Mining – India
1. Sahara Power to set up 1,320 Mw project in Orissa
2. Lending rules give Jindal Bengal plant a headache
3. POSCO needs to be patient with India plant - Government
4. CIL shortlists 9 companies for developing underground mines
5. 90 mn tonnes of coal, iron ore found in Chhattisgarh
6. `Soil illegally mined, moved to build resort'
7. Democratise the development process in Odisha
8. Jodhpur to host mining meet
Mining – International
9. Gloucester residents rally over mining plans
10. Three summoned for questioning in illegal gold-mining probe
11. Baosteel signs mining deal in Xinjiang
12. Minnesota Iron Range new mining projects stay on track
13. Group calls for uranium mining solution
14. Solar power could supplement coal plant
15. Philippines: 'Focus on rice production not mining' says new report
Other News – India
16. Demand to scrap GO on allotting land for power plant
17. India to turn in second-fastest growth after China
18. Jamaica lauded for child labour reduction efforts
19. China tells United Nations it protects human rights
Mining – India
Sahara Power to set up 1,320 Mw project in Orissa |
Press Trust of |
"Sahara India Power Corp would set up a 1,320 Mw coal-based thermal power plant at Balangir in Orissa at an investment of Rs 5,604 crore," a company release said.
To be built on an area of 1,500 acres, the first unit of 660 Mw capacity would commission in about four years. The second unit is expected to be commissioned in nearly five years time, it said.
The plant would be set up through joint venture participation with power companies from different parts of the world, the release said.
The company would also develop non-conventional power plants using the latest and emerging technologies. It would set up a 5 Mw Grid Interactive Solar Photo Voltaic Power Plant at Dhenkanal in Orissa at an investment of Rs 125 crore.
Sahara Power has tied up with Solar Integrated Technologies (USA) for supply and installation of the required plant and equipment.
The company is also planning to set up 25-Mw wind power projects in Orissa. It has proposed to set up a 2,000 Mw coal-based power plants in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh at an estimated investment of Rs 8,000 crore each.
Lending rules give Jindal Bengal plant a headache
SAMBIT SAHA
)
The banks and financial institutions have laid down two conditions: first, they want the promoters to stump up more cash in the form of equity. So, they are tightening the debt-equity ratio to 1:1 from 2:1 earlier. Simply put, the Jindals may now have to put up Rs 5,000 crore in the first phase of the Bengal plant instead of Rs 3,300 crore earlier.
Second, the lenders led by the State Bank of India and ICICI Bank have asked the Jindals to stabilise the Bellary plant in Karnataka before embarking on any new project.
Jindal’s JSW Bengal has planned to set up a 10-million-tonne plant in phases at an investment of Rs 35,000 crore.
The first phase of 3mt has been broken up into two parts. Initially, an iron ore beneficiation and a pellet plant along with coal mines at Sitarampur and Kulti will be developed at a cost of Rs 4,000 crore. Later, the 3mt steel making unit will be set up at a cost of another Rs 6,000 crore.
The first phase is slated to be completed by the end of 2012 – a commitment that Sajjan Jindal made on November 2 when chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee laid the foundation stone for the steel project at Salboni.
JSW officials said the company would take a call on the project in March. However, the decision could be further delayed. The company’s
JSW now hopes to start production at
Steel prices have continued to fall and this will make it harder for the company to raise funds for expansion.
The company could put the steel making facility at Salboni on hold even as it goes ahead with plans to build the mineral processing plant. Bankers could be persuaded to fund such a venture because of the lower risks. Even then, Jindals may have to bring in Rs 2,000 crore in the form of equity instead of Rs 1,333 crore originally considered.
“Cash is a real problem now,” said Biswadip Gupta, CEO of JSW Bengal. JSW Steel holds 89 per cent in the company with the rest being held by the
“However, we are going ahead with prospecting at the Sitarampur and Kulti coal blocks,” he said without saying when construction work could begin.
The company is hoping that margins will improve in the next few months when it renegotiates coking coal and iron ore contracts at lower prices. Like other steel makers, JSW Steel was caught in a bind when the prices of the finished product — steel — fell by a third even as it remained locked into high-priced raw material contracts.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090210/jsp/business/story_10511960.jsp
POSCO needs to be patient with India
In a country where two thirds of the population relies on agriculture to make a living, a company's attempts to acquire land often face resistance from farmers set off by political parties. Their protests which have sometimes turned bloody have derailed or postponed several big ticket industrial projects, thus dulling the appetite for investment in the world's second-fastest growing economy, after
The country's biggest foreign investment project, pushed by Korean steelmaker POSCO has made little headway because of resistance from villagers in the state of Orissa. Some from nearby areas are opposing POSCO's plans to build steelworks in the area. In 2007, the protestors detained POSCO employees on three separate occasions. There have also been casualties in clashes between villagers that support the project and those opposed.
