IIT develops technology to convert methane and carbon dioxide into eco-friendly biofuel

  Researchers at the Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have developed an advanced biological method to convert methane and carbon dioxide into clean biofuel using methanotrophic bacteria. Officials said this innovative approach is an important advance toward sustainable energy solutions and mitigating climate change. This research published in Elsevier's leading magazine 'Fuel'Offers solutions to 2 important global challenges: the harmful environmental effects of greenhouse gases and the depletion of fossil fuel reserves. Professor of Biosciences and Bioengineering Department of IIT Guwahati. Debashish Das said that the greenhouse gas methane is 27 to 30 times more powerful than carbon dioxide and is a significant contributor to global warming. Converting methane and carbon dioxide to liquid fuels could reduce emissions and provide renewable energy, he said, but there are'Chemical methods are expensive and produce toxic by-products, limiting their scalability.' Das said his team has developed a completely biological process that uses a type of methanotrophic bacteria to convert methane and carbon dioxide into bio-manol under mild operating conditions. The professor said, 'Unlike traditional chemical methods, this process eliminates the need for expensive catalysts, avoids toxic by-products and uses more energy.Works efficiently. Researchers claimed that this method could reduce emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, hydrogen sulphide and smoke by up to 87 percent. According to Das, this research is an important achievement as it shows that bio-manol, derived from bacteria that rely on methane and carbon dioxide, can be a viable alternative to fossil fuels.