The Minister of Energy and Industry H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada with the recipients of the Qatar Energy and Industry Sustainable Development awards at the Qatar National Convention Centre yesterday. Shaival Dalal
BY MOHAMMAD SHOEB
DOHA: As part of its efforts in limiting the impact of energy industry on the environment, Qatar Fuel Additives Company (QAFAC), a joint venture between Industries Qatar and OPIC Middle East, is set to commission an $80m carbon dioxide (CO2) recovery project which will see 500 tonnes of CO2 captured and re-injected per day into the production cycle for greater output of methanol, a senior official of the company said yesterday.
In addition, Qatar is striving to reduce its CO2 emissions as part of its environmental commitment and has launched projects related to carbon capturing at a cost of more than $1bn in different parts of the country, including Mesaieed and Ras Laffan.
“The upcoming project, which is almost half complete, will be commissioned in the third quarter of 2014.
“Once operational, it will recover 500 tonnes of CO2 from our plants everyday, which will also help us produce an additional 250 tonnes of methanol,” Nasser Jeham Al Kuwari, General Manager of QAFAC, told The Peninsula on the sidelines of an event to launch the 3rd Annual Energy and Industry Sector Sustainability Report and an award ceremony.
The third edition of the event provided an important opportunity for the sector to take stock of the progress being made in the adoption of sustainable development principles.
The online report, that captures the sector’s health, safety, environmental, social, and economic performance in 2012, was launched by the Minister of Energy and Industry H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada.
Dr Al Sada also awarded six companies, including QAFAC, for their excellence in sustainability reporting and performance in 2012.
RasGas was the winner among organisations with over 500 employees and the runner-up was QAFCO.
Among organisations with less than 500 employees, the winner was Mesaieed Power Company (MPower) and the runner-up was QAFAC.
For excellence in performance related to the 2012 Sustainable Development Industry Report (SDIR) focus areas, Qatargas was the winner among organisations with more than 500 employees and Qatar Vinyl Company (QVC) was the winner among organisations with less than 500 employees.
The SDIR programme was established in 2010 by the Minister to enhance sustainability in the sector. It has evolved from a voluntary initiative to a mandatory requirement for all companies in the energy and industry sector.
In his keynote address, Dr Al Sada said: “We move on to the next level; rewarding sustainable practices and achievements rather than just rewarding excellence in reporting.”
He reiterated the need for collective efforts by the entire energy and industry sector to achieve higher levels of commitment to sustainability, performance, and innovation.
“I invite you all to take significant steps in aligning the energy and industry sector, and quantifying its contribution to national sustainable development frameworks on the social, economic, human, and environmental frontiers,” he added.
Highlighting the sector’s commitment to sustainable development, he said initiatives by companies have reflected positive impact on Qatar’s position as an energy leader.
The number of participating companies with their individual SDIR grew to 35 in 2012, from 17 in 2010.
“The number of companies reporting on more than 75 percent of the indicators has also increased, from 14 to 25.
“Overall coverage of all 33 SDIR indicators was 83 percent in 2012, enabling us to discern emerging trends and identify areas of strength and weakness for the sector,” he added.
He noted that Qatar has witnessed cultural and behavioural changes in the operation of companies as a result of the SDIR programme.
The Peninsula
