International Solar Alliance to hold Regional Committee Meeting in Colombo next week
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Solar sector experts and stakeholders will gather next week at a multilateral meeting for Asia and the Pacific region in Sri Lanka to discuss ways to scale up use of solar energy The International Solar Alliance (ISA) will host its Seventh Regional Committee Meeting (RCM) for the Asia and the Pacific Region next week in Sri Lanka, an official statement said on Tuesday.The event will bring together government officials, technical universities, think tanks, institutional partners, and leaders from the private sector to advance a coordinated and strategic agenda for scaling solar deployment across this dynamic and diverse region, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) said.Ashish Khanna, Director General, ISA, said "The Regional Committee Meeting in Colombo from 15-17 July is an opportunity to develop practical, investment-ready solutions with the potential to scale across countries and technologies."Headquartered in India, the ISA is a global initiative launched in 2015 by India and France at UN's climate conference COP21 in Paris. It has 123 member and signatory countries.The Alliance works with governments to improve energy access and security worldwide and promote solar power as a sustainable transition to a carbon-neutral future.
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Business Standard
7 hours ago
- Business Standard
MNRE aims to clear backlog of ₹200 cr subsidy for CBG plants post monsoon
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is working to clear a little over ₹200 crore subsidy backlog for waste to energy projects under the National Bioenergy Programme (NBP). Officials indicated this would be taken up after post-monsoon inspections by biomass pellet developers. Delays have stemmed from stringent norms, eased last June, and off-take challenges for larger plants. 'There was an issue on our side in releasing the subsidy due to one or two stringent clauses in the earlier guidelines, particularly the requirement for a plant to demonstrate 80 per cent efficiency over three consecutive months. This proved impractical, as without assured off-take, plants could not ramp up to that level and often operated at only 60–70 per cent capacity,' an official said. MNRE argued that the focus should be on whether the plant has the capacity to run at the required efficiency, which can be demonstrated even in a single day, rather than insisting on sustained performance over three months. These guidelines were amended on June 27 to focus on demonstrating capacity rather than sustained output, allowing subsidy release based on evidence of investment and functional capability. 'With this change, subsidy disbursement process has resumed, and the backlog of roughly Rs 200 crore is expected to clear within a few months,' the official informed. 'In the last meeting with developers, especially in the pallet bracket side, they pointed out that during the monsoon it is difficult for them to run at peak capacity. So, our inspections would spill over to post monsoon and then it would take a month or so to clear,' the official explained. Queries sent to the MNRE remained unanswered at press time. The backlog primarily relates to projects sanctioned over the last three years, as it typically takes 1-1.5 years for a plant to be commissioned. Even after commissioning, the plant doesn't operate at peak capacity immediately—it usually takes 3-6 months for stabilization due to the fermentation process. 'So, while sanctions began three years ago, most plants were commissioned only in the last year or so, which explains the delay in reaching full capacity and claiming subsidies,' the second official said. This is a back-end subsidy, where the investor has already installed the plant and incurred the full expenditure—either through loan or equity—and the government's role is only to reimburse a portion afterward. Therefore, once there is clear evidence that the investment has been made and the plant is operational, we should facilitate the release of the subsidy without unnecessary delays. Central financial assistance (CFA) for biogas plants ranges from ₹9,800 to ₹70,400 for small plants (1–25 m³/day), and ₹35,000–₹45,000 per kW for power or ₹17,500–₹22,500 per kW equivalent for thermal use (25–2500 m³/day). SC/ST, north east, islands, and gaushalas get 20 per cent higher CFA. The NBP, with a total outlay of ₹1,715 crore for FY22–FY26, is being implemented in two phases, with Phase-I allocated ₹858 crore. Smaller CBG (compressed bio gas) plants, up to 10–12 tonnes per day (TPD), have largely resolved earlier off-take issues and are now operating smoothly, while a few large-sized plants still struggle to fully secure off-take agreements. Additionally, the challenge of disposing of fermented organic manure (FOM), a by-product of CBG production, has been addressed through the Department of Fertilizers' Market Development Assistance (MDA) scheme, which offers ₹1.5 per kg for FOM, helping stabilize its disposal. MNRE is trying to address CBG distribution bottlenecks—currently reliant on fuel stations—by enabling grid integration via trunk pipelines and a 1 per cent blending mandate in city gas networks, which will increase gradually each year. Currently, Compressed Biogas (CBG) can only be sold for vehicular use through fuel stations operated by oil and gas marketing companies, as there is no direct infrastructure yet to inject it into the gas grid. Until trunk lines are ready, CBG is transported via cascades to fuel stations, limiting off-take to what the oil marketing companies can sell. As the sector is still developing and CBG vehicles are limited, this constrains demand. However, demand is growing steadily, with a 37 per cent increase in CNG vehicle sales last year, and companies like Maruti and Ashok Leyland are investing in their own CBG projects, indicating that the demand side is beginning to stabilize.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
