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Time of India
27-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Students make low-cost lightning arrester, school applies for patent
1 2 Kolkata: An experiment at a school workshop in Madhyamgram is all set to bring down the cost of lightning conductors to less than half and save lives of thousands from being electrocuted in the fields. The lightning conductor, devised by students at Sodepur Deshbandhu Bidyapith (Boys), already passed tests at institutes like Central Power Research Institute and was awarded at the National Children's Science Congress in 2020. The school has now applied for its patent. The project took off nearly eight years ago with school students trying to devise a lightning conductor from household and garage waste. A thin aluminium sheet is fitted at the edge of a structure that looks like the wheel of a cycle. There are pores on the rim of the wheel, and copper wires are inserted through them as spokes. There is a hub in the middle, and there are threaded holes connected to the wires going inside the earth. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Lightning conductors have sharp edges, which help in converging electric field lines on the lightning conductor more. This further helps reduce damage to the nearby areas from lightning. Also, the lightning conductor's pointed ends help it to acquire more positive charges on its tip. While commercially available lightning conductors have three to four pointed edges, the lightning conductor devised by the students has nearly 450-500 pointed edges. "When the negative charge is discharged by the cloud, it first strikes the pointed tip of the lightning conductor and quickly travels to the earth. The discharge process gets over very quickly, and a house, people or animals in its surroundings will be saved from damage," said Pashupati Mandal, physics teacher of the school who heads the project. It costs less than Rs 1,000, while commercially available lightning conductors with one or two pointed ends cost nearly Rs 2,100. "The initial prototype was made at a cost of Rs 350. But we decided to modify that after tests were done at the central laboratories. The modified lightning conductor costs around Rs 1,000. This is at least 10 times more useful and can be installed by anyone. It can easily be purchased by farmers who pay more than double to buy lightning conductors from the market," Mandal said. Normally, lightning conductors are used at the top of buildings or towers. But this can be put on the field, which is watery and marshy. "So far, we have installed lightning conductors at 40 locations across districts in north Bengal, and we are closely monitoring them," said Ambarish Nag Biswas of West Bengal Radio Club, which is assisting the school in developing the lightning conductor. "There are hundreds of farmers and animals who die every year from lightning. Apart from that, fishermen also use lightning conductors," Nag Biswas said.
Business Standard
11-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
India successfully met peak power demand of 241 GW on 9th June with zero peak shortage
Ministry of Power stated in a latest update yesterday that India successfully met peak power demand of 241 GW on 9th June, 2025 with zero peak shortage. India is set to revolutionize its power transmission with the rollout of an Ultra High Voltage Alternating Current (UHV AC) Transmission System. Nine 1100 kV lines and ten substations have been identified for development by 2034, with testing facilities under development by the Central Power Research Institute. Investment would be Rs 53,000 Crore. The country added its highest-ever generation capacity of 34 GW during 2024-25, with renewable energy accounting for 29.5 GW. The nation's total installed capacity now stands at 472.5 GW, up from 249 GW in 2014.
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Business Standard
10-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Govt plans additional Rs 5,400 crore VGF to create 30 GWh battery storage
The Centre is set to introduce an additional viability gap funding (VGF) package of Rs 5,400 crore for establishing 30 GWh battery energy storage system (BESS) capacity to ensure round-the-clock renewable energy availability, Union Minister for Power Manohar Lal Khattar said on Tuesday. This will be in addition to the existing incentive of Rs 3,700 crore, under which 13.2 GWh of BESS is currently being implemented. The move is expected to attract investments worth Rs 33,000 crore. The minister, at a press briefing, also announced an extension of the 100 per cent waiver on inter-state transmission system (ISTS) charges for BESS and storage projects until 30 June 2028. The exemption will apply to pumped storage projects awarded and battery storage systems commissioned before the deadline. Pumped storage plants (PSPs) are hydroelectric power generation systems using two water reservoirs at different elevations. They function as giant batteries for electricity storage. When demand increases, stored water is released to the lower reservoir through turbines to generate electricity. With an investment of Rs 53,000 crore, the government will roll out the Ultra High Voltage Alternating Current (UHVAC) transmission system to reinforce grid infrastructure. Nine 1,100 kV lines have been identified for high-voltage transmission and will be developed by 2034. Testing facilities for these lines and associated equipment are being developed by the Central Power Research Institute. Khattar also informed reporters that the compensation structure under the Right of Way (RoW) rules has been revised to facilitate infrastructure rollout. Compensation for tower area has increased from 85 per cent to 200 per cent of land value, and for the RoW corridor from 15 per cent to 30 per cent, directly linking land value to market rates. Haryana and Delhi have already adopted the new guidelines issued on 21 March 2025. Regarding VGF, the funding will be sourced from the Power System Development Fund (PSDF). The scheme targets 15 states, which will receive 25 GWh collectively, while NTPC Ltd will receive 5 GWh. Khattar said the first round of tender under the new VGF scheme will be floated in three months. 'India is targeting 393 GW of renewable energy capacity (293 GW solar and 100 GW wind) by 2030, but renewable energy is highly intermittent and needs energy storage solutions to ensure round-the-clock power supply and grid stability. Therefore, BESS is essential, especially to meet peak demand during non-solar hours,' he said. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) estimates that India will require 37 GWh of BESS capacity by 2027 and 236 GWh by 2031–32. With the new VGF announcement, India is poised to achieve a BESS capacity of 43.2 GWh by FY28.
