CleanTech Event: 2nd India CleanTech Forum

Upcoming CleanTech event:

2nd India CleanTech Forum
10th & 11th July 2008
Uppal Orchid Hotel
New Delhi, India

For more Information, please visit

http://www.cleantechforum.com/

Manoj

Comparison of India and USA energy landscape.

Here is a comparison of India and USA power landscape. We do not consume anything compared to western world. That does not mean we should strive to consume that much. It is important that we strive for efficiency of use. Our GDP is $4 trillion (PPP), China's $10 trillion (PPP) and USA is ~$13 trillion. We are around three times less in GDP compared to USA but consume 8 times less power. Hmm!!

1. US installed power capacity is 1067k MW compared to India which has 132k MW (USA is 8 times more). China has 710k MW (5 times more). China added in 2007 alone 90k MW which is 70% of total installed capacity of India!.

2. USA power comes from Coal (49.7%), Nuclear (19%), Natural gas (19%), Hydro (6.5%), Fuel oil (3%), Biomass (1.6%) and Wind+Solar+Geothermal (1.2%). For India, power comes from Coal 54%, Natural Gas 11%, Hydro 26%, Nuclear 3%, Wind (5%), Biomass (1.0%)

3. Current per capita power consumption comes to around 600 units (KWH) per year for India as against 13k units per year for USA (world average is 2200 units/year). USA consumes 20 times more per capita electricity than India.

4. Wind energy installed capacity (2007): Germany (22300 MW), USA (16800 MW), India (8000 MW), China (6100 MW)

5. Biomass energy installed capacity: USA (11000 MW), India (1250 MW)

6. Globally, wind power has continued to grow at 25-30% per year since 2000, and will reach at least 93k MW cumulative capacity in 2007 (up from just 7.5k MW in 1997). Small hydropower and biomass power reached 73k MW and 44k MW, respectively, in 2006. Geothermal power is another 10k MW. Grid-tied solar PV continues to grow at 50-60% annual rates, and now accounts for almost 8k MW.

7. Coal reserves: USA (~300 billion tonnes), India (92 billion tonnes). USA produces around 990 million tonnes, while India produces around 407 million tonnes (India coal quality is low).

8. Oil reserves: USA proven oil reserves declined to a little less than 21 billion barrels as of 2006. With production of around 5 million barrels per day as of 2006, this represents about an 11 year supply of oil at current rates. With consumption at 21 million barrels per day (7.7 billion barrels per year) (2007), US reserves alone could satisfy US demand for only three years. India consumes 1.1 billion barrels/year which is 1/7^th of USA consumption. India reserves are 5.7 billion barrels.

Powering the Planet

"Powering the Planet" is an insightful article written by a Caltech professor. I will recommend reading it.

http://authors.library.caltech.edu/9302/01/LEWmrsb07.pdf

Manoj

"The Green Cover" - Weekend Activity Group

I have been having this itch to start a group which will strive to increase the green cover of our localities and beyond. The aim will be to make it sustainable in the long run and make it a fun weekend activity.

I will like to brainstorm with folks interested in becoming part of this. Any group you know in India and abroad which is actively doing this? How do we make it economically self sustaining activity? How to make sure plants become trees and there is proper maintenance? Can we bring in some sponsorship element? How to involve the goverment? Where to plant and what? Grow bioenergy crops?

I will be open to discussions on phone on weekend and reachable at this email address: manoj@nexusindiacap.com

Manoj

What is CleanTech - Part 2

Let me give a shot here on explaining CleanTech in a very simple way as we see it. We have divided cleantech opportunities in three broad buckets:

1. Energy - Thermal, Power and Fuel
2. Water - Water desalination, recycling, drip irrigation
3. Agriculture (Food) - Organic farming, supply chain efficiency, yield improvement

These three buckets also form the basis of our day-to-day basic needs. Energy as a whole is $5.2 trillion market, water $500 billion and Food is close to $3 trillion market. These are big markets but also have bigger problems which translate to bigger opportunities.

Cleantech essentially is using resources more efficiently - getting more by using lesser resources. You can still be using coal, but getting more output. You can still be using gasoline, but getting more mileage out of it.

