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New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Odisha to avail funding from Centre for battery energy storage projects
BHUBANESWAR: The state government has conveyed its willingness to the Ministry of Power to implement the allocated capacity of battery energy storage system (BESS) under the viability gap funding (VGF) scheme to enhance its grid stability. This is in response to a recent communication from the New and Renewable Energy division of the ministry allocating 500 megawatt hour (MWh) to Odisha out of the total allocation of 16,500 MWh to 15 states to ensure grid integration of renewable energy (RE) and reliable electricity supply. Acknowledging the importance of BESS, GRIDCO in its response to the ministry said, 'The state is committed to accelerating the development of RE and associated infrastructure in line with national priorities and is keen to support the initiative.' GRIDCO being the nodal agency of the state government for RE projects has identified 10 locations for installation of the battery energy storage system. However, in the first phase BESS will be set up in four grid sub-stations under VGF scheme supported through the power system development fund (PSDF), sources said.
Express Tribune
12-02-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Mid-year target for 5G rollout confirmed
Listen to article The Parliamentary Secretary provided clarification regarding the internet speed in the country during the National Assembly session. The session, chaired by Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa, discussed the issue of slow internet speed during the question hour. Parliamentary Secretary for IT, Sabin Ghori, informed that internet speed would improve by mid of this year, and 5G would also be launched by mid-2025. She explained that there are several reasons for the slow internet speed. Pakistan People's Party (PPP) member, Agha Rafiullah, mentioned that videos don't download, and the internet is extremely slow. Another member, Shagufta Jumani, remarked that Bilawal Bhutto had rightly said that there is some fish that only eats Pakistan's cable. In response, Parliamentary Secretary Sabin Ghori humorously said, "There is some fish that cuts the internet cable, but we don't know which fish it is." Earlier, National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology urged for the swift finalisation of its agreement with Starlink, with parliamentary secretary confirming that the service will be available in the country by June 2025. The committee, chaired by Aminul Haq, discussed various key issues, including the Information Technology (IT) Ministry's PSDF for FY 2024-25 and other significant projects. Haq instructed officials to expedite the licensing process for Starlink, the satellite internet service provider owned by Elon Musk, which has been in discussions with Pakistan for nearly two years. Starlink's licensing process had previously stalled due to the absence of a regulatory authority, as pointed out by Barrister Gohar, a member of the committee. The Pakistani authorities aim to complete the necessary paperwork soon, with the potential for Starlink to become operational by mid-2025. Amonth ago, Sharmila Farooqi, PPP lawmaker, expressed her frustration during a National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology meeting, accusing the government of failing to address persistent internet disruptions. The meeting, chaired by Federal Minister for IT Syed Aminul Haque, focused on the slow internet issues. Farooqi criticised State Minister for IT Sheza Fatima Khawaja for her responses, questioning the government's claims of improved internet services. 'Whenever PTI announces a protest, the internet suddenly goes down. Is the government calling e-commerce companies, the public, and us liars?' Farooqi asked, pointing out the financial losses incurred by her husband's e-commerce business due to the issue.
