19 April 2016
Doha - Qatar - Qatargas has recently completed the works of a Waste Water Treatment Plant at one of its Liquefied Natural Gas plants using Membrane Bio-Reactor (MBR) Technology. The facility, set up at the Qatargas 1 (QG 1) plant with a capacity to treat nearly 1300 cubic meters of waste water per day, is a first for the LNG industry in the region.

The project was designed in response to an internally identified gap in the QG1 process wastewater treatment facility in order to treat waste water and get irrigation grade water that could be reused in line with the State of Qatar's Ministry of Municipality And Environment (MoME) regulations.

The design, procurement and construction works of the project were led by a multi-disciplinary team at Qatargas including members of the Environmental Affairs, Engineering and Ventures Departments that was set up in 2008. 

Commenting on this significant achievement Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdulla Al-Thani, Qatargas Chief Operating Officer - Engineering & Ventures, said:

"This is a very important accomplishment for Qatargas as we have set a precedent in the LNG industry in the region to reuse waste water at the Qatargas 1 plant. This project is a clear manifestation of our commitment to environmental conservation and is part of the huge investments we have made in the recent past to minimize our environmental footprint, in line with the values spelled out in the Qatargas Direction Statement. I congratulate all those who worked on the planning, design and construction phases of this project and those who contributed to its successful operation."

An innovative solution has been introduced to set up this facility using a Membrane Bio-Reactor which uses a combination of bacterial bio-reactor to consume and breakdown the pollutants. The downstream of this bio-reactor's man-made membranes are used to screen out larger particles, bacterial-biomass and other compounds.

The pilot MBR Plant was first   tested for six months in 2008, following which Qatargas 1 embarked on the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) and the Execution Phase Contracts (EPC) and the start-up between 2011 and 2015 for installation of a full scale MBR at QG1. The MBR now operates at the expected design efficiencies obtaining removal rates of more than 95 per cent for key parameters including Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Nitrogen compounds. These results have allowed the treated water to be significantly better than other conventional technologies and an indication of the project's success.

Qatargas is keen to introduce similar innovative solutions for wastewater treatment at its facilities in future. 

-Ends-

About Qatargas:
Qatargas, 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 42 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) from its world-class facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar. Since first production in 1996, Qatargas has successfully delivered cargos to 28 countries and is committed to meeting the world's demand for safe, reliable and clean energy. Through its operational excellence Qatargas is adding value to its production chain, contributing to the Qatari economy and Qatar's National Vision to ensure efficient energy supplies for the country, creating new markets and contributing to the local community. In addition to the LNG facilities, Qatargas operates the Jetty Boil-Off Gas facility, the Laffan Refinery, one of the largest condensate refineries in the world, and the Ras Laffan Terminal on behalf of all participants.

For media enquiries please contact:
Mariana Diaz, Tel: +974 3320 6421 MDiaz@qatargas.com.qa
Thajudeen Aliar, Tel: +974 3340 6474 TAliar@qatargas.com.qa

© Press Release 2016