TThe cost of fossil fuels is not showing any signs of letting up. Over the past few months, costs of fossil fuel have been galloping. Oil hit the $ 135 per barrel mark in May 2008. Coal has been registering an all time high of $155 per tonne, more than a threefold increase in the past three years. Such price increases have refocused attention on efficient utilisation of fuels. Clearly there is no getting away from the use of fossil fuels in the short and medium term – various estimates indicate that about 80 – 90% of global energy demand in 2030 will still be met through fossil fuels