The University of Birmingham and industry partners like Carrier are supporting the effort
K T Rama Rao, the Minister of IT and Industries of Telangana called for ideas to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable cooling systems. He inaugurated the Telangana Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold Chain, the first of its kind in India, at the GMR Innovex Campus Hyderabad. The centre’s mission is to accelerate the deployment of energy-efficient refrigeration for food and vaccine supply chains nationwide.
The first phase of the project will focus on cold chains for food and health after harvest. Phase Two will add electronics and a data centre. The CoE will have cutting-edge technology and act as a one-stop-shop for any issues relating to the nation’s cold chain ecology. The University of Birmingham and industry partners like Carrier are supporting the effort. “It will develop and demonstrate cooling technologies and solutions that meet the State’s needs and could be scaled up with global reach,” he added.
The Center of Excellence (CoE) will provide community cooling centres, a model pack-house, a solutions development lab, and a demonstration facility. It aims to improve the lives of farmers in Telangana by addressing the lack of cold storage facilities which prevents many farmers from selling perishable goods. The CoE will develop strategies to protect perishable food and improve the quality of items. It will also offer upskilling and training courses for farmers, regional agribusinesses, agri-startups and entrepreneurs, equipment technicians, and researchers, using a hub and spoke concept.
