India to Invest Rs 800 Cr for Energy Programme in UK: Piyush Goyal

NEW DELHI: Taking forward the collaboration of UK and India in the energy and power sector, Piyush Goyal, Minister of Power, said the government will invest Rs 800 crore in the UK over a period of three years to drive various energy efficiency initiatives.

The minister also launched the affordable LED lighting scheme, UJALA in the United Kingdom. Speaking at the launching event, Mr Goyal said, “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it. An inconsequential LED bulb has brought tremendous impact for India, where lighting accounts for nearly 180 billion units of energy annually. EESL has demonstrated immense success through UJALA. The initiative has allowed each one of us to contribute to saving energy.”

The UJALA scheme in India is the flagship scheme of EESL and the world’s largest zero-subsidy LED bulb programme for domestic consumers, acknowledged by the International Energy Agency (IEA). EESL has successfully implemented the UJALA scheme in India and distributed over 23 crore LED bulbs, impacting over 7 crore beneficiaries till date. The energy savings from the scheme alone have surpassed over 3000 crore kWh and reduced carbon emissions up to 2.43 crore tonnes.

In the UK, EESL will aim to promote and implement low-carbon, energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions in both public and private sectors.