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GS Paper: GS3-13.Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc:

  • Kerala’s Silver-Line Railway Project

    Last week, the Kerala cabinet gave the green light to begin acquiring land for SilverLine, its flagship semi high-speed railway project.

    What is the SilverLine project?

    • The SilverLine Project entails building a semi high-speed railway corridor through the state linking its southern end and state capital Thiruvananthapuram with its northern end of Kasaragod.
    • It is billed as one of the biggest infrastructure enterprises being pushed by the ruling Left government.
    • The line is proposed to be 529.45 km long, covering 11 districts through 11 stations.
    • When the project is realized, one can travel from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram in less than four hours on trains traveling at 200 km/hr.
    • The current travel time on the existing Indian Railways network is 12 hours.
    • The project is executed by the Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL), a joint venture between the Kerala government and the Union Ministry of Railways.

    What was the need for the project?

    • It has long been argued by urban policy experts that the existing railway infrastructure in the state cannot meet the demands of the future.
    • Most trains run with an average speed of 45 km/hr due to a lot of curves and bends on the existing stretch.
    • The government claims the SilverLine project is the need of the hour as it can take a significant load of traffic off the existing railway stretch and make travel easier and faster for commuters.
    • This will in turn reduce the congestion on roads and help reduce accidents and fatalities.

    Issues with the Project

    • The unofficial deadline for the project is 2025 but many would say it’s not a realistic target, given the laborious nature of land acquisition in a highly densely populated state like Kerala.
    • Acquiring land, especially from private players, in urban areas remains the key challenge for the project.
    • There’s also significant opposition to the project by environmentalists citing potential damage to the state’s ecosystem in the path of the proposed route.
    • They fear irreversible impact to the state’s rivers, paddy fields, and wetlands, triggering floods and landslides in the future.

  • [pib] Fast Tracking Freight in India

    NITI Aayog, RMI and RMI India’s new report, Fast Tracking Freight in India: A Roadmap for Clean and Cost-Effective Goods Transport, presents key opportunities for India to reduce its logistics costs.

    Freight transport in India

    • Freight transportation is a critical backbone of India’s growing economy, and now more than ever, it’s important to make this transport system more cost-effective, efficient, and cleaner.
    • Due to the rising demand for goods and services, freight transport demand is expected to grow rapidly in the future.
    • While freight transport is essential to economic development, it is plagued by high logistics costs and contributes to rising CO2 emissions and air pollution in cities.

    Highlights of the Roadmap

    • According to the report, India has the potential to:
    1. Reduce its logistics cost by 4% of GDP
    2. Achieve 10 gigatonnes of cumulative CO2 emissions savings between 2020 and 2050
    3. Reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions by 35% and 28%, respectively, until 2050
    • The report outlines solutions for the freight sector related to policy, technology, market, business models, and infrastructure development.

    Various recommendations

    • The recommendations include increasing the rail network’s capacity, promoting intermodal transport, improving warehousing and trucking practices, policy measures and pilot projects for clean technology adoption, and stricter fuel economy standards.
    • When successfully deployed at scale, the proposed solutions can help India establish itself as a leader in logistics innovation and efficiency in the Asia–Pacific region and beyond.

    Transforming the system

    • As India’s freight activity grows five-fold by 2050 and about 400 million citizens move to cities, a whole system transformation can help uplift the freight sector.
    • This transformation will be defined by tapping into opportunities such as efficient rail-based transport, the optimization of logistics and supply chains, and a shift to electric and other clean-fuel vehicles.
    • These solutions can help India save ₹311 lakh crore cumulatively over the next three decades.

  • India’s ethanol roadmap: The targets and challenges

    The government of India has advanced the target for 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol (also called E20) to 2025 from 2030. E20 will be rolled out from April 2023.

    What is the move?

    • A government-appointed panel has recommended to the Centre to keep the price of ethanol-blended petrol lower than normal petrol in view of lower calorific value as also to incentivize people to go for the clean fuel.
    • This measure is aimed at reducing the country’s oil import bill and carbon dioxide pollution. This new initiative is also part of measures to improve energy security and self-sufficiency measures.

