Energy & Environmental

Issues in India: Possible

Solutions
K.Sudhakar,
Senior Research Fellow,
Centre for Energy & Environment Science And Technology,
National Instituted of Technology-620015
www.nitt.edu
E-Mail:sudhakar@nitt.edu
Mobile:9786299534
Sustainable Development : Energy and Environment convergence

– Energy
• World is running out of fossil fuel
• The last two years has seen highest
• Demand for energy is outstripping the growth in generation capacity
– Environmental problems
• Air – Emissions (SOx, NOx, CO, SPM), ozone depletion, global
warming
• Water-Acid precipitation, degradation, loss of bio-diversity

– Sustainable development of “Energy + Ecology + Economy”

– Harnessing renewable energy holds the key

 Global Warming

• Global warming is the increase in the average measured

temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans
since the mid-20th century, and its projected
continuation.

• The average global air temperature near the Earth's

surface increased 0.74 ± 0.18 °C (1.33 ± 0.32 °F) during
the 100 years ending in 2005.

Source: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

 Greenhouse gases

• Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Natural
• Methane (CH4)
• Nitrous oxide (N2O)
• Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
Manmade
• Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
• Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)

Source: Kyoto Protocol- Annexure A

 Greenhouse effect

103 Watt per m3

343 Watt per m3

240 Watt per m3

Source: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

 Co2 Concentration in 2007

The 2007 rise in global carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations is tied with 2005 as
the third highest since atmospheric measurements began in 1958. The red line
shows the trend together with seasonal variations. The black line indicates the
trend that emerges when the seasonal cycle has been removed. (Credit: NOAA)
 Rising levels of greenhouse gases

Source: Dr L Gohar and Prof K Shine, Dept. of Meteorology, University of Reading

Source: Stern Review

Per-capita Carbon –dioxide emission (Metric Tons)

Country in metric tons

USA 20.01
Europe 9.40
Japan 9.87
China 3.60
Russia 11.71
India 1.02
World average 4.25
Energy
India
Production
COAL
RE
TN vs India

TN
 Impacts of Climate Change

Forests

Biodiversity

Impact of rise in temperature

of 1.8oC to 4oC
Agriculture

Coastlines
Likely Impacts of Climate Change
Climate Change Impact in India
• Rajasthan- Drought
• Rann of Kutch – sea level rise
• Mumbai-Salt water intrusion
• Kerala –Productivity of Forest
• Tamil Nadu-Coral bleaching
• Ganges – Sedimentation problem
• Sunderbans-Sea level raise
• Northwest India-reduction In rice yield
Case study:1 Impact on Agriculture
Effect on apple cultivation
• Kullu Valley, Himachal Pradesh
Experienced a number of crop failures in the
last 15 years

• Apple belt has moved 30 kilometers

[northwards] over the last 50 years

• Apple growers, says attributed poor

production to reduced snowfall and its
changed timing.
• Shift in Agriculture
• Apple cultivation is affected in Kullu Valley
• Apple belt has moved 30 KM nothwards
• Forest resources were removed
 2. Ganga under threat from warming

• Himalayan source of the Ganga is drying up

at a rate of 40 yards a year, nearly twice as
fast as two decades ago, and that some of
these glaciers might disappear by 2030.
• In the dry summer months, the Gangotri
glacier provides up to 70 percent of the water
of the Ganga.
• According to a UN climate report, the
shrinking glaciers also threaten Asia’s supply
of fresh water.
Source: New Indian Express
Source: New Indian Express
 3. Impact on Coastal Orissa
• The Satavaya region, once a cluster of seven
villages.
• Only two out of the seven villages exists the
other five villages have been submerged.
• The Coastal villages have been affected by
cyclone and floods killing more than 30,000
people.
• The sea has ingressed to about 1.5 km into
Satavaya and 2.5 km into Kanakpur.
Satavaya has also lost 56% of its mangrove
vegetation.
 Global Impacts

• The largest glacier on Mount Kenya has

lost 92% of its mass

• Sea levels have risen by 10 - 25 cm

• The thickness of sea ice in the arctic has

decreased by 40%.
• The Common Murre has advanced
breeding by 24 days per decade over the
past 50 years in response to higher
temperatures.
• The Baltimore oriole is shifting northward
and may soon disappear entirely from the
Baltimore area.
• Polar bear populations are coming under
threat as food becomes harder to hunt.
The impacts of climate change are not evenly
distributed – the poorest countries and people
will suffer earliest and most. And if and when
the damages appear it will be too late to
reverse the process. Thus we are forced to
look a long way ahead.
 Global Warming Solutions
• Limiting use of Traditional fossil fuels( Coal,Natural
Gas,petrol,diesel etc.

