Energy Focus - Q1 2019

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR ENERGY LEADERS

EMEA

ENERGYFOCUS February 2019

www.emea-energy.net

OILTANKING

Storage Giant

Investing in Expansion

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

KAHRAMAA / Total / ExxonMobil / AEPW

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EDITOR’S LETTER EDITOR Joe Forshaw  joe@emea-energy.net SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER Sam Hendricks  sam@emea-energy.net SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER Tommy Atkinson  tommy@emea-energy.net PROJECT MANAGER Shannon James  shannon@emea-energy.net PROJECT MANAGER James Davey  jamesd@emea-energy.net PROJECT MANAGER Sam Applegate  sama@emea-energy.net FINANCE MANAGER Emily Taylor  finance@emea-energy.net SENIOR DESIGNER Liam Woodbine  liam@emea-energy.net CONTRIBUTOR Manelesi Dumasi CONTRIBUTOR Karl Pietersen CONTRIBUTOR David Napier CONTRIBUTOR Timothy Reeder CONTRIBUTOR Colin Chinery

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This month we look at energy organisations that are diversifying and investing in exciting new projects that will take the industry forward in new directions that could change the picture as we know it.

ExxonMobil is investing heavily into research that will bring the use of algae as a biofuel to the industry’s forefront. The exciting development is known within the company as an advanced biofuel and has the transformative potential to increase energy supplies, reduce emissions and improve operational efficiencies.

Oiltanking is investing heavily in its Port of Antwerp facilities and the huge new German LNG Terminal concept.

While this is part of its traditional service portfolio, the company is using new ideas and new technology to advance its reputation in the oil and gas industry – one which has seen significant uncertainty in recent months. When its expansion projects are complete, this global business will solidify its position as one of the world’s most important storage solutions providers, and a vital link in the European energy chain.

In Qatar, the country’s General Electricity & Water Corporation is planning major expansion of its water proposition by looking at new desalination plant concepts, new potable water resources, and upgrades to the country’s sub-network to help drive the expansion of the urban populations across the largely desert covered country.

We also look more at the story from international oil and gas giant, Total, which is advancing its exciting and important project in Nigerian waters. The Egina field is located in deep water and presents a number of technical problems. Total has been active in Nigeria since 1956 and has become as expert at dealing with cold, deep, challenging conditions. The company is bringing new technology and ideas to help speed up and smooth out the project, 50km off the coast of Port of Harcourt.

Tell us what your business is doing to drive new ideas, and what new technologies you are starting to use to advance business. @EmeaEnergy.

Joe Forshaw EDITOR

GET IN TOUCH  +44 (0) 20 8123 7859  joe@emea-energy.net www.emea-energy.net

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06/NEWS: The News Snapshot A round up of some of the latest news stories in the industry.

32/EXHIBITION CALENDAR: Key Upcoming Events Across the Country Our regular update to help you keep track of important events and exhibitions taking place across the industry.

8/OILTANKING Storage Giant Investing in Expansion By investing in its facility at the Port of Antwerp and partnering with major global businesses to bring a German LNG terminal to life, leading storage and logistics company Oiltanking is investing in growth for the future despite a volatile and unpredictable European energy market.

8/ 4 / www.emea-energy.net

Š Oiltanking

CONTENTS

8/ 14/ 18/ 23/ 27/

8/OILTANKING Storage Giant Investing in Expansion 14/TOTAL Egina Delivers on Enormous Potential 18/ALLIANCE TO END PLASTIC WASTE Major Industry Names Address Plastic Concerns 23/EXXONMOBIL Could Agricultural Waste Be the Next Great Biofuel?

27/QATAR GENERAL ELECTRICITY & WATER CORPORATION Keeping Power & Water Surging Through Qatar www.emea-energy.net / 5

GLOBAL ENERGY PLAYER, TOTAL, DISCOVERS NEW OIL IN THE NORTH SEA After success at the end of 2018 with the discovery of Glendronach, international energy giant, Total, announced recently a significant new discovery in the North Sea offshore U.K., on the Glengorm prospect located in the Central Graben.

The well was drilled to a final depth of 5,056 meters and encountered 37 meters net gas and condensate pay in a high quality Upper Jurassic reservoir with excellent properties.

The company suggests that resources are close to 250 million barrels of oil equivalent and further drilling and testing will be carried out to appraise resources and the productivity of the reservoir.

Previously part of the Maersk Oil portfolio, on the P2215 license, the discovery is located in water depth of about 80 meters, close to existing infrastructures operated by Total and offering tie-back possibilities, such as the Elgin-Franklin platform and the Culzean project, scheduled to start production this year. It also presents some upside potential with several other prospects already identified on the same block.

Total holds a 25% working interest in the Glengorm discovery, alongside CNOOC Petroleum Europe Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNOOC Limited (50%, operator) and Euroil, a wholly-owned subsidiary of

Edison E&P SpA (25%).

Kevin McLachlan, Senior Vice President Exploration at Total said of the discovery: “Following the recent Glendronach discovery, Glengorm is another great success for Total in the North Sea, with results at the top end of expectations and a high condensate yield in addition to the gas.

“Our strong position in the region will enable us to leverage existing infrastructures nearby and optimize the development of this discovery. Glengorm is an achievement that demonstrates our capacity to create value in a mature environment thanks to our in-depth understanding of the basin.”

SAUDI ARABIA TO INVEST IN MAJOR NEW SOLAR CAPABILITY The Renewable Energy Project Development Office of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources (MEIM) has asked for expressions of interest in developing new solar capacity in the Middle Eastern country. Seven solar projects are being discussed during the launch of the National Industrial Development and Industrials Program.

The projects include Qurrayat (200 MW), Madinah (50 MW), Rafha (45 MW), Alfaisaliah (600 MW), Rabigh (300 MW), Jeddah (300 MW) and Mahad Duhab (20 MW).

