The TREC-STEP (Tiruchi Regional Engineering College – Science and Technology Entrepreneurs Park) has commenced implementation of a prestigious European Union-funded project for developing a cluster for Clean Coal Technologies (CCT) and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Technologies for the Indian thermal power sector.
In partnership with the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), TREC-STEP will be implementing a comprehensive set of initiatives in CCT and CCS, disseminating new skills, technologies, and techniques to the Indian thermal power industry in order to take up effective demonstration and deployment actions. The Rs.5.5-crore project of 36-month duration is funded to the extent of 60.24 per cent by the EU.
The remaining Rs.2.2 crore of the project cost is jointly funded by TREC-STEP through the seed fund, and BHEL. The EU has provided the fund through the European Commission under the ‘thematic programme for environment and sustainable management of natural resources'.
Ernst and Young
With Ernst and Young as knowledge partner, the first training programme spanning two days attracted 55 participants representing the country's thermal power sector, academicians, entrepreneurs and innovators.
The capacity leverage programme addresses two functional requirements: Awareness building and skills leverage programmes.
The different capabilities available world over will be accessed, integrated, and utilised effectively together with national players such as policy makers, power majors, thermal power plants and enablers such as R & D institutions, academicians, incubators and start-up entrepreneurs. The resource persons provided an overview of the global scenario of CCS and CCT initiatives, covering technology, regulatory, and policy interventions in carbon capture and storage domain.
Inaugurating the programme in the presence of Shuvendu Bose, Associate Director, Ernst and Young, Haryana; S.Arumugam, Additional General Manager – Coal Research, BHEL, Tiruchi; and R.M.P.Jawahar, Executive Director, the president of Tiruchy District Tiny and Small Scale Industries' Association S.Sridharan said the training programme would enable the country on a growth path to address the challenge of reducing emission from thermal power plants.
Green house emissions
As India needs more power to sustain its growth, green house emissions have become unavoidable. It was not fair on the part of developed countries to legally bind developing nations like India and China to cut down emissions, he felt, adding that such projects hold promise for the future. Over the last three decades, BHEL has been working on various CCT measures. They include increasing efficiency of PF (pulverized fired) boilers, development of advanced ultra supercritical boiler sets, IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) technology development; oxy fuel combustion; biomass co-firing technology; and CO2 capture from flue gas, Mr.Arumugam said.
