MONEYMAKERS
full of gas: Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL), New Delhi, has developed a technology for converting liquid natural gas into value-added liquefied petroleum gas. Following this breakthrough, the company is all set to deploy the method for commercial exploitation. According to officials, GAIL and its partner Indian Institute of Petroleum have decided to move next month for a process patient. It would be done after formally completing the pilot run. GAIL would set up a demonstration plant next month at Bhagodia, Gujarat, and a commercial plant at Bijaypur in Madhya Pradesh. The company has planned to invest Rs 12 crore for the project.
drugs against drugs: Non-resident Indian entrepreneur Navin Saxena, owner of the UK-based holding company Pharmacare, is setting up a joint venture pharmaceutical unit in Abu Dhabi. The new unit, Emiphrama would be commissioned by the end of 1998.It is expected to produce anti-addiction drugs and would be the UAE's second pharmaceutical facility after the Ras Al Khaimah-based Julphar company. The joint-venture company would require an investment of Rs 6 crore.
joint efforts: India and Britain have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on co-operation in bio-technology and biological sciences. The MoU was signed by India's Department of Bio-Tech-nology and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council of the UK during a recent visit by an Indian delegation to the UK. The areas identified are food bio-technology, vaccines for communicable and non-communicable diseases, diagnostics, bioprocess engineering and downstream processing and information exchange on technology transfer.
treating wastes: Scientists in Chen-nai have developed an efficient and safe method for treating tannery effluents. The new method, which reduces pollution levels in wastewater, is better than the tra-ditional methods and does not produce any harmful by-products, say researchers at the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI). Analysis of water after 12 hours showed that the method could lower the chemical oxygen demand (COD) values from 258 parts per million (ppm) to 100 ppm while the BOD levels came down from 48 ppm to 12 ppm. Both the values are with the recommended values of 250 ppm for COD and 30 ppm for BOD.
"green" vehicles: An Indo-Dutch demonstration project to study the feasibility of introducing autogas on a large-scale in the city has been launched recently. The project, undertaken under the directives of the Supreme Court, envisages to convert 50 two-stroke engine autorikshaws to the eco-friendly fuel. Four auto gas stations are also being set up in the capital for the purpose.
foaming: Italy-based Nuova CMP will shortly be promoting a joint-venture project for manufacturing foamed PVC products in association with the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO). The Unit is to be established near Chennai at a cost of Rs 45.69 crore and will produce foa-med and free-foamed PVC sheets. The unit will have a capacity to produce 8,400 tonnes of PVC products per year. The Italian company will hold 45 per cent of the equity and bring in Rs 8.43 crore. TIDCO will be the assoiate sector partner and will hold 11 per cent of the equity and bring in 2.06 crore.