PSF completes important national, economic projects

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) is providing nutritional evaluation and nutritional quality improvement for different food products under several research projects and assignment.

PSF has been successful in establishing strong and sustainable industrial linkage between Food and Biotechnology Research Centre (FBRC), PCSIR Labs. Complex Lahore and Bunny's (Pvt) Ltd, Lahore After completing the project, FBRC is engaged in continuous activity of process development and quality improvement of different products like Chicken Paratha and Whole Wheat Paratha.

Talking to APP, spokesperson PSF, Rehana Batool said "some projects of national and economic importance initiated under Research and Development (R&D) Industry Programme have been successfully completed during recent years".

She said PSF also sponsored a project entitled "Establishment of Pilot Green Tea Processing Plant" at total cost Rs. 2.625 million in National Tea Research Institute at Shinkiari, District Mansehra.

Besides this, a Survey for the application of Tea Technology in Azad Kashmir was also conducted to encourage private sector to invest in cultivation and processing of tea.

From these initiatives, a PC-I was approved for commercialization of Tea Industry in collaboration with private sector. Under this project, Rs. 490.274 million are being provided by the government and Rs.03 billion by private sector.

Besides this, Rehana Batool said project entitled, "Disbandment of Epoxy Coating and Integrity of Gas Transmission Pipeline" at a total cost of Rs. 3.680 million jointly funded by PSF and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) was initiated on equal basis.

Research was conducted in Institute of Chemical Engg. and Technology, University of the Punjab, Lahore with Sui Southern Gas Company Ltd, Karachi as its end user.

Under this project, Epoxy Coating and Cathodic Protection System Technology indigenously developed at University of the Punjab were transferred to Sui Southern Gas Company Limited. Corrosion Control Research Cell was established at the University.

Another important project of Research and Development Industry Programme is,” Design and Manufacturing of Light Weight Composite Reinforced CNG Cylinders" at a total cost of Rs. 4.000 million (Jointly funded by SUPARCO and PSF).

The requisite cylinders have been developed and burst test have also been carried out. Rehana batool said certification from an external agency is in pipeline. These cylinders are being used in developed countries and offer advantage of being lighter in weight (Standard NGV2).

Its economic importance cannot be denied because Pakistan imports about 360,000 cylinders every year spending a foreign reserve of US $ 75 million.

PSF is apex body for promotion and funding of scientific and technological research and science popularization in the country.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011