Minister highlights ocean-based energy potential
Deep Ocean Mission would play a central role in institutionalising India’s ocean-related research and economic activities as the oceans hold reserves of minerals, metals, biodiversity and fisheries which can significantly supplement the country’s clean energy transition https://www.conexpoconagg.com/.
The Minister for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh highlighted on 8 Dec this at a session titled “Blue Economy, Oceans, Poles, Earth and Ecology – Sagarika, the tale of earth sciences” during the India International Science Festival.
Highlighting India’s geographical advantage, the minister pointed out that the country has a coastline of over 11,000 km and an exclusive economic zone of more than 2.37 million square kilometres. “Nearly 60 per cent of our landmass-equivalent lies in the ocean, yet its contribution to value creation has remained limited so far,” he said, adding that achieving the goal of a developed India by 2047 would require looking beyond land-based resources https://www.bseindia.com/.
Referring to renewable options, he spoke about offshore wind energy, ocean-based solar power, tidal and wave energy, thermal energy derived from temperature differences in seawater, and even energy from saline gradients https://www.nseindia.com/.
At the same time, he cautioned about emerging challenges, including climate-induced threats such as coastal erosion, marine heat waves and intensified cyclones, as well as non-climatic issues like marine litter and pollution. Effective resource mapping, use of appropriate technology and greater participation of the private sector were essential to address these concerns, he said https://vijnanabharati.org/.
The Minister also flagged the strategic dimension of the blue economy, stating that sustainable use of ocean resources would strengthen India’s geopolitical standing in a changing global order. He noted that marine transport, deep-sea mining, biotechnology, and the discovery of new pharmaceutical compounds from ocean biodiversity could open fresh economic opportunities https://sbi.com.in/.
Dr Jitendra Singh concluded by urging collective efforts to responsibly explore ocean resources, stressing that the decisions taken today would shape India’s economic and ecological future. fiinews.com