A statement suggests that the combined generation capacity of 1.51 GW, the seven projects will supply enough energy to power around 226,500 households, adding that the total investment is

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expected to be worth $1.51 billion, creating over 4,500 jobs during construction, operations and maintenance.

Currently, Saudi Arabia is looking to add 25 GW of renewable wind and solar power to its energy mix by 2024 and 60 GW by 2029.

Earlier this month, the Renewable Energy Project Development Office awarded its Dumat Al Jandal wind project to a consortium led by EDF Energies Nouvelles and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar). The $500 million project will be Saudi Arabia’s first utilityscale wind farm, and is the second tender to be issued as part of the National Renewable Energy Program under the auspices of the King Salman Renewable Energy Initiative.

NEWS SNAPSHOT EXCITING ENERGY TECH START-UP PROMISES REDUCED BILLS FOR CONSUMERS A Virgin-backed start-up, Resilience Energy, is aiming to provide energy self-sufficiency to homeowners and cut their electricity bills by up to 80%.

The company has claimed its aim to become the “Uber of the electricity industry” by giving customers the hardware, software and contracts they need to produce, store and sell renewable energy, and an app to monitor the system’s performance, is realistic and achievable.

Customers will be able to sell excess electricity on the spot market and excess battery capacity to the National Grid to help balance the grid’s energy supplies. This will allow Resilience users to turn their homes

into “personal power stations”, helping the UK reach its challenging carbon reduction target.

Resilience Founder and CEO Loic Hares spent years working among the UK’s ‘Big Six’ energy providers before moving his focus to energy start-ups in 2014.

“Resilience aims to be the largest decentralised renewable energy generator – the Uber of the electricity industry – and cut the electricity bills of homeowners by up to 80%” he said.

“We’ll give homeowners everything they need to generate and store energy, use what they need on-demand, and sell the excess on the spot market, or to the National Grid to help it balance energy supplies.

“We’ll also be able to monitor each system in real-time to spot faults ahead of customers, and the system has been future-proofed to ensure compatibility with EV chargers and other technology.”

The Resilience system will cost between £7,750 and £13,500, have an eight-year payback and will return in the region of £6,000 over the system’s lifetime, according to Hares.

“Our ultimate aim, though, is to play a huge role in helping the world move towards a greener and more sustainable future,” he added.

Hares is seeking to sell his system through housing providers and constructors, energy suppliers, and EV and charge point manufacturers.

BP LOOKS TO AI ‘SANDY’ TO ADVANCE FUTURE PROJECTS BP’s Ventures division has invested $5 million in Belmont Technology’s Series A financing to further bolster BP’s artificial intelligence (AI) and digital capabilities across its Upstream business.

The investment supports BP’s ongoing work exploring opportunities to apply machine learning and cognitive computing in its global oil and gas business.

Belmont Technology, a Houston technology start-up, has developed a cloud-based geoscience platform using AI. The platform has a string of unique capabilities including specially-designed ‘knowledge-graphs’. BP experts feed the platform geology, geophysics, reservoir and historic project information. It intuitively links that information together, identifying new connections and workflows, and creating a robust knowledge-graph of BP’s subsurface assets. Much like data searches available in the consumer domain, BP experts can then interrogate the data, asking the powerful knowledgegraph specific questions in natural language. The technology then uses AI neural networks to interpret results and perform rapid simulations.

Aimed at accelerating project lifecycles, from exploration through to reservoir modelling, the technology

is targeting a 90% time reduction in data collection, interpretation and simulation.

BP has nicknamed the AI technology Sandy and the company’s investment will enable Belmont Technology to expand its workforce, extend Sandy’s capabilities and accelerate the deployment of its product.

“This AI-based platform, which we’ve nicknamed Sandy, is expected to unlock critical data for our subsurface engineers at a much-accelerated pace,” said David Eyton, BP’s group head of technology. “Our experts will ask it questions about our reservoirs like, ‘What factors control production in the Chirag field?’. Sandy will then interpret our data, including mapping out many more scenarios than are currently constructed, helping us make faster, better informed Upstream decisions.”

Belmont Technology’s CEO, Jean-Marie Laigle, said: “We are extremely honored to welcome BP as an investor as it is a validation of our approach and technology. We are excited by the prospect of deploying a cutting-edge cognitive AI solution within BP. “Our technology enables real-time thinking for subsurface engineers, helping transform the way teams work, analyse data, understand situations and generate novel ideas.”

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OILTANKING

Storage Giant Investing in Expansion PRODUCTION: David Napier

By investing in its facility at the Port of Antwerp and partnering with major global businesses to bring a German LNG terminal to life, leading storage and logistics company Oiltanking is investing in growth for the future despite a volatile and unpredictable European energy market.

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Š Oiltanking

INDUSTRY FOCUS: OIL & GAS

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The future remains unpredictable in the oil and gas market; prices are not certain and even experts with years of experience are finding it challenging to look just a few weeks ahead, let alone making predications for the next 12 months. In 2019, global growth is expected to slow from 2.9% to 2.5% according to the IMF, resulting in less demand for energy products.

The US, Saudi, OPEC relationship roundabout continues to turn, heaping uncertainty onto the market – few expect the price of oil to rise significantly in 2019. China’s economy is expected to falter slightly, causing demand for oil to slow. All of these factors, and more, combine to make for a real challenge when it comes to planning.

However, these hurdles are not new and have hounded those in the energy business for many years.

Those with international reach, experience generated over many decades, and with knowledge and skill that ensures quality is always delivered for clients, are those that will be able to navigate the unpredictable nature of energy business.

Take Oiltanking for example.