    Roadmap for Ethanol Blending

    • The central government has released an expert committee report on the Roadmap for Ethanol Blending in India by 2025.
    • The roadmap proposes a gradual rollout of ethanol-blended fuel to achieve E10 fuel supply by April 2022 and phased rollout of E20 from April 2023 to April 2025.
    • Currently, 8.5 per cent of ethanol is blended with petrol in India.
    • In order to introduce vehicles that are compatible the committee recommends roll out of E20 material-compliant and E10 engine-tuned vehicles from April 2023 and production of E20-tuned engine vehicles from April 2025.

    What is included in the roadmap?

    (1) Energy security

    • The Union government has emphasized that increased use of ethanol can help reduce the oil import bill.
    • India’s net import cost stands at $551 billion in 2020-21. It is estimated that the E20 program can save the country $4 billion (Rs 30,000 crore) per annum.
    • Last year, oil companies procured ethanol worth about Rs 21,000 crore.
    • Hence it is benefitting the sugarcane farmers.
    • Further, the government plans to encourage the use of water-sparing crops, such as maize, to produce ethanol, and the production of ethanol from the non-food feedstock.

    (2) Fuel efficiency

    • There is an estimated loss of six-seven per cent fuel efficiency for four-wheelers and three-four per cent for two-wheelers when using E20, the committee report noted.
    • These vehicles are originally designed for E0 and calibrated for E10.
    • The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers informed the expert committee that with modifications in engines (hardware and tuning), the loss in efficiency due to blended fuel can be reduced.

    (3) Recalibrating engines

    • The use of E20 will require new engine specifications and changes to the fuel lines, as well as some plastic and rubber parts due to the fuel’s corrosive nature.
    • The engines, moreover, will need to be recalibrated to achieve the required power-, efficiency- and emission-level balance due to the lower energy density of the fuel.
    • This can be taken care of by producing compatible vehicles.

    (4) Vehicles rollout

    • E20 material compliant and E10 compliant vehicles may be rolled out across the country from April 2023, the committee noted.
    • These vehicles can tolerate 10 to 20 per cent of ethanol-blended petrol and also deliver optimal performance with E10 fuel.
    • Vehicles with E20-tuned engines can be rolled out all across the country from April 2025.
    • These vehicles would run on E20 only and will provide high performance.

    (5) Flex-fuel

    • A flexible-fuel vehicle (FFV) is an alternative fuel vehicle with an internal combustion engine designed to run on more than one fuel and both fuels are stored in the same common tank.
    • The Union ministry of road transport and highways issued a gazette notification March 2021 mandating stickers on vehicles mentioning their E20, E85 or E100 compatibility.
    • This will pave the way for flex fuel vehicles.

    Why such a move?

    (1) Fuel efficiency

    • Considering just the end use also indicates that CO2 emissions from blended fuel are lower than that for petrol since ethanol contains less carbon than petrol and produces less CO2.
    • The blended fuel burns more efficiently with a more homogenous mixture, which leads to a decrease in CO2 emissions compared with pure petrol.
    • The carbon dioxide released by a vehicle when ethanol is burned is offset by the carbon dioxide captured when the feedstock crops are grown to produce ethanol.
    • Comparatively, no emissions are offset when these petroleum products are burned.

    (2) Emission reduction

    • Use of ethanol-blended petrol decreases emissions such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), the expert committee noted.
    • Higher reductions in CO emissions were observed with E20 fuel — 50 per cent lower in two-wheelers and 30 per cent lower in four-wheelers.
    • HC emissions reduced by 20 per cent with ethanol blends compared to normal petrol.
    • Nitrous oxide emissions, however, did not show a significant trend as it depended on the vehicle / engine type and engine operating conditions.
    • The unregulated carbonyl emissions, such as acetaldehyde emission were, however, higher with E10 and E20 compared to normal petrol.
    • However, these emissions were relatively lower. Evaporative emission test results with E20 fuel were similar to E0.