Nevertheless, a spokesperson for
Mr Vishnu Prakash joint secretary and spokesperson of the Ministry of External affairs said that "Land is a sensitive issue anywhere in the world. Same is the case in
The official said that “It may take some time for local and foreign companies to persuade residents to give up their lands, but it is a necessary process in a democracy in
He said that "In a democratic society, you have to build consensus. It can slow you down. It may take some time. At the end, generally you have a result which is positive and which you can sustain because you are not forcing anything."
Mr VS Chandrasekar executive editor of the Press Trust of India said that "A political party whips up emotions and then people really think, Oh, we are being cheated. Then it becomes an agitation then it becomes a problem. That was why Nano became a problem and TATA shifted. There are also states where lands have been acquired and products have started and things are going smooth."
CIL shortlists 9 companies for developing underground mines
It is reported that CIL is likely to invite 9 short listed private companies from India and abroad for turnkey development and long term operation of high capacity underground mines in 7 virgin blocks, in a pre-bid meeting by end February. In all 17 companies had submitted EoIs in June 2008.
The short listed companies are
1. Walter South
2. Essel Mining
3. Anglo American
4. Reliance Infrastructure
5. Xeng Zhou Coal Mining Machineries Group
6. Essar Mineral Resources
7. Tiandi Science and Technology
8. Europe Ventures Ltd
9. Bucyrus DBT Europe GmbH
The blocks which are to be developed are Tilaboni under Eastern Coalfields, Kapuria of Bharat Coking Coal, Jagannath of Mahanadi Coalfields, Behraband and Khairaha under South Eastern Coalfields, and Murpar and Borda under Western Coalfields. Of the 7 blocks, Kapuria in Jharkhand is a prime coking coal reserve. Eastern Coalfields, Bharat Coking Coal, Mahanadi Coalfields, South Eastern Coalfields and Western Coalfields are wholly owned subsidiaries of CIL.
As per report, the projects with an estimated annual production capacity of 3 million tonne to 5 million tonne each will be funded by Coal
90 mn tonnes of coal, iron ore found in Chhattisgarh
Raipur, Feb 07, 2009 (Asia Pulse Data Source via COMTEX) -- ESRFF | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Giving a boost to the state's mineral potential, new coal reserves and iron ore deposits have been identified in Chhattisgarh.
As per the Economic Survey (ESR) for the year 2008-09, new iron coal reserves of about 90 million tonnes and ore reserves estimated to be in the range of 23 million tonnes, bauxite reserves to the tune of 3.48 million tonnes have been identified in various districts of Chhattisgarh in last year.
The new iron ore deposits of about 15 million tonnes have been found in Kanker district, five million tonnes in Dantewada district and 2.8 million tones in Rajnandgaon district has been detected.
Similarly, new coal deposits of 50 million tonnes in Korba district and 40 million tonnes in Raigarh district have been identified.
The report further said that a new lime stone reserve with an estimated capacity of 55 million tonnes has also been detected in Rajnandgaon district where bauxite reserves of 3.49 million tonnes have been detected in Sarguja and Kabir dham districts.
Chhattisgarh accounts for 23 per cent of the total iron ore deposits and 18 per cent of the total coal deposits in the country.
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2165021/
`Soil illegally mined, moved to build resort'
KARWAR: The people of Poojageri area in Shetageri gram panchayat, Ankola taluk, have urged authorities to stop the illegal digging of red soil
from the meadow of the village. The villagers alleged that the soil is being dug using heavy machines.
They alleged that people were removing the red soil during the night from the meadows of the village, which is spread over 10 acres and 22 gunta area, and the Poojageri village and surrounding areas were covered by the dust owing to this digging.
The people complained of ill effects and health problems due to the dust from the iron ore lorries passing through. The villagers say that the people who are illegally removing the soil use more than 80 lorries to transport the soil to the `kharland' about 2 km away and that about 8,000 truckloads of the soil have already been transported to the `kharland' till date.
But the gram panchayat member Vinayak Gaonkar said that the soil is being removed to develop a playground. But the people objected saying even if they removed the soil to develop the playground in the village, why do they transport it to a private land, alleging that the `kharland' is being filled with the red soil to build a big resort in the area.
Though no unauthorized activity is permitted in the meadow as it is the property of the government, the revenue department and gram panchayat are violating rules with impunity to help some private companies which are planning to build the resort, sources said.
The people also said it was unfortunate that the statue of freedom fighter Rakamma Nayak was damaged by this illegal mining.
