The International Energy Agency is forecasting that one in five cars sold globally is set to be electric. China continues to dominate the global market. The International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Tuesday that 2024 will be record-setting for electric vehicles sales, with China leading the market. The Paris-based energy watchdog forecasted that electric car sales will hit 17 million this year, compared to 14 million in 2023. More than one in five cars sold globally is set to be electric, according to the IEA.  "Rather than tapering off, the global EV revolution appears to be gearing up for a new phase of growth," said IEA Director Fatih Birol. "The wave of investment in battery manufacturing suggests the EV supply chain is advancing to meet automakers' ambitious plans for expansion. As a result, the share of EVs on the roads is expected to continue to climb rapidly." Sales varying by region Growth in Europe is slowed by "a generally weak outlook for passenger car sales and the phase-out of subsidies in some countries," according to the IEA.  Electric cars are expected to hit 45% of all car sales in China, growing strongly in Europe with 25% and in the US with 11%. As for charging networks, they must expand six-fold by 2035, the IEA states. Lower profit margins and instability of prices for raw materials for batteries, as well high inflation and the termination of subsidy programs had sparked worry about the sector's growth. An increase in the second-hand market also contributes to the lowering of electric technology access. According to IEA, in 2030 around one in three cars in China should be electric, and one in five in Europe and the United States.  

China's tech giants, Xiaomi and Huawei, are making significant strides in the EV sector. These companies are combining data and artificial intelligence to redefine the future of mobility. Chinese electronics manufacturer Xiaomi plans to deliver its first electric vehicle in China on March 28, three years after the company first pitched its idea for a battery-powered sports car. Now, premium car manufacturers in the US and Germany will have to deal with another competitor from the Far East. The new vehicle is called the SU7, with SU standing for "speed ultra." The car needs just 2.78 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 kph (0-60 mph). The top speed is 265 kph. The maximum range with a fully charged battery is specified by the manufacturer as 800 kilometers (500 miles). The base price of the SU7 is around €33,000 ($36,000), making the SU7's comparable with a Tesla model 3, and only around a third of the price of Porsche's Taycan. Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun has his sight set on competitors from the US and Germany. "We don't want compromise or mediocrity," Lei said. "We want to build a dream car that stands up to Tesla and Porsche." From smartphones to cars China has long been the world's largest manufacturer of electric cars. E-mobility would be unimaginable without innovations from Chinese companies, this includes many electronics companies that were not originally focused on the automotive industry. Xiaomi mainly produces so-called intelligent household appliances with web functions, such as door sensors or rice cookers that send notifications to one's cell phone when the rice is ready. In Europe, Xiaomi is primarily known for its smartphones, just like the other telecommunications supplier Huawei, which has been launching its e-SUVs under the name AITO in China since 2021. Electronics companies trying to cross over into car making is not limited to China. The Californian company Apple also had the idea of producing cars 14 years ago. However, at the end of February 2024, the iPhone manufacturer from Cupertino announced that the "Apple Car" project had finally been discontinued. The company is said to have invested a total of $10 billion. China's dominant automobile market China is the largest and fastest growing car market in the world. Germany's major car manufacturers sold around one in three cars worldwide in 2023. But their market position is now being challenged by domestic e-car manufacturers.  "China leads the global supply chain for lithium-ion batteries," said Bernd Diepenseifen, partner at the consulting firm KPMG. In terms of battery production, industrial innovation and sales, China is clearly number one on the scale of competitiveness. "Asian suppliers have a dominant position here, at least for the time being," he added. And for German car makers, things are not moving in the right direction. "The production of raw materials is certainly not a field in which German suppliers are sensibly looking for opportunities, nor is battery production," said Diepenseifen. The high standards China's car makers are aiming for became even more clear at the Geneva International Motor Show in February. Not a single car manufacturer from Germany was present, but there were plenty from China. Exhibition vehicles demonstrated a new generation of connected cars, with entertainment packages integrating audio and video streaming services, and navigation that indicates with a countdown when the next traffic light turns green. China builds a new generation of cars China's automobile industry today is looking at cars more than as a mere means of transportation. Cars are more than just an engine plus