The India Energy Week (IEW) 2023, the first significant occasion under India’s G20 (Group of Twenty) Presidency, was inaugurated by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on February 6, 2023, in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
- IEW 2023 will take place from February 6 to 8, 2023, at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
It intends to highlight India’s increasing prowess as an energy transition powerhouse.
Note: India assumed the G20 Presidency for a year, from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023.
India Energy Week (IEW) 2023
i.The IEW 2023 is held under the patronage of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoP&NG) of the Government of India (GoI) and is officially supported by the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI).
- It is organized by dmg events, an international exhibits and publishing firm based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
ii.IEW is India’s only comprehensive international energy event, including participation from all Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
Pm Modi Inaugurates HAL’s Helicopter Factory in Tumakuru; Unveils Light Utility Helicopter
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the Helicopter Factory of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), India’s largest helicopter manufacturing facility, and unveiled the Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) in Tumakuru district, Karnataka.
- He also laid the groundwork for the Tumakuru Industrial Township and two Jal Jeevan Mission projects in Tumakuru, at Tiptur and Chikkanayakanahalli.
HAL Helicopter Factory in Tumakuru
i.In 2016, PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation for this HAL helicopter facility.
- It is a 615-acre dedicated new greenfield helicopter factory that will increase the capacity and ecosystem for manufacturing helicopters.
ii.It is regarded as Asia’s largest helicopter manufacturing factory and will initially manufacture Light Utility Helicopters (LUH).
- The LUH is an indigenously built, 3-ton-class, single-engine, multipurpose utility helicopter that is distinguished for its excellent maneuverability.
iii.The plant will eventually be expanded to manufacture other helicopters such the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and Indian Multirole Helicopter (IMRH), as well as for future LCH, LUH, Civil ALH, and IMRH maintenance and overhaul.
- The factory will be equipped with an Industry 4.0 manufacturing setup.
iv.HAL, which has its headquarters in Bengaluru, intends to invest more than Rs. 4 lakh crore at this facility over the next 20 years in order to produce more than 1000 helicopters in the 3-15 tonnes class.
Key Points Regarding Other Initiatives:
i.The 8,484-acre Tumakuru Industrial Township development has been undertaken as part of the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme.
ii.The two initiatives under the Jal Jeevan Mission will facilitate the provision of the local population with safe drinking water.
- The Tiptur Multi-Village Drinking Water Supply Project will be built at a cost of over Rs. 430 crores.
- The multi-village water supply scheme for 147 habitations in Chikkanayakanahlli taluk, will be built at a cost of around Rs. 115 crore.
PM Modi Launches & Dedicates Uniforms Under IOCL ‘Unbottled‘ Initiative and Twin-Cooktop Model
During the inaugural function of IEW 2023, PM Narendra Modi launched the uniforms under the “Unbottled“ initiative of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL), with each uniform supporting the recycling of around 28 used PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles.
- He also dedicated the twin-cooktop model of IOCL’s indoor solar cooking system and announced its commercial roll-out.
- IOCL is India’s largest oil company and a Maharatna PSU.
The ‘Unbottled’ Initiative of IOCL
i.IOCL has developed uniforms made of recycled polyester (rPET) & cotton for retail customer attendants and LPG delivery personnel.
ii.In order to take this initiative further, IOCL has launched “Unbottled,” a brand for sustainable garments made from recycled polyester.
- Under this brand, IOCL aims to fulfil orders for uniforms for customer service agents of other Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), non-combat uniforms for the Army, uniforms or dresses for institutions, and sales to retail customers.
iii.It was inspired by the PM’s commitment to phase out single-use plastics (SUPs).
RIL Unveils India’s First H2ICE Technology for Heavy-Duty Trucks
The first Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine (H2ICE) technology solution for heavy-duty trucks was introduced by Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and launched by PM Narendra Modi at IEW 2023 in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Key Points:
i.Under its Net Carbon Zero objective, RIL developed the H2ICE technology alongside its vehicle partner Ashok Leyland and a few other partners.
- The first H2ICE-powered engines underwent testing in early 2022.
ii.The H2ICE-powered vehicles will redefine the future of green mobility since they will emit near zero emissions, perform on par with conventional diesel trucks, make less noise, and have projected operating cost reductions.
