US-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP)

Editor1 Oct 18 2021 Current Affairs
US-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP)

India and the US have added a fifth track on ‘emerging fuels’ as part of US-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP), said India’s petroleum and natural gas ministry.

This came in the context of India’s petroleum and natural gas minister Hardeep Singh Puri co-chairing a virtual ministerial meeting with US energy secretary Jennifer Granholm to launch the revamped US-India SCEP.

“The meeting also reviewed the progress on the India-US civil nuclear energy cooperation," petroleum and natural gas ministry said in a statement.

Energy security is at the core of India-US strategic energy partnership.

“The two sides announced addition of a fifth Pillar on Emerging Fuels, which signals joint resolve to promote cleaner energy fuels. A new India-US Task Force on Biofuels was also announced to build on the scope of work on cooperation in biofuels sector," the statement said.

This comes against the backdrop of India’s charge to attain new-age, emission-free fuels such as green hydrogen in fertilizer production and petroleum refining. Apart from providing grid-scale storage solutions and feedstock for ammonia production, hydrogen can be used for fuel cell and is being leveraged for mobility applications and transportation.

Also, the Indian government aims to develop a 1 trillion biofuel economy, with the state-run oil marketing companies investing 10,000 crore for setting up 12 second generation bio refineries in alignment with the Union cabinet recently approving the national biofuels policy that aims for helping India’s efforts to cut energy imports and carbon emissions.

US crude oil export to India has increased against the background of the Indian government working on diversifying the country’s energy basket with crude oil supplies from non-Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (non-Opec) sources. India, the world’s third-largest oil importer has said that it would import crude oil from any country that offers cheaper and favourable terms.

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