Time of India
10-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Govt clears ₹5,400 cr VGF for 30 GWh battery storage, plans 1100 kV UHV lines, raises RoW compensation
New Delhi: The Centre has approved a Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme worth ₹5,400 crore to support development of 30 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), Union Power Minister Manohar Lal said on Tuesday. This is in addition to the 13.2 GWh of BESS already under implementation. The VGF-backed scheme is expected to help meet India's storage requirement by 2028 and attract an investment of ₹33,000 crore. At a press conference, the minister also announced an extension of the waiver of inter-state transmission charges for storage projects until June 30, 2028. The exemption will be applicable to pumped storage projects awarded and battery storage systems commissioned before the deadline. 'This extension will support the development of storage needed to meet the country's requirements,' said Manohar Lal. To enhance the national grid infrastructure, the government will roll out Ultra High Voltage Alternating Current (UHVAC) Transmission Systems. Nine lines of 1100 kV have been identified for development by 2034. Testing facilities for these lines and associated equipment are being developed by the Central Power Research Institute. In another move to encourage infrastructure rollout, the government has revised the compensation structure under the Right of Way (RoW) rules. Compensation for tower area has been increased from 85 per cent to 200 per cent of land value, while compensation for the RoW corridor has been raised from 15 per cent to 30 per cent. The payments will now be linked to the market value of the land. Supplementary guidelines for assessing land rates using registered valuers were issued on March 21, 2025, and have been adopted by Haryana and Delhi. In order to promote private investment in intra-state transmission projects , the government has brought payments to intra-state transmission systems under the Late Payment Surcharge Rules, aligning them with existing provisions for inter-state transmission systems. The announcements come at a time when the government is looking to accelerate deployment of energy storage and grid infrastructure to support its renewable energy targets .
The Hindu
27-04-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Pondicherry University signs MoU with Central Power Research Institute
Pondicherry University and Central Power Research Institute (CPRI) Bengaluru have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), for fostering academic and research collaboration. The agreement brings together two premier institutions to drive innovations in the electrical power systems, renewable energy technologies and sustainable development solutions, a press note said. The MoU envisages opening up multiple avenues for the collaboration, including joint research projects, faculty exchange programs and expert lectures, student internships and hands-on training at CPRI facilities, shared access to research facilities and laboratories and organization of national conferences and workshops. P. Prakash Babu, Vice-chancellor, Pondicherry University, emphasised the strategic importance of this partnership, stating that it aligns well with the university's aspiration to strengthen industry-academic linkages and create industry-tailored ecosystems. 'This partnership represents a perfect synergy between academic excellence and industrial expertise', he said. The collaboration with CPRI will enable students and faculty to work on transformative projects that address India's growing energy demands while maintaining the environmental sustainability by developing cutting-edge solutions that can be implemented at both national and global scale, he added. B.A. Sawale, Director General of CPRI, said the institution, which recognises the critical importance of bridging the gap between the laboratory research and commercial applications, was looking to synergise its state-of-the-art testing facilities and decades-old industry expertise with the Pondicherry University's strong academic foundation and research capabilities. S. Victor Anandkumar, Dean (International Relations), Pondicherry University, P. Elumalai, MoU co-ordinator and faculty member of the Department of Green Energy Technology, B. M. Jaffar Ali, Dean of Madanjeet School of Green Energy Technologies, and others participated in the MoU signing ceremony.
