Qatargas completes works of the region’s first wastewater treatment plant using membrane bioreactor technology
Qatargas has recently completed the works of a wastewater treatment plant at one of its liquefied natural gas plants using membrane bioreactor technology. The facility, set up at the Qatargas 1 (QG1) plant with a capacity to treat nearly 1,300 cubic meters of wastewater per day, is a first for the LNG industry in the region.
The project was designed in response to an internally identified gap in the QG1 process wastewater treatment facility in order to treat wastewater and get irrigation grade water that could be reused in line with the State of Qatar’s Ministry of Municipality And Environment (MoME) regulations.
The design, procurement and construction works of the project were led by a multi-disciplinary team at Qatargas including members of the Environmental Affairs, Engineering and Ventures Departments that was set up in 2008.
Commenting on this significant achievement Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdulla Al-Thani, Qatargas Chief Operating Officer − Engineering & Ventures, said, 'This is a very important accomplishment for Qatargas as we have set a precedent in the LNG industry in the region to reuse wastewater at the Qatargas 1 plant. This project is a clear manifestation of our commitment to environmental conservation and is part of the huge investments we have made in the recent past to minimise our environmental footprint, in line with the values spelled out in the Qatargas Direction Statement.'
'This is a very important accomplishment for Qatargas'
The pilot MBR plant was first tested for six months in 2008, following which Qatargas 1 embarked on the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) and the Execution Phase Contracts (EPC) and the start-up between 2011 and 2015 for installation of a full scale MBR at QG1. The MBR now operates at the expected design efficiencies obtaining removal rates of more than 95 per cent for key parameters including Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Nitrogen compounds. These results have allowed the treated water to be significantly better than other conventional technologies and an indication of the project’s success.
Qatargas is keen to introduce similar innovative solutions for wastewater treatment at its facilities in future.