gearbox, and e-mobility is not just a chassis with a socket. China is thinking ahead with emphasis on automated driving and artificial intelligence, an environmentally friendly transportation concept and technological leadership in industrial production. This is why electronics and telecommunications giants like Huawei and Xiaomi are positioning themselves in this competitive market. "Currently, cars are 'mobile data centers'," said Xiaomi boss Lei. "The automotive industry of the future will produce advanced and connected 'smart spaces'." Chinese EV maker NIO has called its cars a "living room on wheels." At the IAA 2023 motor show in Munich, Wan Gang, China's former research minister, enthused that electric cars could be used to store energy in the power grid when charging and discharging. A data-driven future "For production and the vehicle of the future, 'smart' is the next big step," said Jürgen Unser, who was President of Audi China until January 2024. This includes smart cars, smart production and smart infrastructure. Production will soon be controlled by data and artificial intelligence. "It is very important for our society, including in Germany, that we become much more open in the way we handle and use data," he added. Compared to other countries, Chinese drivers are not sensitive to the collection of private data. By using data, the innovative digital industry is then able to develop algorithms for the application of artificial intelligence to develop tools in the future. "Artificial intelligence will contribute to our progress and prosperity," Unser said. "We need to be fast, open and flexible." However, the data collected must also be exchanged in a regulated manner. In 2018, the German government and China signed a joint declaration of intent for automated and connected driving. According to the document, both countries want to create and develop "non-discriminatory multilateral standards and requirements for data access and storage, data transmission and IT security (cybersecurity) in the field of automated and connected driving and the associated infrastructure." But the reality of sharing data across borders is far more complicated. According to the EU Commission, many EU companies are complaining about difficulties in using industrial data from their subsidiaries in China. Foreign investors must operate their data centers in China which are usually decoupled from the database or cloud service of the parent company. China's data and cyber security regulations are "a problem" for European industry, according to reports from Brussels. The transfer of data out of China requires state approval from the cyber supervisory authority CAC, which wants to check all exports of "important data." The German government is also aware of the high hurdles. Federal Digital Minister Volker Wissing emphasized the need for free data transfer at the German-Chinese intergovernmental consultations in 2023. The EU and China are currently negotiating uniform industry standards for information and communication technologies (ICT) in the interests of borderless data regulation. They are still looking for common ground.  

Owners of some of the latest Chinese electric cars to enter Britain are facing expensive premiums and in some cases are 'almost uninsurable' for drivers. It comes after various reports of Range Rover owners struggling to find affordable cover for their vehicles, which is linked to the fact the luxury SUVs are being targeted by organised criminal gangs who are stealing them to order for illegal overseas exports. However, the insurance woes faced by owners of Chinese EVs hasn't been triggered by their vulnerability to theft; instead, it's a lack of available parts and expertise to repair them that has seen premiums soar in recent months. A report by automotive title Auto Express found that drivers of BYD and GWM Ora vehicles are facing extremely steep quotes for cover because only a few insurance providers will underwrite them due to the difficultly to fix them. The motoring magazine highlights the BYD Seal - a sporty electric saloon model that costs from £45,695 in Britain - as one example where owners are facing major difficulties finding cover at an affordable price - or at all. Auto Express said it had searched leading comparison sites and were only offered three 'very high quotes', with the majority of mainstream insurers refusing to provide a price. We ran our own quotation search using Compare the Market to find out how much it would cost to cover a Seal for a 40-year-old male living in Lincolnshire who keeps the car on a driveway at their property and covers 10,000 miles a year for social, domestic and commuting needs. The quote was for a sales exec with over 20 years of no claims bonus wanting fully-comprehensive cover. The cheapest quote was £758 while the most expensive was £4,782. A selection of major providers also refused to quote at all.  This is Money contacted BYD - which stands for Build Your Dreams - about the problems faced by owners. A spokesman told us: 'We are aware that some customers may be experiencing issues when insuring their new BYD car.  'We are taking this matter very seriously and are working with the relevant parties to find a long-term solution. 'We are committed to being open and transparent with third-party repairers and insurance companies and have made sure that all the required data is available and easily accessible.  