Date:08/01/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/01/08/stories/2008010860640800.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Experts moot environment-friendly technology for power generation

Special Correspondent

Need to enhance coal efficiency and reduce carbon emissions stressed
Coal meets more than a half of the country’s power needs

VISAKHAPATNAM: Panellists from different fields of energy production aired their views at a panel discussion on India’s energy security during the 95th Indian Science Congress here on Monday to find ways and means of integrated development of energy resources and utilising environment-friendly, high-efficiency technologies.

It is also pointed out that India’s per capita electricity consumption (639 kWh) is among the lowest in the world and comparable to that of Vietnam and Mozambique while 40 per cent of Indians have no access to electricity.

The panellists felt the need to enhance the efficiency of coal, which is the backbone of energy sector in India, and also reduce the carbon emissions. Nuclear power provides a great advantage and it is also devoid of carbon emission and the nuclear stations can be set up anywhere.

Great potential

Renewable energy like hydropower and solar power enjoys a great potential. The discussion also took note of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s call during the inaugural ceremony to develop nuclear, solar and clean-coal technologies.

Convener of the panel discussion U. Ashwathanarayana, who is honorary director of the Mahadevan International Centre for Water Resources Management (Hyderabad), while quoting the International Energy Agency estimates, said India needed Rs. 50 lakh crores between 2006 and 2015 to generate 255 giga watts power it required.

He also stressed the need to have methods that would not damage environment while producing power.

Coal meets more than half of the country’s power generation needs and coal bed methane, underground coal gasification and other techniques had to be adopted for clean source of energy production, Deputy Director General (coal) of Geological Survey of India Gautam Mukhopadhyay said.

The resources that would not make conventional coal mining economical were well suited for underground coal gasification even in distant future multi-dimensional utilisation of solid fossil fuel needed a multi-organisational effort and multi-faceted study. Risk was involved with every new technology and the government could share the risk and bear the initial investment, he felt.

Nuclear power

Chief Engineer of Nuclear Power Corporation of India N. Nagaich spoke on role of nuclear power in India.