In the Green Energy Transition, Cooperation is Key Says Indian Expert

RD20 Tokyo Symposium 2024 took place in Tokyo on October 11. It was part of Tokyo GX Week, a wider "green transformation" event related to green energy organized by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) was listed among the co-organizers.

Dr Vibha Dhawan, a highly regarded expert from India, was a keynote speaker at the event. She joined key figures in Japan's energy transition together with international guests. Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Dr Akira Yoshino was there on behalf of AIST. Shinji Takeuchi, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, helped host the event.

Dr Dhawan hails from India-based The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). JAPAN Forward caught up with her at the event to learn her views on international cooperation. She also shared her expectations going forward on themes of discussions between India and Japan.

RD20 and the Growing Urgency of Climate Change

Japan has pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. For its part, India has promised to halve emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2070. This, says Dr Dhawan, is a "big step" for "a country that hasn't yet reached peak energy usage and emissions." India, and other countries, face the challenge of balancing economic development with carbon emissions.

Therefore, given the increasing urgency of climate change, the debate fostered by RD20 is particularly relevant.

With the full name Research and Development for Clean Energy Technologies 20, the RD20 conference was initially launched in 2019. It aims to be a framework to strengthen international collaboration for achieving carbon neutrality. The conference focuses on connecting leading research institutes in G20 countries and regions. It seeks to have them share the world’s most advanced technologies toward achieving this common goal.

Highlighting the importance of cooperation, Dr Dhawan said, "We need to realize that we have only one planet to live. So it's not my technology. It is the technology that can be used for the benefit of the citizens of this planet."

*Interview with Dr Vibha Dhawan at the fringe of RD20 in Tokyo. (©JAPAN Forward)*

The Importance of International Cooperation

Japanese companies are actively researching carbon neutrality-related technologies, praised Dr Dhawan.

Specifically, she pointed to the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, NEDO, a national R&D agency in Japan. "It was remarkable to see the number of projects funded by NEDO and its partnerships," she said.

Looking at particular areas of technology cooperation, Dr Dhawan highlighted collaboration on hydrogen technologies. This is a sector where Japan is particularly strong, she observed. "I want to look at what India can learn from these sectors."

The potential to collaborate on "grid technologies" is another area of focus for the expert from India. "Grid technologies" refers to the energy collected through renewable sources, which is then stored for later use when needed. Currently, storage is expensive, and Dr Dhawan said she was encouraged by some of the technologies shared by her peers earlier in the day. "It's a learning experience," she said hopefully.

In her keynote address earlier in the day, Dr Dhawan highlighted India's great potential in biofuels. Agriculture and its allied sectors are still the largest livelihood providers in India, as reported on the government's website. Waste derived from this sector, for example, rice scraps, can contribute significantly to energy generation through biofuels, she added.

Training the Next Generation

Dr Dhawan also brought attention to two significant priorities. One is the importance of training the next generation of young researchers. The other is informing the lay population of how technologies can beneficially influence their daily lives.

"Renewables, hydrogen, all these new technologies have a limited number of experts. Therefore, we need to create manpower in these particular disciplines," she remarked.

Dr Dhawan recounted an episode in rural India as an example. There have been important impacts, she said, from trained individuals assisting locals with energy generation using solar panels.

These episodes, she added, connect to PhD student training programs, summer schools, and more. In this sense, she expressed great hopes for Japan's contribution to forming the next generation through its education and training programs.

"Japan is part of Asia [and] there is understanding between the cultures. I will even say love for each other. It is far greater than what you can expect from the countries in the West," commented the Indian expert.

When asked whether she thought education-related collaborations between India and Japan are expected to grow in the future, her response was unequivocal. "Absolutely," she concluded, "It is a collaboration that has always been there, and it should be much greater in years to come."

What's Next

The 6th RD20 International Conference will be held in India between December 2 and 6. By taking place in different countries, the hope is that the conference can sensibilize policymakers and stakeholders in different places, explained Dr Dhawan.