The German-founded tank storage logistics business has been

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© Oiltanking

// THIS IS AN IMPORTANT STEP IN THE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE TERMINAL AS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE TERMINAL’S CAPACITY HAS NOW BEEN COMMITTED // operating since 1972 when it was established as the result of a merger of local assets. For 47 years, Oiltanking has been growing around the world and, despite turmoil in various economies and a few oil price crashes, this business is still flying high and looking forward to a bright future.

“Global competition, volatile market conditions, ever-shorter product lifecycles, and changing customer demands are just some of the many factors that necessitate flexibility, agility, and innovative solutions in business. Or, as Albert Einstein put it: ‘We cannot solve the problem with the same thinking we used when we created it’,” says Oiltanking East MD, Koen Verniers.

“At Oiltanking, we have always been and still are continuously on the lookout to enter new markets or tap into the potential of new product or service segments.

Continuously improving our existing business by thinking out of the box to optimize our processes, systems, or usual way of getting things done is crucial to remaining relevant and improving the service quality and experience that we offer our customers,” adds Oiltanking East MD, Daan Vos. Today, Oiltanking is one of

OILTANKING

// AT OILTANKING, WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AND STILL ARE CONTINUOUSLY ON THE LOOKOUT TO ENTER NEW MARKETS OR TAP INTO THE POTENTIAL OF NEW PRODUCT OR SERVICE SEGMENTS // the world’s largest independent operators of tank terminals for oils, chemicals and gases. It employs around 3400 people across all operations, which span 24 countries.

Its 74 terminals have the capacity to store 20 million cbm and its operations are backed by parent company – Marquard & Bahls AG. 2019 will be another year of expansion for Oiltanking as it continues to deliver improved infrastructure for its clients.

but Oiltanking has recognised the need for expansion.

2019 will see the completion of a new 135,000 cbm propane storage tank to supply the Borealis production facility in Kallo. To meet the needs of its international customer base, Borealis has commissioned construction of a new propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant following the successful completion of the Pre-Front-End Engineering Design study. The facility will be up and running by 2022 and, to ensure smooth operation, Oiltanking is wasting no time expanding its infrastructure in Antwerp. The company acquired the site in 2016 and, upon completion of its new propane storage tank, will have tripled capacity.

“I am looking forward to

OTAGT One expansion strategy that will read well for Oiltanking’s client, and one of the world’s largest producers of polyethylene and polypropylene, Borealis, is the development of the Oiltanking Antwerp Gas Terminal. Located in Belgium’s Port of Antwerp, Oiltanking Antwerp Gas Terminal is one of the largest independent terminals in Europe for storage, throughput and distribution of LPG’s and petrochemical gases

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Rotary is internationally certified to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 •

EPC for bulk liquid storage terminals

Headquartered in Singapore, Rotary has established a strong presence in the Asia-Pacific region and continues to make its mark as a global player. Established in 1972, Rotary has forged a reputation built on its hallmark traits of providing quality services, within budget, safely and on-time delivery. Today, Rotary boasts a total strength of about 6,000 employees, including a highly and multi-skilled workforce that forms the mainstay of its core EPC services.

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Front-end engineering design (FEED) & detailed engineering

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Singapore remains a key market for Rotary while it actively seeks business opportunities overseas.

Rotary has subsidiaries and associate companies in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, India, China, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Myanmar and Slovenia.

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www.emea-energy.net / 11

INDUSTRY FOCUS: OIL & GAS

// OILTANKING’S CURRENT VENTURE TO DEVELOP, BUILD, OWN AND OPERATE A MULTIFUNCTIONAL LNG TERMINAL VIA THE GERMAN LNG TERMINAL GMBH IS TRULY AN INNOVATIVE STEP FOR OUR COMPANY //

© Oiltanking

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continuing the long-standing partnership and the confidence placed in Oiltanking for handling propylene and propane and the further integration into the logistics chain of Borealis,” said Daan Vos. Currently, Oiltanking Antwerp Gas Terminal is capable of holding almost 140,000 cbm in its 14 tanks, and the facility boasts OHSAS 18001:2007 accreditation.

GERMAN LNG At home in Germany, Oiltanking is looking forward with excitement as it plans for involvement in the important German LNG Terminal GmbH. A joint venture between Dutch companies Gasunie LNG Holding and Vopak LNG Holding alongside Oiltanking, the aim of German LNG Terminal GmbH is to develop, build, own and operate a multifunctional LNG import terminal in northern Germany that will contribute to cleaner energy diversification.

“Oiltanking’s current venture to develop, build, own and operate a multifunctional LNG terminal via the German LNG Terminal GmbH is truly an innovative step for our company. The terminal could be the first of its kind in Germany,” enthused Vos and Verniers.

RWE, a leading diversified European energy company, became one of the first major companies to commit to an agreement with German LNG Terminal, agreeing to take a considerable part of the terminal’s capacity on a long-term basis. The total capacity of the combined LNG import and smallscale terminal will be five billion cubic metres.

While talks with other players are ongoing, work behind the scenes continues to gather pace and the expectation is that a final investment decision will be made in late-2019.

“Construction work will then start in 2020 with the terminal being fully operational by the end of 2022,”

OILTANKING

claims Oiltanking.

All parties involved in German LNG Terminal were understandably delighted to get RWE involved and Ulco Vermeulen (Member of Executive Board, N. V. Nederlandse Gasunie), Kees van Seventer (President, Vopak LNG Holding B.V.) and Daan Vos said jointly: “We are very pleased to have reached this agreement with RWE. This is an important step in the commercial development of the terminal as a significant part of the terminal’s capacity has now been committed. It clearly demonstrates that the market is committed to Germany’s first LNG terminal and is convinced of its business model as a multi-service terminal, independent ownership and open access. It’s great to have RWE as a valuable business partner on board and work together towards the future success of the LNG terminal.”

