associated auxiliaries.(editor@thesynergyonline.com)

NEW DELHI, JULY 07 :
BUREAU of Energy Efficiency (BEU) last week obtained Cabinet and all legal clearances to introduce percentage reduction target for energy conservation in all private and public utilities and reduce carbon footprint in power sector with effect from April 2011, disclosed Director General BEU, Dr. Ajay Mathur, warning that their non-compliance will attract severe penalties.

Inaugurating ASSOCHAM organized conference on 'Reducing Carbon Footprint in Power Sector' here today Dr. Mathur, however, clarified that levels of percentage reduction target will be higher for inefficient and prototype industries and that lesser for the efficiently run modern industries.

The levels have yet to be decided as consultation process in this regard has yet to be concluded between BEU and all concerned stake holders, he told answering a query raised by one of ASSOCHAM members during the conference here today.

The DG, BEU also announced that the Union Power Ministry has finalized 'Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)', to enable NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd. (NVVN) - a wholly owned subsidiary company of NTPC to buy energy, generated through non-renewable sources like - solar and wind between Rs. 16-Rs 18 a unit for distributing it to end users by State Electricity Boards (SEBs).

The PPA empowers NVVN to buy renewable energy from it's generators at the decided rates and sell10 per cent of it to every SEBs as per guidelines of Energy Conservation Act as well as Electricity Act of 2003, clarified Dr. Mathur, adding that detailed guidelines for distributing renewable energy would be unveiled shortly.

Elaborating on fixation of percentage target, Dr. Mathur further stated that these would be fixed up for initial period of 3 years and be further revised beyond 2014 to ensure that in first three years of its implementation for energy conservation, 25,000 mega watt of energy has been saved.

He, however, added that percentage target would not be so stringent as to push companies for closer but be realistic enough so that with installation of modern equipment, desired levels of energy conservation are achieved.

The Chairman ASSOCHAM national committee on power and CMD, PTC India Mr TN Thakur who also spoke on the occasion cited the example of offices in all major cities of Europe which do not use air conditioning until the temperature goes beyond the mandatory 26 degree Celsius, unlike India where AC is used in an uninterrupted manner with not much emphasis on temperature control or variation. "Houses in Switzerland are also reported to be using negative energy through domestic generation of solar/wind energy. Such small steps go a long way in reducing the dependence on conventional energy generation", Mr Thakur said.

Partner Advisory Services, Ernst and Young Mr Dipankar Ghosh said investment and initiatives in the upcoming new technologies for energy efficient power generation and the loss reduction in the T & D segment is expected to receive an even greater boost once the Indian power sector is subjected to climate regulatory norms. The shift in energy profile from fossil fuel based carbon intensive sources to renewable energy based sources would help the growth of the sector on a low carbon/ sustainable trajectory, he said. (editor@thesynergyonline.com)

NEW DELHI, JUNE 28 :
SIGNIFICANTLY contributing towards reducing the gap in demand and supply of power in the country, BHEL built thermal, hydro, gas and nuclear sets recorded an all-time high generation of 490 Billion units of electricity in FY 2009-10.

Out of India's total generation by coal based utilities, BHEL sets contributed a record 79.9 percent.

Consistently exceeding the national average efficiency parameters, in 2009-10 also, BHEL-manufactured thermal sets achieved an impressive operating availability (OA) of 87 percent, while the plant load factor (PLF) at 78.4 percent was also higher than the national average. Notably, 72 sets achieved PLF of over 90 percent and 136 thermal sets achieved OA higher than 90 percent.

BHEL-make 200-500 MW thermal sets, which form the backbone of India's thermal generating capacity, operated at an OA of 90.1 percent and PLF of 82.1 percent. These sets have been achieving an availability of more than 90 percent consistently for the last three years.

The company maintained its tradition of bagging awards for excellent performance. Out of the 8 thermal power stations awarded with the Ministry of Power's Meritorious Productivity Awards for 2008-09, as many as 7 are equipped with generating equipment manufactured and supplied by BHEL.

The company's notable achievement was Trombay TPS of Tata Power Company Ltd., set up by BHEL on EPC basis, being awarded Government of India's National Award for Early Completion. (editor@thesynergyonline.com)

NEW DELHI, May 26 :
POWER Grid Corporation of India (Powergrid), a Navratna PSU and the central transmission utility of India , has reported a net profit of Rs.2041 crore for the financial year 2009-10, 21 percent rise as compared to the previous year's profit of Rs.1691 crore. The turnover of the company rose to Rs.7,504 crore from Rs.6,139 crore, up by 22 percent.

In this financial year the company's earnings per Share (EPS) increased to Rs.4.85 as compared to an EPS of Rs.4.02 for previous fiscal.

