Researchers in Hyderabad have developed a process using pulsed electric field (PEF) technology to disinfect biopharmaceutical wastewater while reducing energy use and costs. Biopharmaceutical wastewater contains live microorganisms, residual antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes, so regulations require disinfection before disposal. The team presented the method as an alternative to energy intensive steam sterilisation.\n\nCurrent treatment relies on strong alkali chemicals and steam autoclaving, which heats wastewater to about 120 degrees Celsius for nearly 90 minutes and consumes substantial energy. One lead researcher noted that prolonged heating, rather than chemicals, drives most operating costs. The team therefore tested short high voltage pulses as a lower energy option. The group adapted pulsed electric field, a food industry method used to inactivate bacteria while preserving nutrients, for biopharmaceutical effluent under the VAIBaW project. Controlled electrical pulses puncture microbial membranes and cause cell rupture without boiling the water. The process is put forward as matching steam autoclaving in efficacy while lowering electricity demand. Their three step treatment starts with PEF sterilisation, followed by a sequencing batch reactor that removes around 90 per cent of organic pollutants and filtration. The final sludge enters the patented Intelligently Stirred Thermophilic Anaerobic Reactor, iSTAR, which produces methane rich biogas that can partly power the plant. Trials indicated energy savings and operational resilience compared with the standard route. Test pulses lasted one point two microseconds and voltages near 300 kilovolts were effective, with initial experiments using 900 kilovolt pulses to set electrode spacing. Tests showed nearly 99.9 per cent bacterial removal while currents remained in the milliamperes, keeping consumption low. The researchers estimated operational cost savings of up to 81 per cent versus steam sterilisation, are exploring solar power integration, have filed an Indian patent and submitted a research paper for peer review, and await regulatory approvals amid commercial interest.