India to Launch National Carbon Capture Initiative with Major Incentives
India is preparing to roll out a national carbon capture initiative with substantial government incentives to support the adoption of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technologies. The scheme could provide funding between 50% and 100% for select projects, according to Rajnath Ram, Adviser (Energy) at NITI Aayog. The announcement was made during a coal summit organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce.
The initiative comes as India’s electricity demand continues to rise, with coal expected to remain a major part of the energy mix for the next two decades. Ram noted that while coal cannot be phased out immediately, the focus must shift to using it more sustainably. He highlighted that converting coal to synthetic natural gas could reduce India’s natural gas imports by nearly 50%, though large-scale commercialisation remains a challenge.
Alongside its push for CCUS, India is working toward expanding non-fossil fuel capacity to 500 GW by 2030. However, the government also plans to increase coal-based power generation capacity by 97 GW by 2035, bringing the total to about 307 GW. Officials are exploring ways to integrate carbon capture with coal gasification projects, aligning with global efforts to deploy CCUS as a key tool in meeting climate goals, as outlined by the International Energy Agency.
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