India’s refining and power sector must stability rising power demand and power safety with the transition in direction of net-zero emissions, trade leaders stated at a panel dialogue on the The Hindu Sustainability Summit 2026 in Chennai.
At a dialogue on the subject of ‘Fossils to Internet Zero: Reworking India’s Refinery and Power Panorama’, S.G. Venkatesh, Director (Technical), Chennai Petroleum Company Restricted (CPCL); Nandakumar Velayudhan Pillai, Director (Refinery), Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Restricted (MRPL); Santosh Ok. Singh, Chief Sustainability Officer, Larsen & Toubro; and D. Senthil Kumar, Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Petroproducts Restricted, spoke concerning the challenges going through the sector. The session was moderated by Srinivasan Ramani, Deputy Nationwide Editor, The Hindu.
Mr. Venkatesh stated reaching internet zero for a refinery concerned lowering the power required to provide an identical quantity of completed merchandise and progressively shifting to cleaner power sources and applied sciences.
He stated the CPCL had lowered its power consumption even because it achieved its highest-ever crude throughput by means of power conservation measures, use of cleaner fuels, operational optimisation, and digitalisation. The corporate had additionally improved its power effectivity benchmark and was concentrating on net-zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2046.
Whereas Scope 1 covers direct emissions from refinery operations and Scope 2 covers emissions related to bought electrical energy, lowering Scope 3 emissions would rely on the broader transition in sectors that eat refinery merchandise, significantly transport, he stated.
No rapid alternative of fossil fuels
“Fossil fuels should not going to go away, not less than for the subsequent 20 years,” Mr. Singh stated, including that the transition ought to be considered as a shift from a high-carbon power system to a low-carbon one slightly than an instantaneous alternative of fossil fuels.
Mr. Singh stated inexperienced hydrogen had already moved from the coverage stage to implementation, however value remained a serious barrier. Scaling up electrolyser manufacturing, lowering renewable power prices and creating demand can be essential to creating the gas commercially viable.
The transition to a inexperienced hydrogen financial system would additionally require an ecosystem masking renewable energy technology, power storage, electrolysers, hydrogen storage, transportation and end-use, he stated.
Mr. Pillai stated the intermittent nature of renewable power posed a selected problem for refineries, which require a steady and secure power provide. “The refinery course of can not have a variation in its feed circulation,” he stated, pointing to the necessity for power storage and technological enhancements in electrolysers.
The panellists additionally mentioned how geopolitical conflicts and disruptions to key delivery routes might have an effect on crude provides and refining operations, significantly for an import-dependent nation equivalent to India. They stated such shocks underscored the necessity for refineries to diversify crude sources and strengthen provide resilience whereas making certain uninterrupted power availability.
On sustainable aviation gas (SAF), Mr. Pillai stated refineries had begun growing initiatives utilizing used cooking oil as a feedstock. The foremost problem was amassing ample portions of used cooking oil and assembly sustainability certification necessities. A SAF plant utilizing indigenous know-how was anticipated to be commissioned subsequent yr, he stated.
Carbon Credit score Buying and selling Scheme
Mr. Kumar stated the Carbon Credit score Buying and selling Scheme would shift power effectivity from a largely voluntary train in direction of a compliance-driven mechanism for refineries and petrochemical industries. Beneath the scheme, industries would have prescribed emissions-intensity targets for a specified interval, towards a baseline decided utilizing recognized working parameters. Corporations that enhance past their targets might commerce the extra effectivity achieved by means of certificates, whereas these unable to fulfill their targets must procure certificates to bridge the shortfall.
He stated comparable mechanisms had been already in place in different industries underneath the Bureau of Power Effectivity, together with by means of the Carry out, Obtain and Commerce scheme. Nevertheless, the sooner mechanism had not gained enough traction. With the carbon market now being expanded to extra industries, together with refineries and petrochemicals, buying and selling exercise might enhance considerably, he stated. “The buying and selling actions are anticipated to be very difficult sooner or later,” he stated, including that the incentives out there to industries that carry out higher than their targets might create higher scope for funding in power effectivity.
The panellists additionally burdened that power effectivity ought to precede costlier decarbonisation applied sciences. The dialogue highlighted the necessity for a gradual transition that safeguards power safety whereas accelerating investments in effectivity, renewable power, inexperienced hydrogen and sustainable fuels.
The summit is supported by Chennai Petroleum Company Restricted (CPCL) because the Presenting Accomplice, with NLC India Restricted, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Navin’s, WABAG, Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Restricted, Indian Financial institution, Urbando and State Financial institution of India as Affiliate Companions.
The summit’s sustainability-focused partnerships embody Thermax because the Sustainable Cooling Accomplice, Treeni because the Sustainability Intelligence Accomplice, Chennai Port Authority because the Blue Economic system Accomplice and Tamil Nadu Inexperienced Local weather Firm because the Local weather Motion Accomplice.
Mangaldeep is the Perfume Accomplice, Puthiya Thalaimurai the TV Accomplice, The Federal the Digital TV Accomplice and Communitree the NGO Accomplice.
Printed – September 23, 2026 07:50 pm IST
