NTPC to replace its old plants -Governance Now

NTPC to replace its old plants

The plants would be replaced in five years with an investment of around Rs. 50,000 crore

GN Bureau | December 15, 2016

#NTPC #Piyush Goyal #UJALA #DDUGJY #power ministry #CSR

The nation has embarked on a mission to reduce India’s carbon footprint by phasing out all inefficient thermal power plants, older than 25 years, with modern energy efficient super critical ones, said union power minister Piyush Goyal who added that NTPC has already given the in-principle clearance to replace around 11,000 MW of its old, inefficient thermal power plants.

The plants would be replaced in about five years, with an investment of around Rs. 50,000 crores, he said.

Speaking at a function held to celebrate the 26th National Energy Conservation Day 2016 on Wednesday, Goyal said that the power ministry is in talks with the environment ministry for clearances, which should not be a problem as it is a huge step in increasing energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.

The minister said that there are over 16,000 households in about 800 inaccessible villages in India which lack grid connectivity. The ministry would be providing, to each such household, a 300 KW Solar panel, 8-hour battery backup, 5 LED bulbs, an energy efficient ceiling fan and a solar power based mobile phone charging socket, all free of cost under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY).

All the companies under the power ministry, under their CSR initiatives, would be providing a solar power based television set to these households.

Informing about the progress of the UJALA LED scheme, the Shri Goyal said that according to the latest figures from UJALA dashboard, over 18.38 crore LED bulbs have been distributed by EESL and another 25 crore by private sector companies. This drive has witnessed an unthinkable reduction of around 88% in LED prices in just 20 months, which led to an annual saving of around Rs. 10,000 crores for the consumers. The savings would scale up to Rs. 40,000 crores in the next 3 years.

He said that Gujarat has become the first state in the country to replace all street lights with LED bulbs. He added that India is in talks with the neighboring countries to take the LED programme to them and become a leader in the Energy Efficiency Mission.

Comments

Other News

Millets to make comeback in army ration after half a century

As the UN has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets, the Indian Army has steered introduction of millets flour in the rations of soldiers. This landmark decision will ensure troops are supplied with native and traditional grains after over half a century, when these were discontinued in favour

Central Bank Digital Currency has game-changing potential

When discussing digital currency, you might think of one or two well-known varieties. There is the digital representation of currency that you access with mobile and online banking services. This currency is the liability of a commercial bank. There is also cryptocurrency, a digital medium of exchange issu

An Insider’s Account of the Zail Singh Years: The Endgame

The Indian President: An Insider’s Account of the Zail Singh Years By K.C. Singh HarperCollins, 312 pages, Rs.699

‘My Father Was a Simple Man’: Remembering Gen. Rawat

Bipin: The Man Behind the Uniform By Rachna Bisht Rawat Penguin, 207 pages, Rs 599 On the morning of 8 December 202

A Mind and Heart without Corners

In Love, At Ease: Everyday Spirituality with Pramukh Swami By Yogi Trivedi Penguin Random House, 360 pages, Rs 499 Spirituali

Mumbai air quality dips, BMC swings into action

Taking note of Mumbai’s rising air pollution and deteriorating air quality in the recent months, the BMC has attributed rising dust levels to different large-scale development and construction works combined with changes in the wind speed conditions. It has constituted a seven-member committee, which