Energy and Transport

Demand for energy and mobility has a direct correlation with economic progress. At the same time, such accelerating demands have caused serious concerns over energy security, air-pollution and global warming. During the COP-26 at Glasgow, the Hon’be Prime Minister of India announced India’s plan to achieve ‘Net Zero’ by 2070. He also announced a five-point agenda for India (Panchamrit) with specific targets to increase India’s non-fossil energy capacity and reduction of carbon emission. Government authorities, industry and academic/ research communities are gearing up to initiate actions towards fulfilling such visions. Technology plays an important role in achieving such targets.With a rich experience of technology think-tank activities, innovation promotion and implementing and monitoring technology projects and missions, TIFAC is well poised to support the stakeholders.

How TIFAC can assist the stakeholders

Government and Public Authorities

  • Evaluation of policy alternatives and their implications
  • Required infrastructure and issues related to large scale adoption of new technologies
  • Assessment: Economic, social, technological and environmental impacts of emerging energy and transport technologies
  • Preparation of roadmaps for implementation and accelerating translation of early stage technologies.
  • Nucleation, monitoring, evaluation and assessment of impacts of projects/ prorgammes in the Energy and Transport Sector
  • Defining specifications for procurement of new technologies and products
  • Training of transport planners on emerging issues in sustainable transportation

Industry

  • Customized reports on technology trends, assessment and techno-economic feasibility in specific technology areas
  • Hand-holding for Start-ups
  • Strategies for Net Zero
  • Assessment of future potential for emerging technology areas
  • Interfacing with academic/ R&D institutions

Academia/ R&D Institutions

  • Assessment of Technology Readiness Level
  • Patent analysis
  • Support in technology transfer/ translation
  • Nucleation of collaborative projects

Focus Areas

  • Transport decarbonization
  • Intelligent Transport System
  • Renewable Energy
  • Energy Storage
  • Emerging Concepts in Mobility – Electric Road Systems, Hyperloop etc.

Available Competency

  • Technology foresight, technology scan, roadmapping and assessment of techno-economic feasibilit
  • Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA)
  • Agent Based Modelling
  • Simulation of vehicle, transport and energy systems
  • Optimization Techniques
  • Data Analytics

Recent Activities

For its activities in the Energy and Transport sector, TIFAC has been with associated with various stakeholders like NITI Aayog, Department of Heavy Industry, Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, International Transport Forum at OECD apart from various industry and academic/ R&D institutions.

Forecasting Penetration of Electric Two-Wheelers in India: A Bottom Up Analysis

In association with NITI Aayog. TIFAC developed an agent-based model that simulates electric two-wheeler purchase decision based on agent attributes as well as various policy options, technological and economic parameters. The model estimates penetration of electric two-wheelers on annual basis for a given time frame under given scenario. It also projects required charging facility as well as demand for on-board energy storage device in various scenarios.

Based on this model, a scenario analysis was conducted and the report was released on 28th June 2022 by Dr. V. K. Saraswat, Member (S&T), NITI Aayog and Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog.

Techno-economic Feasibility of Hyperloop

TIFAC contributed to NITI Aayog initiative on assessment of techno-economic feasibility study of Hyperloop technology.  TIFAC led the study on economic feasibility and developed a model to estimate the cost of a hyperloop project based on the basic system parameters.

Estimation of Real-Life Fuel Economy of Indian Vehicles by a Data Driven Approach

This was taken up with the objectives to help assessment of real-life fuel economy, mileage and load/ passenger capacity for various modes and segment of transport under Indian conditions along with impact of ageing on these parameters. The data will be useful for the Life Cycle Analysis Model being developed by International Transport Forum at OECD under the project “Decarbonization of Transport in Emerging Economies”. For estimating the real-life fuel economy, a model has been developed for reconciliation between the top-down and bottom-up fuel consumption. It also includes estimation of vehicle stocks and age profile.

The datasets is being utilized by the International Transport Forum at OECD in their lifecycle analysis exercise for the Indian transport sector under the project “Decarbonization of Transport in Emerging Economy (DTEE)’.

Power Electronics, Machines and Drives (PEMD)

TIFAC is preparing a whitepaper on Power Electronics, Machines and Drives under the initiative of the Department of Science and Technology with the broad theme “Technologies to Overcome Hindrances to Electric Mobility in India”. The whitepaper on PEMD focuses on identifying the India-specific technology needs for electric machines and power electronics for electric vehicles. Stakeholder consultation on this report and further discussions on the possibility of an Innovation Cluster on Power Electronics, Machines and Drives are being pursued.

Past Activities

TIFAC has earlier prepared R&D roadmap on electric mobility with support from the Department of Heavy Industry, Government of India. TIFAC also assisted the Department of Science and Technology and Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser in electric mobility related activities and studied various issues such as opportunity charging of electric public transport buses, rare-earth permanent magnet motor, optimization of charging infrastructure for electric public transport buses, grid impact of electric vehicle charging, demand of critical materials for electric mobility etc.

Reports and Publications

R&D Plan for Technology Platform on Electric Mobility

Forecasting Penetration of Electric Two-Wheelers in India

Contact

Arghya Sardar
Scientist F and Head, Energy and Transport
Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC)
5th Floor, AI Block, Technology Bhawan
New Mehrauli Road
New Delhi-110016
Email: arghya[at]tifac[dot]org[dot]in