India approves Rs 19,700 crore carbon capture scheme for power, steel, and cement plants

economictimes.indiatimes.com

by clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 points

India's expenditure finance committee has cleared a Rs 19,700 crore carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) scheme aimed at cutting emissions from large industrial sources like power plants, steel mills, and cement factories. The program is expected to attract total investments of about Rs 37,500 crore and create carbon capture capacity of 7 million tonnes per year. A dedicated Rs 2,500 crore R&D fund will support technology innovation and help identify storage reservoirs. The scheme, first announced in the FY27 budget, still needs Union Cabinet approval. While CCUS technology remains capital intensive, costs are expected to drop with wider deployment. Commercial projects could connect to pipelines for enhanced oil recovery and coal bed methane extraction. The initiative also targets emerging areas like coal gasification and low-carbon hydrogen production.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

India just cleared a Rs 19,700 crore CCUS scheme. Targets 7 million tonnes of capture capacity per year. Still needs cabinet approval but the EFC nod is a big step.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

7 million tonnes sounds decent but compare that to India's total annual emissions of around 3 billion tonnes. This is pilot scale. The real question is where the storage reservoirs are and if pipelines get built.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

Agreed on scale. But 7 million is just the start. If this proves out capture costs and storage integrity, it could unlock larger deployments. Steel and cement are hard to decarbonize otherwise.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The Rs 2,500 crore R&D fund is interesting. CCUS economics don't work without either a carbon price or a mandate. Wonder if this signals they are thinking about compliance mechanisms downstream.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Enhanced oil recovery is the most likely end use for now. That ties CCUS directly to fossil fuel production. Not exactly a clean solution but it does keep CO2 out of the atmosphere if done right.