Cement, Energy and Environment

SOLAR POWER TO GET CHEAPER IN GUJARAT With cost of setting up solar power projects coming down, the Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC) has proposed to reduce the solar power tariff for new plants coming up in the state. For the first time, the electricity regulator will be introducing the reverse bidding system for sale of solar power in the state. Under this system GERC will fix the upper limit to be charged per unit of solar power. The power producers who seek to enter into power purchase agreement (PPA) with the state power distribution companies will bid for the lowest rate of power. The Electricity Regulator has proposed to set the price of solar power to upper limit of Rs 6.68 per unit from fixed price of Rs 8.39 per unit for new power plants coming up between July 2015 and March 2018. Every three years the regulator revised the tariff based on the reduction in setting up cost of power plants. GERC estimates the cost of setting up a 1 MW solar power plant now has come down to Rs 11 crore from Rs 16 crore a few years ago. Courtesy: www.solarquarter. com, 09 July, 2015 I Environment MINISTRY EASES GREEN RULES FOR INDUSTRIAL CLUSTERS In another apparent industry-friendly move, the government has simplified the measurement of pollution in industrial clusters. The environment ministry, with the full backing of the states, has tweaked the comprehensive environmental pollution index (CEPI), a composite measurement of air and water pollution and land degradation that is used in 88 industrial clusters. The CEPI is based on parameters such as the nature of toxins, the scale of industrial activities, the level of ambient pollution, impact on humans and eco-geological features and the number of people potentially affected within a 2 km radius. It has a maximum composite score of 100. The two parameters have been dropped when awareness about the adverse impact of pollution is growing. The revised index will no longer take into account the adverse impact of pollutants on human health and environmental degradation. The states, which have said the index limits industrial development, have not objected to the changes . "It is difficult to make a quantified assessment on the impact on people or on the ecosystem. That is why we are dropping these two parameters," said Shashi Shekhar, special secretary in the envi– ronment ministry, who currently officiates as the chairman-of the Central Pollution Control Board. "Pollution is bad for human health, no one is denying that, but it is not possible to quantify it and it makes it difficult to include in the index." Launched in 2009, the CEPI was developed by the CPCB and the Indian Institute of Technol– ogy Delhi. Jairam Ramesh , who was the environment minister at the time, introduced the index to give a public health perspective to industrial pollution. The developers of the index acknowledged that it may not be possible to always have reliable evidence of the adverse impact on people and eco-geological features. For this reason, they made the assessment on a scale, with zero given when there was no reliable evidence and a maximum of 6 when there was evidence of fatalities and loss of fauna and flora due to exposure to pollutants produced in the cluster. Experts argue that there was no need to make the changes. The ministry is categorical that the changes are not being introduced to make it easier for industry to disregard the environment or human health. Instead, the ministry argues that the new CEPI regime will demand greater accountability from industry. "The moment the index hits 50, the stakeholders in the cluster industry, state and local government, pollution control boards will be required to work together to reduce the pollution levels. So a first level of check will be introduced. The idea is to introduce a system where action will have to be taken by law," Shekhar explained. Industrial stakeholders in the cluster are being asked to set up a special purpose vehicle to draw up plans for pollution abatement and implement them. Under the present system, once the CEPI score touches 70, a moratorium is imposed on the cluster and relaxed only when an action plan is ap– proved and some reduction in pollution is evident. A senior official explained that the instrument of moratoriums could be counterproductive. Courtesy: 16 The Economic Times New Delhi, 13. 04.2015 Pg. No. 6- 7