India's Green Energy Transition

At the recently concluded 29th Conference of the Parties or COP29, several critical issues were discussed. Nuclear energy was also a key topic, following the COP28 commitment by 22 countries to triple nuclear capacity by 2050. This year saw more countries entering the above commitment, taking the total count to 31, while the discussions mostly delved into the details of advancing nuclear energy, emphasising strategies for attracting investments, strengthening cross-border partnerships and identifying ways to deploy small modular reactors (SMRs) for energy-intensive sectors.

The 2019 Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme aims to enhance energy security for farmers, while promoting the use of renewable energy (RE) in the agriculture sector. Of its three components, Component A focuses on the installation of decentralised grid-connected RE-based power plants, with capacities ranging from 500 kW to 2 MW, by farmers on their land. The component can provide an additional, stable stream of income to farmers through the provision of selling the excess electricity generated to the grid.

The Government of India has set ambitious goals to ramp up a range of clean technologies by 2030 to increase energy independence, security, and access while promoting industrial development and reducing air pollution and GHG emissions. To deliver on these goals, the government has introduced a suite of financial and non-financial support measures. But will these measures be sufficient to reach the goals in full and on time?

Industry leaders pioneering the use of hydrogen to decarbonise the steel industry met on Monday in Delhi to discuss its potential and challenges. The event was organised by the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), a science and technology-based think tank, to launch its report Advanced Process Simulation Modelling for Hydrogen Application in Steel and Cement – A Technical and Economic Assessment.

Decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors calls for measures that can reduce emissions from both fuel combustion and different processes. These measures can yield incremental emission savings for abating emissions at scale. As the last frontier towards the net-zero goal, hard-to-abate sectors such as steel and cement manufacturing units must look to transition to scalable solutions that can offer energy saving opportunities and emissions reduction. In this study, we examine whether hydrogen can play a pivotal role in decarbonising steel and cement sectors.

Carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) is an innovative concept that involves converting carbon dioxide (CO₂) captured from point sources of emission or the air into value-added products. It has been gaining considerable attention lately for its role in realising a circular economy. In this context, our study aimed to examine the techno-economics of producing methanol and urea from the captured CO₂, while also evaluating the implications of producing these chemicals domestically, instead of importing them.

As electric vehicles (EVs) have zero tailpipe emissions and lower running costs, an increasing number of Bengalureans are adopting EVs over their conventional counterparts. As per a Bengaluru-based think tank, the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), the city will have more than 23 lakh EVs by 2030. However, for a smoother transition to EVs, challenges related to battery charging need to be overcome.

The environmental and health hazards associated with fossil-fuel-based vehicles are driving city dwellers towards electric vehicles (EVs), which have zero emissions and lower operating costs. As per the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy’s (CSTEP’s) report ‘Bengaluru 2030: Impact of EVs on Vehicular Emissions’, Bengaluru would have more than 23 lakh EVs (> 85% electric two wheelers [e-2Ws]) by 2030, helping curb beyond 3 million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually (CSTEP, 2023).

Most people in India travel less than 50 km daily on their two-wheelers. We conducted a market survey that revealed that most of the popular electric two-wheelers (E2Ws) sold today have a real-world range of at least 55 km. So why don’t we see more E2Ws on the road?

The world is witnessing electric vehicle (EV) revolution. Improved air quality (zero tailpipe emissions) is a key benefit of EVs. With over 22 million EVs, China is leading this revolution. Studies have shown that the scale of EV adoption in China has helped improve air quality in Wuhan, Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. Many Indian cities, including Delhi, have unhealthy air. As an evolving EV market, what could India learn from China?