IIT Bombay Fuels Campus with Leaf Pellets, Cuts LPG Use by 60%

IIT Bombay has implemented an innovative system that transforms garden leaves into cooking fuel, a sustainable solution now providing breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 2,000 individuals on campus. This initiative has achieved a significant 60% reduction in the institution's Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) usage, as reported by The Better India.

Central to this transformation is Infixen, an IIT Bombay-funded startup. Infixen processes the approximately 2 tonnes of garden waste cleared from the campus daily, converting it into clean cooking fuel in the form of leaf pellets. This not only creates a valuable energy source but also eliminates a previous annual expenditure of ₹50 lakh that the institute incurred for waste disposal. The Hostel 16 mess, for instance, now cooks lunch for 1,200 students using these leaf pellets, notably decreasing its reliance on LPG from 10 cylinders to just 4.

The project holds wider relevance for India's energy independence. The country currently imports about 60% of its LPG, with a substantial portion traversing the Strait of Hormuz, identified as one of the world’s most volatile chokepoints. A disruption in this critical supply line could potentially leave millions of kitchens without fuel.

By converting campus waste into energy, IIT Bombay offers a practical model for enhancing local sustainability and reducing vulnerability to global energy market fluctuations. The project demonstrates how institutions can contribute to both environmental stewardship and national energy security.

Why it matters: This initiative showcases a successful, replicable model for converting organic waste into cooking fuel, boosting local sustainability and energy independence.

Editor's note: The article is accurate and captures the key data points from the source effectively.