Latest news with #ANERT
New Indian Express
14-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
‘ANERT corruption linked to illegal appointment', says Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Sunday said the alleged corruption in ANERT had links with an illegal appointment there. Chennithala had recently demanded a comprehensive probe into alleged irregularities in the Rs 240-crore tender floated for installing solar pumps under the PM-KUSUM scheme. The former Leader of Opposition said the executive assistant of ANERT was hired by a consultancy firm illegally. The firm hired him at a high salary and deputed him to ANERT as the CEO's executive assistant. The person had earlier assisted the CEO in the procedures to appoint the firm as ANERT's consultant, Chennithala said. 'This shows how the firm got the consultancy contract,' he said. Further, Chennithala said ANERT receives funds worth crores from the Union and state governments. 'None of the ANERT staff has a role in the tender procedures to spend these funds. Either temporary staffers or private consultancy firms are involved in such procedures,' he said.
New Indian Express
12-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala demands investigation into PM-KUSUM tender
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Raising his demand for a comprehensive probe into alleged irregularities in ANERT (Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology), senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Friday said Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty is also involved in the scam. Chennithala alleged irregularities in a Rs 240-crore tender issued for installing solar pumps under PM-KUSUM scheme. It's the second time Chennithala is raising the issue. He has called for legislative scrutiny and accused the power minister of being involved in the alleged scam. Chennithala alleged that ANERT CEO Narendranath Veluri exceeded his authority by sanctioning the tender, despite being permitted to approve contracts only up to Rs 5 crore. Chennithala said he would release more documents in the coming days related to the project. Both the minister and the ANERT CEO dismissed the allegations, stating that all relevant files had already been reviewed by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). Speaking to TNIE, Veluri said, 'The CAG has examined all our files and found no irregularities. Kerala is the only state that successfully implemented the PM-KUSUM project, and our model has even been shared with Telangana. Details of the implementation are available with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. This allegation seems to be a politically motivated.'
New Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala alleges Rs 240 crore irregularities in ANERT solar pump tender
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Wednesday demanded a comprehensive probe into alleged irregularities in the Rs 240-crore tender for the installation of solar pumps under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme. Chennithala released a set of documents that point to serious violations in the tendering process managed by the Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (ANERT). He alleged that the tender was illegally issued by the ANERT CEO, who is only authorised to sanction tenders up to Rs 5 questioned how a Rs 240-crore tender was floated without written approval from the government. He claimed that the entire tender process was flawed and pointed out that a company named Kondass Automation was allowed to make corrections after the tender was submitted, an act he said was highly irregular. 'How can changes be allowed after the tender is opened?' he asked. According to Chennithala, most of the contracts were awarded at more than double the benchmark rate fixed by the central government for solar pump installations. 'There is a difference of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 3 lakh per unit in contracts for systems ranging from two kW to 10 kW. This inflated the total project cost by around Rs 100 crore,' he said, adding that the project is being funded by a Rs 175-crore loan from NABARD. He also raised concerns about the grading system used to select companies for implementation. Power Minister K Krishnankutty has directed the power department additional chief secretary to conduct a probe into the allegations.
The Hindu
04-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Anert installs Kerala's first decentralised solar-powered grid-interactive Battery Energy Storage System in Thiruvananthapuram
The Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (Anert) has installed Kerala's first decentralised solar-powered grid-interactive Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at its headquarters here at PMG in the State capital. The system can power up to loads of 100 kW and has a battery bank of 150 KWh, enabling continuous operation of one-and-a-half hours on full load in the absence of solar power or supply from the grid. Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty inaugurated the BESS along with a demonstration project on Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology here on Friday. The BESS consists of a prefabricated module structure with systems for power supply and distribution, monitoring and control, environmental control, fire protection, system, in addition to a dedicated Battery Management System (BMS) and Energy Management System (EMS). Operational advantages Anert sees many operational advantages in the BESS unit. Replacing the existing diesel generator unit, it will help to meet 24x7 requirements completely from renewables and storage. Further, it will allow the export of electricity during peak hours. It can also be used for charging electric vehicles during peak hours. 'It is designed in such a way that in case of an emergency, the system can be disconnected from the building, can be transported out to repower any other building or location,' ANERT said. During power failures in the grid, the BESS will switch to off-grid working mode, and the load will be supplied with energy by the solar and battery. When the power grid is back to normal, the system switches back to the original working state. This allows the building to function seamlessly and ensures 24x7 power. With focus shifting to storage systems, given the rapid increase in solar power generation in Kerala, power sector agencies including the Kerala State Electricity Board are actively pursuing BESS and pumped storage projects (PSP). A recent discussion paper on renewable energy prepared by the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission had noted the usefulness of BESS units for storing excess renewable energy produced during the daytime when power demand is low and then supplying it back to the grid for peak-demand use.
The Hindu
21-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Project on the anvil to convert old diesel-powered KSRTC buses into e-buses
Old diesel-powered buses of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will be converted into electric buses under a joint project of the transport utility, the Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (ANERT) and Toshiba. Quick charging What is special about this initiative is that the buses will be fitted with lithium-titanium-oxide (LTO) batteries which can be charged in 10 to 20 minutes using pantograph charging systems during stopovers at bus stations. The buses will be equipped with rooftop charging receivers that facilitate overhead charging using pantograph arms. The project will see the engines, gearbox and transmission systems of KSRTC buses older than five years replaced with battery, battery management system (BMS) and Motor Control Unit (MCU). 'Toshiba will be supplying the battery. As the buses will use a quick-charging system, passengers need not be kept waiting,' ANERT director Narendra Nath Veluri told The Hindu. Pilot project Under a pilot project, three buses will undergo conversion with a power train system comprising a 200 kW Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) and the 100 to 150 kWh LTO battery. In the initial phase, the buses will ply on the Thiruvananthapuram-Ernakulam route and the Thiruvananthapuram-Kottarakkara route. The pantograph charging facility will be installed in select bus stations on the route such as Kayamkulam. But a decision is yet to be finalised on this point, Mr. Veluri said. Lithium ferro-phosphate (LFP) batteries commonly used in electric vehicles take one to four hours to be fully charged. Emission control The Kerala State Action Plan on Climate Change 2023-2030 notes that Kerala has around 1.3 lakh buses, both government and privately-owned, and the current growth rate is as low as 1.5%. 'At this rate, Kerala is estimated to have 1.5 lakh buses by 2030, including private buses. Hence there is scope for the introduction of e-buses that can bring down emissions remarkably,' the action plan says. The 14th Five Year Plan of the State envisages improving the efficiency of public transportation by modernising the KSRTC's bus fleet with energy-efficient buses with LNG/CNG and e-buses.