Democratise the development process in Odisha
By Pravin Patel
However, in contrast to the glorious past, the present is shocking with uncertain future. The rich land is witnessing more than half of its population below the poverty line who struggle to survive; high rate of illiteracy; lack of quality education and non existence of minimum required health care in rural tribal areas; ruined rural economy; demographic attack on tribal areas disturbing their culture and destroying sources of livelihood and exploitation of the rural poor are some of the hard realties, that has resulted in ultras gaining more and more strength every day.
Is this the development that the people of the state looked at from successive governments during last sixty years of
Rural economy depends on agriculture and related activities. What a farmer needs is quality seeds, fertilizers and water to irrigate the field well in time with proper marketing support. Helpless farmers are left on their own to look at sky for rains, while the mining and industrial corporations manage to divert the water to their plants.
Poor farmer with no money has to depend on middlemen who supply those poor inputs, charging exorbitant rate of interest and lifts the harvest from the farms to recover money. Such shylocks cause humiliation, stress and economic ruins for the helpless poor tribals bringing tears in their eyes. This is the story with most of the marginal farmers in the tribal areas. Umarkote area in Nabrangpur district will expose that a number of mafia styled Shylocks operate illegally defying Odisha money lending act with many poor persons in their clutches. Who can expect those poor farmer to gather enough courage to lodge a complain? Neglect the farm sector and ruin rural economy to make farmers vulnerable is the first definition of development.
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) provides the right to get minimum 100 days of employment to rural poor. Villagers through the Gram Sabha are to decide the work which is needed but in nexus with contractors, BDO decides the work that has been done using earth moving machineries but by preparing false muster rolls, Crores of rupees have been eaten away. Any one complaining is taught lessons by the musclemen of the contractors. A report of Parsuram has exposed scam of Rs 500 crore at KBK. Playing mischief in an important program to eat away money meant for creating for employment for the poor and needy and forcing those rural poor to migrate to the urban areas in search of livelihood is second definition of development.
Tribal habitats are bestowed with huge natural wealth in shape of forests and minerals. But by pursuing faulty mining policies that is tilted heavily takes the care of mining and industrial corporations. Iron ore (International market price is Rs. 10,000/tonne) is allowed to be virtually looted at laughingly low rate of royalty of average Rs 17/tonne, speaks of how big games are played to play mischief with the mineral wealth of the state.
Similar is the situation in Bauxite and other costly minerals. While private corporations earn hundreds of crores of rupees, poor tribals are forcibly displaced and huge environmental losses are in bonus for the state. Corporate social responsibility remains on paper as a visit to the mining area villages is more than enough to understand the big games played in the name of development.Pursuing faulty mining policies that makes the state poorer and make tribals vulnerable is the third definition of development.
Forests and Tribals are made for each other. Without forests tribals can not live and without tribals forest can not be safe. Faulty anti-people policies have resulted in the exploitation of tribals to fill the coffers of the private parties and state exchequer. While bamboo is supplied to paper mills at 49 paisa a piece, tribals are harassed and denied their rights to use bamboo for their livelihood. Even at the rate of Rs. 7/- fixed by the forest department, he finds great difficulty to procure it to weave basket and other products.
Similarly Kendu Leaves that generates about Rs. 500 crore per year on average, state collects more than 40% as Royalty and taxes. As per KLCC committee meeting held on
Forest Rights Act empowers tribals with right to collect, process and sale Kendu Leaves, Bamboos and other non timber products but in absence of any clear rules, there are confusions how to transport the material to the customer's destination. Playing gimmicks to give shoes for free to Kendu leaves pluckers and exploitation of tribals to fill the coffers of the state and private corporations is the fourth definition of development.
There are enough legal provisions available to tribals to protect their property rights. Panchayat Extension of Schedule Areas Act (PESA) is of much importance. Under PESA, it is mandatory to obtain positive consent of the villagers through a properly convened and conducted Gram Sabha. But by imposing section 144, preventing the tribals to attend the meeting, crushing their democratic right of protest, forwarding those who take leadership initiatives under false criminal cases to remove them from the scene and as if this is not enough terrorize them by beating with lathis, firing tear gas shells and even live bullets, all to forcibly acquire the land of the poor using century old colonial land acquisition act for the "Private Purpose" of corporate houses in the name of "Public Purpose".Making mockery of the laws of the land to make `Private Purpose' to 'Public Purpose' by bulldozing the rights of the poor people of the state is the fifth definition of development.
R & R Policy of the state is decided in consultation with the project proponent which is to be well explained to the people who are to be displaced. Two major components of the R & R Policy is to make a one time payment in lieu of the land lost, to be determined by the state in consultation with the project proponent and the other is to provide one person from each family a permanent employment in the project that is to be created by displacing them.
