India to set up two National Centres of Excellence in Carbon Capture & Utilisation (CCU)

• These CoEs will facilitate capturing and mapping of current R&D and innovation activities in the domain 
• The Centres will act as multi-disciplinary, long-term research, design development hubs for research and application-oriented initiatives in the field of CCU

New Delhi: India is establishing two National Centres of Excellence in Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU). The two Centres — the National Centre of Excellence in Carbon Capture and Utilisation (NCoE-CCU) at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, Mumbai, and the National Centre in Carbon Capture and Utilisation (NCCCU) at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru —  are being set up with support from the Department of Science & Technology, said a statement.

These CoEs will facilitate capturing and mapping of current R&D and innovation activities in the domain and also develop networks of researchers, industries and stakeholders with coordination and synergy between partnering groups and organisations. The Centres will act as multi-disciplinary, long-term research, design development, collaborative and capacity-building hubs for state-of-the-art research and application-oriented initiatives in the field of CCU.

IIT-Bombay to define milestones, spearhead initiatives for CCU

The NCoE-CCU at IIT Bombay will define milestones and spearhead science and technology initiatives for industry-oriented CCU innovation in India, alongside developing novel methodologies for improving the technology readiness levels in CCU. It will accelerate the R&D efforts in methods of carbon capture and utilisation. The centre will also work on the conversion of captured carbon dioxide to chemicals, CO2 transport, compression and utilisation, as well as on enhanced hydrocarbon recovery as co-benefit pathways. The NCoE-CCU will also develop and demonstrate efficient CO2 capture from representative flue gas from the effluents of power plant and biogas plant.

NCCCU to demonstrate CCU technologies

The NCCCU at JNCASR, Bengaluru, will aim to develop and demonstrate carbon capture and conversion by developing relevant materials and methodologies. These processes will be scaled up to pilot scale mode to produce hydrocarbons, olefines and other value-added chemicals and fuels, said the statement. It will also work on reaching technology readiness level on par with the commercial requirement at the industry level. The centre will promote the CCU research, provide training and consultancy and translate its research excellence into solutions with global economic and social impact.

"The Centres will help bring together the country's collective strength and assist in the development of an appropriate and feasible R&D and innovation roadmap. The Centres will also keep watch on international trends and suggest possible collaborative endeavours," said the statement.

Under the strict climatic regime, it is vital to identify and adopt a right balance of portfolio of emission curtailment technologies. Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) is among one such key pathways to reduce emissions while continuing to develop sustainably at an unprecedented pace. CCU aligns with five of the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) — climate action, clean energy, industry, innovation, and infrastructure, responsible consumption and production, and partnerships to achieve the goals.

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