Partnership with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy

United Nations Development Programme

UNDP partners with governments and people to help build nations and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in more than 170 countries, UNDP offers global perspective and local insight and provides technical assistance, policy advice and development support services using flexible implementation modalities. UNDP has worked in India since 1951 in virtually all areas of human development from democratic governance to poverty eradication to sustainable energy and environmental management. UNDP’s programmes are aligned directly with national priorities and are reviewed and adjusted annually.

UNDP is proud of its longstanding partnership with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy

UNDP’s partnership with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is one of its most important in India. Started in 1994, UNDP has been privileged to partner with the Ministry to identify and pilot renewable energy technologies and to expand energy access in off-grid communities. Finding and supporting business models that promote renewable energy technologies has also been a high priority.

UNDP’s projects with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy include:

• Optimizingdevelopmentofsmallhydroresourcesinhillyregions of India (1994-2003)

• DevelopmentofhighrateBio-methanationprocessesasmeans of reducing GHG emissions (1994-2004)

• Decentralized energy systems for the integrateddevelopmentofKomnablock,Nuaparadistrict,Odisha(1999-2002)

• Demonstration of community based solar energy forsustainable development (1999-2002)

• Energy services for rural industrialization in Angarablock, Ranchi (1999-2002)

• Renewableenergyforrurallivelihoods(2003-2008)

• Globalsolarwaterheaterproject(2009-2012)

• Accesstocleanenergy(2009-2012)

Three projects are currently being implemented through the partnership:

• RemovalofbarrierstobiomasspowergenerationinIndia(2007-2016)

• Marketdevelopmentandpromotionofsolarconcentratorbased process heat applications in India (India CSH) (2012-2017)

• Increasing access to renewable energy for micro-enterprises in rural India (2014-2017)

The partnership has supported key priorities

In the small hydro sector, plants were commissioned in high altitude hill areas and tariffs set for the first time, showing that renewable options were viable in the Himalayan states. The master plan for small hydro development that was developed through the partnership is still being used by central and state governments to guide investment.In the waste sector, an inventory of waste generation capacities in 100 cities was prepared and twenty bio-

methanation pilots using different substrates including vegetable waste, cow dung, leather waste and abattoir waste were demonstrated, showing the viability and benefits of these forms of energy generation.

Particularly impressive progress has occurred in the solar water heater sub-sector where the market size tripled.This was achieved through a combination of financial incentives, customer education, training of equipment installers and strengtheningmunicipal capacities. Optionsfor low cost solar water in remote locations have also been demonstrated, helping people in remote locations make use of freely available solar energy to heat water.

Key initiatives underway

Under its on-going partnership with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, UNDP will help to:

1. Develop pilots on solar thermal and waste-to-energy in support of smart cities and access to clean energy

2. Strengthen capacities in MNRE institutions including the National Institute of Solar Energy by establishing solar concentrator test centres and training scientists on testing protocols

3. Identify technology packages for renewable energy-based rural livelihoods and enterprises and demonstrate them as viable business models in Assam, Orissa andMadhya Pradesh

4. Support biomass power investment projects tostrengthen the tail end of the electricity grid and promoting sustainable business models

United Nations Development Programme:

55 Lodi Estate, P.O. Box 3059, New Delhi - 110003, India. +91-11-46532333. +91-11-24627612. in.undp.org

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