The book value per share of the company also grew from 34.73 to 37.81 for FY10. The company achieved an increase in capital expenditure from Rs.8,167 crore in the last year to Rs.10,586 crore.

The company operated around 75,289 ckt. kms. of transmission lines along with 124 Sub-stations as on March 31, 2010. Average availability of transmission systems during the year 2009-10 was maintained at 99.77 percent with the use of state-of-the-art preventive maintenance techniques. The company continues to wheel about 50 percent of total power generated in India through its transmission network. (editor@thesynergyonline.com)

NEW DELHI, MAY 25 :
NATIONAL Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) achieved net profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 2,090.50 crore in 2009 -10 , 94.43 percent higher than the net profit after tax of Rs. 1,075.22 crore earned during 2008-09. The company also achieved an all- time high sales turnover of Rs 4,218.90 crore , 57.90 percent higher than the last year sales turnover of Rs 2,671.85 crore, said Mr S K Garg, Chairman and Managing Director of NHPC.

The company also registered sales realization of Rs 3,603.93 crore , 48.90 percent more than the previous year’s realization of Rs 2,420.36 crore, he added.

The company has a market cap of Rs 36,000 crore, an investment base of Rs 37,000 crore and net worth of Rs 23,600 crore. The authorized share capital of the company is Rs 15,000 crore.

It generated 16960 million units (MUs) against the target of 16381 million units and 84 percent plant availability factor (PAF) for the operating power stations against the MoU target of 80 percent for “Excellent” rating. The Capex plan of NHPC for the year 2009-10 was Rs 3,763 crore and that for 2010-11 is about Rs 4,900 crore. The overall capex for XI plan period stands at Rs 21,600 crore, he said.

The compnay has planned to add 5322 MW during the XI Plan period (4292 MW from NHPC projects and 1030 MW by NHDC, a joint venture with Madhya Pradesh Government). During the current plan, so far NHPC has added 1030 MW ( 510 MW Teesta V Power Station in Sikkim and 520 MW Omkareshwar Project of NHDC in Madhya Pradesh), Mr Garg informed..

The company is all set to add another 120 MW shortly (by June, 2010) with the commissioning of Sewa-II Project in Jammu & Kashmir. Construction work on the remaining projects is in full swing, he said.

The company is foraying into thermal power business through its subsidiary company NHDC which has been entrusted with setting up of a 1320 MW Revapur thermal power project in Khandwa district by Government of Madhya Pradesh (GoMP). Another thermal power project of 1320 MW at Shahpura in Jabalpur district has also been offered to NHDC by GoMP, for which NHDC has given its consent. Besides, NHDC has also been allocated site by GoMP for 100 MW Wind Power Project in the Kukru Region of district Betul, he concluded. (editor@thesynergyonline.com)

EW DELHI, MAY 13 :
CLP India today opened its Theni Wind Farm by its Group CEO, Mr Andrew Brandler. The 99 MW facility located near Theni town in the State of Tamil Nadu takes CLP India's total wind power portfolio to 446 MW.

The company , a foreign investor in the wind power sector in India, has entered into an agreement with Vestas Wind Technology India the wind turbine manufacturer, to develop this green-field project. The Wind Farm that will be fully commissioned by end of June 2010, is expected to qualify as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project under the Kyoto Protocol, which will add to the financial viability of the project. It uses 60 Vestas V82 geared wind turbines, each with a capacity of 1.65 MW IEC Class IIB machine with a blade diameter of 82 m. The WTG is installed on a steel tower at a 78 m hub height.

The company proposes to sell 100 percent of the plant's power generation output to Tamil Nadu Electricity Board under the terms of a 20 year Power Purchase Agreement. The wind farm has provided an important boost for clean energy jobs and investment in the local economy. With this project, CLP will continue to provide clean energy jobs for the life of the project to meet the ongoing service and maintenance requirements.

Commenting at the inauguration function, Mr Andrew Brandler, Chief Executive Officer, CLP Holdings said, "The Theni project underpins its contribution to the Group's target of having 20% of our generating capacity from non-carbon emitting power across the Asia Pacific region by 2020, an interim target outlined in our Climate Vision 2050. This project is a definite demonstration of our commitment to power growth through clean energy solutions."

Mr Rajiv Mishra, Managing Director, CLP India, said, "The recent introduction of generation-based incentive (GBI) scheme is a progressive move and will further encourage Independent Power Project (IPP) developers like CLP to grow their renewables portfolio. In line with our global strategy, we intend to add 200 MW wind power in India annually."

"Vestas is very pleased to partner with CLP in developing this 99 MW modern wind power project. With a high safety record, the wind farm stands tall today as an example of exemplary execution. This project is also an example of Vestas' strength in collaborating with leaders such as CLP in developing wind power projects that meet high standards across the world" said Mr Sean Sutton, President, Vestas Asia Pacific.

