Power News-Click: dated 21/08/2023: NEWS Section

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All info in this PPT is collected from various open sources available on the internet. Opinions expressed/remarks are my own views, which is based on my LIMITED EXPOSURE. I will be happy to have your comments./views.

Complied By

VIJAY L Sonavane

ME(Elect)

Date: 21/08/2023

Evening Peak Demd met (GW) & Energy Met (MU)�(Source:Grid Controller of India Ltd)

NGP H2 CONFERENCE: https://greenhydrogenandcleanenergy2024.in/

Power demand heats up to record high of 233 Gw due to rising temps (18/08)

• India experienced a new peak in power demand, reaching a record 233 GW during AN Hours, on 16/08/23 due to rising temps as the monsoon retreats across the country. As the formidable El Niño weather phenomenon reaches India, power Demd is projected to remain elevated until October 23.
• This is also expected to exert pressure on Dom coal supply, as the months of AUG to OCT are crucial for the coal supply chain.
• Typically, during these months, coal supply decreases due to a reduction in power demand. However, with changing climatic conditions, the situation has changed

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Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) total trade volume rises 19% to 8,522 MU in July 23 (08/08)

• IEX TTL trade volume rose 19% YOY to 8,522 MU in July 23 from 7151 MU in July 22. This includes Green Market trade of 275 MU, 6.24 Lakh RECs (equivalent to 624 MU) & 70,222 ES-Certs (equivalent to 70 MU).
• Supply scenario continued to ease during July 23 due to robust coal production, reduction in prices of e-auction coal & imported fuel.
• Day-Ahead Market (DAM) volume increased by 12% to 3,976 MU in July 23, from 3,547 MU in July 22, AVG market clearing price (MCP) was Rs 4.55 PU during July 23, lower by 16% over July 22.
• RTM with 19% growth achieved 2,540 MU in July 2023,
• Term-Ahead Market (TAM), comprising intra-day, contingency, daily & weekly contracts, and contracts up to 3 months, traded 1,036 MU in July 23 a surge of 136%YoY.

Coal imports fall by 1.82% to 68.30 MMT in APR_JUNE 23

• India’s Total coal imports fell by 1.82% to 68.30 MMT in APR-JUN 23. It was at 69.57 MMT in APR-JUN 22
• The import included non-coking coal, coking coal, anthracite coal, pulverised coal injection (PCI) coal, met coke & pet coke.
• During the period, non-coking coal (THM) import stood at 42.99 MMT against 47.44 MMT in APR-JUNE 22 while coking coal import was 15.89 MMT against 14.61 MMT imported a year ago.
• In June 2023, the coal import stood at around 21.03 MMT, down 25.21% as against 28.11 MMT imported in Jun 22.

Coal Cos plan to set up THM power plants (04/08)

• National Lignite Corporation India Ltd (NLCIL) has planned to set up 2 THM power plants (TPPs).
• 1,980 MW plant is being setup in Ghatampur near Kanpur at a cost of Rs 194.06 Bn, as a JV between NLCIL & Govt of UP. Its first phase is expected to come into operation by end of 2023. The power plant will supply 1,478 MW to UP & 493 MW to Assam.
• 2,400 MW pithead TPP has been planned at Talabira in Odisha with a project cost of Rs 194.22 Bn. The work on this project is likely to commence by the end of 2023. This TPP will supply 1,450 MW to TN, 100 MW to Pondicherry & 400 MW to Kerala. The plant is expected to achieve completion by 2028-29.
• Coal India Ltd (CIL) has also planned to set up two TPPs: a 660 MW plant in MP & a 1,600 MW plant in Odisha. These projects are likely to be completed by 2028.

