India to launch mission for advanced ultra supercritical technologies

The national mission, costing about $ 238 million, will focus on cleaner coal utilisation technology

The Mission Innovation Ministerial meeting

Last Updated : Jun 09 2017 | 3:09 PM IST

India will launch 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 at $ 5 million each.

“In its quest for cleaner fuels, a national mission on methanol and di-methyl ether is being mounted. A new centre on solar photovoltaic, thermal storage and solar fuels research has been approved at approximately $ 5 million. Funding opportunities have been announced in the area of energy storage, clean coal, waste water treatment amounting to $ 10 million,” said the Government of India in a statement at the 2nd Mission Innovation (MI) Ministerial and 8th Clean Energy Ministerial at Beijing, China.

India also announced two MI-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 £ 5 million each has been initiated. Under the Indo-US Joint Clean Energy Research (PACE – R) the new collaborative public-private programme on smart grids & 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 percent of clean energy investments and 75 percent of GHG emission met on June 6-8, 2017 at Beijing, China to focus on advancing clean energy cooperation and implementing Paris Agreement commitments. The Indian delegation was led by Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Science and Environment, Forests & Climate Change.

Dr Harsh Vardhan held a successful bilateral meeting with US Secretary Rick Perry to discuss joint collaboration in clean energy for new areas of research cooperation in clean coal, carbon capture and accessible and affordable water. These areas will be in addition to strengthening ongoing partnerships under PACE-R.

The Minister also led bilateral meeting with Maros Sefcovic, vice president for European Union, European Commission. In addition to ongoing collaborations on water technology, research & innovation, clean biofuels solar energy, etc, both sides discussed new partnership in clean technologies such as smart grids, water and wastewater treatment.

Eighteen months ago on November 30, 2015, leaders of 20 countries came together to launch Mission Innovation (MI), 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 percent of the world’s total public financing of clean energy R&D.

Energy ministers and other high-level delegates from 22 countries and the European Union had convened in Beijing for the second Mission Innovation Ministerial (MI-2) from 6-8 June.

The increased focus on innovation by both public and private sectors is expected to give rise to new and advanced technologies, performance breakthroughs, and significant cost reductions. These, in turn, will create opportunities for new industries and jobs and expand markets for reliable and clean energy – for both production and demand. The lower costs will spur economic growth and accelerate market uptake, enabling the realisation of the benefits of accessible, reliable and affordable clean energy worldwide.

India also announced its plan of hosting a MI Sustainable Biofuel Innovation Challenge Workshop in December 2017 in New Delhi, in collaboration with Biofuture platform.