NIOT plans to set up seafront research facility in Nellore

The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, is planning to build a large seafront facility in Nellore district of  Andhra Pradesh. The facility on the seacoast would work on various applications and technologies aimed at utilising ocean resources.

The institute, which has already identified a couple of locations in association with state government agencies, proposes to set up a cluster of laboratories and other infrastructure in an area of 200 acres. The proposed facility, which will be one-of-its-kind in the country, would be a major expansion of its current activities in the area of ocean technology applications, including deep sea technology and ocean mining.

The institute is now working on low temperature thermal desalination, deepsea technologies, remotely operable vehicles and deepsea submersibles, ocean observation systems and ocean acoustics, among others. The facility will be designed to undertake all the major programmes, including submersibles and gas hydrates, marine sensors and electronics, energy, coastal engineering research and marine biotechnology, which require actual working in sea conditions.

State government’s nodal agency APInvest CEO Pratap Madireddy said the institute was planning to spend about Rs 250 crore to build initial infrastructure. Apart from seeking land near the Indian Space Research Organisation's satellite launch facility (SHAR), the institute has also sought another 50 acres for housing administration and residential facilities for scientists and other staff working.

Established in 1993, the institute has rapidly grown its activities on its 50-acre campus in Chennai and now wants to scale up various research initiatives that were taken up in smaller laboratory conditions. For example, though the institute has gained substantial experience in desalination, more optimisation is required in components that go into thermal cycle and vacuum systems for large-scale production and commercialisation of these applications. This is possible only if the institute sets up a seafront facility housing a desalination research laboratory.

It also proposes to set up a jetty and dedicated berthing facilities for various coastal research vessels manned by the institute at the new facility. At present, these are berthed at fishing harbours and main ports.

It will also undertake activities in development of prototype systems, validation of indigenously developed marine systems in the ocean, according to a proposal submitted to the state government by the institute.