The Asian Regional Energy Initiative of the IEI

Fellowships programme for engineers from utilities:

With the intention of adding to the competence of the engineering staff at Indian utilities, IEI has been providing Fellowships at the Energy Systems Engineering department of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), in Bombay (Mumbai).  The candidates have to meet the IIT’s selection criteria and academic requirements, on the basis of which they are awarded the Master of Technology degree.  It is hoped that the expertise gained can be used to help improving the operation in the utilities at which these engineers are employed. Two engineers graduated from this programme at the just concluded academic session (’02-04) -– one from a private generation-cum-distribution utility, and the other from a state-run transmission utility.  While one thesis was based on dynamic simulation models for studying the operating characteristics of thermal power plants, the other considered system load management through time-of-the-day tariffs  [Click here]..


LPG as a cooking fuel option for India:

The use of clean fuels like liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) instead of the biomass-based fuels used for cooking in India would be beneficial in several ways.  However, only about 33.6 million or 17.5% of all Indian homes use LPG as their primary cooking fuel, with 90% of rural homes still dependent on some form of biomass.  Hence we are considering the possibility of enhancing the household use of LPG.  From an overview of the cooking fuels used in India, we focus on LPG, analysing the factors affecting current demand and projecting future scenarios.  Salient features of the LPG supply and distribution system are also discussed.  Based on the existing situation, barriers to increasing LPG use -- in particular, the problems regarding affordability, pricing and reliable distribution -- have been identified.  In this context, experiences with the expansion of household LPG use in other countries and a programme in India have been considered.  Finally, based on the challenges recognised, suggestions are being made regarding the policies through which the problems can be overcome.  In addition to a detailed report, a paper was prepared for publication in IEI’s journal Energy for Sustainable Development  [Click here].