By Joseph Varghese

Staff Reporter

The technologies that are being developed in Qatar Shell Research and Technology Centre (QSRTC) will help to produce cleaner energy around the world, a senior Shell executive has said.

Shell Gas Technology vice president John MacArthur told media on the sidelines of the first  Innovation Open House, organised by Shell Qatar at QSRTC in Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) yesterday, that QSRTC is central to the research and development centres of Shell around the world.

The open house was an opportunity to showcase the innovative cutting-edge technologies developed by QSRTC to provide solutions to the world’s energy needs.

QSRTC managing director Youssef Saleh said the open house is meant to build a network with the academia and other e-partners. “This collaboration brings a lot of valuable information. The whole information will be compiled into a book to be shared with others,” he said, adding that QSRTC’s efforts will help Qatar to become a global R& D hub.

Pointing to the gas-to-liquids and as well as liquefied natural gas projects in Qatar as genuine showcases of Shell world wide, MacArthur said: “QSRTC is a prominent member of Shell’s global R&D centres.”

He said that meeting water demand is another major challenge and QSRTC’s efforts in this regard are commendable.”Over 240,000 barrels  of water per day  is being recycled and reused by Shell technology in Qatar which is equivalent to the use in a city of 140,000 people. Such lessons from the process will carry forward to other similar projects,” he added.

Highlighted past projects, Saleh said the QSRTC will build more national research capacity and turn the country from carbon economy to a knowledge-based one. “We have taken up three major issues in the research. They are modern technology for better production of gas, new products to be marketed and meet water challenges. The open house is an opportunity to find the best solutions in this regard by meeting with academia and  other partners.”

Saleh said that newer technologies are needed to dig deeper  to get more oil and gas. “Similarly, we have very unique and distinct products such as the new jet fuel that are to be marketed. Reprocessing of polluted water is another area  where more activities are going on,”  he added.

Saleh said that QSRTC’s major achievement so far is the long term programme with the Imperial College Of London to study more about carbon and how to store it. He also said that efforts are on way to increase the efficiency of water and reuse it which is a global programme. The Shell official also said that integration and interconnection of water and energy needs are important and clever solutions have to be discovered for them.

Through its research arm QSRTC, Qatar Shell has committed to spending $100mn on research and development over a 10-year period.

QSRTC aligns itself with the Qatar National Research Strategy to explore cutting-edge solutions in the key areas of energy and environment under three themes: ‘Unlocking the Subsurface’, ‘Breakthrough Products’ and ‘Water Solutions’.

Each year Qatar Shell will be investing $10mn for research and development.