Qatalum will be participating in Qatar Petroleum’s Environment Fair 2010, taking place from 24 to 26 April at the Doha Exhibition Centre in Qatar. The exhibition is organised by QP featuring the following themes:
- Conservation of Energy and Water
- Recycling
- Tree plantation
- Wise use of energy and resources
- Water Scarcity and Pollution
Several local companies are exhibiting at the fair and in addition to the stands, the fair also invites children to participate in various competitions, encourages companies to show films demonstrating their environment-related achievements, and has a waste separation area.
“This is the first event we have attended since Qatalum was officially launched on Monday 12 April 2010, and it is an important one for us,” says Qatalum Deputy CEO Hassan Al Rashid. “We want to highlight Qatalum’s environmental sustainability – it is the most environment-friendly aluminium smelter ever built. One of our goals has always been to make a lasting contribution to the future growth and prosperity of Qatar, adding value through people development, economic diversification and sustainable processes and results.”
“In line with this, from the very beginning part of our vision for Qatalum was to create the most sustainable and environment-friendly smelter possible, which we will achieve by investing in and implementing Hydro’s leading-edge, low environmental impact technology, which is part of the company’s commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. In 2006, Qatalum completed its Environmental and Social Impact Assessment with the Qatar Supreme Council for the Environment and Natural Reserves (SCENR) and was approved as fully compliant with the prevailing standards, and we have ensured that we have stayed on top of the latest requirements and technological advances in the intervening years.”
Al Rashid explain that Qatalum complies with all the major Best Available Techniques (BAT) requirements prescribed by the EU, which means that the prepared design and the emission control equipment selected for the project take into account the principles of BAT, and aim to meet or exceed the present environmental requirements practiced for most aluminium plants. BAT is achieved through applying a combination of design, additional emissions reduction/ abatement techniques, management systems and general good operating practices. In other words, through careful selection of specific technology and equipment such as wet scrubber systems, bag filters etc., the environmental impact can be lowered significantly, and its sustainability improved.
“In order to reduce greenhouse gas emission, Qatalum aims to have nearly zero anode effects,” he adds. “The sources of emissions with the highest priority for control through the application of BAT are the Potrooms, the Carbon Plant and the Power Plant. Specific technology and equipment has been selected to minimise the emissions of these areas, as they are the main sources for emissions in the plant.”
An example of the type of technology Qatalum is employing in the potrooms to increase its sustainability and reduce its environmental impact is; a double suction system, which lowers the roof vent emissions that are the most significant emissions of fluoride from a modern smelter. With double suction, an extra fan is activated when cell hoods are removed to increase the negative pressure in the cell, which eliminates fumes that escape into the potroom (and to the atmosphere via the roof vent). This results in an important and material reduction in fluoride emissions, increasing the amount of captured fume from the cells to 99%.
With regard to the BAT initiatives taken by Qatalum, it remains a consistant ambition for the sustainability message to reach all stakeholders. In regards to the Environment Fair the main audience is that of the resident young generation.