Workshop on Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) Organized by NITI Aayog and US Agencies in New Delhi

The two-day workshop on “Legal & Regulatory Frameworks and Technical Considerations for Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS)” held at The Oberoi, New Delhi, brought together experts and dignitaries to discuss the importance of CCUS in decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries crucial for India’s economic growth.

Organized jointly by NITI Aayog, the US Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources, the US Department of Energy’s office of Carbon Management, and the US Department of Commerce’s Commercial Law Development Program, the workshop saw participation from senior dignitaries including HE Eric Garcetti, Ambassador of the US Embassy, and David Turk, Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Energy.

CCUS offers a unique set of tools for industries such as steel, cement, chemicals, and fertilizers, enabling a cleaner coal gasification economy and supporting the hydrogen economy. NITI Aayog has constituted technical inter-ministerial committees to address challenges related to CCUS implementation in India, including technology readiness and regulatory gaps.

HE Eric Garcetti emphasized the importance of collaboration between the US and India in achieving climate goals, while Suman Bery highlighted NITI Aayog’s efforts in developing pathways for India’s Net Zero 2070 target. Dr. VK Saraswat stressed the urgency of developing CCUS technology to achieve India’s net zero target, and Pankaj Agarwal highlighted the role of efficient technologies like Ultra Supercritical and Advanced Ultra Supercritical in achieving climate commitments.

The workshop featured sessions on key legal, policy, and regulatory issues for CCUS, international standards, business case opportunities for India, and CO2 technologies in various fields. The discussions focused on carbon source and sink mapping, storage pilots, hubs, clusters, and R&D cooperation on carbon management.

Overall, the workshop highlighted the importance of CCUS in India’s transition to a more sustainable and decarbonized economy, emphasizing the need for global cooperation and concerted efforts towards the development of CCUS technologies.