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DELHI’S ENERGY CONSERVATION PLAN Print E-mail

DELHI’S ENERGY CONSERVATION PLAN

New Delhi, 30 October 2006

NEW DELHI, October (INFA): Delhi Government, which is presently facing a serious power crunch, has issued two notifications in a effort to save power---making Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) and solar water heating system compulsory in commercial buildings.

The Government will also provide special incentives in residential areas for using CFL bulbs and conduct awareness and education programmes in housing societies on renewable energy.

Replacing one ordinary bulb with one CFL results in an annual savings of Rs.283 and the cost of the bulb can be recovered in three to four months.  If all the consumers in Delhi replace 50 per cent of their bulbs with CFLs, it will result in saving 51 MW, or Rs.9.61 crore per year.

The recent decision by the Government to commission waste-to-energy projects would also go a long way in easing the power crisis.  These projects to be set up in eight different locations would derive energy from municipal waste. The projects: solid waste (MSW) and 700 million gallons per day (MGD) of sewage to produce 90 MW or power. 

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB), the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) would provide land on lease for 25years to these projects.

Meanwhile, the Central Government is going ahead with its plans to make the country self-sufficient in energy.  Though major bilateral agreements pertaining to this sector are related to fossil fuels, environment-friendly fuels have also begun to gain prominence. 

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s recent visit to Brazil, which resulted in the decision to set up a Joint Committee on Biofuels, is a pointer to this fact. This initiative proposed by President Luiz Luala da Silva of Brazil, would see private and public sector Indian companies exploring ethanol production opportunities in Brazil---the world’s largest sugarcane producer and leading gasohol (blend of ethanol and gas/petrol) user--- to meet the anticipated growth of ethanol for industrial and transportation use in the country.

Blending ethanol with gasoline/petrol is also expected to bring down India’s massive crude import bill.

The move would allow Indian companies to own Brazilian sugarcane fields, which are rain-fed and require little irrigation. Besides, the sugarcane farms are highly mechanized and have integrated sugar mills.

The initiative is seen as a welcome move by Indian oil companies which are finding it difficult to source ethanol due to inadequate domestic availability and varying prices. At present, 5 per cent ethanol blending is mandatory in nine Indian states and four union territories.

The country needs an assured supply of ethanol if it has to go ahead with plans to make its usage mandatory for all States and also increase the blending rate to 10 per cent.

 

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