Latest news with #SPIC
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Singer Billy Bragg joins hundreds to protest against Portland waste incinerator
Folk singer Billy Bragg joined more than 200 campaigners protesting over plans for an incinerator near Dorset's Jurassic Coast World Heritage protest, which took place on Saturday morning in Portland town centre, was organised by the Stop Portland Incinerator Campaign (SPIC).The £150m Powerfuel Portland incinerator is expected to be able to process up to 202,000 tonnes of household, commercial and skip waste a year, creating enough energy to power about 30,000 Portland previously said the planned facility would "meet the treatment capacity shortage" and would "allow Dorset to manage its own waste". Bragg, who performed a few songs before speaking to the crowd, said he was at the event because he loved the beaches and wanted them to "remain as clean as they are".He said: "It's heart-breaking that a beautiful place like Weymouth should be polluted by something so terrible as an incinerator."It's heart-breaking that they should even considerate building one here."Initially the incinerator plans were rejected by Dorset Council who said its impact on the landscape "didn't fit the county's vision for waste management".However, this was reversed by a government planning inspector and since been appealed. Jill Johnstone, Portland resident and spokesperson for SPIC, said: "The resistance to the incinerator is still strong. "This campaign will not rest until Powerfuel Portland and Langham Industries decide to pull the plug on plans for this horrendous incinerator."Weymouth resident and retired gardener Mark Stevens said: "I have not heard Powerfuel Portland explain one single way that this incinerator will improve the lives of the people of Weymouth and Portland."He said it would leave local residents with "air pollution, rats, flies and a nasty stench"."It has to be stopped," he added. Former Portland mayor and Labour councillor Carolyn Parkes said: "We have to keep our spirits up, keep strong and carry on."I have every hope that this judicial review is going to be successful."Powerfuel Portland previously said: "The facility will meet the treatment capacity shortage identified in Dorset's approved Waste Plan. "This will allow Dorset to manage its own waste and not rely on facilities in other regions or in Europe. "We hope to work constructively with stakeholders including Dorset Council to ensure the benefits of this project are delivered."The Environment Agency granted Powerfuel Portland an environmental permit for the incinerator in February after concluding it had met all of its necessary waste management company has said the facility would not burn hazardous or clinical waste. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Now dedicated app will help UT's street vendors to pay monthly fees, challans
In a bid to enhance digital governance and ease of doing business, Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla and Municipal Commissioner Amit Kumar, on Thursday launched an app and portal vendor cell web portal for registered street vendors in Chandigarh. The initiative, developed by the Society for Promotion of Information Technology, Chandigarh (SPIC), aims to bring greater transparency, convenience, and administrative efficiency for the city's vendor community, an MC official said. The app, available on Android, allows vendors to make online payments for monthly vending fees, ID cards, challans, registration, and renewal charges. Vendors can also view and download payment histories, receipts, and provisional vending certificates directly from the app. Additional features include the ability to submit service requests like mobile number updates, automated notifications about upcoming or pending payments. It is available in English, Hindi, or Punjabi — making it accessible to a wider user base. The app and Vendor Cell Web Portal ( offer a one-stop digital interface for vendor-related services. It provides access to vendor bylaws, policies, fee structures, and status verification tools. The portal also features interactive maps of designated vending zones and a public dashboard that displays real-time data on active vendors, daily transactions, and fee collection. 'This is not just a digital tool — it's a step toward empowering our street vendors and improving citizen-centric service delivery,' MC Commissioner Amit Kumar said. As part of the launch event, 20 ID cards and 20 certificates of vending (COVs) were distributed to registered vendors, symbolising the start of this new digital chapter. The MC aims to use these platforms to create a centralised, accountable, and vendor-friendly ecosystem in the city.
