Dr. Marc Vermeersch, Executive Director of QEERI.
Doha: Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI) of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) is working on a number of large projects that aim to make a specific contribution towards achieving sustainability in Qatar.
For over a decade, QEERI has been working in the fields of energy, water, corrosion and environment. It is considered among the region’s leading institutes.
“To meet the Qatar strategic sustainability needs and anticipate future challenges, our mandate aims at providing solutions in water, energy, and environment, in arid regions,” said Dr. Marc Vermeersch, Executive Director of QEERI.
“Using our knowledge and capabilities, we provide scientific insights and counsel that help national decision and policy makers in developing strategies. Nationally, we also provide hands-on scientific experimental data and support capacity building for future generations of Qatari scientists and engineers,” he told The Peninsula. Multiple centers at QEERI focus on core areas — namely Energy Center, Water Center, Environment and Sustainability Center, Corrosion Center, Natural and Environmental Hazards Observatory, Earth Sciences Program and Economics and Policy Program.
“Each center is working on a number of large projects that aim to make a specific contribution towards achieving sustainability in Qatar,” said Dr. Vermeersch.
“Our efforts also aim to support securing sustainable water and energy resources and provide the best possible environment to current and future generations,” he said.
QEERI’s Corrosion Center is currently working on corrosion inhibitor optimization, for which a state-of-the-art laboratory facility has been built to provide corrosion inhibitor field deployment optimization, as well as quality assurance check.
This project focuses on studying the effect of physical chemistry equilibria on corrosion inhibitor performance.
At the Water Center, a team is working on the development of novel point of use water filters based on in-house synthesized doped activated carbon (AC) materials. The filters have been tested for the removal of bacteria, heavy metals, and other pollutants that impact the taste, odor and health qualities of the water.
The developed filters are cheaper, have a longer lifetime and a higher efficiency in removing target pollutants compared to commercially available AC filters.
“We have also successfully finished the mission concept study of a NASA-HBKU project that aims to reduce the ambiguities on sea level rise projections and assess the spatial distribution of shallow aquifers in hyper arid areas. The study provides crucial insight to the vulnerability of arid areas to climatic changes as sea level rises,” said Dr. Vermeersch.
The Economics and Policy Programme is developing an energy systems model of Qatar to support policymaking in the areas of climate change mitigation and long-term infrastructure planning.
“Within our core labs and centers, we also offer various world-class services, supported by the institute’s highly qualified and experienced scientists, researchers, and engineers. For example, our labs not only provide analytical services in materials testing and characterization for commercial, industrial, ministerial and regulatory clients, but also collaborate with other research and education facilities to ensure the highest international standards are met. In this regard, QEERI has achieved ISO certification for its Integrated Management System as well as select testing methods,” said Dr. Vermeersch.