TWO Electricity Projects: to bring 2000 MW for Mumbai

• 1^st Project 400KV KHARGHAR- VIKROLI: line: WIP: Commissioning Dec 2023
• 2^nd Project: 320 KV KUDUS-AAREY 1000 MW, 80 Km, HVDC line for bringing additional 1000 MW RE Power
• HVDC link important to Mumbai as Demd is expected to reach 5,000 MW by FY 25. Mumbai has only 1800 MW embedded Gen. Existing Trans corridors face capacity constraints
• Mumbai PEAK in 2023: 31 May: 3968 MW/ 1 June: 3971 MW/ 9 June 23: 4129 MW
• Due METRO & EV Charging Stns Demd is expected to rise by 150 MW/year
• Adani Energy Solutions has attained successful financial closure for its $1 Bn Green HVDC link project, which will enable to carry more RE power to Mumbai.
• HVDC Trans link is set to bolster grid stability by establishing an interface with Grid., it will ensure uninterrupted power supply to Mumbai. AEML has committed to increasing the share of RE in its overall mix to 60% by 2027.
• HVDC technology offers several advantages, including its ability to stabilize power Dist networks & mitigate synchronization issues & cascading failures.
• Construction work for HVDC link is scheduled to begin in Oct 23

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India has 70,000 MW of Solar power Gen capacity; RAJ leading the Pack (10/08) ..

• As on 30/06/23. India's solar Gen capacity has reached 70,096 MW & RAJ is leading with the highest RE IC of 17,839 MW (25.4%) in India.
• RAJ: 17,839 MW, GUJ: 10,133 MW, KAR: 9,050 MW, TN: 6,892 MW, MAHA: 4,870 MW, TEL: 4,695 MW, AP:4552 MW, MP: 3,021 MW, UP: 2,526, PUN: 1,190 MW, HAR: 1106 MW, Chandigarh: 962 MW, Bihar: 203 MW
• India’s estimated Solar potential is 778,990 MW. GOI is making all out efforts to harness the potential thro’ various schemes which include
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) upto 100% under automatic route,
• Waiver of Inter State Trans System (ISTS) charges for inter-state sale of solar & Wind Projects to be commissioned by 30 June 2025; &
• Declaration of trajectory for Renewable Power Obligation (RPO) upto FY 29-30

At 26%, Tata Power Delhi Dist exceeds Renewable purchase (RPO) target for FY23

• Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (TPDDL) has fulfilled the Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) for the third year in a row & bought 26 % of electricity from clean energy sources in FY23.
• TPDDL supplies electricity to 70 lakh people in North & Northwest Delhi, sourced 2,600 MU green power in FY 2022-23 from various sources of RE (Solar, Wind, & HYD)
• Under RPO, Discoms are required to source a fixed % of their total PP from RE sources. DERC had fixed the RPO at 21.35% for 2022-23.
• In 2021-22 & 2020-21, TPDDL sourced 2,500 & 2,050 MU green energy, respectively, to meet its RPO.
• By discharging the obligation for the third time in a row, TPPDL has become a fully RPO-compliant company,

Maha’s RT solar installed capacity jumps 60% in a year, touches 1600-MW marK (14/08)

• Solar rooftop installed capacity across Maha has touched 1,600 MW with over 1 Lakh MSEDCL consumers opting for the subsidy scheme. It is a 60% growth in Solar gen thro’ RT panels in a year, which helped MSEDCL to bag six National awards in Goa, recently.
• Guj remains the leading state for RT solar, accounting for 24 % of cumulative installations in India, followed by Maha with 15% of TTL PV installations.
• RT Solar Scheme is popular in MMR region, especially, in housing societies where residents can collectively apply for solar RTs at 20% Subsidy. MMR contributes nearly 7% to the Maha’s total solar RT IC .
• In 2016-17, Maha had only 1,074 Dom RT Solar consumers & 20 MW Solar Gen Capacity. It has now touched 1600MW RT Soar capacity in the first week of Aug 23.
• MSEDCL has a target to reach to 2000 MW RT Solar by Dec 23.

