Developing Diverse, Sustainable Economy… Qatar’s Sustainability Efforts Get New Boost -1-

QatarEnergy launched its updated sustainability strategy aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions through carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology to capture over 11 million tons of CO2 annually in Qatar by 2035, and reduce carbon emissions in the country's liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities by 35% and in exploration and production facilities by 25%, pursuing its efforts to generate more than 5 GW of solar energy, end routine gas flaring, and reduce leaking methane emissions along the gas industry chain, among other initiatives. On April 27, the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (KAHRAMAA) launched the Qatar National Renewable Energy Strategy (QNRES). This strategy aims to increase large-scale renewable power generation to about 4 GW by 2030 and recommends the installation of distributed solar generation up to around 200 MW by 2030, which reduces pressure on the central grid infrastructure and enhances energy sustainability. In terms of CO2 emissions reduction, the recommended power m ix will have a significant impact in reducing 10% of Qatar's total annual CO2 emissions from the power sector. It will reduce the Carbon intensity in Qatar's annual CO2 intensity by 27% for each unit of electricity produced. In terms of economic advantage, it is expected to reduce the average cost of electricity generation by 15% by 2030 due to the cost-competitive solutions. In this context, the founder and chairman of the Friends of Environment Center (FEC) Dr. Saif Ali Al Hajari emphasized the crucial role Qatar plays in the current global energy transition, indicating how many countries are shifting towards reducing carbon dioxide emissions, particularly those relying on coal and other polluting energy sources, highlighting Qatar's 2022 commitment to the Net Zero Initiative on carbon neutrality, an energy sector initiative aiming to achieve near-zero methane emissions in oil and gas assets by 2030. Dr. Al Hajari highlighted the significance of the launch of the Al Kharsaah Solar Power Plant project in October 2022, which has a production capacity of about 800 MW, equivalent to 10% of Qatar's peak electricity demand, with a total cost of 1.7 billion riyals. He also referred to the Ammonia-7 project, valued at $1.1 billion, which is the world's first and largest blue ammonia project with a production capacity of 1.2 million tons annually, expected to start production in the first quarter of 2026, as investments that reflect Qatar's commitment to international efforts to combat climate change and reduce carbon intensity in energy products and is a key pillar of QatarEnergy's sustainability and energy transition strategy. For his part, Chairman of Coreinfo Consultancy and former CEO of Qatar Chemical Company Ltd. (Q-Chem) and Qatar Fuel Additives Company (QAFAC) Eng. Nasser Jeham Al Kuwari affirmed Qatar's success in reducing its carbon footprint (carbon dioxide) as the implementation of CCS technologies at industrial sites has led to a 10% reduction in emissions in the petrochemical sector over the past five years. Eng. Al Kuwari said that sustainability in the Qatari petrochemical industry includes environmental, social and economic dimensions, while the key strategies include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving energy efficiency, adopting the principles of the circular economy, and investing in green technology, noting the large Qatari investments in the field of renewable energy, particularly solar power, Al Kharsaah solar Substation, which produces 800 MW of electricity, represents an important step towards reducing carbon intensity in the petrochemical industry, in addition to the two new projects in Ras Laffan Industrial City and Mesaieed Industrial City for solar energy. He pointed out that the State of Qatar has established research centers focused on developing green technologies and improving energy efficiency in petrochemical operations, and Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) stands at the forefront of these initiatives, to enhance cooperation between academia and industry, as the adop tion of energy-efficient technologies has led to a 15% increase in energy efficiency across Qatar's major petrochemical facilities, and these improvements not only reduce operational costs, but also enhance the environmental performance of the sector." Source: Qatar News Agency