'For example, BYD has a robust supply of replacement parts; Thatcham Research tested our supply network and we were able to deliver 90 per cent of parts within 48 hours.  'As a result, we are now starting to see more insurance companies providing competitive quotes across our model range.' Thatcham Research, the UK-based automotive risk intelligence company, which is funded by insurers, said the issue is not with the cars as a product, but instead a failure by Chinese brands to provide a stream of replacement parts and repair information to make them most cost-effective to fix following an accident.   Ben Townsend, head of automotive at Thatcham told us: 'From what I have seen, the automotive quality coming from China is very good, and there is an opportunity to provide great choice to UK consumers. 'Their vehicle designs follow known standards, exceed regulatory demands, and achieve five-star Euro NCAP safety ratings.  'However, we are beginning to see issues around market-specific elements of their vehicles' lifecycles. 'In the UK, an insurer's job after any accident is to return the vehicle to pre-accident condition, if this cannot be achieved (safely or economically) then the vehicle needs to be written off; whilst this may seem obvious, China and other global markets follow a different approach. 'A combination of focusing on repairing cosmetics over certain structural elements and significantly lower labour rates can affect their repair approach.  'Replacing a whole vehicle side, or complete boot floor and rear section is not unusual in China, and therefore body repair manuals, and the type of spares provided, reflect that. 'In the UK, time is of the essence in vehicle repair, so we look to manufacturers to optimise the way repairs are done and the provision of spares.' The automotive risk intelligence firm says owners might face higher premiums for some time while a better supply chain on parts and repair instructions are shared from China.  'Thatcham Research is already working with new manufacturers to build their understanding of designing safe, secure, and sustainable vehicles, and to ensure when vehicles come to market in the UK, they fit into our well-established ecosystem,' Ben explained to us. 'Reassuringly, we are beginning to see results, but need to remember that the cars currently launching in the UK started their design life up to four years ago, so it will take some time for these changes to filter through into our local market.'  Martyn Rowley, executive director of the National Body Repair Association, says repairers have been forced to write-off some Chinese cars simply because they are unable to source components. He singled out the the GWM (Great Wall Motor) Ora 03 supermini - formerly called the Funky Cat - as one example of a Chinese EV that's proving difficult to fix. The small hatchback costs from £31,995 in the UK and has been on sale for over a year, arriving in November 2022.  Rowley told Auto Express that some UK examples have already been written off for 'stupid reasons', including damage caused in accidents that would usually 'fly through a bodyshop if it were a Ford or a Vauxhall'. He added: 'Unfortunately you just can't get parts; they're not available for that vehicle, which I think is ridiculous considering that these are multi-million-pound businesses.'  Speaking to This is Money, he said: 'Limited data on reliability and repair costs often results in higher initial premiums as insurers await further information to assess risk confidently. The scarcity of parts and a smaller network of suppliers contribute to extended repair times and increased costs for vehicle owners following accidents. 'Additionally, the absence of established supply chains for Chinese vehicle parts is worsened by the difficulties faced by accident repair centres in obtaining comprehensive repair manuals and training for these vehicles, raising concerns about repair quality and vehicle safety post-accident. 'Collaboration among insurers, repair centres, and manufacturers with organisations such as Thatcham Research is crucial.  'Thatcham's partnership with new Chinese manufacturers is indispensable for devising effective repair methods and enhancing parts accessibility.  'Moreover, there's a pressing need for investments in training and equipment upgrades for repair centres to address the rising demand resulting from the growing influx of these vehicles.' We also approached GWM Ora UK to find out what is being done to find a solution to facilitate repairs and bring down escalating premiums for owners. A spokesperson told us: 'We are aware that a number of insurance companies in the UK market are providing limited options when it comes to insuring products from new automotive brands.  'GWM Ora is currently working with key industry partners, like Thatcham Research, on this topic to provide transparent insight into its parts, aftersales and retailer operations. 'After just over one year of operations, GWM Ora has set up over 30+ customer service points across the UK and appointed 18 high quality retail partners.  'Additionally, the brand is supported by International Motors Limited (IML), an established distributor that operates across multiple markets, providing in-house technical expertise, next day parts delivery and central warehousing in the midlands.  