State's GDP more than doubled since 2017: UP finance minister
1 2 3 4 Lucknow: Scaling a growth of 141%, the gross domestic product of Uttar Pradesh has gone up from Rs 12.71 lakh crore to Rs 30.77 lakh crore over the past eight years. Having scaled more than two-fold economic growth, UP is among the fastest growing states in the country, said finance minister Suresh Khanna. The nine-term MLA from Shahjahanpur and chief guest of the event, Khanna, was addressing the gathering at TOI Dialogues where he shared the growth story of the state with the audience on Thursday. Giving credit to the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and consistent efforts of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath , Khanna said that UP has been able to create a positive image not only within the country but also internationally over the past eight years. Competing with Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra presently, UP is already among the top three economies in the country, reiterated Khanna while adding that the improved law and order situation helped the state attract investors in such a large number. "According to the national crime record bureau's report, 19 states in the country have a higher rate of crime compared to UP," he said. Revealing the strategy to grow further, Khanna said that the primary sector (agriculture and allied industries) which accounts for 26% of the state's economy is already getting saturated and the focus is now on pushing tertiary and manufacturing sectors to boost the economy further. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Remarkable Pictures from the Moments That Made History Undo While delivering his keynote address, former IAS officer who is serving as an advisor to CM Yogi Adityanath, Awanish Kumar Awasthi, said that the image of UP has changed before the world leaders. "I have been on two international official visits recently and met senior politicians and industry leaders. I assure you that the image of UP has improved drastically under Yogi Adityanath's regime. We are not looked down upon anymore," he said. Awasthi said, "Inspired by Modi, Chief Minister Yogi set a vision for the state to achieve USD 1 trillion economy and continuous efforts are being made to drive the economic growth." Adding that country or its state cannot move forward unless rule of law is established, Awasthi cited the example of organising mass gatherings such as 2019 Kumbh and 2025 Mahakumbh successfully and the strong message that has been sent out to the mafia. Pointing out towards the network of expressways, Awasthi said that the Ganga Expressway, which is nearing completion, also showcases the growth story of UP. "The 594km-long expressway being executed with a budget of close to Rs 45,000 crore would be the largest public-private-partnership project in the country and signifies the trust Yogi government has built within the industry leaders," he said, adding that Jewar airport is going to shape up as another achievement of the state. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- New Indian Express
MNRE grants nod for 1.5 lakh rooftop solar installations
BHUBANESWAR: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has granted in-principle approval to the Odisha government for the implementation of the first tranche of 1.5 lakh installations of rooftop solar under utility led aggregation (ULA) model of the PM Surya Ghar - Muft Bijli Yojana. The distribution companies of the state had proposed the ministry to approve three lakh installations in the first phase. The approval, however, came with riders and discoms have been asked to ensure adherence to the PM Surya Ghar implementation framework. As per the directive of the ministry, all installations must be carried out strictly through the rooftop mode, including those under virtual net metering, which allows multiple electricity consumers within the same licensed area to benefit from a single, shared renewable energy system. There will be no ground-mounted, elevated, community or aggregated systems on non-rooftop areas under the ULA model. This provision aims at ensuring that asset ownership remains with the consumer. The consumer contribution has been capped at Rs 5,000 per kW after factoring in the central financial assistance and the state contribution. 'If the tariff obtained through competitive bidding falls below the cumulative financial assistance, the difference will be adjusted from the consumer's share, further reducing the burden,' the ministry stated in a communication.