Tata Power & GOM sign MoU for two Pumped Hydro Storage Projects (PHSP) of 2800 MW (09/08)

• Tata Power Ltd. has signed a MoU with GOM to develop two large Pumped Hydro Storage projects with a combined capacity of 2,800 MW in Maha, with an estimated investment of ₹13,000 CR, which will be situated at Shirawta, Pune (1,800 MW) & Bhivpuri, Raigad (1,000 MW) Dist. (Rs 4.64 CR/MW)
• “Pumped Hydro Storage is a reliable & efficient way to store energy, & these projects will support RE solar & wind projects to ensure reliable, 24/7 consistent power supply,” said Praveer Sinha, CEO & MD, Tata Power Ltd.
• During times of excess energy, water will be pumped from lower reservoir to higher reservoir, & during peak demand, the stored water will power turbines, thereby generating electricity.
• Western Ghats offer immense potential for Pumped Storage HYD projects. In this region.
• TPC has been operating 3 HYD Gen power projects at Khopoli , Bhivpuri & Bhira that includes 150 MW Pumped Storage HYD projects.

Kochi H2 hub tender awarded to MEC Intelligence by GIZ (14/08)

• German development Agency, GIZ, has awarded the tender for development of a roadmap for a Green H2 cluster in Kochi, Kerala. to research & consulting firm, MEC Intelligence.
• “GIZ is supporting the development of green H2 & is excited about the prospects in Nida/Kerala. Hydrogen Valleys are the next step after pilot projects,” Rolf Behrndt, Principal Advisor GIZ.
• National H2 Mission has identified H2 hubs as one of its priorities & many States in India are currently reviewing how best to support the development of H2 at State Level.
• Kerala H2 Valley Roadmap aims to link different players along the entire value chain of Green H2, starting from RE, going to production of green H2, potentially into off-take by refineries or mobility, or into further processing into ammonia, by off-take by fertilizers & maritime sectors. The assignment is expected to be completed within by Dec 2023.
• H2 valleys are an important step towards locally integrated H2 ecosystems. Not only can they provide sustainable energy but they are also major drivers of IND development & job creation.
• Kerala has set a target to achieve 100 % RE by 2040 & to become NET CARBON NUETRAL STATE by 2040

AP: Pumped Storage Power plants tipped to help ensure 24x7 quality power (17/08)

• AP Govt has identified 29 locations for promotion of Pumped Storage Hydro Power Projects (PSP) with potential of 33,240 MW. Techno-Commercial Feasibility Reports (TCFR) for all proposed 29 probable locations are ready, out of which the AP Govt has allotted 15 Pumped Storage Projects.
• The proposed 15 PSP plants will generate about 16,180 MW that would contribute enhancing power generation capacities in AP for ensuring 24x7 quality & reliable supply even in future.
• PSP offers highest promise due to their flexible operation to balance the variable RE Gen in short span of time. Considering the huge capital investments required to establish PSPs, the AP Govt has notified the “AP Pumped Storage Power Promotion Policy 2022 to attract private investments.

Parminder Chopra takes over as CMD of PFC, first woman to lead PFC (Non-Banking Finanacial Co. (NBFC))

• PFC appointed Parminder Chopra as CMD; she becomes the first woman to lead India’s largest NBFC from Aug 14, 2023. She was holding additional charge as CMD from June 1, & was Director (Finance) PFC from July 1, 2020.
• Chopra has over 35 years of experience in the power & financial sector. At PFC, she has headed key finance functions, including resource mobilisation, banking, treasury, asset liability management & stressed asset resolution. Her prior experience includes stints in power sector majors such as NHPC & PGCIL.
• Under her leadership, PFC has increased funding to clean energy projects, EVs, bio-fuels, Hybrid Res, RE equipment manufacturing, & recently signed MoUs with clean energy developers worth Rs 2.40 Lakh CR,
• She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Delhi University & is a qualified Cost & Management Accountant. She also has a PG Diploma in Business Admin

NTPC starts trial run of hydrogen bus in Leh (19/08)

