Illustrating the ongoing nuclear renaissance, the International Energy Agency (IEA), in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is launching the Southeast Asia Nuclear Dialogue Series, a focused set of webinars examining the role of nuclear energy in the region’s energy transition. “As Southeast Asia faces rising energy demand and the imperative to decarbonise, nuclear energy is once again under consideration as part of the energy mix,” says the IEA, further observing that policymakers “are seeking clear, balanced insights to guide decision-making on whether — and how — nuclear power might support national energy strategies.”

CEA flags Chinese imports

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has prepared a draft list of 28 critical products that are currently imported, with a view to getting them manufactured in India. The list has been prepared in consultation with the Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers’ Association (IEEMA).

The CEA has invited comments and suggestions on ways to produce the products in India. The list shows that most of the products — though not all — are imported from China.

CEA pulls up PGCIL

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has pulled up the public sector power transmission company PGCIL for its failure to strengthen the foundation of a power transmission tower, despite being told to do so.

Tower no.144 of the 135-km Kishenpur–New Wanpoh transmission line, commissioned in 2017, collapsed; PGCIL blamed it on “sliding/ sinking of landmass around the tower”.

At a meeting held recently to discuss tower failures — 78 towers collapsed in the calendar year 2024 — the CEA said that the issue of the sinking foundation was brought to its notice in April 2020. In October 2021, tower No. 145, too, suffered the same problem. PGCIL was told to carry out geological investigation of the landmass to ensure such incidents did not recur. “However, action is still pending and land sliding/sinking repeated at location no. 144, due to which tower failed,” says the minutes of the meeting. PGCIL tried to defend itself by saying that “land sinking is common in that area”, but the CEA would have none of it, and asked PGCIL about the status of the other towers in the region; PGCIL submitted that “the nearby towers were checked and found in good condition.”

Tariff slide for solar-BESS

The solar-plus-battery energy storage system tariff has decreased from ₹6.99 per unit in August 2018 to ₹3.09 per unit in September 2024, the public sector company SECI recently informed at a national workshop on RE integration through energy storage systems. Further, the tariff of standalone BESS has fallen from ₹11.25 lakh per MW per month to ₹2.8 lakh per MW per month in April 2025. The viability gap funding scheme has accelerated the deployment of BESS projects, with discovered tariffs in the range of ₹2.19-2.5 lakh per MW per month, it said.

Published on June 22, 2025