24-Aug-2020: INSPIRE faculty fellow developing low-cost biodiesel from microalgae
While fossil fuels deplete, the fuel potential of algae residing in the vast marine environment surrounding India remains unexplored. Low-cost biodiesel from microalgae of marine origin may soon turn a reality, thanks to the efforts of a scientist who is working on biotechnological studies and tools for increasing the lipid accumulation in microalgae for biodiesel production.
Realizing the rapid depletion of petroleum-based fuels, Dr. T. Mathimani from the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, started exploring alternative fuels from renewable and sustainable sources. While different types of biofuels that have been explored recently, the use of microalgae has been strongly considered for the production of biofuels since they present a series of advantages over other biofuel feedstock, and this route to sustainable fuels inspired him.
His submission on techniques for enhancing Triacylglycerol content in marine microalgae towards economic biodiesel production received the "Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) faculty fellowship instituted by the Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India.
In his research supported by this award published in the journal ‘Chemosphere’, Dr. T. Mathimani’s and his team have isolated predominant strains of marine microalgal species namely Picochlorum sp., Scenedesmus sp., Chlorella sp., from the coastal regions of Tamil Nadu for their potential in terms of total organic carbon content, and Triacylglycerides(TAG) content for biodiesel production.
They are now focusing on other microalgal candidates for their multiple biotechnological potentials and switchable polarity solvent (SPS) system based lipid extraction. SPS is an energy-efficient switchable solvent that can be recovered devoid of any thermal processes and can be reused as green solvent for algal lipid extraction with no effect on the environment. Metabolic engineering approaches can be used to escalate TAG accumulation for increasing biodiesel yield, and magnetic nanocomposite (MNC) can be used for several cycles of algal dewatering, and its treated culture suspension can be reused to scale down the biodiesel production cost significantly. These three approaches would be considered in their study for sustainable and low-cost production of biodiesel.
The group will formulate a roadmap by which biodiesel can be produced commercially and can be put in an energy market sustainably.
29-Jul-2020: Message from Hon'ble Prime Minister of India at International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) at the Start of ITER Assembly
The ITER Organization is celebrating the Start of Assembly of the ITER Tokamak with a ceremony today on 28th July 2020 at Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance, France. Invited Head of States of all ITER member countries are participating either in person, or electronically through remote mode, or conveying his/her message. The Celebration has been hosted virtually by President Macron.
In his message, Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi congratulated the ITER organization for their hard work and success so far. Taking note of the global participation of scientists and engineers he projected ITER to be a perfect illustration of the age-old Indian belief - Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - the entire world is working together for the betterment of Mankind and that India stands proud with its fair share of contributions in terms of its in-kind contributions, viz., the cryostat, in vessel shields, substantial contributions to the cooling water, cryogenic and cryo-distribution systems, auxiliary heating devices using RF and beam technologies, multi megawatt power supplies and several diagnostics to help ITER to achieve and demonstrate its goal.
On the occasion, the message from Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi was delivered by Shri Jawed Ashraf, Ambassador of India to France & Monaco.
4-Dec-2019: India tests Swedish technology to reduce stubble burning
Pollution from stubble burning in winter is the key contributor to the sharp decline in air quality in Delhi. But stubble burning continues unabated. To find a solution to this issue, India is testing a Swedish technology — torrefaction that can convert rice stubble into ‘bio-coal’.
The Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to Government of India has funded a pilot project in Punjab to evaluate the feasibility of the technology. Bioendev, a Swedish company, has set up a pilot plant at the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute in Mohali.
If scaled up, about 65% of the biomass could be converted to energy. The technology involves heating up straw, grass, saw mill residue and wood biomass to 250 degrees Celsius - 350 degrees Celsius. This changes the elements of the biomass into ‘coal-like’ pellets. These pellets can be used for combustion along with coal for industrial applications like steel and cement production. So far the technology has only been substantially tested in Scandinavia as a 16,000 ton/year plant.
The Bioendev project was discussed at a gathering, chaired by King Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden. Swedish and senior Indian government officials, academics and representatives from companies and non-governmental organisations were also present.