Trec - Step

Developing a Cluster for Clean Coal Technologies (CCT) and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Technologies for the Indian Thermal Power Sector Project financed by The European Union

In Partnership with : Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)

While the demand for power in India is huge and growing steadily, India is also endowed with a wealth of rich coal reserves and has the third largest coal reserve in the world today. The rising energy demand, available coal endowments and necessity to reduce oil imports, together will intensify coal compulsions of India. In the face of equally compelling carbon emission reduction requirements globally, more efficient technologies for utilizing our coal reserves becomes increasingly important.

Hence aiming at reducing the environmental impact of coal energy generation in coal fired power plants, the emphasis on clean coal technology can never be overstated. Government of India has also initiated multi-pronged strategies to increase the efficiency of the coal fired power plants and thereby reducing harmful emissions.

The Project

In order to assist the Indian Thermal Power Sector to address the challenges of reducing CO2 emissions by using more efficient and latest Clean Coal Technologies, TREC-STEP, in partnership with Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd, India's largest public sector manufacturer of power plant equipments, has taken up a major development initiative, funded by the European Union, under its project for 'Developing a Cluster for Clean Coal Technologies (CCT) and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) for the Indian Thermal Power Sector'. With a comprehensive set of actions covering awareness building, capabilities development, demonstration and deployment projects, innovation development and dissemination platforms, this project is expected to promote a groundswell for CCT and CCS initiatives in India.

Specific Objectives

To nucleate, launch and manage a vibrant cluster of complementary players, resources and skills, focusing on CCT and CCS technologies, in the Indian thermal power sector,

To reach out to international expertise, knowledge, skills and resources, continuously, to address the project aims more effectively,

To improve awareness and skills of the major power sector players, general public and the government in CCT and CCS technology areas and to secure supports and constituency for the intended project aims,

To demonstrate, disseminate and deploy, focused CCT and CCS technologies in project mode for replication and field usage,

To develop dedicated publicity, advocacy and action triggers to bring out policy, knowledge, skills and resource commitment to various other constituents in Indian thermal power sector,

To mine innovation and entrepreneurial venture pursuits in CCT and CCS technologies, to usher in niche applications, sustainability and more effective implementation and

To leverage and showcase the project improvements to much larger audience inorder to improve the catchment areas for environmental initiatives and their benefits, in a sustainable manner, in the future

By bringing together the power majors, including decision making bodies and policy makers, with a focused set of cluster development actions, aiming at awareness, training, benchmarking, international network development, the proposed project aims to impact the decision making in India, favourably, to reduce the level of CO2 emissions and other pollutants, to the planned requirements. Promoting innovative clean tech dedicated start-ups engaged in CCS and CCT, adds to the sustainability and effective implementation of the project aim. So, the cluster and its actions proposed in this project shall add new dimensions and momentum to CCT and CCS initiatives in India, through developing capacities, networks, dissemination, awareness, support and sustainability of the actions.

Project Actions

The activity spectrum being implemented for the project progressively addresses building up a new organizational structure in the form of a carbon cluster, with its hub located in Trichy. The specific activities of the cluster are given below:

Launch and Management of Cluster Hub

Studies for knowledge generation and Deployment of Actions

Capacity Leverage Programmes in CCT and CCS

Benchmarking Learning Tours

Internships

Demonstration and Deployment of Oxy Fuel and Bio-mass Cofiring Project

Incubating Innovative Clean Tech Ventures - Private Sector Development

Documentation, Dissemination Platforms and Events

For more information, please visit the project website: http://www.carboncap-cleantech.com/