India’s largest Solar Power Plant planned in Madhya Pradesh

Plans are afoot to set up the country’s largest ultra mega solar plant in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa district, a senior official said on Thursday.

The plant, to produce 700 MW of electricity, would require an investment of Rs 4,000 crore, State’s Additional Chief Secretary for New and Renewable Energy S R Mohanty told PTI.

The electricity from the plant would be available at Rs 5.40 paise per unit, which would be the lowest in the country, he added.

Thirteen hectares of land spread over four villages of Barseta, Ramnagar, Latar and Badwaar has been chosen for locating the plant in Gurh tehsil of Rewa, which is the home district of state Energy Minister Rajendra Shukla.

The State government would set up the plant as a joint venture with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Power Grip Corporation and the Solar Energy Corporation of India, he said.

The country’s biggest solar plant with a capacity of 130 MW is situated in Neemuch district of the state.

Minister of State for Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal told Lok Sabha last week that the government is promoting generation of renewable energy by providing various fiscal and financial incentives such as capital and interest subsidy, concessional excise and customs duties to encourage Indian and foreign investors to invest in new renewable energy sector.

“Ultra mega solar power projects have been planned in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. The capacity will depend upon availability of land. On an average 1 MW of solar photovoltaic power project generates about 1.6 million units of electricity per annum,” he said during Question Hour.

More Energy from Biofuel

Oil produced from biomass - such as wood chips or plant residues - seldom has the same quality and energy content as 'classical' crude oil. A new, simple catalyst, developed at the University of Twente, improves the quality of this oil before it is even transported to the refinery. This technology was selected from dozens of projects for the follow-up of CATCHBIO, the national research programme that is helping to realize the European 2020 objective: 20% of fuel must come from renewable sources by 2020.

The oil in current-generation biofuel does not come from fruit or seed, such as palm or rape seed oil but, for example, from plant residues, pruning waste and wood chips. As a result, there is no longer any undesirable competition with the food supply. Converting plant residues, which take up a lot of space, into oil simplifies transport considerably and the product can go directly to a refinery. Blending with crude oil is already possible. However, the quality of this oil does not yet equal that of crude oil. It has a lower energy content per litre, is acid and still contains too much water. The catalyst developed by Prof. Leon Lefferts and Prof. Kulathuiyer Seshan's group Catalytic Processes and Materials (MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology/Green Energy Initiative) significantly improves the quality and energy content of the oil.

Better than crude oil

This is realized by heating the oil in nitrogen to 500 degrees Celsius and by applying a simple catalyst: sodium carbonate on a layer of alumina. By using this method, theenergy content of the oil can be boosted from 20 to 33-37 megajoule per kilogram, which is better than crude oil and approximates the quality of diesel. The technology, recently defended by PhD candidate Masoud Zabeti, is already being tested by KIOR in Texas, USA, on a small industrial scale, with a production of 4,500 barrels of oil per day. The quality of the oil can be improved even more by adding the material caesium, as well as sodium carbonate. "By doing so, we can, for instance, also reduce the aromatics, which are harmful when inhaled", says Prof. Seshan.

The technology is currently being further studied, in cooperation with the University of Groningen, the Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) and Utrecht University, in a new CATCHBIO programme of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). The Netherlands is committed to leading the way in research on technology that will help realize the European 2020 fuel objective.

Amazing Multicolored Tree Produces 40 Different Kinds of Fruit!

In a magical marriage of art and nature, Sam Van Aken has created a living fairytale tree that blooms in multiple colors and produces 40 different kinds of fruit. Artist and Syracuse University art professor Aken created the hybridized fruit tree, which grows more than 40 different kinds of stone fruit ranging from cherries and plums to peaches, apricots and almonds.



According to My Modern Met, Aken was raised on a farm and he bought an orchard in New York that was in danger of being shut down. In the process he saved many rare varieties of fruit and started experimenting with hybridizing the trees to create his Tree of 40 Fruit. He created the tree by grafting parts of many different kinds of fruit trees onto a single tree. The grafted branches grow to become part of the main tree but produce different fruit, as well as a mosaic of multi-colored blossoms in the spring that are a sight to behold

Jaguar XE promises to net "over 75 mpg", just not for us.

With around a month away from its world debut on September 8, Jaguar continues to issue a constant drip of updates about its upcoming XE compact luxury sedan that's aiming to take on the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4. Where the company's last bit of info focused on the car's suspension setup, this time Jag's putting the spotlight on the new model's modular platform and making some big promises about it, too. How big? Try over 75 miles per gallon big.

That's the headline figure that Jaguar is claiming for its new sedan, but it's keeping mum on just what powertrain will realize that figure. Furthermore, that result is on the European test cycle, which is more lenient than America's EPA testing regime. In any case, when the XE hits the road, Jag says it will be the most efficient vehicle from the company, ever.

That's thanks in no small part to the aluminum-intensive monocoque chassis underpinning the sedan. It's constructed from a new grade of the lightweight metal called RC 5754 that uses a high portion of recycled material. "The Jaguar XE body uses over 75-percent aluminum content, which far exceeds any other car in its class. This gives us a body structure with unrivaled low weight: it's light but also immensely strong with extremely high levels of torsional stiffness," said Dr. Mark White, Jaguar Chief Technical Specialist; Body Complete.

Considering that the XE is also using some of Jag's cutting-edge Ingenium family of engines, maintaining a low mass and high efficiency should be easier goals reach. The real question is still how it feels will feel to drive. Europeans get to find out in 2015, but North American buyers will have to remain patient until 2016. Hopefully, it'll be worth the wait. Scroll down for a video explaining more about the platform and for the full release.

