Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI) received several research grants from Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) to enable the implementation of high-impact, collaborative projects that advances its core national mandate. QEERI is part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU).
The five awarded projects will contribute innovative, highly advanced and intelligent solutions to pressing sustainability challenges facing Qatar, the wider region, and the globe.
Sustainable projects
The first is set to help major industries like oil and gas substantially increase their plastic recycling capabilities by converting energy-rich plastic waste into a valuable resource.
Senior Scientist Dr Sarim Dastgir is the Lead Principal Investigator (LPI) of the project, Circular Economy for Single Use Plastic Waste Utilization. In collaboration with Rosneft International Center for Research and Development QSTP-LLC, the research team will develop innovative and cost-effective catalytic processes to transform single-use plastic waste into chemical building blocks with improved carbon efficiencies. Outcomes will support a circular economy model that advances multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Dr Abdelnasser A Aboukhlewa, a Senior Scientist at QEERI Water Center, meanwhile, is leading a collaborative project to develop a novel membrane type and hybridized desalination process that reduces energy consumption and the environmental impact of brine discharge from desalination plants.
The research builds on the successful progress at QEERI’s Multi-Effect Distillation pilot plant, operational in Dukhan since 2020. Researchers from QEERI Water Center will advance the new scope with external partners from Turkey.
Reflecting how QEERI’s expertise supports the country’s energy transition, the fourth grant for the project, 3D Printed Hydrogen Resistant Alloys: Unlocking the Evolution of Hydrogen Energy in Qatar will focus on enhancing the resistance of 3D printed corrosion-resistant alloys. Findings will meet industry needs in the areas of hydrogen storage and transportation as well as oil and gas.
QEERI’s Corrosion Center, represented by Principal Scientist, Dr Afrooz Barnoush, will collaborate with the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences and VDM Metals International in Germany, France’s TotalEnergies R&D Centre, and Baker Hughes Additive Manufacturing Technology Center from the US, with funding by QNRF and industry partners.
Another recent QNRF grant was awarded to QEERI scientist, Dr Kashif Rasool for his project Sustainable Conversion of Agricultural Waste in Qatar. This project aims to convert agro-industrial waste into protein-rich microbial biomass for animal feed application. The success of this project will contribute to improved food self-sufficiency and will have a great impact on sustainable economic development, especially on the environment.
Pilot-scale studies will be in collaboration with Al-Sulaiteen Agricultural Research, Studies and Training Center (SARSTC) and will be implemented in the Al-Sulaiteen Agricultural and Industrial Complex, which will facilitate the project results. The outcomes can be considered as new methods or technologies for animal feed production, which will make Qatar more independent in feed and food supplies.
QEERI commitment
According to QEERI Executive Director Dr Marc Vermeersch, the awarded projects demonstrate their commitment to support the industry with market-driven, impactful innovation on sustainability challenges.
The critical, scalable and novel technologies, systems and processes that will be developed strongly reflect QEERI’s strategic priorities. These include advancing the circular economy and efficient waste re-utilization, mitigating water insecurity and supporting the nation’s energy transition, among others.
Vermeersch said that the support of QNRF and external research partners is instrumental to achieving the national mandate, which strongly aligns with Qatar’s pledge to achieve the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 and national vision.
For more information on these and other projects at QEERI, visit qeeri.hbku.edu.qa.
Check out Marhaba’s FREE e-Guides for everything you need to know about Qatar.
