As the search for alternative energy sources continues world over due to depleting fossil fuel reserves, scientists from the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) here have a developed a know-how to produce bio-hydrogen, a renewable energy, through wastewater and industrial effluents.
By adopting a process called ‘dark fermentation’, the scientists have produced bio-hydrogen (hydrogen gas) using the carbon source available in the wastewater. The process was successfully tried out on a pilot scale through a 24-litre capacity bio-reactor for about two years.
Describing it as a futuristic fuel, Y.V. Swamy, Chief Scientist at the Bio-engineering and Environmental Centre (BEEC) told The Hindu that it would have wide applications and could be used to produce thermal energy and for industrial purposes. It could also replace LPG and used for driving vehicles.
He said the process developed at IICT would be cheaper than the electrolysis method of producing hydrogen. The technique would be adopted to scale up the capacity of bio-reactor to 100 kilo litres and commercialised subsequently. “It will be a breakthrough if we produce bio-hydrogen on a commercial scale by using wastewater as a raw material,” Dr. Swamy observed.
Hydrogen gas has the potential for conversion to usable power with high efficiency without any pollution. It could be produced by different methods –thermo-chemical (pyrolysis), electro-chemical (electrolysis) and biological. He said bio-hydrogen production through the biological route had gained importance as it could be produced through renewable resources such as sewage/ wastewater.
BEEC had focussed on production of energy (bio-hydrogen) by treating effluents. The process basically involved conversion of the pollution load (COD-chemical oxygen demand) to produce bio-hydrogen. “If you remove 60 per cent of COD, 40 per cent of that could be converted into bio-hydrogen,” he added.
He said the process developed had the capacity to utilise a diverse range of waste/ wastewater and the technology was ready for scaling up. The IICT was looking at the techno-economic feasibility of scaling up the capacity of the bio-reactor in collaboration with an industry in Maharashtra.
Source: The Hindu,25th July 2012