CLP India is the major foreign investor in the wind power sector with a combined capacity of 446 MW. CLP India has around 182 MW projects under operation and 264 MW projects under various stages of implementation in Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, and all will get commissioned by next year. Given the increasing demand of renewable energy and having successfully operationalised five wind farms in India, CLP India aims to add around 200 MW of wind power installations every year to its portfolio and has already committed an investment of over Rs 9,700 crore in this regard.

In addition to its renewable energy portfolio, CLP India owns and operates a modern 655MW combined cycle gas power plant in Village Paguthan near Bharuch in Gujarat and is also building a 1,320 MW domestic supercritical coal-fired power project at Jhajjar in the northern state of Haryana - a project it won through international competitive bidding in July 2008.

CLP India has entered into an agreement with Vestas Wind Technology India to develop this greenfield project. The project is expected to qualify as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project under the Kyoto Protocol, which will add to the financial viability of the project. (editor@thesynergyonline.com)

NEW DELHI, APRIL 28 :
MAHARASHTRA and Uttar Pradesh are two major states in entire India which confront the worst power shortages as these two entities respectively face power deficit of 2609 million unit and 1351 million unit against average All India power deficit of 8980 million unit (MU), according to analysis of The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi including Rajasthan are states which are power deficit by respective 1 MU, 4 MU and 19 MU in the Northern region. Jammu and Kashmir is the only State which faces zero power deficit as it's power requirement is that of 900 MU against the availability of 900 MUs in northern part of India.

Uttarakhand which is considered a power surplus state, in reality it has been facing an average power deficit of 86 million unit as its power requirement is estimated at 749 MU against availability of 663 MUs in the month of April 2010.

Releasing the ASSOCHAM assessment on Power Supply Position in the month of April 2010 here today, it's Secretary General, Mr. D S Rawat said that average power requirement of State of Maharashtra is estimated at 12,132 MUs against it's availability of 9523 MUs.

The power requirement of State of Uttar Pradesh is around 6559 MUs while it's availability is about 5208 MU. It is because of huge differential between power requirements and it's availability, these two states in general face daily power shortages, exceeding 10 hours in a day, pointed out Mr. Rawat.

Power requirement and availability gap of Chandigarh is that of 1 million unit since it's availability is at 104 MUs against availability fact of 103 MUs. In case of Delhi, the power requirement runs into 1781 MUs every day while it's availability factor is at 1774 MUs. Himachal which like Uttarakhand is considered a power surplus state, it's power availability is at 612 MUs against 608 MUs availability factor.

However, Punjab is one State which faces average power deficit of 391 MU as its power availability is considered at 3496 MUs against it's availability of 3105 MUs. Most forward looking state in terms of investment absorption like that of Gujarat in Western region confronts power deficit of 528 MUs.

Here power requirement is estimated at 6826 MUs against availability of 6298 MUs. Madhya Pradesh is another state in this region in which power deficit runs into 867 MUs. In this state, the requirement of power is calculated at about 3960 MUs against it's availability of 3093 MUs.

Mr. Rawat pointed out that the situation in Southern region consisting of Andhra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry is no better. As far as Andhra is concerned, it's power requirement is around 7929 MUs against availability of 7040 MUs.

The State faces power shortage of 889 MUs every day. Karnataka as a power shortage of 465 MUs on an average as it's power requirement is assessed at 4943 MUs while it's availability stays at 4478 MUs. Tamil Nadu is a State where power requirement is estimated at 7177 MUs against availability of 6521 MUs and the shortage runs into 656 MUs.

Incidentally, State of Bihar faces a daily power shortage which runs into 295 MUs as requirement of power in the State is calculated at 1159 MUs against availability of 864 MUs. Bihar being a large state, its power requirement and availability cannot be compared with state of Maharashtra and even Uttar Pradesh in which industrial activities comparatively are on higher scale.

The power situation in West Bengal has improved because the State faces power shortages which runs into 166 MUs. Here the power requirement is estimated at 3461 MUs while it's availability is almost assures at 3295 MUs. So is the case with Orissa which is power starved by around 24 MUs.

In Orissa, power availability is 1804 MUs while it's availability is measured at 1780 MUs.
The all India power requirement for both domestic and industrial consumption is measured at 76493 MUs while it's availability is estimated at 67513 MUs which means that the all India power shortages works out to be 8980 MUs.

The Chamber has recommended acceleration in power generation as also suggested harnessing of resources in non-conventional areas which include wind, solar, tidal etc. The Chamber also feels that power transmission network need to be further strengthened in a manner tat power theft is discouraged. (editor@thesynergyonline.com)

NEW DELHI, APRIL 23 :
EXPEDITE setting up of waste energy projects as there is potential of generating 2500 megawatt of power from urban, municipal and industrial wastes in large cities, besides metro in next 2-3 years to meet energy shortages partly , according to a Study brought out by ASSOCHAM .

