IIT K Partners With NSI Kanpur to Launch Centre of Excellence for Biofuels

IIT Kanpur and NSI Kanpur have signed a MoU to establish a Centre of Excellence for Biofuels. This partnership will focus on joint research and technology development.

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) and the National Sugar Institute, Kanpur (NSI Kanpur) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a Centre of Excellence for Biofuels at NSI Kanpur. This partnership will involve joint projects to conduct cutting-edge research and develop advanced technology to improve the efficiency and sustainability of biofuel production in the country.

This MoU marks a step forward in boosting the production of advanced, sustainable, high-quality biofuels. It focuses on developing innovative technologies, optimizing existing processes, and establishing pilot projects to demonstrate biofuel technology viability. This effort will help secure the energy supply, protect the climate by reducing CO2 emissions, and decrease dependence on fossil fuels and crude oil imports.

Biofuels are expected to significantly reduce dependency on fossil fuels and mitigate climate change. This collaborative research will focus on enhancing the production of Ethanol, Methanol, Bio-CNG, Aviation Fuel, Green Hydrogen, and other renewable energy sources from biomass.

The signing of the MoU took place in the presence of Ashwini Srivastava, Joint Secretary (Sugar), Dept of Food & Public Distribution, Govt of India; Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur; and Dr. Seema Paroha, Director, National Sugar Institute, Kanpur. This partnership aims to leverage the expertise of both institutions to address the growing energy needs of India while promoting environmental conservation.

Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director of IIT Kanpur, said, " NSI Kanpur has been working in this field for over 60 years, understanding the market dynamics and technological requirements well. Parallelly, IIT Kanpur possesses the understanding of fundamental science and technologies in chemical and other related domains. The aim is to combine the strengths of both institutions to create a state-of-the-art center to help India take a leadership position in the area of biofuels.”

Shri Aswani Srivastava, Joint Secretary (Sugar), Government of India said “The National Bio-fuel policy, 2018 allows the production of ethanol from various sugarcane-based feedstock as well as use of surplus food grains for production of ethanol. Under Ethanol Blended with Petrol (EBP) Programme, the Govt. has fixed the target of 20% blending of ethanol with petrol by 2025. In order to increase the production of ethanol in the country, the Govt. has been promoting maize as a major feedstock for production of ethanol.”

Dr. Seema Paroha, Director, NSI Kanpur, said, “This is a long-term MoU, and a dedicated building with a state-of-the-art laboratory, including all requisite equipment, pilot plants, and instruments, will be established for the CoE at the Institute campus. This will initially be funded by the ministry, and moving forward, industrial tie-ups will also be targeted."

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