Latest news with #K.Krishnankutty
The Hindu
06-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Anert installs demo project on Vehicle-to-Grid technology
The Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (Anert) has installed a pilot project on Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology at its headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram to introduce the evolving concept to the public. Anert describes the concept as a game-changing one that transforms electric vehicles (EV) into mobile energy assets. V2G-enabled EVs can send power back into the grid, helping balance energy supply and demand. EVs charged during the daytime at relatively lower tariffs can export the power back to the grid during peak hours, AnerT officials said. Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty inaugurated the demonstration project at the Anert headquarters at PMG on Friday. According to Anert, the demonstration project is being implemented in association with the India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF) which has technical assistance from the University of Delaware. The International Sustainable Energy Forum is also supporting it. 'If we can indigenise that technology, then the costs will also come down significantly. Now the technology is imported,' Anert director Narendra Nath Veluri said. Mechanism involved The bi-directional energy transfer between EVs and the grid is is made possible by using a bi-directional charger and bi-directional modular power unit (BMPU). The first is an advanced EV charger capable of two-way energy transfer. BMPU converts AC to DC during charging and the reverse during discharge. Vehicles with V2G facility can be directly connected to the bidirectional charger for charging and discharging power to the grid. EVs having this facility are still rare. One of the EVs owned by Anert was used for the purpose by replacing the DC Fast charging option with a BMPU. As part of the demonstration, Anert officials are also explaining the process behind retrofitting the e-vehicles. The Anert demo project also coincides with a draft regulation on renewable energy prepared by the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission which seeks to introduce the concept in Kerala's rapidly changing renewable energy sector. The draft notes that distribution licencees should facilitate the seamless integration of V2G-enabled EVs into the grid, subject to conditions.
The Hindu
04-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Draft regulations on renewable energy expected to popularise energy storage systems: Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty
The regulations on renewable energy proposed by the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission, once they come into effect, are expected to popularise grid-connected energy storage systems in Kerala, Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty said here on Friday. Mr. Krishnankutty was speaking after inaugurating a clutch of new projects of the Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (Anert) including a grid-interactive battery energy storage system (BESS), a demonstration project on vehicle-to-grid (V2G) system and a 'EZ4EV mobile app.' The commission will finalise the draft after public hearings. He also expressed the hope that the lower daytime electricity tariffs would make systems such as BESS and V2G systems profitable. Kerala has made giant strides in tapping solar power since the LDF government came to power in 2016, Mr. Krishnankutty said. The State's solar generation capability has touched 1576 megawatts (MW). In 2016, it stood at 16.49 MW, according to the Minister. The proposed Hydrogen Valley Innovation Cluster (HVIC) is expected to make significant contributions to the State's efforts to switch to sustainable energy solutions, he said. For implementing the ₹133 crore green hydrogen project, the government has cleared a proposal to create a special purpose vehicle HVIC - Kerala, he said. V.K. Prasanth, MLA, presided. Anert director Narendra Nath Veluri, Additional Chief Secretary (Power) Punit Kumar, ward councillor Mary Pushpam, Chief Electrical Inspector Vinod R. and India Smart Grid Forum president Reji Kumar Pillai were among those present.
The Hindu
04-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Anert installs Kerala's first decentralised solar-powered grid-interactive Battery Energy Storage System in Thiruvananthapuram
The Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (Anert) has installed Kerala's first decentralised solar-powered grid-interactive Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at its headquarters here at PMG in the State capital. The system can power up to loads of 100 kW and has a battery bank of 150 KWh, enabling continuous operation of one-and-a-half hours on full load in the absence of solar power or supply from the grid. Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty inaugurated the BESS along with a demonstration project on Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology here on Friday. The BESS consists of a prefabricated module structure with systems for power supply and distribution, monitoring and control, environmental control, fire protection, system, in addition to a dedicated Battery Management System (BMS) and Energy Management System (EMS). Operational advantages Anert sees many operational advantages in the BESS unit. Replacing the existing diesel generator unit, it will help to meet 24x7 requirements completely from renewables and storage. Further, it will allow the export of electricity during peak hours. It can also be used for charging electric vehicles during peak hours. 'It is designed in such a way that in case of an emergency, the system can be disconnected from the building, can be transported out to repower any other building or location,' ANERT said. During power failures in the grid, the BESS will switch to off-grid working mode, and the load will be supplied with energy by the solar and battery. When the power grid is back to normal, the system switches back to the original working state. This allows the building to function seamlessly and ensures 24x7 power. With focus shifting to storage systems, given the rapid increase in solar power generation in Kerala, power sector agencies including the Kerala State Electricity Board are actively pursuing BESS and pumped storage projects (PSP). A recent discussion paper on renewable energy prepared by the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission had noted the usefulness of BESS units for storing excess renewable energy produced during the daytime when power demand is low and then supplying it back to the grid for peak-demand use.
