Nagpur, 27 May 2025

CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) Nagpur organized a brainstorming workshop on “Energy Dialogues: Clean. Viable. Inclusive.” on 27th May 2025 at Hotel Centre Point, Ramdaspeth, Nagpur. The workshop was inaugurated by the Chief Guest Prof. Avinash Kumar Agarwal, Director, IIT Jodhpur and Guests of Honour Dr. G. Sridhar, Director General, SSS-NIBE, Kapurthala and Dr. Thallada Bhaskar, Director, CSIR-AMPRI, Bhopal. Dr. S. Venkata Mohan, Director, CSIR-NEERI; Dr. Nitin Labhsetwar, Chief Scientist and Chair, ERPM, CSIR-NEERI; Dr. Avneesh Anshul, Organizing Secretary and Principal Scientist, CSIR-NEERI; and Dr. Ankit Gupta, Principal Scientist, CSIR-NEERI, were also present on this occasion.

Delivering a plenary talk on “Opportunities and aChallenges in Adopting E-Fuels for Sustainable Transport,” Prof. Agarwal highlighted the strong correlation between energy use and GDP per capita. He emphasized that India must become more energy-efficient to ensure sustainable growth. He pointed out that while the global average per capita GHG emission is 63 tCO2e (2020), India's per capita emissions are 6992 kWh/p (2021). Despite this, India's contribution to global GHG emissions remains less than 4%, he added. To limit global warming to 1.5°C, he recommended increasing the share of renewables, electrifying end-use sectors, and utilizing biomass-enabled carbon capture. He stated that through such measures, India could potentially save 36.9 GW of energy demand. Discussing the Panchamrit commitments made by the Government of India, Prof. Agarwal stated that India has pledged to increase its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW by 2030. India's high coal consumption (400 million tonnes/year) necessitates the development of efficient coal technologies, including exploring high-ash coal and hydrogen (blue to green) for future energy solutions, he added. With 1.2 billion light duty vehicles globally, developing CO2-free fuels is crucial to address the limitations of transitioning away from internal combustion engines, especially in the context of India's reliance on coal and its potential for hydrogen production.

Prof. Agarwal underscored the significance of biofuels, stating that methanol and dimethyl ether (DME) are “low-hanging fruits” for India and should be prioritized. The methanol economy, he said, is vital for reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels. He also highlighted ammonia as a cost-effective and economically viable energy carrier, alongside compressed biogas (CBG) production and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) to lower the national carbon footprint. He urged scientists to focus on the development of green fuels compatible with IC engines to facilitate a more inclusive and sustainable energy transition.

While addressing the gathering, Dr. T. Bhaskar emphasized the need to focus on root cause analysis rather than merely life cycle assessment, particularly in the domain of energy. He pointed out that cement and iron industries are among the most energy-intensive sectors.

Dr. Bhaskar urged the scientific community to take proactive roles in devising tangible solutions to pressing environmental concerns. He further highlighted the importance of effective policy implementation to support these scientific interventions. He underlined the urgent need to monitor and mitigate CO₂ fluxes to ensure a sustainable and low-carbon future.

Dr. G. Sridhar, in his plenary address, highlighted the Government’s flagship missions on biomass and bioenergy, emphasizing their transformative potential for India’s clean energy transition. He informed that India generates around 230 million metric tonnes of biomass annually, including agro-residues, which presents a tremendous opportunity to harness clean and renewable energy sources. Dr. Sridhar stressed the need to promote biomass-based energy systems, which could play a key role in boosting the rural economy and fostering rural entrepreneurship. He acknowledged that, while sustainable bioenergy remains a technological and implementation challenge, it is also a crucial step toward achieving energy security and environmental sustainability. Linking it to the National Hydrogen Mission, he emphasized the promising prospects of producing green hydrogen from biomass. Dr. Sridhar also advocated for strong collaborations at the grassroots level to successfully implement bioenergy initiatives and drive inclusive development.