Poor tribals, most of whom are illiterates and do not know how to use those money fall in the hands of touts who lure them to cheat them of their money. The result is land is also lost and money is also gone. The proud land owner within no time becomes a pauper and has no option left except to become a poorly paid daily wage earner. Secondly, the permanent jobs never reach to them. Take the list of the displaced person from any project and compare with the list of permanent employment provided them. The result will be shocking.
Locals are pushed to corners and many new faces close to the project proponent and people in power takes benefit with both hands while locals are pushed to corners, barring few lucky ones who are used as show case, who are also shown the door once the purpose is served. Farmers of 3,400 acres of land lost at Behrampur to Tatas, nor the plant has come even after twenty years nor any employment is provided. Making mockery of the R & R policy and not to take penal action against the defaulting private corporations is sixth definition of development.
Promising huge sops to the private industrial and mining corporations including assess to water from natural water bodies, minerals, granting monetary concessions and other assurances as conditions to give permanent employment etc are all the components in the MoUs but are kept a secret document for example MoU inked with Tata Steel at Kalinganagar which is in the news due to bloody killings. In the largest democracy of the world, there should be a policy of democratic industrialization in which complete transparency is assured. Hiding facts from the very people who have voted the government to power as if they are agents of the private industrial corporations is seventh definition of development.
It is also a vital clause that on submissions of wrong information or violations of the conditions of the clearances issued, Board is empowered to withdrawal the consents and even seal the unit. But despite serious violations and false submissions the Board has failed to discharge their official duties. Mandatory clearances have been given to one metallic company at Khairban (Latikata Block) on land not owned by them. Village school which is located within 500 meters is shown beyond 1.5 KM, Kalushira village (Kuarmunda Block) is within one KM of Ganesham and two other sponge iron plants but it is shown at a distance of 25 KM, Population of the village is over 8,000 which is shown as only 50. A number of houses are located within 500 meters but it is shown that there are no houses within 2 Km distance.
A visit to any village in the vicinity of the coal based sponge iron plants is more than sufficient to see how the norms are openly flouted, causing irreparable losses to the health of the villagers and the sources of livelihood. How the mischief is played in conducting public hearing is also not a secret. Despite the facts are brought to the notice of the Board, no action taken is concrete proof of anunholy nexus existing between Board and those defaulter plants is the eighth definition of development.
The negative role of the administration that has expertise how to misuse the state police force to crack down on the democratic protests of the villagers, make mockery of the legal provisions of the country in broad day light, behave as a private army of the private corporations, not registering the complains of the poor and instead acting on false complains the victims are made culprits. From Khairban to Kalinganagar many incidents are in front of us where excesses committed by the misuse of state police force. Grossly misusing police force to intrude and bulldoze democratic rights of the people is the ninth definition of development.
Continuing the legacy of the previous governments, the present state government has also opened up all the tribals areas for the liquor vendors to brew and sale liquor, even when the tribals have rights to brew liquor for their own consumption. This has not only resulted in driving those poor tribals to economic ruins but those liquor vendors are busy in all sorts of illicit liquor activities. The result is repeated hooch tragedies in Odisha. Practising faulty excise policy to benefit of liquor mafias operating in nexus with corrupt excise and police officials even at the cost of huge losses of revenue and pushing tribals to economic ruins is the tenth definition of development.
http://www.orissadiary.com/ShowOriyaColumn.asp?id=10702
Jodhpur
JAIPUR: The city will be hosting the first international conference of Mining Engineers Association of India (MEAI) on "Advanced Technology in
Exploration and Exploitation of Minerals" from February 14 to 16. , this 3 days conference is being hosted by
Convener Sushil Bhandari said that the conference will showcase technological solutions for effective and safe exploration and mining in the current production driven resource environment. These technologies cover a wide spectrum of mining activities like exploration, planning, scheduling, mine operation, management and control. Hence, this conference will focus on three key aspects of mining environment, safety and cost-effectiveness.
Leading experts of mining technology, consultants, researchers, managers, equipments suppliers, software professionals, explorers from
This conference is an opportunity for the industry and academia to meet and discuss the solutions for achieving safe and profitable mining in the highly volatile market, specially in the existing economic slowdown. The overall objective of the conference is to address the measures, mechanisms and policies that are indispensable to exploit minerals more efficiently without causing any harm to the environment and ecology. The specific aim is to see that how India, which has very poor "per capita mineral consumption" can utilize advanced technology to thrive and stay ahead by identifying the areas where significant improvements can be achieved in terms of energy efficiency, enhancement of productivity and reduction of the wastes from the mining activities.
