Energy News Monitor | Volume XIII; Issue 27
European renewable stocks reportedly fell sharply after Donald Trump won the US presidential election and other energy roundups
Non-Fossil Fuels News Commentary: November – December 2016
India
The most fashionable non-fossil fuel source remains solar which kept up the momentum on generating positive news. India is reportedly generating 65.78 BU (or 5.60 percent of total generation of 1173.6 BU) from renewable energy sources in FY16. In November the media reported that India had crossed 10 GW solar capacity. India was expected to become the world’s third biggest solar market next year, after China and the US. An average annual capacity addition of 8-10 GW per annum is expected from next year. Utility-scale solar accounts for more than 85 per cent of the total installed capacity. Rooftop solar, so far about 10 percent of the sector, is reportedly grown at 98 per cent between 2011 and 2015. Among the states, Tamil Nadu has the highest installed capacity, followed by Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. These seven states collectively accounted for more than 80 per cent of total installed capacity.
A shadow was cast on the sunny story of solar energy in India by the statement by the concerned Minister that 84 per cent of solar cells and modules imports were from China alone in FY16. As much as $1.96 billion worth of solar cells and modules were imported from China against the total imports of these equipment of $2.34 billion in FY16. India imported solar cells and modules worth $820.95 million in FY15 including $603.34 million imports from China alone. Total wind power equipment imports were $727,741 which included $ 190,096 from China alone. It appears that Indian taxpayers and rate payers who ultimately underwrite India’s renewable energy push are also effectively subsidising solar jobs in China.
The saga of nuclear energy cooperation between India and Russia continues to move forward albeit at glacial pace. It was reported this month that in India and Russia are expected to sign the GFA on Kudankulam units 5 and 6 by December. The story began in the 1960s when Russia actually declined the request of Homi Bhabha, the founder of India’s nuclear power program, for a nuclear plant. Soon global geo-political alliances shifted and Russia offered India a 1000 MW LWR, a predecessor of the two 1000 MW LWRs at Kudankulam but this time India declined.
In the 1980s, Leonid Brezhnev repeated the offer but once again India declined as it would have meant altering the Indian programme for nuclear power development, which was focused on HWRs. The Russians repeated the offer in 1982 to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. In 1983, India suggested starting negotiations over two 440 MW reactors instead of one 1000 MW unit.
After a pause following the accident at Chernobyl 1986, Russia offered a long-term low interest loan of 2 billion roubles, repayable in rupees. India declined saying that it would not import any item that would require it to sign the NPT. India eventually agreed in late 1988 to buy two 1000 MW LWRs with Rajiv Gandhi and Mikhail Gorbachev signing the deal. Construction began in Kukankulam in 1992 but stalled when the Soviet Union imploded. In 1993 Russian President Boris Yeltsin visited India to revive the Kudankulam project after which the 1988 agreement was amended for Russia to install two VVER-1000/392 reactors at Kudankulam. The project was to cost $2.6 billion.
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