Clean hydrogen fuel gets IIT boost

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Shiv Sahay Singh

Posted online: Sunday , March 09, 2008 at 01:51:46
Updated: Sunday , March 09, 2008 at 02:12:45

Kolkata, March 8 A Team of researchers in the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur has claimed of making a significant breakthrough in isolating a hydrogen-producing bacterial strain that produces 40 per cent more hydrogen than other bacterial strains.

The development is considered to be significant in the production of hydrogen gas, an efficient and clean fuel.

According to Prof Debatrata Das, who is heading the research team, Enterobacter cloacae can produce about 3.85 moles of hydrogen from one mole of the substrate, which is very close to the theoretical limit of 4 moles of hydrogen during anaerobic fermentation.

Since past few years, the biotechnology department of the IIT has been involved in the various aspects of synthetic hydrogen gas research, which is also currently pursued in different foreign universities. The researches have even used sewage sludge as substrate for the bacteria and have found similar results. This is considered vital, as it will help in energy generation as well as disposal of waste, feel the researchers.

An 800-litre plant for generating fuel has already been set up at the institute this year as part of a pilot project.

“We have also carried out research on photo fermentation, and it is also giving results as high as 12 moles of hydrogen from one mole of reactants,” said Das. “Present research work aims at making the process economically viable,” he added.

Several organisations like the ONGC and some private companies have approached the IIT to develop a pilot project for large-scale industrial and commercial production of synthetic hydrogen from bacteria.

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