The Study on `Mitigating Climate Change : The Indian Perspective' indicates that about 40,000 million tonnes of solid wastes and 5000 million cubic metre of liquid waste is generated every year in the urban areas of the country which can be suitably recycled for power generation.

According to estimates made in the Study, about 1500 megawatt of power could be generated from urban and municipal wastes by setting up waste energy projects and additional 1000 megawatt of industrial wastes in the country by 2012.

The cost factor involved could be within the range of around Rs.200 crore, resources for which could be generated through municipalities and local governments with subsidy element coming towards such projects from state government concern.

Releasing the Study, ASSOCHAM Secretary General, Mr. D S Rawat said that India's energy policy also included nuclear energy as one of the promising areas to increase the power generation capacity to 20,000 MW (e) by the year 2020, based on the nuclear projects under construction and upgradation work.

Further elaborating on it, Mr. Rawat said that India has potential to reduce its projected emissions over next 30 years by nearly one-quarter for less than $25 per ton of carbon equivalent, with a substantial portion available at a very low cost.

Several research studies on Indian Power sector reveal the potential for saving of around 20,000 MW through various energy efficiency and demand side management measures, these include renovation & modernization of old power plants, adoption of cleaner coal technologies, HVDC transmission and distribution with HVDS, energy efficient distribution transformers, installation of capacitor banks etc. In addition, installation of super critical boilers also gaining momentum in the recent days.

All the energy efficiency and demand side measures in the power sector could qualify to gain the carbon credits through CDM cycle. Initiatives by several generating and transmission companies recently towards claiming carbon credits are a positive sign for the sector"

The Study has also sought "Shift fossil fuels (such as coal, diesel, and petroleum) to natural gas and renewables: With the abundant available of renewable sources like biomass across the country, India has vast potential to replace the current usage of fossil fuels in various industrial/commercial applications. This would reduce the dependence of fossil fuels in the industrial systems but also reduces the GHG emissions. This is also expected to increase the economic value of the biomass fuels which in turn likely to improve the social and economic conditions of the rural areas.

It also says that considering the gap between demand and supply in the power sector and investments required to bridge this gap, the Ministry of Power has been looking for more cost effective options such as Renovation and Modernization (R&M) of existing power plants, which are not as capital intensive as new capacity addition and which could be implemented in a comparatively shorter time frame. In view of the same, MoP has identified 170 thermal units which installed capacity of 11,000 MW and 35 hydroelectric units with installed capacity of 3000 MW that need R&M and life extension.

With the continuous exploration of gas reserves across all the potential locations in the country, India is poised to grow in this field and develop more gas based power plants and find its usage more in various industrial applications. Government of India's steps towards encouragement of private participation in this sector and growing potential for gas based power plants in India would definitely play a key role in future to reduce the GHG emissions in power and industrial sector".

The Study says that it is also essential for world leaders from both developed and developing countries realize the importance of climate change and act as catalyst in promoting the policies that target at reduction of GHG emissions. (editor@thesynergyonline.com)

NEW DELHI, MARCH 10 :
THE Ministry of Power and THDC India have enetered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) defining the performance guarantee parameters for the financial year 2010-11.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard has been signed between the Ministry of Power (MOP) and THDC INDIA here on Tuesday by Mr Harisankar Brahma, Secretary(Power), Govt of India and Mr R.S.T. Sai, CMD, THDC India.

Apart from the Senior officials of Ministry of Power, Mr. A.S. Bisht, Director (Personnel), Mr C.P. Singh, Director(Finance) and Mr Deepak Sarwal, General Manager, from THDC India . were also present at the signing of the MoU.(editor@thesynergyonline.com)

NEW DELHI, FEB 25 :
RAGA Integrated Technology Management Services is hosting the "The World Renewable Energy Technology Congress and Exhibition-2010 from March 18-20, 2010 at Hotel LeMeridien here in India.

The objective of the Congress is to promote and accelerate the contribution of the renewable energy to the energy basket of the country. With this aim, the theme of the Congress has been aptly chosen as "Global Technology Cooperation for Renewable Energy".

The Congress will further bring into focus the preparedness of Government of India and industry in accelerating the recently launched Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission and in managing climate change. It will also highlight the opportunities available for Public-Private participation for financing renewable energy projects.

Speakers from across the globe are participating in this Congress and some of the main keynote speakers include Mr. BK Chaturvedi, Member, Planning Commission, Government of India, HE Ms Danjele Smadja, Ambassador Head of the Delegation of the European Union, Mr. Mark Ginsberg, Sr. Executive Board Member, US Department of Energy, Dr. Pramod Deo, Chairman, Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, Government of India and Dr. Ajay Mathur, Director General, Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Government of India. The congress is being organized under the leadership of Mr. SK Manglik, former CMD, ONGC and Chairman, Steering Committee of the Congress.

