RIYADH, 21 September 2006 — Two Saudi companies have unveiled plans to switch over to greener technologies at their operational facility, underlining the Kingdom’s commitment to promote less polluting industry.
Rachad Itani of the Xenel Industries, said the companies, Safra Co. Ltd. and the Saudi National Petrochemical Co. (Natpet), belonging to the Xenel Industries have launched studies intended to bring their technology in line with the Clean Development Mechanism, or CDM, which is the part of the Kyoto Protocol by which countries in the developed world invest in reducing pollution in developing countries.
Itani said Safra Co. Ltd. produces hydrocarbon solvents and aromatics, while Naepet own a complex at the industrial city of Yanbu, where it plans to produce 400,000 tons of polypropylene. The chairman of both companies is Khalid Alireza.
“The project finance and CDM compliance documentation for these two projects is being carried out by Xenel-Balderrie, a Saudi-Canadian joint venture based in Jeddah and involved in Kyoto-enhanced project finance,” he said. “This confirms that the private sector in Saudi Arabia has stepped up to the equally important co-participation role that was recommended at the start of the conference.”
Saudi Aramco’s officials said their air quality control facilities have been designed as per the Kingdom’s specifications, which provide for maximum allowable limits of sulfur dioxide, micro-particulate matter (the smallest particles in industrial emissions that penetrate deepest into lung tissue, causing respiratory distress, especially among the very young or elderly) and photochemical oxidizers (emissions such as ozone, nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide).
Aramco has announced its commitment to reducing emission sources for these hazardous pollutants from seven industrial categories, including natural gas burn-off at oil-pumping facilities, a major source of air pollution in the extraction process.
The oil giant has also announced that it would continue to conduct follow-up studies to identify the additional facilities and operational modifications to be introduced for upgrading the existing facilities.
Currently, there are nine air-quality monitors and meteorological stations operating at full capacity in different areas of the Kingdom. The data processed by these stations is analyzed and consolidated in an annual report sent to the Meteorology and Environmental Protection Administration to demonstrate compliance with applicable standards and regulations.
The construction of the master gas system for associated gas collection, refining and development has led to establishment of facilities capable of recovering more than 3,500 tons per day of primary sulfur, or more than 90 percent of associated sulfur. This has contributed to improving air quality, particularly in the Eastern Province, according to Aramco.
Speaking on the World Bank’s role in the global carbon market, Lassel Ringius of the World Bank said that as part of their strategy, they support developing countries in enabling them to receive the maximum capital transfers for sustainable development from carbon finance.