Confidential Draft

IRENA-India Collaboration – Draft Work Plan 2022-23

In the context of Strategic Partnership Agreement

Background
• India is a global energy transition leader with strong existing renewable energy deployments and ambitious long-terms goals. India is moving
ahead in its green energy transition through developing and utilizing strategic opportunities to achieve a greater share of renewables in the
country. The country has made impressive progress in making renewable energy and energy efficiency more accessible and affordable. As part
of its NDC (COP 21), India had committed to achieve 40% of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil energy sources by 2030. However, the
country achieved this target in November 2021. As announced in COP26 in Glasgow, India is aiming to reach net zero emissions by 2070. As per
IRENA, the country ranked fourth globally in terms of installed renewable energy capacity in 20211, with a total installed capacity of 151.4GW.

• In recent years, India has brought electricity connections to hundreds of millions of its citizens; promoted the adoption of highly efficient LED
lighting by most households; and prompted a massive expansion in renewable sources of energy, led by solar power. However, the Covid-19
pandemic, the Ukraine crisis and soaring oil and gas prices pose tremendous challenges for sustaining the momentum and further accelerating
this transition. The next few years are critical as India takes up the Presidency of G20 and IRENA’s 13th Assembly in 2023 – demonstrating its
growing influence in shaping international development cooperation and strengthening multilateralism.

• IRENA signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India (GoI) in January
2022, which identifies key areas of cooperation namely:
o Facilitating knowledge sharing on scaling-up RE and clean energy technologies.
o Supporting India’s efforts on long term energy planning.
o Collaboration to strengthen the innovation climate in India, through Innovation Day.
o Moving towards cost-effective decarbonization though development and deployment of green hydrogen.

• In this context, Director General IRENA had a successful mission to India in April 2022, engaging with a number of Ministries and key stakeholders
in the sectors of power, renewable energy, environment, climate change, steel and skills for green jobs. One of the key objectives of the mission
was to identify potential areas for cooperation on energy transition and climate action between IRENA and the Government of India.

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Workplan
Against the above background, the following key areas of cooperation and concrete activities are proposed for 2022-23:

S. Theme Output Timeline

No.
1. Focal Ministry – Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)
1.1 Standards for Green Hydrogen Position paper to inform India’s engagement in the ongoing TBC
Global Green Hydrogen Standards are critical to discussion on global GH Standard, building upon IRENA’s current
provide certainty and transparency to the efforts to support G7 Presidency and deploy the findings in the
stakeholders to produce hydrogen made with context of G20.
renewable electricity which conforms to the
highest standards on emissions, ESG and the In the process of developing this position paper, IRENA could work
sustainable development goals. Discussions and closely with MNRE to create a facilitative mechanism involving
efforts are ongoing towards developing the national stakeholders and experts, to support in putting forward
global GH Standard. India’s position on GH Standards to the global forums.
1.2 Energy Transition Innovation Day Innovation Day - India could be organized in the context of India’s Mar 2023
IRENA has organized Innovation Days in G20 Presidency to showcase India’s vibrant energy innovation
Canada, Turkey, Uruguay and Thailand since ecosystem and provide a platform for the global community to
2019 connecting policy makers, business engage with Indian stakeholders.
representatives and innovators to showcase -Option A. Virtual
how innovative solutions can help deliver a -Option B. In-person
renewable-powered future.
1.3 Citizen Centric Energy Transition focuses on Policy Brief on socio-economic footprint analysis from India’s In conjunction
the initiatives taken by India to keep its people transition roadmap to inform the country’s energy planning and with G20
at the center of its effort to ensure energy transition discussions. The result will provide valuable insights and
access, security, justice and sustainability as it recommendations to the government of India on how the overall
transitions to cleaner energy systems and transition process can be shaped to maximise benefits and minimise
strives to achieve its commitments towards the barriers, as well as ensuring a just and inclusive transition.
global clean energy movement.

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This work could also contribute towards the citizen centric energy
transition theme under India’s G20 Presidency and India’s
Presidency at 13th Assembly of IRENA.

2. Focal Ministry – Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEF&CC)

2.1 Circular Economy Special Report on Circular Economy, focusing on hard-to- Q3 2023
decarbonize sector/s (e.g. TBD - Petrochemical/Steel/Cement)
looking at technology and policy outcomes (including socio-
economic footprint), in context of India’s G20 Presidency.

3. Focal Ministry – Ministry of Steel

3.1 Innovation Toolkit Innovation Toolbox (Report + Virtual Workshop) for Q4 2023
decarbonization of MSME Iron and Steel. This would entail focus on
enabling frameworks, certification needs, business models and best
practices. IRENA could support in customizing the Toolbox for Indian
MSME Steel sector.

3.2 Decarbonization alliance Invite the active participation of Indian Steel companies under the Ongoing
The Alliance will aim to enhance dialogue and industry decarbonization alliance.
coordinated action by industrial stakeholders -
public and private who share a common vision
towards decarbonization of their activities in
alignment with their respective national net-zero
commitments.

4. Department of Biotechnology (DBT)

4.1 Mission Innovation’s (MI) biorefinery project IRENA is officially knowledge partner of MI biorefinery project. ongoing

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5. Skills Council for Green Jobs (SCGJ)
5.1 SCGJ has developed Industry lead Centre of
Excellence for research in skilling requirements and
supplementing the skill gap analysis.
6. POSOCO (Indian grid operator)
6.1 POSOCO is responsible to monitor and ensure
round-the-clock integrated operation of Indian
power system in a reliable, efficient and secure
manner. With the aim to meet its energy targets
and increased RE generation capacity, POSOCO will
be critical towards integrating variable RE.
Through IRENA’s platforms and global network, the SCGJ success 2022-2023
story could be shared with the global community through case
studies, expert participation at knowledge sharing events, and
engagements at IRENA high level platforms and discussions.
Invite POSOCO Officials to IRENA’s expert meetings, including 2022-2023
Collaborative Frameworks (CFs) and other discussions.
This also provides an opportunity to disseminate and share IRENA’s
work on power system organizational structures.