INDIA
Tamil Nadu will be home to the world’s first biorefinery which will use solid waste generated from tanneries in Vellore district.
Tamil Nadu will be home to the world’s first biorefinery which will use solid waste generated from tanneries in Vellore district.
The Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) at Chennai, a unit of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has succeeded in developing a biorefinery which will produce biodiesel, bioethanol, biohydrogen and biomethane.
“With this bio refinery we will ensure that tanneries across the country do not discharge any kind of solid waste. There will not be any waste to be discharged because we will use it as raw materials,” Palani Shanmugam (42), the CLRI scientist who designed the refinery told DNA.
Tanneries across the country have been a major cause of environmental pollution and ground water contamination. Ground water in the entire Ranipet, Ambur and Vellore regions is contaminated due to the presence of toxic materials like chromium and cadmium in the solid waste thrown out by the tanneries.
Shanmugam, a PhD in civil and environmental engineering from Leeds University in Britain, has devised a chemical process which extracts biodiesel, bioethanol, biohydrogen and biomethane from the solid waste. It took him 15 years of grueling research to design the refinery.
“One tonne of solid waste from the tannery will yield 200 litres of bio diesel, 200 litres of bio ethanol, 120 cubic meter of bio hydrogen and 200 cubic meter methane. The cost of producing a liter of diesel through this process will be Rs 20,” said Shanmugan. The entire solid waste will be consumed by the refinery. The water received at the end of the process could be used for gardening, he said.
Dr DK Mondal director, CLRI, drove his car which was fuelled by the biodiesel produced at Shanmugam’s laboratory scale plant. The pilot plant which consumes two tonnes per day solid waste is being set up in Ranipet, 200km away from Chennai, with financial assistance offered by the union government. “The pilot plant will cost us Rs70 lakh. We can tell with authority that the environmental hazards due to solid waste from tanneries will be a thing of the past,” said Shanmugam.
While biohydrogen could be used to generate power through fuel cells, the biodiesel, biomethane and bioethanol could be used to run automobiles and as cooking gas,” said Shanmugam. He said tanneries spread across the country generate 2,400 tonnes of solid waste per day. “This entire waste could be used to generate power, bio diesel and cooking gas without producing any green house gases or waste of any kind,” said Shanmugam.
Two fall prey to Narayana Murthy and Mukesh Ambani's deepfake videos, lose Rs 80 lakh: Report
North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles toward sea ahead of US election
Deepika Padukone romances Hrithik Roshan in Bikini, looks sizzling hot in UNSEEN viral video
Chhath Puja 2024: Top 50 wishes, What'sApp messages, quotes to share with your loved ones
Meet Caroline Emmons, Ratan Tata's 'first love' with whom he couldn't marry due to...
Who is Rohan Jaitley, frontrunner to replace Jay Shah as BCCI secretary?
World’s most expensive human tooth is valued over Rs 3000000, it belonged to…
Viral video: Little girl’s adorable dance to Lisa Haydon’s 'Manali Trance' impresses internet, watch
SC to deliver its verdict on pleas against Allahabad HC order scrapping UP madrasa law today
DNA TV Show: Why Election Commission changed Assembly by-elections' dates
Days after imposing fine on Anil Ambani, Sebi now issues Rs 130 crore demand notices to...
Thailand announces indefinite visa-free entry for Indian travellers
Meet daughter of billionaire, who studied in UK, now works in Rs 32770 crore Indian company as...
MUDA case: Lokayukta police summon Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah for questioning on...
This city is 4000 years old, belongs to bronze age where 500 people lived, it is located in...
Kamala Harris has been the President of US before? Here's when and how
Meet son-in-law of billionaire whose net worth is Rs 38690 crore, he co-founded...
What is elimination inflammation diet that helped Vidya Balan lose weight?
Shah Rukh Khan feels breathless after quitting smoking: Know withdrawal symptoms, how to manage them
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal takes action on vendor for mislabelling mushrooms at Hyperpure warehouse
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance shares fell by 3%, loses Rs 50205 crore in one day due to...
IAF's MiG-29 crashes near Agra in Uttar Pradesh, pilot ejects safely, court of inquiry ordered
Driving Growth and Monetization at Zendesk: A Conversation with Darshit Thakkar
Can air pollution make you fat? Know how high AQI impact your health
Locanto Addresses Challenges and Innovations in Indian Education System
Nita Ambani stuns in floral co-ord set while Anant, Mukesh Ambani go casual in Dubai
Indian Railway to launch this 'SUPER APP', passengers can now..., know details here
Who is Rashmi Shukla, IPS officer whom EC removed as Maharashtra DGP?
This village in India allows men to have two wives, living under one roof due to…
AUS vs PAK, 1st ODI: Australia beat Pakistan by 2 wickets to take 1-0 lead in series
Singham Again’s sole aim is to entertain, it’s not Hindutva propaganda
Delhi pollution: 'Why firecracker ban was not implemented during Diwali,' SC asks police, govt
IPL 2025 mega auction likely to be held in Riyadh on these dates
Big update on Reliance Jio IPO as Mukesh Ambani eyes THIS date
EC reschedules UP, Punjab, Kerala bypolls from Nov 13 to...
Coldplay's Chris Martin falls through stage trap door while performing live in Australia
Meet man, who is rising star in Tata Group after Ratan Tata's death, now tasked with...
'Nice handwriting': Internet reacts to Elon Musk's physics homework from his college days
AIIMS INI CET 2025 admit card releasing today at aiimsexams.ac.in; when and how to download
Sustainability Meets Innovation via uPVC: Industry expert shares experience
Promoting innovation in engineering education
AP TET 2024 exam result declared at aptet.apcfss.in; steps to check
AI-Powered Development: Insights from industry leaders on transforming software engineering
Another BIG move by BSNL, now set to provide tough competition to Jio, Airtel, Vi by...
Uttarakhand Bus Accident: 36 dead after bus falls into gorge in Almora; rescue operations underway
Bigg Boss 18: Vivian D'Sena accuses Chahat Pandey of pooping on floor, latter loses her cool
One of India's best wicketkeepers set to retire after this season, won't play IPL too, he is...
Research shows awe-inspiring details about Black Holes, they can...
US Presidential Election 2024: Harris vs Trump goes down to the wire, say polls
AP TET 2024 exam result to be declared today on aptet.apcfss.in, when and how to check
Shampoo, tea, biscuits, oil to get costlier soon? FMCG firms caution price hike as...
Swiggy fined Rs 35000 for duping Hyderabad customer by doing THIS
Delhi pollution: Air quality in Delhi-NCR further deteriorates, AQI hits 'severe' level
Indian mission condemns attack on Hindu devotees at Canada temple by ‘anti-India’ elements
'Upar se leke neeche tak...': Bigg Boss 18's Kashish Kapoor, Eisha Singh get into ugly spat
Man grows 500 kg pumpkin, uses it as boat to sail 70 km, SEE PIC
Devotees at Banke Bihari Temple drink AC water believing it to be 'Charan Amrit'; WATCH viral video
Bank Holidays in November: Banks to remain closed for four days in THESE states, full list here