'IML has a long history of supporting a host of well-established automotive brands across all areas of business including aftersales, import, marketing, parts stocking, sales and more.' To provide further reassurance to customers and industry partners, the Chinese car maker has also committed to implementing a number of immediate measures, including an 'industry first mobile battery inspection team' to inspect and assess batteries after a collision or reported accident.  'This preventative measure will provide guidance and recommendations from technical experts on the safety of the battery and its repairability status,' it says. It will also have an express delivery service for parts that are required to be shipped outside of the UK and provide full access to repair manuals and associated technical material for all third party repairers. 'GWM Ora hopes that these new measures, existing aftersales infrastructure and retailer network will prove to be effective at showcasing the brands commitment to providing an efficient, quality and transparent aftersales service to customers and industry partners,' the spokesperson added. While Range Rover's parent company Jaguar Land Rover has tried to rectify owner headaches around sky-high premiums due to the number of thefts by providing its own insurance product, Chinese makers are unlikely to be in a position to do the same.   And the issue could escalate further as more Chinese makers enter the British new car market. Brands including XPeng and Chery's Omoda are set to break into the UK market this year, and others are due to follow having already setup shop in mainland Europe. The hope is that they arrive with robust aftercare solutions and a strong bank of replacement parts to supply UK models.  Auto Express' exclusive report is another warning shot to the Government and motor industry about a lack of preparedness for the switch to EVs.   The latest data from the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) - the professional body for those working in automotive - has just revealed a shift in the point when the number of technicians qualified to work on EVs falls below the minimum number required. Previous projections suggested a shortfall would appear in 2029 and reach 13,000 by 2032. However, its updated analysis predicts the skills gap will now materialise three years later in 2032, with a gap of 5,670. At the end of January, there were 52,000 qualified EV technicians in the UK - up from 45,300 in July 2023, representing 22 per cent of all technicians in the country. With over one million fully-electric cars now on Britain's roads, it means there are 18.5 times as many EVs on the road than there are trained mechanics who can fix them.  Emma Carrigy, research manager at the IMI, said: 'Attracting new talent and training technicians to work safely on electrified vehicles does take time, so the industry must not be complacent or take its foot off the recruitment or training pedals.  'After all, a skills gap is still forecast and could have a significant impact on drivers' ability to maintain and repair their electric and hybrid vehicles safely.' The IMI predicts that by 2030 the sector will need more than 107,000 EV trained technicians, increasing to 139,000 by 2032, and 185,000 by 2035.  If current training trends continue, it is expected that there will be a shortfall of 30,000 EV qualified technicians by the time the ban of new ICE vehicle sales comes into force in 2035. 'As the EV parc increases – and ages – drivers and fleet managers need to have the confidence that their chosen garage is able to service, repair and maintain their electric and hybrid vehicles.,' Emma added.  Source: thisismoney.co.uk

German car manufacturer BMW makes the same profit from its electric vehicles as from its petrol and diesel vehicles, Oliver Zipse, the automaker's boss, said on Saturday as he presented the new generation of electric cars called "Neue Klasse" ("new class" in German). "The assumption that combustion engines are always more profitable than electric cars is completely wrong," Zipse said at the event at the IAA auto show in Munich. Although producing electric cars is more expensive, the costs are offset by the higher prices that customers are willing to pay. "We make money with every electric car today, and that will be even more the case with the Neue Klasse," Zipse said. "It will be very profitable." Taking on electric rivals BMW's new models will enter a competitive segment where trailblazer Tesla has started a price war.  BMW has not yet announced prices for the Neue Klasse, but Zipse promised "a very competitive offer." "We will not price ourselves out of this market," he said. BMW unveiled a prototype for its upcoming "Neue Klasse" electric vehicle (EV) at the Munich auto show on Saturday. The EV, which is roughly the size of the current 3-series, is part of BMW's multibillion-euro effort to catch up to Tesla and other EV makers BMW has begun overhauling its Main assembly plant in Munich, adjacent to the company's headquarters, to build Neue Klasse vehicles, which are to be launched from the end of 2025. "Neue Klasse is by far the biggest investment in our history. Because the technology we are using all over BMW is all new in all areas, without exception," Frank Weber, BMW's chief technology officer, said without revealing total investment figures.

