Industry
J&K fails to generate even single unit of solar power for 3rd consecutive yearedit
Moreover, there is no significant progress in implementation of the solar programmes/schemes of the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy as a result of which funding under these schemes to J&K remains very less, sources said while disclosing that since 201617, J&K has received only Rs 10.21 crore assistance from the Ministry for grid connected solar rooftops. Of this amount, Rs 3.68 crore was received in 201617 and Rs 6.53 crore during current year but in 201718 and 201819 no money was given to J&K.
India’s vehicle scrappage policy unlikely to offer any direct incentives for discarding older vehiclesedit
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has already circulated a Cabinet note for the Voluntary Vehicle Scrappage Policy, inviting inter ministerial comments. And according to latest updates, all the concerned ministries have already given their go ahead for it.
Govt plans to bail out clean energy firmsedit
A spokesperson for the ministry of new and renewable energy confirmed the development, saying, This is one of the options being considered. The mounting outstanding dues to the generators had the potential to dent India’s image as a clean energy champion and comes when new solar tenders of around 15,000 megawatts are in the pipeline.
Climate Emergency CoP 25: A gap that keeps growingedit
The report also notes that India has also begun deliberating policies to electrify transport. The second phase of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME), which aims to support the uptake of electric vehicles ranging from motorcycles to busses and is projected to make for a cumulative emission saving of 7.2 MtCO2e was launched this year.
Corporate, PE investments in EV startups grow 170% in 2019 to $397 mnedit
Driven by the belief that the next wave of disruption for India’s automobile industry will be led by electric vehicles (EVs), corporate and private equity (PE) investors seem to be increasing their bets on startups working in this space. Investment flows into such startups in 2019 (until the end of November) have grown nearly 170 per cent to $397 million, compared with $147 million in the first 11 months of last year.
New research project to optimise EV power density, efficiency and cost kicks offedit
British engineering specialist, Drive System Design (DSD) is the lead partner in a new project that seeks to improve the efficiency of the integrated electric drive unit (EDU) of electric vehicles (EVs). The 12month project, partfunded by Innovate UK and with the National Composites Centre (NCC) as partner, will investigate the use of composites to enable increased power density and reduced unit size, offering vehicle manufacturers further packaging and efficiency benefits.
New National Energy Policy to propose merger of ministries and regulatorsedit
The proposal will seek a merger of power, coal, new & renewable, petroleum & natural gas ministries. The policy also moots to merge all regulators of the sector like Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), Petroleum & Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) to have a onestop energy regulator for all the disputes and licensing concerns.
Morris Garages ZS EV to launch early next year with internet connectivityedit
Focussing on connected electric vehicles, UK based Morris Garage (MG) is set to launch an all new electric internet car in the Indian market. The nextgen ZS EV is built on the companys iSmart EV 2.0 platform to offer an advanced and connected interface. The MG ZS EV that will be unveiled on December 5 is likely to go on sale early next year. It will be assembled at the company’s manufacturing plant at Halol in Gujrat. The company has already set up 10 charging stations across five cities including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.
Hyundai Kona customers can now avail vehicle to vehicle & portable charging in these citiesedit
Hyundai Kona EV is powered by a 39.2 kWh lithiumion battery pack which produces 135 hp and 395 Nm of torque and is paired with a singles peed transmission. Hyundai claims a 0100kmph time of less than 10s while the top speed is limited to 145 km/h. An optional fast charger will provide 80 percent battery juice in less than 60 minutes while the standard charger will take around six hours for a complete charge.
Coal based powers market share at decade low, green energy nearly doublesedit
The market share of coal-fired power plants to total generation in the country has slumped to a decade low as renewable power gains currency, a study showed. A report by US-based think tank, Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis (IEEFA) says while coal-fired power generation is on track to represent 71.8 per cent of total generation (54.5 per cent of capacity) in 2019-20, this is a decade low market share.
Chandigarh: Solar plants in place but subsidy wait still onedit
Recently, the Chandigarh Administration had also decided to transfer the subsidy amount directly into the account of the solar power plant company that is installing these plants. But nothing has been done as yet.
Carmakers to hike prices from January to absorb input costsedit
A new car this new year is going to be a costlier deal as automakers gear up for a price hike after tepid sales and heavy discounts eroded profit margins, leaving no room to accommodate surge in input costs. Maruti Suzuki, MahindraNSE -0.18 % & Mahindra (M&M), Ford India, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), Mercedes Benz and Audi India plan to raise the prices from January 2020.
International
Canadian Solar Offloads 10.8 MW Solar Plant in Japan to CSIFedit
Canadian Solar has completed the sale of a 10.8 MW solar power plant in the Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan to the Canadian Solar Infrastructure Fund Canadian Solar Japan Canadian Solar, one of the worlds largest solar power companies, has announced that it has completed the sale of a 10.8 MW operating solar power plant in Izushi, Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan to the Canadian Solar Infrastructure Fund (CSIF) for USD 42.1 million.
Amazon plans new renewable energy projects in US and Spainedit
Amazon announced three new renewable energy projects in the US and Spain that support Amazons commitment to reach 80 percent renewable energy by 2024 and 100 percent renewable energy target by 2030. Amazons newest renewable energy project in Europe will be the company’s first largescale project in Spain, located southeast of Sevilla. Once complete, the new solar farm will provide 149 megawatts (MW) of new renewable capacity.
China’s climate paradox: A leader in coal and clean energyedit
As world leaders gather in Spain to discuss how to slow the warming of the planet, a spotlight falls on China – the top emitter of greenhouse gases. China burns about half the coal used globally each year. Between 2000 and 2018, its annual carbon emissions nearly tripled, and it now accounts for about 30% of the world’s total. Yet it’s also the leading market for solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicles, and it manufactures about two-thirds of solar cells installed worldwide.
Growth in global carbon emissions slowed in 2019edit
A surprise drop in coal use in the United States and Europe has helped to slow the growth of global carbon dioxide emissions this year, with softening demand in China and India also contributing, according to a study published on Wednesday. The report, launched at a U.N. climate summit in Madrid, showed that growing appetite for oil and gas meant the world was still far from achieving the drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions needed to avert catastrophic global warming.