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UT-alumnus on a special mission in India

University of Twente alumnus Avinash Narayanaswamy is on a special mission in India. He is promoting biodiesel as a sustainable eco-friendly fuel and his efforts will soon come to a climax with the Eco Driveathon rally which he has helped to organize.

The three day event begins on 17 February and its route covers seven hundred kilometres. Participants must use a biodiesel blended fuel.

India is already experiencing the effects of climate change. Demand for energy continues to rise as rapid unsustainable development takes centre stage and by 2020 the country will be the world’s largest importer of crude oil. Unless the transition to non-fossil renewables such as biofuels, solar, wind and biomass, India will overtake China to become the world’s largest source of air pollution. Avinash is pitching in with his efforts to prevent this from happening. Believing in energy security built on clean energy, he is able to draw on the knowledge he gained at the University of Twente, where he obtained two Master’s degrees in Sustainable Energy Technology (2009) and in Environmental and Energy Management (2015).

Excellent alternative

“The Indian government has finally acknowledged the climate problem,” Avinash says. “That is a step in the right direction but there is still a long way to go. The government wants to be proactive in the field of biofuels and has made policies in that field in 2009.” Avinash hopes to persuade the Indian public that biodiesel is an excellent alternative to conventional diesel oil. “Many people don’t realize that in most cases you don’t even have to modify your engine. During the Eco Driveathon, we are going to show them what is possible. A sustainable future begins with knowledge and behaviour change.”
Needless to say, Avinash runs his own car on biodiesel which he produces from various sources, including waste vegetable oil from restaurants. His distinctive Ford Figo attracts much attention and now has over forty thousand kilometres on the clock. Avinash recently became the first person ever to compete in the prestigious Asia Pacific Rally Championship in a biodiesel-fuelled vehicle.

Eco Driveathon

The Eco Driveathon takes place from 17 to 19 February and is organized by the Centre for Incubation, Innovation, Research and Consultancy (CIIRC), where Avinash is currently an assistant professor. For the first time, as many as fifty cars of different makes and models will participate in the event. The route runs from Bangalore to Sringeri and back, a total of seven hundred kilometres. Participants can opt to use one of three biodiesel ‘blends’: 10%, 20% or 30%. The rally has already attracted much interest.

Fanatical about sustainability

Avinash Narayanaswamy has taken an active interest in sustainability since a very early age. He produces his own fuel, rides an electric two wheeler, collects rainwater, composts kitchen and other organic waste and promotes tree planting. He has an arrangement with the local company Saahas, which recycles all his plastic waste. While studying at the University of Twente he found yet more ways to demonstrate his green credentials. In 2010, with the help of fellow student Justin Dorneanu and friend Sebastiaan van Hamond, Avinash made a one of a kind biodiesel adventure road trip of more than 6,500 kilometres through Europe across ten countries beginning and concluding at Enschede. With expertise from his professors Dr. Joy Clancy and Dr. Balakrishna Gowda from the University of Twente and University of Agricultural Sciences- Bangalore, respectively Avinash and his team produced biodiesel at the UT and successfully completed the trip. The adventure attracted much media coverage in both the Netherlands and India.

In 2007, Avinash was awarded a two year University of Twente Scholarship which enabled him to complete a Master’s degree in Sustainable Energy Technology and in 2013 an NFP scholarship to complete another Master’s programme in Environmental and Energy Management. Both programmes encouraged him to approach energy issues from various angles, taking their technical, organizational and economic aspects into account.  He is keen in pursuing a PhD in a similar field.