German auto manufacturer Volkswagen (VW) edged past its US rival Tesla in electric car sales in the first seven months of the year, according to newly released figures. The electric auto market has bolstered car sales as a whole, but sales remain well below those for gas and diesel models. How do the figures look? Wolfsburg-based VW only just nudged ahead of Tesla,  with 41,475 first registrations of fully electric cars in the first seven months of the year compared to 40,289 passenger cars for the US manufacturer. Tesla had been ahead of VW for the first six months of the year, and was the German market leader for 2022 as a whole, according to the figures from Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA). German firms also took third, fourth, and fifth place. Mercedes clinched third with 20,613 registrations, followed by Audi on 16,786. Not far behind them were BMW with 15,987 and South Korean producer Hyundai with 15,411. In total, there were 268,926 first registrations for electric vehicles between the start of January and the end of July. However, the figures still lag way behind those for internal combustion engine models, which clocked up 1.64 million new registrations. Long road to recovery While overall car sales have rebounded since the start of the year, they are still substantially lower than the level recorded in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. German carmakers such as Volkswagen and BMW produced 300,300 vehicles in July, 20% more than in the same period last year, according to Germany's VDA industry association. Supply chain issues — notably when it comes to semiconductors — have dogged the sector that had slowed deliveries to customers. Registrations of electric vehicles boosted the auto market, which rose almost 70% in July year on year, making up 20% of all registrations. Analysts have warned that the end of electric car subsidies for company fleets will likely dampen the market from September. A weakening of Germany's economy, with stagnating growth, high inflation, and rising interest rates, is also expected to weigh on the market. While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing.

German carmaker Mercedes-Benz has announced plans to build network of fast-charging stations for electric cars in several of its core markets. It says they will be made available for drivers of any marque of car. Mercedes announced at the Consumer Electronics Show trade fair in Las Vegas this week that it wants to work with partners to build a network of more than 10,000 fast-charging stations for electric vehicles in a selection of key markets by the end of the decade.  It aims for a network of more than 10,000 stations in the US, Canada, Europe, China and other key markets.  In the US, it will partner with the MN8 Energy company for the endeavor. Mercedes' CEO Ola Källenius said the company was still seeking partners for similar ventures in Europe and China.  "This is another building block on our strategic journey," Källenius said at the CES trade fair, alluding to the company's move to start making more electric vehicles.  Källenius said Mercedes hoped the charging network would help people overcome any concerns about switching to an electric vehicle.  "We do not want to watch and wait until it is built. That is why we are building our own global fast-charging network," he said.  Mercedes says it plans to make the charging stations available to drivers of any car, albeit with some preferential conditions for Mercedes drivers, such as priority treatment and the ability to reserve a spot.  Echoes of Tesla's Supercharger network The idea seems inspired in no small part by Tesla's network of what it calls "Superchargers," which the company recently started to open up to non-Tesla drivers in the US and elsewhere, provided those drivers have the right conversion cable.  Mercedes and MN8 were sharing the initial investment costs of roughly $1 billion in the US evenly, the companies said. They envisage a network of more than 400 charging parks with around 2,500 high-powered chargers. Källenius of Mercedes said his company estimated the costs of establishing a global network to be well under $10 billion.  Mercedes argues that the plans will not be reliant on subsidies and that the venture should become profitable within five to seven years. Nevertheless, in the US, the company does plan to investigate whether its project would qualify for any assistance as part of the so-called Inflation Reduction Act, a great deal of which is actually focused on boosting the green economy and other infrastructure projects that do not have a very obvious connection to reducing inflation.  From filling stations to charging stations — rapid infrastructure revamp required The availability of fast-charging stations is seen as one key way to alleviate consumer concerns about switching to electric vehicles. Battery life and recharging times can render electric vehicles unsuitable for long-distance travel, particularly if it's not possible to recharge the car at a high speed on the roadside rather than the much slower pace from an ordinary electric socket.  The electric car market has been growing more slowly in the US than Europe, probably partly because a higher frequency of US road users regularly traveling what in more densely-populated Europe would be considered a long-distance journey.  The infrastructure is still somewhat nascent, and estimates suggest vast investment will be necessary quite rapidly if western countries' plans to switch almost entirely to electric vehicles in the coming years are to be realized.  A report by consultancy firm McKinsey recently estimated that Europe would need as many as 3.4 billion fast-charging points by 2030, when the EU plans to halt the sale of new entirely petrol or diesel cars. The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) estimates roughly twice as many again.  Källenius said on Thursday in Las Vegas that he was optimistic about supply meeting this sharp predicted increase in demand. He said he expected several other actors, including the fossil fuel companies that dominate the current network of fuel stations for motorists, to start investing heavily in the infrastructure.   VW and its Audi and Porsche subsidiaries have similar plans for rapid construction of new fast-charging stations, aiming to open up roughly 45,000 new sites by 2025.

