The Ministry of Power has established a new platform called Advanced Industrial Technology Demonstration Center (AITDC) for industry stakeholders to demonstrate and exchange knowledge on new energy-efficient technologies in the country.

The new center, also called Unnat Takniki Pradarshan Kendra (UTPRERAK), is expected to promote clean technologies and enhance energy efficiency in the country through knowledge sharing and demonstrations of new technologies.

Inaugurated at the National Power Training Institute (NPTI) campus in Badarpur, New Delhi, by Union Minister of State for Power, Shri Krishan Pal, the UTPRERAK center is expected to become a leading reference and resource institution for industrial energy-efficient technologies.

The ministry announced it would serve as an exhibition cum information center, a knowledge repository, and a platform for knowledge exchange through workshops and seminars, facilitating the dissemination of best practices among industry professionals.

The center will provide inputs for national energy policy formulation, foster linkages between education and research in energy-efficient solutions, and develop innovative applied solutions to enhance energy efficiency further.

Over the next five years, UTPRERAK will provide intensive training to more than 10,000 energy professionals from various sectors, serving as a strategic capacity-building institution.

The center will offer comprehensive programs to enhance the skills and knowledge of industry personnel, contributing to India’s goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047.

Secretary of the Ministry of Power, Alok Kumar, highlighted the importance of introducing new technologies in energy-intensive sectors such as iron and steel, cement, paper, chlor-alkali, and textiles.

The center will comprise three demonstration halls dedicated to showcasing technologies for these designated sectors.

Energy-efficient technologies to be featured at the center include pre-processing systems for alternative fuels and raw materials, waste heat recovery systems, and arrangements for feeding alternative fuels and raw materials into kilns and calciners, will be featured at the center.

Under the guidance of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), the UTPRERAK Center will collaborate with renowned research institutions, including the Indian Institutes of Technology, National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCCBM), Central Pulp & Paper Research Institute (CPPRI), National Institute of Secondary Steel Technology (NISST), and textile research associations.

A memorandum of understanding has also been signed between BEE and NPTI, facilitating collaboration and knowledge-sharing between the two entities.

Additionally, the center will function as a regional hub for research and development activities in clean energy technologies, focusing initially on identified sectors and gradually expanding to other energy-intensive sectors.

Recently, Karnataka topped the State Energy Efficiency Index for the second year running with an overall score of 82.5 points out of 100 on impactful measures taken in improving energy efficiency in the state.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) said that energy efficiency actions taken since 2000 have ensured that the energy bills in IEA-monitored countries in 2022 were set to be $680 billion less than they would have been otherwise.