- From the Technology Desk

• Govt plans to set up parks to augment nuke capacity
  
  New Delhi, Mar 08: The government today informed the Lok Sabha that it plans to set up atomic parks in the country to enhance nuclear power capacity ''at a fast pace and in an economic manner.''
  
  For this, the government proposes to utilise the potential for new capacity addition at various sites by setting up a larger number of units at each site, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Prithviraj Chavan said in a written reply.
  
  The government has recently accorded ''in principle'' approval and initial pre-project work at Rawatbhata, Kakrapara, Jaitapur and Kudankulam.
  
  Replying to another question, the minister said that during the 11th Five-Year Plan (2007-12), a capacity addition target of 3,000? MW has been set for nuclear power generation.
  
  In another reply, he said the US had discussed its plans to have India in the global nuclear energy partnership (GNEP). This discussion took place during the visit of US Under Secretary of Energy to India in February 2006. ''The government has taken note of this development,'' he said.
  
  Cryogenic: indigenous cryogenic engine has been developed and successfully qualified in ground firing tests. The various elements of the stage like tankages, component modules are also developed and the stage is integrated. Phased testing of the stage has commenced.
  
  After successful completion of the required qualification tests, the flight stage will be available for a flight test during 2006-07.
  
  Dabhol: Of the three power blocks of total capacity of 2,150 MW of the Dabhol Power project in Maharashtra, the first power block of (740 MW) is expected to be ready for generation by May 2006 and the other two power blocks by November 2006. Actual commissioning of all the three blocks would depend upon availability of the main fuel -liquefied natural gas (LNG).
  
  North-east: According to the studies carried out by the Central Electricity Authority, the North-eastern states have hydro potential of 31,857 MW at 60 per cent load factor (equivalent installed capacity 58,971 MW). As on January 31, 2006, hydro power projects of an aggregate installed capacity of 1,095 mw have been developed.
  
  Bureau Report
  
  http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=280402&ssid=27&sid=ENV
  
  
• India to invest $450m for coal power project in Lanka
  
  New Delhi, March 10, IRNA
  India-Sri Lanka-Investment
  
  Lakshman Watawala, chairman of the Board of Investment (BOI), said the single biggest investment for this year is between USD 400-450 million from the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) of India for a coal power project in the island.
  
  "BOI has identified a location in Trincomalee for NTPC's project.
  
  We expect details to be finalized by the end of this month," Watawala told reporters in Colombo.
  
  He said the BOI raised minimum investment levels in order to attract bigger investors and boost total investments.
  
  Last year, the country attracted foreign investments worth USD 285 million, but this year the target is one billion dollars.
  
  The minimum for tax concessions was raised from 50,000 dollars to 250,000 dollars from Friday.
  
  Existing companies have six months to top up their capital to the new limit or risk losing tax breaks.
  
  http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0603104569111006.htm