Doha - Sud-Chemie headquartered in Munich, Germany yesterday commissioned the first, and currently only, catalyst production plant in Qatar at Mesaieed Industrial City.
The plant will supply catalysts to the GCC, with focus on Qatar's fast -growing market. The catalysts will be used to convert natural gas into diesel based on gas-to-liquid (GTL) processes, as well as in other processes for converting natural gas into higher-grade chemicals.
To date, Sud-Chemie, a leading global manufacturer of catalysts and absorbents has invested 15 million euro in the plant and currently employs 20 people in Qatar.
"We are the first, and as yet the only catalyst manufacturer in the world to be able to start operation of a catalyst plant in Qatar," Sud-Chemie AG's Managing Board member, Dr. Hans-Joachim Muller said at the plant's opening ceremony.
"With our know-how in catalysts, we will promote the commercial production of diesel from gas and of other base chemicals. We are determined to continue expanding our site in Qatar by adding other innovative products and in this way, will contribute to the region's dynamic growth."
Based on forward orders, the production facilities will be working to capacity for the next two years and discussions are already underway on extending the newly-commissioned plant.
Sud-Chemie Chairman of the Managing Board of Süd-Chemie AG, Dr. Gunter Von Au said the catalysts will be used in GTL plants in the region as well as in chemical and petrochemicals, particularly in Qatar and Kuwait.
These catalysts will also be used by Shell and Qatar Petroleum (QP) in the world's largest plant, the Pearl GTL as from 2010. The Pearl GTL plant currently under construction will be producing 140,000 barrels per day (bpd) of GTL products as well as approximately 120,000 bpd of associate condensate and liquefied petroleum gas.
In view of both the increasing shortage and rising oil price, the GTL market is highly attractive, offering technology to convert natural gas into diesel and other high-quality base materials for the petrochemical industry on an economically viable scale.
At present, the world's largest chemical industry network based solely on gas is emerging in Qatar. Over the next few years, oil and chemical enterprises will be investing over $ 20bn in this venture. Qatar's first major GTL plant has already been in operation since early last year, producing a planned capacity of 35,000 bpd of diesel.
By Nasser Al harthy
© Emirates Business 24/7 2008