The Hindu
30-05-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
Heavy rains batter Kerala overnight, cause widespread havoc and power outages
Heavy rains accompanied by strong winds battered Kerala overnight and into early Friday (May 30, 2025), inundating residential areas, damaging homes and forcing at least 1,200 citizens to seek refuge in government-run relief camps. The heavy weather uprooted trees and downed power lines. The Fire and Rescue Services department and the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) scrambled to clear fallen trees and restore power to an estimated 60 lakh households across the State. Nevertheless, large swathes of the State, including much of Thiruvananthapuram district, remained without power. Power Minister K. Krishnankutty told reporters that public resistance to pre-monsoon pruning off overhanging branches and precariously leaning trees jeopardised the safety of overhead powerlines and transformers. He said the Chief Secretary had instructed the District Collectors to invoke the Disaster Management Act 2005 provisions to overcome such resistance. He said the heavy rains and falling tree branches damaged 2,500 high-tension and 10,000 low-tension power lines across the State and that scores of transformers malfunctioned. The KSEB has sustained a loss of ₹121 crore by a conservative preliminary estimate. He said KSEB has deployed more engineers and line workers to restore power distribution. He said using underground cables to transmit electricity was the long-term solution to ensure uninterrupted power during inclement weather. However, he said the KSEB's goal remained elusive, given the high costs involved and the public utility's inability to raise power charges. Mr Krishnankutty noted the water level in 16 major and 15 small hydroelectric power dams remained within the safety threshold. Red alert Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has stated that the severe weather was set to continue with the low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal intensifying incrementally. It has issued a red alert for Idukki, Kannur and Kasargod districts. The government has declared a holiday for educational institutions, including private tuition centres. in Kottayam, Idukki, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Kannur and Kasargod. High waves The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information (INCOIS) has forecast high waves reaching up to 3.7 m in height along Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts. It has issued a red alert in the coastal localities and cautioned fishers from putting their boats out to sea. The INCOIS has issued an orange alert, warning of tidal surges and high waves along the coasts of Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kasargod, and Kannur. The respective district administrations have suspended beach activities. Swollen rivers The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has flagged a rise in water levels in Manimala, Achankovil and Meenachil rivers in Pathanamthitta and Kottayam districts, respectively. It has warned people living on the banks of Korapuzha (Kozhikode) and Kabani (Wayanad) to exercise extreme caution. Delayed trains The heavy rains have delayed several trains, including the Jan Shatabdi Express. Several more were running late, chiefly due to waterlogging of tracks and trees falling on the railway lines. The government has banned nighttime travel in the Idukki district. In several residential localities across Kerala, stormwater pooled under parked cars and motorcycles, damaging the vehicles. So far, the government has evacuated 1,200 people to relief camps. At least 159 houses were partially damaged, according to KSDMA estimates. Reports of rain-related deaths were also trickling in from different parts of the State. A 65-year-old man, K J James, drowned in a waterlogged locality at Punnapra in the Alappuzha district.
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
Low pressure may trigger another round of intense spell in Kerala
For the fourth consecutive day since the onset of the southwest monsoon, heavy rain lashed parts of the State, disrupting daily life on Tuesday. The strong wind that accompanied the rain has left a trail of destruction across the State, although the intensity of rain was relatively low on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a fresh low pressure formed over the Northwest Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast. The system is likely to move slowly northwards and become more marked during the next 48 hours. This, along with the prevailing strong westerlies at lower tropospheric levels over Kerala and Lakshadweep region, is likely to trigger some intense spells of rains for the next five days. IMD alerts The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Kozhikode and Wayanad districts for Wednesday, warning of extreme rainfall, and an orange alert for the remaining districts forecasting very heavy rains, except Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Alappuzha, where a yellow alert has been issued with warnings of isolated heavy rains. Meanwhile, the heavy rain that had been pummelling the State for the past few days abated slightly, bringing respite to people facing the fury of the monsoon, especially in north and central Kerala. However, rain-related woes and rough sea remained unabated. Train traffic was disrupted for the third consecutive day in various parts of the State after uprooted trees and roofing sheets of houses fell onto the railway tracks in the rain accompanied by heavy wind on Monday night and early Tuesday morning. Rail traffic was disrupted for more than six hours on the Nallalam-Areekad railway track in Kozhikode. Train traffic was also disrupted for about four hours on the Ernakulam section after branches of a banyan tree fell onto the railway track around 8 p.m. on Monday night, near Ambattukavu Metro Station in Ernakulam, and damaged the overhead electric lines that supply electricity to trains. Several trains were rescheduled. KSEB's losses According to available data, the distribution sector of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has sustained a loss of ₹56.77 crore after around 1,596 high-tension posts and 10,573 low-tension posts were damaged in the rain and wind. The extensive damage was mainly caused by fallen trees. Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty urged the State government to issue necessary instructions to the District Collectors to remove the fallen trees or cut down trees posing danger to public life under the Disaster Management Act. Around 14 relief camps have been opened in the State in the wake of heavy rain, accommodating around 240 people from 71 families. Meanwhile, Thalassery and Ayyankunnu in Kannur recorded the highest rainfall of 17 cm each during the last 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday, followed by Peerumedu in Idukki and Vythiri in Wayanad with 16 cm each.
