Economist and bestselling author Jeremy Rifkin in a 2012 interview with Renewable Energy Focus Magazine said India is the “the Saudi Arabia of renewable energy sources” if the country can achieve the logistics and financing to tap into its vast renewable energy resources. India is currently ranked among the world’s most active players in renewable energy, and as of December, 2013, had installed capacity of about 69.3GW of renewable technologies-based electricity. Apparently, there’s room to grow.
To further achieve its potential and ease strain of the country’s overburdened electricity grid, India’s government actively encourages investments in the country’s renewable energy market, offering incentives and tax holidays to endorse the development and use of renewable energy sources.
Aligned with these initiatives, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is charged with the task of developing small-hydro power (SHP) projects with up to 25MW station capacities with estimated power generation potential of about 20,000MW from such plants. For comparison purposes, this is enough energy to power approximately 20,000 homes for one hour. It may not sound like enough energy to make a significant difference, but consider the following. The average Indian household uses roughly 250kWh over the course of an entire year while a single new refrigerator in the U.S. uses about 350kWh per year. The energy demand from individual Indian households is far less than we consume in the United States.
The Ministry is primarily focused on implementing projects in remote and hilly areas lacking adequate electrical transmission grid infrastructure or accessibility. It is estimated that nearly a fourth of the country’s population are without power. The Ministry aims to capture at least 50% of the company’s renewable energy potential within 10 years and provide electricity to these areas while alleviating pressure off the grid.
A world away but closely aligned with government initiatives, Carson City, Nevada-based Pan Global, which also has a Mumbai office, is concentrated on developing renewable energy projects in India, specifically in the areas of hydro-power generation, solar PV, geo-thermal, sustainable agriculture and green construction.
The company is currently in the process of acquiring Project Badyar, a 5.7MW SHP plant northeast of New Delhi, India. On an annual basis, Project Badyar’s power output is estimated at 27,500MWh. When running at full capacity, a staff of approximately 30 employees will operate the plant in three rotating shifts 24/7 year-round. The project is in the final stages of construction and upon commercial operations in the next several months is expected to generate annual revenues of approximately $1.95 million for a 35-year period.
Project Badyar’s power generation process starts on the river, where water is partially collected by a diversion trench weir and passed on into the desander, which filters out sediment and foreign particles in the water. One of the most vital parts of a small-hydroelectric power plant, the desander’s filtration protects the mechanical equipment used later in the process.
After leaving the desander, the water flows through conveyance lines into the forebay tank (or “surge tank”), a massive storage reservoir that reduces pressure changes caused by rapid changes in the velocity of water. A pipe placed at a steep angle carries the water from the forebay tank to the motor in the powerhouse, earning its name by increasing the pressure and speed of water flow to directly impact power output. The powerhouse houses a control room, two turbines, two generators and drives produced power through the switchyard and then to the substation, which in turn feeds the electricity directly to the grid and is then passed on to consumers.
The entire process is hailed as having minimal impact on the surrounding environment, making small hydroelectric power projects a clean and cost-effective solution to provide electricity to remote areas of India. As the government continues to push incentives to foster their growth, widespread acceptance and application of these projects creates significant market opportunity for Pan Global.
For more information, visit www.panglobalcorp.com
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