Dehradun: April 14, 1960. Founded exactly 65 years ago on this day with the support from a French research institute, the Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) in Dehradun is now leading the way in green energy and climate solutions.
IIP Dehradun, a premier laboratory under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of Union Petroleum Ministry, on Monday completed 65 years of its establishment in Dehradun, and has stepped into the 66th year, marking decades of success in scientific innovations.
Speaking exclusively to ETV Bharat on the occasion of IIP's 66th Foundation Day, Director Harendra Singh Bisht highlighted how the institute has, over the years, transformed into a well-established and successful research centre, leading sustainable and green technologies.
"IIP in Dehradun started as a centre for petroleum research, at a time when India had limited capacity in this domain, and neither was so much information available. Over these 65 years, it has grown into a leader in energy innovation," Bisht affirmed.
Over 50 Technologies Now Commercialised
Director Bisht further mentioned that the institute has developed more than 50 technologies which are currently in commercial use. Even though petroleum was its primary focus, IIP has expanded into biomass utilisation, plastic waste management and also renewable energy.
"In the initial phase, the institute was focusing only on petroleum research, but now it is moving beyond petroleum and is also working on how to dispose of the surplus biomass present in India, apart from renewable resources. Along with this, work is also underway on how to dispose of waste plastic in the society. In the past decade, IIP has also focused on carbon emission reduction. Researchers, in collaboration with NTPC, are working on converting carbon dioxide into methanol, and also experimenting on how carbon dioxide can be used to extract methane from undersea hydrate reserves, so that it can be used as a fuel. Another project involves producing diphenyl carbonate from carbon dioxide," he explained.
"IIP Dehradun is continuously working on all these projects to address prevailing environmental issues. In fact, our objective is also to help the whole science community work together to reduce carbon emissions," the IIP Director noted.
Innovation During COVID
Recalling the Covid-19 crisis times, Bisht said, "Following the outbreak of the pandemic, the IIP scientists developed a new technology to generate medical oxygen from air, which helped save many lives when oxygen supply was critically low. This technology gave the world a fresh method to generate medical oxygen. IIP Dehradun considers this as its biggest achievement for its contribution to human society."
First Biofuel-Powered Flight From Dehradun To Delhi
In the field of biofuel, Bisht said, the IIP Dehradun has developed jet fuel, and for the first time in 2018, India witnessed first biofuel-powered flight operation from Dehradun to Delhi.
Taking another step in this direction, IIP Dehradun also invented a technology to make biofuel from pine leaves or Pirul found in the forests of Uttarakhand. The first pilot project was reportedly set up in Champawat, the assembly constituency of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, where biofuel bricks are being made from pine leaves. "These bricks will be used in those industries where coal is being used as fuel. This eco-friendly initiative will not only control carbon emissions, but will also reduce forest fires." Bisht said.
