IIT-M’s National Centre for Combustion Research and Development signs agreement with Sukhbir Agro Energy
The National Centre for Combustion Research and Development (NCCRD) at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras has entered into a Joint Development Agreement with the Punjab-based Sukhbir Agro Energy Ltd (SAEL) to collaborate in R&D activities in areas such as combustion of straw.
Punjab and Haryana annually produces nearly 35 million tonne of paddy straw, which is not fit for cattle feed and being burnt in the fields causing huge pollution. But the straw has a heating value of around 3,200 to 3,500 K Cal/kg, which is nearly the same value as that of the coal used for power generation in thermal power plants.
SAEL, which is operating two biomass-based power plants each in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab with experience in collection, transportation and storage of paddy straw, plans to commission two 100 per cent paddy straw-based power plants in Punjab, This is besides implementing two more power plants based on the same fuel in Haryana.
