The Pilot Plant was inaugurated by UAF Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Ashraf. Whereas, ORIC Director Dr Zahir Ahmad Zahir, Department of Chemistry Chairman Dr Ijaz Ahmad Bhatti, Principal Investigator Dr Muhammad Abid Rashid, Co-PIs Dr Amer Jamil, Dr Sadia Nazir and guests from renowned industries of Faisalabad were present on the occasion.

This ECH Project is funded by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Islamabad, Pakistan under Technology Development Fund (TDF). Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Ashraf told the gathering that ECH was widely used in textile, agriculture, paper, inks, dyes and epoxy resins industries. Epoxy resins are major components of paints, coating materials and electric insulation products etc.

He said that Pakistan’s import of ECH is around 80 tons/month at 2.25 US$/Kg. The indigenous Epichlorohydrin (ECH) market size is speculated to raise 3200 Ton/year in 2023. He said that the step will help the country to muitiply the technology that will help lower down the import bill and become self sufficient in it. Project Principal Investigator Dr Abid Raheed said that transfer of installed “Epicerol” Technology at UAF to domestic industries will uplift the epoxy market. Local production of ECH from cheap raw materials will also reduce the import bill. Dr. Muhammad Abid Rashid, Department of Chemistry, University of Agriculture Faisalabad is pioneer in developing indigenous. The whole plant is designed, installed, tested and commissioned by Mechatronics Engineering Services (MES) Faisalabad.

The University of Agriculture Faisalabad has set up biofloc aquaculture model of 6500 liter of water in which farmers can get 18 mounds of fish in a season from one marla rather than a wide pond. UAF Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Ashraf along with Dean Sciences Dr Asghar Bajwa, Chairman Fisheries Wild Life Department Dr Hammad Ahmad, and Principal Officer Estate Management Dr Qamar Bilal, and other notable. He said that from the model, we can get the more production in less water, space and feed. He said that the unit is prepared with the cost of Rs 25,000 with the diameter of 10 feet that can be used for ten years. Project Manager Abdul Mateen said that from the project, we can produce the fish with less cost, and water. He said that it is the dire need of the hour to use the modern trends in order to raise the productivity,.