OREANDA-NEWS. October 03, 2012. Under the patronage and presence of His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry and Chairman & Managing Director of Qatar Petroleum (QP), a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) workshop was held today at the Diplomatic Club in Doha, reported the press-centre of Qatar Petroleum.

Organized by Qatar Petroleum (QP) in partnership with Maersk Oil Qatar, Qatar University’s Energy and Environmental Law Forum and Qatari Diar Vinci Construction (QDVC), the workshop was attended by professionals from the academia, energy and construction sectors, and it focused on lessons learned from the Al Shaheen gas gathering and flare reduction project and it also explored future CDM opportunities for Qatar.

In his keynote address, H.E. Dr. Al-Sada stressed on the importance of the CDM concept as a vital project that supports the pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030 as well as the National Development Strategy.  “The State of Qatar has ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and is committed to participate in the international efforts to combat the climate change challenges,” he said.

“Pursuing this objective, Qatar had registered the first CDM project in the Gulf region in 2007 and paved the way to help register more of such projects from the region,” he added.

Also present at the workshop was Sheikh Faisal Bin Fahad Al-Thani, Deputy Managing Director of Maersk Oil Qatar, the company that operates the giant Al Shaheen oil field in close partnership with QP. The Al Shaheen field is Qatar’s largest offshore oil field and is the source of around one-third of Qatar’s daily oil production. 

Sheikh Faisal noted that “together, QP and Maersk Oil have successfully reduced gas flaring from the Al Shaheen field to an absolute minimum -- a rare accomplishment in the industry. A 90% reduction in flaring between 2007-2011 and more than a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions during the same period were achieved by capturing previously flared gas and turning it into clean electricity, thereby increasing the national electricity supply, providing employment and transferring technical knowledge to local industry.”

As a result of its approach to environmental management, the project’s gas gathering system was recognized as the world’s largest CDM project. QP’s HSE Regulations and Enforcement Directorate is currently working with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to validate the CDM application.

Mr. Saif Al-Naimi, Director of the HSE Regulations and Enforcement Directorate, added that the project itself is another milestone for the energy industry and the state of Qatar. “The CDM project reaffirms our commitment to environmental protection,” he stressed.
 
Expressing his gratitude to H.E. Dr. Al-Sada for his support, Mr. Rudiger Tscherning, Director of the Energy and Environmental Law Forum, warmly welcomed the delegates to the workshop and highlighted the importance of the event, which took on a particular relevance in light of the forthcoming 18th Conference of Parties (COP18) of the UNFCCC, which will be held in Doha on November 26-December 7 this year. Mr. Tscherning remarked that the Energy and Environmental Law Forum has rapidly grown in strength since its launch by His Excellency in 2011.

“Today, our CDM workshop is an excellent example of how academia and leading players in the energy and construction industry can join forces to develop ideas for a more sustainable economic development in Qatar.  As we take a moment to congratulate His Excellency, QP and Maersk Oil Qatar for their achievement of the CDM Project, I would also like to thank QDVC for participating in the workshop,” said Mr. Tscherning.

“The construction industry will play a key role in the next phase of economic development in Qatar, and it is important to secure the involvement of industry pioneers such as QDVC, which take the leadership on innovative solutions for a sustained environmental development.  This event is about learning from Al Shaheen’s experience and taking that expertise forward,” he added.  

The workshop covered CDM opportunities for the construction industry with a presentation jointly delivered by Sheikha Athba Al-Thani, Chief Services Support Officer and Sustainable Development Manager, and Mr. Guillaume Feld, General Counsel of QDVC.

“At QDVC, we are not only building major infrastructure for the State of Qatar but thinking of the future needs of the country and how we can design and carry out our projects in a more sustainable manner. This workshop is an opportunity for us to expand our knowledge and principles on sustainable public procurement while showcasing our achievements at QDVC. We would like to spread awareness and promote the best practices in the construction industry,” said Sheikha Athba.