National Institute of Technology (NIT), Calicut, has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) for taking up research in the application of nanotechnology in fuels to increase fuel efficiency by five to 10 per cent.

The project, titled 'Investigations on the application of catalytic nano particles in diesel and bio-diesel', involves funding of Rs 1.2 crore. The project will be executed by the School of Nano Science and Technology of NITC.

Through the project, the company aims for forging an industry-academia partnership. The project focuses on producing new types of diesel and bio-diesel, modified by catalytic nanoparticles, to produce better fuel performance and ensure considerable low emissions as compared to conventional fuels.