• Towards achieving Carbon-Neutral Ladakh, NTPC is setting up a Hydrogen Fuelling Station, Solar Plant and providing 05 Nos Fuel Cell buses for operation on intracity routes of Leh.
• The first H2 bus reached Leh on 17th August as part of a 3-month-long process of field trials, road worthiness tests & other statutory procedures. This will be India’s first-ever deployment of hydrogen buses on public roads.
• The first-of-its-kind Green Hydrogen Mobility Project at 11,562 ft is co-located with a dedicated Solar plant of 1.7 MW for providing RE Power The fuel cell buses are designed for operation in sub-zero temps in rarefied atmosphere, typical to such altitude locations which is a unique feature of this project.
• NTPC is committed to achieve 60 GW RE capacity by 2032 & be a major player in Green H2 Technology & Energy Storage domain.
• NTPC is taking up several initiatives towards decarbonization such as H2 blending, Carbon Capture, EV buses, Smart NTPC Townships etc.

India’s quest for critical minerals (21/08)

• Ministry of Mines issued a list of 30 critical minerals which are essential for India to ensure supply side assurance & to identify & prioritise minerals that are essential for various IND sectors.
• The list has taken into account requirements of various sectors including energy sector. These minerals are termed critical as they are concentrated only in some regions of the world.
• Antimony, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cobalt, Copper, Gallium, Germanium, Graphite, Hafnium, Indium, Lithium, Molybdenum, Niobium, Nickel, PGE, Phosphorous, Potash, REE,Rhenium, Silicon, Strontium, Tantalum, Tellurium, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, Vanadium, Zirconium, Selenium, & Cadmium.
• Aresenic, Germanium, Gallium, Indium & Tellurium are the critical minerals marked for solar PV manufacturing. China has highest reserves for Gallium & Tellurium & has imposed restrictions on exports from July 2023 onwards.
• At present, India boasts a manufacturing capacity of 28 GW for solar modules, with projections indicating an increase to 40 GW by Dec 2023. This expansion, however, has primarily hinged on import of manufacturing equipment, largely sourced from China,
• “This import-heavy strategy extends to the operational phase of these facilities, where India remains notably reliant on China for a substantial portion of its supply chain, particularly the critical minerals essential for solar panel production,” (Which is very dangerous situation)

ReNew to supply Solar power to GUVNL (07/08)

• ReNew, a subsidiary of ReNew Energy Global is set to supply 200MW solar power to GUJ Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL) at a tariff of Rs 2.71 PU. Four Cos namely ReNew, Avaada Energy, Solarcraft Power India 21 & Mahindra Susten were emerged as winners in the auction held by GUVNL on Feb 4, 2023, for grid- connected 500 MW Solar projects. The projects are being developed across India with an additional greenshoe option of 500 MW.
• Avaada Energy was awarded 140 MW at a rate of Rs 2.75 PU
• Solarcraft Power & Mahindra Susten 60 MW & 100 MW, respectively, at a rate of Rs 2.74PU.
• Among the 4 winners, ReNew quoted the lowest tariff of Rs 2.71 PU. Additionally, equal capacities were allotted to each of these Cos. under the greenshoe option at a tariff of Rs 2.71 PU.

(A greenshoe option is a provision in the agreement that grants the tenderer, the right to acquire more quqntity than originally bid at the price quoted by lowest bidder).

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GOI unveils Green H2 standards; sets emission threshold for electrolysis, biomass based production (21/08)

• MNRE on 19/08 notified the green H2 standard for India, outlining the emission thresholds for production of H2 that can be classified as ‘green’. India became one of the few countries to have a definition for green hydrogen.
• “ Green hydrogen is defined as having a well-to-gate emission of not more than two kg CO2 equivalent per kg hydrogen (H2),”
• The well-to-gate emission includes water treatment, electrolysis, gas purification, drying & compression of H2. The scope of the definition encompasses both electrolysis-based & biomass-based hydrogen production methods.
• The notification specifies that a detailed methodology for measurement, reporting, monitoring, on-site verification & certification of green H2 and its derivatives will be specified by MNRE.
• The notification also specifies that the BEE under MOP will be the nodal authority for accreditation of agencies for the monitoring, verification & certification for green H2 production projects.
• GOI launched National Green H2 Mission early this year with an aim to produce 5 MMT green H2 per annum with an associated RE capacity of about 125 GW by 2030.