RWE reinforced its enthusiasm for the project with Andree Stracke - Chief Commercial Officer Gas Supply & Origination of RWE Supply & Trading – saying: “LNG will play an important role in the North-West European gas market and therefore we are very pleased to take this step forward towards an LNG terminal in Germany. We believe that together with German LNG Terminal we can fully develop a significant business around the terminal delivering LNG and gas to our customers in Germany and throughout Europe. LNG remains a key growth area for RWE: this agreement will enable us to continue growing our portfolio and provide us with additional flexibility to take advantage of new opportunities as they present themselves in the global LNG market.”

Even German Chancellor Angela Merkel has thrown her support behind the project, saying in November that she would like to see plans for the LNG Terminal speeded up to help diversify Germany’s energy supply.

© Oiltanking

Current plans are looking at Brunsbüttel along the Elbe river as the perfect location for the terminal, not far from Oiltanking’s home, Hamburg.

The company’s vast exposure to a range of different markets means that this global storage logistics company has not faltered thanks to uncertainty in oil. It has managed to avoid negative sentiment surrounding various fuels, and it continues to grow in important markets (including India and Mexico).

The future looks bright for Oiltanking and 2019 and 2020 will be extremely busy, but very exciting, and will see this giant of European storage and logistics strengthen its hand even further.

WWW.OILTANKING.COM

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TOTAL

Egina Delivers on

Enormous Potential PRODUCTION: William Denstone

Over more than 60 years, Total has been the expert in Nigerian oil and gas exploration and production, natural gas liquefaction and marketing petroleum products. Its flagship offshore project, the giant Egina oil field, represents one of its most ambitious ultra-deep offshore projects to date and is set to produce 200,000 barrels of oil per day.

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: OIL & GAS

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Total has been active in Nigeria since 1956, and has grown a workforce of almost 1700, with 560 of its service stations also spread strategically across the country. Despite providing Total with some 10% of its overall production, and 34 oil mining leases (OMLs), in recent years the Nigerian oil and gas sector has failed to live up to its potential of playing a pivotal role in the economic transformation and development of the country.

Nigeria has abundant natural resources, with estimated proven oil reserves totalling 35.2 billion barrels and production figures of 2.28 million barrels a day. This places Nigeria among the 10 largest oil producers in the world and makes it easily the biggest in Africa.

Total Egina

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TRYING TIMES A number of factors have contributed to a poor recent history for the petroleum industry. The emergence of discount US shale oil has severely reduced demand for Nigerian crude oil: its commercial development meant a loss of US custom, previously the country’s main outlet for crude exports.

Moreover, at the height of campaigns against the federal government and oil majors in the lucrative Niger Delta area, where Nigeria’s oil and gas resources are located, involving attacks on onshore and offshore pipelines as well as kidnappings of oil workers, daily oil production was halved.

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) Oil & Gas Industry Audit

report revealed that total financial flows from Nigeria’s oil and gas sector in 2016 was the lowest in a decade. Aggregate earnings from the sector during the year dropped by over 31%, from over $24.79 billion in 2015 to around $17.05 billion.

“The plunge in revenue in 2016 resulted from the double whammy of low oil prices in the global market,” the NEITI Executive Secretary, Waziri Adio, adding that the reduction in Nigeria’s oil production was caused by the disruption and vandalism of oil assets and a spike in crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region. “Losses due to crude oil theft and sabotage rose from 27 million barrels in 2015 to 101 million barrels in 2016, an increase of 274%,” he added.

TOTAL

Total Egina

EGINA FUELS RECOVERY However, after a decade of instability there have been definite signs of imminent growth for Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. “There is a very realistic capacity to upscale the country’s proven reserves to 40 billion barrels within the next few years, so this market will continue to remain attractive for a long time,” says Chief Executive Officer of Brevity Anderson, James Shindi. “This surely has to be the investment destination of choice and will continue to be.”

// TOTAL IS PROUD TO DELIVER A PROJECT OF THIS SIZE UNDER THE INITIAL BUDGET AND TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF NIGERIA’S OIL AND GAS SECTOR //

Total’s flagship offshore project, the giant Egina oilfield, is poised to pay a major role in the continued recovery of Nigerian oil and gas, driving local development and expertise. Discovered in 2003, the Egina field is an ultra-deep proposition, located at water depths between 1,400 and 1,700 meters, and 200 kilometres offshore from Port Harcourt. The Egina field is the second development in production on the OML 130 following the Akpo field, which started-up in 2009.

The Preowei field is another large discovery made on this prolific block for which an investment decision is scheduled for 2019.

“The water depth poses a challenge for the development of Egina, which is one of the deepest offshore projects ever operated by Total,” says Jean-Michel Guy, Executive General Manager of the Egina project.

However, Total can draw on nearly 20 years of experience as the world leader, with ultra-deep offshore projects accounting for 40% of its overall oil and gas production.

Egina is operated by Total in

partnership with NNPC, CNOOC, Sapetro and Petrobras. The project is based on a subsea production system connected to a FPSO designed to hold 2.3 million barrels of oil. Weighing close to 220,000 metric tons and measuring 330 meters long by 60 meters wide, the Egina FPSO is the largest ever built by Total and will produce 200,000 barrels of oil per day, or close to 10% of the country’s total oil production.

“Total is proud to deliver a project of this size under the initial budget and to contribute to the development of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector by generating employment as well as building industrial capability,” Arnaud Breuillac, President Exploration & Production, commented as production started at the gigantic field. “Egina will significantly boost the Group’s production and cash flow from 2019 onwards, and benefit from our strong cost reduction efforts in Nigeria.”

