Australia and India's clean fuel collaboration

A $6 million partnership between CSIRO and its Indian equivalent, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), aims to reduce the reliance of both countries on imported fuels.

Funded by the Australian and Indian governments through the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF), the three-year joint project will focus on improving processes involved in the production of dimethyl ether (DME). This clean-burning, synthetic fuel can be produced from natural gas, coal, biomass or even directly from carbon dioxide.

CSIRO’s gas-to-liquids workshop.

Both Australia and India are currently unable to meet demand for petroleum products with domestic production alone. CSIRO’s Dr Nick Burke noted that over half a million Australian vehicles use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), while the leader of the Indian consortium, Dr MO Garg, said LPG is used for cooking in 33 million Indian homes.

Dr Burke said DME can be used as a blend in existing LPG engines, making it “an effective transitional fuel”. He further suggested that the substance may be able to replace diesel in the future.

In addition to CSIRO and the Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP), the project will draw on the expertise of the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Bharat Petroleum, The Centre of Advanced Materials and Industrial Chemistry at RMIT University and The University of Melbourne.

Professor Suresh Bhargava from RMIT said the research will assist in the development of small plants that may be suitable in remote and rural areas, noting, “More efficient processing of gas into transportable fuels at remote locations would make Australia and India's remote gas reserves more economically viable.”

Professor Paul Webley from The University of Melbourne added that on top of the economic benefits, “DME produces significantly less pollution than conventional fuels and will therefore reduce urban pollution”.  

Dr Burke said the CSIRO is excited to expand its collaborative relationship with India after many decades of working together.

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