India's ₹1.7 crore fuel crisis may have found an unlikely solution - water

As India struggles with rising energy import costs and a weakening rupee amid global oil turmoil, a Monaco-based fuel technology company says it may have found the answer hidden in plain sight: water.

Through its patented Cavitech fuel emulsion technology, FOWE Eco Solutions claims industries can reduce fuel consumption by up to 10 percent, dramatically reduce harmful emissions and improve equipment performance – all without modifying engines or closing plants.

The pitch comes at a critical time for India. The country imports nearly 88 percent of its oil needs, while state oil firms are reportedly hemorrhaging ₹1,000 crore a day to protect consumers from global price shocks.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also publicly called on industries to conserve fuel as a national economic priority.

Now FOWE says its technology can do just that.

At the heart of the system is a fuel-oil-water emulsion created using controlled cavitation technology (CCT), which disperses microscopic water droplets inside the fuel oil without the use of chemical additives, says its COO Hemant Sondhi.

When burned, these droplets trigger “micro-explosions” inside the combustion chambers, breaking the fuel into ultra-fine particles that burn more completely and efficiently.

The result is lower fuel consumption, cleaner combustion and significantly reduced emissions, according to company data and independent tests.

Sondhi said independent testing at an Alfa Laval plant in Denmark showed fuel savings of 6.3 percent for boilers and 8.7 percent for marine engines.

Ship trials on Scorpio Tankers have shown bunker fuel savings of around 10 per cent, while Indian refinery and steel plant trials have seen fuel savings ranging from 3.6 per cent to 6 per cent.

NO CHEMICALS, NO RENOVATIONS, NO REMEDIES

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For India’s energy-intensive industries, this technology is particularly attractive as it does not require engine modification, hardware retrofitting or installation shutdown.

FOWE says its cavitation process also reduces the viscosity of heavy fuel oil without expensive cutting material or chemical flow improvers – potentially freeing up higher value diesel for sale while reducing pumping and heating costs.

The company claims the technology can also reduce NOx emissions by around 30 percent, SOx emissions by almost 40 percent and particulates to near-zero levels.

The process is also said to reduce fouling inside boilers and furnaces, extend maintenance intervals and reduce downtime.

TRIALS IN INDIA SHOW GREAT INDUSTRIAL POTENTIAL

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FOWE has already conducted tests in Indian refineries, steel mills, power units and industrial furnaces.

A recent steel mill trial reported a 5% reduction in furnace fuel consumption along with a 40% reduction in harmful emissions. A state refinery test reportedly confirmed fuel savings of up to 3.6 percent when operating with its own energy. Tests at another state refinery have shown viscosity and sulfur reduction benefits.

The implications for India’s thermal power sector could be significant.

Every coal-fired power plant in the country relies on fuel oil during boiler start-ups, light-load operations and shutdown cycles – phases notorious for high emissions and inefficient combustion. FOWE says its emulsion can immediately reduce fuel consumption during these periods without changing existing plant infrastructure.

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The company is positioning the technology not just as a decarbonisation tool, but as a strategic economic lever for India.

“Since India imports the vast majority of its oil, every liter saved directly protects foreign reserves and reduces pressure on the rupee,” says Sondhi.

FOWE claims its technology is already validated by global marine and engineering giants including MAN Energy Solutions and Alfa Laval, with additional involvement from certification agencies such as DNV, ABS, TÃœV and SGS.

For India’s refiners, steelmakers, shipping operators and thermal power plants – all beset by fluctuating fuel prices and tightening emissions norms – the appeal is obvious: lower fuel bills, cleaner emissions and no costly overhauls.

In an economy where energy security and inflation are increasingly intertwined, technology promising water fuel savings may suddenly sound less improbable—and more urgent.