Cement, Energy & Environment

/ - The government's current target of 5 per cent blending of ethanol in petrol has, however, been partially successful. According to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), oil marketing companies (OMCs) have not procured any biodiesel in the last three years. The MoPNG announced a biodiesel purchase policy in 2006, according to which the OMCs would buy biodiesel at a uniform landed price, which is reviewed from time to time. The price of biodiesel was fixed at Rs 29.50 per litre, effective June 26, 2010. As per the NPB, OMCs are required to purchase biodiesel for blending with high speed diesel at 20 identified purchase centres across the country. According to industry players, biodiesel production in India is insignificant though considerable research and development efforts are under way in the segment on the use of micro algae as a biofuel and alternative sources of bioethanol such as cashew apples and rice husk. The inadequate availability of high-yielding drought-tolerant jatropha seeds has impacted commercial viability. Another major issue with biofuels pertains to the conflict between food and fuel. If fuel prices are too attractive, the production of food crops gets diverted for fuel production. Therefore, judicious management of this conflict will be crucial for the segment's growth . There is also little incentive for sugar companies to produce fuel-grade ethanol. Molasses, another by-product of sugarcane, fetches a far more attractive price through sale to breweries than ethanol in a market where state-owned OMCs offer a cartelized price. Notwithstanding the challenges, the MNRE's subgroup on the Bio energy Mission Working Group on New and Renewable Energy estimates plantation-based capacity to increase to 1,125 MW during the Twelfth Plan and to 4 ,200 MW at the end of the Thirteenth Plan. An outlay of Rs 2 billion has been proposed to support plantation projects at a rate of Rs 20, 000 per acre for high– yield projects and Rs 10,000 per acre for low-yield projects. Conclusion There is significant scope for the partial substitution of coal and other fossil fuels with bioenergy for power generation in the country. Biogas has similar characteristics like natural gas and can be fed into gas pipelines, while wood chips/biomass briquettes can act as a substitute for coal. Globally, plants are substituting fuels with biomass in coal plants wherever it is technologically feasible, given the stable price of biomass over coal. Thus, besides stand-alone power generation, biomass fuel presents an excellent opportunity for the partial substitution of coal in thermal power plants provided fuel policies in order. Courtesy: Renewable Witch November 2012. Pp 4~4. WINn n:. or::v ... ,...... 11.~1n 1 INnlll. More than 90 per cent investments in the wind power sector come from private sector which indicates that we have adequate capacity and desire to harness wind energy. However, we need a stable regulatory and policy framework and better incentive mechanisms to achieve the target of the 12th Plan period in particular, and the target of 15 per cent of renewable power by 2020, in general. Wind power has become one of the key renewable energy sources for power generation in India, contributing a sizeable share of 3 to 4 per cent to the country's electricity generation mix at present. The total installed capacity of wind power in India as on 31 st March 2012 was 17,351.60 MW, which is 8.7 per cent of the total installed capacity in India. Within renewables it is about 70 per cent. The country stands fifth in terms of total wind power installed capacity worldwide. In 2011 calendar year India stood at the third position in capacity addition worldwide. A cumulative total of 119.5 billion units of electricity have been fed into the state electricity grids up to 31st March, 2012 (Table 1). Through generation of 119.5 BU of electricity from wind energy the·country has saved 89.72 million tonnes of coal and 118.29 million tonnes of C0 2 emission. This indicates environmental and economic viability of wind power in India. 23 ...