Toshiba in talks with NTPC for carbon capture project

NEW DELHI: NTPC, India's biggest power producer, is in talks with Toshiba Corp to build a pilot project in India for capturing and storing carbon emissions, a Toshiba official said.

The Japanese power equipment maker aims to develop its first 5-megawatt carbon capture plant in India by 2016, said, Kenji Urai, managing director of Toshiba India. The project may be similar to the one set to start this year at a 47-megawatt plant at Mikawa in Japan.

“Now that we are almost finished in Japan, we would like to bring that technology to other parts of the world,” Urai said. “I think in five years we should have it.”

India plans to add about 64,000 mw, or the equivalent of more than 50 new nuclear plants, in coal-fired electric plants by 2017.

The nation is searching for ways to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions after having agreed to reduce the greenhouse gas in proportion to gross domestic product by 25% from 2005 levels by 2020. NTPC is trying to curb blackouts and increase supplies.