Big Investments for Indian Hydro, Wind Power

Indian energy producer Reliance Power Ltd. plugged into an 1,800 megawatt surge on Monday with a deal that is set to make it the largest private sector hydroelectricity provider in the country.

Reliance, part of Anil Ambani's Reliance Group conglomerate, said it signed an exclusive memorandum of understanding to acquire the entire hydropower portfolio of Jaiprakash Power Ventures Ltd., a subsidiary of Jaiprakash Associates Ltd., also known as the Jaypee Group. It did not disclose the price of the acquisition, but said the portfolio was in full operation and together had an asset base of more than 100 billion rupees ($1.66 billion).

Indian media put the price at about $2 billion.

Two of the three assets in the portfolio were the subject of a $1.6 billion bid led by Abu Dhabi National Energy Co. PJSC, or Taqa, which collapsed last week.

Taqa and its co-investors, Canadian institutional investor Indo-Infra Inc. and Indian mutual fund IDFC Alternatives, signed a deal in March to acquire two plants with a combined capacity of 1,391 MW. But last Thursday, JPVL informed the market that Taqa had pulled out of the deal, citing changes in business strategies and priorities. The Indian company said Taqa would be liable for a breakup fee for the decision.

The seller will use the money to reduce debt, Reliance Power said.

The announcement lit up Reliance Power's share price, which rose 3.2% to finish the day at Rs94.00.

The deal came as General Electric Co. announced that its GE Energy Financial Services unit had invested an undisclosed amount in three wind projects under construction in India. The investments are in farms being built by regional energy player Atria Power in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. GE said the windfarms will have a combined capacity of 126 megawatts and will support the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy's program to generate grid-interactive windpower through feed-in tariffs. Atria was advised on the deal by Bangalore-based Kin Advisors LLP.

Reliance Power said the Jaypee acquisition would be made through 100% subsidiary CleanGen Ltd. It said each of the power plants in the portfolio had an asset life of over 50 years and used run-of-the-river technology to convert natural water-flow to electricity, "eliminating the need for a large reservoir."

The three plants -- the 300 megawatts Baspa Stage II, the 1,091 megawatts Karcham Wangtoo and the 400 megawatts Vishnuprayag installations -- together provide power to much of North India, including the most populous state Uttar Pradesh, as well as Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The portfolio is already the largest privately held hydropower business in India. But Reliance Power said it also has a further 5,000 megawatts of hydroelectric capacity under development, and the combination will further diversify its largely coal-based operations.

Reliance Power and rival electricity producer Adani Power Ltd., both of which are listed on the Indian exchanges, moved swiftly to enter the fray when the Taqa consortium pulled out. Indian financial publication VC Circle said Reliance Power won the deal both on valuation and certain other terms of the transaction.

British private equity firm 3i Group plc retains a small stake in Adani after selling part of its holding earlier this year.

Reliance Power is advised by SBI Capital Markets Ltd.

Separately, private equity firm Apax Partners LLP announced the acquisition Monday of an 8% stake in Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Co. Ltd., the financial services arm of India's Murugappa Group. Apax said it is investing Rs5 billion ($84 million) in a preferential issue of compulsorily convertible shares, which will convert into equity after a year and carry a 1% dividend coupon. The capital infusion will enable Chola to continue to grow its business rapidly in a recovering macroeconomic environment in India and to augment its Tier 1 capital adequacy ratio, Apax said.

Chola is a financial services provider offering products including vehicle finance, home loans, home equity loans and SME loans. Chola operates from over 575 branches across India with more than Rs250 billion in assets under management.

Kotak Mahindra Capital Co. was Apax's financial adviser. Khaitan & Co. and Kirkland & Ellis LLP provided legal counsel to Apax. Axis Capital Ltd. advised Chola.

Village that Uses Solar Power BUT No Water Pipelines.

Navi Mumbai: They have solar panels but no gas connections. There are electricity lines but no water pipelines. They have satellite dishes but no utility shops. This is Phanaswadi, a hamlet of 50-odd houses perched upon a Belapur hillock.


More than a century old, this place gives you a to-die-for bird's eye view of Belapur's skyline. But the village is steeped in an interesting blend of modernity and old world charm. The road to the village is well tarred and the interior roads are lined with paver blocks courtesy the local grampanchayat. But that's more or less the end of the development story. Other than a primary Marathi medium school, the village boasts of no other amenities. 

The stretch of road leading to Phanaswadi is beautiful— lush green, with sporadic waterfalls and banana trees. However, boulders from the top of the hill tend to roll down, and this stretch remains shut to visitors till September-end. 

"The waterfalls tend to loosen the rocks so it is best they shut it down during these months," said Sapna Pathare. 

While many in Phanaswadi travel to Belapur for work, there are others content with collecting firewood from the nearby hilly areas. Although the village is provided with electricity connections, some of the houses are still holding on to their solar panels for energy. The panels were fitted around five years ago. 

Said Baliram Aliya Pardi, a resident, "We either go to Belapur or Nerul for our provisions. Many of the residents have bikes or cycles, the other option is a good 90-minute walk down the hill." Some of the families own fields a little ahead of the village where rice is grown, he added. 

"Some of the families have been living here for generations. It is peaceful and we lead simple lives. The one borewell in the village is adequate to meet our daily requirement," said another resident Arun Ganpat. 

This is the season when the womenfolk walk through the stretch of road picking kantarle and bana, two locally grown vegetables. A life of modernity runs cheek by jowl with a rather primitive way of life in this village and they are not complainig. "This is how we have always lived and if we need to adopt a new way of life, we adjust," came some simple-speak from Baliram.