Dr. Shyam Dighe is the President & CEO, Aqua Source Technologies Corporation, North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. AquaSource Technologies Corporation provides wastewater treatment service to the shale gas drilling companies. Dr. Dighe has played a pivotal role in developing a high temperature plasma technology for treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW), which is currently helping many countries like India, UK and China to handle environmental issues created by disposal of MSW and other toxic & hazardous wastes.
In 1999, Dr. Dighe founded the Westinghouse Plasma Corporation (WPC), which he formed after purchasing the plasma division from Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh. During his 19 year career with Westinghouse, Dr. Dighe was responsible for the management of all operations at the Westinghouse Plasma Center located at Waltz Mill site, Madison, Pennsylvania. Under his leadership, WPC built four commercial plants worldwide utilizing plasma technology for the conversion of municipal solid waste (MSW) and other hazardous wastes to useful electricity. Two MSW-to-energy plants were built in Japan with the participation of Hitachi Metals Ltd. The other two waste-to-energy plants were built in India to treat hazardous wastes in Pune and Nagpur by SMS Infrastructure Ltd. WPC was then sold to Alter NRG Corp, a Canadian public corporation, in 2007. Dr. Dighe continued as the President of WPC until 2009. In 2010, he started Dighe Technologies Corporation (DTC), a holding company, to develop plasma projects. AquaSource Technologies was started in 2011.
Dr. Dighe received his B. Tech. in Chemical Engineering from IIT Bombay in 1974. Spending time at Y-Point Gate drinking tea and coffee with friends, is a part of his special memories of IIT Bombay. He obtained his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering in 1979 from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA, and later an MBA in 1989 from the University of Pittsburg, PA
Dr. Dighe has 14 US patents to his credit, in the areas of fuel cells, high temperature plasma technology, toxic and hazardous waste destruction, iron & steel industry, crude oil refining and upgrading, and prevention of under sea oil leaks. In addition, four new US patents have been applied for the conversion and treatment of toxic and hazardous waste-water generated by the drilling activities in the shale gas formations. Dr. Dighe is the recipient of the ‘Westinghouse Corporate Special Award’ (1988), ‘George Westinghouse Innovation Award’ (1994), ‘Westinghouse Signature Award of Excellence’ (1994), and the ‘American Foundrymen’s Society’s Howard Taylor Award’ (1986) which he received for developing the Plasma-Fired Cupola for use in melting foundry scrap. In 1985, Dr. Dighe was deputed to India as an U.N. expert on plasma technology under the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). He is a member of several professional organizations including American Institute of Chemical Engineers; American Foundrymen’s Society; The Scientific Research Society of North America; National Society of Professional Engineers; and The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society. He is a registered Professional Engineer (Pennsylvania). Dr. Dighe has published several peer-reviewed papers.
An avid traveller, he enjoys exploring new destinations with his family members.