BITS Pilani scientists turn industrial smoke into clean fuel

This breakthrough can bolster India’s energy security amid global LPG supply disruptions in the wake of the current Gulf war

Researchers at BITS Pilani’s Hyderabad campus have developed a method to convert industrial smoke-like gases into Dimethyl Ether (DME), a clean fuel capable of supplementing or even replacing LPG in Indian homes.

The project, led by Prof Sounak Roy, Dean of Research and Innovation, along with Satyapaul A Singh and retired professor BM Reddy, demonstrates how gases normally released from power plants, steel, and cement industries can be captured and transformed into usable fuel. Using specialized materials and hydrogen derived from water, the team converts the emissions into DME in a single step.

To ensure the method works beyond the lab, researchers replicated real power plant conditions using a high-pressure reactor, allowing the gas to flow as it would through an industrial chimney. By fine-tuning heat, pressure, and gas composition, they successfully produced DME in large quantities, proving the process can be scaled for industrial use.

DME is already recognized globally as a cleaner fuel. It burns without soot, lowers harmful emissions, and performs similarly to LPG in cooking stoves. India’s Bureau of Indian Standards has even approved blending up to 20% DME with LPG, clearing a path for its eventual introduction into households.

“This breakthrough shows that India can strengthen both its energy security and its commitment to the environment at the same time,” said Prof Sounak Roy. “Instead of treating power, steel or cement plant emissions as waste, we are turning them into a valuable fuel that can reduce our dependence on imported LPG. This is the kind of circular, sustainable innovation that can help power India’s future.”

The BITS Pilani team’s innovation offers a two-fold benefit: reducing carbon emissions while producing clean energy, a development that could accelerate India’s transition toward sustainable fuels.

This milestone reinforces BITS Pilani’s reputation as a leader in clean-energy research and highlights the institution’s commitment to tackling India’s most pressing scientific challenges.