The Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum Of Understanding (MoU) signed with France in the field of renewable energy. The MoU was signed between India and France during French president Emannuel Macron’s visit to India on 10th March.
The MoU aims to identify research/demonstration/pilot project between India’s premier energy institute – National Institute of Solar energy (NISE) and France’s Commissariat aI’ Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA) in mutually identified areas.
As per reports, both countries would work for implementation and deployment of a pilot project in the International Solar Alliance (ISA), an international body comprising of 121 countries where conditions of harnessing solar power are greater. ISA is an intergovernmental alliance of the nations lying between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. PM Modi has pitched for embracing renewables energy sources to deal with the challenges posed by global climate change.
According to the MoU, collaboration may occur through several means, such as joint research projects, joint research, and development, joint workshops, research, and technology exchange, including the exchange of domain experts.
The MoU will help in strengthening bilateral ties between both countries and allows for an exchange of networking information and expertise and serve as a major step towards India’s commitment to the Paris Climate accord, which aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change.