Maire Tecnimont Group sets up state-of-the-art Green Biogas Project at NITK
Bio-Gas Plant Set Up At NITK |
Historical Indo-Italian bilateral ties took a major step ahead in entering the realm of industry-academia relationship. At the end of this relationship spectrum were the Milan based Maire Tecnimont SpA and one of India’s leading premier technical institution – NIT – Karnataka, Surathkal. Maire Tecnimont Group is a global leader in transformation of natural resources with strong commitment to industrialising green chemistry and circular economy.
The Italian global natural resource processing industry in
signing a memorandum of understanding with National Institute of Technology
Karnataka made its first foray outside Italy in such an agreement with any
global educational institution of repute. The Group through its Indian
subsidiary – Tecnimont Pvt Ltd helped set up a bio-waste recycling pilot plant at
NITK campus here at an estimated cost of ₹40 lakhs under its CSR funds.
Facilitating this moment was Milind Baride, group
vice-president (contract, project control, sub-contract and Indian Region) of
Tecnimont SpA. Milind, a 1981 mechanical engineering branch alumnus from NITK
with a team of dedicated officials from the Institute trashed out the
nitty-gritty of the MoU that not only facilitated the setting up of a
state-of-the-art bio-waste recycle pilot plant, but also helped set up special
scholarships at NITK.
Milind Baride said the idea of doing something worthwhile
for the alma-mater was mooted at the reunion of the 1981 batch in 2018. “A
mother (NITK) never expects anything from her children. But it is the duty of
the children (students of the 1981 batch) to facilitate the further sustenance
of the mother so that she (the institute) can nurture more such children,”
Baride said. The plant is the instrument that will nurture research at the institute,
he avers
This shared initiative was aimed at offering new
education opportunities in the energy transition sector for the next generation
of Indian engineers. It is also an earnest attempt to create a small-scale
renewable energy infrastructure to address the energy needs of NITK campus in a
more sustainable way. The 500-kg pilot plant that can handle agricultural and
food waste can generate 118 units of electricity each day, Baride explains.
What Tecnimont and NITK through this product intend to do
is work towards enhancement of the tie-up that can help convert 15-20 tonnes of
diversified bio-degradable waste into energy, he explains. “The plant will give
an unique opportunity to students to learn about ways and means to increase the
calorific value of the waste and also opportunity to convert different types of
waste,” Baride said, a move that will help reduce landfills.
Vincenzo De Luca, Italian Ambassador in India who
associated in the MoU signing virtually said the pilot is a reiteration of the commitment
of the two nations to technology exchange and sustainable partnership aimed at
fostering green economy. The Indo-Italian strategic partnership that PMs of
both nations have agreed to work towards will see more Italian investment in
green economy areas notwithstanding the hardships of the pandemic.
Minister for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan
said India a net importer of energy is committed to ensuring energy justice to
all its citizens. Italy is an important trade partner of India and more than
600 Italian companies are working here. India understanding the potential that
compressed bio-gas will play in ensuring energy security is aiming to set up
5000 compressed bio-gas units with an annual production capacity of 15mmtpa.
Maire Tecnimont group also announced that in the setting
up of its engineering excellence centre – TCMPL, it has signed an
interdisciplinary centre for research - Maire Tecnimont Centre for Research on
Waste Recycling and Circular Economy. Maire Tecnimont will also provide
scholarships to 16 students in 2021-22 onwards for their research. The company
has already sponsored two scholarships during 2020-21 at NITK.
Fabrizio Di Amato, chairman, Maire Tecnimont said, “We are
honoured to further strengthen the collaboration with a prestigious institute
as NITK to foster new skilled professionals and entrepreneurs in the field of
green chemistry and circular economy in order to accelerate the energy
transition in India. We at Maire Tecnimont strongly believe in giving back to
society and empowering aspirations in education, key pillars of our
sustainability strategy.”
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