CLEANZ
Centre of Excellence
on
Clean Coal Energy and Net Zero
Vision
To advance clean coal technologies and net-zero strategies, with a focus on the effective use of low-grade/rejected Indian coals, supporting India’s transition to a sustainable and low-carbon energy future through responsible and innovative coal utilization.
Mission
To build national capacity in advanced coal technologies through training, knowledge dissemination, and infrastructure development for green technologies for coal utilization, carbon management, and circular economy
About Us
Centre for Clean Coal Energy And Net Zero An IITH - CIL Initiative
The Centre of Clean Coal Energy & Net Zero (CLEANZ) is a CoE jointly established by IIT Hyderabad and Coal India Limited to develop innovative solutions for sustainable coal utilization and clean energy. India has one of the largest coal reserves in the world, which has the potential to fulfill the country's energy security for several centuries. The development of clean and efficient technologies is crucial for the efficient utilization of this abundant resource. CLEANZ is committed to promote the development of high-impact coal-based technologies by integrating advanced scientific approaches with real-world applications. The center aims to create scalable solutions for clean coal utilization, CO2 management, and circular economy. By combining interdisciplinary expertise with strong industry-academia partnerships, CLEANZ aims to support the transition of coal-based energy systems in line with India’s net-zero goals.
Team
Faculty
Prof. Saptarshi Majumdar
Chemical Engineering
Prof. Raja Banerjee
Mechanical Engineering
Prof. Kishalay Mitra
Chemical Engineering
Prof. Chandra Shekhar Sharma
Chemical Engineering
Prof. Narasimha Mangadoddy
Chemical Engineering
Dr. Debaprasad Shee
Chemical Engineering
Dr. Atul Suresh Deshpande
Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering
Dr. Sayak Banerjee
Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Venkata Rao Kotagiri
Chemistry
Dr. Pritha Chatterjee
Civil Engineering
Dr. Deepu J. Babu
Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering
Dr. Meenakshi
Civil Engineering
Dr. Ashok Kamaraj
Materials Science and Metallurgical EngineeringResearch
The broad topics pursued in this CoE are:
- Enhanced Coal Bed Methane / Coal Mine Methane Recovery
- Carbon Capture Technologies
- Mineral Beneficiation, REE & Critical Minerals
- Gasification & Syngas Utilization
- Coal Liquefaction & Pyrolysis
- Circular Economy and Waste Management
- AI/ML Applications
- Energy Efficiency and Conservation
- Development of Novel Carbon Materials
Gallery
MoU signing
07th March 2025
Logo unveiling
24th April 2025
Openings
CLEANZ invites applications from highly motivated individuals for the following research opportunities:
Postdoctoral Opportunities
| Topic | Essential Eligibility | Last Date |
|---|---|---|
| Enhanced Coalbed Methane Recovery | Ph.D. with B.Tech./M.Tech equivalent in Chemical / Mechanical / Instrumentation / Materials / Metallurgical engineering | 21.07.2025 |
| Coal Supply Chain Optimization | Ph.D. in Supply Chain Optimization / Operations Research / Industrial Engg / Combinatorial Optimization with BE/BTech/Equivalent in Chemical Engg / Metallurgical Engg / Mining Engg / Mechanical Engg / Electrical Engg / Computer Sc and Engg / Applied Mathematics | 21.07.2025 |
| Assessment of CCUS Technology for Iron & Steelmaking |
Ph.D. in Metallurgy / Materials Engineering / Chemical / Mechanical / Environmental / Civil Engineering with prior proven expertise in CCUS technologies or iron & steelmaking or sustainability / life cycle / exergy / environmental impact assessment of processes, etc. Minimum one publication in SCI / Scopus indexed journal. |
31.07.2025 |
| REE Extraction & Recovery |
Ph.D. with BE/BTech/Equivalent in Chemical Engg / Metallurgical Engg / Materials Engg / Materials Science / Production Engg / Environmental Engg. or Ph.D. with MSc in Chemistry / Environmental Science / equivalent with relevant research / industrial experience related to metal extraction / recycling / recovery processes. The experience will be cross-checked from the submitted documents (publications, PhD synopsis, etc.). |
07.08.2025 |
| Separation of cenospheres from ash and their potential application | Ph.D. in Structural Engineering / Building Technology / Process Engineering / Chemical Engg / Industrial Engineering / Materials Engineering or other allied areas. | 07.08.2025 |
