India Offers Global Climate Solution With Two Groundbreaking Energy Projects
Ever heard of baking soda being made out of carbon dioxide? Or solar panels lighting 150000 households? Two plants in Tamil Nadu, India are giving the world serious climate saving goals. Converting Carbon into useful chemical and Going Solar is the Indian way of fighting climate worries.
The first plant situated in Tuticorin Tamil Nadu has been capturing CO2 from its own coal-powered boiler. According to the Guardian the firm will be gathering up to 60,000 tonnes of CO2 which will be used in manufacturing soda ash aka baking powder, manufacturing glass, sweetners, detergent and paper products. The firm's managing director, Ramachandran Gopalan is very positive about the whole prospect as he proudly claims the plant releases zero emissions.
The idea behind this unique usage of carbon had first struck two young minds from Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur. Having found no financial contributors in India, they approached the UK government where the idea was appreciated and the two yIndians were offered grants and special entrepreneurship status.
The firm known as Carbonclean has its Headquarters in London's Paddington district. It is being helped by another carbon researching organization from Bristol named Carbon8 which buys carbon to make aggregates. Some other researchers are also contributing in the process by working on making plastics and fuels from the waste CO2.
In another related news, according to BBC News a massive solar firm providing power to 15000 homes is in operation just a few kilometers away from the Tuticorin carbon plant. The Kamuthi solar plant has been getting government subsidies for delivering solar power to 60 million homes by 2020 whereas looking to derive 40% of its energy from renewables by 2030.
This plant iunder the supervision of Indian firm Adani is looking to create the largest coal mine in Australia which can provide power to almost 100 million energy starved people of India. As per their view, it is impossible to produce energy solely from renewables to cater a country as populated as India.
China, EU and many ountries pledged their support to bring down emission levels to a minimum at the recently held Marrakech climate conference where interestingly India didn't made any tall claims. Despite underplaying their role as a climate concerned and responsible nation, the recent innovation puts India as one of the global leaders to tackle the universal issue of climate control.