Industrial corrosion causes Rs250b loss

Damage can be reduced with the help of fibre glass, protective quoting.

KARACHI: Pakistan has been incurring an annual loss of Rs250 to Rs300 billion (about $3 billion) on account of infrastructure, industrial and household corrosion, according to experts at a conference on Monday.

This did not include the damage to environment and loss of production due to unscheduled breakdowns, engineers, experts and entrepreneurs said during the 2nd International Conference and Exhibition on Corrosion Management (ICECM-2011), organised by the National Forum for Environment and Health (NFEH) here.

They said 20 to 25 per cent of the losses of corrosion can be saved with the help of preventive measures, including use of fibre glass, protective quoting and regular maintenance.

Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Acting President Khalid Tawab said the annual cost of corrosion worldwide is estimated at $2.2 trillion which translates into three to four per cent of total gross domestic product of industrialised countries.

He said around 80 per cent of all unscheduled shutdowns and breakdowns in local industries are due to corrosion and process fouling. Byco Petroleum Marketing Business President Kalim Siddiqui also pointed out that corrosion causes unscheduled breakdowns and production losses which are an extra burden on the economy.

Corrosion expert Dr Arjumand Akhtar said that corrosion is not only the loss of money but also time.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2011.