Govt-owned EESL to Launch Franchisee Shops to Offer Affordable Energy Products Like LED Lights, ACs and Fans

State-owned Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) is set to introduce new retail franchisee shops called 'Urja Dakshta Dukan'. These shops will provide affordable energy-efficient products such as LED lights, ACs, and fans to consumers.

Initially, these outlets will open in Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Telangana, with plans for a nationwide rollout.

The EESL aims to create a widespread network of exclusive retail outlets across India, leveraging local franchisees to enhance accessibility and visibility of its energy-efficient products.

EESL, at present, distributes products through retail tie-ups with power distribution utilities to consumers. Buyers can also purchase the products online from its web portal EESLMART.in.

The invitation for pan India franchise tie-ups will be available on the EESL website from August.

The franchise shop can be opened by any individual or unit whether a Proprietorship, Partnership firm/Private Limited company, Limited company, NGO, Self Help Group and any other legal entity

EESL energy efficient products comes with incentives and subsidies and while specific incentives and subsidies may vary by region, EESL's energy-efficient products often come with attractive features such as reduced electricity bills, longer lifespan, and environmental benefits.

EESL's Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) scheme offers LED bulbs at subsidized rates. These energy-efficient bulbs consume less electricity, resulting in cost savings for consumers.

An another government initiative called Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) promotes solar-powered agricultural pumps. By adopting solar energy, farmers can reduce their electricity expenses and contribute to sustainable practices.

Additionally, some states provide additional subsidies or rebates on energy-efficient products & appliances.

Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) is promoted by Ministry of Power, Government of India as a Joint Venture company of four Central Public Sector Undertakings – NTPC Limited, PFC Limited, REC Limited and POWERGRID Corporation of India Limited.

1590 Electric Vehicles in More Than 160 Central and State Govt Deptts. in 49 Cities Deployed/under Deployment by EESL/CESL

Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) and Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL – 100% Owned subsidiary of EESL) have deployed/under deployment 1,590 Electric Vehicles (EVs) in more than 160 Central and state government departments in 49 cities, till date.

 
These e-cars are being given on lease/outright purchase basis to replace the existing petrol and diesel vehicles taken on lease earlier, as per information received from EESL, under Ministry of Power, Government of India.

EESL is an energy service company of the Government of India and is the world's largest public energy service company (ESCO).

EESL is implementing e-Mobility Programme with the objective to reduce dependence on oil imports and to provide an impetus for domestic electric vehicle manufacturers, charging infrastructure companies, fleet operators, service providers, etc. to gain efficiencies of scale and drive down costs, create local manufacturing facilities, grow technical competencies for the long-term growth of the electric vehicle (EV) industry in India and to enable Indian EV manufacturers to emerge as major global players.

And this is the programme, under which EESL/CESL concluded the procurement of various categories of electric cars through an international competitive bidding process and deploying the EVs in central & state departments.

EESL/CESL is also developing Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure and has signed MoUs with multiple stakeholders across municipalities, DISCOMs for location assessment study and setting up of charging infrastructures in their jurisdiction location. As on date EESL/CESL has installed 301 nos. of EV chargers across India.

Thirteen states of Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Gujarat and West Bengal have approved/notified dedicated electric vehicles (EV) policies to promote adoption of electric vehicles.

The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020 is a National Mission document providing the vision and the roadmap for the faster adoption of electric vehicles and their manufacturing in the country. This plan was designed to enhance national fuel security, to provide affordable and environmentally friendly transportation and to enable the Indian automotive industry to achieve global manufacturing leadership.

Based on outcome and experience gained during Phase-I of FAME India Scheme and after having consultations with all stakeholders, including Industry and Industry Associations, the Government notified Phase-II of FAME India Scheme for a period of three years commencing from 1st Apri1,2019 with a total budgetary support of Rs. 10,000 crore.

Under Phase-II of FAME India Scheme, Rs. 1000 Cr. is allocated for development of charging stations. Further, the Ministry has sanctioned 2,877 Electric Vehicles (EVs) Charging Stations amounting to Rs 500 Crore (Approx.) in 68 cities across 25 States/UTs under FAME India (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles in India) Scheme Phase II. The details of charging stations functional in the country for electric vehicles under FAME India Scheme is at ANNEXURE-I

The State wise details of Public Charging Stations installed by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), Power Grid Corporation Ltd. (PGCIL) and NTPC Ltd. are enclosed at ANNEXURE II.

