IIT Madras, Coal India to launch Centre for Sustainable Energy

CHENNAI : IIT Madras and Coal India Limited on Wednesday announced a strategic partnership to launch a ‘Centre for Sustainable Energy’, aimed at accelerating India’s transition towards a low-carbon and sustainable energy future. An MoU for the collaboration was signed by V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, and Achut Ghatak, Director (Technical) of Coal India Limited, in the presence of P M Prasad, Chairman of the Maharatna PSU, at the IIT Madras campus.

It will serve as a ‘centre of excellence’, fostering cutting-edge research and innovation to develop economically viable and environmentally responsible pathways for India’s energy resources, aligning with the national goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, according to a press release. Welcoming the partnership, Kamakoti said, “Industry-academia collaborations have been a cornerstone of IIT Madras’ journey toward leading India’s transition to a low-carbon economy. Our partnership with Coal India Limited epitomises our commitment to this cause.”

Speaking on the occasion, Prasad stated that the company is transforming from being the nation’s energy provider to a key enabler of India’s clean energy transition. “This MoU marks a historic step in Coal India’s journey toward sustainable growth,” he added.

Research areas

The new centre will be led by Satyanarayanan Seshadri and Rajnish Kumar from IIT Madras. Its research will focus on four key areas: sustainable materials and circular economy, mine repurposing and fleet electrification, environmental remediation, and materials for energy storage from coal, the press release added.

Initial projects will include developing sustainable polymer composites using coal, recycling solar panels and batteries, electrifying mining equipment, and exploring energy storage in mined-out zones, according to IIT Madras.