Qatar Petroleum plans emissions cuts by 2030

LNG giant Qatar Petroleum has unveiled its strategy to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its operations by 2030.

Qatar Petroleum’s sustainability strategy is rooted in three main pillars: climate change mitigation, operational responsibility, and social and economic development. The strategy establishes a number of targets, aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement, and sets in motion a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. It stipulates deploying dedicated Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) facilities to capture more than 7 million tons per annum of CO2 in Qatar.

The strategy will also help reduce the emissions intensity of Qatar’s LNG facilities by 25 per cent and of its upstream facilities by at least 15 per cent, while reducing flare intensity across upstream facilities by more than 75 per cent.

It sets out a target to eliminate routine flaring by 2030, and limit fugitive methane emissions along the gas value chain by setting a methane intensity target of 0.2 per cent across all facilities by 2025.

Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, president and CEO of Qatar Petroleum, said: “Our climate change mitigation plans are consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement, and provide valuable support to global ambitions to achieve net zero emissions. Qatar is the world’s largest LNG producer and, by implementing our Sustainability Strategy, we will play a decisive role in helping reduce the impact of climate change by implementing measures to curb emissions, produce LNG using the latest proven carbon reduction technologies, and compensating for residual emissions where necessary”.

The strategy is underpinned by Qatar National Vision 2030 and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and bridges the effort to reduce planet-warming emissions while ensuring clean and affordable energy supplies. It stipulates adding more than 4 gigawatt of electric power from carbon-free renewable energy to its portfolio in Qatar that would eliminate more than 5 million tons of CO2 emissions per year.

The strategy also includes various initiatives, such as investments in education and technical training in local communities and the flagship “Tawteen” program, a strategic initiative to create and enable local business opportunities in Qatar’s energy sector supply chain with a focus on the development of local Small and Medium Enterprises.