Doha – Qatar:  QatarEnergy LNG sponsored and recently presented the Best Overall Prizes to the winning teams at the 22nd Annual Chemical Engineering Plant Design Competition, organised by the Department of Chemical Engineering at Qatar University. Since its inception in 2004, this annual contest aims to provide Qatar University students with world-class engineering experience, nurturing the next generation of engineering talent.

Rashid Al-Kuwari, Chief Engineering & Projects Officer at QatarEnergy LNG delivered an opening address at a special ceremony held at QatarEnergy LNG’s Doha headquarters on 24 May 2026.

He noted that supporting and encouraging education is a cornerstone of QatarEnergy LNG’s Corporate Social Responsibility program and an important part of the company’s commitment to premier performance. By investing in the next generation of engineers, QatarEnergy LNG is contributing to the future of the industry and contributing to the greater prosperity and advancement of the nation, which is in alignment with the human, social and economic development pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030.

This competition demonstrates the exceptional capabilities of students in transforming theoretical knowledge into practical, real industrial challenges. Every year, QatarEnergy LNG continues to be impressed by the level of technical depth, creativity, and professionalism demonstrated in the projects.

QatarEnergy LNG was joined at the event by Professor Dr. Mohammed Al-Marri, Head of Department of Chemical Engineering at Qatar University to present prizes to the winning teams. Each group made a brief presentation about their plant design project and the innovative solutions they have developed. The event also recognised judges, advisors, Professor Dr. Mohammed Al-Marri, Associate Professor Dr. Zeinab Jawad, Professor Dr. Fadwa Eljack, representatives from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Qatar University, and QatarEnergy LNG representative, Eman Elhmoud, Head of Process & Flow Assurance Engineering, and Rand Aga, CSR specialist.

Professor Dr. Mohammed Al-Marri, Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Qatar University, highlighted in his opening remarks that the annual Plant Design Competition represents the department’s flagship event celebrating graduating senior students. He expressed sincere appreciation to QatarEnergy LNG for its continuous support over the past 22 years and extended special thanks to the judges for their valuable contributions to the success of the competition.

This year, ten teams presented their projects to a panel of judges from industry. Working over two semesters, the students developed simulation-based grassroots plant designs and completed several engineering tasks, including process simulation, environmental impact assessment, heat integration, mechanical equipment design, safety analysis, and economic evaluation. The students developed designs related to Liquefied Natural Gas, Ethylene, and Dimethyl Ether production processes.

The competition was held on 7 May 2026 at Qatar University's Engineering Building, featuring five female teams and five male teams. The competition was of an exceptionally high standard and the best three teams were selected by the judging panel comprised of engineering experts from multiple industrial partners in Qatar including Mathew Swatton, Technology Team Lead at Qatar Shell GTL Limited, Abdulla Al-Emadi, Lead of Process Engineering at QatarEnergy LNG, Awad Al-Yafei, Head of Plant Productivity at QAFCO, Ahmed M Homssi, Environmental Manager at QChem, and Sarah Al-Raeesi, Senior APC Engineer (POT) - Technical at OryxGTL. The evaluation criteria for the competition included Organization and Structure, Technical Content, Visual Aids, and Teamwork.

First place was awarded to the team of Shahd Murtada, Mona Foroohar, Shimaa Asem, and Rawan Tayseer Abunada for their outstanding design of an ethylene plant (ETHYQ). By utilizing Technip's advanced SMK technology, the plant is designed to produce polymer-grade ethylene with a purity exceeding 99.9%. The project combines high performance production with innovative sustainability solutions, including waste-heat recovery that supplies nearly one third of the plant's steam demand and a CO₂ capture system achieving 90% carbon removal efficiency. They were supervised by Professor Dr. Ibnelwaleed Ali Hussein.

Second place was awarded to the team of Mohammad Jaber Alathba, Mohamed Ashraf, Mohamed Dahri, and Khalid Hamad Al-Jabri for their innovative design of Dimethyl Ether (DME) Plant. Two production routes, Direct and Indirect DME synthesis, were evaluated technically, environmentally, and economically, with the Direct route selected as the preferred option due to its lower COx emissions and superior financial performance. The project included the mechanical design of major equipment validated using Aspen HYSYS and HTRI Xchanger Suite. The team was supervised by Assistant Professor Dr. Seckin Karagoz.

Third place went to the team of Amira Al-Kebsi, Fatima Abdulla Al-Samra, Noora Khalili, and Elham Dabwan for their QEGCO (Qatar Ethygreen Company) Ethylene Production. The process technologies were based on Score by KBR, and with integration and adjustments, a plant simulation that utilized waste heat recovery, minimized NOX emissions and reduced the overall carbon footprint was formed. The most notable adjustment was the integration of a carbon capture unit, which would operate towards methanation, providing an alternative source of fuel for the plant. The team was supervised by Professor Dr. Fadwa Eljack.

QatarEnergy LNG remains proud of its partnership with Qatar University in supporting the Plant Design Competition. For over two decades, this collaboration has played a vital role in developing the next generation of engineers.

About QatarEnergy LNG:

QatarEnergy LNG, established in 1984, pioneered the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) industry in Qatar and today is the largest producer of LNG in the world with an annual production capacity of 77 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) from its world-class facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar. Since production began in 1996, the company has been committed to meeting the world’s demand for safe, reliable, and clean energy. Through its operational excellence, QatarEnergy LNG is adding value to its production chain, contributing to the Qatari economy and Qatar’s National Vision 2030 to ensure efficient energy supplies for the country, creating new markets and contributing to the local community. In addition to the LNG facilities, the company also operates the Jetty Boil-Off Gas facility, Al Khaleej Gas, three Helium Plants, the Laffan Refinery (among the largest condensate refineries in the world), and the Ras Laffan Terminal on behalf of all shareholders.

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