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Agri-Solar Solutions Provider GK Energy Files Papers for ₹5.01 Billion IPO


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					</table><p><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/mercoms-second-series-begins-in-bengaluru/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mercom India held the first event of the “C&amp;I Clean Energy Meet 2023” series in Bengaluru.</strong></a> The event was hosted in partnership with the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI). FKCCI is an apex organization for industry, trade, and service sectors in Karnataka and has been in operation for over a century. The Clean Energy Meet series, hosted across major cities in India, focuses on C&amp;I businesses transitioning to renewables for their energy needs. These events provide an unique single platform for consumers to come face to face with renewable energy stakeholders to understand and implement the benefits of the renewable transition.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/government-ntpc-invest-30-net-worth-green-arm" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The government has allowed NTPC to invest in its subsidiary, NTPC Green Energy (NGEL), beyond the limit allowed for a ‘maharatna’ central public sector enterprise (CPSE). </strong></a> The extant guidelines prescribe a ceiling of 30% of a CPSE’s net worth for making such investments. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also exempted NGEL’s investment in NTPC Renewable Energy and its other joint ventures and subsidiaries, subject to a ceiling of 15% of its net worth beyond the monetary ceiling of ₹50 billion (~$605 million) to ₹75 billion (~$1 billion).</p>
<p><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/brookfield-aquire-kkrs-stake-x-elio/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Global investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) has agreed to sell 50% of its stake in renewable developer X-ELIO to its joint venture partner Brookfield Renewable</strong></a>. Financial details were not disclosed. Since KKR’s initial investment in 2015, followed by Brookfield’s acquisition of a 50% stake in 2019, X-ELIO has benefitted from over $2 billion of investment. X-ELIO has constructed or developed 3 GW of renewable energy projects globally.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/maharashtra-tariffs-8-7-mw-solar-power-under-kusum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has adopted tariffs of ₹3.28 ($0.039)/kWh, ₹3.29 ($0.039)/kWh, and ₹3.30 (~$0.040)/kWh for the procurement of 8.7 MW of solar power on a long-term basis.</a></strong> The Commission noted that the solar power procured from the projects would be eligible to fulfill the solar renewable purchase obligation (RPO) of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL).</p>
<p><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/iit-mandi-solar-cell-metal-oxide-layers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (IIT Mandi) have claimed a breakthrough in producing metal oxide layers for use in advanced architecture silicon solar cells using a cost-effective</strong></a> method. This innovative process could pave the way for the commercial production of advanced solar cells with improved efficiency and lower costs, contributing to the widespread adoption of renewable energy sources.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/indian-oil-om-8-mw-solar-project-ahmedabad" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) has invited bids for the operation and maintenance (O&amp;M) of an existing 8 MW solar power project at the LPG bottling plant at Sanand in Ahmedabad for five years.</strong></a> The last date to submit the bids is April 15, 2023. Bids will be opened on April 17. The project’s estimated cost is ₹40.9 million (~$494,921). Bidders need not submit any earnest money deposit to participate in bidding. The successful bidder must submit an amount equivalent to 3% of the total contract value as a security deposit.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/sterling-and-wilson-bos-package-solar" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy, the solar engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) arm of Shapoorji Pallonji Group</strong></a>, won NTPC’s tender for the balance of system (BOS) package to develop 1.2 GW (4*300 MW) of solar power projects at Khavda renewable park in Gujarat. The aggregate capacity of the project is approximately 1.5 GW. The total bid value, including the operation and maintenance for 3 years, is ₹21 billion (~$254 million).</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/jsw-greenko-win-karnatakas-1-gw-pumped-storage-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>JSW Neo Energy (JSW Energy) and Greenko KA 01 IREP (Greenko) have won the Power Company of Karnataka’s (PCKL) auction to supply 1 GW of energy for 8 hours daily from pumped hydro storage</strong></a> projects providing continuous 5-hour discharge. JSW Neo Energy won 300 MW by quoting ₹14.75 million (~$178,661), and Greenko bagged 700 MW by quoting ₹14.76 million (~$178,782) under the bucket-filling method. Greenko had quoted for 960 MW. The starting price for the e-reverse auction was set as ₹14.88 million (~$180,235).</p>
<p><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/india-voices-concern-over-europes-carbon-tariff-measure-at-wto/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India has expressed concern about the carbon border measures proposed by the European Union (EU) at a recent meeting of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Committee on Trade and Environment</strong></a>. Presenting a paper on the increasing use of environmental measures as protectionist non-tariff barriers, India said it was concerned about the proposed Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which seeks to impose a carbon tariff on carbon-intensive products imported into Europe.</p>
<p><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/constant-climate-centric-funding-can-limit-global-temperature-under-1-5c/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Financial support from developed economies to developing nations which is a critical enabler of climate action has been inadequate, said scientists in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)</strong></a> report highlighting that the promised mobilization of $100 billion under the Paris Climate Accord hasn’t materialized for the developing countries. India welcomed the much-needed financial support to provide developing countries with the required technology to help cut greenhouse gas emissions. The report emphasized that India has consistently held the position that development is our first defense against climate change.</p>
<p><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/ntpcs-subsidiary-projects-for-indianoil-refineries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>NTPC Limited’s wholly owned subsidiary, NGEL, has entered into a joint venture agreement with Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) to develop renewable energy projects</strong></a> that can meet round-the-clock power requirements to meet the electricity demands of IOCL refineries. The signing of the joint venture agreement between NTPC Limited and IOCL is expected to facilitate the two companies in achieving the Clean Energy Targets set by the Government of India in their respective core businesses, an official statement said.</p>


