‘Country can generate 2 billion tonnes of bio-diesel by 2022’

Hyderabad: The country will emerge successful in meeting the global demands of clean and renewable energy sources with the prospect of generating two billion tonnes of bio-diesel by the year 2022, according to Y B Ramakrishna, Chairman, Working Group on Bio-Fuels, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

Speaking on the second day of the three-day international conference on sustainable chemistry on health, environment and materials (Su-Chem) at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) organised as part of its platinum jubilee celebrations, he mentioned the government’s strategy for generating second generation ethanol production from sugar industries waste as well as other biomass from sweet sorghum, pearl millet. Ramakrishna said that the modern ongoing research in several national institutes, including CSIR-IICT, on bio-ethanol production was worth commending.

In a series of lectures, eminent scientists from the UK, the US, Australia and Germany laid stress on their research findings on alternate energy sources for the next generation. Dr. Dionisi, University of Aberdeen (UK) showcased his research on anaerobic digestion of biomass including feed stocks –grass, vegetable waste and industrial wastewaters as well as model substrates for the production of chemicals, such as short chain organic acids and energy molecules, such as hydrogen.

Dr Somnath Basu from Global Process Engineering and CTO, Headworks International (Houston-US), shared the firm’s newer technology of treating waste water using ‘moving bed bio-reactor’ yielding a source of ‘green energy’. Dr. Beltramini of University of Queensland (Australia), threw light on critical designing of heterogeneous catalysts.

Dr. Kalevaru from Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (Germany) explained the catalytic performance of palladium catalysts. Prof. Philip form IIT-Madras, explained the immediate steps essential for removal of contaminants from the effluent water. Prof Dong-Soo Shin of Changwon National University (South Korea), shared the unique synthesis of excellent organic-inorganic hybrid material with extreme thermal and mechanical stability. Prof. Jin K Cha, of Wayne State University (USA) described the synthesis of alkaloids with molecular complexity by his group.

Novel anti-cancer molecules Prof Tietze from Goettingen (Germany) shared with the gathering the unique process of targeting cancer cells using Antibody Directed Enzyme Prodrug Therapy (ADEPT). With this technical knowhow, existing from 1985 in the world, Goettingen successfully synthesized novel anti-cancer molecules that can target cancer cell at an extremely low concentration as much as 150 femto molar level. Chairman of the session, Dr. Rama Rao, former IICT Director, observed that one day Prof. Teitze’s developed molecule will come to the market as the most effective drug for cancer cure.