A team of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) has won a grant worth US$250,000 (approximately INR 1.85 crores) for developing a method to capture carbon dioxide emissions. They won the amount from XPRIZE Foundation in collaboration with the Elon Musk Foundation.
On Thursday, November 11, an announcement for the same was made at the Sustainable Innovation Forum at COP-26 in Glasgow. In the team there were four students and two professors. They are the only single institute team from India to win this award.
They created a new tri-modular technology for low-cost, efficient capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) from point sources of emission. This model will later transform them into salts.
In April this year, XPRIZE and the Musk Foundation announced a grant of US$100 million (approximately INR 745 crores) for anyone who manages to come up with a technology to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Out of the prize money, approximately INR 37 crores was a student award that the participants have won under two categories.
The teams had to create and demonstrate a solution that can prove beneficial to pull CO2 directly. The team conceptualised the idea, and before submitting their project, conducted an internal assessment. The concept was backed by scientific justifications.
Professor Arnab Dutta, Department of Chemistry & interdisciplinary programme (IDP) in Climate Studies (IDPCS) said that they are looking at not only capturing CO2 from industries but also turning it into other commercially viable chemicals in industries. It will ensure them a financial benefit while implementing this unique CO2 management program.
Also read: BMC's Mumbai Climate Action Plan (MCAP) Missing In COP26 Exhibition
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