Cement, Energy and Environment

• R&D activities The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, Germany - One of the largest research centers in the world - has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Knowledge Infrastructure Park of the University of Hyderabad in association with the Indian Semiconductor Association, for enhancing solar development in the state. The proposed activities envisaged are setting up a testing and certification facility, a research and development center and designing training programmes for solar photovoltaics. The Andhra Pradesh government is also preparing a solar policy for the state which would be announced soon. The policy is expected to complement the National Action Plan on Climate Change. Courlesy: Green Energy, Vol. 5, Nov. - Dec. 2009, P27. LARGEST SOLAR BOAT READY TO SAIL A yacht club in the northern German city of Kiel has unveiled a solar-powered multihul motorboat, which it claims is the world's largest. The 30 metre long and 16 metre wide boat, PlantSolar, receives all its energy from 500 square metres of photovoltaic solar panels that cover almost the entire upper surface of the boat. Courlesy: Down to Earlh, March 16-31, 2010, P11. Environment HOW GREEN IS THE UNION BUDGET 201 0/11? The statistics First, the good: • The central plan outlay for the MoEF (Ministry of Environment and Forests) has gone up by 25 per cent, from Rs. 1650 crore in the revised budgetary estimates for 201 0 to Rs. 2200 crore. • The allocation for the MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy) has increased by 23%, from Rs. 1499 crore in the revised budgetary allocation for 2010 to Rs. 1950 core for 2011. Now, the not-so-good: The Ministry of Coal has got 158% increase in the central plan outlay - from Rs 5225 crore to Rs 13518 crore! Courlesy: TERRAGREEN Apri/2010,P15. BIHAR INTRODUCES GREEN TAX Stone quarries banned to protect hills Alok Gupta Patna Bihar government's budget has introduced measures to protect the environment. The budget passed for 2010-2011 includes sales tax and value added tax on old vehicles and halves the tax on battery-run vehicles. The state's finance minister, Sushi! Kumar Modi, also announced a blanket ban on mining hills for quarrying stones. He said leases of existing quarries will not be renewed . "Bihar lagged behind in formulating laws to save the environment. We will take more such decisions," said Modi while indicating that the state may introduce CNG run vehicles soon. The ban on stone quarrying and use of stone crushers follows deforestation and whittling down of hills in Gaya, Rajgir and other parts of Bihar. Modi Said the state has very little forest cover and it is imperative to take tough decisions. The new tax on vehicles that are 12 years old or more will not apply to autorickshaws, tractors and trailers. At the same time, the government has abolished the 25 per cent tax relief on vehicles that are 10 years old or more and 30 per cent tax relief give to old goods carriers. Courlesy: Down To Earlh, March 16-31, 2010, P16. 59