CSMCRI's experimental salt works to open today

Rajkot: The Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI) in Bhavnagar, to demonstrate new techniques to increase salt production in India, has developed a world-class experimental salt works on 180 acres to demonstrate lab-scale technology at field scale.

N Kalaiselvi, the director general of CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) and secretary of the department of scientific and industrial research in New Delhi, will inaugurate the works on Friday.

This experimental salt works is designed to optimize salt production by using innovative and advanced technologies. According to the CSMCRI, it will serve as a platform for the demonstration of new technologies and will help the growth of chlor-alkali industries.

This station will work on interventions in salt industries, such as scientific design in brine fields using cutting-edge tools and mitigating climate impact. It will demonstrate how to get higher salt yield with scientific designs and teach salt producers effective rainwater management, precision-controlled brine flow, efficient resource management, recovery of minerals and maximizing the use of solar energy while reducing climate impact during salt production.

"CSMCRI has been a beacon of scientific progress, and the modern experimental salt works facility will strengthen its mission to innovate and lead in the field of salt and marine chemistry," said N Kalaiselvi. The institute is also celebrating its 72nd foundation day on Friday.

Arvind Kumar, head of the salt and marine chemicals division at CSMCRI, and Bhoomi Andharia, principal investigator of the project, said, "As India aspires to become the second-largest salt-producing country in the world, the designed salt works facility will serve as a platform for researchers and industry."

Kannan Srinivasan, director of CSIR-CSMCRI, said, "The inauguration of the modern experimental salt works represents our commitment to cutting-edge research and sustainable practices in the field of salt and marine chemicals research. This facility will benefit the scientific community and industry and, in turn, society at large."