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

Wednesday, 30 June 2021

A Long Term Solution for Low PLF ?

A  Long Term Solution for Low PLF  ?

 

PLF  = Plant Load Factor

Background Statistics :

Ø     Installed Capacity of NTPC  …………………….. 66,075 MW

Ø     NTPC PLF ( 2019 – 20 ).…………………………….68.2 % ( vs.All India > 58 % )

 

NTPC floats global tender for 1 GWh of grid-scale battery storage  /  MINT  /  28 June 2021

Extract :

In a push to India’s green energy plans, state-run NTPC Ltd has floated a global tender for setting up a 1,000-megawatt hour (MWh) grid-scale battery storage system.

According to India’s apex power sector planning body Central Electricity Authority (CEA), by 2030, the country’s power requirement would be 817GW, more than half of which would be clean energy.

The NTPC Group has an installed power generation capacity of 65.81 GW through 70 power projects and has 18 GW under construction.

NTPC plans to invest 1 trillion between 2019 and 2024 to become a 130 GW power producer by 2032. Of this, 60 GW will come from renewable energy sources.

“Amongst the most promising business models of BESS that’s likely to emerge in the future is its integration with existing large power plants, which are required to be flexibly operated to provide either firm, schedulable power or reliable and balancing support to the grid," the EoI said.

 

Do not Revive Coal  /  Carbon Tracker  /  30 June 2021 /  hello@carbontracker.org  ]

Extract :

Ø     Today, new renewables beat 77% of operating coal, and this will rise to 98% by 2026 and 99% by 2030

Ø     China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Japan, are responsible for 80% of the world’s planned new coal plants and 75% of existing coal capacity. Between them, they plan to build more than 600 NEW units with a combined capacity of over 300 GW

Ø     In these five countries, 92% of planned coal units will be uneconomic, even under business as usual, and up to $150 billion could be wasted.

Ø     India is the second-largest COAL POWER producer with around 250 GW of operating capacity and 60 GW in the pipeline

Ø     In India, new renewables can already generate energy at lower cost than 84 %  of operating coal and will outcompete everywhere by 2024

Ø     At the Corporate level, just 10 companies account for around 40 % of the STRANDING RISK, of which NTPC and the Adani Group in India and PLN in Indonesia are , by far, the most EXPOSED

Ø     Of the 10 most EXPOSED companies, 7 are head-quartered in India

Ø     Around 27 % of the existing capacity is already UN-PROFITABLE and another 30 % is close to break-even, generating a nominal profit of no more than $ 5 per MWh

Ø     Around 80 % of the operating global COAL FLEET could be replaced with NEW RENEWABLES with immediate cost saving

Ø     By 2024, NEW RENEWABLES will be cheaper than coal in major regions and by 2026, almost 100 % of global coal capacity will be expensive to run than building and operating NEW RENEWABLES

HIGH LEVEL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INVESTORS AND POLICY-MAKERS :

Ø     Cancel all new projects or face $150 bn in value destruction for investors and taxpayers

Ø     Governments should use post-COVID stimulus as an opportunity to lay the foundations for a sustainable energy system

Ø     Enabling market design with a level playing field allows continued growth of renewables at least cost

Ø     In many cases, especially in Asia, governments should resist the urge to switch from coal to liquefied natural gas (LNG).

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

MY  TAKE :

Ø     A good initiative which was talked about for 3 years

Ø     But, if it takes another 3 years to place orders against this Global tender, I am afraid PLF of NTPC plants will go down under 50 % - making them economically unviable

Ø     In a situation where power from Solar projects might start selling at Rs 2 / Kwh, ( and NTPC tariff = Rs 3.38 / unit ), why is NTPC adding 17 new coal-based power plants ?

Remember, above-mentioned ( ave ) tariff of Rs 3.38 is due to CAPITAL INVESTMENTS of most of current NTPC plants being fully depreciated . If not “ averaged out “ ( with depreciated value of old plants ), then these NEW ( coal-based ) plants will need to sell power at Rs 6 / unit , to be economically viable ( stand alone mode ) !

