Qatar Energy announced – in a statement today, Monday – a plan to build a salt production plant in the Umm Al Houl region, through a joint project between Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding Company, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing Company, and other strategic partners.
- The project was approved as part of Qatar Energy’s “Tawteen” program, and will be constructed at an estimated cost of about one billion riyals ($274.5 million).
- The project aims to achieve self-sufficiency in the State of Qatar through the production of industrial salts and table salt to meet the demand in the local market as well as export to regional and global markets.
- The factory will produce industrial salts needed in the petrochemical industry, in addition to bromine, potassium chlorides, and demineralized water, which will contribute to diversifying products, achieving additional economic growth, and enhancing the circular economy (environmentally friendly economy)., According to the company statement.
The “Tawteen” initiative has so far allocated 78 investment opportunities as part of its goal to provide 100 opportunities to enhance the localization of services and industries in the energy sector in Qatar.
The “Tawteen” program – according to the company’s statement – has succeeded in adding 7,000 administrative jobs since its launch in 2019.
Through the “Tawteen” initiative
Qatar Energy announces a plan to establish an innovative salt production plant in Qatar #Qatar_Energy #Qatar
— QatarEnergy (@qatarenergy) June 10, 2024
Localization of industries
Engineer Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi, Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs, and Managing Director and CEO of Qatar Energy, said: “This project represents a prominent step in our ongoing efforts to enhance the localization of industries and support sustainable practices in the energy sector in the State of Qatar.”
He added, “This embodies our commitment to innovation and economic growth, which constitute basic principles in the Qatar National Vision 2030.”
The Minister continued, “By transforming salt water resulting from desalination operations into a valuable resource, we are setting new standards for industrial efficiency and economic resilience, and taking a major step in Qatar’s energy strategy to strengthen local supply chains and increase industrial self-sufficiency.”
According to Qatar Energy’s statement, this “innovative project” will recover brine from water desalination units through reverse osmosis processes, thus turning it into a valuable resource.
Production capacity
With a production capacity of one million tons annually, the project will add new value to the Qatari economy and the country’s industrial development by reducing dependence on imported raw materials, as Qatar imports about 850 thousand tons of industrial salts and table salt annually.
Being part of the “Tawteen” project, the salt factory project benefits from initiatives aimed at enhancing local content and supporting the growth of local industries. This cooperation reflects the strong partnership between the public and private sectors, which aims to achieve strategic national goals.
