Qatargas sponsored and presented the Best Overall Prizes to the winning teams at the 19th Annual Plant Design Competition, organised by the Department of Chemical Engineering at Qatar University.With a proud legacy dating back to 2004, this annual contest aims to provide students with world-class engineering experience. The 19th Chemical Engineering Plant Design Contest took place on May 21, 2023, at Qatar University’s Ibn Khaldoon Auditorium. This year’s senior design projects featured eleven female teams and four male teams and showcased exceptional standards. The judges panel, led by Rashid Al-Anzi, Lead of Process Engineering, South Non-LNG, Qatargas, unanimously selected the top three teams.

The first-place award went to Amna Mohamed Inthikaf, Alyaa Adil Elseed, and Bisan Aljaoni. They presented a design for a company which utilises state-of-the-art technology, ACETICA, to produce approximately 400,000 tonnes per annum of acetic acid. This company makes use of present raw materials and aims to support Qatar’s economy and promote sustainability. The team was supervised by Dr. Zeinab Abbas Jawad.

Second-place was awarded to Shaymaa Kaid Alyafei, Shahad Akram Hassan Elhamaidah, and Almaha Sultan Al-Jehani who proposed a company for manufacturing dimethyl ether while adhering to sustainability standards.

Their production process aims for economic viability while minimising environmental impact using cleaner resources and energy conservation. Dr. Seckin Karagoz supervised the team.

Third-place prize went to Manisha Karim, Patricia Silang Magdia, and Priyanka Pant Chhetri who designed an outstanding gas-to-liquid (GTL) facility that converts natural gas into high-quality and environmentally friendly liquid hydrocarbons, primarily diesel, kerosene, and naphtha.

The GTL plant design consists of three main stages: the reforming section, the low-temperature Fischer-Tropsch section, and the final hydrocracking and separation section. Dr. Saad Al Sobhi supervised the team.

The evaluation criteria for the competition included Technical Content, Computations and Analysis, Quality of the Presentation, Visual Aids, Oral Communication Abilities, and Teamwork.

Abdulla Radi Al-Hajri, Integrity & Reliability Engineering Manager, Qatargas, and Dr. Rashid Sultan Al-Kuwari, Asset & Surveillance Engineering Manager, presented the prizes to the winning teams during a special ceremony held at Qatargas Doha Head Office. The event also recognised Dr. Fadwa ElJack and Dr. Zeinab Abbas Jawad from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Qatar University.

This type of design competition encourages students to think practically and face real challenges in their chosen career path, furthering their knowledge and skillset as students and future engineers.

Supporting and encouraging education is a key element of Qatargas’ Corporate Social Responsibility initiative. The company believes that partnerships between academic institutions and the industry help students develop themselves as professionals who can contribute to the industry and serve the greater interests of the country.

Professor Fadwa Tahra Eljack, a distinguished faculty member in Chemical Engineering at Qatar University, expressed heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to Qatargas and its management on behalf of the College of Engineering.

She conveyed, “We sincerely thank Qatargas and its leadership for the unwavering support they have provided over the past 19 years. The Plant Design Competition has become the flagship event of our department, eagerly anticipated by senior chemical engineering students each year.

Throughout an entire year, these students dedicate themselves to their plant design projects, meticulously crafting industrial manufacturing facilities that adhere to international standards while considering market demand, environmental impact, societal implications, and economic viability.

Tribune News Network