Re-thinking Progress: The Circular Economy

Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy

Recognizing that both India and the Netherlands have similar ambitious sustainable energy targets in realizing clean energy options in densely populated areas, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Netherlands and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, India in February 2014. The MoU will encourage cooperation between Indian and Dutch governments and governmental organizations, as well as between research institutions and private companies in both countries. The cooperation specifically focuses on wind and solar energy, biomass and smart grids.

Mr Tarun Kapoor, Joint Secretary Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is visiting the Netherlands this week to attend the Indo-Dutch Joint Working Group Meeting on the renewable energy cooperation. On the occasion of this visit, Dutch Waste Management was invited to the Sustainable Energy Meeting hosted by InnovationQuarter (in cooperation with RVO, the Indian Embassy in the Netherlands and the Netherlands Embassy in India).

For this meeting a select group of Dutch companies/organizations in the area of solar, biomass and wind energy, as well as a few financing companies were invited. The Joint Secretary has presented and answered questions on the Indian renewable energy sector. He also shared information about the 1st Renewable Energy Global Investment Promotion Meeting and Expo which is to be held at New Delhi from 15-17, February, 2015.

Dutch Waste Management presented six projects for cooperation, which can be supported by the ministry and EU-Indo funds (Horizon 2020)

• Knowledge exchange on Bio refinery (materials and energy) 
• Five pilots waste collection
• Pelleting (testing and marketing development) agriculture residues  
• Sanitize dumps and develop landfills with biogas production
• Sewage- and water treatment with biogas production
• Communication and education programs based on developing People Public Private Partnerships