Thermal power plants contribute 42 per cent of India’s total emissions. 70 per cent of this can be captured, recycled or even buried underground with the adoption of the right technologies

 India is about to release an innovative programme for carbon capture that seeks to reconcile its large coal reserves with the need to address rising emissions. The policy is expected to be released later this year, subject to the results of the elections. Its purpose is to encourage businesses to trap, recycle, and maybe store pollutants underground.

42 per cent of India’s emissions come from thermal power plants; however, by using the right technologies, a significant 70 per cent of these pollutants can be caught, recycled, or buried underground.

The government is emphasising the significance of combining thermal capacity and renewable energy deployment in order to fulfil rising energy consumption and avoid blackouts. The main goal is to make sustainable use of India’s plentiful coal resources.

The rate at which Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) units are being deployed is still too slow, even with the increased focus on carbon removal activities worldwide. There are already 40 operating units worldwide, and estimates suggest 50 more by 2030—a rate that the International Energy Agency considers insufficient to reach carbon neutrality by the middle of the century.

India is investigating coal gasification in tandem with the carbon capture plan, allocating a significant Rs 85 billion in subsidies to initiate projects. When compared to traditional coal fire, an early-stage technology that turns coal into gas for electricity generation exhibits somewhat reduced emissions.

India is at the vanguard of global climate action thanks to its creative approach, which combines a commitment to sustainable coal usage with an urgent need to reduce emissions.