Environment

Green Hydrogen R&D: Govt plans to cut costs, boost efficiency

Hydrogen technologies across the value chain are currently only under the development stage. Mature technologies such as electrolysers, fuel cells and carbon composite cylinders are not yet cost competitive with alternatives.

Climate Change: Shipping needs to go nuclear to reach net zero

One 2011 US study comparing conventional and nuclear-powered military vessels suggested atomic ships cost more, but only by about 19 percent. That’s more competitive than the other low-carbon fuel options out there — and, these days, possibly cheaper than the current, diesel-heavy fuel mix in conventional vessels

The Green Pivot: Credit can be a game changer, if it can be made to work

If you offer material incentives, then there will certainly be those who will seek to cut corners by claiming credit through ‘greenwashing’

France riots: Victim Nahel Merzouk's grandmother pleads to stop violence

Protests over the death of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk have rocked France. After six straight nights of unrest, Nadia, the grandmother of the boy, is calling for an end to the ongoing nationwide riots. Thousands of people took to the streets across the country calling for an end to police impunity and discrimination. But it has also ignited violence with multiple cities ablaze as looters ransacked dozens of shops and torched thousands of vehicles and even the Mayor’s house, according to the interior ministry. Watch for more.

Critical minerals — Enumeration done, now draw up a to-do list

The list of 30 critical minerals should act as a guiding framework for policy formulation, strategic planning, and investment decisions in the mining sector

Packaging goes green: Say no to single-use plastic and yes to sustainable packaging solutions

July 3, International Plastic Bag Free Day, is a good time to shine the spotlight on alternative packaging solutions that are ecologically sensitive.

How India’s trash mountains are contributing to climate change

The country has over 3,000 waste mountains containing 1.3 billion tonnes of legacy waste, and emits the most methane from landfill sites in the world.

Government notifies draft framework for formation of India's first carbon market

The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission will be the Indian carbon market regulator for all trading activities, while Grid-India will be its registry.

Exclusive | Will invest in RE generation, green hydrogen & solar manufacturing: Avaada Group Chairman after raising $1.3 billion

Vineet Mittal said the group is exploring opportunities in the renewable energy market in Southeast Asia and beyond. He said the group plans to invest in a technology center either in Noida or Bengaluru to drive renewable energy innovation.

Explainer: Why tomato prices are surging in your city

The supply of fruits and vegetables has been hit by a delayed monsoon, uneven rainfall distribution and crop damage due to flooding, and it is hurting household budgets.

Govt lines up incentives for green hydrogen production, electrolyser making

The electrolyser incentive will be based on a performance multiplier matrix covering aspects such as energy consumption by the electrolyser and its performance quotient.

PowerWatch | India met a peak power demand of 194.2 GW on June 27

The peak power demand has remained below the 200 GW-mark for at least three continuous days which can be attributed to monsoon reaching several parts of the country, officials said.

Eye technology and standards, India to organise international green hydrogen conference in July

The MNRE secretary added that the government will also come up with guidelines for creation of Green Hydrogen Hub, which is an area where production and consumption occur in close proximity.

Govt to include demand aggregation model in National Green Hydrogen Mission scheme

As the government aims to produce about 1.2 million metric tonnes (MMT) of green hydrogen annually initially, a section of industry stakeholders has been skeptical about mass production despite the incentives,

The Green Pivot: Climate finance — Will the Paris push bridge the North-South gap?

The recent Paris meet once again exposed the conflict between developed and developing nations on carbon costs despite some positive steps

Govt to benchmark prices of biomass pellets, forms committee under CEA

In another modification of the policy, the MoP has directed that torrefied biomass pellets shall only be procured by utilities for which it is technically unavoidable. This change in the policy has been done because production of torrefied biomass pellets is currently limited in the country compared to its demand.

Jumbo problem: Sri Lanka's battle with plastic pollution

Heart-wrenching images of revered elephants and cattle eating plastic in Sri Lanka have prompted politicians to toughen pollution laws, but sceptical conservationists warn past bans were repeatedly ignored

Carbon Removal: An industry that actually welcomes regulation

A regulatory process for monitoring, reporting and verification is needed to certify the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and durable storage elsewhere  It’s essential for scaling, forging trust around removals and avoiding the types of scandals that have hit carbon offset markets. Self certification won't work either. Private capital is also hesitant to rush in because of the regulatory vacuum

Centre asks states to focus on land acquisition to meet 500 GW green power target by 2030

The wind energy target of 100 GW by 2030, includes only land-based projects. It does not include off-shore wind projects. For solar energy, the government has set a target of an installed solar capacity of 292 GW

Flood situation in Assam remains grave, over 4.88 lakh people affected

Different agencies, including NDRF, SDRF, civil defence personnel and local people, have been assisting the administration in carrying out rescue and relief operations.

Explainer: Why an El Niño doesn't always mean a bad monsoon for India

The ocean-warming event is a major factor that affects the southwest monsoon, but it’s not the only one to influence it.

Titanic Tourist Submarine: Why was it hard to rescue Titan submersible?

The Titanic tourist submersible, which vanished during a voyage to the 111-year-old shipwreck at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, imploded, and the 5 people onboard are presumed dead. The US Coast Guard said that an underwater vessel has located a debris field near the Titanic in the search for the missing submersible. The 23,000-pound vessel named Titan was owned by OceanGate Expeditions. So, why was it tough to find the Titan sub in 5 days and what safety concerns an ex-OceanGate employee had raised for the Titan vessel in 2018? Watch to find out.

Power discoms’ average AT&C losses have reduced to 13.5% in FY23: Power Secretary

In 2021, the government had set the target to bring down AT&C losses to 12-15 percent by the financial year 2025. However, going by the latest provisional data, the government is likely to have achieved this target two years in advance.

Green Pivot | India’s aluminium industry crucial for green transition but emissions pose a big obstacle

India needs investment to maximise its considerable potential as an aluminium manufacturer to the world