ENHANCED COOPERATION AND INVESTMENTS IN RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR
FROM GERMANY AND USA
A 13-member official-cum-business
Indian Renewable Energy delegation, led by Shri M. Kannappan,
Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Non-conventional Energy
Sources, recently visited Germany and USA to explore the opportunities
arising from Government's plan to add a capacity of 10,000 MW
of grid power and electrification of 18,000 remote villages through
renewables by the end of the Eleventh Five year Plan.
During the visit,
the Minister met Mr. Jurgen Trittin, the German Federal Minister
for Environment at Berlin. The two leaders agreed to further strengthen
cooperation in the renewable energy sector. Village electrification
was identified as an area of high priority. Possibilities of enhanced
support to the renewable energy sector and investment by German
companies in CDM projects in India, were also discussed. The German
Minister informed about their plans to organise an International
Conference for Renewable Energies in June next year at Bonn and
called for India's active participation. In Berlin, the Minister
addressed a Round Table Discussion at the Potsdam Institute for
Climate Impact Research. At Frankfurt, the delegation met senior
officials of KfW to explore various possibilities of KfW-financing
of renewable energy projects in India.
Shri Kannappan called
on Mr. Spencer Abraham, US Secretary of Energy at Washington.
The two sides reviewed the ongoing cooperation between the two
countries and agreed to identify new areas of mutual interest
to strengthen cooperation in this sector. US side expressed interest
in decentralised/off-grid electricity generation, including hybrid
systems, for village electrification. Mr. Abraham explained the
details of Hydrogen Energy Road Map prepared by his Government
and invited India to collaborate in the area of hydrogen energy.
In Washington, Shri
Kannappan addressed a Round Table Discussion organised jointly
by US Energy Association and CII, and invited US companies to
take advantage of the investment opportunities in this sector
in India. The delegation had meetings with the Global Village
Energy Partnership Programme to discuss a business model for village
electrification projects in India. Officials of US Exim Bank called
on the Minister and informed him about their interest to expand
their operations in the renewable energy sector in India. During
the visit to San Francisco, a presentation was made to the delegation
at Stanford University on various research projects being undertaken
under their social entrepreneurship programme which have relevance
to renewable energy programmes in rural areas in India.
The delegation visited
key renewable energy industries and projects in the two countries
and elicited fabourable response, both from the respective Governments
and the business communities in these two countries. This is expected
to lead to enhanced bilateral cooperation, collaboration between
institutions and industry and increased investments from those
countries in the renewable energy sector in India.
