Meeting the highest environmental standards

Qatar’s environmental authorities stipulated a number of conditions when the Environmental Impact Assessment for the Qatalum project was approved. Primary aluminium production is a new industry in Qatar, and handling the environmental issues for the project has meant breaking new ground and establishing new standards.

In cooperation with the Supreme Council for the Environment & Natural Reserves (SCENR), the regulatory authority responsible for environmental protection, Qatalum has made the entire Environmental and Social Impact Assessment available to the general public both via public hearings and presented on the web, as the first aluminium project in the Gulf.

The Qatalum project is setting new standards also when it comes to the environmental performance.

On Waste Management an objective for Qatalum is to avoid landfilling and instead we are exploring together with industries in the Gulf area how to utilize what we regarded earlier as waste as an alternative fuel and raw material. Seminars with the industry are planned in the near future establishing a forum for exchange of information and also for testing optimisation of the materials to be delivered.  The aluminium production will meet the highest environmental standards with low emissions of fluorides, an important yardstick for aluminium smelters. Qatalum will be the first smelter in the Gulf with wet scrubbers for sulphur dioxide abatement. The power plant will meet the highest standards regarding NOX and the technology selection will give a reduction in CO2 emissions.

The project has also brought in an independent biodiversity expert which both have supported the project as well have been in dialouge with SCENR on a range of related issues providing information and advice.

Seminars
Several seminars will be held as part of the work to follow up these conditions, and also because the project will outline in further detail the health and external environment specifications to be set for Qatalum. One of these seminars will examine, international best practice on monitoring of fluoride emissions and propose monitoring concepts and ambient air quality standards.
The authorities in Qatar have asked Hydro to provide proposals for how to monitor based on  Hydro’s experience from their aluminium plants.. Hydro is doing this, and has in addition brought in independent experts to contribute to the task.

Professional
“Our impression is that the Authorities are professional and that we have a good process. The information and concepts that  we will present will be evaluated by the authorities, who will in turn propose the necessary environmental air quality standard for metal plant operation,” explains Bernt Malme from Hydro’s Health, Safety and Environmental Departement who has been supporting Qatalum on this issue together with Mr Leif Ongstad.

“Emissions to the external environment from both the metal plant and the power plant will be low. The power station will emit very low levels of mono-nitrogen oxides, or NOx, while maintaining high energy efficiency. In all respects it will be on a par with the best power plants in Europe,” he adds.

During the construction phase, Qatalum’s contractors report on a monthly basis regarding emissions, waste disposal, and other safety and environmental parameters. The Qatalum Project Team then condenses this information into quarterly reports, which are submitted to the local and national authorities (MIC and SCENR). 

Transparent and open to dialogue
On health, safety and environment issues Qatalum will demonstrate a strong sense of responsibility and openness towards our employees, customers and the communities where we operate.

“Qatalum aims to be among the best when it comes to transparency, as well as environmental and safety standards," states Truls Gautesen, General Manager of Qatalum.