Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, Chairman-cum-Managing Director of NLCIL, and V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, exchanging the MoU documents
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
NLC India Ltd. (NLCIL) has signed a binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras for a comprehensive research and development initiative in Carbon Capture System (CCS).
The MoU was signed in the presence of Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, Chairman-cum-Managing Director of NLCIL, and V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras.
According to an official press note, this strategic partnership is part of NLCIL’s ongoing commitment to advancing sustainable practices in power generation, particularly within the thermal sector. The research collaboration will focus on developing lab-scale carbon capture technologies, with potential for scaling up to pilot demonstrations at the thermal power stations of NLCIL.
According to Mr. Motupalli, the company is committed to transforming the way thermal power is generated. Integrating advanced carbon capture technologies will not only reduce emissions but also ensure that thermal energy remains a clean, reliable pillar in India’s power matrix for decades to come. This collaboration with IIT Madras underlines NLCIL’s dedication to Research and Development-led sustainability.
The MoU outlines a two-phase research programme.
Phase I (Lab-scale study) includes development and demonstration of C02, capture technologies using ionic liquids, amine blends, and electrochemical methods at IIT Madras and NLCIL sites.
The project cost of ₹2.06 crore is fully borne by NLCIL under its CARD Science and Technology budget.
Phase II of the project will be implemented under a separate agreement post evaluation.
The collaborative framework also includes joint intellectual property rights (50:50 sharing), periodic reviews, mutual exchange of knowledge, and site-specific demonstrations of advanced capture systems.
This industry-institution partnership will pave the way for sustainable solutions that will benefit not only the energy sector but also contribute significantly to the nation’s environment goals, NLCIL said.
Published – May 15, 2025 04:47 pm IST