Toyota Motor Corp plans to make India a manufacturing hub for electric vehicle parts to meet demand there as well as for export to Japan and some ASEAN countries, a senior company executive told Reuters. The carmaker plans to start by producing e-drives or electric powertrain parts used by different electric vehicle types, including battery EVs, plug-in hybrids and other hybrid models, Vikram Gulati, executive vice president at Toyota  Kirloskar  NSE -4.67 % Motor said. "The aspiration is to make India the manufacturing hub for cleaner technologies. This is about creating the building blocks," Gulati said. He did not name the countries in ASEAN, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, that Toyota would export to. The move follows the company's recent announcement that it will invest 48 billion rupees ($621 million) in India to localise the supply chain for EVs, and is also part of its broader 2050 carbon-neutrality goals. It also comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is offering companies billions of dollars in incentives to build EVs and their parts locally. The bulk of the investment in India will be made by Toyota's local unit, Toyota Kirloskar Motor and Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts (TKAP), a joint venture of Toyota Motor Corp, Aisin Seiki Co and Kirloskar Systems, the company said on Saturday. The world's biggest carmaker said in December it plans to invest $70 billion to electrify its automobiles by 2030, including developing battery EVs as it plays catch-up with global automakers investing billions of dollars in the shift to cleaner vehicles. In India, however, Toyota is more focussed on launching its hybrid models first, which it believes are better suited to the country's aim of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and carbon emissions. Gulati said this would also address varying consumer needs and enable "a faster transition towards an electrified future". Building out the supply chain early will help Toyota become competitive in terms of volume and price in India, Gulati said. Toyota expects this to enable a "faster and smoother" shift for the Indian auto industry to electric-vehicle technology, he added. Source: Economic Times  

Indian Northern Railways held a successful trial run of the electric train from Budgam to Baramulla in Kashmir. The Indian Railway authorities intend to electrify the 138-kilometre intra-Kashmir Banihal-Baramulla rail link in a phased manner. While sharing the news on Twitter, Union Railways Minister of Kashmir, Ashwini Vaishnaw posted a video of the trial run. “Successful trial of electric train between Budgam- Baramulla section in J&K. MissionElectrification (sic),” he tweeted. On a normal day, at least 15 pairs of the train run regularly from Baramulla in north Kashmir to Banihal in Jammu region and carry almost 30,000 passengers, including students and employees. The overhead electrification for the train service was started in June 2019 and was scheduled to be completed by June 2021. However, the work on the project started only last year as delay occurred due to the Covid-19 pandemic, an official said. The total route length for electrification is 137.73 kilometres with three main substations of Qazigund, Budgam and Baramulla from where power will be supplied to the overhead equipment of the rail line, he said and added there would be ten power switching stations in the Banihal- Baramulla section. According to the experts electrification is economical and is 40 percent lower than when compared to running the railways on diesel. The electric poles would be erected after every 400-420 meters and it would be more eco-friendly compared to running railways on fuel, they said. The government of India plans to connect Kashmir to Kanyakumari through train service and work on the project has been going on for years. However, it has been delayed due to several reasons which include hilly terrain where the train has to pass. The intra-Kashmir train was flagged off by then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in October 2008 from Nowgam station in Srinagar. Having a rail link between the valley and the outside world has been a dream of the locals for decades. Source: Deccan Herald  

