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India’s tunnelling projects surge: 69 tunnels under construction at Rs 400 billion investment

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India is ramping up its tunnelling infrastructure with 69 tunnels covering 134 km currently under construction, backed by a Rs 400 billion investment, as announced by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, at FICCI’s Tunnelling India conference. Additionally, 35 tunnels totalling 49 km have been completed, with Rs 150 billion spent. The government plans to build 74 more tunnels spanning 273 km, with a projected investment of Rs 1,000 billion. Gadkari stressed…

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Gensol-Matrix consortium emerges as L1 for India’s first hydrogen project

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Gensol Engineering, in partnership with green hydrogen infrastructure developer Matrix Gas & Renewables, has emerged as the lowest bidder (L1) for India’s first biomass-to-green hydrogen project. The Rs 1.64 billion project aims to establish a facility capable of processing 25 TPD (tonnes per day) of bio-waste to produce 1 TPD of green hydrogen. The consortium has teamed up with Westinghouse, USA, known for its experience in commissioning plants globally, to use its pre-gasification plasma-induced radiant…

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THDCIL signs MoU with Maharashtra for 6,790 MW pumped hydro projects

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On September 3, 2024, THDC India signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Department of Water Resources, Maharashtra, to develop six pumped hydro power storage projects totalling 6,790 MW, with an estimated investment of over Rs 336 billion. The six projects planned under this MoU are: Malshej Ghat Pumped Storage Project (700 MW) Aruna Pumped Storage Project (1,950 MW) Kharari Pumped Storage Project (1,250 MW) Humbarli Birmani Pumped Storage Project (1,000 MW) Aruna Kolamb…

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ISA to launch $100 million fund for solar power in Africa

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The International Solar Alliance (ISA) will launch a $100 million Global Solar Facility to catalyze up to $1.5 billion in funding to expand decentralized solar power in Africa, where over 700 million people lack access to electricity. ISA is also developing an insurance mechanism to boost funding in poorer countries. Both initiatives will be announced at ISA’s first international solar festival, scheduled for Thursday and Friday in the national capital. ISA Director General Ajay Mathur…

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Maharashtra allocates Rs 100 billion for Solar Agriculture Feeder Program 2.0

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The Maharashtra government has allocated Rs 100 billion to the Chief Minister’s Solar Agriculture Feeder Program 2.0, aiming to provide round-the-clock electricity to agricultural pumps and increase the state’s solar energy capacity to 16,000 MW by 2025. Of this capacity, 9,000 MW will be dedicated to solar projects, with the remaining allocated to decentralized solar capacity. The state will provide financial assistance of up to 30% for solar power generation capacity, alongside various incentives to…

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GUVNL issues tender for 400 MW battery energy storage system

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Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam (GUVNL) has issued a tender for the establishment of a 400 MW/800 MWh standalone battery energy storage system (BESS), with an additional greenshoe option for the same capacity. The deadline for bid submissions is October 16, 2024. The tender scope includes the setup of the BESS and its interconnection with the state transmission network. The primary goal is to ensure that the energy storage facility can be charged and discharged by…

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Coal India invites bids for solar project at Khavda solar park

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Coal India Limited (CIL) has issued a tender inviting bids to develop a grid-connected ground-mounted solar project at the Khavda Solar Park in Gujarat. The last date for bid submission is September 23, 2024. The tender scope includes the design, engineering, procurement, supply of equipment and materials, erection, testing, and commissioning of the project. It also covers the supply, packaging, forwarding, and transportation of photovoltaic modules to the Khavda Solar Park. Bidders are required to…

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94% of Indian consumers equipped with electric meters, reports CEA

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As of 31st March 2024, 94.29% of India’s 341.8 million consumers are equipped with electric meters, according to a report by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). Of these consumers, 273 million are domestic users, 30.8 million are commercial users, and 27.7 million are agricultural users. Urban consumer metering is at 97.73%, with 135 million urban consumers metered, while rural metering has reached 91.94%, covering 187 million rural consumers. The report details that 99.25% of the…

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Massive potential in electrification transition to reduce energy use and costs: IEEFA 

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The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) has released a report highlighting the significant benefits of transitioning to efficient electrification. The report outlines how adopting efficient electric appliances could drastically reduce energy consumption, cut costs for households, and support broader energy security and emissions reduction goals. The report reveals that many households still use inefficient appliances, leading to higher energy consumption and expenses. By switching to efficient electric appliances, electricity demand in many…

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PGCIL to implement two interstate transmission projects worth Rs 4.2 billion

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Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) has been nominated to execute two interstate transmission system (ISTS) projects under the regulated tariff mechanism (RTM) route, with a total investment of Rs 4.2 billion. The National Committee on Transmission (NCT) approved these projects during its meeting on August 23, 2024. The first project, the Eastern Region Expansion Scheme – 43 (ERES-43), has a budget of Rs 3.10 billion and an implementation period of 18 months, with…