Dr. Mohammed Saif Al Kuwari,Head of Scientific Research Team at MME with other officials during the workshop yesterday. Pic: Abdul Basit / The Peninsula
Doha: In line with efforts to achieve national sustainability and environmental protection goals, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) has conducted research to recycle about 40 million tonnes of construction wastes at Rawdat Rashed landfill. The wastes would be transformed into materials suitable for use in the infrastructure development of roads and buildings.
“Based on the research work, Qatar Primary Materials Company (QPMC) will launch a project soon in cooperation with local contractors to start recycling the said construction wastes,” said Head of Scientific Research Team at MME, Dr. Mohammed Saif Al Kuwari.
Al Kuwari spoke to the media on the sideline of a workshop on uses of recycled construction wastes at the headquarters of the Environmental Sector of MME yesterday. “The project will help cut the import of stones to Qatar by over 50 percent,” said Al Kuwari.
The workshop was attended by the CEO of IRD, Dr. Khalid Hasan; CEO of QPMC, Eng Essa Mohamed Ali Kaldari; Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Al Thani from QNRF and representatives from Ashghal, and contracting companies.
He said the Scientific Research Team at MME had implemented the research work in partnership with Qatar University and Infrastructure Research & Development (IRD) at the cost of QR3m, funded by the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF).
“The research paper was published in four science magazines which lauded the research work. Many contractors have been qualified, and contracts have been signed. The project is expected to begin soon,” added Al Kuwari.
He noted that as per the plan, the Rawdat Rashed landfill, which will stockpile construction wastes within nine-square kilometres, will be turned into green land with trees after five years.
Al Kuwari said that the Scientific Research Team shared its experiences during the past ten years since the beginning of the research work in 2010 with the companies during the workshop. He added that the rooms and roads built using the recycled construction waste five years ago under the experiment are still firm.
Speaking about other environmental research projects, Al Kuwari said: “We are working on a project to recycle sewage sludge into green cement environment friendly.”
He said that if the project succeeds, it will be a significant achievement in making green cement from polluted wastes.
“Sludge is in huge quantity. Only about 40 percent is being used for fertilizers.
The remaining 60 percent are needed to be utilised for other purposes,” said Al Kuwari.
