India, US Teams Meet To Launch RE Technology Action Platform (RETAP)

India, US Teams Meet To Launch RE Technology Action Platform (RETAP)

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the US Department of Energy held a meeting recently in New Delhi to launch the new US-India Renewable Energy Technology Action Platform (RETAP) under the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership.

RETAP was announced during the June 22, 2023 meeting in Washington between US President Joseph R Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During the meet, the two leaders announced expanding collaboration on new and emerging technologies to accelerate the clean energy transition. 

This launch marked a rapid translation of the leaders’ vision into reality. Led by DOE Deputy Secretary David Turk and MNRE Secretary Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, the RETAP was established to further bilateral collaboration with a result-oriented, time-bound technology focus. 

It is intended to advance new and emerging renewable technologies with a view toward deployment and scaling. RETAP’s initial focus is to be on green/clean hydrogen, wind energy, and duration energy storage and to explore geothermal energy, ocean/tidal energy and other emerging technologies as mutually determined in the future.

DOE and MNRE outlined an initial workplan regarding RETAP collaboration. Work is guided by five themes: Research & Development, Piloting & Testing of Innovative Technologies, Advanced Training & Skill Development, Policy and Planning for Advancing RET and enabling technologies and investment, Incubation and Outreach programmes.

During the meeting, the delegations shared information about emerging technology developments in each country, including hydrogen, energy storage, wind, geothermal energy, and marine renewable energy technologies, and clean energy deployment programs.