Author

Staff Correspondent

Journalist | Researcher

India

EU-funded project to stall wildlife cybercrime

by Staff Correspondent June 19, 2019

written by Staff Correspondent

The TrickyScribe: Funded by Internal Security Fund of the Directorate General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission, the two-year “Disrupting and dismantling wildlife cybercriminals and their networks in the European Union” project will help train customs, police and other enforcement officers across the EU to detect and deter wildlife trafficking.

The project will also engage with delivery and online technology companies, to ensure wildlife traffickers do not misuse their services. “The skyrocketing volume of parcel deliveries, linked to the growth of e-commerce, represents a significant challenge for those enforcing the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations, who will benefit from the support provided through this project,” said Emilie Van der Henst, the WWF-TRAFFIC Project Coordinator.

ALSO READ: SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS HELPING WILDLIFE TRAFFICKERS

Internet provides wildlife traffickers access to a vast international marketplace—one without borders that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, where wildlife cybercriminals exploit the anonymity afforded to them online. Detecting and disrupting wildlife cybercrime is a critical component to ensure the survival of endangered and threatened wild animals.

8-000-plus specimens in 6 weeks

A International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) report published in 2018, Disrupt: Wildlife Cybercrime, identified 3,312 advertisements spread across online marketplaces and social media platforms in France and Germany, cataloguing 8,244 endangered and threatened specimens—everything from ivory tusks and trinkets to rhino horn products, fur and skins from big cats, live birds and reptiles—worth almost 2 million EUR over a six week period.

“This project will enable IFAW to continue our pioneering approach into online wildlife crime in the EU, working with our partners to create a network of experts to defeat a criminal network,” said Tania McCrea-Steele, IFAW’s Global Wildlife Cybercrime Project Lead.

ALSO READ: COUNTER AUTISM WITH ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES, ACTIVE PARTICIPATION

The wildlife cybercrime project will initially focus on Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands, identifying information on trends and developing tools, which will be of use to the other EU Member States. Alongside improved detection of wildlife trafficking, the project will work with online companies to remove accounts and advertisements of those offering wildlife illegally and make it harder for them to reach their customers online.

“We aim to throw a big spanner in the operations of wildlife cybercriminals and make their activities a high-risk, low-profit form of criminality,” said Emilie van der Henst, the WWF/TRAFFIC Project Coordinator.

Swanky illegal global trade

Illicit trade in wildlife is estimated to be worth close to USD 20 billion per year, making it one of the largest illegal global trade, after other transnational crimes such as drug trafficking and illegal logging, according to a 2017 Global Financial Integrity report.

In 2015, a United Nations (UN) resolution recognized the broader impacts of wildlife crime, which include corruption, money laundering, the undermining of good governance, the rule of law and the well-being of local communities and called upon nations to take appropriate action. In 2016, the EU adopted the Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking and Member States made environmental crime one of their 10 priorities in their efforts to address serious international and organized crime for the period 2018–21.

Total Views: 2,37,460

June 19, 2019

Climate Change

US Military Emits More CO2 Than Most Nations

by Staff Correspondent June 15, 2019

written by Staff Correspondent

Aditya Vaibhav | The TrickyScribe: With armed forces comprising of more than two million people, 11 nuclear aircraft carriers and the most advanced military aircraft, the US is more than capable of projecting power anywhere in the globe. In its quest for adding to the bulwark of its military might, the United States spends more on the military than any other country in the world; more than the combined military expenses of Russia and China.

SWANKY DEFENSE BUDGET

The US has been continuously at war since late 2001, with the US military and State Department currently engaged in more than 80 countries in counterterror operations. Authorized at more than $700 billion in FY19, and again over $700 billion requested for FY20, the Department of Defense (DOD) budget comprises more than half of all federal discretionary spending each year.

ENERGY: THE LIFEBLOOD OF ALL WARFIGHTING CAPABILITIES

The capacity for and use of military force requires a great deal of energy, most of it fossil fuels. As General David Petraeus famously said, “energy is the lifeblood of our warfighting capabilities.” Although the Pentagon has increasingly emphasized what it calls energy security — energy resilience and conservation — it is still a major consumer of energy from fossil fuel.

