Sustainable oil-absorbent mats receive recognition

WellGro Tech has recently been recognized as a qualified supplier of pollution control equipment by the Indian Coast Guard. The Indian Coast Guard, under the Ministry of Defense, is the central coordinating agency for oil spill response.

The company, based in Chennai, India, developed the biodegradable oil-absorbent pads and mats for oil spill remediation as a sustainable alternative to synthetic mats. The oil-absorbent mats were evaluated in a paddy field in the Cauvery River delta region in the southern state of Tamilnadu, which has rich oil resources. Oil spills due to pipeline failures have been frequent, and stakeholders are looking for effective oil spill remediation techniques.

Mr. R. NambiSrinivasan of WellGro Tech said, “This is not just about the oil sorbent. We are meeting the compliance process and parameters as set by the Coast Guard.”

Seshadri Ramkumar, professor in the Nonwovens and Advanced Materials Laboratory, Texas Tech University, has been focusing on biodegradable oil spill products since 2010.