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Power Minister R K Singh on Thursday said the area of subsidence in Joshimath was 15 km upstream from the components of the Tapovan-Vishnugad hydropower project and there were no signs of sinking of ground around its tunnel alignment. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Singh said land subsidence in Joshimath was "a very old issue" observed way back in 1976 and the M C Mishra Committee set up by the then state government listed "hill wash, natural angle of repose, cultivation area because of seepage and soil erosion" as probable causes for cracks in the Himalayan town. The minister said a multi-institutional committee set up by the state authorities in July last year had made no mention of NTPC Tapovan-Vishnugad hydropower project causing land subsidence in Joshimath. Singh said the construction for the Tapovan-Vishnugad project was started in 2006 after a detailed examination for environmental impact, geological, hydrological and seismic studies by the Geological ..
Outstanding dues of electricity distribution companies (discoms) towards gecos, which remains over Rs 1 lakh crore at any point of time, will be eliminated in the next four years, Union power minister R K Singh said. The government has converted the total outstanding dues of discoms toward gencos (power generator companies) into Equated Monthly Installments (EMIs). These EMIs have maximum tenure of four years and thus the total outstanding dues of discoms would be nil by 2026. "The total outstanding dues of the discoms towards gencos is around Rs 1,13,000 crore. These dues would be totally cleared by 2026," Singh told PTI. Singh explained that the government has put a very robust payment security mechanism for the power sector knowing about the perennial issue of bulging dues of discoms toward gencos. He informed that the power ministry has put in place late payment fee Electricity, (Late Payment Surcharge and Related Matters) Rules, 2022 (LPS Rules 2022) which would trigger snapp
The government will invite bids for battery storage projects from players looking to invest in the renewable energy sector, Union Minister RK Singh said on Wednesday. Bids will also be invited for green hydrogen and green ammonia projects, the power, new and renewable energy minister said at 'India Ideas Summit' organised by the US-India Business Council (USIBC) here. Singh also informed that the bid for 1,000 MW storage project invited by the government earlier has been finalised. "The bids which I got...(are) quite expensive. The only way to bring down the prices of solar is to start manufacturing here. That is what we are going to do...," he said. The minister further said the next round of bids will be under the PLI scheme for grid level only because of the requirement for storage. Other bids in the offing are of green hydrogen and green ammonia, Singh said. The minister, however, did not share any details of the bids it is planning to invite.
India's power network will soon be more future-ready and insulated from cyber attacks with the provision of routine inspections and timely action under the Electricity Amendment Bill, Union Power Minister RK Singh said. Cyber attract threat has been an issue and the government did all what it takes to address that. Now through the Electricity Amendment Bill 2022, the power ministry has made a provision for inspection of the national electricity grid for maintaining cyber hygiene in the network. Talking to PTI, Singh said, "We are facing cyber attacks on our power transmission system. We know from where those are emanating. We have provided (a safeguard) for that, which requires inspection regularly. We need to follow cyber hygiene. "Therefore, we are empowering our central (national) load dispatch centre so that it can do inspections and give directions. We have one grid in the country and if there is some issue in one corner of the nation then the entire grid can collapse. That is
The government will soon enhance the funding under the production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for the domestic solar cells and module manufacturing to Rs 24,000 crore from the existing Rs 4,500 crore to make India an exporting nation. "We brought the PLI scheme (for solar cells and modules) worth Rs 4,500 crore. We invited bids and we got 54,500 MW manufacturing capacity of solar equipment. We asked the government to sanction Rs 19,000 crore more under the PLI, which was approved (in-principle). Now we would have a PLI of Rs 24,000 crore. We would be exporting solar equipment," Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh told PTI. The minister also informed that at present solar module manufacturing capacity in the country is 8,800 MW while the solar cell manufacturing capacity is 2,500 MW. In April this year, the Union Cabinet approved a Rs 4,500 crore production linked incentive (PLI) scheme to boost domestic manufacturing capacity of solar PV modules. The scheme is ..
Union Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh on Thursday met his Danish counterpart Dan Jrgensen where both agreed on further engagement in renewable energy, especially offshore wind and green hydrogen. "Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy R K Singh met with Dan Jrgensen, Danish Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities, here today (Thursday)," the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy said in a statement. Both the ministers agreed to further engagement in renewable energy, especially offshore wind and green hydrogen, it added. In the meeting, from the India side, Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Bhagwanth Khuba, MNRE Secretary Indu Shekhar Chaturvedi and other senior officials of the ministries of power and MNRE were also present. The Danish minister was also accompanied by a delegation of officials. Singh underlined to the Danish side that energy transition towards green is an important part of India's policy. He pointed out that ...