Low Carbon Technologies (LCT) and Carbon Capture & Sequestration (CCS)—Key to Green Power Mission for Energy Security and Environmental Sustainability

Abstract

Despite the fact that India has taken a giant leap forward in increasing the installed capacity from a mere 1367 MW in beginning of Independence era to over 303,100 MWe in June 2016, the renewable energy sources however contribute merely 14.1% with total capacity of over 42,800 MW. But this contribution has a major social and economic impact on rural and remote area population. The growth of clean energy technologies for mega Power generation, such as the Solar Mega Power under Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission, both Solar Thermal and PV, clean coal technologies, CCTs, i.e., supercritical power plants, integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), and fluidized bed combustion (FBC) are key to the success of Green Power Mission for India. Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is considered as the frontier Green Energy technology. CCS technology is still in the demonstration phase, and it is important that India is not left behind in this area. While there is a considerable amount of work already underway domestically, there may still be a need for research collaborations and knowledge sharing and transfer. Areas of research in CCS include development of new adsorbents, better process integration of capture equipment, and conversion of CO2 to useful products, among others. The important challenge of energy penalty in CCS being faced worldwide can be met through the use of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) for supplementing steam for regeneration in a solvent-based post-combustion CO2 capture in thermal power plants. Low Carbon Technologies (LCT) and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) are key factors for energy security and environmental sustainability, and the same are put forward in this chapter leading to an opportunity for course-correction in our thinking in Green Power.