Sonari airport operations powered thro’ Solar energy with commissioning of 2 MWp

• The entire operations of Tata Steel-owned Sonari Airport here will now be powered thro’ Solar energy with commissioning of a ground-mounted solar power project of 2.0 MWp capacity. The project commissioned on 14/08 has been commissioned by Tata Power under an agreement with Tata Steel for the installation of a total of 41 MW with a combination of rooftop, floating & ground-mounted solar panels across its locations.
• Earlier, 4 rooftop solar projects totalling 7.65 MWp have been commissioned at its Central Warehouse, Cold Rolling Mill, Wire Rod Mill and Hot Strip Mill. A floating solar power project of 10.8 MWp in Tata Steel Jamshedpur Works is also nearing completion.

NTPC-REL wins 80 MW Omkareshwar Floating Solar Power bid (MP)

• NTPC RE Ltd (NTPC-REL) has been declared as successful bidder for 80 MW floating solar capacity to be developed at Omkareshwar reservoir, Khandwa, MP.
• The bidding was conducted by Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Ltd (RUMSL), a JV between SECI & MP Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. The project has been secured at a tariff of Rs 3.80 PU, & the energy generated will be utilised by MP Discoms.
• This venture will enhance NTPC’s floating solar capacity to 342 MW. Currently, NTPC group has an operational RE capacity of 3.3 GW, with an additional 20 GW in the pipeline, which includes 4 GW of Energy Storage systems.

Hinduja Renewables has secured a contract for development of 80 MW floating solar park along Narmada River at Omkareshwar Reservoir in Khandwa Dist MP.

• The project is a part of the 600 MW single-location floating solar park to be developed in 2 phases. Hinduja Renewables has been declared as the successful bidder for unit C in phase II of the project, at a tariff of Rs 3.89 PU. This decision was made by Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Ltd, the entity responsible for Solar Park development & tendering for this initiative. Funding for the project’s shared infrastructure is being provided by ADB

NJBPU receives proposals to build two offshore wind projects in New Jersey (08/08)

• New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) has received applications from the developers for construction of 2 offshore wind farms. Developers include Chicago-based Invenergy & New-York based EnergyRE, a partnership for development of 2.4 GW Leading Light Wind project, which is 40 miles off Long Beach Island.
• Other developers who submitted proposals include Atlantic Shores, an equal JV between Shell New Energies US & EDF Renewables North America for the development of another offshore wind project. They have not revealed details about capacity as of yet.
• Development of the project will comprise around 100 turbines, which will be enough to power a million homes, reducing carbon emissions by four million tonnes/year. In addition, the project is expected to provide economic benefits of $3 Bn in New Jersey. The developers also intend to build an in-state port O&M, & they plan to domestically manufacture wind turbines & monopile foundations.
• Furthermore, Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project-1 is already under construction. It will be built 10–20 miles off the coast of New Jersey, between Atlantic City & Barnegat Bay.

Neighbouring countries can now trade electricity in India's real time market (04/08)

• Neighbouring countries, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, & Bangladesh can now buy or sell electricity thro’ India's real-time market as CEA amended India's Cross Border Electricity Trade (CBET) rules. Until now, the neighbouring countries were allowed to trade only in the day-ahead market (DAM) in the power exchanges. In DAM, the traded electricity is delivered only a day later.
• This move will help these countries to import & export electricity closer to real time with India.Ever since CBET rules were notified in 2021, Nepal & Bhutan have traded 4.41 BUs so far in the IEX Myanmar & Bangladesh have not yet started power trade

Bidding process

• India has 3 PEX platforms which are used by power utilities to procure short-term electricity.
• Real time market (RTM): enables buyers & sellers to meet their energy requirement closer to real time operation. RTM features a new auction session every half an hour with power to be delivered after 4 time blocks or an hour after gate closure of the auction. Price & quantum of electricity trading is determined thro’ a double-sided closed auction bidding process.

