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GAIL takes lead in developing Indian corporate vision on tackling climate change

Partners with TERI to develop document to be released in Paris during COP21

New Delhi, November 5, 2015: GAIL (India) Limited, the country’s premier natural gas company, has partnered with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), a leading energy and sustainability think tank, to develop a document which outlines the Indian corporate vision on various aspects of tackling climate change and aligning the vision with Government schemes in this direction.

The draft of the document titled “Delhi to Paris: Corporate Vision on Climate Change” was presented during the National Seminar for Corporate Vision on Climate Change organized here by TERI-CBS (Council for Business Sustainability). The final document will be launched at India Pavilion of Conference of Parties (COP) 21 to be held in Paris later this month. It will be attended by Heads of States and Governments across the globe including Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

For the first time in over 20 years of UN negotiations, the COP21 Climate Summit conference will aim to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate to keep global warming below 2^oC.

As a responsible corporate citizen, GAIL acted as Chapter lead for ‘Improving Efficiency of Energy Use’ and provided inputs towards preparation and participated in meetings, webinars and consultations.

In a special address during the seminar, Hon’ble Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhu said, “While the government provides air cover, corporates are the foot soldiers with their ideas and technologies towards mitigation and adaptation to the new reality of climate change.” Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge), Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Prakash Javadekar hailed the convergence of all corporates and called the abridged version of the vision document the ‘Corporate Environment Responsibility Document.’

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Ashutosh Karnatak, Director (Projects) & Chairman of Sustainable Development Committee of GAIL, shared various initiatives in the area by the company and how natural gas as one of the cleaner fossil fuels has been instrumental in achieving better energy efficiencies for industry.

He also mentioned that going forward, GAIL would like to play a leading role in collaborating with other Oil & Gas industry players for making a positive impact of the sector in respect of sustainability and climate change. As Chapter lead, GAIL propagated that natural gas, an environmentally benign alternative fuel, can act as a bridge fuel as India gears up for the transition from polluting coal and oil to renewables.

Photo caption: Dr. Ashutosh Karnatak, Director (Projects), GAIL (second from left) speaking at the National Seminar for Corporate Vision on Climate Change

An Abundant Clean Source Of Energy – DesertSec

Every year, each square kilometer of the desert receives solar energy equivalent to 1.5 million barrels of oil. Multiplying by the area of deserts in Africa or in the world, this is several hundred times as much energy as the world uses in a year. What this means is that in Africa, countries like Algeria, Angola, Libya and Nigeria can move directly from being oil-rich to being solar-rich.

Desertec Africa is an organization who’s vision is to utilize the untapped potential of Africa. Desertec looks to harness the huge solar footprint Africa has and transform it into usable energy. There is enough sunlight falling on Africa’s deserts to power not only Africa and Europe but the whole world as well. They aim to switch the continents non-renewable based economy to solar energy, which is clean and renewable. There are many benefits of such a program; one of the main benefits is that it would directly stimulate struggling economies such as Nigeria and Chad and others. The project is based on utilizing an area that receives at least 2000 kWhs of sunlight per m2 and other stringent requirements. Once a location is deemed suitable, solar power plants would be installed based on existing CSP solar technology.

Excerpts and courtesy of Desertec-Africa

To know more about the project click here

Here Are 5 Reasons To Follow GAIL On Social Media Day

GAIL (India) Limited is the largest state-owned natural gas processing
and distribution company in India which engages and
listens to its consumers through social media platforms. To reach each
and every set of audience, GAIL (India) Limited has its presence over
different social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Vine,
Youtube and Instagram.

Here are five reasons you should follow GAIL (India) Limited on social media

1. Industry Updates:

Industry updates are very important; especially when it concern’s the nation’s interest.

You can get latest updates about GAIL and
other ongoing projects along with industry-specific groups and specific interest groups by following GAIL on LinkedIn.

2. Job Opportunities:

New graduates and interested parties can get the latest updates on job openings
and career opportunities via the social platforms.

3. Be an agent of change:

Following GAIL on social media provides you information that helps achieve sustainable development throughout India.

4. Increase you sense of responsibility:

GAIL is more than just an energy company. As a conscious corporate
citizen, the organization believes that it has a social purpose. The
rigor and strategic thought that drives GAIL similarly fuels its CSR
initiatives.

5. A platform to voice your opinion

Given the two-way communication of social media, GAIL provides a
platform to share ideas, discuss and engage in meaningful conversation.

#MyInnovation GAILtalk Contest – Live Now!

Innovation is an act of ingenuity, creating possibilities where none exists. It’s not really about science or technology. It’s about Life.

When have you innovated in daily life? Tell us and win a surprise gift!

Here’s what you need to do

1. In the comments section below tell us how you’ve innovated in your life. How you’ve made something happen by using a unique solution.
2. Don’t forget to use hashtags ‪#‎MyInnovation‬ and ‪#‎GAILtalk‬ with your reply.

Groundbreaking Batteries First, Hi-performance Cars Second – Tesla motors

Renowned carmaker Tesla motors, has entered the market of hi-powered batteries with its latest product- the Powerball. Seldom do carmakers venture into unknown waters however Teslas’ clean business model of providing green hi-performance vehicles goes hand in hand with the Powerwall. The product as described by Tesla: “Powerwall’ is a home battery that charges using electricity generated from solar panels, or when utility rates are low, and powers your home in the evening. It also fortifies your home against power outages by providing a backup of electricity supply. Automated, compact and simple to install, Powerwall offers independence from the utility grid and the security of an emergency backup.