WWW.TOTAL.COM

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ALLIANCE TO END PLASTIC WASTE

Major Industry Names Address

Plastic Concerns PRODUCTION: William Denstone

A new cross value chain, Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) is made up of nearly 30-member companies and has committed over $1 billion to help end the growing scourge plastic waste in the environment. The Alliance membership represents global companies located throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: ENVIRONMENT

//

In the past 100 years humans have produced a lot of plastic, and its benefits are widely known: it is cheap and strong, light and extraordinarily versatile, and it follows that we are consuming an extraordinary amount of it. We are now producing nearly 300 million tons of plastic every year, half of which is for single use.

PLASTIC NOT FANTASTIC Finally, it is dawning on people worldwide just how wasteful our use of plastic really is, and the catastrophic effects it has on wildlife and the environment. The Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) is a new organisation launched in January, to advance solutions to eliminate plastic waste in the environment, and especially in the ocean.

More than eight million tons of plastic now ends its journey our oceans every year. Research by the Ocean Conservancy shows that plastics in the ocean tend to originate from litter on land, and most of the

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plastic waste can be traced back to ten major rivers around the world, mainly in Asia and Africa.

Take for example the plastic bag.

Around 160,000 are used per second around the world, usually for no more than a few minutes, but they remain in the ecosystem for hundreds of years.

This is true of the vast majority of plastic waste, in that it is neither reused nor recycled, instead lingering in the natural environment and polluting our soils and seas.

STRENGTH IN MAJOR NAMES With the goal of investing $1.5 billion over the next five years, the AEPW will develop and bring to scale solutions that will minimise and manage plastic waste, and promote solutions for used plastics by helping to enable a circular economy. This can only be welcome news: at present, 12 million tonnes of plastic end up in the sea every year, and only 9% of all plastic waste ever created has been recycled.

At AEPW’s inauguration, the

// EVERYONE AGREES THAT PLASTIC WASTE DOES NOT BELONG IN OUR OCEANS OR ANYWHERE IN THE ENVIRONMENT // companies involved include some huge household names, among them BASF, Procter & Gamble, Reliance Industries and SABIC. Standing out among these key players, however, are a host of energy majors right at the Alliance’s core. South Africa’s Sasol and US-headquartered ExxonMobil are two prime examples, while Total and Shell have both been highly vocal in their pride at being heavily involved.

Veolia is another founding member of this alliance, the French transnational company, and its Chairman and CEO, Antoine Frérot, is one of AEPW’s two vice chairmen. It makes sense to have

ALLIANCE TO END PLASTIC WASTE

// THE ISSUE OF PLASTIC WASTE IS SEEN AND FELT ALL OVER THE WORLD // key players in the energy sector at the heart of this most important initiative; not only are they hugely influential and well-resourced, but there is increasing support behind the idea that plastic may, sooner rather than later, be turned itself into a new form of energy.

“Because carbon and hydrogen rich plastics have high energy content, there is tremendous potential to use

technologies like gasification to convert these materials into fuels, chemicals, and other products,” stated Marco J. Castaldi, Director of Earth System Science.

RANGE OF SOLUTIONS “Everyone agrees that plastic waste does not belong in our oceans or anywhere in the environment. This is a complex and serious global challenge that calls for swift action and strong leadership,” said David Taylor, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of Procter & Gamble, and chairman of the AEPW. “This new alliance is the most comprehensive effort to date to end plastic waste in the environment.”

The AEPW will harness the remarkable power of the companies at its centre to undertake numerous important projects. Partnering with cities, the Alliance will design integrated waste management systems in large urban areas where infrastructure is lacking, targeting those along rivers which transport vast amounts of unmanaged plastic waste from land to the ocean.

Developing an open source, science-based global information project to support waste management projects globally is also at the forefront of initial plans, as is supporting Renewology Oceans. This key movement is designed to capture plastic waste before it reaches the ocean, and renew these plastics into fuels while empowering local communities.

“History has shown us that collective action and partnerships between industry, governments and NGOs can deliver innovative solutions to a global challenge like this,” concluded Bob Patel, CEO of LyondellBasell, and a vice chairman of the AEPW. “The issue of plastic waste is seen and felt all over the world. It must be addressed and we believe the time for action is now.”

WWW.ENDPLASTICWASTE.ORG

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EXXONMOBIL

Could Agricultural Waste Be the

Next Great Biofuel?

PRODUCTION: Timothy Reeder

ExxonMobil, the world’s largest publicly-traded international oil and gas company, has long been known for its industry-leading commitment to exploring alternative energy solutions. Now, its curiosity has been piqued by the revolutionary way in which agricultural waste could play a key role in future biofuel production.

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ExxonMobil has remained a leader in energy technology throughout its 135year history, and has maintained an unmatched commitment to fundamental science and innovation in the industry. It invests close to $1 billion

a year in research and development across all the many and varied lines of its business, but the commitment does not end in the research laboratory, particularly when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with energy use.

Using the best in technology and innovation to help meet the world’s growing energy needs, ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading inventory of resources and is one of the largest refiners and marketers of petroleum products in the world. With an

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: BIOFUEL

in-house research portfolio that includes biofuels, carbon capture and storage, breakthrough energy-efficiency processes and environmental life cycle assessments, since 2000 ExxonMobil has dedicated approximately $8 billion to developing and implementing lower-emission energy solutions across its operations.

FARM-FOCUSED For some time now ExxonMobil has been actively researching the feasibility of biofuels made from algae. Algae naturally produce lipids that can be turned into a renewable, lower-emission fuel for transportation, and ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics Inc. (SGI) continue to make great strides in identifying and enhancing algae strains capable of high lipid production while maintaining desirable growth rates. SGI designs and builds biological systems to address global sustainability problems.