| Conversion of Low-grade Coal into Graphitic Carbon for Li-ion Batteries | Ph.D. in Chemical Engg / Materials Science and Engg / Chemistry / Physics with thesis topic related to energy storage devices | 11.08.2025 |
Ph.D. Positions
The following Ph.D. positions are available in projects under CLEANZ in the department of Chemical Engineering. The detailed advertsiment can be found here. The last date for application is 11/08/2025.| Topic | Essential Eligibility |
|---|---|
| Conversion of low-grade coal into graphitic carbon for Li-ion batteries: pouch cell demonstration |
M.Tech. in Chemical/Material Sci. & Engg. (GATE score not mandatory) OR B.Tech. in Chemical/Material Sci. & Engg. with a valid GATE score OR B.Tech. from CFTIs (IITs, NITs, IISc, IISERs) in Chemical/Material Sci. & Engg. with a CGPA of 9.0 or higher. A valid GATE score is not required. OR M.Sc. in Physics/Chemistry with a valid GATE/NET score |
| Production of commercial grade activated carbon materials from coal slurry for targeted applications |
M.Tech. in Chemical/Material Sci. & Engg. (GATE score not mandatory) OR B.Tech. in Chemical/Material Sci. & Engg. with valid GATE score |
| Design and Operation of Robust Supply Chain For Coal and Associated Products Overcoming Sources of Uncertainty |
M.Tech. in Chemical/Material Science/Polymer Engg (GATE score not mandatory) OR B.Tech. in Chemical/Material Science/Polymer Engg. with a valid GATE score OR B.Tech. from CFTIs (IITs, NITs, IISc, IISERs) in Chemical/Material Science/Polymer Engg. with a CGPA of 9.0 or higher. A valid GATE score is not required. OR M.Sc. in Mathematics/Physics with a valid GATE/NET score |
| Beneficiation of low grade/rejected coals with techno-economical analysis |
BE/BTech in Chemical Engg/ Metallurgical Engg/ Mining Engg/Civil Engg. OR MSc in Geology/Applied geology with relevant two years of research/industrial experience related to clean coal beneficiation and clean coal technology research. Also, qualified in (a) GATE (valid score) OR (b) CSIR-UGC NET OR M.Tech/ME/MS in Chemical Engg/ Metallurgical Engg/ Mining Engg/Civil Engg |
| An integrated fine coal Beneficiation technology of low grade coals |
BE/BTech in Chemical Engg/ Metallurgical Engg/ Mining Engg/Civil Engg. OR MSc in Geology/Applied geology with relevant two years of research/industrial experience related to clean coal beneficiation and clean coal technology research. Also, qualified in (a) GATE (valid score) OR (b) CSIR-UGC NET OR M.Tech/ME/MS in Chemical Engg/ Metallurgical Engg/ Mining Engg/Civil Engg |
JRF Positions
| Topic | Essential Eligibility | Last Date |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery of Rare Earth Elements from Coal Sources | First class in ME/MTech/MS and BE/BTech/BS in Chemical / Metallurgy / Materials Engg / Materials Science / Mining Engg / Production Engg / Environmental Engg. | 07.08.2025 |
| Characterization & Valorization of Silica & Lime Sludge of the Aluminum Fluoride Industry |
First class in B.E. / B.Tech. in Metallurgy / Materials Science / Materials Engineering / Chemical / Environmental Engg with or without GATE score or First class in M.E. / M.Tech. / M.S. in Metallurgy / Materials Science / Materials Engineering / Chemical / Environmental Engg |
07.08.2025 |
Staff Positions
The following temporary staff positions are open under CLEANZ. The detailed advertsiment can be found here.| Designation | No. of posts | Essential Eligibility | Last Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Manager | 1 |
Graduates with first class meeting the following criteria: - M.Tech/M.E./M.S. in Engineering with 5 years of relevant experience in R&D labs, higher educational institutes like IITs/IISc/IISERs/NITs, OR B.Tech/MSc with MBA and 5 years of relevant experience in R&D labs, higher educational institutes like IITs/IISc/IISERs/NITs OR Ph.D. with 3 years relevant experience in R&D management |
14.08.2025 |
| Project Associate II (Finance & Procurement) | 1 |
B.Com. with first class and at least 4 years of relevant experience OR M.Com. with first class and at least 2 years relevant experience |
14.08.2025 |
| Project Associate II (Administrative) | 1 |
Graduates in any discipline with at least first class and at least 4 years of relevant experience OR Master’s in any discipline with first class and at least 2 years relevant experience |
14.08.2025 |
Contact Us
Address
IIT Hyderabad
Telangana, 502 284