    Global shreds of evidence

    • An increase in the ethanol content in fuels reduced the emissions of some regulated pollutants such as CO, HC and CO2.
    • However, no such change in emissions was observed for nitrogen oxides emissions.
    • The addition of ethanol, with a high blending octane number, however, allowed a reduction in aromatics in petrol.
    • Such blends also burn cleaner as they have higher octane levels than pure petrol but have higher evaporative emissions from fuel tanks and dispensing equipment.

    Challenges ahead

    • Petrol requires extra processing to reduce evaporative emissions before blending with ethanol.
    • It is crucial to study the emissions from flexible fuel vehicles not only for the regulated gases but also the unregulated ones.
    • But producing and burning ethanol results in CO2 emissions.
    • Hence, net CO2 emission benefit depends on how ethanol is made and whether or not indirect impacts on land use are included in the calculations.
    • In summary, as we progress towards higher blending of ethanol, careful monitoring and assessment of emissions changes will be needed to make sure that emission reduction potential can be enhanced.

    Back2Basics: EBP Programme

    • Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme was launched in January, 2003 for supply of 5% ethanol blended petrol.
    • The programme sought to promote the use of alternative and environment-friendly fuels and to reduce import dependency for energy requirements.
    • OMCs are advised to continue according to priority of ethanol from 1) sugarcane juice/sugar/sugar syrup, 2) B-heavy molasses 3) C-heavy molasses and 4) damaged food grains/other sources.
    • At present, this programme has been extended to the whole of India except UTs of Andaman Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands with effect from 01st April 2019 wherein OMCs sell petrol blended with ethanol up to 10%.

  • Kinnaur Hydroelectric Project

    The people of Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh have been protesting against the proposed 804-megawatt Jangi Thopan Powari hydroelectricity project (JTP HEP) over the Satluj since April 2021.

    Kinnaur Hydroelectric Project

    • The run-of-the-river (ROR) project envisages the construction of a concrete gravity dam of ±88 metres high above the deepest foundation level across river Satluj near Jangi village.
    • The diversion of water will involve the construction of a 12-km-long tunnel.
    • The tentative land requirement for the project is 295.93 hectares, out of which 270.43 ha is forest land and 25.5 ha is private.
    • Construction of the dam will result in the submergence of about 156.2917 ha of land, out of which 143.2093 ha is forest land and 13.0824 ha is private.

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q.What is common to the places known as Aliyar, Isapur and Kangsabati? (CSP 2017)

    (a) Recently discovered uranium deposits

    (b) Tropical rain forests

    (c) Underground cave systems

    (d) Water reservoirs

    Why are people protesting?

    • Kinnaur district is mainly marked by its cold desert, tribal population, fragile topography, rich and diverse culture, apple orchards, off-season vegetables and the Satluj river.
    • The river has been dammed at multiple places along the valley to create an additional feature to Kinnaur’s identity as Himachal’s hydropower hub, which locals believe is a malediction.
    • An integral part of the old Hindustan-Tibetan Route, Jangram Valley, lies on the right bank of the Satluj river in the district.
    • This is not the first time that the cold desert has witnessed such a contestation.

    Sutlej is oveloaded

    • The Satluj has taken the biggest load of state hydropower ambition since the early 90s. Out of the total installed capacity, 56 per cent (5720MW) is done in the Satluj basin.
    • According to the State of the Rivers of Himachal Pradesh Report 2017:
    • In other words, 92 per cent of the river will either be flowing through tunnels or will be part of reservoirs.
    • Such a cumulative scale of disturbance with the river’s natural state drastically impacted the life, livelihood and ecology in the Satluj basin.

    Why need hydroelectric projects?

    • Hydropower is a necessary choice for the nation’s clean energy transition.
    • In purely technological terms, hydropower projects are an engineering marvel and generate clean, reliable electricity.
    • HEPs are not viable just from the local livelihood and environmental point of view but they have also failed on the financial viability side.

