By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 27 Aug: Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, Health & Family Welfare, visited CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun on 26-27 August. At an Inaugural Ceremony organised at IIP, today, with Dr Harsh Vardhan as Chief Guest and Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat as Guest of Honour, the inauguration was held of the Waste Plastics to Diesel Plant of 1 Ton per day capacity installed in the premises of the institute. The technology of the plant has been developed by the scientists of IIP and is sponsored and technically supported by GAIL.
The plant will convert 1000 kg of plastic waste to 800 litres of diesel daily. The diesel will be of automotive grade, meeting the diesel specifications for use in vehicles and could be straightaway filled in cars, trucks or generators. The salient features of the technology are as follows: All polyolefinic wastes, which account for approximately 70% of total plastics consumed, can be converted. Exclusive production of either diesel, gasoline (petrol) or aromatics along with LPG; environmentally friendly process; estimated to be economically viable without subsidy at 10 TDP.
On the occasion, GAIL was represented by Executive Director, GAIL (R&D), DV Shastry, Parivesh Chugh and Nand Kumar, Director Dr Anjan Ray, Amar Kumar Jain, Chief Scientist Dr Sanat Kumar, Sr Principal Scientist, Dr DC Pandey, Principal Technical Officer, and other experts and staff from IIP. Also present was Dr MO Garg, former Director and former DG, CSIR.
After inaugurating the plant at the site, the function shifted to the Dr Lovraj Kumar Auditorium, where the Minister addressed the IIP Staff and other dignitaries present.
He recalled that exactly a year before on this date he had received the SpiceJet flight which operated from Dehradun to Delhi on 25% Bio-Jet Fuel manufactured at the institute.
He added that two of India’s key concerns today were of reducing dependence on crude oil imports and managing the impact of human-generated pollution on human health and the environment. He said that the government is committed to phasing out single-use plastics.
Elaborating on the pilot project, he said that more than 70 percent of the accumulated and continuously accumulating waste plastic is of one kind – Polyolefins (polyethylene and polypropylene) and these are the least biodegradable. He added that a city like Dehradun generates an estimated 20 tons (20,000 kgs) of waste polyolefins daily and The Waste Plastics to Diesel Plant inaugurated today would convert 5 percent of Dehradun’s waste polyolefin plastics, which would be made available to government, police and army vehicles for regular use.
The minister said that the technological advancement of PNG burner pioneered by CSIR-IIP had resulted in preventing 20-25% of the wastage of natural gas. He further said that it was a moment of pride when on the republic day parade this year the Air Force jets flew using the bio-fuel produced by CSIR-IIP, Dehradun.
He continued that CSIR-IIP is doing many more things to generate renewable and alternative fuels from domestic sources like non-edible vegetable oils, used cooking oil, crop residues, food and vegetable waste. The technologies like room temperature bio-diesel process and bio-jet fuel are one of its kinds in the world.
He announced the plan to develop a research-Cum-retail renewable resources park in the campus to make renewable fuel versions of diesel, petrol and natural gas available to the residents of the area, including motorists along the highway. He said that the Park will also host a service station for retrofitting old diesel and petrol cars into E-vehicles, supported by a solar, wind and biofuels hybrid charging station.
After about 6 months of regular operation and data generation, CSIR-IIP in association with GAIL will roll out this technology nationwide. Honourable Minister urged CSIR-IIP and GAIL to further scale up the technology to develop a 10 TPD plant which he offered to implement in Delhi to solve the menace of waste plastics.
On the occasion, the Minister also visited the Bio-Jet Fuel Plant and PNG Burner Facility of the institute.
