India launches 2 new clean coal technology missions

India on Friday announced the launch of a national mission on advanced ultra supercritical technologies for cleaner coal utilisation, at a total cost of $238 million and setting up of two centres of excellence on clean coal technologies – one on methanol and the other on di-methyl ether - involving investments of $5 million each.

Besides, the government approved a new centre on solar photovoltaic, thermal storage and solar fuels research at a cost of about $5 million.

The government also announced funding opportunities in the area of energy storage, clean coal, waste water treatment amounting to $10 million, as part of the second Mission Innovation Ministerial and the Eighth Clean Energy Ministerial at Beijing, China.

India also announced two Mission Innovation-centric funding opportunities in smart grid and offgrid access at $5 million each. Joint virtual clean energy centre with UK and Indian government funding of UK £5 million each has also been initiated. Under the Indo-US Joint Clean Energy Research (PACE – R) the new collaborative public-private programme on smart grids and energy storage has been approved. India has also embarked upon a joint programme on renewable energy with Norway.

Energy ministers from 23 nations with 80 per cent of clean energy investments and 75 per cent of GHG emission met on 6-8 June 2017 at Beijing, to focus on advancing clean energy cooperation and implementing the Paris Agreement commitments.

Leader of the Indian delegation union minister for science and technology, earth science and environment, forests and climate change, Dr Harshvardhan, held a successful bilateral meeting with US energy secretary Rick Perry and discussed collaboration in clean energy in new areas of research in clean coal, carbon capture and accessible and affordable water.

Harshvardhan also led bilateral meeting with Maros Sefcovic, vice president for European Commission and discussed ongoing collaborations on water technology, research and innovation, clean biofuels solar energy etc. New partnership in clean technologies such as smart grids, water and waste water treatment were also discussed.

Mission Innovation (MI), launched by leaders of 20 countries on 30 November 2015, is a landmark 5-year commitment to accelerate the pace of innovation and make clean energy widely affordable and accessible worldwide. MI now comprises 22 economies and the European Commission, representing the European Union, and collectively accounts for more than 80 per cent of the world's total public financing of clean energy R&D.