Project ‘Smart Cities’ to open up an array of opportunities
“With the ambition of 100 Smart cities, India must factor in the challenges while rolling out the plan”
The decision of the Government of India to launch 100 smart cities was a much needed impetus to all segments of the industry. As India struggles with infrastructure deficits, a focus on smart cities is anticipated to be one of the best ways forward. It is important, however, to define a ‘smart city’, for which there is no agreed definition. A ‘Smart City’ could probably be seen as a place where communities could live efficiently and sustainably, with minimal environmental consequences of urban life so that the city continues to be liveable for future generations.
With the ambition of 100 Smart cities, India must factor in the challenges while rolling out the plan. While we have examples like Singapore, Tianjin Knowledge city in China and Masdar City in UAE to follow, many megacities globally are groaning under the weight of mega problems. Their residents are constantly in want of more living space, energy, water and food. There is waste that must be disposed of, air to be kept clean and traffic to be kept moving. The larger the cities, more difficult it is to undertake these tasks. For the Indian chemical industry, this challenge translates into an opportunity and LANXESS, in particular, stands to gain from it.
Faster, Cleaner, Safer Mobility
Let us begin with the most obvious sign of a developed city – heavy traffic on roads. This then adds to CO2 emissions, increase in pressure on fuel resources etc. Interestingly, tyres are a a key determinant for fuel efficiency and on road safety. Tyres contribute to around 20 – 30% of the total fuel consumption by a vehicle, which is impacted by the rolling resistance of the tyre and the inflation pressure. If advanced rubber polymers from LANXESS are used in making these tyres, it could result in saving of fuel by around 6-8% and substantial reduction of CO2 emissions by the vehicle.
Secondly, cars and commercial vehicles by themselves can also offer respite if lightweight yet sturdy materials like high-tech plastics from LANXESS replace metal parts. It can bring down the weight of the vehicle by upto 50%. As a thumb rule, 100 kg less weight implies savings of 0.5 litre fuel per 100 km and 11.65 gms less CO2 per kilometer travelled.
Blue gold (Water) more important than ever
Another obvious yet very pertinent need of any city is an adequate sewage water treatment system and methods to recycle and conserve water. Water treatment methods like desalination to tap sea water, removal of arsenic and fluoride from drinking water, softening of water are gaining eminence, to name a few. Again, LANXESS, with over 70 years of technology expertise in water and wastewater treatment, could offer the right solutions.
Cities made Greener, Safer and more Beautiful
Having a ‘green’ breathing space in one part of your apartment is now possible. Rooftop membranes offered by LANXESS permit plants to sprout and grow without damage to the roof or the building structure. These protective roofing materials also help in improving air quality by separating out and fixing fine dust , improving airborne sound insulation, in reducing the building’s energy consumption, among others. These products known as biocides also act as protective materials against invasion of bacteria, fungi and other micro-organisms in wood, paints or even in water!
Beauty and design cannot be compromised when it comes to creating the cities of the future, nothing brings a smile to our faces as much as color. High quality color pigments from LANXESS, also characterized by their weather resistance, light fastness, color fastness and stability against UV rays, not only make up the paints on our walls, or the colored marks on roads and pavements but they also act as colorants for fancy urban interiors in wood, plastics, fences etc. An interesting concept called ‘Colored Concrete’, in which these synthetic color pigments are mixed well with the concrete mixture itself, is an excellent way to improve urban aesthetics and make them durable.
These are only a few of the many areas that need advanced chemical technologies to create the right balance between urban life and the environment.
