As the countdown for the return of monsoon formally begins, fears of days of poor air quality have started pouring in. And among the various sources that trigger air pollution is ‘parali’ (stubble burning) by farmers of Punjab and Haryana.
Now farmers can expect income from this agro-waste, but can also help in the technology of hydrogen.
Researchers from Pune have developed a unique expertise for the direct technology of hydrogen from agricultural residues. This innovation could promote environmentally friendly hydrogen fuel-cell electric autos by overcoming the problem of hydrogen availability.
Among the many measures that India has promised to the world’s neighborhood as part of its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) are measures to restrict carbon emissions to limit international temperature rise. The proposal is considered one of them. India has set a target of 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030.
Researchers are working towards renewable energy options that need to be sustainable with a restricted carbon footprint. Probably the most economical way to realize this is to provide hydrogen from an affordable, substantial and renewable supply.
Agricultural waste, which faces a major problem for disposal, can be one of many sources of hydrogen formation. It can overcome the dual aspect of power technology and waste disposal.
A team of researchers from Agharkar Analytical Institute (ARI), Pune, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Knowledge (DST), authority of India, collaborated with Sentient Labs of KPIT Applied Sciences to develop expertise to extract hydrogen. Agricultural residues on a laboratory scale.
“Our expertise is an additional 25% eco-friendly compared to the typical anaerobic digestion processes currently in use. The 2-stage course eliminates the pre-treatment of the biomass, thus making the method economical and the surroundings pleasant. This process produces a digest that is rich in vitamins, which can be used as a natural fertiliser,” said Dr Prashant Dhakefalkar, Director, ARI.
The Expert Manufacturers Defined Hydrogen Gasoline Technology curriculum utilizes a specially developed microbial consortium that facilitates the biodegradation of cellulose- and hemicellulose-rich agricultural residues, such as the biomass of paddy, wheat, or maize, without thermo- -Chemical or enzymatic pre-treatment. “The method generates hydrogen within the first stage and methane within the second. The methane generated during this time will also be used to generate additional hydrogen,” the builders said.
“This success of producing hydrogen from unusable agricultural residues will help us become self-reliant on power assets. This should also add a huge source of income to the farming community,” said Ravi Pandit, President, Sentient Labs.
Scientists, Dr. SS Dagar and Pranav Kshirsagar, Maharashtra Affiliation for Cultivation of Science (MACS-ARI) and Kaustubh Pathak of KPIT-SENTIENT have contributed immensely towards organizing this method, which is on behalf of the Ministry of Science and Information. has been launched. An Indian patent application has been filed to protect the IPR.
