KARACHI: Pakistan’s first indigenously developed bio-diesel production plant was inaugurated at Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET).
Air Marshal (retd) Shahid Hamid, Chairman, Alternative Energy Development Board, inaugurated the plant on Monday evening. The project had been developed by Dr Jaffar N Usmani, a noted Chemical scientist along with M Adil Usman, Chief Executive of Associated Technical Consultants and a member of university’s board of governors, and Safwan Ali also attached with Associated Technical Consultants.
Speaking on the occasion, Air Marshal (retd) Hamid termed the project “need of the hour” and said it would go a long way in benefiting villages of the country. In his short speech, he exhorted the faculty and students of Sir Syed University to work on more such research projects and assured them of full support of Alternative Energy Board in this connection.
The bio-diesel, simply defined, is synthetic diesel produced from vegetable oil, animal fat or water oil. It can be used either in its pure form (B100) or as a blend (20 per cent of Bio-Diesel and 80 per cent of petroleum diesel-B20). A major advantage of the bio-diesel is that it does not require any specific fuel ignition system.
It can be used directly in any existing unmodified diesel engine - the reason being that it has properties chemically similar to petroleum diesel.
Besides being a fuel alternative, bio-diesel is also an environmental-friendly green fuel with extremely low carbon emissions as compared to petroleum diesel. This technology at present is being promoted by the government of Pakistan through Alternative Energy Development Boards for its “Roshan Pakistan” plan of electrification of rural areas whereby the villagers will be encouraged to produce their own electricity by cultivating the required oil seeds and converting the extracted oil into bio-diesel through bio-diesel product plant. The bio-diesel plant along with other necessary infrastructure is being provided free of charge.
The event was largely attended by senior faculty members, non-teaching staff and office-bearers of Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys Association.
