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BHEL Chief B Prasada Rao kicks off INAE-CAE clean-coal technologies

Dec 4, 2012

New Delhi : Clean coal technologists from Canada and India met here today to discuss strategies for reducing carbon emissions during power generation.

Kicking off the conference here, Mr B Prasada Rao, Chairman and Managing Director of BHEL called for rapidly accelerating the pace of moving newer clean coal technologies from labs to implementation stage

Mr Rao indicated that the Government has identified supercritical coal combustion technology for coal based power plants of over 660 MW capacity. BHEL is partnering other power producers to establish thermal power plants employing this technology by 2017. The supercritical coal combustion technology allows power production efficiency to move up from 39% to 46% in an environment friendly manner.

BHEL CMD said that they are committed to creating clean coal solutions by investing as much as 2.5% of sales on R&D and filing a new patent application every day.

Lauding INAE for its key role in bringing scientific and academic community face to face with industry and government, Mr Prasada Rao seconded INAE President Dr Baldev Raj’s idea of throwing up challenge of producing clean energy to young Indian engineers as well engineers in the making.

This first-of-its kind initiative was organized by the Academy of Engineering from both Canada and India. The day-long conference hosted by Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) and Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE), as part of the Indian National Academy of Engineering’s silver jubilee celebrations.

Dr Baldev Raj, INAE President stressing the need for implementation of clean coal said that India is among the lowest consumers of electricity. When India triples per capita energy production to around 2500 watts per Indian in the current decade it can ill afford to triple its carbon emissions, he added.

It is well known that India despite its large coal reserves suffers from high ash content. Not enough has been done to set up coal washing facilities at coal heads leading to a choked rail transport system where almost two-fifths of the coal carried is nothing but ash.

Dr Baldev Raj, INAE President asked scores of attending scientists to connect with youth who can design and solve clean coal challenges. “By throwing open these challenge outside our networks we have a possibility of getting simple and robust solutions. I am convinced that different solutions and mechanisms have to come from Young innovative Indian engineers. Innovations thrive when there are large opportunities and India of today has large opportunities.”

Ms Ivy Lerner-Frank, Canadian Trade Commissioner extended her Government’s support in implementing the ongoing energy memorandum of understanding and Science & Technology agreement to ensure sharing of knowledge and technology to produce clean energy.