Srinagar, Oct 16 (KNS): Conventional production of one tonne of nickel can generate approximately 22 to 28 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, highlighting the environmental challenges associated with the growing demand for metals used in clean energy technologies, a researcher said at NIT Srinagar on Friday.

Dr Ubaid Manzoor, Project Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials, Germany, said the global shift towards renewable energy would require substantial quantities of critical metals, including nickel, copper and cobalt.

Speaking during an Alumni Back to Campus programme organised by the Alumni Association of NIT Srinagar in collaboration with the Office of the Dean of Alumni and International Affairs, Manzoor said the transition to green energy was fundamentally linked to how metals and materials are produced.

He said conventional metal extraction processes were carbon-intensive and required cleaner, more energy-efficient alternatives to reduce their environmental impact.

Referring to his research published in Nature and Science Advances, Manzoor discussed Hydrogen Plasma Smelting Reduction (HPSR), a technology that uses electrical energy, hydrogen chemistry and high-temperature processing to extract metals from low-grade nickel ores and deep-sea polymetallic nodules.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

He explained that the process combines reduction, melting and separation into a single electrically driven operation, offering an alternative to conventional carbon-based metal extraction.

Manzoor said sustainable metallurgy required more than simply replacing carbon with hydrogen, stressing the need to redesign production processes through cleaner energy sources and efficient use of resources.

"The green energy transition is fundamentally a materials and metals transition," he said.

Dean of Alumni and International Affairs Prof M A Shah said such interactions exposed students to emerging scientific research and helped them understand the role of engineering in addressing environmental challenges.

The programme was held at NIT Srinagar's Hi-Tech Hall and attended by students, faculty members and representatives of the Alumni Association. (KNS)