Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Saturday, 19 December 2020

Rs 2 Lakh Crore down the ( bottomless ? ) pit ?

 


 

Context :

Coal India to see Rs 2 lakh crore investment in next 5 years    /  Eco Times – 13 Nov 2020


Extract ( from an interview with Shri Pralhad Joshi – Union Minister, Coal )

[ Joshi.pralhad@sansad.nic.in / pralhadvjoshi@gmail.com  /  officeofpralhadjoshiji@gmail.com ]


 As on date, we are extracting around 700 million. If we keep doing that in the same rate, we have got coal for almost 400 years in future. This is the time we should use our coal. China burns 3.5 billion tons coal annually and their industry and economy is growing because coal is one of the most economical sources of power

Ø  Our import cost before last year was around Rs 2,60,000 crore despite having one of the largest reserves

Ø  We are going to invest Rs 2,00,000 crore in Coal India in the next 5 years. Of this, Rs 1,20,000 crore will be spent towards coal infrastructure only

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Why do I say, “ Money down the pit ? “

Simple.

Due to unviability ( plant load factor / PLF / of less than 50 % ), coal fired power plants are closing down

If coal-based power plants are closing down, then who will need that coal ? Why spend fortunes ?

Here is proof :

Coal fired plants shut down in India during fiscal 2019-20    /   52 units closed down

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Thermal power plants' PLF declines to 47.9 per cent in May: India Ratings  /  26 June 2020

Extact :

Ø  Thermal power plants' plant load factor (PLF) declined to 47.9 per cent in May 2020 from 63.6 per cent in the corresponding period last year On the account of lower power demand, said credit rating agency India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra).


Ø  Ind-Ra said adding that with decrease in demand, electricity generation also decreased by 17.7 per cent year on year basis to 96.3 billion units in May, with thermal generation declining 21.4 per cent.

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Coal-fired power is not on track 

 Extract :

Ø  Spending on coal-fired power reached a decade low and final investment decisions for new plants continued to decline.

Ø  Preliminary IEA analysis indicates a sharp drop in power sector coal demand in 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 crisis, with coal showing the greatest uncertainty of all fuels used for power.

Ø  Looking ahead, coal-fired generation without CCUS needs to decrease 5.3% per year to 2030 to be in line with the SDS.

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Mapped: The world’s coal power plants 

Extract :

Ø  More recently, 268 GW has closed due to a wave of retirements across the EU and US. Combined with a rapid slowdown in the number of new plants being built, this means the number of coal units operating around the world fell for the first time in 2018, Carbon Brief analysis suggests.

Ø  Another 213 GW is already set to retire and 19 of the world’s 80 coal-powered countries plan a complete phaseout of the fuel, including the UK and Germany.

Ø  It would now be cheaper to build new wind and solar than to keep running half of existing coal plants.

Ø  Note that between 2010 and 2019, only 35% of planned capacity was built or started construction (993GW), whereas 1,815 GW was cancelled or shelved, according to Global Energy Monitor

Ø  But new coal is now more expensive than renewables in all major markets around the world, according to recently released analysis from think tank Carbon Tracker.

Ø  All unabated coal would have to close by 2040 to stay “well below” 2C, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). This would mean closing 100 GW of coal capacity every year for 20 years, or roughly one coal unit every day until 2040

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Bluewaters coal-fired power station written off as worthless as renewables rise  /  abc.net / 18 Dec 2020

Extract :

The owners of Australia's newest coal-fired power station have written down the value of the asset to zero, wiping out a $1.2 billion investment in the face of an onslaught of renewable energy.


·    The Bluewaters coal-fired plant in Collie is barely ten years old. Its Japanese owners have written it off as worthless

·          

·    The move is being pinned on the rise of renewable energy

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Average cost of state electricity supply across India from financial year 2009 to 2019  


Extract :

Ø  During fiscal year 2019, the average cost of state electricity supplied in India was 5.43 Indian rupees per kilowatt hour. Being the third largest producer as well as consumer of electricity in the world, the country's national electric grid had an installed generation capacity of approximately 356 gigawatts.

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India solar tariffs at record low   /   HT – 24 Nov 2020


Extract :

Ø  India’ solar power tariff hit a new low of Rs 2 per unit on Monday at a bid by state-run Solar Energy Corp. of India Ltd (SECI), said a government official, seeking anonymity. The previous low was Rs 2.36 per unit


Related Reading :

Solar Power at Rs 1 per Kwh ?................................[ 29 Jan 2017 ]

 

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Coal India plans to invest Rs 5,650 crore in solar power projects   /  Business Line / 24 Nov 2020

Extract :

Ø  State-owned Coal India on Monday said it plans to set up 14 rooftop and ground-mounted solar power projects of 3,000 Mw capacity by 2023-24, which will entail an investment of Rs 5,650 crore.

Ø  Coal India (CIL) is mandated by the coal ministry to become a net zero carbon company. Solar power initiative is a part of CIL’s diversification plans, the PSU said in a filing to BSE.

Question :

In light of the above-mentioned facts / trends, one wonders :

“ Why is CIL planning to spend Rs 2,00,000 crore on coal ? Why not spend that amount on installing Solar Power ?

With that kind of funds, CIL would be able to generate 105 GW of Solar power – and within ONE YEAR , instead of

3 GW in 3 years “  

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PLI scheme for solar modules coming, says PM  /  Business Line / 27 Nov 2020

 

Extract :

India’s demand for solar energy is creating a market opportunity worth $20 billion annually, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said and added that the government has decided to roll out a Production Linked Incentives (PLI) scheme for solar modules as well.

 

Sharing his projections, he said, the demand for locally produced panels will grow to 36 GW over the next three years.

  

 “After the success of Production Linked Incentives (PLI) in electronics manufacturing, we have decided to give similar incentives to high efficiency solar modules.

 

In a short time, many of our plans have become a reality. There has been an investment of over $64billion in the last six years,” he said.

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Power Minister : Focus on being net zero in solar cities   /  Business Line  / 27 Nov 2020

Extract :

Ø  Solar or green cities will focus on being net zero energy consumption by generating more energy through green sources than they use 

Ø  Each State should declare at least one city (either a capital city or any renowned tourist destination) as a solar or green city. Such cities would have green sources as the primary means of meeting energy requirements. There will be rooftop solar, solarized street lights, and waste to energy plants in these cities vehicles in that city can run on electricity and it will be a model city to showcase to the world,” Singh said at the third RE-Invest conference.

Related Suggestions sent to our Cabinet Ministers, in the past :

Ø  Congratulations , Shri R K Singhji …….[ 19 Nov 2020 ] – Hybrid Solar Parks

Ø  Dear Shri Goyalji : How about a Solar Cooker ?..[ 26 Aug 2020 ] – Solar Cookers

Ø  Reinvigorating Rooftop Solar Power……[ 25 Nov 2020 ] – UV for Solar Panels

===================================================

With regards,

Hemen Parekh / hcp@recruitGuru.com  /  20 Dec 2020

 

 

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