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Integrated Local Energy Systems

  • Posted By
    10Pointer
  • Categories
    Economy
  • Published
    12th Mar, 2020
  • Context

    • At the India Smart Utility Week 2020, the Indo-European Union (EU) Flagship Call made an announcement on the Integrated Local Energy Systems.
  • Who all are involved?

    • This Indo-EU flagship call is fully in line with both the European Union’s and India’s involvement in Mission Innovation (MI), a global initiative of 24 countries and the European Commission (on behalf of the European Union), committed to reinvigorate and accelerate global clean energy innovation with the objective to make clean energy widely affordable.
    • This Indo-EU Flagship call is expected to give novel solutions encompassing local integration across various energy vectors and increase the share of renewables in the energy mix and high energy efficiency.
    • Furthermore, the India Smart Utility Week 2020 announced the India-Sweden Collaborative Industrial Research & Development Program. The joint Programme, co-funded by the Indian Department of Science & Technology (DST) and Swedish Energy Agency, will bring together world-class expertise of Sweden and India to address challenges in the area of Smart Grids.
  • What has India done till date in this regard?

    • During the last five years DST has set up 3 major international smart grids networked virtual centres and partnered with 24 countries for smart grids research, development and innovation.
    • As co-lead of Mission Innovation (MI) Smart Grids innovation challenge, DST has supported 9 MI projects envisaging partnership of 17 Indian and 20 Foreign Institutions across 9 countries.
    • DST has already made an investment of 60 million USD in Smart Grids.
    • DST, Government of India and the Swedish Energy Agency have created a funding mechanism through which companies may seek support for joint Research and Development projects.
    • The India-Sweden programme aims to foster and support the development of collaborative Research and Development projects that bring together companies, research organisations, academics and other collaborators from both countries for the joint development of innovative products or processes.
    • The project should aim to develop technologies that can be commercialised after two years through cooperation between India and Sweden.
  • Why Sweden?

    • Since the 1970s Sweden’s dependence on imported fossil fuels has decreased significantly. The country’s total energy supply from fossil fuels such as coal, coke, crude oil and petroleum products declined from 81% in 1970 to 27% in 2017.
    • In 2017, various forms of biomass provided 62% of district heating consumption, including in the industrial, services and residential segments.
    • Swedish electricity production comprised around 39% nuclear energy (from three nuclear power plants with a total of eight reactors), 51% renewable energy sources, mainly hydropower and wind, and 10% combined heat and power (CHP), fuelled predominantly by renewable sources (SEA, 2019a).
    • The remaining challenge of phasing out fossil fuels lies mainly in the transport sector and in the energy-intensive industrial sector, providing an opportunity to explore the potential of innovations such as electric vehicle (EV) smart charging, renewable power-to-heat and renewable power-to hydrogen, among others.
    • Sweden is already leading the global energy transformation in many aspects. The country’s power system is almost entirely decarbonised, and climate friendly, market-based policies and public and private support for innovation are in place.
    • These factors put Sweden at the forefront of innovative countries in the European Union (EU) and beyond.
  • Why India need this?

    • With India raising its ambition for renewable energy manifold, research, development and innovation the area of Smart Grids assumes high priority as essential enabler.
    • India-Sweden Industrial led Research & Development collaborative programme on Smart Grids at a collective investment of USD 5 Million will help to transform the clean energy sector into a secure, adaptive, sustainable and digitally enabled ecosystem and provide reliable and quality energy for all.
  • How will it help India?

    • The latest partnership will help India and the EU in project of Clean Energy and Climate. Furthermore, it will also foster energy research and innovation, especially in the field of renewable energy and its inclusion into the energy system. Experts reveal the tie-up will make energy supply cleaner, more efficient and affordable.
    • This Indo-EU Flagship call will give novel solutions encompassing local integration across various energy vectors and increase the share of renewables in the energy mix and high energy efficiency.
    • High research development and innovation investments, especially, in partnership and collaborations, can accelerate Smart Grid technologies development in the near future.
  • What is local Energy?

    • Unlike traditional energy generation (by burning coal or gas, for example), renewable energy is energy generated from natural sources such as sunlight, wind or waves, that are continually replenished.
    • Local energy is the delivery of renewable energy projects involving a range of public, private and community organisations for the benefit of local consumers operating within a defined area.
    • Local energy benefits local economies by re-generating communities, delivering financial benefits to the community and its stakeholders, and creating jobs. Local energy generation can also help alleviate fuel poverty and empower communities by delivering benefits to the community.
Quick Recap
  1. Industrial Research & Development Program—collaboration of India and Sweden—co-funded by DST and Swedish Energy Agency.
  2. Mission Innovation (MI) is a global initiative of 24 countries and the European Commission.
  3. The 2020 Clean Energy Ministerial and Mission Innovation Ministerial (CEM11/MI-5) meetings will take place in Viña del Mar, Chile from June 2nd-4th, 2020.
  4. Vancouver, Canada hosted Mission Innovation’s fourth annual Ministerial gathering (MI-4) on May 28, 2019.
  5. CEM10/MI-4 theme: “Accelerating Progress Towards a Clean Energy Future”.

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