Dr. S. Venkata Mohan, Director, CSIR-NEERI in his welcome address, briefed on the significant achievements of CSIR-NEERI, ranging from water management to climate change. He highlighted the institute’s pivotal role in translating policy into practice.
Dr. Mohan also emphasized CSIR-NEERI’s contributions in the areas of biomass utilization and waste management. He expressed confidence that the workshop would lead to the development of a clear roadmap and the formulation of a white paper.

In the valedictory session, Dr. S. Venkata Mohan discussed new frontiers and initiatives by CSIR-NEERI, including anaerobic digestion, waste-to-wealth approaches, green hydrogen production processes, CO₂ conversion to valuable products, dark fermentation and decarbonization.

Dr. Nitin Labhsetwar provided details about the event. Dr. Avneesh Anshul proposed the vote of thanks. Dr. Ankit Gupta conducted the proceedings.

Two panel discussions were held following the inaugural session. In the first panel discussion on ‘Biomass-Based Cleaner Energy Options’, chaired by Shri P. Kalyan Kumar, Managing Director, Maharashtra Bamboo Development Board, and moderated by Dr. Ankit Gupta, Principal Scientist, CSIR-NEERI, the panelists—Dr. S. K. Tyagi, Professor, IIT Delhi; Ms. Tincy George, GM-CSR, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals; Ms. Svati Bhogle, Mentor, Technology Informatics Design Endeavour; Mr. Prasad Kokil, Managing Director, Ecosense Appliances Pvt. Ltd.; Mr. Nitin Akhade, President, Clean Energy Access Network; and Dr. S. K. Goyal, Chief Scientist and Chair, CSIR-NEERI Delhi Zonal Centre—highlighted that biomass is a valuable source of energy. They emphasized the importance of demonstrations, awareness campaigns, and a robust supply chain, while noting that the acceptance of biomass energy remains a major challenge. The panelists also stressed that biomass should not be burned indiscriminately and pointed out that biomass energy lacks sufficient popularity among policymakers. They called for the development of a comprehensive biomass energy map for India and stressed the need to transform biomass into useful products and energy.

In the second panel discussion on ‘minimizing environmental impacts during energy transitions’, chaired by Dr. Shubhangi Umbarkar, Head, Catalysis Division, CSIR-NCL and moderated by Dr. Nitin Labhsetwar, Chief Scientist and Chair, ERPM, CSIR-NEERI, the panelists—Prof. Vivek Polshettiwar, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research; Dr. N. Lingaiah, Chief Scientist and Head, Catalysis Division, CSIR-IICT; Mr. Moqtik Bawase, General Manager, ARAI Pune; Dr. Amit Bansiwal, Chief Scientist, CSIR-NEERI; and Dr. Avneesh Anshul, Principal Scientist, CSIR-NEERI — emphasized the need for integrated policy frameworks that promote environmental safeguards alongside rapid energy transition. They also underscored the role of innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration in developing technologies that balance energy demands with ecological preservation. The session concluded with a commitment to generate actionable recommendations aimed at guiding policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders to minimize environmental impacts during the ongoing energy transition.

In the valedictory session, the Guest of Honour, Dr. Atul Vaidya, Vice-Chancellor, LITU Nagpur, remarked that the energy transition must be gradual rather than abrupt. He emphasized the need for life cycle assessment in every process to ensure alignment with energy efficiency and sustainability. Dr. R B Biniwale, Chief Scientist, CSIR-NEERI; Dr. Vivek Nanoti, Director (Engineering) LTJSS, Priyadarshini Group of Institutions, Nagpur; Dr. K V George, Chief Scientist and Co-Chair, ERPM, CSIR-NEERI; and Dr. Piyush Kokate, Principal Scientist, CSIR-NEERI also participated in the valedictory session.
Experts, policymakers, researchers and industry stakeholders participated in this event.

PRO NEERI/DW/PM

 

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