The Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati has collaborated with NTPC Limited to design and develop a highly energy-efficient plant to capture carbon-di-oxide from power plants.
The premier institute claimed it has the potential to battle global climate change and will help natural gas and petroleum refineries, among others.
According to officials, the technology developed by IIT Guwahati researchers works on flue gas, a mixture of gases produced by the burning of fuel or other materials in power stations, using a newly-activated amine solvent (IITGS), which consumes up to 11 percent less energy compared to commercial activated MDEA (monoethanolamine) solvent and up to 31 percent less energy compared to the benchmark MEA (monoethanolamine) solvent.
"After successful completion of test studies, the pilot plant has been shifted to NTPC's (National Thermal Power Corporation Limited) NETRA facility. IIT Guwahati team and NTPC Limited are in the process of patenting the technology. This development has the potential impact to combat global climate change. The next phase of the study will involve the testing of pilot-plant using industrial flue gas," Bishnupada Mandal, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Guwahati, said.
The outcomes of this project will benefit oil, natural gas, biogas industries, and petroleum refineries. This project, through its research and education, will support and strengthen the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well, he said.
