Abu Dhabi Pumps ’Clean’ Research and Invests $11 Billion in Gas Projects

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas). The Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (AFDEC) is pushing the clean energy cause and is giving its full support to the Masdar Institute of Science, which is to be set up in Abu Dhabi. Masdar is planning to spend more than $300 million over the next ten years to build an institute for science and technology in cooperation with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). An agreement has been signed by AFDEC CEO, Sultan Al Jaber and MIT CEO, and Chancellor of Phillip Clay. This will enable MIT to assist Masdar in the development of a postgraduate education and research institute, which aims to be the first institution dedicated to research–driven graduate programs in the region.

“We see renewable energy sources as complementary to traditional hydrocarbons, given the rapid growth in overall world energy demand. To help meet this demand Abu Dhabi is leveraging its substantial resources and expertise in the world’s energy markets to develop the technologies of the future,” said Al Jaber. He added that Masdar had also partnered with United Kingdom names such as Shell, Rolls Royce, Futures Lab, BP and the Imperial College in London to learn how industry and academia are joining forces to address the energy challenges of the 21st Century. AFDEC is planning to invest billions of dollars in new projects and is currently working with an international partner on a new project to produce clean bio-fuel.

The Masdar Institute will augment academic resources of the region by providing a suitable vehicle for expanding R&D, developing strategic alliances with global corporations, providing entrepreneurial opportunities for startups and training and educating a workforce to compete in the global market.

Parallel to the ‘clean energy’ vision, Abu Dhabi Gas Industries (Gasco) is planning to invest $11 billion into gas projects over the next five years. Investments will go to projects including integrated and sour gas developments, some small projects, pipeline replacement and the development of existing plants.

Gasco’s manager for major project execution, Abdulaziz Al Ameri, said that four sulfur processing units for the integrated gas development projects would cost about $1 billion. The natural gas liquids (NGL) projects would cost about $500 million. The investments were expected to raise sour gas production by around one billion cubic feet per day for domestic use. The tender for the design and engineering on the sour gas project would probably be awarded around the fourth quarter of this year, he stated.

Abu Dhabi is aiming to be the world’s largest NGL producer by 2010, doubling current production levels of 5.3 billion cubic feet to 10.5 billion cubic feet.

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