Ø     I urge Shri Gurdip Singhji ( Chairman – NTPC / cmd@ntpc.co.in ), that all of 130 GW addition that NTPC plans to add by 2032, should be SOLAR ( instead of just 60 GW ) – ie: approx. 12 GW / year

Ø     During the same 11 year period, at the end of each year ( ie: after addition of 12 GW of Solar ), NTPC should dismantle 5 GW of its existing COAL-BASED plants ( 55 GW in 11 years )

Ø     Central Govt should devise similar DISMANTLING FORMULA for other companies as well

RELATED READINGS :

Ø     Unlimited Power : and round the clock ?         [ 29 July 2016 ]

 

      Extract :

His ministry ( MNRE ) is examining a proposal submitted by the Power Grid Corporation of India , to generate Solar and Wind power in the deserts of Rajasthan / Kutchh / Lahul and Spiti / Ladakh

 

 

These deserts have , between them , the potential to generate 315.7 GW of Solar plus Wind power !

 

 

And when this becomes a reality , sun shining over Ladakh will light up a lamp in Andaman-Nikobar islands !

 

 

For the entire project, the investments envisaged are :

 

      By   2022............. Rs  2    lakh*crore

 

      By   2032..............Rs  16  lakh*crore

 

      By   2050...........   Rs  43  lakh*crore

 

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Ø     Piyush Goyal is a Visionary ! ……………………………[ 19 Mar 2017 ]

 

      Extract :

      Dear Piyush Goyalji :

 

Ø     Please expedite your approval of the proposal submitted by the Power Grid Corporation of India , to generate 315.7 GW of Solar power in the deserts of Rajasthan / Kutchh / Lahul and Spiti / Ladakh

 

 

            Make a beginning with 10 GW  

 

 

           That will enable you to provide power to homes / offices and factories all over India at Rs 1.0 per Kwh !

 

 

           Then challenge Elon Musk , to set up 100 BATTERY STORAGE SYSTEMS ( of 100 MW each ) all over

           India, using his POWERPACK batteries, the way he plans to do in Australia

 

 

 

Ø     From Ladakh with Love ( and Sun Shine ) ……………….[ 09 Aug 2018 ]

   Extract :

Ø     The Centre is in the process of coming out with a SINGLE BID for setting up a storage linked solar power project in Ladakh.

Ø     “Ladakh has the highest potential, of about 35,000 MW, for solar power in India.

Ø     So we are talking about coming out with one bid of 25,000 MW with storage,” said Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power and Renewable Energy, RK Singh.

 

 

Ø     A PM’s Dare ? ……………………………………………………………..[ 08 Jan 2020 ]

 

   Extract :

Ø     At recently concluded 107th Indian Science Congress, Shri Narendra Modi challenged the scientists to develop new battery types , saying :

 

 

  “  We need to pay attention to grid management as we expand our renewable energy supply

     

 

 

     These require developing new battery types which are,

 

      #   based on environmentally benign materials, 

     

      #   not monopolistic,

 

      #   affordable on 100s of Giga-Watt scale,

     

      #  suitable for tropical climates  

 

 

 

Ø     Sun : Power that never fails …………………………………..[ 05 June 2020 ]

 

     Extract :

Ø     Yesterday, I came across following RFP ( Request For Proposal ) on the website of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy [  (www.mnre.gov.in  ] :

      https://mnre.gov.in/img/documents/uploads/file_f-1590573144563.pdf 

      Developing a long-term vision, implementation plan, road map and institutional

       framework for implementing , ONE SUN, ONE WORLD, ONE GRID

 

Dear Shri R K Singhji,

 

To sell SOLAR POWER at Re  1 / Kwh,  we need hundreds of 1000 MW Grid-Scale Battery storage systems

That would need lots of funds – which are difficult to raise because of slow down of Economy due to COVID

I urge you to persuade the Central Cabinet about my following suggestion :

Ø     Congratulations, Shri Surjit Bhallaji, …………………………….[ 31 Oct 2019 ]

 

     With regards,

     Hemen parekh  /  01 July 2021  /  hcp@RecruitGuru.com