WCA September 2014

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Wire & Cable ASIA – September/October 2014
India Insight
OPGW proposal
The Meghalaya department of telecom has proposed the
formation of an inter-ministerial panel to expedite work on
the laying of optical fibre along the Shillong-Tura electric
power line.
The Meghalaya government is considering laying optical
fibre ground wire (OPGW) along its 208km-long
Shillong-Tura high tension electric power line to improve
telecom connectivity in the north-east region.
The department of telecom wrote to the ministry of
development of the north eastern region, requesting that a
committee be formed with the department of telecom,
government of Meghalaya and ministry of development of
north eastern region to expedite the project.
The Meghalaya government has also requested that
financial support for the project be available from the
ministry of development of north eastern region.
The Meghalaya government asserts that the benefits of
using OPGW will encompass the entire state, as well as
other regions of the north east.
Meghalaya – India
Website:
Solar boost for India
Tata Power Solar has commissioned a 50MW solar
photovoltaic project for NTPC (formerly known as National
Thermal Power Corporation Limited) in India. The
commissioning is part of the company’s plan to expand its
renewable energy portfolio to 1,000MW by 2017.
Located in Rajgarh, Madhya Pradesh, the 50MW project is
believed to be the largest Indian solar project to use
indigenously-built solar modules, and will offset
approximately 73,000 tonnes of CO2 in its first year.
NTPC director (technical) Jha said the utility’s solar power
generation capacity has reached 95MW with the
commissioning of the Rajgarh solar project. “We, at NTPC,
are increasing our focus on renewables, in particular solar
energy,” Jha added.
Tata Power Solar CEO Ajay Goel said: “This project bears
testimony to Tata Power Solar’s 25-year strong lineage and
the ability to bring together our strengths in manufacturing
world class solar modules and EPC (engineering,
procurement and construction) capabilities.”
Tata Power Solar – India
Website:
Wiring acquisition
India’s auto component maker, Motherson Sumi Systems
(MSSL) has announced its acquisition of the US-based
Stoneridge Inc wiring harness business for $65.7 million.
Stoneridge has annual revenues of approximately $300m
with six manufacturing facilities spread across Portland,
Indiana, in the USA, and Chihuahua, Saltillo and Monclova
in Mexico, as well as an engineering and administrative
centre located in Warren, Ohio, USA.
The deal, structured by way of asset purchase, is subject to
completion of regulatory approvals and is expected to be
completed by the third quarter of 2014.
Motherson Sumi Systems – India
Website:
Hydro power takes a dive
Low rainfall in India is restricting the country’s hydro power
output, down by a fifth from a year ago and part of a
downward trend.
On 20th July, the load dispatch system received 418 million
units of hydro power, almost 20 per cent less compared
with the 515 million units generated on 20 th July 2013.
Experts attribute the downtrend to the weak progress of
monsoon rains in those regions of India that usually
generate up to 44,000MW of hydro power. However, the
loss of output could have been wider if hydroelectric
projects on snow-fed rivers had not received more water as
a result of the severe summer.
“At this point of time, snow-fed rivers enabled hydro power
projects to maintain their normal generation, as temperature
melted glaciers to fuel the plants,” said the Himachal Pradesh
energy development agency CEO, Bhanu Pratap Singh.
In western India, where hydro power plants are dependent
on rain-fed rivers and irrigation projects, power generation
dipped to only 10 million units on 20th July, compared with
68 million units on the same day in 2013.
Himachal Pradesh Energy Development Agency – India
Website:
❍ The Meghalaya government is considering OPGW along its
high-tension electric power line