The event Re-EnergyTech-2010 is being supported by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, IREDA, ONGC, Suzlon, Webel, IOC, GTZ, Schlumberger, US Department of Energy-Washington, European Union, World Bank, World Energy Council, Wind Energy Association, German Technical Cooperation, Japan International Cooperation Agency, United Nations, Coal India Ltd., Google, many other associations and eminent organizations Worldwide.

The exhibition segment will provide a window for the exposition of the latest developments in products, technologies and services in the industry.

The speakers, delegates and exhibitors from Romania, Russia Greece, Italy, Denmark, Switzerland, Japan, Korea, Libya, China, USA, UK, Israel, Germany, Norway, Turkey, Hungary, Bulgaria, Singapore and European Union and many other countries are expected to participate in the Congress. (editor@thesynergyonline.com)

NEW DELHI, FEB 23 :
AN Indian delegation led by Mr H. S. Brahma, Secretary (Power), Govt. of India visited Bangladesh from 18th to 20th February 18 to 20 , 2010 to participate in the 2nd Joint Steering Committee Meetings in Dhaka and also to discuss various issues regarding interconnection of electrical grids between the India and Bangladesh.

The delegation also included Mr S. K. Chaturvedi, CMD, PowerGrid and senior officials of Ministry of Power, Central Electricity Authority and other constituents.

During the visit it was agreed that PowerGrid , India shall provide consultancy to Power Grid Company of Bangladesh for construction of Bangladesh portion of the interconnection as well as capacity building of PGCB's manpower. Terms and conditions for providing the services were initialed by PowerGrid, India and PGCB.

The bulk power transmission agreement for payment of transmission charges for Indian portion of the interconnection was also initialed by PowerGrid, India and Bangladesh Power Development Board . (editor@thesynergyonline.com)

NEW DELHI, FEB 23 :
STANDING Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE) organized a lecture programme on “Challenges & Vision for Power Sector in India” by Mr R.V. Shahi, former Secretary, Power who also released the Special Issue of Kaleodoscope on “Phenomenal Growth of Public Sector Power Enterprises”. Mr. Arup Roy Choudhury, Chairman SCOPE and Mr. S.K. Chaturvedi, CMD, Power Grid Corpn and Dr U.D. Choubey, Director General, SCOPE also spoke on the occasion.

In his address Dr U.D. Choubey, DG, SCOPE emphasized the need for reforming the pricing policy of power for growth of the industry. “Continuous supply of requisite power is essential to meet the needs of industrial and economic activities. Today, consumers are ready to pay better price provided the power supply is uninterrupted and of good quality”, said Dr Choubey.

Mr. Arup Roy Choudhury, Chairman, SCOPE said power should be available to people who can pay for it and there is urgent need to address the various issues impacting the growth of power sector. He also appreciated the various reforms taken by the government to meet the growing demand of power.

Mr. R.V. Shahi, former Secretary, Power while delivering the lecture said the country would be able to achieve about 62,000 mw out of 78,000 mw set for the 11th Five Year Plan and stressed upon the need to encourage competition in the larger interest of consumers. He said electricity is crucial not only for the growth of GDP, but also important for achieving the agenda of inclusive growth of the country. Growth of all the sectors including health, education depends upon electricity. It is mainly responsible for the urban rural divide as the infrastructure which is available in the city is not available in the rural areas.

In his address, Mr. S.K. Chaturvedi, CMD, POWERGRID said despite the phenomenal growth, power availability in the country has not been able to keep pace with the load demand and presently we have peak power shortage of 13 percent and energy shortage of 8-10 percent. He emphasized the need for strong power transmission and distribution network to achieve the target of power for all by 2012.

During the programme, it emerged that issues like acquisition of land, environment, forest and other clearances, skilled manpower, less capacity of manufacturing of power project equipments, large financial gaps etc. were among the major areas of concerns which needed urgent attention of the government as well as of the public and private corporates. The lecture programme was attended by about 70 senior executives from various PSEs. (editor@thesynergyonline.com)

NEW DELHI, FEB 16 :
REITERATING its commitment to the success of the Commonwealth Games to be held in October, 2010 in New Delhi, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has synchcronised the first 490 mw unit at the National Capital Thermal Power Project (NCTPP) Stage-II, at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh.

This is the first indigenous unit equipped with a high temperature reheat steam turbine which has been designed for operating at a higher reheat steam temperature of 565 degree Celsius aimed at reducing the consumption of coal. The unit also comprises an advanced control, instrumentation and monitoring system.