• Switching over to clean fuels – Renewable energy

(Solar,Wind,Biomass,Biodiesel etc.

• Energy efficiency & Energy Conservation

• CO2 Sequestration.

Injecting liquefied CO2 into the deep

Biofixation of CO2 by photosynthetic
sea or burying CO2 underground
organisms
 Bio Fuels: Energy Trees of India
Due to it’s climate, India has been naturally blessed with many
varieties of Oil seeds bearing Trees like :
Trees:
• Pongamia (Honge)
• Simaruoba
• Mahua
• Sal
• Niger, Jatropha, and dozens of such species identified as ideal
feedstock for BioDiesel.
Plants
• Micro-algae
 Algal Photo Bioreactors Converts Flue Gases & Sunlight into “Used” Algae have
Biofuels through Photosynthesis Multiple Potential Uses

Cleane
d
Gases Co-Firing
Sunlight
Power Plant / Green Power
Energy Source
Photo bioreactor
Esterification Biodiesel

Flue
Gases Fermentation Ethanol

Drying Protein Meal

NOx + CO2 from
combustion flue gas Algal
emissions Biotechnology

National workshop on Emerging horizons in Bio fuel Research and Application , Agra ;July 24-27, 2009
 India’s Initiatives
• India has a well developed policy, legislative regulatory &
programmatic regime
• For promotion of Energy efficiency, renewable energy, nuclear
power, fuel switching, energy pricing reform addressing GHG
emission
• Signed UNFCC on 10th June 1992

• India ratified the Kyoto protocol

• India has a National Action Plan on Climate Change

– National Solar Mission
– National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency
– National Mission on Sustainable Habitat
– National Water Mission
– National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem
– National Mission for a “ Green India”
– National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture
– National Mission on Strategic Mission on Climate Change
 BioDiesel
- Energy Trees -

Answer to India’s
social, environmental and
economic woes
 Merits of BioDiesel
• Reduces pollution
• Generates rural employment
• Saves foreign exchange
• Prevents global warming
• Increases forest cover
• Increases ground water table
• Prevents soil erosion
• Provides Energy Security
• Sustainable & Renewable Energy
‘ Can technological developments and the
transition to a culture that is more aware
of the need to safeguard the environment
help create a world powered by the Sun’s
Energy ? ‘
 Algae Photo Bioreactors Converts Flue Gases & Sunlight into “Used” Algae have
Biofuels through Photosynthesis Multiple Potential Uses

Cleane
d
Gases Co-Firing
Sunlight
Power Plant / Green Power
Energy Source
Photo bioreactor
Esterification Biodiesel

Flue
Gases Fermentation Ethanol

Drying Protein Meal

NOx + CO2 from
combustion flue gas Algal
emissions Biotechnology
 Ongoing Research at CEESAT
Project Title :
“Experimental and Simulation Studies on CO2 Sequestration using algae”
Funded By :
Department of Science and Technology ; reference – DST/IS-STAC/CO2-
SR12/07 - 55 lakhs
Start Date : May 2008
CO2 Sequestration Research Group –
Dr.(Mrs).M.Premalatha, Asst. Professor, CEESAT , NIT
K.Sudhakar, Senior research fellow
K.K.Vasumathi, Junior Research fellow
Nikhil.P.G, M.Tech Student (Energy Engineering)
 MILESTONES OF CEESAT
• Established in 1997 under UK India RECs Project
“Energy Theme” – 12 Crores
• Faculty of Architecture, Chemical, Electrical and Mechanical
Engineering were trained in UK Universities
• Inter-disciplinary course – M.Tech (Full time) and Ph.D.Energy
Engineering being offered from 1996
• Conducted 2 National Conferences, 15 National workshops,
1 International Workshop and 1 Short term training programme
• Sophisticated Instruments – TGA,DSC,CHN,GC
• Completed 7 Ph.D. on Energy
• Completed 2 MHRD R & D and 2 Thrust Area Projects
• DST project - Rs 54.72 lakhs in Upcoming technology
CO2 Sequestration
• NITT,India – Auburn University, USA Collaborative case study
project for National Science Foundation,USA
 Centre for Energy and Environmental Science And Technology,
National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli

National Renewable
Energy Laboratory
Thank You
THANK YOU