  • FinMin grants ‘infrastructure’ status for convention centres

    The Finance Ministry has granted ‘Infrastructure’ status for exhibition and convention centres, a move that is expected to ease bank financing for such projects.

    Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre

    • ‘Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre is included in the Harmonized Master List of Infrastructure sub-sectors by insertion of a new item in the category of Social and Commercial Infrastructure.
    • The benefits available as ‘infrastructure’ projects would only be available for projects with a minimum built-up floor area of 1,00,000 square metres of exclusive exhibition space or convention space or both combined.
    • This includes primary facilities such as exhibition centres, convention halls, auditoriums, plenary halls, business centres, meeting halls etc.
    • As of now, the major projects underway in the sector are backed by the government – the International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centres at Dwarka as well as Pragati Maidan in the capital.

    What is the Master List?

    • The Harmonized Master list approved by the cabinet committee on infrastructure has five main sectors and 29 infra subsectors.
    • The five sectors include transport, energy, water sanitation, communication and social and commercial infrastructure.
    • The infra tag allows certain benefits including access to easier borrowings overseas, the ability to raise funds through tax-free bonds, tax concessions, and access to dedicated lenders such as IIFCL, and the debt funds.
    • Last August, the government had added affordable rental housing projects to the list of sectors recognised as infrastructure.

    Benefits of the move

    • The infrastructure tag no longer involves significant tax breaks but would help such projects get easier financing from banks, said experts.
    • India doesn’t have large convention centres or single halls with capacities to hold 7,000 to 10,000 people, unlike countries like Thailand that is a major global MICE-destination.
    • Becoming a MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) destination can generate significant revenue with several global companies active in India but it will take time to become a preferred destination.

  • Power generation from renewables increased despite drop in new capacity

    What the data from Central Electricity Authority says

    • The total power generation from renewable energy sources including solar, wind, bagasse, biomass, small hydro and others stood at 147.25 billion units in FY21 compared with 138.34 billion units in FY20.
    • This is an increase of six per cent, according to data from the Central Electricity Authority.
    • All other key segments such as thermal, hydro and nuclear have reported a drop in power generation during FY21.
    • This is despite a significant drop in new capacity addition in the renewables sector in Covid-battered 2020-21.
    • The total power generation from renewable energy sources (including solar, wind, bagasse, biomass, small hydro and others) stood at 147.25 billion units in FY21 compared with 138.34 billion units in FY20.
    • In FY21, total power generation from thermal, hydro, nuclear and renewables stood at 1372.9 billion units compared with 1383.33 billion units in FY20.

    Factors responsible

    • There are several factors working for an increase in generation by renewable sources.
    • The first factor is the thrust given to renewable energy by the government.
    • Second is the growing environmental awareness in the country, and the potential growth is driving more capacity creation here.
    • Third, getting in investment, — both domestic and foreign, is easier as this is an attractive area for them.

  • [pib] First supply of UCO-based Biodiesel flagged off

    Eco-system for collection and conversion of UCO into Biodiesel

    • Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas flagged off the first supply of UCO (Used Cooking Oil) based Biodiesel blended Diesel under the EOI Scheme.
    • To create an eco-system for collection and conversion of UCO, Expressions of Interest had been initiated for “Procurement of Bio-diesel produced from Used Cooking Oil” on the occasion of World Biofuel Day on 10th August 2019.
    • Under this initiative, Oil Marketing Companies (OMC) offer periodically incremental price guarantees for five years and extend off-take guarantees for ten years to prospective entrepreneurs.

    Advantages

    • This is a landmark in India’s pursuance of Biofuels and will have a positive impact on the environment.
    • This initiative will garner substantial economic benefits for the nation by shoring up indigenous Biodiesel supply, reducing import dependence, and generating rural employment.