There will be 9 technical sessions across mineral exploration, mine development, mining technology and mining activities. The deliberations of this conference will be sent to the state and central government for the consideration while drafting the mine policy.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Jaipur/Jodhpur_to_host_mining_meet/articleshow/4099760.cms
Mining – International
Gloucester
Tuesday,
Over 800 people rallied in
Gloucester Council is supporting the community's calls for the State Government not to renew three exploration licenses held by Gloucester Resources Limited.
Mayor Julie Lyford says they've realised if mining activity were to increase around the township they'd lose vital industries such tourism, rural residential relocation and farm land.
"We would lose dairy farms and prime agricultural land," she says.
"In actual fact, the exploration areas sit over prime alluvial flats and it's a food bowl area and it's madness to even think about it in this current climate."
The mining company has already bought five properties on the outskirts of
One farmer said: "We won't sell. We haven't been approached to have the exploration on the land either, so when they come to ask we'll just have to say 'Come back with your warrant', we don't want anything to do with it."
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/200902/s2487276.htm
Three summoned for questioning in illegal gold-mining probe
Written by Thet Sambath
Preah Vihear official says rogue operators used banned chemicals to find gold, causing livestock deaths and sickening residents
Bitter Prospects
In September, ethnic minority villagers and police in Preah Vihear province clashed with illegal gold miners, forcibly confiscating mining equipment. Villagers had complained of skin diseases and livestock deaths as a result of chemical use, police said.
PREAH Vihear provincial court has summoned three men to appear in court next week for questioning after the court received complaints they used banned chemicals for gold mining in Preah Vihear's Rovieng district, killing cows, buffaloes and damaging local residents' health.
Prosecutor Keo Sim said Thursday that he issued a summons January 30 calling Ny Him, Pen Soung and Mao Simoun to appear in court on Thursday to clarify complaints he received from the provincial Department of Industry, Mines and Energy.
"I have called both the suspects and the victims to court. I have not charged the suspects because I need to investigate the case first," he said.
Poisonous activites
King Krida, director of the provincial Department of Agriculture, said Thursday that the authorities had cracked down on a similar operation in 2007 but that the past few months have seen an upswing in unlicensed mining activities.
"They are using chemicals to find gold mines. They are destroying nature, harming people's health and killing cows and buffaloes," he said.
"They have no permission to operate here, and they are violating the law."
Hor Neat, provincial coordinator for local rights group Adhoc, said that Ny Him was the ringleader of the operation, having previously led two groups on similar operations since March 2007.
They have no permission to operate here and they are violating the law
He said the prospectors had used acid chemicals to erode rock and reveal hidden gold deposits, but that the chemicals had leached into nearby waterways, killing an estimated 17 cows and 143 buffaloes from August to November last year.
Hor Neat added that local residents have become sick from the chemicals, complaining of shortness of breath and other illnesses.
"The court issued a summons because more than 300 people have complained for the authorities to crack down on [this operation] because they are destroying people's health and property. They shall be punished according to the law," he said.
But suspect Ny Him denied the allegations, saying he made a living from a small family business in the area.
"Let them accuse me. I do not use any chemicals, and my operation has not yet started. Other people used chemicals last year, but they have stopped doing it since then," he said.
"I will go to court to tell them I have done nothing wrong."
Baosteel signs mining deal in Xinjiang
It is reported that Baosteel Group Bayi Steel and the Hetian government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region signed an outlined deal to develop mineral resources in Buqiong iron ore mine,
Bayi Steel has been expanding rapidly after being taken over by Baosteel. It will produce 10 million tonnes of steel a year by 2012 and require up to 20 million tonnes of iron ore.
http://steelguru.com/news/index/2009/02/10/ODE5ODc%3D/Baosteel_signs_mining_deal_in_Xinjiang.html
Minnesota Iron Range
Duluth News Tribune reported that undaunted by plummeting ore prices and a faltering steel industry, several multimillion dollar mining initiatives continue to march forward on Minnesota’s Iron Range. As tough as conditions may be at present, the ongoing interest in new
Mr Chris Nelson, mining section manager of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, said that so far he has seen no sign of anyone easing up on efforts to obtain needed permits for proposed mining developments in the region. He added that “They all still seem to be high priority projects. I haven’t seen anyone stepping back or slowing their demand for permits.”
The first of these projects likely to become reality involves reclaiming iron found in old mine tailings.
It may be noted that just this past week, Magnetation Inc began processing tailings near
Mr Dave Bednarz, VP of iron resources for Steel Dynamics Inc, a primary investor in construction of Mesabi Nugget in the
Mr Bednarz however explained that SDI considers the plant a critical future source of feed for electric-arc steel mini mills it operates. He expects to see Mesabi Nugget begin production by August or September 2009. The facility still is awaiting permits needed to begin mining operations anew on property that was formerly home to LTV Steel. But in the interim, Lehtinen said Magnetation has agreed to supply iron concentrate to Mesabi Nugget’s rotary hearth, enabling it to begin churning out nuggets.
