The countdown is to begin soon for India's own technology for HFC 134A ( tetra-floraethane), a substitute for the ozone-depleting CFS 12 which is used as a refrigerant in airconditioners, refrigerators and chilling plants.
The pilot plant, based on knowhow from the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), is ready and will start commercial production by January. The Rs 5 crore plant has been put up by IICT with funds from the department of science and technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and two firms in the private sector _- SRF and Navin Flourines.
According to IICT director K V Raghavan, HFC 134A is a closely held technology available only with the multi-nationals Du Pont of USA, ICI of the UK, and its subsidiary in Japan and Elphato in France.
India is under obligation to phase out CFC 12 by 2010 and none of the multinationals are willing to transfer their technology to India.
" The technology costs over $25 million. It will be IICT's gift to the nation in the new millennium", Raghavan said.
On coal gasification, Raghavan said feasibility study has been completed and the first demonstration power plant of 100 mw will be set up at Dadri near Delhi. NTPC
has agreed to fund 50 per cent of the cost of Rs 630 crore for the power plant.
Raghavan added that the technology for the demonstration plant was yet to be finalised. The technology developed by IICT was known as `moving bed pressure gasification technology' which was best suited for coal with a high ash content.
The alternative technology available is the fluid bed technology, which may not been suited to our coal.
The IICT chief expressed satisfaction that there was better interaction between his laboratories and industry and that IICT was on several research projects for the corporate sector.
More importantly, IICT's overseas contract research registered a significant growth this year with Smithkline Beecham of the UK, FMC of Hong Kong and Leukosites of the US signing agreements for receach in areas of novel chemistry/process for new drugs, chiral agrochemical intermediate and new bioactive molecules.
