Science and material innovations to reduce costs, accelerate carbon reduction plans: 3M India

Cutting-edge research and innovations by global material science specialist companies will accelerate transition to a decarbonised world and reduce costs in mobility and new energy forms like green hydrogen, says Pawan Kumar Singh, head, Transportation & Electronics, 3M India.

The U.S.-based 3M, with sales of $34.2 billion in 2022, is scaling up its climate solutions product basket in critical areas like automation, electric vehicles and green energy. 3M and carbon specialist Svante are collaborating to develop Direct Air Capture (DAC) products for the Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) industry. 3M is also developing a Nanostructured Supported Iridium catalyst powder that could make the production of green hydrogen more cost-effective and efficient - like with just 10 grams of the catalyst powder, 10 tons of hydrogen can be separated from water, thereby reducing 100 tons of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Cost effective and efficient technologies will be helpful in electrification in areas like long-haul trucking or steelmaking. "With such innovations, the cost of future fuels like green hydrogen can come down from the current $5-$6 per kg levels to $1-$1.5 kg in the near future," says Singh.

Results of 3M's 2022 'State of Science Index' survey to gauge where science can play a role and where companies should do more, sustainability emerged as one of the top five priority areas. In the survey, 79% of Indians expressed concern for the impact of climate change.

3M's wide basket of products for climate solutions include energy-efficient buildings, reducing raw material use and waste, optimising electric vehicles and modernising the grid to integrate renewable power generation. Growth of sectors like infrastructure, electronics, automation and mobility has helped 3M India grow over 21% last year to a consolidated revenue of ₹3,336 crore. 3M operates mainly under five verticals: Safety & Industrial, Transportation & Electronics, Health Care, Consumer and Others segments. Of this, the first two- Safety & Industrial and Transportation & Electronics are the largest businesses in India. Transportation & Electronics had revenues of ₹1,174 crore in FY2023 and that segment has been growing at over 20%-25% since the Covid impact, says Singh.

3M, operating in India for 35 years, employs over 1100 people and has three manufacturing units and two Innovation centres. Its manufacturing site at Ranjangaon in Pune, commissioned in 2007, is a manufacturing hub for a diverse range of products for all business segments of 3M in India. The Indian R&D team in Bangalore developed solutions for noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) challenges to ensure smooth and quiet driving experience in electric vehicles. Utilising specialty materials from 3M's proprietary ceramic material technology platform, the company has developed advanced solutions for ICE engines to withstand high temperatures. Scratch-proofing cars with paint protection films is another innovation from 3M. The company is also working with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and other stakeholders to offer safe travel with a range of road safety solutions and signboards, says Singh.