Andhra State Govt. To Provide Electric Two-Wheeler To Its Employees on EMI-basis

Image for representation purpose only

While Delhi is the first state in the country to formulate policies to promote electric vehicles and is subsidizing the purchase of EVs. Andhra Pradesh government has also come up forward in this direction.

The government of Andhra Pradesh is also going to take a big step in trying to promote electric mobility in the state. The state government of Andhra Pradesh is considering a plan to provide electric two-wheelers to its state government employees on EMI basis with the help of central government agencies. notably, the the scheme, if comes effective, will not only benefit the current employees of the state government, but will also cover cooperatives, public sector undertakings and pensioners as well.

According to a daily, the electric two-wheelers to be provided will be able to cover a distance of 40 to 100 kilometers once full charging. Apart from this, maintenance of up to three years will also be given free on these electric vehicles. This will also relieve EV owners from the worry of their maintenance. The price of electric two-wheelers can be repaid within 24 to 60 months.

The state government will provide around 50% financial assistance on fixed capital investment to the developers of auto clusters and automotive suppliers manufacturing centres (ASMC) that are specific to electric vehicles. Apart from that, private charging stations, and hydrogen generation & refuelling infrastructure would be also given financial assistance.

According to Andhra Pradesh State Energy Secretary, Srikanth Nagulapalli, New and Renewable 

Energy Development Corporation AP Limited (NREDCAP) will be empowered to operate the EMI scheme. To make the scheme a success, the state government will especially focus on rural areas, where village or ward secretariat staff and other low-paid employees can avail of the project. The Government of Andhra Pradesh will soon issue an official notice regarding this scheme.

Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) will be a very close partner in this project. EESL is a central government undertaking agency working to promote electric mobility across India. 

Andhra Pradesh has already released its EV policy, which aims to make the state an electric mobility hub by encouraging e-mobility ecosystem stake holders on both the supply and demand sides. The Andhra Pradesh government has proposed an allocation of 500 to 1,000 acres of land to develop EV parks which will also have plug-and-play internal infrastructure, common facilities and external infrastructure.

EV Charging Infra - Govt-owned EESL to Set up 100 Charging Stations in Noida while Magenta, HPCL Eyes 500 Charging Points in 2020

Government of India owned energy service company, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) on Thursday said it has inked a pact with the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA) to promote electric vehicles and set up around 100 public charging stations in Noida.

"Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA) to promote electric vehicles (EVs) and install around 100 public charging stations. The MoU will fast-track the adoption of e-mobility in Noida by promoting robust EV infrastructure," EESL said in a statement.

Alok Tandon, chairman of NOIDA, said establishing public charging infrastructure will spur the EV adoption in the city.

"With this partnership with EESL, we envisage the e-mobility movement to gain traction in the city. We are striving to make Noida cleaner, greener and more sustainable," he said.

Ritu Maheshwari, chief executive officer of NOIDA, said installation of public charging stations will accelerate the adoption of EVs in the city.

A robust public charging infrastructure complements the legislative efforts in creating a sustainable EV ecosystem. With increasing penetration of EVs, the local emission of pollutants is also expected to reduce, leading to cleaner air and several public health benefits, she said.

Last week, government has invited proposals from entities that intend to develop EV charging infrastructure in million-plus cities as per the 2011 census; and smart cities as notified by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the Ministry of Heavy Industries said.

Magenta Power ropes in HPCL as strategic investor, eyes 500 EV charging points in FY20

Solar power systems provider Magenta Power has roped in state-owned Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) as a strategic investor as it bids to accelerate deployment of electric vehicle (EV) chargers across India, according to a top company official.

The company is targeting to set up at least 500 EV charging points across India by the end of this fiscal and has entered into partnerships with various malls, restaurants and institutional entities to set up of the infrastructure.

"We are happy to announce that HPCL is now a strategic investor in our company as well. They have evinced confidence in the work we are doing. They have actually supported us," Magenta Power Managing Director Maxson Lewis told PTI.

While he declined to share financial details of the investment, Lewis said the partnership will enable Magenta Power to closely work with HPCL to set up EV charging solutions not just at the fuel filling stations of the state-owned oil marketing major but also beyond.

When asked if Magenta Power is still looking for more funds to meet its expansion requirements, Lewis replied in the affirmative saying the company's business is asset heavy and capital intensive. "We are looking for more investors at this point of time. There are a couple of discussions going on," he said without elaborating.

Commenting on the company's future expansion plans, Lewis said, "we are invested in setting up the infrastructure... As far as numbers are concerned, we intend to set up at least 500 charging points across India by the end of this fiscal."

