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Saturday, May 15, 2021

WORLDS FISRT RENEWABLE(SOLAR) ENERGY SUMMIT

 RENEWABLE ENERGY

First World Solar Technology Summit 

 The first World Solar Technology Summit (WSTS) is being organized by the International Solar Alliance (ISA)

on 8th September, 2020.

 The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), as the convener of ISA Global

Leadership Task Force on Innovation, is working with ISA in organizing the summit.

 The summit will witness the announcement of agreements between ISA and following institutions

1. International Institute of Refrigeration,

2. Global Green Growth Institute

3. National Thermal Power Corporation.

 A tripartite agreement between India‘s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the World Bank and the

International Solar Alliance is also set to be inked.

 ISA‘s technology journal, Solar Compass 360 will also be l


World’s Largest Solar Tree





 CSIR- Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) has developed the World‘s Largest Solar 

Tree and installed it at Durgapur, West Bengal. 

 The installed capacity of the Solar Tree is above 11.5 kWp. 

 There are a total of 35 Solar PV Panels in each tree with a capacity of 330 wp each. 

 It has the annual capacity to generate 12,000-14,000 units of Clean and Green 

Power, West Bengal.

 The inclination of the arms holding the Solar PV Panels are flexible and can be 

adjusted as per requirement, this feature is not available in Roof-Mounted Solar facilities.

 MSMEs who are interested in the solar tree can align their Business Model with PM KUSUM Scheme for 

farmers, for developing a Renewable Energy based Energy Grid.

Friday, May 14, 2021

Agricultural Subsidies & Air Pollution

IMPACT OF Agricultural Subsidies ON Air Pollution 





What is the issue? 

 Our current system of subsidies is a big reason for air pollution.

 So, some changes could be made in the subsidies of the power, fertilizer and procurement fronts.

What is the situation? 

 People in Delhi and Indo-Gangetic Plain are choking due to air pollution.

 As winter dawns, the wind slows, temperatures drop, and suspended particulate matter (PM) accumulates.

 The high pollution in Delhi and its surrounding is due to the congested traffic, dust, construction, waste

burning, etc,

 It gets a top-up from paddy-stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh.

What contributes to air pollution? 

 Agriculture’s contribution to air pollution runs even deeper than what happens between crop seasons.

 Atmospheric ammonia comes from fertiliser use, animal husbandry, and other agricultural practices.

 This combined with emissions from power plants, transportation, and other fossil fuel burning form fine

particles.

 Agriculture is a victim of pollution as well as a perpetrator.

 Particulate matter and ground-level ozone (from industrial, power plant, and transportation emissions among others) cause losses in crop yields.

 Ozone damages plant cells, handicapping photosynthesis, while particulate matter dims the sunlight that

reaches crops.

What is the irony? 

 The irony of agricultural pollution is that taxpayers are essentially paying for it through a system of subsidies.

 These subsidies motivate the very behaviors that drive the agricultural emissions that the taxpayers breathe.

How does subsidy contribute to air pollution? 

 Free power - hence ―free‖ water, pumped from the ground - is a big part of what makes growing rice in these areas attractive.

 Open-ended procurement of paddy, in spite of bulging stocks of grains with the Food Corporation of

India, adds to the incentives.

 Subsidies account for almost 15% of the value of rice being produced in Punjab-Haryana belt.

 Fertiliser, particularly urea in granular form, is highly subsidised.

 Urea is one of the cheapest forms of nitrogen-based fertiliser, but it is also one of the first to release ammonia

into the air.

 This loss of nitrogen leads to a cycle of more and more fertiliser being applied to get the intended benefits for

crops.

What could be done? 

 An important element to correct in the policy matrix is the policy of subsidies on power, fertilisers and

procurement.

 The nature of support to farmers should be shifted from input subsidies to investment subsidies.

 A diversification package, equally contributed by the Centre and states, may be done to reduce agricultural

pollution.

 The approach to diversification has to be demand-led, with a holistic framework of value chain, and not just

focused on production.

 On the fertiliser front, instead of massive subsidisation of urea, the farmers could be given an input subsidy

in cash on per hectare basis.

 Government procurement of paddy from farmers burning stubble in their fields may also be restricted.

 Taken together, these measures could double farmers‘ incomes, promote efficiency in resource use, and reduce

pollution.

 Released norms on NOx Emissions 

 NOx or Oxides of nitrogen are a criteria pollutant emitted on burning coal.

 NOx is harmful, it also triggers the formation of ground level ozone and leads to secondary particulate matter worsening health risks and needs to be controlled.

 Coal-based power plants, besides the transport sector, are a major source of this pollutant.

 There were no limits placed to control emissions of NOx from power plants before 2015.

