MONEYMAKERS

oil explorations: The Chinese Oil Company for Exploration and Development and the International wing of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for taking up exploration activities, particularly in the Third World. The MoU was signed at the 15th World Petroleum Congress held recently in Beijing, where the Union minister for petroleum and natural gas, Janeshwar Mishra and the head of the Chinese delegation, Zhow Yongkang were present. The two countries expressed the need for the exchange of technology between the two countries to overcome the growing demand for crude oil.

de-addiction drug: Drug maker, Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd (IPL) has launched Naltrexone, a drug used for for the treatment of heroin and alcohol addiction, for the first time in the country, under the brand name Naltima. Naltrexone, available in some of the developed countries, has been developed indigenously by Intas. IPL says that Naltima will reduce the urge to consume either alcohol or any opium derivative. Up till now, the drug was imported and many psychiatric de-addiction centres in the country were unable to acquire the drug on a regular basis.

preserving fish: Ganesh Benzoplast Limited has developed and introduced an ice additive for the preservation of fish. Preserfish, as it is called, when added to water used in the manufacture of ice, helps preserve fish for up to three times longer than ordinary ice. Preserfish is manufactured by a synergistic mix of sodium bonzoate and fumeric acid, under special conditions and mixing techniques. The company now plans for the commercial sale of the product.

alternative to cfc: A substitute for the environmentally harmful chloroflourocarbons (CFC) has been developed by Hyderabad-based Indian Institute of Chemical Technology. Hydroflourocarbon (HFC-134A), as it is called, will be commercially available by the year 1998. A pilot plant to produce 5 kg per hour of HFC-134A with an investment of five crores is being set-up by Hyderabad-based Naveen Flouring Industries. India will be the fifth nation in the world to produce the environmentally friendly substitute for CFC, which is being phased out globally.

eco-friendly energy: Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) has developed and tested a technology for non-polluting power generation. Called 'Fuel cell technology', it has been developed for the first time in the country. With this breakthrough, India has joined a select band of nations in the world, including the US and Japan. In field trials, two fuel cell stacks of 5 KW each have been successfully tested by BHEL for over 500 hours at Shree Rayalseema Alakalis and Allied Chemicals in Andhra Pradesh. BHEL claims that the performance of each cell exceeded the specifications by giving an output of 6.85 KW.

use from waste: Researchers at the Centre of Biochemical Technology in Delhi have developed an indigenous and eco-friendly technology to recycle vegetable wastes into bioenergy. The highly efficient technique can not only reduce the garbage heaps that pollute the city but also lead to the generation of energy rich fuel. Vegetable wastes are first solubilised into a slurry. The slurry is then subjected to fermentation in the presence of methane producing bacteria which converts the waste into gas and an effluent.