India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) partners with United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) for ‘Facility of Low Carbon Deployment’ (FLCTD) Innovation Challenge for technology innovation in beta deployment of electrical energy storage in India. FLCTD by UNIDO launched the fourth round of innovation challenge on November 1, 2020 to support and encourage the new innovations in Indian energy storage and e-mobility space. It offers a grant up to $50,000 for winning technologies and recognition from Bureau of Energy Efficiency, UNIDO and IESA.

The challenge aims at identifying high-impact opportunities that have the potential for energy saving along with large-scale carbon emission reductions, and to provide financial support for field validation/beta testing of their technology. The project supports innovative technologies in advance stage of development for field demonstration and validation, but not the innovation that are at the ideation-stage, proof-of-concept or at lab-scale.

The challenge covers technologies such as electrochemical batteries, supercapacitors, critical components for electrical energy storage systems including power conversion systems. The applications include off-grid stationary applications, e-mobility, battery recycling, grid-connected battery, battery management system, super capacitor or a combination of battery and super-capacitor to address a technology gap in end-use application to improve the adoption of electrical energy storage system are highly encouraged to apply for the ELCTD project.

The last date to apply for the challenge is 18th December, 2020.

Speaking on the challenges, Sandeep Tandon, National Program Manager, Facility for Low Carbon Technology Deployment, says, “The project aims to strengthen the innovation eco-system in India, particularly for the development of technology-based solutions that are helping address the energy and climate change issue. The project is also attempting to improve the academia-entrepreneur-industry collaboration to bring innovation technology solutions so that all stand to benefit”.

Debi Prasad Dash, Executive Director, India Energy Storage Alliance, expresses, “This is a unique opportunity for Indian conglomerates and MSMEs and startups to showcase their innovation & engineering capabilities in this sunrise energy storage and electric mobility sector. I urged the emerging startups to come forward and participate in this opportunity. Recognizing the momentum in the industry, IESA organized an Innovation workshop at India Energy Storage Week on November 2, 2020, in association with UNIDO. The program was aimed at startups in the e-mobility, clean energy, energy storage, and clean transportation sectors”.

In the last five years, India has witnessed several young entrepreneurs setting-up engineering, R&D, production and manufacturing-based startups, where most focus on electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers and four-wheelers, charging infrastructure, swapping, powertrain, Battery Management Systems, thermal management, and more. This large proliferation of startups in the EV space is largely driven by the government’s vision for 2030, with a clear message that the government and private players are serious about electric mobility and transitioning to cleaner technologies.

FLCTD Program in the last three years has successfully awarded 40+ winners and committed over Rs.8 crore in financial support.
IESA is a supporting partner for this Innovation Challenge. Other partners of the program includes CII-GBC, Sangram-AIC, Intellecap, Start-Up India and AGNII.