The order for setting up 2 sets of 490 mw each at NCTPP was placed on BHEL by NTPC. BHEL's scope of work in the contract envisaged manufacture, supply, erection, testing and commissioning of the main plant package for two units of 490 mw each.

NTPC has declared commercial operation of the unit. The 2nd unit is also in an advance stage of erection and is expected to go on stream in time.
Notably, the company has also recently achieved drum lifting milestone of the Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) at the 1,500 MW Pragati-III Combined Cycle Power Plant, coming up at Bawana in New Delhi, thereby achieving a major milestone towards supplying power to the Commonwealth Games.

For the Commonwealth Games, BHEL is also executing contracts for several other power projects including Koderma STPS (2x500 MW), Mejia STPS (2x500 MW) and Durgapur Steel STPS (2x500 MW) of DVC and Jhajjar STPS (3x500 MW) of APCPL, in addition to Dadri STPS (2x490 MW) of NTPC and Pragati-III CCPP (1,500 MW) of PPCL.

India is facing a shortage of 24 million housing units with majority of demand coming from low and mid income housing. The private sector can play a major role in giving a boost to such housing if the tax holiday in respect of the profit derived from housing projects built u/s 80 IB (10) to the "projects approved between 1st April 2007 to 31st March 2008 if such projects are completed before 31st March 2012", is extended for the next three years. The government should also consider amending the definition of 'infrastructure facility' u/s 80- IA to include an integrated township and group housing development on areas of more than 10 acres. This will meet the long outstanding demand of housing to be treated as infrastructure.

Further revival in the Indian real estate sector will be steered by the affordable housing segment. Increasing the deduction currently available with regard to interest and principal repayment on housing loans will give much required impetus to the housing segment. Moreover, the limit of Rs.2.5 lacs should be increased as the present limit of Rs.1 lakh is already overcrowded. (editor@thesynergyonline.com)

NEW DELHI, FEB 16 :
THE Tata Power Company , an integrated private power utility, and Korea East West Power Company , a generation utilities of Korea, signed a memorandum of uynderstanding (MoU) to identify and execute O&M opportunities relating to third party Generation assets in Asia, Middle East and Africa .

Under this MoU, Tata Power and EWP have initiated a technical cooperation in the field of Operation and Maintenance of the Generation Assets. The technical Cooperation shall cover exchange of information, best practices and exchange of personnel relating to the O&M of Generation Assets.

Tata Power's brand image and reach in the Indian and International markets and EWP's rich experience in Operations of Ultra Super-critical and CFBC Units, development and implementation of Plant Operation and Maintenance Management System (POMMS) and benchmarking of best practices, put together will enable both the entities to expand their businesses in the Indian, Korean and other targeted markets.

Mr. Prasad Menon, Managing Director, Tata Power said, "The MoU will enable exchange of technical cooperation with Korea East West Power Company Ltd. Apart from the domestic market, we aim to explore and extend our partnership in widening our Operation and Maintenance portfolio in the Asian market and look forward to the association."

Tata Power Services Group is a new business initiative wherein the company is currently offering O&M, project management and other related services to domestic clients and aims to further expand this business in the domestic and as well as overseas markets. Under this business initiative, the first contract in ked is with OPG Power Generation Pvt. Ltd. (OPG). Tata Power will provide Operations and Ma in tenance Services for its 1x80 MW of Coal based thermal power plant situated at Gummidipoondi, Chennai city which is scheduled to be commissioned shortly. (editor@thesynergyonline.com)

DHAKA, FEB 15 :
THE 120 MW Gas Turbine Generating Unit at Siddhirganj Power Plant in Bangladesh, set up by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), was inaugurated today by Ms. Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.

This is the first unit of the 240 mw Siddhirganj Peaking Power Plant Project (2x120 MW) being set up by BHEL on turnkey basis. The second unit is also in an advanced stage of completion at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded project of the Electricity Generation Company of Bangladesh (EGCB).

BHEL has earlier set up the 100 mw Baghabari Power Plant in Bangladesh, which has been operating successfully for almost a decade. The commissioning of this 120 MW unit at Siddhirganj Power Plant marks another milestone in further strengthening India-Bangladesh trade and economic relations.

Electricity generated by the Siddhirganj power plant will provide the much needed addition to the installed power generating capacity of Bangladesh.

For the project, the scope of work awarded to BHEL by EGCB, Bangladesh includes complete design, manufacture, testing, supply, installation and commissioning of 2 numbers 126 mw ISO rated Gas Turbines and Generators along with auxiliaries and Gas Booster Compressors, besides other major equipment and civil works.

Major equipment like Gas Turbines, Generators, Gas Booster Compressors, Generator Transformers as well as state-of-the-art Control Systems were manufactured by BHEL at their various plants in India. For the civil as well as erection commissioning and other local works, local companies in Bangladesh were associated.

