Context
:
SC order leaves renewable energy players
in a flap / Business Line / 16 Jun 2021
Extract :
The renewable energy industry is in a fix over a recent Supreme
Court order which has ordered for the conversion of overhead power
lines to underground in the habitat of the Great Indian Bustard.
Solar power projects in most parts of Rajasthan and some parts of
Gujarat are impacted by this order. Industry insiders say that the order could
effectively stop solar projects in Rajasthan.
According to industry sources, even if the additional
costs, estimated at around ₹ 80,000 crore, is somehow absorbed, it is
nearly impossible to implement the order, because of ‘right of way’ issues.
“There cannot be
disagreement whatsoever that appropriate steps are required to be taken to protect
the said species of birds,” the order says.
The Great Indian Bustard is a critically endangered species.
According to the World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature – India, there are
only about 200 birds worldwide,
most of them in the sub-continent.
Accordingly, the Association is talking to technical experts to evolve a case that it
could present to the apex court.
“The order affects a large number of parties; cost is one thing, but even
technical feasibility (of implementing the order) is in question,” Golash
said.
However, the judges seem to see it differently. They have observed
that laying underground high-voltage power lines is “not impossible”.
“We are conscious that the laying of the underground power line,
more particularly of high-voltage though not impossible, would require technical
evaluation on case-to-case basis...” the judgment says.
It also notes that where overhead lines alone are feasible, bird diverters shall be
installed.
“Irrespective of the cost
factor, the priority shall be to save the near-extinct birds,” the
judgment says.
It quotes a 2018 survey of the Wildlife Institute of India, which
comes under the MOEFCC, which found that 100,000 birds (of many species,
including the Great Indian Bustard) die every year due to collision with power
lines, in a 4,200 sq km area in Rajasthan.
MY TAKE :
I am no “ technical expert “
But I urge those technical experts to consider feasibility
of the following solutions :
===================================================
WAY # 1 :
Flock
Dynamics ………………………[ 04 Sept 2018 ]
Extract :
Scientists have developed an algorithm that enables a flying drone to herd a flock of birds away from a designated air-space, without
breaking their formation
The team developed the herding algorithm on the
basis of macroscopic properties of the flocking model and the
response of the flock
“We made careful observations of flock
dynamics and interactions between flocks and the pursuer.
This allowed us to create a new herding algorithm for ideal
flight paths for incoming drones to move the flock away from a protected
airspace,” said Shim.
“This algorithm will help improve safety for the aviation
industry. In addition, this will also help control avian influenza that plagues
farms nationwide every year,” said Shim.
Related Literature :
Robotic Drones can herd birds away from
airspaces
http://www.caltech.edu/news/engineers-taught-drone-herd-birds-away-airports-82933
WAY # 2 :
Wireless Power Transmission ? ………….[ 27 Aug 2020 ]
Extract :
The dream of Wireless power transmission might soon
become a reality [ 19 Aug 2020 ]
Extract :
Ø A startup from New Zealand has now developed a safe method to wirelessly
transmit electric power across long
Ø EMROD has produced the first long-range, high-power, wireless power
transmission alternative to the
traditional
concept of electromagnetic waves
Ø Emrod has convinced a power distribution company to try their innovation
on a commercial scale. It might not
be cheap, accessible, and scaled up with ease
Ø The setup contains a transmitting antenna, a series of relays and a receiving
rectenna — a rectifying antenna
into electricity
Ø The line of sight between each relay is the only limiting factor for the
distance of transmission — thus greatly
maintenance costs & environmental impact, that a wired solution imposes
Ø This wireless transmission could be the key to harnessing renewable
energy which
is often generated in areas
I urge Shri R K Singhji ( Minister for Renewable Power ), to form a
consortium of the following organizations, for an early
COMMERCIALIZATION of EMROD invention :
NTPC / DISCOMS / EMROD / KEC / L&T / BHEL / ECIL / NHPC / ONGC /
National Labs etc
Contact Details :
Greg Kushnir
This
Wireless Power Technology Could Change New Zealand’s Transmission System / 20 Sept 2020
Extract :
“The statistics are pretty compelling. We are talking about,
# a potential 50%
increase in sustainable energy uptake,
# up to 85% reduction
in outages, and
# up to 65% reduction in electricity infrastructure cost due to the Emrod
solution,”
said Greg Kushnir, Chief Executive Officer of EMROD.
EMROD stated that Powerco, a New-Zealand based electricity distributor,
would be the first to try out the new technology.
It
added that EMROD would provide the next prototype of technology to Powerco in October 2020.
The
company would execute lab testing of the prototype and train the Powerco team
before the field trial.
“The system we are currently building for Powerco will transmit
only a few kilowatts, but we can use the same technology to transmit 100 times power over
a much longer distance,” said Kushnir.
The company said that its technology could reduce the electricity
infrastructure cost, which could help provide low-cost
sustainable energy to remote communities like in Africa and the Pacific Islands to
energize hospitals, schools, and economies.
Meanwhile, India’s
transmission infrastructure continues to worry stakeholders.
The lack of
transmission infrastructure to support new renewable energy capacity addition has
also been a growing concern for solar and wind generators in
the country, especially over the last few years, in light of the surge in
renewable energy projects.
Mercom
has previously written about how India’s transmission and
distribution system requires significant expansion, considering the rapid
installation of solar and wind projects.
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With Regards
Hemen Parekh
/ hcp@RecruitGuru.com / 17
June 2021