Techno-economic and Environmental Analysis of Low Carbon Energy Technologies: Indian Perspective

摘要

Low Carbon Technologies (LCTs), have a central role to play in reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and to move towards a low carbon economy. Under the present global scenario, developing countries like India and China need to look forward for the development and deployment of LCTs in which only industrialized countries have major stake till date. Demand and potential of LCTs becomes crucial in Indian context where fossil fuel consumption is projected to increase rapidly in next decades and hence increased carbon emissions. The migration of global energy systems to low carbon pathways therefore depends upon the successful (technically and environmentally) and cost effective development and deployments of LCTsThe LCTs that have been identified globally for production of energy in a renewable manner, for reducing carbon emissions while producing energy and for carbon capture and storage, are broadly classified as - clean coal technologies, carbon capture and sequestration (storage) technologies and renewable energy technologies with negligible or low carbon emissions compared to conventional energy technologies. In this paper, techno-economic and an environmental investigation and analysis of such low carbon energy technologies has been presented, with special emphasis on India. The paper identify, analyze and recommend, on the basis of available and collected / collated information and data, the promising and potential low carbon energy technology options suited to Indian conditions for grid connected power generation. The evaluation criteria adopted include - emission reduction potential, technological feasibility, and economic viability; and on its basis recommend a detailed action plan and strategy for guiding future research and development with a more focused approach considering current Indian policy framework.