ALSO READ: RESEARCH, POLICIES, MONITORING & IMPLEMENTATION, COMPRISE ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION

The emission of CO2 into the air due to the burning of fossil fuels is one of the main causes of global warming. The concentration of CO2 in the global atmosphere remained relatively stable until the industrial revolution at around 200 particles per million. From the 19th century onwards, its density multiplied rapidly, reaching 413 particles per million most recently.

Unlike some other elements of the present US administration that suffer from various modes of climate denial, the US military and intelligence community act as if the negative security consequences of a warming planet are inevitable. The DOD is believed to have studied the issue for decades and begun adapting its plans, operations and installations to deal with climate change.

WORLD’S LARGEST INSTITUTIONAL USER OF PETROLEUM

The DOD is the world’s largest institutional user of petroleum and correspondingly, the single largest producer of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the world. The DOD emissions for all military operations from 2001 to 2017 are estimated to be about 766 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents.

 You will find more infographics at Statista

Of these military operations, war-related emissions including for the “overseas contingency operations” in the major war zones of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Syria are close to 400 Million Metric Tons of CO2 equivalent. War and preparation for it are highly fossil fuel intensive and along with being the single largest energy consumer in the US, the DOD is also the world’s single largest institutional petroleum consumer. When it comes to how that energy is consumed, 70 percent is used by moving and burning jet fuel and diesel.

ALSO READ: RENEWABLES TO OUTPERFORM CONVENTIONAL ENERGY SOURCES BY 2030

It doesn’t help that military equipment is not known for being fuel efficient and it’s thought that the 60,000 humvees remaining in the US inventory only manage four to eight miles per gallon of diesel. Military real estate also has serious energy requirements and in FY17, the DOD spent $3.5 billion heating, cooling and providing power for 5.6 lakh buildings at 500 different military installations.

MORE AMERICAN TROOPS TO POLAND

Addressing a press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda, President Trump committed 1,000 more American troops for being deployed to Poland. Even though the soldiers and hardware are only going to make the short hop across the border from the 52,000-strong US presence in Germany, major American military deployments generally require tremendous amounts of energy and leave a large carbon footprint.

MASSIVE CARBON FOOTPRINT

A Brown University report has now estimated that since the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, total greenhouse gas emissions from the US military have amounted to 1,212 million metric tons. In 2017, the amount of CO2 generated came to 59 million tons, a figure that’s higher than many industrialized nations.

Sweden only generated 48 million tons by comparison in 2017, according to BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy which records carbon dioxide emissions in different countries. The US military also has a larger annual carbon footprint than Morocco, Peru, Hungary, Finland, New Zealand and Norway. The research states that if the Pentagon was a nation, it would be the world’s 55th largest CO2 emitter.

Total Views: 2,37,940

June 15, 2019

Geopolitics

Climbers perish as they eye Mt Everest

by Staff Correspondent June 7, 2019

written by Staff Correspondent

Ramesh Pokhrel | The TrickyScribe: Nepal Department of Tourism issued a record 381 permits to mountaineers willing to scale Mt Everest this time while climbers got three weather-windows to push for Sagarmatha between May 16 and 27 after a team of climbing Sherpas opened route to the summit on May 14. Not less than 200 climbers had to wait for nearly two hours in queues at bottlenecks on their way to the summit on May 22. Climbers, however, who died were not stuck in the jam, climbing guides told The TrickyScribe in Kathmandu.

AILING CLIMBERS

Indian climber, Anjali Kulkarni, died below the balcony area after she got sick while heading to the summit, Gyaljen Sherpa, who guided the 54-year-old climber, said. “She couldn’t even reach the jam area,” he said, adding that she had refused to abandon her summit push as she claimed she had invested the past decade’s earnings to make it to the summit this season.

ALSO READ: RESEARCH, POLICIES, MONITORING & EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION, FORMS THE BULWARK OF ANY ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION

Indian climber Kalpana Das was guided by Gelbu Sherpa and Pemba Chhiri Sherpa on Mt Everest this season. “We had time and again requested her to abandon the summit push after she couldn’t move above the balcony area,” Gelbu said. “It took her more than 18 hours to reach the summit from Camp IV.” There was no congestion when she reached above the South Col, he added. Das, who complained of weakness, succumbed near the balcony area on the descent.

