Doha, September 23 (QNA) - The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) announced Monday the innovation of "Green Cement" during a seminar attended by HE Minister of Environment and Climate Change Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie and HE Minister of Education and Higher Education Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi.
The MOECC honored the research team and a number of government agencies and private sector companies that contributed to the "Green Cement" project made from solid sewage waste, which supports the circular economy and is in line with environmental and sustainability standards.
The seminar witnessed a visual presentation and a detailed explanation of the project presented by the research team, in the presence of a group of consultants and experts in the fields of environmental sustainability, roads, the cement industry, and construction materials. The project was also discussed from the technical and practical aspects.
In his speech, HE Minister of Environment and Climate Change Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie lauded the efforts made by the scientific research team in treating solid sewage waste and converting it into environmentally friendly green cement, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030. He noted the State of Qatar's interest in supporting and promoting scientific research and innovation, within the framework of implementing the directives of the wise leadership.
His Excellency stressed the MOECC's interest in applied scientific research that addresses the challenges of the environment, climate, wildlife, and sustainability sectors, in addition to encouraging researchers to conduct purposeful scientific research.
For his part, Engineering Consultant and Environmental Expert in the MOECC Dr. Mohammed Saif Al Kuwari stressed the State of Qatar's keenness to protect the environment and its natural balance, to achieve comprehensive and sustainable development for all generations, especially in priority areas, including greenhouse gas emissions, air quality, biodiversity, water, circular economy, waste management, and land sustainability.
He added that the MOECC is making great efforts to enhance and protect the environment in Qatar by encouraging applied scientific research, which contributed to the success of the scientific research team in inventing green cement from solid sewage waste, which is one of the challenges facing the environment due to the accumulation of these materials in nature. This research also encourages partnerships between the private and public sectors to invest in natural green cement in some construction projects and the engineering materials industry.
Qatar generates approximately 40,000 tones of sewage sludge per year, which could be fully consumed to produce 40 million concrete blocks with a cost saving of 10 percent compared to conventional Portland cement blocks, or the production of 150,000 cubic meters of foamed concrete for fill applications with a higher saving rate of 20 percent.
This innovation comes within the efforts of the MOECC to enhance environmental sustainability and support the circular economy, which aims to reduce waste of materials, goods, and energy, and increase their sustainable use. (QNA)