NIOT to set up research facility near Nellore

The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, is planning to setup a large seafront research facility in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, probably near SHAR in Sriharikota.  The Chennai based institute proposes to set up a cluster of laboratories and other infrastructure in an area of 250 acres. The proposed facility would be a major expansion of its current activities in the area of ocean technology applications, including deep sea technology and ocean mining.

The institute is now working on low temperature thermal desalination, deep sea technologies, remotely operable vehicles and deep sea submersibles, ocean observation systems and ocean acoustics, among others. The facility will be designed to undertake all the major programmes, including submersibles and gas hydrates, marine sensors and electronics, energy, coastal engineering research and marine biotechnology, which require actual working in sea conditions.