PMModi Launches E20 Fuel & Flags Off Green Mobility Rally in Bengaluru, Karnataka
PM Narendra Modi unveiled ‘E20 Fuel’ as part of the IEW 2023 event and flagged off the Green Mobility Rally, which was organized by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) on behalf of Petronet LNG (PLL) and the oil and gas PSUs.
- In accordance with the Ethanol Blending Roadmap, PM launched E20 fuel at 84 retail outlets of oil marketing companies (OMCs) in 11 states/union territories (UTs).
- The first phase of the E20 rollout will begin with 15 cities and will be expanded across the entire country within two years.
E20 Fuel:
i.E20 is a blend of 20% ethanol with petrol.
ii.In order to progress towards the GoI’s target of a complete 20% blending of ethanol by 2025, HPCL and other OMCs are developing 2G-3G ethanol plants.
iii.The Ethanol Blending Program (EBP) and the Biofuels Program have improved India’s energy security.
- It resulted in a slew of other benefits, including a decrease of 318 lakh metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and a savings of almost Rs. 54,000 crore in foreign exchange (forex).
- Since 2013-14, ethanol production capacity has increased sixfold.
iv.As a result, between 2014 and 2022, around Rs. 81,800 crore was spent on ethanol supply, with farmers receiving more than Rs. 49,000 crore.
Green Mobility Rally:
i.The Green Mobility Rally featured 57 vehicles fueled by sustainable green energy sources such as E20, E85, Flex Fuel, Hydrogen, Electric, and others.
ii.The National Green Hydrogen Mission and other policy initiatives by the GoI will propel the Indian economy towards its goal of a USD 5 trillion economy and achieving Net Zero by 2070.
Major Green Energy Initiatives by the GoI
i.By 2030, the GoI intends to increase natural gas use in its energy mix from 6% to 15%, with “One Nation, One Grid” providing all the necessary infrastructure.
- The gas pipeline network has grown to 22,000 kilometres (km) from 14,000 km in 2014, with an additional 35,000 km planned in the next 4-5 years.
ii.By the end of 2030, India aims to produce 5 Million Metric Tonne Per Annum (MMTPA) of green hydrogen under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, potentially requiring investments of more than Rs. 8 lakh crore.
- By replacing grey hydrogen, India will boost the share of green hydrogen to 25%.
iii.A significant step towards manufacturing advanced chemical cells with 50 GigaWatt hours (GWh) will be accomplished under the Rs. 18,000 crore Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.
iv.Under the Green Energy Initiative, solar power increased 20 times and the renewable energy capacity increased from 70 GigaWatt (GW) to about 170 GW.
Other Significant Initiatives in Various Fields
i.In India, around 6,00,000 km of optical fibre have been laid to provide internet connectivity to every village, enhancing the quality of life for millions of people.
ii.India has become the world’s 2nd largest manufacturer of mobile phones, resulting in the emergence of the world’s largest aspirational class.
iii.India is accelerating its efforts to transition to a gas-based economy and attain net-zero emissions by 2070.
- As a result, about USD 60 billion in infrastructure investments are being made in India, including pipelines, terminals, and regasification facilities.
iv.India currently accounts for 5% of the world’s oil demand, which is predicted to rise to 11%, while the country’s gas demand is expected to rise by 500%.
- The 4 primary verticals for the strategy for the energy sector: growing domestic exploration and production; diversifying supply; expanding fuels such as biofuel, ethanol, compressed biogas, and solar; and de-carbonization via electric vehicles and hydrogen.
v.India, the 4th-largest refining capacity country, is attempting to boost capacity to 450 MMTPA from the current capacity of 250 MMTPA.
Recent Related News:
The “2022 Burgundy Private Hurun India 500,” the 2nd edition of the list that ranks the 500 most valuable firms in India, was published by Burgundy Private, Axis Bank’s Private Banking Business, and Hurun India. The cut-off date for this list was October 30, 2022.
According to the list, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is the most valuable listed company in India, with a valuation of Rs 17.2 lakh crore, up 3.6% from 2021.
About the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoP&NG):
Union Minister – Hardeep Singh Puri (Rajya Sabha – Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State (MoS) – Rameswar Teli