We, developing nations, can have bigger impact on CleanTech simply because we have choices which developed world did not have when they were expanding their energy infrastructure left and right. We have choices to:

•To burn coal more efficiently

–Coal Gasification

–Carbon sequestration

•To choose renewable energy

–Capex requirement is similar to coal ($1/W)

–Cost/unit is competitive (Rs 2-3/unit)

–PLF can be high (> 80%, Biomass)

•To use resources more efficiently

–Smart monitoring

–Water recycling

Lets choose them as we grow. We can grow faster.

Manoj

Nexus India - Sponsor of Climate Change Event, Pune

Nexus India Capital is sponsoring the Climate Change 2008 event oragnized by WISE (World Institute of Sustainable Energy) on April 22 and 23 at Le Meridien, Pune. The website of the event is:

http://climatechange08.wisein.org/

If you wish to know more about the event, please send me an email at manoj@nexusindiacap.com

-Manoj

Nexus becomes Founding member of CleanTech India

Nexus India Capital becomes founding member of India chapter of CleanTech Group, which is a Global group promoting CleanTech worldwide. This group is chaired by Vinod Khosla and Sun Group, IDFC and Nexus are on the advisory board of this group.

http://cleantech.com/India/index.cfm?pageSRC=FoundingMembers

Manoj

Time article on Clean Energy Scam

Just in case somebody missed this, please do read this article on Clean Energy Scam in Time Magazine:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1725975-1,00.html

Clear Skies Solar to develop $20M India project

Clear Skies Solar to develop $20M India project

April 8, 2008

The solar installer said the 5 megawatt power plant would be the first of several projects in the country.

Massapequa Park, N.Y.-based solar installer Clear Skies Solar (OTC: CSKH) said today it signed a $20 million letter of agreement with Utter Pradesh, India's Power Cube to develop a solar power system in India.

Clear Skies said the deal, subject to financing, would be the first of several solar photovoltaic projects in the country.

"India represents the first of many untapped markets that Clear Skies Solar plans to enter in 2008 and 2009," said Ezra Green, chairman and CEO of Clear Skies.

"Recognizing the role that solar power will play in the global search for cleaner and more abundant energy sources, Clear Skies Solar has built the infrastructure necessary to support this type of international expansion and to develop large-scale projects at an accelerated pace in order to support global power needs."

Clear Skies said the initial project is for the design and construction of a 5 megawatt solar power system that will supply power to support a steel mill and the community's energy grid system.

"Clear Skies Solar has shown that it has the ability and innovative construction techniques to execute this contract, and we look forward to this project beginning in October of 2008," said Mohan Kejriwal, chairman of Power Cube.

Clear Skies plans to provide technology, engineering and construction services on the project, and said it would also be prepared to provide the operation and maintenance services needed.

Kejriwal said the companies expect the solar power plant to be operational before March 2009.

Source - www.cleantech.com

India's NTPC to work with NGRI on geothermal

India's NTPC to work with NGRI on geothermal

April 1, 2008

The two groups plan to identify potential sites for setting up geothermal power projects in the country.

New Delhi-based power company NTPC signed a memorandum of understanding to work with the government-backed National Geophysical Research Institute to identify potential sites for geothermal power projects in the country.

State-controlled NTPC, which stands for National Thermal Power Corp., is India's largest power company.

"Both the organizations have agreed to associate for formulating a long term strategy to set up the first geothermal based power project in India," said NTPC in a statement.

The company said Tattapani in the state of Chattisgarh has been identified as the first project site.

India, which is new to the renewable energy market, has yet to establish any geothermal power.

In February, Reykjavik, Iceland-based Glitnir Bank announced a joint venture for geothermal exploration in India (see Glitnir to bring geothermal to India).

Glitnir is partnering with Noida, India-based LNJ Bhilwara Group, a diversified business with operations in power generation.

India's National Geophysical Research Institute, established in 1961 in Hyderabad, has a scientific staff of about 200.

The institute's work includes the exploration of hydrocarbon and coal, mineral exploration and engineering geophysics, and exploration, assessment and management of groundwater resources.

NTPC said it has an installed capacity of 29,144 megawatts through 26 power stations, covering nearly 20 percent of India's installed capacity and contributing 29 percent of the country's power generation.

The company expects to have more than 75,000 MW of capacity by the year 2017.