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India, U.S in pact for FutureGen project
By agencies
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Tuesday, 04 April 2006, 19:30 IST
NEW DELHI: India signed an agreement with the U.S. for participating in the $950-million ‘FutureGen’ project, which aims at producing electricity from coal without any carbon emission.
The framework protocol, signed between the Power Secretary, R V Shahi, and the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy, Jeffrey D. Jarret, follows the decision taken by the Government to participate in the project during the visit of the President, George W. Bush, last month.
The Power Minister, Sushilkumar Shinde said, “The Government will contribute $10 million in the project. The FutureGen project is a public-private initiative to build and operate the world’s first coal-based power plant in the U.S. that removes and captures carbon dioxide while it produces electricity.”
The project, expected to be commissioned by 2012, could also see participation by Indian companies, Shahi added. Participation in the project would entitle India to full membership on the FutureGen Government Steering Committee to provide guidance on the project, relating to scope, design, objectives, testing and evaluation.
India would also have access to reports and other project related information, access to Indian scientists and engineers for visiting project facility and a royalty-free license in all countries to translate, reproduce and distribute reports arising from cooperation under the agreement.
The FutureGen project is being touted as the first plant in the world to produce both electricity and commercial-grade hydrogen from coal simultaneously. The project will emit virtually no airborne pollutants, solid wastes would be converted to commercially valuable products and carbon gases would be captured before they escape into atmosphere.
The U.S. Assistant Secretary, Jeffrey D. Jarret said, “India's participation in the project is independent of the India-U.S. nuclear deal and the U.S. would not have to seek Congressional approval for this project.”