  • Clean energy innovation slowing, report warns

    Major findings of the report

    • It is a joint report titled “Patents and the energy transition” released by the European Patent Office and the International Energy Agency.
    • The average annual growth rate of patents for low carbon emissions technologies has fallen to 3.3 percent since 2017, the rate was 12.5 percent in the period 2000-2013.
    • The report found that around 35 percent of the cumulative CO2 emissions reductions needed to shift to a sustainable path to reach net-zero emissions by 2070 are still currently at the prototype or demonstration phase.
    • The report found that energy efficiency and fuel-switching technologies remained at the top of patent activities, accounting for about 60 percent of the total.

    Shifting trend withing renewable

    • Patent activity in renewable energy technologies such as wind and solar has been in decline for nearly a decade however, and represented just 17 percent of the total in 2019, report found.
    • The key driver of patent growth since 2017 has been innovation in cross-cutting technologies such as batteries, hydrogen and smart grids, along with carbon-capture, utilisation and storage.

    Source:

    https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/renewable/clean-energy-innovation-slowing-report-warns/82270391

  • A fresh push for green hydrogen

    Green hydrogen could help significantly in India’s transition to low carbon future. However, there are several challenges in ramping up its manufacturing. The article suggests measures to deal with these challenges.

    Increasing the production of green hydrogen

    • India will soon join 15 other countries in the hydrogen club as it prepares to launch the National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHEM). 
    • India will soon join 15 other countries in the hydrogen club as it prepares to launch the National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHEM). 
    • In 2030, according to an analysis by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), green hydrogen demand could be up to 1 million tonnes in India across application in sectors such as ammonia, steel, methanol, transport and energy storage. 

    Dealing with challenges

    Several challenges in scaling up to commercial-scale operations persist. Following are five recommendations.

    1) Decentralise green hydrogen production

    • Decentralised hydrogen production must be promoted through open access of renewable power to an electrolyser (which splits water to form H2 and O2 using electricity).
    • Currently, most renewable energy resources that can produce low-cost electricity are situated far from potential demand centres.
    • Producing oxygen at such locations and then shipped, it would significantly erode the economics of it.
    • A more viable option would be wheeling electricity directly from the solar plant.
    • However, the electricity tariffs could double when supplying open-access power across State boundaries.
    • Therefore, operationalising open access in letter and spirit, as envisioned in the Electricity Act, 2003, must be an early focus.

    2)  Ensure access to round-the-clock renewable power

    • To minimise intermittency associated with renewable energy, for a given level of hydrogen production capacity, a green hydrogen facility will store hydrogen to ensure continuous hydrogen supply.
    • Therefore, as we scale up to the target of having 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030, aligning hydrogen production needs with broader electricity demand in the economy would be critical.

    3) Blending green hydrogen in industrial sector

    • We must take steps to blend green hydrogen in existing processes, especially the industrial sector.
    • Improving the reliability of hydrogen supply by augmenting green hydrogen with conventionally produced hydrogen will significantly improve the economics of the fuel.
    • This will also help build a technical understanding of the processes involved in handling hydrogen on a large scale.

    4) Facilitate investment

    • Policymakers must facilitate investments in early-stage piloting and the research and development needed to advance the technology for use in India.
    • The growing interest in hydrogen is triggered by the anticipated steep decline in electrolyser costs.
    • Public funding will have to lead the way, but the private sector, too, has significant gains to be made by securing its energy future.

    5) Focus on domestic manufacturing

    •  India must learn from the experience of the National Solar Mission and focus on domestic manufacturing.
    • Establishing an end-to-end electrolyser manufacturing facility would require measures extending beyond the existing performance-linked incentive programme.
    • India needs to secure supplies of raw materials that are needed for this technology.
    • Further, major institutions like the DRDO, BARC and CSIR laboratories have been developing electrolyser and fuel-cell technologies.

    Consider the question “Even before it has reached any scale, green hydrogen has been anointed the flag-bearer of India’s low-carbon transition. In lights of this, examine the challenges India faces in scaling up its green hydrogen production and suggest the ways to deal with these challenges.”

    Conclusion

    Hydrogen may be lighter than air, but it will take some heavy lifting to get the ecosystem in place.

  • Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2021

    The coal and Mines Minister has introduced the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2021 in Lok Sabha to streamline the renewal of the auction process for minerals and coal mining rights.

    MMDR Amendment Bill, 2021

    The Bill seeks to amend the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.  The Act regulates the mining sector in India.

    (1) Removal of restriction on end-use of minerals

    • The Act empowers the central government to reserve any mine (other than coal, lignite, and atomic minerals) to be leased through an auction for a particular end-use (such as iron ore mine for a steel plant).
    • Such mines are known as captive mines.  The Bill provides that no mine will be reserved for particular end-use.

    (2) Sale of minerals by captive mines  

    • The Bill provides that captive mines (other than atomic minerals) may sell up to 50% of their annual mineral production in the open market after meeting their own needs.
    • The central government may increase this threshold through a notification.  The lessee will have to pay additional charges for mineral sold in the open market.

    (3) Auction by the central government in certain cases

    • Under the Act, states conduct the auction of mineral concessions (other than coal, lignite, and atomic minerals).
    • Mineral concessions include mining lease and prospecting license-cum-mining lease.
    • The Bill empowers the central government to specify a time period for completion of the auction process in consultation with the state government.
    • If the state government is unable to complete the auction process within this period, the auctions may be conducted by the central government.

    (4) Transfer of statutory clearances

    • Upon expiry of a mining lease (other than coal, lignite, and atomic minerals), mines are leased to new persons through auction.
    • The statutory clearances issued to the previous lessee are transferred to the new lessee for a period of two years.
    • The new lessee is required to obtain fresh clearances within these two years.
    • The Bill replaces this provision and instead provides that transferred statutory clearances will be valid throughout the lease period of the new lessee.

    (5) Allocation of mines with expired leases

    • The Bill adds that mines (other than coal, lignite, and atomic minerals), whose lease has expired, may be allocated to a government company in certain cases.
    • This will be applicable if the auction process for granting a new lease has not been completed, or the new lease has been terminated within a year of the auction.
    • The state government may grant a lease for such a mine to a government company for a period of up to 10 years or until the selection of a new lessee, whichever is earlier.

    (6) Rights of certain existing concession holders

    • In 2015, the Act was amended to provide that mines will be leased through an auction process.
    • Existing concession holders and applicants have been provided with certain rights.
    • The Bill provides that the right to obtain a prospecting license or a mining lease will lapse on the date of commencement of the 2021 Amendment Act.
    • Such persons will be reimbursed for any expenditure incurred towards reconnaissance or prospecting operations.

    (7) Extension of leases to government companies

    • The Act provides that the period of mining leases granted to government companies will be prescribed by the central government.
    • The Bill provides that the period of mining leases of government companies (other than leases granted through auction) may be extended on payment of additional amount prescribed in the Bill.

    (8) Conditions for lapse of mining lease

    • The Act provides that a mining lease will lapse if the lessee: (i) is not able to start mining operations within two years of the grant of a lease, or (ii) has discontinued mining operations for a period of two years.
    • However, the lease will not lapse at the end of this period if a concession is provided by the state government upon an application by the lessee.
    • The Bill adds that the threshold period for lapse of the lease may be extended by the state government only once and up to one year.

    (9) Non-exclusive reconnaissance permit

    • The Act provides for a non-exclusive reconnaissance permit (for minerals other than coal, lignite, and atomic minerals).
    • Reconnaissance means preliminary prospecting of a mineral through certain surveys.
    • The Bill removes the provision for this permit.

    Why such a move?

    • The move would likely lead to greater transparency in the auction process.
    • There is a perception that states governments may in some cases prefer some bidders, and try to delay or cancel mining rights if their preferred bidders do not win mining rights.

    Could the amendment face legal challenges?

    • The amendment, if passed, was likely to face legal challenges particularly from state governments.
    • If an act is passed in which any state government’s discretionary power is taken away or their rights or benefits are infringed, it is likely to be challenged in the Supreme Court.

    (With inputs from PRS)