Managing Director of Qatar’s RasGas Company Hamad Rashid Al Mohannadi said that the company has invested some $50 million in projects that aim to reduce emissions and enhance waste management, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.

“In 2011, we invested more than US$49 million in projects that reduce emissions and enhance our waste management,” Al Mohannadi said in a statement released on Tuesday to announce 2011 RasGas’s Sustainability Report which provides a comprehensive review of its environmental, social, economic and corporate performance for the year 2011.

“Our 2011 operational results highlight our key strength: the ability to safely and reliably deliver on our commitments. The strong safety and operations performance underpins good environmental performance.”

RasGas has successfully launched several pace-setting emission reduction initiatives across its value chain, ranging from flare minimization to a new Greenhouse Gas Policy (GHG) reduction policy, the statement added.

“RasGas is aware that in order to meet the growing energy demand, the Company needs to optimize energy use while minimizing wasted energy. The Report highlights RasGas’ plans in playing an active role in delivering a lower carbon future.”

In its continued commitment to operating in a sustainable manner, RasGas achieved many noteworthy milestones in 2011. Among these is the development of the Company’s first GHG management strategy and policy that includes independent third-party GHG verification, screening of emission reduction opportunities, engagement with local stakeholders and assessment of options for developing our voluntary reporting.

Among RasGas’ efforts to reduce emissions, the Company continued to operate the region’s first acid injection (AGI) scheme that stores carbon dioxide (CO2)and hydrogen sulphide, reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide(SO2) from the production process. This has resulted in eliminating one million tons per year of CO2 and 11,000 tons of SO2 each year.

The company also completed a five-year flare minimization program, the first of its kind in Qatar, which resulted in an overall emission reduction of 66 percent. In addition, in terminal operations, the Jetty Boil-off Gas Recovery Project was designed to minimize flaring at loading terminals in Ras Laffan.