Before the meltdown of the steel industry in late 2008, two longtime
Group calls for uranium mining solution
By John Crane
Published:
BY JOHN R. CRANE
Register & Bee staff writer
CHATHAM — A founding member of Southside Concern Citizens asked the Chatham Town Council to pass a resolution calling for a study to determine whether uranium can be mined safely in the commonwealth, as well as a companion study to examine issues other than scientific aspects.
The resolution needs to be broader than the one passed by the town of
aspects, Nenon said.
“We need something more than what the town of
Nenon praised Hurt’s move, but said a study by the National Academy of Science, or another similar entity, would not cover issues such as the community, heritage or history of
Nenon said
Other questions Nenon wants answered is what type of emergency plan
Nenon also wants to know the names of at least five communities with similar geography to
Dust at uranium mining sites has never been controlled, she said.
“Are we destined to become the Pittsylvania dustbowl?” Nenon said.
Nenon said the National Trust for Historic Preservation could possibly conduct a separate study.
The town of
VUI wants to mine and mill a uranium ore deposit at Coles Hill six miles northeast of
Patrick Wales, a geologist and spokesman for Virginia Uranium Inc, said profits made from mining and milling at Coles Hill would go toward land conservation and maintaining the area’s history and agriculture. VUI would impose an excise tax on itself and use the funds to help pay for initiatives to improve the county’s schools,
All VUI has asked for is a study to determine the safety of mining and milling uranium, he said. Also, the study has nothing to do with lifting the moratorium on mining, he said. That decision will be up to the General Assembly,
Solar power could supplement coal plant
From the Web via YellowBrix
By Copyright 2009 Albuquerque Journal By Michael Hartranft Journal Staff Writer
The Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association has reached agreement with the Electric Power Research Institute to use its Escalante Station in a case study on infusing solar energy in the production of electricity.
Tri-State, which is based in
At plants like the one in Prewitt, coal is burned to produce steam that turns a generator's turbines to generate electric power, up to 245 megawatts an hour in the case of the Escalante Station.
"Solar infusion would be used to augment that cycle, such that you could create the same amount of steam with less coal burning," said Barry Ingold, Tri-State's senior manager of production assets.
Tri-State says the infusion of solar energy would not only reduce a plant's carbon dioxide footprint, but also give it the ability to add utility-scale power generation without the challenges of siting a new plant.
Ingold said the study, expected to be done by the end of the year, will evaluate various solar technology options, how they could integrated into the system at the Escalante plant and costs. It is a paper study at this point, he said.
"The output would be a plant development guideline manual for Escalante Station," he said.
Tri-State spokesman Jim Van Someren said Tri-State will be investing $250,000 in the study, part of which will come from dues it pays to the institute. The total cost of the study is about $640,000, he said.
(c) 2009 Albuquerque Journal. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.
A service of YellowBrix, Inc.
http://www.energycurrent.com/index.php?id=3&storyid=15909
Philippines
Church opposition in the
Bishop John Arnold, auxiliary in the Catholic Diocese of Westminster and Anglican Bishop Michael Doe, General Secretary of Anglicans in World Mission, attended, giving support to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and the Philippine Independent Church, which have worked closely with those affected by and protesting against mining companies. Bishop Doe reflected that he has personally known Church personnel, including one bishop, who were murdered because they opposed mining projects. The Canadian Catholic Bishops Conference sent a message of support to the launch, saying, "the Catholic Bishops of Canada continue to encourage their episcopal confreres in the
Report authors and environmental experts Clive Wicks and Robert Goodland recommended that new mining is halted in the
The authors joined Filipino campaigners and the country's Catholic Bishops in calling for the Mining Act of 1995, which opened the country up to foreign mining companies, to be revoked. "The Church joins in the collective and continuous call against the uncontrollable plunder of our natural resources," said the bishops in 2008. "Above all" they added, "it calls on a moratorium on mining activities until the government and the mining companies learn to uphold the right of the indigenous peoples, compensate the affected communities for past damages, and ensure responsible mining practices".
Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, an indigenous woman from the
Companies with a British base whose plans for mining in the
http://www.indcatholicnews.com/ricee322.html
Other News – India
Demand to scrap GO on allotting land for power plant
Staff Reporter
| Vast stretches of mangrove forests destroyed near Machilipatnam: E. A. S. Sarma |
GENCO is better equipped to set up a project of this kind, says FBV convener
He sees no guarantee that the company sells power to the State
The GO confirms allotting 954 acres from AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation and 857 from AP Generation Corporation at the rate of Rs.9 lakhs per acre after the developer Thermal Powertech Corporation of
Mr. Sarma, who is convener of Forum for Better Visakha, said they had lodged serious objections over damage to be caused to mangrove forests if the power plant was set up at Polatithippa.
Later, the promoter approached the Government for an alternative site as Polatithippa project area came under Coastal Regulation Zone.
In a letter to Chief Secretary P. Ramakant Reddy, he said as soon as APIIC handed over the land to the promoters, vast stretches of mangrove forests were destroyed near Machilipatnam even before the Ministry of Environment & Forests could appraise the project for impact assessment. This was indeed a serious offence committed against the Environment Protection Act and the culprits were liable to be prosecuted, he said. He said following petition filed by him in the High Court, an enquiry was ordered and the truth was revealed.
On the new GO, he said “I am not sure whether it is a prudent decision on the part of the Government to take away land from APGENCO and hand it over to the company, as APGENCO is better equipped to set up a project of this kind. I feel it is inadvisable to allow the private company to set up a merchant power plant to sell power outside the State, after allotting it land at such a concessional price,” he stated.
Evidently, there was no guarantee that the company would sell power to AP at a competitive price. Also, it was not clear whether the new piece of land fulfilled all the environmental stipulations, as APIIC had generally been casual about the need to comply with the laws and regulations pertaining to environment protection, he pointed out.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/10/stories/2009021058000300.htm
India to turn in second-fastest growth after China
2008-09, according to the advance estimates of national income released by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO).
To boot,
CSO’s forecast of 7.1% in the current fiscal — the lowest in past 6 years — is higher than that by most non-government estimates. The economy had grown 7.8% in the first half, suggesting a sharp slowdown in the second half. Growth has been fuelled by sustained investment and still buoyant services, according to the statistical agency. Growth rate halved in manufacturing from 8.2% in 2007-08 to 4.1% in 2008-09.
The rate of growth is forecast to decline in all sectors barring two: mining & quarrying and community, social & personal services. The latter sector is expected to benefit from the higher government expenditure on social schemes, as well as, the Sixth Pay Commission award.
While the government saw this higher than expected growth as a positive for the future, some non-government analysts were sceptical about the 7.1% growth and found the numbers too optimistic. “This is indeed a very positive development. A sure sign that the sun is coming out from behind the clouds,” said Ashok Chawla, economic affairs secretary. Economist Saumitra Choudhuri expects economic momentum to pick up in the coming months and the growth rate to improve in 2009-10, while a majority of private sector forecasts say just the opposite. Citi, for example, maintains that growth in 2009-10 will be just 5.5%.
Two months still remain in the current fiscal and the last quarter has the highest weight in the GDP calculations, a fact reiterated by country’s chief statistician Pronab Sen. He told ET, “The growth rate in last quarter will decide the growth rate for the current fiscal, as it has a weight of more than 35% in the total gross domestic production for the year.”
“The 7.1% growth suggests that economy is expected to grow at 6.3% in the second half of the fiscal. The increase in government spending —through two supplementary grants and two fiscal stimulus packages, in addition to an additional expenditure of Rs 3 lakh crore which the government has announced for the current fiscal — will have a cushioning effect for the economy and will partly offset the slowdown in private consumption,” said DK Joshi, principal economist at Crisil.
Indeed, increased government consumption is expected to partly make up for the decline in the rate of growth in private consumption, whose growth rate is projected to drop to 6.7% in the current fiscal from 8.5% the year before. Meanwhile, the growth rate of government consumption is expected to increase from 7.4% to 16.7%.
The revision in pay scales of government employees is an important part of this increased government consumption of goods and services.
After having grown at an extraordinary rate of 4.9% in 2007-08, agriculture is expected to turn in a growth of 2.6% this year, which is still pretty sound by the standards of India’s farm sector. Despite the drop, the 2.6% ensures that for the first time in the last four decades, the farm sector growth has been positive for four consecutive years
In contrast to the general trend, the growth rate of community, social and personal services during 2008-09 is estimated to be 9.3%, up from 6.8% in the previous year. This is largely on account of the fiscal stimulus provided by the government, which includes greater allocation to the employment guarantee scheme. Mining & quarrying is another sector that is projected to do better this year — 4.7% against 3.3% last year.
The growth rate of Gross Fixed Capital Formation dropped to 8.8% from earlier 12.9%. This is for the first time in six years that investment growth has dropped to single digits, though 8.8% is still better than expected. The share of investment in GDP — the investment rate — went up from 35.9% to 37.1%. While inventory build-up accounted for part of the rise, even the share of fixed capital formation in the GDP went up from 31.6% to 32.1%.
