Latest news with #Mendonca
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Grid instability rises with renewable load; Siemens Energy backs tech fix with STATCOMs, SynCons
New Delhi: India is planning to deploy over 50 STATCOMs to address grid stability issues arising from the increasing share of solar and wind power, according National Electricity Plan - NEP. 'Today India has around 1,000 GVAs of transformation and it is going to more than 2,000 GVAs. Most of this growth comes from regions weaker in short-circuit strength, like the northwest, which have wind and solar but not necessarily grid infrastructure or rotating machines,' said Guilherme Mendonca, CEO and MD of Siemens Energy India Limited in an exclusive interaction with ET Energyworld. STATCOMs (Static Synchronous Compensators) and synchronous condensers (SynCons) are among the technologies being deployed to stabilise the power grid. 'Only this year, 10 STATCOMs were planned, and we won relevant market share,' Mendonca said. Siemens Energy said it is also supporting integration of rotating machines for inertia generation and combining SYNCONs and STATCOMs with battery storage to improve frequency and voltage stability. The issue of grid instabilty has become more pronounced as solar and wind generation increases during the day, followed by sudden demand shifts at night. 'It's not just about growing the grid with more lines and substations. It's critical to modernise the grid,' Mendonca said, adding that several substations continue to operate with aging transformers and breakers over 30 years old. Siemens Energy said it has started refurbishment work in Talcher transformers under Power Grid Corporation. 'As these assets approach the end of life, we are bringing in digital layers and new components to ensure grid reliability,' Mendonca said. The company is participating in India's Green Energy Corridor projects through tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) routes. Siemens Energy supplies substation equipment, SynCons and STATCOMs to developers like PGCIL, Adani, Sterlite, Tata and Apraava for renewable evacuation infrastructure. On HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) corridors, the company said it is focusing on VSC (Voltage Source Converter)-based HVDC systems suited for renewable integration. Siemens Energy built India's first VSC-based HVDC link and is currently participating in VSC-based projects globally. The company has also set up a new test facility in Gurgaon for HVDC, STATCOM, and gas turbine instrumentation and control systems. The first project being tested at this facility is the a HVDC project in the UK. 'India will see more SynCons over time as base-load coal plants retire and renewable share increases. This year alone, globally, we've sold double the amount of SynCons sold two years ago,' said Tim Oliver Holt, Executive Board Member, Siemens Energy AG. India has raised its renewable energy target from 500 GW by 2030 to 600 GW by 2032. Mendonca said grid expansion, stability and modernization investments must keep pace with this growth to avoid widespread outages. On green hydrogen , Siemens Energy India is supporting its customers in developing business cases and strategies to capture this market. India has been very structured and ambitious program supporting the entire Industry, said Mendonca. The recent IOCL project with around 4 USD per kg of green hydrogen showcases the competitiveness India can offer. Siemens Energy India has invested ₹4.6 billion in its transformer factory in Kalwa doubling its capacity and built a Competency Hub and HVDC/STATCOM test facility in Gurgaon. It said India remains a strong export base for premium markets due to high quality, cost competitiveness and geopolitical factors. On future demand outlook, Siemens Energy expects 5 per cent-6 per cent annual grid market growth globally till 2030. In India, it projects even higher growth due to rapid GDP expansion and energy demand.
