Mumbai, March 31: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has pioneered an innovative solution to tackle the growing concerns over rising LPG prices and potential shortages. The institute has developed a patented biomass gasification technology that converts dry leaves into cooking fuel. This breakthrough is the result of nearly a decade of research, initiated in 2014 under the guidance of Professor Sanjay Mahajani.

Professor Mahajani, a faculty member in the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Bombay, explained, "I specialize in gasification and energy conversion. The dry leaves and twigs that naturally fall across the IIT campus, if burned, do generate energy. But given the large green cover here, we realized these materials could serve as a sustainable energy source for our internal needs. Since the campus already requires substantial cooking and thermal energy, we decided to explore using this biomass for those purposes."

​​​​​​​The process, however, wasn't straightforward. "Gasification is a complex procedure. First, we compress the leaves into pellets, then feed them into a custom-designed gasification unit," Professor Mahajani elaborated. "This approach generates a clean energy form known as 'producer gas,' a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which can easily be combusted with minimal emissions."

The technology not only reduces emissions—particularly harmful particulate matter—but also offers an efficient way to convert waste biomass into useful energy. "The gas produced is immediately combusted, and the energy released generates steam. This steam is then used to power steam-based cooking equipment and other thermal applications in the campus canteen," he added.

This innovation offers a dual solution: it helps mitigate the LPG shortage while addressing campus waste management issues, all with a focus on sustainability.