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• "CBET commenced on the Day Ahead Market (DAM) segment of IEX in April, 2021. We have seen good participation by Nepal & Bhutan on both the buy & sell sides. The countries have benefitted from participating on PEX market, to meet their deficit & optimise their power procurement costs," said Rohit Bajaj, ED, IEX.
• He said trading on RTM will provide greater flexibility to cross-border entities for optimally utilising their resources by procuring power close to real-time basis.

Power expansion:

• To be able to trade electricity with neighbouring countries, there has to be Trans lines between the Nations. India is now looking at expanding its electricity trade network to include other neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka & Maldives.
• It is planning to connect its power grid with Singapore thro’ undersea cables for export of RE. India has set the target of having 500 GW of installed RE capacity by 2030. India is also in talks with Saudi Arabia & the UAE to connect their power grids for trade of via Oman.

Talks on to set up grid interconnection with Singapore & UAE: Power Minister RKS (17/08)

• RKS said that discussions are underway to establish grid interconnection with Singapore & United Arab Emirates (UAE) for cross border electricity transmission, on the back of India's initiative 'One Sun, One World, One Grid' or global “Solar Grid for Electricity Trans” for mitigating emission challenges.
• India is working on strengthening its power trade infrastructure with neighbouring countries such as Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar & Bangladesh. Plans are underway to establish infrastructure connectivity with Sri Lanka for power trade
• An MoU has been signed between India & Sri Lanka to enhance electric connectivity & promote use of REs, especially wind energy in Sri Lanka
• Nepal is seeking investments from India to develop its Hydro potential. Nepal has yet to tap it fully. Nepal PM has invited Indian Cos to participate in developing this potential & has requested India to purchase surplus power from Nepal
• India, despite being a power-surplus country, has committed to purchasing 10,000 MW of power from Nepal

India, Sri Lanka renew bid to link power grids (10/08)

• India & Sri Lanka are giving a fresh push to the long-pending power grid connectivity between the two countries to trade electricity.
• Work has started on updating a detailed project report (DPR) for the connectivity either thro’ overhead line or undersea cable in the sea portion of the connectivity, following a meeting on the proposal in July 23. Timeline for a draft DPR is 15 Sept, after which it will be discussed between two sides for finalisation.
• Sri Lanka will carry out the necessary Load Flow studies for 2027-28 time frame of its network, considering 500 MW exchange from India thro’ the proposed link. India will study the necessary Load flow studies on the combined network data based on the inputs from the Sri Lankan side. This is likely to be completed by 21 Aug.
• The reports will then be discussed with the officials in the joint technical team, comprising members from CEA, PGCIL & Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) formed in 2016.
• Cross-border interconnection plan has been under discussion for nearly two decades now. It was marred by high project cost, making it unviable.

Nepal PM likely to sign power pact with China during Sept trip (14/08)

• Nepal PM PK Dahal 'Prachanda' will visit China in Sept 23, a trip aimed at maintaining a balance in ties with both the neighbours: China & India.
• Prachanda's visit to China could result in a Power Trading. A cross-border T/L between China & Nepal via Rasuwa Dist is expected to be agreed upon. Nepal also wants to learn best practices in AG from China
• Prachanda said: “We have had very positive realations with China & Bangladesh with regard to the power”
• “There is an agreement to export power to Bangladesh via India & we are planning to sign a PPA in Kathmandu. His Govt was committed to strengthening cordial relations with friendly countries, especially with the neighbours. We have good relations with our northern neighbour as well”
• This will be Prachanda's second foreign trip after assuming the office in Dec 22. The 68-year-old Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre (CPN-MC) leader visited India in June 23 as his first foreign trip after assuming office for the third time

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Thank You for your Support!!!�(Contact me: vlsonavane@gmail.com/ M: 98333 62062)

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