Renewable energy: emerging Indo-German trade, investment sector

New Delhi, May 25 (UNI) Renewable energy is one of the new and promising sector for trade and investment between Germany and India.

While India is an important emerging market for renewable energy, the German renewable energy sector is undergoing an increasing export boom. Since 2000, the export volume has grown half a billion euros to six billion euros today.

Volume of the world markets for renewable energy has doubled from 30 to 60 billion euros in the last seven years, and by 2020, this will further grow to more than 400 billion euros.

By 2010, a 15 billion euros growth ''more than double the current volume'' is predicted, Indo-German Chamber of Commerce Deputy Director General Ajay Singha said.

The success of the German renewable energy is profiting not only its economy. The conversion to a sustainable energy supply system has also opened up new perspectives for the stakeholders of complex energy technology in India.

Bielefeld-based Biogas Nord has just received its first contract from India. In future, a sugarmill in Maharashtra will meet its energy requirements from a German biogas plant.

Thereby it will be independent of fossil raw materials besides contributing to the growth of the Indian economy is an eco-friendly way.

Earlier the factory had used 6,000 litres of expensive oil everyday. In future, the residual materials from the production process will be fermented and used to produce electricity and heat.

The potential of the biogas use in this sector is very clear: in Maharashtra alone, there are 165 sugar mills.

There already exists an intensive exchange between Indian and German wind energy sector. For the company Sudwind, the subcontinent was the most important export market.

Enercon has a production facility in India and Repower has a licence contract with Essar.

The Indian wind power sector is making efforts to profit from Germany's wind power experience and the country's companies can learn from the experiences of Germany and customise it to meet the specific demands of the Indian market.

Just like the German users are already profiting from renewable energy-for instance, they have contained the electricity price-the Indian economy will also profit from a big contribution of renewable energy to the energy supply.

Germany's renewable energy sector profits especially from the worldwide trend for eco-friendly renewable energy.

The world is investing rapidly in the sectors wind and hydro power, solar and bio energy as well as geothermal power.

Besides India, the other important emerging markets in these sectors are the US and China.

UNI