Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani addressing the 6th Summit of Gas Exporting Countries Forum at Sheraton Grand Doha Hotel, yesterday.
Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said yesterday that Qatar is working to develop and increase its production capacity of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from 77 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) currently to 126 million tonnes per year by 2027 through the North Field production expansion projects.
Addressing the opening of the 6th Summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), H H the Amir said the North Field production expansion projects include huge investments in eco-friendly technologies, namely an integrated system for capturing and injecting carbon dioxide, which, when fully operational, will become the largest of its kind in the LNG industry. Solar energy will be relied upon to generate part of the electricity required for this project.
H H the Amir patronised the opening of the 6th Summit GECF, which was held yesterday under the title ‘Natural Gas: Shaping the Energy Future’, at Sheraton Grand Doha Hotel.
Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani with participants of 6th Gas Exporting Countries Forum Summit, in Doha, yesterday.
The opening was attended by President of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria H E Abdelmadjid Tebboune, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran H E Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Republic of Mozambique H E Filipe Nyusi, President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea H E Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, Head of the Government of National Unity of the State of Libya H E Abdul Hamid Mohammed Al Dbeiba, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago H E Dr. Keith Rowley, and a number of Their Excellencies the ministers and heads of delegations of brotherly and friendly countries.
H H the Amir said that Qatar has confirmed on many occasions its commitment to support the transition to low carbon energy through working to remove more carbon from the gas production chain, as the largest ever carbon capture and sequestration facility in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region was commissioned several years ago with an annual capacity of up to 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually. This capacity will reach about 9 million tons by 2030.
H H the Amir said that the GECF has played a major role in enhancing the contribution of natural gas to supporting economies and facing environmental challenges, which also contributes to achieving sustainable development goals.
In this regard, we appreciate the joint efforts of all member states which have worked to provide reliable natural gas supplies to global markets, and maintained the stability of the markets, H H the Amir said.
H H the Amir said Qatar will continue to support the efforts to protect the interests of the gas exporters, and to preserve the interests of the consumers, and to affirm the full and permanent sovereign rights of the member states to develop and exploit their natural resources.
H H the Amir said that Qatar will remain committed to enhancing the role of natural gas in the transition to low-carbon economies, and working alongside all our partners to achieve sustainable growth in the gas industry and meet the growing demand for this important source of energy. We will also seek to encourage investments and develop infrastructure and member states’ capabilities to respond to natural disasters and accidents.
We renew our call for strengthening dialogue and cooperation between the member states on the one hand, and between the exporters and importers on the other hand, to ensure the security of natural gas supplies and the stability of the global gas markets, said H H the Amir. The transition to low-carbon energy is not only relevant to producers, but is also closely related to end-users whose consumption behaviours determine the extent of the effectiveness and success of this transition, H H the Amir said.
H H the Amir added that the transformation efforts must follow a balanced approach that takes into account human and economic development requirements in developing countries and poor societies, where nearly one billion people are deprived of electricity and fuel, the two basic sources required for a decent life for human beings.
Investing in the ways and means of scientific and technological advances to capture and sequester carbon and reduce methane emissions is an essential component of a successful clean energy transition, and in enhancing the qualitative value that natural gas provides to users around the world, and keeping the global energy economy on a sustainable path. H H the Amir said that the summit is being convened amidst the challenges that have been posed by the Coronavirus pandemic for more than two years, leaving its imprint on various aspects of human life around the world.
While we are all working to confront this unprecedented crisis, it has become clear that resilience and international cooperation are still important factors in transforming challenges into opportunities, and in the transition to a new normal situation that ensures the continuation of growth and prosperity that everyone seeks to achieve, said H H the Amir.
This pandemic has constituted a supportive factor for renewing the global dialogue on the challenges facing humanity as a whole, namely the climate change and the transition to low carbon energy.
This dialogue provided an opportunity to highlight the pivotal role of natural gas in the desired energy transformation, and in the search for a reliable source of energy that provides the right balance between achieving economic growth and dealing with environmental challenges, in addition to the valuable opportunities it offers towards economic recovery in the post-coronavirus pandemic era.
H H the Amir said that over the past two decades, the world has witnessed a major change in the energy chart, where natural gas has occupied a large space, for several reasons, including that it is the least harmful energy source to the environment among other fossil energy sources. Natural gas has been able to occupy increasing spaces in the energy basket in many countries.