Renewable energy

NGT
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National Green Tribunal, New Delhi (NGT): The Bench of Adarsh Kumar Goel, J(Chairperson) and Sudhir Agarwal, J (Judicial Member) and Prof. A. Senthil Vel (Expert Member) took suo moto cognizance based on media report titled “Times's running out; Is India ready to handle 34,000 tonnes of Solar Waste by 2030?” highlighting the need for formulation of a sound solar waste management policy in India.

Upcoming Catastrophe

In the climate summit at Glasgow (COP26), Prime Minister, Narendra Modi announced that India would generate 40% of its installed energy capacity from non-fossil sources (solar, wind, hydro, biomass and nuclear) by 2030. The Government, thereafter, set an ambitious target installing renewable energy capacity of about 450 GW (Gigawatts) by 2030 in which its solar target is 280 GW (over 60%).

But as it is rightly said “with great power comes great responsibility”, with an ambitious target comes responsibility of tackling with solar waste, i.e. the electronic waste generated by discarded solar panels, which is going to increase by at least 4-5 fold by the next decade.

Therefore, it is high time that India should formulate a sound solar waste management policy as it has none.

NGT's Take

Noting the serious problem which India will face in future, NGT vide order dated 14.02.2022, directed the constitution of Joint Committee comprising of Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF & CC), and Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE). Further, the MoEF & CC will be the Nodal agency for coordination and compliance.

Accordingly, a report dated 17.05.2022 was filed by MoEF&CC suggesting an action plan with phase wise steps to enable environmentally sound management of solar panel waste, after it was directed to prepare an Action Plan with regards to environmentally sound management of solar panel waste in accordance with the laid down norms.

Disposing the application, the Tribunal suggested that MoEF&CC may finalise further action in the matter, preferably within two months.

[In re: Article Published in the magazine i.e Down to earth dated 13 January 2022 Under the Title Time’s running out : Is India ready to handle 34,600 tonnes of Solar waste by 2030, Original Application No.112/2022, order dated 19.07.2022]

Cabinet DecisionsLegislation Updates

The Union Cabinet has given approval for the MoU between India and Guinea in the field of Renewable Energy.

Objective:

          The objective of the MoU is:

  1. To establish the basis for a cooperative institutional relationship
  2. To encourage and promote bilateral technical cooperation in the field of renewable energy on the basis of mutual benefit, equality, and reciprocity between the Parties.
  3. Areas of cooperation include Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Bio-energy, and Waste to energy, Small Hydro Storage and Capacity Build.

The Memorandum of understanding will also help in strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Cabinet

[Press Release dt. 06-11-2019]

NewsTreaties/Conventions/International Agreements

The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and France in the field of Renewable Energy. Both sides aim to identify research/ demonstration/ pilot project between National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), India and Commissariat a I’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA), France in the mutually identified areas. Based on mutual agreement, both parties would work for implementation & deployment of pilot project in ISA member countries. Collaboration may occur through several means, including joint research projects, joint R&D, joint workshops, Research and Technology exchange including exchange of domain experts. The MoU also aims for exchange of expertise and networking of information. The MoU will help in strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy

NewsTreaties/Conventions/International Agreements

The Partnership affirms the strategic importance of energy cooperation to the U.S.-India bilateral relationship and sets the stage for deeper and more meaningful engagements through government and industry channels. As leading global partners, the United States and India believe that energy cooperation can serve as a center piece in the bilateral relationship. Through the Partnership, the United States and India collectively seek to enhance energy security, expand energy and innovation linkages across the respective energy sectors, bolster strategic alignment, and facilitate increased industry and stakeholder engagement in the energy sector.

Under the Partnership, the United States and India will pursue four primary pillars of cooperation :-

(1) Oil and Gas;

(2) Power and Energy Efficiency;

(3) Renewable Energy and Sustainable Growth; and

(4) Coal.

Both parties may consider establishing additional pillars of cooperation based on mutual agreement. The Strategic Energy Partnership elevates the role of energy in advancing shared goals, including universal energy access, strengthened energy security and increased energy efficiency. The Partnership will create important opportunities for advancing favorable policies and commercial investments in support of these goals, including in natural gas markets. In keeping with the shared objectives to provide a stronger business orientation to the energy cooperation, both sides have noted with appreciation the growing investment of Indian companies in the United States and the beginning of oil and gas exports from the United States to India.

Recognizing the significance of civilian nuclear energy for meeting the growing global energy demands in a cleaner and more efficient manner, India and the United States are engaged in the implementation of the 2008 Agreement for cooperation concerning peaceful uses of nuclear energy, which represents an important milestone in the strategic relationship. In this regard, the two sides have reaffirmed their strong commitment to early and full implementation of the civil nuclear partnership, including the Westinghouse civil nuclear project at Kovvada. Cooperation in this area is being pursued through relevant bilateral mechanisms.

As a first step in realizing the full potential of the Strategic Energy Partnership, the United States and India announced the U.S.-India Natural Gas Task Force. The Task Force provides a team of U.S. and Indian industry experts with a mandate to propose, develop, and convey, innovative policy recommendations to Government of India in support of its vision for natural gas in the economy of India. The work of the Task Force is expected to advance the strategic and economic interests of both the United States and India. Strategic Energy Partnership teams will convene soon to further develop action plans for the respective pillars of cooperation. The U.S. and Indian co-chairs will receive reports from the pillar teams on a regular basis.

[Press Release no. 1529335]

Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas

NewsTreaties/Conventions/International Agreements

The Union Cabinet has approved signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in the field of Renewable Energy between India and Hellenic. The MoU was signed by the External Affairs Minister, Smt. Sushma Swaraj, Government of India and H.E. Nikos Kotzias, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic. Both sides aim to establish the basis for a cooperative institutional relationship to encourage and promote technical bilateral cooperation on new and renewable issues on the basis of mutual benefit equality and reciprocity. The MoU envisages establishing a Joint Working Group to review, monitor and discuss matters in relation to areas of cooperation. The MoU aims for exchange of expertise and networking of information.

[Press Release no. 1523097]

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy