Incentives key to seed and promote CCUS sector in India

Finally India has a clear cut policy framework, a road map to decarbonise by half carbon dioxide emission from the hard-to-abate sectors by 2050. As reported first by Bizz Buzz, NITI Aayog has now come up with its policy framework: “Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Policy Framework and its Deployment Mechanism in India” on November 29. The report was actually jointly prepared by NITI Aayog and MN Dastur & Company and after series of parleys and suggestions and feedback from the Union Ministry of Power, Union Ministry of Coal, Union Ministry of Environment, Union Ministry of Steel, Department of Science and Technology, NTPC, ONGC, SAIL, GAIL, BHEL, IOC, Dastur, Tata Steel and other stakeholders.

NITI Aayog top brass was understandably upbeat as CCUS is expected to play an important role in enabling sunrise sectors such as coal gasification and the nascent hydrogen economy in India. This will reduce imports and lead to an Atmanirbhar Indian economy. The key challenge would be to reduce the cost of the mechanisms to implement the technology. NITI Aayog will of course try to develop a consensus with other ministries on the matter.