Other climbers, including Irish professor Seamus Lawless, Indian climber Ravi Thakar, National Mountain Guide Dhurba Bista, British climber Robin Fisher and Colorado attorney Christopher Kulish died on days when there was no rush on Mt Everest.

NEPALESE AUTHORITIES SAVING FACE

Nepal’s tourism board is defending the number of permits it issued to climb Mt Everest for this season in which several climbers have died. Authorities claim they have no plans to restrict the number of permits the next year. They hope to attract still more tourists and climbers. The image of a crowded Everest linked to the death toll was spurred by a viral photo last week that showed climbers in their neon gear, packed in a tight, unforgiving queue to the highest point on Earth.

“There has been concern about the number of climbers on Mt Everest, but it is not because of the traffic jam that there were casualties,” said a high ranking official pleading anonymity. He pointed to weather conditions, insufficient oxygen supplies and equipment instead.

Gyanendra Shrestha, a liaison officer, who spent nearly a month at the base camp this season, also said that no one died due to traffic jam this season. Traffic jam often occurs every season, said Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, an international mountain guide who was on Mt Everest this season.

Total Views: 2,38,900

June 7, 2019

India

Succulents to help you breath better

by Staff Correspondent June 6, 2019

written by Staff Correspondent

Aditya Vaibhav | The TrickyScribe: Air quality affects the lives of humans significantly. Breathing in a pollution-free environment signifies a better quality of life. Air pollution causes not less than seven million deaths worldwide if taken annually. Growth and concentration of population in cities, as well as the way in which we guzzle up energy in urban areas through transport or heating and air conditioning systems, among others, result in the emission of huge quantities of harmful, at times poisonous, gases.

ALSO READ: MOUNTAINEERS’ DELIGHT: TREKKING SEASON KICKS OFF AT MT EVEREST

Presence of or introduction into the air of a substance which has harmful or poisonous effects is what we call Air Pollution. Humans are susceptible to health impacts drawn from polluted air including breathing difficulties. Poor air quality can exacerbate underlying lung problems. Actual risk of adverse effects depends on one’s current health status, the type & concentration of pollutant involved and the length of exposure to the polluted air.

Issues due to pollution levels

High levels of air pollution can trigger immediate health issues including aggravated cardiovascular & respiratory illness and added stress to heart and lungs, which must work harder to supply the body with oxygen and damaged cells in the respiratory system. Even short-term exposure to particulate pollution can aggravate lung diseases, cause asthma attacks & acute bronchitis, increase susceptibility to respiratory infections and instigate heart attacks and arrhythmias in people with heart disease.

Issues due to exposure duration

Long-term exposure to polluted air can have disastrous health impacts including accelerated aging of the lungs, loss of lung capacity and decreased lung function, development of diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and possibly cancer. Individuals with heart disease, coronary artery disease or congestive heart failure, individuals with lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), expecting mothers, outdoor workers and the elderly are amongst those most susceptible to severe health problems. Irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, chronic coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath are the temporary symptoms manifested even if one is healthy.

The Way Out!

Experts suggest installing air purifiers at homes and workplaces so that the adverse impact of air pollution is curtailed, albeit in a closed atmosphere giving a sigh of relief. Air purifiers still work on electricity, a major chunk of which is still produced by burning fossil fuels, adding to the existing load of particulate matter. Climate activists, therefore, suggest growing indoor plants for the purification of indoor air without consuming electricity. Of the plants that can be grown indoors, succulents are in vogue.

Succulents being grown indoors. Picture courtesy: Abhishek Kumar

What are Succulents?

Succulent plants aka succulents are plants that have some parts that are more than normally thickened and fleshy. The fleshy parts retain water in arid climates or soil conditions keeping the plant up and working even in most inhospitable terrains. Succulent plants may store water in various structures, such as leaves and stems; some definitions also include roots.

What makes Succulents good indoor plants?

Succulents are a group of plants that store water in their leaves. They are easy-to-grow and can survive indoor conditions with minimal effort. Succulents survive dry indoor environments all thanks to special adaptations. The leaves tend to be thick and fleshy. Succulents tend to thrive in dry climates and don’t thrive in humid conditions. In fact, one way to kill a succulent plant is to shower it with love and overwater it.

