India-France need to share experiences and explore new ideas, says Prof. Mishra
With Thar Desert as a site for solar power generation, India is estimated to generate up to 2,100 GW of solar energy, Science and Technology Secretary Dr. S. Chandrasekhar has told the Indo-French Workshop on Clean and Sustainable Energy Technologies (INFINITE) at CSIR – National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi.
Comparatively, the Government had set a target of installing 100 GW of solar energy in 2022, he pointed out, adding that Indian renewable sector ranks 4th on the list of the world’s most attractive renewable energy sectors and Solar energy is the most abundant source of renewable power in the country.
He made the presentation on 23 Feb 2023 in India’s call for greater cooperation with France in the field of clean energy and highlighted New Delhi’s plans for green transitioning to EVs and hydrogen energy.
The National Biofuel Policy, which aims to achieve a 20% blending of ethanol in petrol and a 5% blending of biodiesel in diesel by 2030, was highlighted at the meeting.
Dr Chandrasekhar pointed out that an area to focus upon is Carbon Capture and Storage and as estimated by NITI Aayog, theoretically, India has a total geological CO2 storage capacity of 400-600 Gt considering the depleted oil and gas reservoirs, un-mineable coal seams, saline aquifers, basalts, etc.
The Government has designed policies, programs, and a liberal environment to attract foreign investments to ramp up the country in the renewable energy market at a rapid rate.
Department of Science and Technology is also interested in encouraging international collaborations on clean energy research.
India needs huge augmentation in the manufacturing of renewable energy technologies and infrastructures, added Dr. N. Kalaiselvi Director General, CSIR and Secretary DSIR.
She underlined that partnership with France and other G20 countries are required for green energy generation, storage and conversion, particularly green hydrogen, green ammonia, and energy storage infrastructures.
India and France have long-standing bilateral research co-operation specially to augment research on clean and renewable energies, she added.
The French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) CEO Antoine Petit expressed appreciation for the strong partnership between the two countries and emphasized the importance of collaboration in achieving a sustainable energy transition through new bilateral programs.
“We need to share our experiences, explore new ideas, and challenge ourselves to think differently,” added Prof. Arvind Kumar Mishra, Director CSIR-CIMFR.
He pointed out that the workshop is broadly focused to bring together academic and industrial experts from France and India to develop collaborations in the area of clean and sustainable energy.
The two countries need to identify specific research problems and objectives, and identify partners to develop new knowledge bases, joint IPs, and tangible outcomes in biomass energy, coal to methanol/ clean fuels, solar energy, hydrogen, energy storage, and carbon capture utilization and storage, Prof. Mishra underlined.
The event was jointly organized by CSIR – Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR), Dhanbad, and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), France. It is being supported by the Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (CEFIPRA). fiinews.com