 The MoEF&CC introduced limits of 300 mg / Nm3.

 Recently Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has relaxed NOx emission

norms.

 It has been relaxed to 450 mg / Nm3, from 300 mg / Nm3, for power stations commissioned between 2003

and 2015.

 The relaxations were brought about as the power sector strongly lobbied watering down the norms, alleging it was not possible to meet the 300 mg / Nm3 standard at all loads.

 Boiler companies assured government that a NOx emission level of 450 mg / Nm3 can be achieved by combustion modification.

 To meet emissions below it would mean installation of slightly expensive pollution control equipment like

selective non-catalytic reactors (SNCR) will be required.

Human Emissions of Nitrous Oxid

 According to recent findings Human emissions of

nitrous oxide (N2O) increased by 30 per cent between

1980 and 2016.

 Its global concentration levels increased from 270 parts

per billion (ppb) in 1750 to 331 ppb in 2018, a jump of

20 per cent.

 The growth has been the quickest in the past five

decades because of human emissions.

 It has also found that a major proportion of the N2O

emissions in the last four decades came from the

agricultural sector, mainly because of the use nitrogen-

based fertilisers.

 Most N2O emissions have come from emergin

Thursday, May 13, 2021

World’s First ‘Energy Island’ to be built by Denmark


World’s First ‘Energy Island





 Denmark, the nation that built the world’s first offshore wind farm, has agreed to an ambitious plan for another global first – an energy island in the North Sea which could eventually be capable of supplying energy to a history-making 10 million homes. The move will create a critical boost to the world’s offshore wind capacity.

The first hub and spoke  scheme will involve building an island 80 kilometres off the Danish coastline to act as the transmission centre for hundreds of wind turbines surrounding it. It is the largest construction project of Danish which is around $34billon

The project is also a potential blueprint for other coastal nations to develop their own green energy sources. “It’s in Danish waters, yes, but it could conceptually be in any other country."

Energy hub for the world

The initial phase for the artificial island is around the size of 18 soccer pitches. Initially, the North Sea hub will be capable of producing 3 gigawatts of electricity, but the plan is to scale up to 10 gigawatts, which is nearly one-and-a-half times Denmark’s current needs.

As well as supplying other European countries with electricity, the goal is to use the new offshore island to produce green hydrogen from seawater, which can also be exported. Large batteries on the island will store surplus electricity for use when demand is high.

Although the Danish government will own a majority stake, private companies will be invited to join a public/private partnership to build the project. Power will be supplied by as many as 600 giant wind turbines, each standing up to 260 metres tall.

DENMARK‟S ARTIFICIAL ENERGY ISLAND PROJECT. IMPORTANT POINTS

 

◾️ The Danish government approved a plan to build an artificial island in the North Sea as part of its effort to switch to green energy.

◾️An energy island is based on a platform that serves as a hub for electricity generation from surrounding offshore wind farms.

 ◾️The artificial island will be located about 80 km into the North Sea and the majority of it will be owned by the Danish government.

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Siniolchu tallest mountains of the indian state

 Siniolchu is one of the tallest mountains of the indian state of sikkim The Siniolchu is one of the Smallest mountains of the INDIAN   STATES OF SKIMM. The 6,888 metres (22,598 ft) mountain is considered to be particularly aesthetically attractive, having been described by DOUGLAS FREASHFEILD as "the most superb triumph of mountain architecture and the most beautiful snow mountain in the world". It is situated near the green lake adjacent to kanchanjunga  the highest peak in the state and third highest in the world. (22,598 ft) mountain is considered to be particularly aestheti


cally attractive, having been described by Douglasfeilds as
 "the most superb triumph of mountain architecture and the most beautiful snow mountain in the world". It is situated near  the green lake adjacent to kanchanjunga the highest peak in the state and third highest in the world
.




Mount Siniolchu ( 6888m ) from Yaktang in the Kangchenjunga Region of Sikkim

Siniolchu is considered to be one of the most beautiful mountains of the world.

First ascent by German climbers Karl Wien and Adi Göttner in 1936.

“We know of no mountain that can equal Siniolchu in beauty and boldness of feature.
 Its ridges are as sharp as a knife-edge, its flanks, though incredibly steep,
 are mostly covered with ice and snow,
 furrowed with the ice-flutings so typical of the Himalaya.
The crest of the cornice-crowned summit stands up like a thorn."








IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER


●Siniolchu is one of the tallest mountains of the Indian state of Sikkim.
 
●The 6,888 metres mountain is considered to be particularly aesthetically attractive, having been described by Douglas
 Freshfield as "the most superb triumph of mountain architecture and the most beautiful snow mountain in the world".