KUWAIT: Kuwait has achieved significant economic and environmental benefits since the establishment and full operation of liquefied gas import facilities in Mina Al-Zour, Chief of Public Relations and Media at the Ministry of Oil Sheikha Tamadhur Khaled Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah stated. Sheikha Tamadhur said this on Tuesday during a discussion panel organized by the department in cooperation with the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) on the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry and its developments, challenges, and horizons.

Economic benefits of LNG import facilities include saving up significant sums of money due to fuel consumption in electric power plants, while environmental benefits lie in limiting carbon emissions and improving air quality as LNG is considered an eco-friendly energy source, explained Al-Sabah. The liquefied gas project is sufficient for Kuwait’s current and future demand for clean energy, affirmed Al-Sabah, adding that the projects provide fuel to electric power plants, especially during peak summer times.

The Mina Al-Zour import facility is considered the largest in the world in storage capacity, as it is comprised of eight storages, each with a capacity of 225,000 cubic meters. As for OAPEC’s gas industry expert, Wael Abdulmuti, he explained that the process is done over four phases: extradition, liquefying, transportation, and re-gasification. The liquefying stage is considered the highest expense, taking up around 50 percent of the total cost, according to Abdulmuti. The gas transportation fleet includes some 730 vessels transporting liquefied gas from 21 exporting countries. The large fleet appealed to newer markets, as illustrated by the gas expert.

Arab states make up around 28 percent of total liquefied gas exports, with more than 112 million tons for the year 2023. Several factors contributed to supporting LNG trade, expounded Abdulmuti, including the desire to diversify resources and revenues, environmental dimensions, and the seasonality of demand in some markets. Mina Al-Zour, operational since 2021, has a unique status in the region, remarked Abdulmuti, adding that it has enabled Kuwait to diversify its gas supply sources. — KUNA