1News
a day ago
- Business
- 1News
Wineries urged to use water wisely as aquifers shrink
A leading figure in wine sustainability says winegrowers and wineries need to use water more efficiently as climate change shrinks rivers and aquifers, which is already happening to Marlborough's Wairau River. Marta Mendonca, head of viticulture sustainability organisation The Porto Protocol Foundation, spoke on the issue to winegrowers from around the world at Blenheim's ASB Theatre on Tuesday, for the Organic and Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference. Mendonca said the wine industry needed to treat water less like a tool and more like a source of life. A more holistic view would help the industry navigate the effects of climate change, she said. 'We know water is life ... it nourishes our vines, it shapes our yield and quality and it shapes our mind as a whole. 'It's sacred, it's alive.' ADVERTISEMENT Marta Mendonca, head of viticulture sustainability organisation The Porto Protocol, speaking at the Organic and Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) Mendonca urged winegrowers and wineries to look at their water footprint, the volumetric measure of water consumption and pollution impact per unit of product. The framework took into account naturally occurring rainwater in the soil, irrigation and ground water, and the water needed to dilute pollution. 'It takes into account the source, it takes into account time and location, and it also takes into account indirect water use.' Indirect water use in the production and bottling of wine was an area where significant water savings could be made, she said. 'Simply reducing the diameter of the hose [can] actually achieve really impressive results in terms of water reduction. 'Cleaning tanks with UV lighting has water reductions in terms of consumption of about 90%.' ADVERTISEMENT Mendonca said that wine companies were so focused on reducing their carbon footprint that they had not considered their water footprint. 'We don't even know if we have the answers, but we're not even asking the question.' Mendonca said that water metering was an important start for measuring water footprint, but winegrowers need to go beyond simple metrics. 'This is our invitation, to go beyond measurements and to call for deeper situation. 'Measuring litres is a start, understanding systems is the goal.' Charlotte Tomlinson, environmental scientist for Marlborough District Council, told attendees that a combination of climate change and flood prevention works had contributed to a decline in the Wairau River's aquifer levels. Charlotte Tomlinson, left, says efficient use of water is key as Marlborough faces greater water shortages. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) ADVERTISEMENT 'The aquifer level has dropped since the 1970s by about 1m,' Tomlinson said. 'This will, and is starting to, have effects on spring and river flows in the lower Wairau. 'Our job is to start looking at ways to decrease or stop this declining trend in the aquifer, because this will have impacts on how much water may be available for use in the future.' Tomlinson said that Marlborough would face water shortages earlier each year as spring and summer became hotter and dryer. 'You really rely on that spring rainfall and river flows, generally to top the [Wairau] aquifer up. 'So if we start to see spring and summer getting a little bit drier ... we'll likely have less water available to allocate to outward stream users when they need it most. 'Which means that efficient use of water will be key.' By Kira Carrington for Local Democracy Reporting LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Time of India
07-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
MU revokes paid maternity leave for guest faculty and temporary staff
Mangaluru: In a cost-cutting move, Mangalore University (MU) has revoked paid maternity leave for guest faculty and temporary non-teaching staff. The syndicate granted four months of paid leave in July 2022, but the benefit was discontinued last month without alternative provisions. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The cash-strapped MU aims for this move to significantly improve its financial condition, and the syndicate pointed out that there was no necessity to provide such benefits to guest faculty and temporary staff. Judith Mendonca, a syndicate member who proposed scrapping the policy, stated that guest faculty working under MU are paid a substantial amount of compensation compared to other state universities in Karnataka. The monthly salary is around Rs 40,000. Despite paying such a huge amount, their workload is minimal. There are guest faculty appointed for courses with fewer than 10 students. They have a maximum of three hours of work per day. In this scenario, it is an absolute financial burden on MU to offer the temporary staff such benefits. Therefore, MU has decided to withdraw and scrap the rule from May 2025 with immediate effect," explained Mendonca. The decision to offer paid maternity leave was taken after former syndicate member Ramesh K tabled the proposal. He informed that one of the guest faculty working in Kodagu district, which was earlier under MU, requested that all women guest lecturers be considered for paid maternity leave. No guest faculty or temporary staff under MU were eligible for the facility, even though many worked for more than a decade. The aim was to give them relief as they have no pay until they return to work. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Currently, only contractual employees are eligible for six months of paid maternity leave, as directed by the state govt. Unhappy with the decision of MU, female guest faculty members said that they need to be given some other benefits for their welfare or reverse the decision.
