News Bulletin : July 2021 – Issue 1

1. Hitachi ABB & BW Ideol to Take Offshore Wind Power to Next Level: FLOATING STRUCTURES

Switzerland-headquartered technology company Hitachi ABB Power Grids announced today that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with BW Ideol, a pioneer in floating offshore wind, to accelerate delivering a market-ready floating substation offering and solution to global customers. Floating offshore wind is considered to be the next big frontier in offshore wind power. By some estimates, installed capacity of floating offshore wind installations is forecast to grow from a modest 66 MW in 2019 to at least 6.2 GW in 2030 as more and more countries in Europe, Asia and North America seek to harness the rich potential of deep-water wind resources. Source: Saur Energy International

2. In Search of the Sea: Opening India’s Northeast to the Bay of Bengal : INLAND WATERWAYS

India’s northeast region has for long been underdeveloped and its strategic potential remains untapped owing to various reasons, primary of which are cross-border security considerations and internal instability. This report explores how the inland waterways of the northeast—linking ports along the Bay of Bengal to the hinterland—can be utilized to offer these landlocked states the means to benefit from sea trade and the growing opportunities in the Indo-Pacific region. The eight states of India’s North-eastern Region (NER) – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim – occupy a mere 8 percent of the country’s geographic area. Yet they are strategically important, as between them they share 5,300 km of international borders with the neighboring countries of Nepal, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, and Bangladesh.[1] The NER is, however, at a logistical disadvantage as seven of the eight states are connected to the rest of India through only a narrow strip of land known as the Siliguri (or ‘chicken’s neck’) corridor. [a] Troubled, too, by recurring insurgencies, the states suffer poor connectivity. This has had an impact on the region, causing persistent underdevelopment and “alienation” from the Indian mainland. Around 28.5 percent of the NER’s population live below the poverty line—a proportion that is significantly higher than the all-India figure of 21.9 percent. The total road surface in the region is 33.7 percent, less than half the national average of 69 percent. Source: Observe Research Foundation Online

3. Explainer: why does Mumbai flood? : COASTAL INFRASTRUCTURE

With accelerating climate change and rising sea levels due to global warming, there has been a significant disruption in hydrological cycles globally. Heavy rainfall and flooding regularly inundates most of our cities, destroying natural and infrastructural ecosystems. Mumbai, home to around 20 million people, is no different. The monsoon downpours bring the city to a standstill year after year. There is also the threat of cyclones and storms from the Arabian Sea such as Takutae earlier this year – those that can potentially cause havoc in the coastal city. Why is it that the city is not equipped to deal with such recurring flood-like situations? Historically, Mumbai comprised seven islands, which have been filled up today. There are large parts of the city, however, that still lie below the sea level and are prone to flooding. The city’s water systems were also designed for particular standards during the British rule Source: Citizen Matters

4. Smart enforcement app for trucks launched to reduce logistics costs: ComMin : LOGISTICS

The government on Wednesday said it has launched an IT-based smart enforcement app for implementation of rules and regulations related to road-based violations by trucks, a move aimed at reducing transportation and logistics cost of the industry. The app would help in decreasing the number of physical checks of commercial vehicles by enforcement officers; reduction in the number of cash challan by issuing e-challan; and higher revenue collection due to reduced human intervention. The commerce ministry said that on an average, a truck in India covers 50,000-60,000 km a year, compared to over 300,000 km in advanced nations such as the US. Source: Economics Times

5. SEBI reduces minimum application amount in REITs and InvITs: ECONOMIC ZONES AND BUSINESS PARKS

In a board meeting held on Tuesday, SEBI has amended the Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Regulations, and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) Regulations, 2014 to reduce the minimum application value in case of REITs and InvITs to ₹10,000 and ₹15,000 while trading can be done in a lot of one unit. “The Board considered and approved the amendments to SEBI (Real Estate Investment Trusts) Regulations, 2014 and SEBI (Infrastructure Investment Trusts) Regulations, 2014, for revision in minimum subscription and trading lot for publicly issued REITs and InvITs. The revised minimum application value shall be within the range of INR 10,000-15,000 and the revised trading lot shall be of one unit,\” said the SEBI circular. Source: Livemint