ExxonMobil’s broad portfolio of advanced biofuels research also includes

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those derived from cellulosic biomass, crucially. The idea of breathing new life into agricultural waste by converting it into biofuel is not a new one. Back in 2015, a study by the University of East Anglia (UEA) pinpointed five strains of yeast capable of turning agricultural by-products, such as straw, sawdust and corncobs, into bioethanol - a well-known alcohol-based biofuel.

At the time, the research team said their findings could help to create biofuel which is more environmentally friendly and ethically sound than other sources because it would make use of waste products.

As lead researcher Dr Tom Clarke, from UEA’s school of biological sciences, pointed out: “dwindling oil reserves and the need to develop motor fuels with a smaller carbon footprint has led to the explosion of research into sustainable fuels.

“Bioethanol is a very attractive biofuel to the automotive industry as it mixes well with petrol and can be

// WE BELIEVE WE HAVE ASSEMBLED A DREAM TEAM FOR CONVERSION OF CELLULOSIC BIOMASS TO LOW CARBON BIOFUELS // used in lower concentration blends in vehicles with no modifications. In Brazil, vehicles which run purely on bioethanol have been on the roads since 1979,” he explained.

Historically, despite the clear prospective benefits to the innovation, processes to generate bioethanol from straw and other by-products have been notoriously complex and inefficient, due to the high temperatures and acid conditions necessary in the glucoserelease process. This process causes the waste to breakdown into compounds

EXXONMOBIL

which are toxic to yeast, making fermentation difficult.

However, with potentially 400 billion litres of bioethanol to be gained each year ExxonMobil and Renewable Energy Group (REG) said today that they have signed a joint research agreement with Clariant, itself one of the world’s leading specialty chemical companies, to evaluate the potential use of cellulosic sugars from sources such as agricultural waste and residues to produce biofuel.

PARTNERSHIPS SPELL PROGRESS The new partnership expands upon previously-announced joint research between ExxonMobil and REG, in which they successfully validated REG Life Sciences bio-conversion technology’s ability to convert sugars from cellulosic biomass into biodiesel through a singlestep process.

The companies’ ultimate objective is to combine Clariant’s and REG’s processes into a seamless cellulosic biomass-to-biodiesel technology. “Over the past three years, our work with REG has led to important advances in genetically improving REG’s proprietary microbes for a beneficial use in facilitating the conversion of cellulosic sugars into biodiesel,” said Vijay Swarup, vice president of research and development at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company.

“Applying Clariant’s expertise and knowledge will help us better

// DWINDLING OIL RESERVES AND THE NEED TO DEVELOP MOTOR FUELS WITH A SMALLER CARBON FOOTPRINT HAS LED TO THE EXPLOSION OF RESEARCH INTO SUSTAINABLE FUELS //

understand and advance a key stage in the overall cellulosic conversion process, and hopefully lead to the development of scalable biodiesel technology.”

Clariant will conduct trials at its pre-commercial plant in Straubing, Germany using different types of cellulosic feedstock that will be converted into sugars for conversion by REG and ExxonMobil into high-quality, low-carbon biodiesel. “We are committed to innovation and R&D, together with a focus on sustainability, as main pillars of Clariant’s strategy,” said Christian Kohlpaintner, member of Clariant’s executive committee.

“Our sunliquid® technology platform is a key outcome of this commitment.

We are proud that two strong allies in the biofuels industry have selected Clariant as their partner and are excited to work with them on further leveraging this unique technology for converting cellulosic biomass to fuels and chemicals, including biodiesel.”

“ExxonMobil has been an exceptional partner in developing this promising technology,” said Eric Bowen, vice president of REG Life Sciences. “We are delighted to be able to add Clariant to the team with its market leading sunliquid® technology. We believe we have assembled a dream team for conversion of cellulosic biomass to low carbon biofuels and are excited about the promise of this collaboration.”

In further recognition of the excellence and innovation it brings to the global energy industry, ExxonMobil was named 2018 Large Cap Company of the Year and Explorer of the Year by the

World Oil and Gas Council. During the year, ExxonMobil announced a number of discoveries, acquisitions and other activities around the world.

The company’s industry-leading portfolio underpins aggressive growth plans which span all of the corporation’s business lines and represent the most attractive investment portfolio since the Exxon and Mobil merger. Brad Corson, president of ExxonMobil Upstream Venture, commented: “We are honoured to be recognised as an industry leader and are confident that the growth strategy we are currently implementing will drive long-term shareholder value and industry-leading returns.”

“This award is a reflection of the dedication of our employees and their daily commitment to excellence.”

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QATAR GENERAL ELECTRICITY & WATER CORPORATION

Keeping Power & Water Surging Through Qatar PRODUCTION: William Denstone

Since the turn of the millennium, Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (KAHRAMAA) has been tasked with regulating and maintaining the supply of electricity and water to Qatari customers. Committed to sustainable distribution and transmission, it has a multicultural workforce of more than 3000 employees representing more than 33 nationalities. www.emea-energy.net / 27

INDUSTRY FOCUS: INFRASTRUCTURE

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In Qatar, dry is the order of the day. Its punishing desert climate does not alter throughout the territory, as it is both so small and very flat. This means that the norm is mild winters and hot, sunny summers, conditions which are exacerbated by hugely scarce rainfall; occurring almost exclusively during the winter months, it amounts to less than 100 millimetres, or four inches, every year.

When it does come, rainfall in Qatar arrives in the form of brief but sometimes heavy showers which end up filling the river beds, otherwise dry for the rest of the year, and lead to flooding.

A BIG TEST For a water company, then, the physical challenges already look imposing enough but human factors are often piled on top. In 2016, for example, it was reported by the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS) that Qatar was simply running out of fresh water for drinking and farming.

“Our fresh groundwater reserves are still being overexploited,” Saleh Al-Nabit, the minister of development planning and statistics, commented in the report. “This makes it difficult to use the groundwater for irrigation and drinking water supply in the future.”

