Bhubaneswar: On Thursday i.e. on August 12, 2010, theNational Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL). The MoU is signed with the purpose of developing technologies that help in recovering iron oxide from waste that has been generated from the alumina industry.
As per sources, the MoU was signed by NIT Rourkela Director Sunil Kumar Sarangi and Chief Operating Officer of Vedanta Aluminium Ltd. Mukesh Kumar. As an initial deposit for conducting research, VAL had presented the institute with a cheque of Rs.21.2 lakh. In addition, the MoU also incorporates ideas such as exchange of expertise between the institute and the company for future research via M.Tech or PhD programmes as well as for skill upgradation.
Also, an alumina refinery has been set up at Lanjigarh in Orissa by VAL. It has a production capacity of one million tonnes per annum and, after it has been established successfully, the new technology would be available to be implemented across other alumina refineries under VAL. Furthermore, according to the company, one of the major goals for signing the MoU was to help in bridging the gap between institutions and industries as well as to provide an exemplary model for others. Also, the MoU would help in establishing a direct link between industry and research.
Dr. Mukesh Kumar said that through the research that will be conducted at the institute and funded by VAL, the development of technology that will help in separating iron oxide from red mud would revolutionize the alumina industry. He also mentioned that this is because the utilization of the technology brought about by the research would not require any big red mud ponds and this, in turn, will help in diminishing or altogether avoiding environmental hazards.