Drought resistant

Due to the unique water-holding properties, succulents have evolved as drought-resistant plants. With climate change and drought incidences rising, it is not surprising to see succulents become a fixture in people’s gardens and landscapes. Different succulent and cacti provide a variety of different colors and textures for a drought-resistant landscape. They thrive in dry, arid climates where most other plants would not survive. They are hardy, easy plants to care for

Unique shapes, sizes & colors

Succulents come in unique shapes, colors and textures. Each plant is unique. Exquisite beauty is featured in their amazing range of colors. They also exhibit transformation in color under different lighting conditions. Fascinating shapes are endless; some are shaped like rocks, while others trail and grow a couple of feet long.

Easy to multiply

One cost-effective way to multiply your succulent collection is by propagating. Propagation is a way to grow your plant collection by taking a part of an existing plant to form a new plant. Propagation is commonly done from cuttings, stem cuttings, leaf cuttings, offsets or seeds from a mature plant.

Grow anywhere

Succulents can be grown as indoor as well as outdoor plants. Most succulents require a bright surrounding but not completely in full sun. Fast draining soil is preferred. Given the right circumstances, they can survive in areas where most plants suffer.

Breathe better

Having plants around you, especially indoors, help improve the air quality. Plants help reduce carbon dioxide and increase oxygen levels in the air. They also help increase humidity, reduce levels of pollutants in the air, reduce airborne dust levels and keep air temperatures down, all of which help us breathe better.

ALSO READ: RESEARCH, POLICIES, MONITORING & EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION, FORMS THE BULWARK OF ANY ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION

Total Views: 2,39,020

June 6, 2019

BREATHING IN LOW-QUALITY AIR CAN CAUSE STROKE

Climate Change

Research, policies, monitoring & effective implementation, forms the bulwark of any environmental action, says Bagai

by Staff Correspondent June 5, 2019

written by Staff Correspondent

The TrickyScribe: Aware that the protection and improvement of the human environment is a major issue affecting the well-being of people and economic development throughout the world, the United Nation designated 5 June as World Environment Day and the day provides us with an opportunity to broaden the basis for an enlightened opinion and responsible conduct by individuals, enterprises and communities in preserving and enhancing the environment.

World Environment Day – INDIA

World Environment Day urges governments, industries, communities and individuals to come together to explore renewable energy, green technologies and improve air quality in cities and regions across the world. The theme this time in India is ‘Hawa Aane De’. India has formulated and launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). This is a long term time-bound national level strategy and tackle the increasing pollution problem across the country. The objective of NCAP is comprehensive plan for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution besides augmenting the air quality monitoring network. The tentative national level target is reduction of PM2.5 and PM10 concentration by 20% – 30% by 2024.

ALSO READ: SOLAR, EVs AND ENERGY STORAGE IN PACE WITH ENERGY TRANSITION GOALS; CHINA CONFIRMS $435M SUBSIDY

The pollution we are supposed to breathe in is dependent on many factors including access to clean energy for cooking and heating, the time of day and the weather. Nobody is safe from this pollution, which comes from five main human sources.

These sources spew out a range of substances including carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxide, ground-level ozone, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, hydrocarbons, and lead–all of which are harmful to human health. Also, rush hour is an obvious source of local pollution, but air pollution can travel long distances, sometimes across continents on international weather patterns.

TERI SAS organizes #BeatAirPollution

TERI School of Advanced Studies (TERI SAS), which also serves as the regional adviser for UN Environment Education and Youth Alliance organized a daylong workshop on #BeatAirPollution at TERI SAS campus to mark World Environment Day 2019.

This is part of the four-month long engagement, an initiative to reach out to the community to make them aware about the problems emanating from air pollution and develop action plan to tackle it. The workshop set the stage for an interactive discussion on ways to sensitize and educate masses especially youth on air pollution issues, measures taken at community and school levels towards promoting awareness and integrating environmental education in school curriculum.

In his message, Head, UN Environment – India, Atul Bagai, shared “Research, sound policies, monitoring and effective implementation, forms the bulwark of any environmental action. Education cuts across all these pillars. UN Environment’s joint initiative with TERI SAS to educate and raise awareness on air pollution with teachers and students is a great endeavour to help Beat Air Pollution.”