The Star
28-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Chinese energy firms say Brazil must clarify rules or face loss of investments
Senior Chinese energy executives have called on Brazil to fix its regulatory framework and provide long-term predictability, warning that delays could hamper billions of dollars in green investment. The requests for transparency came on Thursday during a panel discussion at the Energy Summit in Rio de Janeiro, where representatives from the State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) and China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC) said that Brazil risked falling behind unless it acted quickly to clarify rules for energy storage and long-term concessions. China has become one of Brazil's biggest energy investors, pouring US$1.73 billion into the sector in 2023, a 33 per cent rise from the previous year, with roughly 72 per cent of confirmed projects focusing on wind, solar and other clean technologies, according to the Brazil-China Business Council. Since 2007, Chinese firms have invested a total of US$73.3 billion in Brazil generally, making it the fourth-largest destination globally for Chinese capital. 'Today we have the technology, the capital and the interest, but we lack a stable and predictable framework for energy storage in Brazil,' said Marcelo Taulois, deputy chief executive and chief development officer of CEEC Brazil. He warned that delays were putting billions of dollars of investment at risk. Taulois said that a long-awaited framework for battery storage, announced in December, had been put on hold despite strong interest from more than 60 developers. 'We were expecting it to be implemented by May, but it stopped,' he said. Adriana Waltrick, chief executive of SPIC Brasil, said that long-term planning was vital for both nations' roles in the global energy transition. 'China and Brazil are two of the four countries that will define this shift,' she said, noting that in 2024, China invested roughly 10 per cent of its gross domestic product in the energy transition sector, compared with roughly 1 per cent by Brazil. 'But China built an ecosystem where planning and execution go hand in hand. Brazil can do the same,' Waltrick said, adding that advances in digital technology – from artificial intelligence for hydro management to smart energy grids – could help Brazil make better use of its abundant resources. She said that Brazil had the expertise to do this, but only if regulations evolved with the times. Jorge Arbache, a University of Brasília economist, noted that vulnerability could become a catalyst for growth if policies were clear and coordinated. 'And China, with its ability to articulate, coordinate and implement policies, has succeeded through very well-defined plans and clear targets across the central government, provinces, state-owned enterprises and private firms in accelerating its path towards energy independence. 'This is something we can mimic here,' he added. As evidence that the market responded when rules were defined, panellists cited rising confirmation rates for announced Chinese energy-related investments in Brazil, from 27 per cent in 2022 to 88 per cent in 2023. Yet both Taulois and Waltrick said the trend could stall if Brazil failed to provide a robust framework for storage and long-term concessions. 'The sentiment right now is one of urgency,' Taulois said. 'The market and the technology are ready. What we're missing is a sign from the government that Brazil is serious about making this transition happen.' Waltrick said Brazil had a unique opportunity: 'We have the resources, we have the technology, and we have strong partners like China ready to build. But the bridge between planning and policy has to be built now – or this moment could slip away.' -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
South China Morning Post
26-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Chinese energy firms say Brazil must clarify regulations or face loss of investments
Senior Chinese energy executives have called on Brazil to fix its regulatory framework and provide long-term predictability, warning that delays could hamper billions of dollars in green investment. The requests for transparency came on Thursday during a panel discussion at the Energy Summit in Rio de Janeiro, where representatives from the State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) and China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC) said that Brazil risked falling behind unless it acted quickly to clarify rules for energy storage and long-term concessions. China has become one of Brazil's biggest energy investors, pouring US$1.73 billion into the sector in 2023, a 33 per cent rise from the previous year, with roughly 72 per cent of confirmed projects focusing on wind, solar and other clean technologies, according to the Brazil-China Business Council. Since 2007, Chinese firms have invested a total of US$73.3 billion in Brazil generally, making it the fourth-largest destination globally for Chinese capital. 'Today we have the technology, the capital and the interest, but we lack a stable and predictable framework for energy storage in Brazil,' said Marcelo Taulois, deputy chief executive and chief development officer of CEEC Brazil. He warned that delays were putting billions of dollars of investment at risk. Taulois said that a long-awaited framework for battery storage, announced in December, had been put on hold despite strong interest from more than 60 developers.
The Print
06-06-2025
- Politics
- The Print
J-K LG, Railway Minister undertake rail journey from Katra to Srinagar
Katra (J-K), Jun 6 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw undertook a ride in Self-Propelled Inspection Car (SPIC) from Katra in Reasi district to Nowgam Station in Srinagar on Friday, an official said. Sinha and Vaishnaw took the rail ride after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the much-awaited Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country.
