Mein stressed upon the importance of bio fuels as cost effective and environment friendly
Itanagar
To create awareness about non-fossil fuels (green fuels) and to put attention on the scarcity of non-renewable energy sources such as fossil fuels, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and National Yuva Cooperative Society (NYCS) Limited jointly organised the World Bio-Fuel Day programme at NERIST Auditorium Hall, Nirjuli on Saturday.
Gracing the occasion as Chief Guest, the Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein has stressed upon the importance of bio fuels as cost effective and environment friendly substitutes to conventional fuels. He called for nurturing bamboo as it is endemic to the State and found in abundance.
He said that the state government is committed to the cause of Bio-Fuel as it is now emerging as a versatile energy source and CM Pema Khandu in this connection has held several discussions with the central leadership recently.
Mein announced that the state government has recently signed a MoU with Numaligarh Refineries Limited Assam, for supply of raw materials in the form of Bamboo for production of Ethanol to be blended in petrol and petroleum products.
While appreciating the efforts of NYCS for organizing the World Bio-Fuel day in the state and ensuring that the celebration becomes a Country-wide movement, Mein hoped that the movement will provide great Entrepreneurial opportunities to the people and they come forward to take it as a Business Model.
Mein while sharing his experience on his recent trip to Lao PDR to attend 25th Anniversary of ASEAN-India Relations at Vientiane informed the gathering that he had their highlighted about the prospects of investments in Arunachal Pradesh citing the vast potential of natural resources and the ecological resources of the state as it holds the huge investment potential in research & development and value addition.
He also informed that he had called for strengthening the South East ASEAN trade and cultural relations through cultural exchange programme to encourage people to people contact between the ASEAN countries and entire Northeast especially Arunachal Pradesh.
While giving the mantra of persistence, sustenance and quest for reality, Vice Chancellor of RGU, Tamo Mibang speaking at the function as guest of honour has underscored for the importance of more participation from the student communities to reap benefit from the academic conference and seminars.
He said that the youths are the future of the region and they must come forward to learn new things, like that of biofuel which will help develop students global awareness and understanding of the science of biofuels, and also help them to develop an independent point of view on vital issue.
Mibang informed that biofuels are nothing new. Rudolf Diesel, inventor of the diesel engine predicted the future importance of biofuels and used peanut oil in his diesel engine. The term biofuels can refer to any organic material that can be rapidly replenished, he added.
He pointed out that the state has abundance of land bank for producing biofuel resources but to tap it we need to change and develop our mindset.
Many research works is on to find ways of using biofuel in the State. There are many ways for extraction of biofuel and the currently used models are used in USA and Brazil in the form of bioethanol and biodiesel, he added.
Mudang Tacho SDM Doimukh Depot IOC and Amit Das regional head of NYCS Ltd attended as special guest on the occasion. The function was also attended by registrar, deans, faculties and students from NERIST.
During a technical session, Prof Pradip Lingfa HoD, Dept of Mechanical Engineering NERIST presented a PowerPoint presentation on Bio diesel as a sustainable future fuel and Dr D.Mahanta, Jt. Director AP State Council for Science and Technology GoAP presented his PowerPoint on activities and achievement of AP State Council for Science and Technology.
Gyamar Kassung programme coordinator of NYCS presented the organisational report and the theme of the seminar.
As part of observation of this day, various competitions for school students were held earlier and the prizes for which were distributed by the chief guest and guest of honour to the winners today at the function.
Later, making of bio-diesel process were practically demonstrated to the gathering at the Bio Diesel Lab of NERIST.