ENERGY CONSORTIUM
NEWSLETTER
Enabling Energy Transition to a Low Carbon Future
CARBONLITE CHRONICLES: QUARTERLY UPDATE
FROM THE ENERGY CONSORTIUM
APRIL- 2024
THE ROAD AHEAD
A Message From The CEO
Dear Energy Enthusiasts,
Welcome to the Energy Consortium newsletter!
Christened CarbonLite Christened CarbonLite Chronicles, we’re proud to present the inaugural edition of the Energy Consortium’s newsletter. Each newsletter will cover a quarterly chronicle for some of our key industry collaboration updates, consortium highlights, and valuable insights relevant to the energy sector.
In this edition, you will find a wealth of information on our ongoing projects, collaborations, and achievements. From ground breaking research findings to impactful industry partnerships, each story underscores our commitment to driving positive change in the energy domain.
I invite you to explore this newsletter and engage with the insights it has to offer. Thank you for your continued support and engagement in our endeavour to make a meaningful difference in transitioning the world of energy towards sustainable choices.
Warm regards,
Nikhil Tambe
CEO,
Energy Consortium, IIT Madras
ENERGY BRIEF
ONE STEP TOWARDS A LOW CARBON FUTURE’
‘Biofuels/Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) and Plasma-assisted Combustion Technology’
Authors – Satender Singh, Pravendra Kumar
Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIT Madras
In today’s world, there’s a pronounced emphasis on mitigating carbon footprints and transitioning towards the sustainable energy sources. By 2022, aviation contributed 2% of global energy-related CO2 emissions, experiencing a more rapid growth rate in recent years compared to rail, road, or shipping. Despite a temporary decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic, aviation emissions nearly reached pre-pandemic level in 2022, totalling close to 800 Mt CO2. This surge in emissions reflects the recovery in international travel demand, with projections suggesting a rapid increase in CO2 emission, likely surpassing 2019 level by around 2025.
According to US Department of Energy, sustainable aviation fuels have the potential for reducing carbon footprint from the aviation transport. Several initiatives have been taken across the world to reduce the aviation emissions such as EU targets to cut greenhouse gas up to 40% of the level from 1990 by 2030. Likewise, under the 2050 low carbon economy, the target reduction is up 60 % in greenhouse gas by 2040 and up to 80% by 2050 including a 60% reduction in transport emissions. This requires to advance and innovate the technology to use sustainable biofuels as a potential candidate to meet the clean and green energy
POWERING CONVERSATIONS
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The Energy Consortium – IIT Madras is excited about its collaborative effort with founding member Aditya Birla Group to address pressing challenges in the energy sector. Recently, we hosted Dr. Prakash Mathur, Dr. Sagar Gulawani, and our Industry Advisory Board member Dr. Ram Narayanan from Aditya Birla Science & Technology Company Pvt Ltd.
We are accelerating the development of both early-stage and mid-TRL (Technology Readiness Level) decarbonization technologies. Our shared mission is to make significant advancements in the energy transition journey.
Stay tuned for updates on our collective progress towards a cleaner, brighter future! Together, the Energy Consortium and Aditya Birla Group are not just discussing change – we’re powering it
ENERGY CONSORTIUM AND RITES JOIN FORCES TO DRIVE GREEN MOBILITY SOLUTIONS
The Energy Consortium – IIT Madras is proud to announce a strategic partnership with RITES Ltd., a leading multi-disciplinary engineering and consultancy organization. This collaboration formalized through a signed memorandum of understanding, paves the way for long-term collaboration in various green mobility endeavours.
The partnership will leverage the expertise of both organizations to offer green energy consultancy services for the transport sector, while also aiming to develop and implement sustainable combined transport solutions. This collaborative effort will promote a more environmentally friendly transportation landscape. This collaboration merges the Energy Consortium’s green energy expertise with RITES’ extensive experience in transport consultancy, creating a powerful force for sustainable mobility solutions.
By joining forces, The Energy Consortium – IIT Madras and RITES Ltd. aim to play a pivotal role in accelerating the adoption of green energy solutions and promoting sustainable transportation systems.
Stay tuned for further updates on this exciting partnership!
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ENERGY WORKSHOPS
BUILDING INDIA'S OFFSHORE WIND INDUSTRY: INNOWIND PROJECT
FOSTERS COLLABORATION WITH DENMARK
The Energy Consortium - IIT Madras, collaborating with Danish partners, recently hosted a successful workshop for the INNOWIND India project. This initiative aims to boost India's offshore wind sector through collaboration with experienced Danish players. The workshop explored the power of industry clusters in fostering growth, specifically focusing on building a robust offshore wind industry in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. Panel discussions highlighted the importance of a collaborative ecosystem and strong industry-academia-government partnerships for successful implementation. This knowledge-sharing session signifies a major step forward for INNOWIND India, paving the way for a thriving offshore wind industry and a sustainable energy future in India
ANNOUNCEMENTS
THE ENERGY CONSORTIUM IIT MADRAS WELCOMES
NEW GOVERNING MEMBERS
The Energy Consortium – IIT Madras is pleased to announce the induction of two distinguished members to its Governing Board: Dr. Rajnish Kumar and Dr. Chandu Visweswariah. Their appointments bolster the Consortium’s efforts in fostering collaboration between global industry, academia, and governments to facilitate the energy transition towards a sustainable, low-carbon future.
DR. RAJNISH KUMAR
A Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Associate Head for the School of Sustainability at IIT Madras, Dr. Kumar brings a wealth of expertise. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, his illustrious career spans research positions at CSIR-NCL, National Research Council Canada, and The University of British Columbia (PhD). His research interests lie in gas hydrates, carbon capture, process development, and scale-up. Notably, Dr. Kumar is the 2023 recipient of the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for his contributions to Engineering Science.
DR. CHANDU VISWESWARIAH
Dr. Visweswariah, Co-founder and Vice President of CURE100 and Croton100 (community-based environmental non-profits), previously served as FoundingPresident and CEO of Utopus Insights and led a global Smarter Energy and Environmental Science team at IBM Research. Earlier, his pioneering work in semiconductor chip design automation earned him the distinction of IBM Fellow, the company’s highest technical honour.Dr. Visweswariah is an IEEE Fellow with a prolific record – a book, over 100 publications, and 120 granted patents.
HIS KEYNOTE ADDRESS
FROM THE ENERGY SUMMIT 2023
HIS KEYNOTE ADDRESS
FROM THE ENERGY SUMMIT 2023
We are confident that Dr. Kumar's and Dr. Visweswariah's deep domain knowledge and commitment to a sustainable future will be invaluable assets to the Energy Consortium.
ENERGY CONSORTIUM CELEBRATES
IMPACT LEADER
PROFESSOR MURUGANANDAM T M
The Energy Consortium is elated to recognize Professor Muruganandam T M, an Aerospace Engineering leader at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, as our Impact Leader! Professor Muruganandam’s research focus on unsteady flow dynamics, particularly in gas turbine combustors and supersonic combustion, has propelled advancements in aerospace engineering.
His expertise spans combustion dynamics, optical diagnostics, supersonic combustion, and unsteady shock dynamics. This prestigious recognition highlights his exceptional contributions to the field, further amplified by his role as a co-principal investigator in the Consortium’s TREND Setter Grant Award.
The Energy Consortium extends its heartfelt appreciation to Professor Muruganandam T M for his leadership and dedication to innovation in the aerospace engineering field.
Embark with us on the path to a sustainable energy future! Visit our website for upcoming events and collaboration opportunities.
Write to us with ideas to contribute and any suggestions at
ceooffice@icsrpis.iitm.ac.in