Finance Secretary Arun Ramanathan told reporters the numbers indicate that there was some room for optimism, adding that interest rates are expected to soften further over coming months. In contrast, in a note to clients, Citi Group Economist Rohini Malkani stuck to the 5.5% growth forecast for 2009-10 despite the higher than expected government expectation of 2008-09 GDP.
Shubadha Rao, chief economist at Yes Bank, however, said that the economy would recover by second half of the next fiscal. This quick turnaround view was endorsed by Mr Chawla who said that the period of economic downturn will be limited to second half of the 2008-09 and the first quarter of 2009-10. He added that the government will take further measures to stimulate the economy as and when needed, but declined to specify if any measures could be expected in the February 16 interim budget.
Central bank has already cut repo rate to a record 5.5% from 9% in October. The decline in the annual rate of inflation to 5.07% for the week ended January 24, close to a 12-month low, has created room for further rate cuts. “With the inflation easing off at a fast pace, we are expecting the central bank to cut repo and reverse repo rate by 50 basis points,” added Shubadha Rao. The February 16 interim budget is expected to contain more spending plans to support the economy for the first four months of the next fiscal year that starts April 1.
Jamaica
DIRECTOR of the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) Sub-regional Office for the
Speaking at Thursday's launch and signing of the Ministry of Labour's child labour project, TACKLE, at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel, Dr Romero said that the strengthening of institutional capacity and greater allocation of resources by the government were tangible proof of its commitment to tackling child labour.
"I am pleased to hear that the Ministry of Finance has approved additional resources so that we can strengthen institutional capacity. Because, it's one thing to ratify the international labour conventions, but having ratified the conventions, and having enacted relevant legislation, you need the institutional capacity for enforcement and for advice to all the persons concerned," Dr Romero said.
"On the operational side, you need resources to be able to produce the kind of information and communication products, and to organise targeted interventions, so that you raise awareness and provide capacity on the ground to take measures for getting children into school and keeping them in school," she added.
Dr Romero said that findings from the ILO's Committee of Experts on the application of conventions and recommendations, suggested that in order for child labour in
She said, however, that some critical issues needed attention, including aligning the age for admission to employment with the age for compulsory education, so that there is no age gap.
According to her, other adjustments that are needed include defining hazardous work, the development of registers in enterprises as well as training for labour inspectorates.
China
By Robert Evans
Backed by a range of Asian and African nations, it told the U.N. Human Rights Council that allegations it oppressed ethnic groups in
"Ours is a state where the rule of law prevails," a top official of
Officials from various government ministries took the podium to declare that the Chinese people enjoy free speech and a free press, that all ethnic minorities enjoy full rights, and that the country lives in peace and harmony.
They denied reports that the ruling Communist party runs "black jails" -- secret prisons where, Chinese dissidents say, it tortures opponents -- that any restrictions are placed on religious groups, or that
The discussion came in a newly launched process called the "Universal Periodic Review," or UPR, under which all members of the United Nations are expected to submit themselves every four years to scrutiny of their human rights record.
LOW TOLERANCE
"This was a display of very low tolerance of critical comments," Sharon Hom, a Hong Kong-born lawyer who was a law professor in Beijing and now heads a U.S.-based monitoring group, Human Rights in China, told a news conference.
In the UPR, delegations are given two minutes to pose questions and make recommendations to the country presenting a report, and are expected to avoid making accusations in the interests of constructive dialogue.
Western, and some Latin American, countries raised the issues of Tibet and treatment of the Muslim minority of Xinjiang province in a generally oblique fashion, with only the once communist-run Czech Republic detailing alleged repression.
But
Several countries saluted
However, Li,
The
"I was shocked and disappointed to learn that for the last week, the
(Additional reporting by Arshad Mohammed in
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-37925720090210
International wildlife and environmental film festival begins in Bangalore
The festival aims to encourage films on nature world and to increase public awareness on nature conservation.
Hary Marshall, an organiser of the festival said some of the best films on nature were being screened at the festival.
“The films that are being shown during this program are the winning films that are short-listed. Over 45 different countries are represented. 45 different nationalities making film on natural history of environmental subjects,” he added.
”The Mountain of the Monsoon” of Indian environmentalist Sandesh Kadur, was the opening movie at the festival.
Kadur said his film attempted to explore the various hues of nature.
The event is organized by Wildscreen and British Council in partnership with Hotel Taj West End, ActNow and Flaunge Media Production. BBC natural history unit is also a Collaborator.
The current festival is taking place simultaneously in
No comments:
Post a Comment