The leading Qatari contracting company, Galfar Al Misnad, always strives to conduct its business processes in an environmentally sustainable manner. This is done with the aim to mitigate the direct impact that construction activities have on the larger ecosystem. It is this commitment that is reflected in Galfar Al Misnad’s association with Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) since the latter’s inception in 2014.
Galfar Al Misnad has supported QGBC’s Qatar Sustainability Week (QSW) ever since it was launched in 2016. In the same year, the company won the Qatar Sustainability Award as a Green Building Contractor. The company supports QSW by conducting educational programs for its employees, as well as for their children and the community at large. They have also participated in various recycling drives organized by QGBC.
Environmentally Sustainable Practices
Galfar Al Misnad aims to uphold the highest standards of sustainability through the usage of non-hazardous and environmentally responsible practices. The company conducts all work in accordance with environmental laws, regulations, and requirements followed by the State of Qatar. All employees are trained to always maintain an awareness of any potential environmental consequences of their services. They promote the conservation of natural resources, the prevention of pollution, and the use of advanced environmental equipment and methods; and ensure that all their partners, including subcontractors and suppliers, also comply with the same.
“Our ambition is to continually improve the environmental credentials of our projects and services by actively looking for ways to reduce negative environmental impacts during their entire life cycle,” explained Navaneetha Shetty, Head of Galfar Al Misnad’s QHSE division.
Environmental Certifications and Ratings
This leading contractor is certified with the ISO 14001: 2015 for its Environmental Management System since 2006. This is in addition to the certifications of ISO 9001: 2015 (Quality Management System); ISO 45001: 2018 (Occupational Health and Safety Management System) and ISO 29001: 2010 (Management System in Oil & Gas).
The company is also an authorized service provider for GSAS (Global Sustainability Assessment System) compliant projects and has received GSAS Ratings from GORD for various projects across different sectors; including the Al Bayt Stadium Project on which Galfar is the lead contractor; the Khalifa Energy Center and Office Building Project; 8 Kindergartens for Ashghal; and the Manateq Logistics Park in Al Wakrah Project. The Energy Centres designed and built by Galfar Al Misnad at Al Bayt Stadium and Khalifa Stadium are also SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficient Ratio) certified.
"We are really happy to be associated with such unique and innovative projects of this magnitude, which also comply with the GSAS rating system to achieve Qatar’s National Vision for sustainable development," remarked Satish G. Pillai, Executive Director, Galfar Al Misnad.
Green Feather in Galfar Al Misnad’s Cap
The Khalifa Stadium Energy Centre uses the district cooling system to sustainably provide stable cooling in the open air Khalifa International Stadium. This was the first Energy Center in Qatar to achieve the SEER certification with the SEER value of 4.28. The initial designs proposed for the District Cooling system at the Energy Centre was with ice storage tanks that used glycol chillers for forming ice, which required a lot of space to accommodate all the associated equipment and machinery, and would have consumed a lot of energy. Galfar Al Misnad, along with their specialist consultants to the project, proposed an alternate and more sustainable design that replaced the glycol chillers and the ice storage tanks with a combination of 52,200 Ton water cooled chillers and a 100000 Ton hour stratified chilled water thermal energy storage(TES) tank.
Through this redesigned district cooling concept, the originally envisaged land footprint was reduced by 50 % and as a consequence, the built-up area also came down to one fourth. Using the chilled water storage tank instead of ice storage tanks also resulted in a considerable saving of energy consumption. Furthermore, the simplified and optimized layout of the equipment provided ample space for operation and maintenance services.
The uniqueness of the design concept adopted by this leading construction firm in Qatar, as well as its advantages, prompted SC/ Aspire Zone Foundation to make it the unilateral standard for the Energy Centres for other stadiums being constructed for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
Based on the success of the Khalifa Stadium Energy Centre, Galfar Al Misnad was selected for the design and construction of the Energy Centre at the Al Bayt Stadium – Al Khor City.
Environment Awareness Month at Galfar Al Misnad
As part of the company’s regular sustainability programs, the month of June is commemorated as Environment Awareness Month, in tandem with World Environment Day that is celebrated on June 5th every year. During the entire month, the company conducts various activities to promote eco-friendly practices, including tree plantation drives; environmental awareness sessions at offices, project sites, and camps; and community outreach programs.
This year Galfar Al Misnad celebrated World Environment Day 2021 with a tree plantation ceremony at the leading contracting company’s brand new workshop facilities at Jery Al Samur. Executive Director, Satish G. Pillai inaugurated the event by planting a lemon tree at the site. Different types of saplings and trees were also planted in the area by the senior management team and other employees. In line with the WED 2021 theme, “Ecosystem Restoration,” some of the plants that were planted at the workshop facilities were trees that were relocated from the company’s sites that had been demobilized. The tree plantation catered towards the creation of healthy green spaces all around the work site.
Through these initiatives, Galfar Al Misnad continuously endeavours to uphold and improve its sustainability goals, to ensure a greener and cleaner planet.
