Experts participating virtually during 'The Hydrogen Energy Opportunity for Qatar' workshop.
Doha: Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) recently organised an international workshop entitled The Hydrogen Energy Opportunity for Qatar.
The two-day event sought to inform stakeholders on the country’s hydrogen energy opportunities, promote discussions regarding a national strategy, and facilitate international collaboration in the areas of policy, business and research and saw the participation of over 50 delegates from eight countries including Japan, Australia, the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Switzerland, and Qatar.
Organised in line with QEERI’s mandate to support Qatar in tackling its grand challenges related to energy, water and the environment, the workshop brought together leading international experts and national stakeholders from the public, private, academic and industry sectors. The Hydrogen Energy Opportunity for Qatar also reflected the unprecedented attention currently being paid to hydrogen energy as well as global efforts to harness its full potential.
Principal Economist at QEERI and chair of the workshop, Dr. Marcello Contestabile said, “There is a growing international consensus that hydrogen has a key role to play in a deeply decarbonized energy system. Conversely, there is also a need for large investments and international cooperation to ensure that hydrogen technology is scaled up and rolled out, and for markets to be created for the end product.
“Qatar is already playing a global role in the energy transition as a major supplier of the cleanest fossil fuel and is taking assertive steps to reduce the greenhouse gas footprint of the LNG it delivers through methane management and CCS. Hydrogen will allow the country to take this further and continue to profit from its endowment of natural gas in a low carbon world. To make the most of it, however, a joint approach at the national and international level is required.”
Energy Technology Analyst in Hydrogen and Alternative Fuels at the International Energy Agency (IEA), Dr. Jose M Bermudezsaid, “Hydrogen could play a key role in the energy transition, especially in hard to abate sectors, where direct electrification will be challenging and sustainable biomass availability, will not be able to meet energy demands. However, this will require to significantly expand hydrogen use and, at the same time, switch hydrogen production to low-carbon routes. This is not an easy endeavour and will require a lot of collaboration and coordination at all levels and, especially, at the international level.”
Executive Director, QNRF, Dr. Abdul Sattar Al Taie opened the event with the welcome address, and Executive Director of QEERI, Dr. Marc Vermeersch, highlighted the institute’s commitment towards supporting Qatar diversify its energy mix. The round table discussions saw the active participation from representatives of all key oil and gas companies in Qatar, as well as international research and policy institutions, industrial organizations, and consultancy firms.
