We are proud to announce the success story of CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory’s
development of a bio gas purification technology under the expert guidance of Dr. Shubhangi
Umbarkar and Dr. Nandini Devi. The culmination of this achievement is the successful validation
trial of the technology at the world’s largest food waste processing compressed bio gas plant in
Talegaon, Pune.
The development of this technology is the result of a fruitful collaboration between NCL-TEC and
Nobel Exchange. The process of validation began with an industrial visit organized by NCL-TEC,
which initiated discussions with Nobel Exchange. The response from the industry was
overwhelmingly positive, leading to the execution of technology validation trials. The trial process
was carried out from 15/02/2023 to 21/02/2023 by a team of experts, including Mr. Vipul Patil,
Mr. Wasiahemed Shaikh, Dr. Umbarkar, and Dr. Devi from CSIR-NCL, as well as Mr. Ashvin Zambre
(General Manager), Mr. Nitin Hastak (Deputy Manager O/M), and Mr. Dnyaneshwar Mane (Sr.
Electrical Engg.) from Nobel Exchange.
The bio gas purification process involves two critical steps: H2S removal and CO2, N2, and O2
removal. The validation protocol included setting up a demonstration at the plant facility,
connecting the setup to gas analyzers provided by Nobel Exchange, and testing the stability and
durability of the catalysts.
The key findings from the process were very encouraging. The team successfully removed H2S at
a flow rate of 500 ml/min using a catalytic reaction. They also demonstrated in-situ regeneration
of the H2S removing catalyst, determined the optimum contact time between gas and catalyst,
and found that the VPSA design was effective at a flow rate of 600 ml/min. The multilayer
adsorption system was effective in separating bio gas impurities, and the deactivated adsorbent
can be reactivated using a vacuum. Finally, the technology delivered CBG gas as per
recommended quality standards.
Overall, this successful validation trial is a significant milestone in the development of bio gas
purification technology. The CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory is proud to have contributed to
this crucial field, and we look forward to further collaboration and advancements in the future.