Qatar has a growing agricultural sector that remains heavily dependent on this groundwater and which drew some 230 million cubic meters of water in 2013, statistics from the report show. This is an increase from 226 million cubic meters in 2005, and critically, nearly five times the amount of water that enters Qatar’s aquifers each year.

This could easily combine to create a perfect storm when it comes to sourcing and making available potable water, but the July 2000 formation of Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (KAHRAMAA) was an example of expert foresight, and a

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QATAR GENERAL ELECTRICITY & WATER CORPORATION

much-needed solution to streamline delivery of power and water.

Ever since, KAHRAMAA has succeeded in providing the Qatari public, in ever more efficient and innovative ways, with arguably the two most vital commodities in their daily lives.

At the time of KAHRAMAA’s formation, power and water still operated as separate entities, but between 1982 and 1996, there were clear signs that change may be afoot.

Nearly 1.2 million metres of water distribution network mains were put in place in that period, and a growing demand for electricity brought the introduction of various satellite power stations and construction of new power infrastructure.

Capacity for water output from the Ras Abu Fontas ‘A’ Desalinated

Plant was also increased significantly.

Production of electricity and desalination of water were outsourced almost as soon as operations commenced, leaving KAHRAMAA to focus its improvement efforts entirely on transmission and distribution.

MAJOR NETWORK UPGRADES In line with its booming economy and rapidly growing population, production and consumption of both water and electricity in Qatar has dramatically increased over the last decade. Water use has jumped from 437 million cubic meters in 2006 to nearly 741 million cubic meters, with agriculture and households each using more than a third of the total, and demand continues to increase: it reached 315 Million Imperial Gallons per Day (MIGD) in 2016 and expected

rise to 464 MIGD in 2022.

Right from the off, KAHRAMAA has had to respond to this burgeoning pressure, and has done so by implementing changes to ensure a more effective and failsafe supply of water. Among the first of these steps was to replace old, unsuitable pipes with new models built to updated specifications, while speed pumps were then installed to bypass small water towers, meaning that water could be pumped directly from reservoirs to homes.

In June 2008, KAHRAMAA also took the important decision to begin a new 24-hour continuous water pumping cycle, which represented a major upgrade to the water distribution services and fitted perfectly with the development of the main water transmission network.

INTERNATIONAL CONSULTING COMPANY SPECIALIZED IN ENGINEERING, DESIGN AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES

POWER GENERATION EPE covers the wide spectrum of eng. activities from feasibility studies to detailed design and site supervision during constr., revitalization and privatization within the Power Sector.

POWER TRANSMISSION WATER GENERATION TELECOMMUNICATION OIL & GAS PROCESSING LINES AND SUBSTATIONS & TRANSMISSION NETWORKS AND SYSTEMS AND TRANSPORT EPE has been a consultant or a designer for more than 150 substations in the range from 400kV to 11kV during the last 25 years.

EPE has been present in the Middle East since 1991.

Strong and highly qualified expertise in the field of telecommunication systems applied in power and other utility companies.

Fully equipped with necessary software EPE covers the largest water generation, transmission and treatment plants including design, consultancy and construction supervision.

ENERGOPROJEKT ENTEL - CONSULTING ENGINEERS Telephone No: / Fax No.: E-mail / Web site: Qa Address: Telephone No/Fax: E-mail:

Serbia, 11070 BELGRADE, Bulevar Mihaila Pupina 12, P.O. Box 20 (381) (11) 310-1200, 310-1203, 310-1205 / Fax (381) (11) 311-2447; 310-1292 tel.com / www.ep-entel.com Qatar, UAE, Oman, Jordan, Bahrain Energoprojekt Entel Ltd 21st Floor, Palm Tower "B", P.O.Box 4769, Doha, Qatar Phone: (+974) 44478571, Fax:(+974) 44478572 energoqt@ep-entel.com

EPE has developed its expertise in Oil and Gas processing systems working on many projects in Serbia and Middle East.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Our business activities in the environment sector cover: Waste management and land filling, air and water protection, environmental management and environmental Studies.

MAJOR CLIENTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST Qatar

KAHRAMAA, QATAR PETROLEUM MANATEQ, QAPCO, HMC

UAE

DEWA, FEWA, ADWEA, TRANSCO ADDC, AADC

Oman

PAEW, OETC, RAECO, MEDC

Jordan

NEPCO

Bahrain

EWA

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: INFRASTRUCTURE

// KAHRAMAA HAS DECIDED TO GO FORWARD WITH A UTILITY-SCALE SOLAR POWER PLANT // The current more than 7000 kilometres KAHRAMAA water subnetwork is scheduled to undergo further expansion, to help it cope with the current development in urban areas - the main distribution networks have should reach 10000 kilometres by the end of 2022.

While the supply of water presents arguably the most obvious challenge in Qatar, KAHRAMAA has, equally importantly, been working to develop and upgrade the electricity sector since its inception, another of the most vital considerations in the country’s infrastructure.

In just five years, between the

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fourth quarters of 2008 and 2013, production more than doubled, reaching 8755 MW from the 4032 MW previously. Significant expansion in the size of electricity main transmission network followed, and will soon hit 10170 MW, with total investments in the electricity sector in KAHRAMAA’s 19-year lifetime in excess of $13 billion with another $3 billion allocated until 2022.

MEGA PROGRESS MADE KAHRAMAA has also been working hard on the more behind-the-scenes aspects of its operations in order to improve its service offering. Less glamorous, perhaps, than talk of heightened capacity and upscaling networks, but equally valuable to the whole. There has been much development of KAHRAMAA’s internal capacity to train and upgrade staff skill sets, improving service delivery to customers as a result.

