Month: April 2025

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee laid the foundation for a 1,600 MW ultra-supercritical thermal power plant by JSW Energy in Salboni, marking a significant stride in the state’s industrial growth. The project, with an investment of Rs 16,000 crore, is expected to generate 15,000 jobs and boost the state’s power generation capacity.

JSW Energy is investing Rs 16,000 crore in West Bengal to establish a 1,600-MW ultra-supercritical thermal power plant in Salboni, its largest greenfield project. Company officials highlight the project’s cost-effectiveness at Rs 10 crore per MW. JSW Energy is also planning a pumped storage project in Purulia, potentially adding 900-1,000 MW.

India’s oil and gas exploration policies, NELP and OALP, attracted significant investment, leading to numerous discoveries. While NELP faced challenges like clearance delays and cost recovery disputes, HELP’s revenue-sharing model aimed to improve ease of business. Recent OALP rounds and the DSF policy continue to drive exploration and development in the sector.

India is revisiting nuclear energy to meet increasing power demands and achieve energy independence, aiming for a 12.5-fold increase in nuclear power generation by 2047. This revival faces challenges, including safety concerns, high costs and public anxiety, reminiscent of past protests against nuclear plants like Kudankulam.

The Oil Ministry has announced that city gas distributors will now receive a quarterly allocation of ‘new well gas’ alongside regular domestic gas to better meet customer demand. This new system replaces the previous auction-based supply. While new well gas is priced higher at 12% of the crude oil price, it remains a cheaper alternative to imported gas.

India’s crude oil and natural gas production experienced declines in 2024-25 due to falling output from mature fields. This decrease has led to a rise in the country’s import bill, with India importing 88% of its crude oil and 51% of its gas consumption.

India’s ONGC faces declining natural gas production from aging fields, impacting CNG and piped gas supplies to city distributors like IGL and MGL. GAIL has notified a cut in APM gas supplies by up to 20%, effective April 16, 2025.

India plans to amend its nuclear liability laws, capping accident penalties for equipment suppliers to attract US firms like GE and Westinghouse. This move aims to boost nuclear power production to 100 gigawatts by 2047 and facilitate a $500 billion trade deal with the US. The changes address concerns stemming from the 2010 law, influenced by the Bhopal disaster.

Reliance Industries (RIL) and its British partner BP boosted their share in the domestic aviation turbine fuel (ATF) market by 2.5 percentage points, spurred by a 62% sales growth in the just-ended fiscal year. RIL-BP’s market share rose to 7.5% in 2024-25 from 5% in previous year, according to industry data.

India is considering gas-based power generation as a captive energy source for its rapidly expanding data center industry. Utilizing gas plants could provide cost-effective and reliable power, offering a cleaner alternative to coal with reduced emissions. The adoption hinges on energy storage costs and long-term gas supply agreements, ensuring a stable and dispatchable energy source.