At this point of time, he added,"it looks like we are ahead of schedule and looks like we will end up doing more than 500 charging points."

He said 2019, is going to be a year when a lot of the EV ecosystem will fall into place, be it infrastructure, battery optimisation or technology. "And we believe that in 2020 the take off is going to happen," Lewis said, adding "we have taken a collaborative view, with various malls, restaurants institutional entities to support us in setting up of the infrastructure".

Magenta Power has developed three different types of EV chargers for individual (home), institutional and public charging which have been developed keeping the Indian conditions in mind and can support from two and three-wheelers to four wheelers of both old and new generations of EVs, he added.

The company on Thursday introduced its 'Charge Grid Pro' series which is targeted at community charging -- be it offices, malls and residential societies, priced between Rs 32,499 to Rs 39,499.

It comes online connected with a mobile app and command centre allowing EV owners to locate charging stations on map, book charging slots and get charging updates, the company said. PTI RKL

Govt of India's EESL to Float Second Tender of 10,000 Electric Cars

Government of India owned energy service company, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), is hoping to get 10,000 electric cars (e-cars) delivered by March 2019 from its first tender it floated in January this year.

Going forward, EESL is about to float the second tender for another 10,000 e-cars very soon. In March, EESL had cancelled its second tender as the government decided to change the specifications for charging facilities, said Saurabh Kumar, Managing Director of EESL, in an interview to Sudheer Singh and Ankush Kumar of ETEnergyworld.

The size of the car depends upon the charging specification. The charging specification that India adopted last year (Bharat DC 001) are meant for level one (basic) charges, explained Saurabh.

The cost of procurement of 10,000 cars is around Rs 1,200 crore which in turn costs Rs 11.8 lakh per vehicle.

In EESL's first tender for procuring 10,000 electric cars, Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra qualified the bids under the auction. But, in June, the government rejected the use the electric models supplied by EESL as it was unhappy by the poor performance and low mileage of electric cars made by Tata and Mahindra.

In the first phase of 500 orders, Tata motors were meant to supply 350 e-cars and remaining 150 units were meant to be supplied by Mahindra but as per EESL only 150 units have been delivered by the time of the rejection occured.

In the interview, Saurabh also addressed this issue of low mileage of e-cars, which caused the rejection. He said ,"In the case of one particular manufacturer or OEM, it was said the range was much less than what was promised. This is not based on any scientific testing of these cars. When one buys a car, a certain KMPL is promised. But that comes with a caveat of “under standard test conditions”. And this is certified by ARAI. In a city run, it is difficult to get the certified KMPL? It is the same with electric vehicle. How is the car operated and the traffic conditions play an important role. "

On the speculation that if Tata and Mahindra were asked for change in specifications, Saurabh clarified that the basic conditions, including the range of 130 Km, remain the same. The two auto majors are delivering cars which are actually better than that specification. "We cannot change the 130 Km range. It has been decided," said Saurabh.

With upcoming tender for additional 10,000 cars, India will have 20,000 electric cars through government procurement and these e-cars are expected to save over 5 crore litres of fuel every year leading to a reduction of over 5.6 lakh tonnes of annual CO2 emission in India, which is among the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change.

Currently, in Delhi around 370 charging points have been set up. Around 153 vehicles are already running. Almost 400 additional vehicles are under various stages of registration. Also, we have demand from AP, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Jharkhand. The tender is going on extremely well. All these states combined, we have got demand for 19,000 electric cars. And this is only for government procurement.

In November last year, EESL has partnered and secured $454 million funding from Global Environment Facility (GEF) for the project Creating and Sustaining Markets for Energy Efficiency, focusing on energy efficiency programmes, and aiming to mitigate CO2 emissions by 60 million tonnes. This was one of the largest funding by GEF.

GEF is an international partnership of 183 countries, United Nations agencies, multilateral development banks, and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

EESL further proposed an Energy Efficiency Revolving Fund for sustainable funding of energy efficiency projects in India.

A 100% government owned, EESL is a joint venture of state-owned NTPC Limited, Power Finance Corporation, Rural Electrification Corporation and POWERGRID. EESL was formed under India's Ministry of Power to facilitate energy efficiency projects. Innovative business and implementation models can significantly reduce consumption and costs. EESL also acts as the resource centre for capacity building of state electricity distribution companies, electricity regulatory commissions (ERCs), state-designated agencies (SDAs), upcoming ESCOs, financial institutions, etc.

References - Wikipedia, LiveMint, News18

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