Clean Energy Materials Initiative (CEMI) supports material research and development for a wide range of energy sectors and applications. Specific application areas for new materials include advanced batteries and solar cells, low energy semiconductors, thermal storage, coatings for various applications, structural materials, catalysts for the conversion and capture of CO₂ etc. The initiative aims to accelerate the innovation process for high-performance, low-cost clean energy materials and automate the processes needed to integrate these materials into new technologies.

1. Materials for Energy Storage (MES)

This programme was launched in May, 2016 to support research and development for entire spectrum of energy storage technologies. The initiative intends to bring together scientists and other stakeholders including industry representatives and entrepreneurs, national development policy makers and practitioners. The Initiative offers opportunity to investigate and develop new insights and research in energy storage. It also promotes collaborations for research on energy storage.

2. Materials for Energy Conservation and Storage Platform (MECSP)

This initiative supports research and development of energy conservation and storage technologies from early stage research to technology breakthroughs in materials, systems and scalable technologies to maximize resource use efficiency. The MECSP will support research and development for entire spectrum of energy conservation and storage technologies from early stage research to technology breakthroughs in materials, systems and scalable technologies.

Four centres have been developed under this initiative on super capacitors, batteries and hydrogen. These centres constitute knowledge networks of more than 20 elite institutions and 80 research personnel are working on materials and next generation devices in batteries, super capacitors, solid state hydrogen storage and fuel cells.

2.1  DST- IIT Delhi Energy Storage Platform on Batteries

DST–Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Delhi) Centre on Batteries aims to carry out research and development to develop three different types of novel materials and their application in electrochemical storage devices. The network of researchers engaged in the centre comprise of scientists from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT-Delhi), Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, ARCI - Centre for Fuel Cell Technology (CFCT).

2.2  DST- IIT Bombay Energy Storage Platform on Hydrogen

DST has been established the centre with an aim to carry out materials and systems research, prototype demonstration, technology development, incubation of innovative ideas, industrial interactions, collaborations, manpower development and information dissemination in the field of hydrogen. The lead organisation is Indian Institute of Technology IIT Bombay and has four partnering institutions IIT Guwahati, IIT Kanpur, IIT Tirupati, NIT Rourkela.

2.3  DST- IISc Energy Storage Platform on Supercapacitors

The overarching objective of the DST-IISc Energy Storage Platform on Supercapacitors is to develop techno-economically viable electrical energy storage solutions that have the potential to catapult India to a leadership role in energy storage and clean energy technologies through active collaboration and accelerated technology development. IISc Bangalore, being the nodal centre has four partnering institutes, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Madras, Central Electro-Chemical Research Institute Karaikudi, Pondicherry University.

2.4  DST- NFTDC Energy Storage Platform on Hydrogen

The centre has been established at Nonferrous Materials Technology Development Centre, Hyderabad with a core theme of Hydrogen based materials to Energy Devices. The focus of this centre will be specific Hydrogen related systems. The network of researchers engaged in centre comprise of scientists from IISc Bangalore, IIT Madras, IIT Bhubaneswar, Sri Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram. The Centre started off with three major verticals in Heat and Power Generation via Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC), solid state storage and cooling solutions.

3. Integrated Clean Energy Material Acceleration Platform- IC MAP

The need to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy is a global challenge that requires a global response. Integrated Clean Energy Material Acceleration Platform (IC-MAP) aims to accelerate the discovery of high performance low cost clean energy materials for energy harnessing, energy storage and energy efficiency for diverse sectors such as power, buildings, transportation, storage, construction etc. IC MAP gives tremendous opportunity to improve the quality of life by making clean energy widely affordable and accessible and thus mitigating adverse impacts of climate change.

The Integrated Clean Energy Materials Acceleration Platform (IC-MAP) also aims to reduce the materials development cycle significantly, say upto 10 times. It builds on recent scientific breakthroughs and the ability to program machines to assist the design of materials, moving away from the drudgery of conventional discovery methods, identify the gaps and missing links and commit to a tangible output.

4. National Innovation Challenge Awards for Designing and Developing Energy Storage Devices

A rapid decline in the costs of renewable energy generation has made the adoption of renewable energy sources economically viable. Renewable energy has the potential to provide access to uninterrupted and clean electricity to almost all households of rural India. However, a major hurdle for the realization of the national dream of complete rural electrification is the absence of an economically viable energy storage solution that can be integrated with renewables, which are an intermittent energy sources. The objective of this grand challenge is to develop cost effective, viable and reliable solutions that can address the challenge of energy access through an energy storage system integrated with appropriate renewable energy source(s).