Canberra: India and Australia could solve energy shortage problems and reduce reliance on imported fuels through a research partnership, a statement from an Australian national science body said on Thursday.
In addition to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Indian Institute of Petroleum, the project will also draw the expertise of the Indian Institute of Technology-Roorkee, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, the Center of Advanced Materials and Industrial Chemistry and the University of Melbourne, reports Xinhua.
The three-year project is being jointly funded by the Indian and Australian governments through the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund. The widespread introduction of dimethyl ether (DME), a clean-burning synthetic fuel, is a step closer following the announcement of a $6 million partnership between CSIRO and India’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the statement said. The project will focus on improving processes involved in the production of DME, a liquid fuel produced from natural gas, coal and biomass, or even directly from carbon dioxide.
The research will also assist in the development of small plants that may be suitable in remote and rural areas. (IANS)