DOHA: The role of technology in the future of sustainable energy is quite significant given that the environmental implications of meeting the world’s soaring energy demands,
H E Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, Chairman, Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Attiyah International Foundation for Energy and Sustainable Development has said.
Delivering a speech at the ‘closing plenary session’ at Science and Technology in Society Forum (STS) Kyoto, Japan, yesterday, Al Attiyah said world’s growing energy demands suggest that energy technologies with near-zero emissions will eventually be required to ensure the sustainability. Accordingly, there is a pressing need for substantial research, development, and initiation of programmes aimed at launching advanced energy technologies, he said.
Al Attiyah, who is also the former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Industry, noted Qatar achieved a fundamental milestone for the LNG industry by scaling up liquefaction trains to a record new level using Air Products’ proprietary APX process technology. Currently six out of our 14 LNG trains have the capacity of producing 7.8 million tonnes per annum, making them the world’s largest LNG trains ever to be built. The use of this technology reduced unit costs to a level unmatched by other producers, giving Qatar a competitive edge in global markets.
Some of these technologies, he added, are readily available, including the technological revolution in power generation where natural-gas-fired combined cycles is offering low costs, high efficiency and low environmental impact. Modern gas-fired power plants emit 50 percent less CO2 than coal plants and they are 40 percent more energy efficient.
Emerging innovations offer the potential to use conventional sources of energy, mainly fossil fuels, in ways that are cleaner, more efficient, safer, flexible and affordable.
“In Qatar, we understand that economic development must be based on the implementation of new technology which often involves challenges; however, meeting these challenges has become necessary in order to thrive in an increasingly competitive market”, Al Attiyah said.
Entrepreneurs and small companies have the potential to provide innovative solutions. They are the key to unlocking the potential of an even more technology driven energy era. In this regard, the Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) offers a unique business environment for start-up enterprises in the areas of energy, environment, health sciences and ICT.
Also, large research cooperation programmes have been launched with international corporations and we welcome new opportunities to work to take advantage of human ingenuity in the fields of energy and environment. It is becoming increasingly important to develop technologies that enable us to achieve sustainable economic development in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.
The issue of water provision will be one of the greatest challenges of the twenty first century. This is indeed an emotive subject in the Middle East, he said.
The Peninsula
