EU commissioner for energy Kadri Simson on 2-day visit to India from Wednesday
European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson will hold bilateral meetings with ministers, officials of the International Solar Alliance and other stakeholders during her visit, the EU said
NEW DELHI: The European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson will make her first visit to India during September 7-8 to step up cooperation in areas such as renewable energy, green hydrogen and equitable energy transition.
The visit reflects the European Union’s (EU) strong engagement with India in energy as the two sides mark 60 years of diplomatic relations.
The EU and India have a robust cooperation in the fight against climate change and established a Clean Energy and Climate Partnership in 2016. They have been working closely together on clean energy transition, speeding up the deployment of renewable energy, promoting energy efficiency, and collaborating on smart grid and storage technology.
Simson will hold bilateral meetings with ministers, officials of the International Solar Alliance and other stakeholders, the EU said in a statement. Discussions will focus on stepping up EU-India cooperation on a greener energy mix, green hydrogen, energy efficiency, including nearly zero energy buildings, renewable energy, including solar and offshore wind, grid integration and power market design, cold chain, sustainable financing and just energy transition.
Simson said, “I am looking forward to my visit, taking place shortly after the G20 energy transition ministers’ meeting in Indonesia. We are facing a global energy crisis, as well as the enormous challenge of climate change.”
Clean energy transition provides a key to addressing the energy crisis and climate change, and India, with its vast renewable resources, has a strategic role to play, she said.
“I hope to deepen our cooperation in areas like offshore wind, solar energy, energy efficiency and renewable hydrogen,” she added.
During her visit, Simson and power minister RK Singh will inaugurate the first EU-India Green Hydrogen Forum on September 8. The forum will focus on exchanging best practices and policies on the role of hydrogen in energy systems, discuss existing and upcoming hydrogen projects in the EU and India and clean hydrogen production and application technologies.
Focusing on solar energy, diversification of the global supply chain and EU-India cooperation in manufacturing, Simson will participate in an event organised jointly by the EU and the ministry of new and renewable energy in close cooperation with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Solar Power Europe.