6. How Indian Railways plans to become eco-friendly network on mission mode : RAILWAYS AND METROS

Several steps are being taken by Indian Railways such as electrification, introduction of HOG system, installation of bio toilets and solar plants, setting up of DFCs, day to day water and paper conservation, etc. Green Transportation Indian Railways: The Railway Ministry is working on a mission mode to make Indian Railways an eco-friendly mode of transport and serve the growing needs of a New India. The national transporter aims to become cost-effective, efficient, punctual, and a modern carrier of passengers as well as goods. In this regard, several steps are being taken by Indian Railways such as electrification, introduction of HOG system, installation of bio toilets and solar plants, setting up of DFCs, day to day water and paper conservation, etc. Following are some of the key environment-friendly measures taken by the Indian Railways network in its daily work Source: Financial Express

7. Sustainable energy: the airports harnessing green energy : RENEWABLE ENERGY

Melbourne Airport has recently unveiled its new solar farm installation, making it one of Australia’s largest solar farms, covering approximately 26 football pitches. The solar array is another step towards a carbon-neutral future for the airport, which is constantly striving for sustainable, environmentally beneficial methods to reduce its carbon impact. Using this as a starting point, we explore sustainable energy use at airports worldwide. From duty free shop lighting to cooking equipment, cooling to ventilation, the running of airports equates to an average of 19.7 kilowatt-hours of electricity, and 34.7 thousand btu of natural gas, per square foot annually. Lighting and cooling use accounts for 46% of the overall energy use for an average airport, according to Business Energy Insider. Source: Airport Technology

8. Satellites could be a game-changer for storm recovery — utilities should take a fresh look: RESOURCES AND UTILITIES

The time has come for utilities to harness the power of satellites. Satellite technology has long been used by government agencies for everything from the disposition of enemy forces and bomb damage assessments to tracking the rise of sea levels. The agriculture industry has been successfully using satellite imagery to improve crop yields, and the insurance industry uses satellites for damage assessments and claims processing after hurricanes. Although the utility industry has been slow to adopt satellite technology, recent advancements in satellite sensors, optics and image processing throughput merit a fresh look. Source: Utilitydive

9. Delhi-Jaipur Expressway likely to become country first e-highway soon : ROADS AND HIGHWAYS

If all goes according to plan, India may soon get its first electronic highway on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. According to informed sources, the Ministry of Roads stated that the first part of the electronic highway is likely to be completed by mid-2022. Delhi – Jaipur Expressway e-highway soon. The electric motorway is an energy-efficient option to reduce your carbon footprint. Reports indicate that the government is implementing pilot projects to build electric highways in India, with the first extension likely to be completed in mid-2022. The government is said to be in talks with a Swedish company to build an electric motorway on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. Trucks and buses will be able to travel on the electronic highway at a speed of 120 km / h, which will reduce the cost of logistics by 70 percent. According to the sources, about 20 percent of the roads on the 200 km Delhi-Jaipur Expressway on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will be electrified. Separate lanes will be created to recharge the batteries of freight trucks and other electric vehicles. Source: ngtraveller.com

10. IIT Bombay Researchers Devise Novel Economical Method to Extract Hydrogen from Water : WATER AND ENVIRONMENT

Hydrogen gas is an environment-friendly fuel, as it produces water upon combustion in the presence of oxygen. For the same weight, hydrogen can provide nearly three times higher energy than gasoline. However, the quantity of hydrogen available from the Earth’s atmosphere is tiny. The more widely available compound, water, might be a source of producing hydrogen. However, the chemical reaction requiring the production of hydrogen from water requires an external source of energy. The aim of making hydrogen an alternative source of fuel requires minimizing the energy input in producing it while maximizing the amount of energy extracted from combusting hydrogen. Source: Weather.com

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