Despite having capacity of 16,475 megawatts of hydro-electric power, the generating capacity of its projects is only 3400 megawatts during peak season when local rivers have maximum discharge. During the winter season, the demand goes up to 3500 megawatts, but the total unit of productions is around 800 megawatts. Therefore Jammu and Kashmir need to import 80 percent of its power from outside. The amount of cost for this purchase is being a burden for the authority.The average cost of per unit power is 7 rupies. This is made available to the consumer at Rs 2.9 per unit for domestic use, at Rs 4 for industrial use and at Rs 5 per unit for commercial use on an average.Thus the government has to cross subsidise. What actually ails the power sector is 60 per cent aggregate technical and commercial losses (ATNC) that includes 40 per cent pilferage. There is a dearth of supply on ground due to lack of transmission capacity. According to the agreement with consumers supply agencies are providing 1700 megawatts instead 1400 megawatts. Despite, there are shortages in distribution. Jammu & Kashmir were allotted a coal belt 12 years back. Yet they could not used it because it has not been decided whether coal should be transported to J&K for generation in Kathua district or whether generation should be undertaken at source to avoid the huge transportation charges. There are 15 power generation plants in J&K, all hydro based. Out of UT owned projects, Baglihar project stage 1 and stage 2 generate 450 megawatts each. This is the highest generation in the UT owned projects. But, the second unit of Baglihar generates 450 megawatts only for 4-5 months after which it is shut because of minimum water discharge during winter months. “This is because while stage 1 of Baglihar project is built down a small dam, stage 2nd is run of the river project constructed at the tail race of stage 1," said a senior engineer of the PDD who wished not to be named. Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha-led government and the Centre have signed several MOUs in the power sector, aimed at drawing an investment of Rs 35,000 crore for the UT. This ambitious plan will help J&K generate 3500 megawatts which will make the UT both self-sufficient and surplus in electric power generation. "J&K will turn from a power deficit to power surplus region within four years and there would be uninterrupted power supply throughout the UT for domestic, industrial and commercial purposes," Sinha said while unveiling the government's vision on power self-sufficiency. These MOUs were signed between the power development department (PDD), J&K, NHPC and the J&K power development corporation. As per the provisions of the MOUs, the projects constructed by the NHPC will be handed over to J&K after 40 years of commercial operation which was not the case in earlier projects allotted to NHPC. Sinha also said that an overhaul is being made in the power infrastructure, management and distribution with the support of the union government without any expenditure by the UT. "In the past, J&K was deliberately prevented from attracting investment and despite having abundant potential for power generation, its energy needs were not addressed. "With the execution of new mega power projects, a number of other employment avenues would also be generated for the locals," Sinha said. Given the generous financial and technical support by the union government, J&K is turning a new leaf in power generation. From a deeply power starved state to a self-sufficient, electric power selling UT during the next four years. This would be a quantum leap in the real sense of the word as described by Lt. Governor Sinha. Source: Daijiworld B.M./ Rtv

Four members of a family died from fire caused by the torn electric wire at Rupganj upazila in Narayanganj. The accident occurred at around 8:45 pm on Friday at Kumartek village under sector 11 of Purbachal as two 11 thousand volt torn electric wires of DESCO and PBS-2 fell on the roof of a house. The deceased were identified as house owner Masum Mia, his wife Sima and their two handicapped children. Uddipan Bhakta, station officer of Purbachal multipurpose fire service station said, the fire originated as torn electric wire of DESCO fell on the 11 thousand volt wire of Palli Bidyut Samity at Kumartek area in the night. The house under the fallen wires at once caught fire. At that time the family members were in the house. Owner Masum Mia and his two children died on the spot. After getting the news three units of Purbachal fire service rushed to the spot and doused the fire. At that time Masum’s wife Sima was rescued with critical burn injuries but she died on the way to hospital. AH