Workshop on Concentrating Solar Thermal Technologies in Industries
With an aim to promote Concentrating Solar Thermal (CST) Technologies beneficial to various industrial sectors, Global Environment Facility and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (GEF-UNIDO) in partnership with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)are implementing the project ‘Promoting business models for increasing penetrations and scaling up of solar energy’. A series of workshops and site visits are being organized under the project to create awareness about the technology and its potential for application in the industrial sector. Wide participation and support from industry was ensured through close cooperation with the State Nodal AgencyMaharashtra Energy Development Agency (MEDA) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for the workshop; and site visits to Mahindra Vehicle Manufacturers in Pune and Thermax-DST project site in Shive. The Mahindra campus showcased the Scheffler Dish CST system as well as the integrated ARUN dish CST system while the Shive site showcased the Parabolic Trough CST system.
The workshop focusing on promotion of “CST technologies for industries” provided a platform to a large number of senior industrial representatives in and around Maharashtra to have open discussions with the consumers and manufacturers of CST systems.
Dr Anil Misra, National Project Manager, UNIDO in his welcome address demystified the barriers associated with technology adoption, and also shared details on the most suitable solar thermal technologies namely, Parabolic Troughs, Dish Collectors and Linear Fresnel systems. UNIDO has partnered with IREDA to develop a financial package bundling the subsidy from MNRE and loan funds from IREDA at reduced interest rate using the funds of the project.
Mr Shishir Joshipura, Chairman, CII Pune Zone & MD, SKF Industries in his remarks shared that he has been connected to CST technology for over eight years in various capacities and welcomed this initiative of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and UNIDO. He observed that CST systems are no longer to be looked at as a factor of economics but as long term investments since they provide one of the most sustainable sources of energy. Investing in this technology will not only help secure India’s energy future but also secure our next generations’ future, he said. He went on to say that such workshops on renewable energy technologies will help the industry to learn, deliberate and eventually implement this technology in their respective units and harness the associated benefits from this renewable resource.
Dr V V N Kishore, Former Professor and Head of Department – Energy & Environment, TERI University also joined the discussion and being one of the pioneers in the area of CST technology suggested that innovative applications of the energy generated should be focussed upon. He mentioned that heat storage at high temperature could be one of the main topics where research and development could unravel myriad solutions.
Mr Nitin Gadre, DG, MEDA, in his address said that CST technology being one of the most sustainable energy sources will open doors for various applications becoming more sustainable. He went on to share that MEDA as the State Nodal Agency will be focussing upon projects in the areas of solar energy, waste-to-energy and energy conservation. He also shared that funds under MEDA are being allocated under the Off-grid Solar Energy Policy where 100% funds assistance can be provided with the help of DPC funds. Mr. H M Kulkarni, General Manager (RE) I/C, MEDA shared information on the Solar Energy led initiatives that MEDA is currently working on, at the State level.
Dr R P Goswami, Director CST, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy in his address placed a great emphasis on the fact that industry should be proactive and come forward to contribute through projects and shared that CII along with MEDA will help build the projects’ pipeline in Maharashtra. He also mentioned that now is the time for industries who have implemented these technologies in their facilities to join hands in spreading the benefits of adopting CST technologies so that the pace of adoption and project implementation goes up thereby substantially helping in achieving the national renewable energy targets. With the funds that the Ministry is allocating for projects, he said that it is the right time for entrepreneurs to join the renewable energy brigade and aim to strengthen the CST industry.
Mr Tarun Kapoor, Joint Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy in his keynote address started off by saying that India which had recently participated in the COP21 and shared its INDCs is very serious about investing in the area of cleantech as well as energy conservation. Both these areas are large contributors towards mitigating climate change and hence technologies like CST have a big role to play in the long run. He appealed to all present in the workshop that we should aspire to leave our planet in a far better state than our predecessors. He hailed that it is the right time for Indian Industry to rise to the occasion and contribute towards achieving India’s overall energy targets. Achieving 175GW by 2022 is what needs to be kept in mind in the big picture and as far as solar thermal sector is concerned, India holds the 4th position while in CST we can aspire to be the leader since very few countries are focusing on this technology. India can take advantage of the high DNI availability in quite a few states in India. He also observed that just like the way the Solar PV sector has been successful, CST sector too has the potential to grow in a similar scale. However, to be able to do this, the industry has to come forward unequivocally and invest for benefits to accrue in the long run. He mentioned that even though cooking is the most common application of the CST technology, other applications in the industrial sector such as booster systems should be further explored.
The workshop also saw best practises and experiences being shared by few industries who have installed and adopted CST systems in their facilities located in and around Pune namely Clique Solar, Thermax, Ultra Conserve, LeverageNet Solutions, Oorja Energy Engineering Services, Quadsun Solar and ATE enterprises. Mahindra Vehicle Manufacturers which is a consumer of this technology also shared their perspective. The workshop saw huge participation from industries across different sectors therefore giving tremendous boost to the possibilities of implementing CST projects in Pune.
