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Tribune News Network
Doha
A joint research team of Qatar University (QU) and the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) has worked on a scientific project to address challenges posed by lack of cleaning and continuous production of wastewater that the world faces. It also addressed issue of renewable energy, including clean energy sources such as biofuels.
QU and MME entered into an agreement in 2018 to establish joint cooperation in various fields related to scientific, administrative and technical research, including a research on ‘Sustainable biofuel production using solar energy and organic materials’.
The scientific team consists of Professor Dr Siham Youssef Al Qaradawi, professor of organic chemistry at Qatar University, and Eng Muhammad Saif Al Kuwari, assistant undersecretary and director of the Ministry of Municipalities and Environment Studies Centre; Professor Kyu Jung Chae, researcher and expert in studies related to the microbial electrolysis cell, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Republic of Korea; in cooperation with the Public Works Authority (Ashghal). The initiative was supervised and funded by the QNRF.
Prof Mariam Al Maadeed,vice president for Research and Graduate Studies at QU, said: “We are keen to cooperate with government institutions and research agencies to exploit the available resources and expertise between the two parties. The agreement between the university and the Ministry of Municipal and Environment addresses challenges on clean energy and the sustainability of its resources and biofuel production is an achievement of this fruitful cooperation.”
Eng Muhammad Saif Al Kuwari stressed the importance of this research project, saying: “Scientific research on sustainable biofuel production using solar energy and organic materials in wastewater and industrial will open up new horizons for the exploitation of the country’s natural resources in line with Qatar’s 2030 vision.” He added, “Investment in this field will be enhanced through the generation of sustainable biofuels and their use in transportation and industry as biofuels are a renewable energy source that is produced by converting organic materials into biofuels.”
Dr Kuwari added, “This scientific project is an added value to convert wastewater into hydrogen, which is an effective alternative approach to biofuel production in Qatar and all over the world, due to its ecofriendly combustion, as biofuels can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 1.7 billion tonnes per year, equivalent to more than 80 percent of current emissions from transportation and other things.”
“The use of wastewater as an energy source is a new and promising approach to meeting clean and sustainable energy requirements, and thus scientists have devised a microbial electrochemical cell (MEC) as a promising multi-use approach and a relatively new method for generating hydrogen (biofuels) from organic materials found in wastewater.”
Despite its various advantages, the MEC has some challenges limiting its wide spread. Consequently, the joint research team considered an innovative design represented in the creation of a photo assisted microbial electrolysis cell (PA-MEC), capable of providing sustainable hydrogen fuel from the effective decomposition of organic pollutants and using solar energy without the use of external effort.
This research can be considered as a new platform for solar and biological energy fusion technology in Qatar, which includes innovative design and control of the chemical and physical properties of the compound electrode and membranes to provide outstanding performance towards green biofuel production and wastewater treatment.
The project work will be implemented through the integration of expertise and modern research facilities of the three cooperating institutions, namely Qatar University, Korea University for Seas and Oceans, and the Center for Environmental and Municipal Studies at the Ministry of Municipal and Environment.
The scientific research team has thanked Qatar University, the Ministry of Municipal and Environmental Affairs, the Public Works Authority, and the University of Korea for the Seas and Oceans for encouraging and supporting them to enhance scientific research in Qatar.
Doha
A joint research team of Qatar University (QU) and the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) has worked on a scientific project to address challenges posed by lack of cleaning and continuous production of wastewater that the world faces. It also addressed issue of renewable energy, including clean energy sources such as biofuels.
QU and MME entered into an agreement in 2018 to establish joint cooperation in various fields related to scientific, administrative and technical research, including a research on ‘Sustainable biofuel production using solar energy and organic materials’.
The scientific team consists of Professor Dr Siham Youssef Al Qaradawi, professor of organic chemistry at Qatar University, and Eng Muhammad Saif Al Kuwari, assistant undersecretary and director of the Ministry of Municipalities and Environment Studies Centre; Professor Kyu Jung Chae, researcher and expert in studies related to the microbial electrolysis cell, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Republic of Korea; in cooperation with the Public Works Authority (Ashghal). The initiative was supervised and funded by the QNRF.
Prof Mariam Al Maadeed,vice president for Research and Graduate Studies at QU, said: “We are keen to cooperate with government institutions and research agencies to exploit the available resources and expertise between the two parties. The agreement between the university and the Ministry of Municipal and Environment addresses challenges on clean energy and the sustainability of its resources and biofuel production is an achievement of this fruitful cooperation.”
Eng Muhammad Saif Al Kuwari stressed the importance of this research project, saying: “Scientific research on sustainable biofuel production using solar energy and organic materials in wastewater and industrial will open up new horizons for the exploitation of the country’s natural resources in line with Qatar’s 2030 vision.” He added, “Investment in this field will be enhanced through the generation of sustainable biofuels and their use in transportation and industry as biofuels are a renewable energy source that is produced by converting organic materials into biofuels.”
Dr Kuwari added, “This scientific project is an added value to convert wastewater into hydrogen, which is an effective alternative approach to biofuel production in Qatar and all over the world, due to its ecofriendly combustion, as biofuels can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 1.7 billion tonnes per year, equivalent to more than 80 percent of current emissions from transportation and other things.”
“The use of wastewater as an energy source is a new and promising approach to meeting clean and sustainable energy requirements, and thus scientists have devised a microbial electrochemical cell (MEC) as a promising multi-use approach and a relatively new method for generating hydrogen (biofuels) from organic materials found in wastewater.”
Despite its various advantages, the MEC has some challenges limiting its wide spread. Consequently, the joint research team considered an innovative design represented in the creation of a photo assisted microbial electrolysis cell (PA-MEC), capable of providing sustainable hydrogen fuel from the effective decomposition of organic pollutants and using solar energy without the use of external effort.
This research can be considered as a new platform for solar and biological energy fusion technology in Qatar, which includes innovative design and control of the chemical and physical properties of the compound electrode and membranes to provide outstanding performance towards green biofuel production and wastewater treatment.
The project work will be implemented through the integration of expertise and modern research facilities of the three cooperating institutions, namely Qatar University, Korea University for Seas and Oceans, and the Center for Environmental and Municipal Studies at the Ministry of Municipal and Environment.
The scientific research team has thanked Qatar University, the Ministry of Municipal and Environmental Affairs, the Public Works Authority, and the University of Korea for the Seas and Oceans for encouraging and supporting them to enhance scientific research in Qatar.
