By Business India Editorial

As India and EU mark 60 years of diplomatic relationship this year, EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson will visit Delhi this week for meetings with ministry officials and stakeholders in energy sector.

The EU and India have a robust cooperation in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. EU and India established a Clean Energy and Climate Partnership in 2016 and have been working closely on clean energy transition to speed up the deployment of renewable energy, promote energy efficiency, collaborate on smart grid and storage technology and modernise the electricity market. 

According to a EU statement, Simson will hold bilateral meetings with ministers, the International Solar Alliance and stakeholders. It said that discussions will focus on stepping up EU-India cooperation for a “greener” energy mix in the area of green hydrogen, energy efficiency, including on nearly zero energy buildings; renewable energy, including solar and offshore wind; grid integration, smart grids, storage, power market design, interconnection, cold chain, sustainable financing as well as the just energy transition, according to a EU statement.

Simson said: “I am looking forward to my visit, taking place shortly after the G20 energy transition ministers’ meeting in Indonesia. We are facing a global energy crisis, as well as the enormous challenge of climate change. The clean energy transition provides a key to addressing both and with its vast renewable resources, India has a strategic role to play. I hope to deepen our cooperation in areas like offshore wind, solar energy, energy efficiency and renewable hydrogen.” 

During her visit, Simson will inaugurate, together with the Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy R.K. Singh, the first EU-India Green Hydrogen Forum on 8 September. The forum will focus on exchanging best practices and policies on the role of hydrogen in energy systems, discussing the state of play of existing and upcoming hydrogen projects in the EU and India as well as clean hydrogen production and application technologies, and prospects for international hydrogen trade and need for certification frameworks. 

Focusing on solar energy, diversification of the global supply chain and EU-India cooperation in the area of manufacturing, Simson will participate also in an event organised jointly by the EU and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in close cooperation with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Solar Power Europe. High-level speakers from Europe and India will discuss the role that a stronger EU-India cooperation can play in the area of manufacturing.