ALSO READ: POORLY VENTILATED KITCHENS CAUSING LUNG CANCER

It is estimated that 92% of the people worldwide do not breathe clean air and out of 7 million people who die annually due to air pollution, 4 million of them happen to live in the Asia-Pacific region. Manjeet Singh Saluja, National Professional Officer (Environment and Public Health), WHO, India, emphasized upon the need to treat air pollution as a health emergency.

It needs to be ensured that everyone’s involvement in this multi-sectoral issue where youth can be the torch-bearers of knowledge dissemination. A community approach would bring in not just greater awareness but also people’s participation to combat pollution, in their homes, in the communities they live in and their workplaces.

Valentin Foltescu, Senior Programme and Science Officer, Climate & Clean Air Coalition and UN Environment, India in his opening address reiterated the fact that air pollution is a global urgency impacting all especially, unborn babies, children and women. He further added that air pollution is now everyone’s concern and each one is a stakeholder. The economic costs involved are tremendous. Tackling air pollution requires concerted and focused actions by making simple yet global, collective and sustainable choices.

Incidentally, a recent report released by Greenpeace and AirVisual reveals that 22 of world’s 30 most polluted cities are in India with Delhi being the most polluted capital in the world. Dr. Leena Srivastava, Vice Chancellor, TERI School of Advanced Studies, in her address lamented the lack of long-term strategy and a sustained effort to tackle air pollution in cities, including Delhi. This is despite the fact that air pollution touches our lives more closely and adversely than a number of other issues that bring us to the streets in protest or attracts political attentions.

‘Combating Air Pollution’ panel discussion chaired by Valentin Foltescu comprised panelists Dr. Shashi Ranjan, Director, PERSAPIEN, Sunil Dahiya, Clean Air Campaigner, Greenpeace, Ridhima Shukla, Correspondent, NDTV and Prerna Sharma, Project Officer, Clean Air Asia. The discussion highlighted social, economic and health impacts of air pollution and the role communication, social media and institutions can play in mitigating the issue. For the benefit of the wider audience, the event was webcast live on the internet and witnessed participation of people from across the globe.

ALSO READ: CONCURRENT EXPOSURE TO ARSENIC & FLUORIDE CAUSING CANCER

Teachers, youth and practitioners during the breakout sessions deliberated on action each group can take at the institutional, community and individual levels to combat air pollution. While the workshop helped in developing an understanding of the cause and impact of air pollution, it also created a sense of responsiveness among them to combat the issue through improved technology, lifestyle, behavioral changes and integration of exercises on environmental education with specific focus on air pollution in school and college curriculum.

Philips, one of the sponsors of the workshop and the ongoing campaign by TERI SAS & UN Environment organized live demonstrations of air quality monitoring equipment and air purifiers for the participants to get a real-time experience of the technology being used for measuring and abating air pollution.

Tide Turners-Young Leaders Plastic Challenge India, a youth initiative by UN Environment, WWF-India and Centre for Environment Education was also launched to address the issue of plastic pollution on World Environment Day. Radhika Suri, Director of Environment Education, WWF and Kartikeya Sarabhai, CEE Indiawere present during the launch and spoke about the initiative and its objectives.

Total Views: 2,39,140

June 5, 2019

Pocket-friendly renewables all set to replace conventional energy sources

Public Health & Nutrition

Solar, EVs and Energy Storage in pace with Energy Transition Goals; China confirms $435m subsidy

by Staff Correspondent June 1, 2019

written by Staff Correspondent

The TrickyScribe: Of the 45 critical energy technologies and sectors assessed in a tracking report by International Energy Agency (IEA), only seven are on track. The situation is grim! With a 31% hike in generated power last year, solar was again one of the handful technologies that kept pace with long-term climate goals, according to the IEA.

Meanwhile, the race is on to process applications for central payments across the world’s biggest solar market, China, particularly as qualifying projects must reportedly be grid-connected. Final electricity price will be a major competitive factor considered by the Beijing authorities.

