With the aim of addressing opportunities and challenges in the development of clean coal technologies, the National Centre for Clean Coal Research and Development (NCCCR&D) has been launched at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) by the Department of Science & Technology (DST).
NSSSR&D is a national consortium on clean coal research and development led by IISc. with IIT- Kharagpur, Madras, Guwahati, Bombay, and Hyderabad as partners.
The consortium will work on identifying existing gaps in clean coal technology as the major problem Indian power plants were facing was a high level of pollutants and low thermal efficiency. The centre will also address challenges like development of low emission combustion and gasification, and achieve high cycle efficiencies with reduced pollutants, an IISc. note stated.
The IISc. has already set-up an advanced indigenous supercritical CO2 test loop at a laboratory scale. Inaugurating the centre here on Monday, Union Minister of Science and Technology, Eart h Sciences, Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan said scientific and collective endeavours such as the centre would enable achievement of an affordable, efficient, and compact reliable clean energy system.
He added that it would help the country in achieving international targets on climate change. “Our target for 2030 is to have at-least 40% of our total requirement of energy to be from clean energy sources. We have already achieved around 34-35%. This is a significant progress,” he said.
Target beneficiaries of NCCCR&D include organisations such as the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Gas Authority of India Ltd. (GAIL), Bharat Heavy Electronics Ltd. (BHEL), Tata Power, and Triveni Turbines Ltd.
Dr. Vardhan also said the NCCCR&D would play an important role in fulfilling “nationally determined contributions ” like reducing emissions of greenhouse gases by 33% to 35% by 2030. “We have already achieved 20-21% and will easily reach our target. Centres like these will help us achieve more,” he said, while emphasising on the need for coordination and corporation between institutions and individuals working in science and technology .
Interdisciplinary centre
He also dedicated the Interdisciplinary Centre for Energy Research (ICER), a first of its kind in the country, equipped with the state-of-the-art facilities. ICER was formed to conduct socially relevant research to benefit people directly. Research conducted here would be in line with various national missions to have more reach. ICER is also mulling on starting a new Master’s course on energy.
Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, DST, said that Survey of India would prepare digital map of India using latest technologies including drones. “It will be a three dimensional mapping and would help the government in planning, development, and governance. Decision making becomes more scientific with this geo-spatial development,” he said.
He also said that the work was already under way in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Haryana, and 25 km of either side of the Ganga basin. “We plan to complete 50% of this by 2022 and 100% by 2024,” he said.
