Capital Market, Monday July 9^th  2007

Indian Government will promote bio-fuels trhough policy

The government is in the process of drawing up guidelines for its bio-fuels policy for promoting the use of alternative fuels. The policy will focus at a short-term blending proportion of Jatropha of 5% by 2012 and 10% by 2017. The policy would also suggest fixation of a minimum support price for Jatropha and other non-edible oilseeds.

Economic Times, Bangalore, Saturday July 7^th 2007

Bharti to work with Nokia Siemens & Ericsson on energy conservation

Bharti Airtel Telecom Company will associate with its major equipment vendors Nokia and Ericsson for a nation-wide project to reduce the energy consumption of its telecom towers. The goal is to increase the energy efficiency ratio and to bring down the operating costs of the towers. Other green energies such as wind power, solar energy and bio-fuels are planned to be used to provide power to the base stations as well. Ericsson is already beginning pilots in India to run base stations on bio-fuels from crops grown by farmers and sold by local entrepreneurs through a converter technology. The company has identified non-edible plant-based fuels such as cotton seeds and Jatropha for the project.

Economic Times, Bangalore, Saturday July 7^th 2007

100% FDI on bio-fuels

India’s new renewable energy minister, Mr. Vilas Muttemwar, has announced a plan for India to seek 100% FDI in new and renewable energy projects that would promote bio-fuel plantations on government, community and private land. He added that India has been among world leaders in use of renewable energy, the latter’s contribution increasing to meeting about 15% of the electricity needs of the country now, and that India needs to continue to be so by adopting new plans to promote renewable energies.

NEW DELHI (The Associated Press) - July 5^th 2007

India is investing in alternative energies

India will be investing nearly US$600 million in an international project to create an experimental fusion reactor aimed at combating global warming by providing an alternative to fossil fuels. The joint venture includes United States, the European Union, China, Russia, Japan and South Korea in the US$12.8 billion project to construct the experimental reactor that will be built in France. The International Thermonuclear Experiment Reactor is expected to be operational by 2040.

Times of India, Mumbai, June 12 2007

Boats offer greener ride off Gateway

Around 40 boat owners at the Gateway of India have started adding bio-diesel to the fuel they use, reducing pollution by at least 20%. The project, funded by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, was sighting to demonstrate the potential of renewable energy sources like bio-diesel in marine applications. Carbon monoxide levels came down by 40% and carbon dioxide was reduced by 25% according to TERI, the conceptualizing agency. The fuel used was derived from non-edible portion of palm oil and karanja oil, blended at 5% bio-diesel and 95% regular diesel. The aim is to eventually use a 20-80 bio-diesel – diesel ratio; this would create a remarkable change in the quality of air at the Gateway of India.

Times of India, Bangalore, June 15 2007

Global power companies look at ways to cut emissions

PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ Energy & Efficiency: Utilities Global Survey 2007 report shows that power companies are increasingly looking at voluntary ways in which technology and fuel choices can help them reduce global warming and climate change issues. Nuclear power, cleaner fuels and energy efficiency now feature in the agenda of 114 power companies across 44 countries, and nearly 50% of the utilities polled expected wind and nuclear power to provide more share of their energy in the next 5 years. Many power companies expect new technologies to play an important role in the increase of energy efficiency and that end-users are the one to start setting the example, along with the government. Still, the best incentive for India is that energy efficiency will bridge the shortages in energy.