<p>India and the US have launched a new bilateral dialogue on energy, which envisages setting up working groups focusing on, among other things, clean coal technology.</p><p>Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and US Secretary for Energy Samuel W. Bodman met in Washington yesterday to launch a new bilateral “India-US Energy Dialogue.”</p><p>“The establishment of the dialogue reflects the transformed strategic relationship between the US and India as called for by President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Secretary Bodman and Dr Ahluwalia agreed that it was important to show progress in the Energy Dialogue before the US visit of Prime Minister Singh,” said a joint statement issued after the meeting.</p><p>On the issue of nuclear energy, the statement laid out the tasks of working groups, including dialogue and action on issues associated with civilian uses of nuclear energy and its control.</p></sec></body><sub-article><front><journal-meta><journal-id journal-id-type="publisher">BEE</journal-id><journal-title>Bulletin on Energy Efficiency</journal-title><issn pub-type="epub">0972-3102</issn><publisher><publisher-name>Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd.</publisher-name></publisher></journal-meta><article-meta><article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">bee-5-6-news</article-id><article-categories><subj-group><subject>News & Feedback</subject></subj-group></article-categories><title-group><article-title>India, Pakistan set up working group on energy cooperation</article-title></title-group><author-notes><fn><p><italic>The Hindu</italic>, 7 July 2005</p></fn></author-notes><pub-date pub-type="epub"><month>6</month><year>2005</year></pub-date><volume>5</volume><issue>6</issue><fpage>4</fpage><lpage>4</lpage><counts><page-count count="1" /></counts></article-meta></front><body><sec><title /><p>India and Pakistan have announced the setting up of a joint working group (JWG) for energy cooperation with focus on gas pipelines.</p><p>Union Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar made the announcement at a news conference after meeting Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. The JWG is mandated to look into technical, commercial, legal and other issues related to gas pipelines.</p><p>Both countries have agreed to explore the possibilities of accessing low-cost energy from the extended neighborhood. Pakistan is looking at gas pipeline options from Iran, Turkmenistan and Qatar and committed to take a final decision by December 31. Mr Aiyar said the Pakistan-India gas pipeline project should “get off the ground” in January next. For the first time, Pakistan shared data with India on the energy requirements of the country as well as the options it is exploring to bridge the huge deficit.</p><p>The proposed 2,600-km Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline was one of the major options the JWG would consider. If necessary Iran, which at present is not part of the JWG, would join the discussions later to convert the project into a trilateral agreement, said Mr Aiyar. He has formally asked Pakistan to facilitate the entry of India into the ADB-sponsored Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) gas pipeline. As work on the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline had begun earlier, it would be taken up first followed by TAP, which could be converted into the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline.</p><p>Pakistan Petroleum Minister Amanullah Khan Jadoon is visiting New Delhi for further talks on the security and transit issue relating to the pipeline. Mr Aiyar will visit Islamabad again in October or November to give shape to the pipeline matrix. <boxed-text1><sec><title>From our readers

BEE

Bulletin on Energy Efficiency

0972-3102

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd.

bee-5-6-news

NEWS AND VIEWS

India-US Energy Dialogue launched

The Hindu, 1 June 2005

62005

5644

<p>India and the US have launched a new bilateral dialogue on energy, which envisages setting up working groups focusing on, among other things, clean coal technology.</p><p>Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and US Secretary for Energy Samuel W. Bodman met in Washington yesterday to launch a new bilateral “India-US Energy Dialogue.”</p><p>“The establishment of the dialogue reflects the transformed strategic relationship between the US and India as called for by President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Secretary Bodman and Dr Ahluwalia agreed that it was important to show progress in the Energy Dialogue before the US visit of Prime Minister Singh,” said a joint statement issued after the meeting.</p><p>On the issue of nuclear energy, the statement laid out the tasks of working groups, including dialogue and action on issues associated with civilian uses of nuclear energy and its control.</p></sec></body><sub-article><front><journal-meta><journal-id journal-id-type="publisher">BEE</journal-id><journal-title>Bulletin on Energy Efficiency</journal-title><issn pub-type="epub">0972-3102</issn><publisher><publisher-name>Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd.</publisher-name></publisher></journal-meta><article-meta><article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">bee-5-6-news</article-id><article-categories><subj-group><subject>News & Feedback</subject></subj-group></article-categories><title-group><article-title>India, Pakistan set up working group on energy cooperation</article-title></title-group><author-notes><fn><p><italic>The Hindu</italic>, 7 July 2005</p></fn></author-notes><pub-date pub-type="epub"><month>6</month><year>2005</year></pub-date><volume>5</volume><issue>6</issue><fpage>4</fpage><lpage>4</lpage><counts><page-count count="1" /></counts></article-meta></front><body><sec><title /><p>India and Pakistan have announced the setting up of a joint working group (JWG) for energy cooperation with focus on gas pipelines.</p><p>Union Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar made the announcement at a news conference after meeting Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. The JWG is mandated to look into technical, commercial, legal and other issues related to gas pipelines.</p><p>Both countries have agreed to explore the possibilities of accessing low-cost energy from the extended neighborhood. Pakistan is looking at gas pipeline options from Iran, Turkmenistan and Qatar and committed to take a final decision by December 31. Mr Aiyar said the Pakistan-India gas pipeline project should “get off the ground” in January next. For the first time, Pakistan shared data with India on the energy requirements of the country as well as the options it is exploring to bridge the huge deficit.</p><p>The proposed 2,600-km Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline was one of the major options the JWG would consider. If necessary Iran, which at present is not part of the JWG, would join the discussions later to convert the project into a trilateral agreement, said Mr Aiyar. He has formally asked Pakistan to facilitate the entry of India into the ADB-sponsored Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) gas pipeline. As work on the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline had begun earlier, it would be taken up first followed by TAP, which could be converted into the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline.</p><p>Pakistan Petroleum Minister Amanullah Khan Jadoon is visiting New Delhi for further talks on the security and transit issue relating to the pipeline. Mr Aiyar will visit Islamabad again in October or November to give shape to the pipeline matrix. <boxed-text1><sec><title>From our readers

Though individual units may not account for substantial energy savings, collectively the six million units can contribute a lot. Please introduce articles to guide smallscale industries to conserve energy. Mr F. Vanak, Chief Manager, VANJAX, Chennai

Please publish articles on utilization of effluents for biogas generation, strategies to enhance per se production of methane in biogas, comparative overview of different strategies to recycle bio-waste. Dr R.M. Kothari, Sr Vice President, Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd, Jalgaon

We would like to see articles on use of municipal solid waste for power generation, use of paddy straw/cotton stalks and other fibrous material for power generation, use of groundnut shells in boilers. Mr A.V. Rao, Chief of Projects, Gujarat Ambuja Cements, Mumbai

The article on “Densification of Biomass” is excellent. It would be complete if the list of manufacturers of equipment to compress or densify the biomass was given. Please provide more information on biomass-based gasifiers. Mr Deepak Swayampati, Director, Caprica Pvt Ltd, Vadodara

Though the quality of information in the bulletin is excellent, I would like to see all the energy conservation tools and techniques with respect to my organization. I would suggest you to cover all the industries where energy is the key issue. I would like to see topics like the energy used for processing section, different alternatives available, maximum utilization of available resources, cutting costs and increasing profitability – especially with respect to processing industry. Mr Parshuram G. Patil, Director–Marketing, Brisk Surgicals Cotton Limited, Kalol