Bangladesh has been a key export territory of BHEL, where in the past, it has executed several contracts including the 100 MW Baghabari Gas Turbine Power Plant; 230 kV Baghabari Substation and extension of the existing 230 kV Ishurdi Substation, besides supply of Power Transformers, HT Motors and Oilfield equipment to various industries in Bangladesh. (editor@thesynergyonline.com)

NEW DELHI, FEB 08 :
BHARAT Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has secured a major contract for the electro-mechanical equipment package for a 1,200MW (6x200 MW) Hydroelectric project in Bhutan.

Valued at Rs1,016 crore, the order envisages manufacture, supply, erection and commissioning of the electro-mechanical equipment for the 1,200 mw Punatsangchhu-I Hydroelectric project.

The order has been placed on BHEL by Punatsangchhu Hydroelectric Project Authority (PHPA), Bhutan. Significantly, this is the single largest contract for BHEL in the hydro electric power generation business segment.

The project is being set-up under a bilateral agreement between the Govt. of India, and the Royal Govt. of Bhutan. Located around 80 km from Thimphu on the left bank of the Punathsangchu River in Western Bhutan, the project is an environment friendly run-of-the-river scheme.

Bhutan is one of the key export territories of BHEL, where it has a predominant presence since the last 25 years in the power generation segment. The company has successfully executed three Hydro Projects, viz., 336 MW Chukha, 60 MW Kurichu and 1,020 MW Tala in Bhutan. These projects today account for nearly 95 percent of the total power generating capacity in Bhutan which is a testimony of BHEL's strong presence and acceptability. As a result of the installation of these power projects, hydro power is today the single biggest revenue earner of Bhutan.

For this contract, the six Francis Turbines and Generators of 200 MW each and associated equipment will be manufactured and supplied by BHEL's Bhopal facility while the Control system will be manufactured and supplied by BHEL's Electronic Division at Bangalore. (editor@thesynergyonline.com)

Mr. Ashok Sethi, VP, Distribution, Mr. Vijay Chourey, GM, License Area, Mr. M Shenbagam, GM Customer Management, License Area of Tata Power receiving the Gold Shield and the Silver Shield for the Trombay generation facility was received by Mr. K. S. Thimmiah, General Manager, Project in Charge, Trombay Unit 8 and Mr Ashok Wankhede GM, Trombay Plant, Tata Power Company from the Minister of Power, Mr. Sushil Kumar Shinde in New Delhi.

MUMBAI, FEB 02 :
RECOGNISING Tata Power's performance in the generation of quality power and reliable supply to its consumers in the Mumbai License Area; the Ministry of Power, GoI conferred the Gold Shield for distribution business and rated the Trombay Thermal 250 mw Unit 8 generation facility as the second best performing station in India for 2008-09 with the Silver Shield award at a function in New Delhi.

While the Gold Shield was awarded for the meritorious performance in the operations and maintenance (O&M) excellence leading to steady reduction in distribution loss, reliability of power supply, metering, billing and collection efficiency, in Mumbai retail business; the Silver Shield was conferred for the speedy completion and commissioning of the 250 Unit 8 at Trombay Thermal Generation Station in Mumbai.

Mr. Ashok Sethi, Vice President, Distribution, Mr. Vijay Chourey, General Manager, License Area, Mr. M Shenbagam, General Manager, Customer Management, License Area received the Gold Shield and the Silver Shield for the Trombay generation facility was received by Mr. K. S. Thimmiah, General Manager, Project in Charge, Trombay Unit 8 and Mr. Ashok Wankhede General Manager, Trombay Plant, Tata Power Company from the from the Minister of Power, Mr. Sushil Kumar Shinde.

Apart from these awards, Tata Power's joint venture company in New Delhi i.e. New Delhi Power Limited (NDPL) won the Silver Shield for the distribution business at the ceremony.

The Ministry introduced Comprehensive Award Scheme in 2004-05 for acknowledging and awarding meritorious performance, thereby creating competitiveness among various power stations/projects in thermal, hydro and nuclear generation, transmission project and distribution companies.

Mr. Prasad Menon, Managing Director, The Tata Power Company , said, "The awards' reiterate Tata Power's experience and execution skills in both the generation and distribution business, and is a recognition for the commendable efforts of the teams, who have strived hard to achieve excellence in performance in last few years. This award will further motivate us, in our endeavor to optimize performance and ensure excellent delivery from our end."

Tata Power's excellence has been recognized by various governing bodies across the country. Some of the recent awards won include - the Silver Shield from Ministry of Power and Central Electricity Authority for 2007-2008 for the Bhira plant, the Quality Circles Award 2007 at the "National Convention on Quality Circles" under the aegis of Quality Circle Forum of India.

