LAHORE, Nov 30: The Punjab University would establish an Institute of Coal Technology at the Quaid-i-Azam Campus, Vice-Chancellor Lt-Gen Arshad Mahmood (retired) said on Saturday.

Presiding over a meeting in his office, the VC said the institute was the need of the day and would be first of its kind in the country.

“Pakistan has large reserves of coal which remain mostly unexplored and unutilized. Now when the government has decided to use this indigenous coal for power generation and cement manufacturing in addition to introducing the fuel in sugar plants and industrial uses, this institute will contribute a lot by producing experts in coal technology.”

The VC said the institute would also help save precious foreign exchange being spent on import of furnace oil for power generation.

Dr Iftikhar Husain Baloch of the Institute of Geology said that the institute would offer a four-your interdisciplinary BSc course covering all aspects of coal geology, mining and coal technology.

He said it would produce well-trained technologists and conduct research in the coal sector.

PU Registrar Col Masoodul Haq (retired) said that the Institute of Coal Technology would benefit from the expertise of the faculty of the institutes of geology and chemical engineering and technology in extraction and refining of coal technology.—APP