India and France To Work Closer in Areas of Clean Energy

India calls 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. Indian renewable sector ranks 4^th 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.

Inaugurating the Indo-French Workshop on Clean and Sustainable Energy Technologies (INFINITE) at CSIR – National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi, Dr. S. Chandrasekhar, Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India said that the Government in 2022 had set a target of installing 100 GW of solar energy.  He added that using the Thar Desert as a site for solar power generation, India is estimated to generate up to 2,100 GW of solar energy.

Dr Chandrasekhar referred to another initiative of the Govt. of India and that is 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.

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. He said, 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. “I hope the process and technologies that will be discussed in this workshop will be of enormous potential in mitigating the impact of climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions”, Secretary added.

In her address, Dr. N. Kalaiselvi Director General, CSIR and Secretary DSIR, said that India needs huge augmentation in the manufacturing of renewable energy technologies and infrastructures. 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.

Pr. Antoine Petit, CEO of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) 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.

Prof. Arvind Kumar Mishra, Director CSIR-CIMFR pointed out that this 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. He said, both the sides 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. We need to share our experiences, explore new ideas, and challenge ourselves to think differently.

The objective of the workshop is to bring together experts, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders from both countries to exchange knowledge, ideas, and best practices on the development and deployment of clean and sustainable energy technologies. The workshop will feature a range of presentations and discussions on various topics related to Solar Energy, Hydrogen Energy, Carbon Capture Utilization & Storage, Electrochemical Energy Storage, and Clean Fuels.

The event has been jointly organized by CSIR – Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR), Dhanbad, and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), France and is being supported by the Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (CEFIPRA).

Prof. Venugopal Achanta, Director, CSIR – NPL welcomed the guests, invitees, and delegates, and Prof. Arvind K. Mishra, Director, CSIR – CIMFR made the opening remarks.

Prior to the workshop, the bilateral meeting between DG, CSIR, and the CEO of CNRS also included discussions on strengthening cooperation in the field of clean energy research and development and formulation of new R&D programs between the two countries. The meeting was also graced by Directors of several CSIR Labs and other French Representatives from CEFIPRA, CNRS, CEA, and the Embassy of France in India, New Delhi.

The INFINITE workshop provides a platform for experts and stakeholders from both countries to exchange knowledge, identify areas of collaboration, and explore new avenues for cooperation in the field of clean and sustainable energy technologies. The event is expected to be successful, and it is hoped that the discussions and collaborations initiated during the workshop will lead to concrete outcomes in the near future.

The bilateral workshop is being coordinated by Dr. R. Ebhin Masto, Senior Principal Scientist, CSIR – CIMFR, India, and Dr. Abdelilah Slaoui, Deputy Research Director In-Charge of Energy, CNRS, France.