Tata Power's Jojobera Division was awarded the "Suraksha Puraskar" by the National Safety Council of India in recognition of the developing and implementing very effective Safety Management Systems and Procedures and achieving very good performance in safety during the assessment period of three years - 2003-05.
About Trombay Unit 8:

The Thermal Unit 8 of 250 MW was synchronized and commissioned in March 2009 and operates on imported Indonesian coal. This unit enhanced the generation capacity of the Trombay plant to 1,600 MW from the earlier capacity of 1,350 MW.

The first synchronization with the grid was achieved on January 14, 2009, coal firing was commenced on March 7, 2009 and attained full load in March 2009. The civil works for the project has been executed by Larsen & Tubro, whereas the main plant and balance of equipment was executed by BHEL for supply, erection and commissioning under EPC contract. (editor@thesynergyonline.com)

NEW DELHI, FEB 02 :
REACHING out to the distressed victims in the flood-ravaged areas of Andhra Pradesh, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has made a humble contribution to help alleviate their suffering.

To this effect, on behalf of BHEL, a cheque amounting to Rs.2.5 crore was presented by Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh, Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Government of India to Mr K. Rosaiah, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. Mr. B.P. Rao, CMD, BHEL, Directors on the board of BHEL and other senior officials of BHEL were also present on the occasion.

In addition to lighting the homes of people, the power equipment major is also helping in lighting the lives of people in distress. The company and its employees have always risen to the occasion and contributed towards rendering relief to victims of natural calamities like the tsunami-affected states, floods in Assam and Bihar, earthquake in Gujarat, the super cyclone in Orissa and the drought in Gujarat and Rajashtan, in addition to the Kargil war.

As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and as an attempt to share its profits with one of its key stakeholders - society, the company has adopted 56 villages around the country for welfare activities. Primarily located in the vicinity of its major manufacturing plants, around the country, these villages and their 80,000 inhabitants are benefiting from BHEL's initiative aimed at all-round grass-root rural development.

The company's approach to rural development is based on an in-depth study of various socio-economic factors in areas in the periphery of its unit/divisions. The company's rural development programme is based on four main objectives viz. rural development, rural education, rural health & environment and rural employment generation. (editor@thesynergyonline.com)

NEW DELHI , India , JAN 25 :
POWER Grid Corporation of India (PowerGrid), India's Central Transmission Utility and a Navratna PSU, has declared an interim dividend for Rs.176.68 crore for the fiscal 2009-10.

Mr S.K. Chaturvedi, CMD, PowerGrid handed over electronic payment remittance advice of Rs.176.68 crore towards share of Ministry of Power, Government of India as interim dividend for FY 2009-10 to the Union Minister of Power, Mr Sushilkumar Shinde on Monday in the presence of Minister of State for Power and Secretary (Power).

The total interim dividend being disbursed is to the tune of Rs.210.45 crore to about 8.75 lakh shareholders.

PowerGrid is operating about 74,000 ckt. kms. of transmission lines along with 124 Sub-stations with transformation capacity of more than 82,100 MVA.

With the use of state-of-the-art preventive maintenance techniques, average availability of transmission systems during the year 2008-09 was maintained at 99.55 percent. The company continues to wheel about 45 percent of total power generated in the country through its transmission network. (editor@thesynergyonline.com)

NEW DELHI, JAN 21 :
CENTRAL Transmission Utility Power Grid Corporation of India . (PowerGrid ) organized the second stakeholders meeting on the Indo-Nepal Cross Border Transmission Project in New Delhi recently.

The meeting was attended by senior officials from Government of Nepal, Nepal Electricity Authority, Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd. (SJVNL), Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd. (IL&FS) and IPPs putting up hydro power projects in Nepal.

The project consists of putting up an extra high voltage transmission corridor between Muzaffarpur in India and Dhalkeabar in Nepal and is the first high capacity cross border transmission corridor for bulk transfer of power between India and Nepal.

The Indo-Nepal Transmission Line project is being implemented by two separate Joint Venture companies (Indian portion and Nepal portion) wherein PowerGrid , SJVNL, Nepal Electricity Authority and IL&FS are the stakeholders and the project is expected to be completed by 2012 at an estimated cost of Rs.205 crore.

Despite huge hydro potential, Nepal is currently reeling under acute power shortage which is going to increase to 150 - 250 MW in next 3-5 years. There are some small low voltage and medium voltage interconnections where limited exchange of power on radial mode is currently happening to the extent of 50-70mw.

Large numbers of small and medium size hydro power plants aggregating to 2,000 MW are under development and in 5 to 7 years time, Nepal would be able to export substantial power to India. In addition, the development of large sized export oriented projects is also under way. This high capacity cross border transmission line will initially help Nepal in meeting part of its deficit by importing power from India and subsequently for export to India. (editor@thesynergyonline.com)

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