The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has signed a three-year, ₹11 crore deal with The Energy and Research Institute to set up a centre to produce “advanced biofuels and bio-commodities.”
This is the fifth such dedicated centre for bioenergy-research and development set up by the Department.
The others are located at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi; the Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati; Transtech Green Power Limited, Jaipur; and the Oil and Natural Gas Energy Centre in the National Capital Region.
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The bio-centre would be focussed on not only developing technology but also commercialising it, said Renu Swarup, Secretary, DBT. “We are looking at this project not only to carry out R&D research work but also products in the area of bio-commodities and bioenergy that can be finally commercialised as well,” she said at an event to announce the deal.
There about a 100 scientists in the country, tasked with research projects to achieve the goals spelt out in the biofuel policy, which envisages high-quality algal biodiesel, cellulosic ethanol, bio butanol and bio hydrogen, according to the DBT.
Other than fuel, by-products envisaged at the TERI-DBT Centre include food, feed, nutrition supplements, bio-plastics and novelty speciality chemicals.
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Last year, TERI established a photo bioreactor of 10,000-litre capacities for round-the-year-production of algal strains that contain heightened lipid concentrations and a pilot scale (1,500 litre) scale bio-hydrogen production facility.