BITS Pilani inaugurates Advanced Research Centre for Sustainable Energy Technologies

NEW DELHI : The Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani inaugurated a multi-campus centre of excellence Advanced Research Centre for Sustainable Energy Technologies (ARCSET) on advancing clean energy solutions. The initiative aims to highlight BITS Pilani's commitment to address global energy challenges through research and innovation, the official BITS Pilani statement said.

“ARCSET will concentrate on key verticals like hydrogen production, storage and utilization, biofuels, renewable and alternative energy, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). The initiative accommodates innovative thinking and collaboration into clean energy technologies and solutions.” the official BITS Pilani statement added

ARCSET is established to foster research and industry-academic collaboration. The centre aims to offer scalable and affordable solutions to carbon emissions, improve energy security, and ensures equal access to sustainable energy resources.

The event was attended by Padma Bhushan JB Joshi the chancellor of the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, as chief guest and Madhukar Garg the former Director of the Indian Institute of Petroleum and president of R&D Petrochemicals at Reliance Industries Limited, who served as guest of honour.

The centre was established by Suman Kundu the director of BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus, who described ARCSET “as yet another diamond in the jewel crown of BITS Pilani in the Diamond Jubilee Year" the official BITS Pilani statement said.

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ARCSET: Multi-campus research centre

BITS Pilani introduced the centre as a platform to work on technology that combines advanced tools, improved processes, and skilled human resources to tackle India’s some of the most pressing challenges. The centre will focus on eight key areas including renewable energy, hydrogen, e-mobility, circular economy, start-ups, and policymakers to develop effective solutions etc.

“By utilizing techniques such as molecular modelling, AI-ML, and high-throughput experiments, projects like the Hydrogen Valley and research on CO+-to-methanol and water electrolysis are paving the way for scalable and sustainable advancements,” the official BITS statement added.

Speaking on the occasion, Ramgopal Rao the vice-chancellor of BITS Pilani said: “ARCSET embodies our dedication to tackling one of the major challenges of our times - global transformation towards sustainable energy. We are driving capacity building and advanced research with industry collaboration to enable these solutions that not only reduce carbon emissions but also ensure equitable access to clean energy resources”.