Daily News Wrap-Up: Mercom’s Second Edition of C&I Clean Energy Meet Series Begins


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					</table><p>Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (<a href="https://www.iitmandi.ac.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IIT Mandi</a>) have claimed a breakthrough in producing metal oxide layers for use in advanced architecture silicon solar cells using a cost-effective method.</p>
<p>This innovative process could pave the way for the commercial production of advanced solar cells with improved efficiency and lower costs, contributing to the widespread adoption of renewable energy sources.</p>
<p>Their findings have been published in <em>Materials Science: Materials in Electronics</em> journal.</p>
<p>Metal oxides, such as nickel oxide, are essential materials in the field of advanced architecture silicon solar cells.</p>
<p>These semiconductors play a crucial role in absorbing and converting solar energy into electricity, a process vital for generating renewable energy.</p>
<p>While nickel oxide is important for advanced solar cells, it is expensive because the required films are tiny, and the equipment and materials are costly. Current methods are not practical for commercial use.</p>
<p>The IIT researchers have developed a cost-effective method for producing ultrathin films of metal oxides using cheaper starting materials.</p>
<p>The approach involves using an aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition technique to deposit a thin nickel oxide film onto a silicon substrate.</p>
<p>Kunal Ghosh, who led the research team, explained that aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition is a technique used to produce high-quality, uniform thin films on various surfaces, including silicon, by delivering a vapor phase precursor as an aerosol.</p>
<p>The team utilized nickel nitrate to create nickel oxide films with a thickness of around 15 nanometres. It analyzed the morphology and composition of the resulting nickel oxide films using various characterization techniques.</p>
<p>The researchers also investigated the diode characteristics of the deposited thin film on the silicon substrate and determined that it was suitable for the production of solar cells.</p>
<p>These findings suggest that the newly developed method for producing nickel oxide films could lead to the development of high-performance, low-cost solar cells with great potential for large-scale commercial use.</p>
<p>In October 2022, researchers of the university <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/iit-mandi-researchers-claim-eco-friendly-method-to-recycle-wind-turbines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> to have successfully used microwaves to recycle polymer composites from old wind turbine blades, using a rapid, sustainable, and comparatively eco-friendly method.</p>
<p>In December 2022, researchers at IIT Roorkee <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/iit-roorkee-claim-17-efficiency-perovskite-solar-cells" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> they had successfully developed a prototype of a low-cost, high-quality perovskite solar cell that achieved a stable power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 17.05%.</p>


IIT Mandi Creates Low-Cost Method for Solar Cell Metal Oxide Layers


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					</table><p>Researchers at the<a href="https://iitmandi.ac.in/new/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Indian Institute of Technology Mandi</a> have claimed to have successfully used microwaves to recycle polymer composites from old wind turbine blades, using a rapid, sustainable, and comparatively eco-friendly method.</p>
<p>The blades of wind turbines are made of polymer composites, typically polymer systems in which fibers such as carbon and glass are incorporated for strength.</p>
<p>The team has developed a sustainable microwave-assisted chemical recycling (MACR) process to recycle glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite waste. They used microwaves to aid the chemical degradation of GFRP composites with hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid.</p>
<p>Both hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid being eco-friendly chemicals make the process particularly distinctive.</p>
<p>The researchers identified that their method&#8217;s decomposition rate of epoxy was 97.2% with recovery of the glass fibers. The recovered fibers retained nearly 99% of the strength and more than 90% of other mechanical properties than the virgin fibers.</p>
<p>“The recycling method that we have developed can lead to a profound shift in recycling technologies, which can help the country move towards a circular economy for wind turbine blades,” Venkata Krishnan, Associate Professor, School of Chemical Sciences, IIT Mandi, said.</p>
<p>India currently is the fourth largest installer of wind energy systems, with a total <a href="https://mercomindia.com/india-added-430-mw-wind-capacity-q2-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">installed</a> wind power capacity of 40.8 GW at the end of Q2 2022. However, India’s wind potential remains largely untapped.</p>
<p>The National Institute of Wind Energy’s (NIWE) recent resource assessment <a href="https://mercomindia.com/indias-wind-potential-largely-untapped/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicates</a> a gross wind power potential of 302 GW in the country at a 100-meter hub height and 695.50 GW at 120 meters above ground level.</p>
<p>As India faces challenge with repowering old wind projects, recycling could be considered as a promising option.</p>
<p>When turbines can no longer be used, the de-commissioned structures of these blades, composed of glass fibers, are demolished, landfilled, or incinerated. These methods of disposal add to both environmental pollution as well as cost. It almost nullifies wind energy’s environmental benefits. Moreover, the restrictions on landfill disposal and fluctuating raw material costs could increase the costs of these composites used in wind turbine blades.</p>
<p>According to a report, ‘Capturing Green Recovery Opportunities from Wind Power in Developing Economies,’ <a href="https://mercomindia.com/wind-can-pump-18-billion-gross-value/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), the wind energy sector could bring in $18 billion gross value to India’s economy.</p>


IIT Mandi Researchers Claim Eco-Friendly Method to Recycle Wind Turbines

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