Customer response time has,

additionally, improved greatly thanks to some innovative systems being recently implemented. KAHRAMAA’s employment of the available technology has long been a strength, and even resulted in a victory at the Qatar IT Business Awards in 2018, in the smart environment solution category, in recognition of the corporation’s project for detecting leakage and water loss control using smart solutions.

The award reflects KAHRAMAA’s ability to harness technologies to improve its networks, while adopting an eco-friendly and sustainable approach in accordance with the Qatar National Vision 2030. It adds further weight to KAHRAMAA’s record of creativity and innovation, which are central to seeing it become a global benchmark for performance and technological innovation in the electricity and water sectors by 2030.

More liable to grab headlines in recent months, however, has been

QATAR GENERAL ELECTRICITY & WATER CORPORATION

KAHRAMAA’s hugely ambitious Water Security Mega Reservoirs Project, geared toward further securing supply amid continuous growth and development in Qatar. The objective of the ambitious project is to provide seven-day strategic water storage within its network system, both in the new mega reservoirs and in the existing and future secondary reservoirs.

The large-scale project requires construction of five potable water mega reservoirs sites and an interconnecting network of large diameter water pipelines. Each reservoir site will ultimately comprise up to nine reservoirs, each of which will be the largest of their type in the world.

Mega reservoirs and pumping stations will be constructed at five strategic locations along the Qatar National Utility Corridor. First phase of the project, which is currently under implementation, will deliver storage capacity of about 2,300 million gallons of water in 24 huge concrete reservoirs

and some 480km of buried ductile iron pipelines with diameter upto 1.6m.

Second stage of the project, which will be implemented after 2020, will include construction of additional pipelines and 16 new reservoirs within the 5 mega sites to achieve an ultimate total storage capacity of about 3,800 million gallons of water.

Having shored up the existing networks and extended them significantly, KAHRAMAA now looks to diversify its power generation resources, and increase the percentage of renewable energy in Qatar’s energy mix. In October, KAHRAMAA announced that it had completed the prequalification of 16 international Solar Power Developers, to form part of Qatar’s first large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant.

“Since our country has an abundance of solar radiation,” said KAHRAMAA President H.E. Eng. Essa bin Hilal Al-Kuwari, “and from monitoring the recent developments

in solar panel manufacturing along with their decreasing costs and from studying the natural gas that can potentially be saved, KAHRAMAA has decided to go forward with a utilityscale solar power plant.

“As a first stage, 350 MW will be connected to the grid by 2020 in achievement of the strategic objective set in QNDS 2018 – 2022,” he further clarified, adding that the project is fully in line with the higher directives of HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad AlThani, the Amir of Qatar, to reduce dependence on oil and gas. This will in turn promote economic diversity, and respond to the economic and environmental development pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030.

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EXHIBITION CALENDAR

KEY UPCOMING EVENTS ACROSS THE INDUSTRY Our regular update to help you keep track of important events and exhibitions taking place across the energy industry.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE SUBSTRUCTURES FOR UK OFFSHORE WIND FEB 19 - 21 | LONDON Substructures for UK Offshore Wind is the premier technical event for leaders in the wind industry. It is a meeting place for experts working in the UK market to engage with the concepts for cutting edge substructure solutions. Case studies, new research and technical advances will be interrogated in order to increase cost-efficiency and advance offshore wind as a world leader in commercially competitive renewable energy.

The event will: • Present exclusive real world case studies on significant projects • Discuss the UK’s unique political landscape and tender environment • Tackle the distinctive challenges of satisfying the ecosystem of the UK supply chain • Compare the technical advantages of different substructure solutions, from monopiles, gravity bases, jackets, floating foundations and beyond GEOTHERM EXPO & CONFERENCE FEB 14 - 15 | GERMANY GeoTHERM has highlighted its position as biggest geothermal energy trade fair in the world. With 3,665 visitors from 48 nations and over 200 exhibitors the event

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is well set for success and clearly reflects the dynamic growth taking place in the area of geothermal energy solutions.

Accompanied by a high-quality congress programme covering the areas of shallow and deep geothermal energy, the event offers well-founded knowledge for research and practice as well as a perfect platform for exchange of experience. Competent partners from politics, science and industry are convinced by the concept and actively support the development of GeoTHERM. BE POSITIVE FEB 13 - 15 | FRANCE The energy transition is under way!

Hybrid technologies are evolving, boundaries between sectors are becoming fluid, digital is spreading like wildfire, trades are changing, and innovation is more than ever a core issue. In this environment of upheaval, business opportunities are multiplying and there is increasing need for exchanges, sharing, and training.

BePOSITIVE is evolving so as to be at the service of these dynamics, advise a sector in motion and best respond to the new expectations of professionals. Anchored in the heart of a major economic region opened to national and international business, the show BePOSITIVE brings together all the actors of construction and energy!

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE SUBSTRUCTURES FOR UK OFFSHORE WIND LONDON, HILTON, OLYMPIA FEB 19 – 21 WORLD NUCLEAR DECOMMISSIONING & WASTE MANAGEMENT CONGRESS LONDON, SHERATON HEATHROW HOTEL FEB 20 – 21 EGYPT PETROLEUM SHOW CAIRO INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE FEB 11 -13 OFFSHORE WIND DECOMMISSIONING LONDON, HALLAM CONFERENCE CENTRE FEB 26 – 27 GEOTHERM EXPO & CONFERENCE GERMANY, OFFENBURG EXHIBITION CENTRE FEB 14 – 15 BE POSITIVE FRANCE, EUREXPO EXPOSANTS, LYON FEB 13 – 15 GLOBAL CEMFUELS CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION THE NETHERLANDS, MOVENPICK HOTEL, AMSTERDAM FEB 20 -21 SOLAR PRAGUE CZECH REPUBLIC, KONGRESOVÝ SÁL PVA EXPO PRAHA, PRAGUE FEB 25 - 27