QatarEnergy and GE team up on carbon capture roadmap

LNG major QatarEnergy signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with U.S. firm General Electric (GE) to collaborate on developing a carbon capture roadmap for the energy sector in Qatar. 

The focus of the MoU is to explore the feasibility of developing a world-scale carbon hub at Ras Laffan Industrial City.

In remarks on this occasion, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, CEO of QatarEnergy, stressed QatarEnergy’s strong commitment to mitigating the effects of climate change.

“This MoU affirms QatarEnergy’s Sustainability Strategy and our efforts to implement effective measures to curb emissions and produce cleaner energy using the latest proven emissions reduction technologies. We are pleased to work with GE, who is a strategic partner, to pursue all available avenues including the use of clean energy carriers such as hydrogen as a fuel for gas turbines coupled with efficient and affordable carbon capturing technologies from such turbines, on an unprecedented scale, to achieve a substantial reduction in CO2 emissions,” he said.

Joseph Anism CEO of GE Gas Power Europe, Middle East, and Africa, said: “Exploring pre- combustion technologies such as the use of low carbon fuels to generate power, and post combustion technologies such as carbon capture and sequestration, can potentially significantly reduce the CO2 emissions from QatarEnergy’s facilities. Looking ahead, Qatar has the possibility of becoming a leading global player in the areas of hydrogen, ammonia, and CCS by helping to pilot and scale up these technologies for the rest of the world.”

QatarEnergy has recently updated its Sustainability Strategy, which outlines multiple initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including flagship initiatives such as the further deployment of carbon capture and sequestration technology to capture over 11 million tonnes per annum of CO2 in Qatar by 2035.

These projects are expected to further reduce the carbon intensity of Qatar’s LNG facilities by 35 per cent, and of its upstream facilities by 25 per cent (compared to previous targets of 25 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively) bolstering Qatar’s commitment to responsibly supply LNG at scale in support of the energy transition.

The roadmap includes the development of carbon capture and sequestration, the utilization of hydrogen, and the potential usage of ammonia in GE gas turbines to reduce their carbon emissions.