Govt to launch mission for supporting big-ticket R&D projects for energy transition: Power Secretary

New Delhi: The Ministry of Power has taken a decision to launch a mission for supporting big-ticket R&D projects in cutting-edge technologies for India's energy transition, Power Secretary Alok Kumar told the press on Tuesday. Addressing the press at the launch of Niti Aayog's report on "Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) Policy Framework and its Deployment Mechanism in India," Kumar said, "We had a meeting chaired by the Minister of Power yesterday where he took a decision to launch a mission for big-ticket R&D projects in cutting edge technologies for India's energy transition. We will be very happy to support projects which have the potential to bring down the cost of R&D."

While stressing on the importance of coal for India, Kumar said that it is a valuable endowment for the country and that more R&D is required to bring down the cost of deployment for CCUS, which can help India in using coal while limiting carbon emissions.

'India can't use all CO2 released into atmosphere; need to decarbonise grids'

While stressing that India cannot use all the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, Niti Aayog Member Dr VK Saraswat said that India will have to decarbonise its power grid as much as its power generation systems. "We cannot use all the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere through CCUS, we also need to focus on carbon storage. And we, in India, in our coastal regions as well as the coal seams, we have used potential for storage of carbon dioxide. At Niti Aayog, we have been trying to pursue both the pathways, we are trying to focus on R&D activities which will set up indigenous technology for carbon capture and utilisation and we are focussed on decarbonising our grid. It is important that our grid is as decarbonised as much as our power generation systems," said Dr Saraswat.

Niti Aayog's report on CCUS launched

Along with Kumar and Dr Saraswat, Niti Aayog's Vice Chairman Suman Bery launched the repprt on CCUS. "The report explores the importance of Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage as an emission reduction strategy to achieve deep decarbonisation from the hard-to-abate sectors. The report outlines broad level policy interventions needed across various sectors for its application,' said an official statement.

RK Singh asks states, UTs to set up state-level panels for energy transition

As India has updated its NDC targets for achieving 50 percent of its total installed capacity from non-fossil-based energy sources, 45 percent reduction in emission intensity by 2030 and taking steps towards achieving Net Zero by 2070, the role of CCUS becomes important as reduction strategy to achieve decarbonisation from the hard-to-abate sectors.

"CCUS can enable the production of clean products while still utilizing our rich endowments of coal, reducing imports and thus leading to an Atmanirbhar Indian economy," said Suman Bery, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog. The implementation of CCUS technology certainly be an important step to decarbonise the hard-to-abate sector, he added.

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