CLEAN COOKING MISSION - GOVERNANCE

News: PM Modi reveals clean cooking plan to drive growth in EV, solar and battery storage sectors

 

What's in the news?

       Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the industry to invest more in battery research and create batteries using raw materials available in India.

       Modi also talked about his clean cooking plan at the expo.

 

Key takeaways:

       PM Modi said that the demand for batteries will rise with an increase in solar rooftops, and there is a huge opportunity in the battery segment. While acknowledging research on sodium-based batteries,

       Modi urged the industry to create EV batteries using raw materials found in India. PM Modi said that cost and the battery are the biggest issues for the EV sector.

       Highlighting the government's rooftop solar plan, Modi urged the industry to come up with a comprehensive plan.

 

Clean Cooking Mission:

       Under this mission, the Government of India is exploring a hybrid model to leverage the roof-top solar energy for cooking.

 

Features:

       The plan may also comprise in-house battery infrastructure for energy storage to provide uninterrupted electricity to around 250 million households.

 

Significance:

       It will reduce imports of costly fossil fuels.

       Add heft to India’s green energy credentials.

       Help create demand for a solar equipment manufacturing ecosystem for ingots, wafers, cells and modules.

 

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY):

       The scheme has been instrumental in increasing the shift from traditional fuels to LPG and was launched in 2016.

 

PMUY Phase I:

       Under PMUY Phase I, 8 crore women from poor households received deposit-free LPG connections in 2019.

 

PMUY Phase II:

       Under PMUY Phase II, the beneficiaries received a stove and free first refill, in addition to depositing free LPG connections.

 

Features:

Over the years, several attempts have been made to increase LPG consumption under this scheme, including

       A subsidy of Rs 200/ 14.2 kg refill.

       Up to 12 refills/year.

       5 kg DBC (Double Bottle Connection) option.

       Swap option from 14.2 kg to 5 kg.

       Up to 3 free refills/ beneficiary under PM Garib Kalyan Package in 2020.

 

Surya Nutan:

       It is a solar cooking stove developed by IOCL (Indian Oil Corporation Limited) and the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

       This stationary, rechargeable indoor cooking platform was launched in June 2022 to reduce the burden on gas.

       It works in different modes, making it a reliable solution irrespective of the weather.

       The first one is Online which directly uses solar energy and the second is Hybrid that uses both - solar energy and an auxiliary energy source.

 

National Efficient Cooking Programme:

       It is a subset of the Clean Cooking Scheme.

       It focuses on Non-Solar/Electricity-based Induction Cookstoves, aligning with the Go- electric initiative by the Ministry of Power.

       This programme introduces induction-based cook-stoves.

 

Target: To deploy 20 Lakh Induction cook-stoves across India.

 

Nodal Authority:

       Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) seeks to reduce the environmental impact of cooking methods, ensuring cleaner air and improved health for citizens.

       EESL has also partnered with Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) for the large-scale deployment of induction cooktops.

       The deployment is expected to accelerate the acceptance and large-scale adoption of modern electric cooking devices in Indian kitchens.

 

Significance:

       It is offering a cost advantage of 25-30% over traditional cooking methods, promising both energy savings and cost-effective cooking solutions.