Tesla’s new offering is called the Powerwall, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that is designed to be mounted in a garage or on the side of a house. The device, the size of a small refrigerator, will be available in three to four months, at a price starting at $3,000 for 7 kilowatt hours (kWh). The Powerwall can store power from a home’s solar panels, or connect to the electrical grid, storing up electricity when rates are low and providing backup electricity supply in case of a blackout.

Check out the full article here: http://bit.ly/1bJvh44

Courtesy of Tesla motors via Quartz India.

China Implements Clean Fuel Standards Early

China has been paving in-roads for cleaning up the quality of its air and to reduce greenhouse gases. It has announced that its “national five” fuel policy will be completed ahead of schedule by over one year, putting the implementation date of the policy as January 2017. The new standards are similar to Euro V which has maximum sulphur content of ten parts per million.

Starting from Jan 2016, China will expand the areas receiving gasoline and diesel that meet the standards to 11 eastern provinces and cities, according to a Cabinet statement posted on the central government’s website www.gov.cn.

Under an earlier plan, only Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province, as well as key cities in the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta would have received “national five” fuels by that time.

Read the full article here: http://goo.gl/tK4K5D

Courtesy of Reuters via DownstreamToday

China Is Taking Steps To Mitigate Its Environmental Footprint

The citizens of the world are becoming acutely aware of the dangers and harmful effects of carbon emission and greenhouse gasses and thus many countries are looking to bio-fuels as a way to lower the impact. China is one such nation that will implement a full-scale, waste to ethanol plant, which is expected to produce 30 million gallons every here.

April 22 (Reuters) – China Steel Corp plans a commercial-scale project to produce ethanol from waste gases as a push to improve air quality without using food as feedstock, said the firm that came up with the technology on Wednesday.

According to LanzaTech, the Chicago-based company that created the technology, it is projected that China Steel is to spend $46 million for a commercial ethanol facility attached to a steel plant in Taiwan that is targeted to pump out more than 30 million gallons of ethanol annually.

Read the full story here: http://goo.gl/yLsIIP

Via DownstreamToday and courtesy Chris Prentice of Reuters

Geothermal Basics

Geothermal energy is an exciting and relatively new source of energy. If harvested, it can provide abundant amounts of clean energy. Check out the below video to get the low-down on geothermal energy basics.

Courtesy of US department of energy, @Energy

The Worlds First LNG Powered Ship Launched

Today, a breakthrough in history was made when the world’s first ship powered by LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) was officially inaugurated and launched from the port of San Diego, USA. This is a herald for natural gas as its use is proliferated in modern society.

More than 3,400 people gathered to watch as the world’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered containership, christened Isla Bella, was launched Saturday night in San Diego. The ships’ owner TOTE, in partnership with General Dynamics NASSCO, celebrated the completion of the first of two Marlin Class containerships headed to Puerto Rico later this year.

Read the full article here: http://goo.gl/IAAXrK

Via DownstreamToday & courtesy of TOTE, Inc

Waste to Diesel

In a brilliant feat of scientific innovation GAIL in partnership with CSIR-IIP (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Indian Institute of Petroleum) have been able to convert broken buckets, mugs, toothpaste tubes, bottle caps and other polyolefin products into the cleanest grade of diesel.

GAIL and CSIR-IIP to hold the patent for this unusual discovery.

Announcing this in Dehradun today, Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Science and Technology and Vice President, CSIR, laid out the roadmap for further exploitation of opportunities in alternative fuel sources. The country’s premier research establishment in hydrocarbons has achieved significant success in reducing national dependence on fossil fuels.

“I have myself campaigned on the streets of Delhi against pollution and plastic proliferation. Today, I am glad to announce that diesel conforming to Euro-5 specifications in sulphur content has become a reality thanks to the CSIR-IIP and GAIL’s diligence and ingenuity”, he said.

The Minister elaborated: “We are the first to have the capability to convert 1 tonne of broken buckets, mugs, toothpaste tubes, bottle caps and other polyolefin products into 850 litres of the cleanest grade of diesel. This is the best news yet for the planet this year because henceforth plastic waste will be viewed more as a resource than a nuisance”.

With this technology, the Indian Railways is soon to set up plants to manufacture diesel for mechanical traction.

Source: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=118319

Securing India’s Energy Independence

Today with our partners, we are paving the way forward for India’s energy independence. Watch how we highlight our commitment towards sustainable growth with forward thinking, by setting strong foundations with international companies to secure India’s place as regional processing hub. Fueled by exceptional management and strategy, India has become a net exporter of natural gas which has lead to worldwide recognition of India and its energy partners, in the role of sustainable energy and green energy. With community initiatives like #TomorrowIsYours, a TV series aimed at helping rural India achieve their entrepreneurial sprits and dreams, women empowerment and basic learning and development classes, we are sustainably securing India’s energy independence.

Shale Gas 101 – Extraction

Shale gas is extracted using an amalgamation of different methods and technologies, the most important being directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Shale gas is natural gas trapped within shale formations. Shale formations have low permeability which historically had made extraction a difficult process and not economically viable. Today advances in directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing have made shale gas a viable source of energy. The extraction process starts with drilling a vertical well down to the shale layer, where then a horizontal well is drilled throughout the shale layer using a solution known as ‘mud’ to cool and lubricate the drill. Once drilling is completed a casing pipe is put down the vertical & horizontal well, then cement is pumped throughout the well to create a cement wall between the well and the outer layer. A cement plug is inserted into the well to create separate sections. A pipe gun is fed through the horizontal well where explosives are fired creating a fracture in the shale formations. A mixture of water and sand is then fed through the fracture, which in larges the fracture and enables the gas deposits to be collected. After this process the water, sand and gas deposits are extracted.

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