In what will help add heft to India’s climate change stand on the international stage, state-run Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) plans to expand its operations in the UK, Europe and North America.
In order to operationalise its plans, EESL has invited proposals for strategic partnerships with clean tech organisations in these markets, according to an EESL statement on Thursday.
With a £5.6 billion energy efficiency portfolio, EESL has already made its overseas foray with operations in London.
This move comes against the backdrop of the US’ withdrawal from the Paris climate deal, announced by President Donald Trump.
With its ambitious 175 gigawatt renewable power programme, India has been championing the cause of green energy globally and has been instrumental in setting up the International Solar Alliance (ISA), which brings together countries with abundant sunshine with the aim of lowering solar energy costs.
Ujala is a programme under which India aims to replace 770 million old wasteful lamps with modern, efficient and longer lasting LED (light-emitting diode) lamps, without any government subsidies, by 2019. Till date, more than 243.8 million LED bulbs have already been replaced across the country.
The main objective of the strategic partnerships is to provide energy efficiency services in the areas of lighting and several industrial applications.
EESL will be open to partnering organizations that are working on projects related to clean energy, energy efficiency, and low carbon growth strategy as well, according to its expression of interest.
Another area where EESL is looking for partnerships is combined heat and power (CHP) systems to generate electricity and useful thermal energy in a single, integrated system.
EESL has asked interested organizations to submit their documents by 3 July with an announcement scheduled for 13 July.
India has placed its bets on mainstreaming energy efficiency to target climate change. Besides LED bulbs, it is already working on energy-efficient ceiling fans and LED tubelights.
Under its voluntary targets submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) prior to the Paris climate summit in 2015, India promised to improve energy efficiency of its industries, coal power plants, launch a energy conservation building code and carry out programmes involving the lines of switching to LED bulbs and energy-efficient fans.
Last month, when minister for new and renewable energy Piyush Goyal was in London, he suggested to the UK government a target of replacing at least 100 million incandescent bulbs with LEDs by March 2019 to reduce individual household energy consumption by at least half.
EESL has established operations in the UK by investing around £7 million in seven energy saving projects which have been in operation for more than two years.