ALSO READ: CONCURRENT EXPOSURE TO ARSENIC & FLUORIDE CAUSING CANCER

Electric vehicles remained on track as global sales hit nearly two million in another record-breaking year; energy storage joined the energy transition front runners as new installations doubled, led by China, Korea, Germany and the US. In what they describe as their latest Tracking Clean Energy Progress report, the IEA examined 45 key technologies that are instrumental in keeping global warming “well below” 2 degrees Celsius; providing universal energy access; and sustainably reducing air pollution.

The findings are indeed discouraging as they show only seven technologies and sectors are reciprocating with the IEA’s Sustainable Development Scenario. Agreed by 193 countries back in 2015, the scenario aims at least 300 GW of new renewable energy capacity per year until 2030 to keep the Paris goals within reach.

Solar power

Capacity additions were flat in 2018. Solar power generation increased 31% and represented the largest absolute generation growth of all renewable technologies. With central subsidies cut back in China under Beijing’s 5/31 policy announcement – prompting an 18% fall in new PV capacity; the Trump administration’s Section 201 tariffs taking a bite out of the U.S. market; and India affected by delayed and cancelled tenders, the solar market experienced a slowdown last year.

With last year’s increase of 97 GW, solar’s share of global electricity generation exceeded 2% for the first time. PV remains the fourth-largest renewable electricity technology in terms of generation, after hydropower, onshore wind and bioenergy.

Electric Vehicles

Global EV uptake after another record year for sales – 1.98 million vehicles – raised the total stock to 5.12 million. Sales increased 68% in 2018, more than twice the average year-on-year growth required to meet the Sustainable Development Scenario by 2030, the IEA said. In that scenario, 15% of the global car fleet is electric by 2030, an ambition that requires annual average growth of 30% from 2018 to 2030.

Ambitious policy announcements have played a crucial role in stimulating EV uptake in the past two or three years, however, the penetration of EVs is still limited to less than 1% of the global car fleet. China accounted for more than a half of total sales in 2018 – with just over a million EVs, followed by Europe (385,000) and the United States (361,000). The three regions made up over 90% of EV sales last year.

Energy storage

Energy storage is now also on track to meet energy transition targets as annual deployment nearly doubled from 2017, to reach more than 8 GWh, as per the report. Behind-the-meter storage expansion was particularly strong at almost three times the level seen in 2017, and matched grid scale storage investments for the second year running. The technology mix remained largely unchanged, with lithium-ion batteries accounting for nearly 85% of all new capacity.

ALSO READ: UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE: A DREAM UNFULFILLED

The leading storage market is Korea that accounts for more than a third of the global capacity installed in 2018, on the back of favorable policy measures. China emerged as the second biggest market, with nearly 500 MW of new battery storage installed and 1 GW in development, followed by the United States and Germany. New markets in Southeast Asia and South Africa also entered the stage, thanks to supportive mechanisms introduced by governments and utilities.

Recent trends are in tandem with the deployment growth needed to reach the Sustainable Development Scenario level of 200 GW by 2030. The IEA, however, underlined installations will need to continue multiplying at the strong 2018 rate for ten years to hit their goal.

China’s National Energy Administration to allocate $435 mn for solar subsidies

China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) yesterday confirmed RMB3 billion ($435 million) will be allocated for public solar subsidies this year. The NEA is believed to have confirmed the details it published in a consultation document about subsidized PV project policy on April 11 would be adopted as official policy.

The draft document, which emerged during prolonged talks between the central authorities and solar industry stakeholders in Beijing, stated RMB750 million of the RMB3 billion would be allocated for rooftop projects, amounting to 3.5 GW of new capacity. The subsidies will be allocated by the NEA after applicants register details with the provincial authorities, with Reuters reporting all applications must be received by July 1.

Subsidy competition

The NEA confirmed on its website yesterday that in allocating subsidies it will “regard the on-grid electricity price as an important competitive condition giving priority to the construction of projects with low subsidy intensity and [a] strong declining slope”. Consideration will also be given to the condition of the local power networks to accommodate new solar projects and the local investment environment, added the NEA.

The timing of the process may also cast doubt on China’s ability to add 40 GW of new capacity this year. Roth Capital Partners suggested in April that such a landmark could only be reached if the NEA were able to allocate and publish the details of subsidy grants by the end of next month. With applicants reportedly given until July 1 to apply, that deadline appears impossible to be met.

Total Views: 2,39,620

June 1, 2019

Newer Posts

Older Posts