QatarEnergy’s Mesaieed Fertiliser Complex To Position Qatar As ‘Largest’ Urea Exporter, Post-2030

QatarEnergy’s world-scale urea fertiliser complex in Mesaieed Industrial City “will position Qatar as the largest urea exporter, post-2030”, the energy major said in its ‘Sustainability Report 2024’.

The initiative aligns with Qatar’s vision of becoming a leader in sustainable energy and addressing agricultural and environmental challenges, QatarEnergy noted.

“QatarEnergy is contributing to global food security by expanding its urea production capacity,” it said.

According to QatarEnergy’s ‘Sustainability Report 2024’, urea is a critical nitrogen-based fertiliser that boosts crop yields and soil fertility, making it indispensable for global food security.

It provides plants with an easily accessible form of nitrogen.

Widely applied in growing cereals, vegetables, and fruits, urea supports sustainable agriculture by addressing the rising demand for food and challenges of limited arable land.

Urea produced in Qatar is made from natural gas. Natural gas is reacted with steam in the presence of catalyst at high temperature to produce hydrogen.

This hydrogen is then combined with nitrogen (which comes from the air) in a high-pressure reactor to produce ammonia and CO2. 

The ammonia is subsequently recombined with CO2 to produce urea.

In relation to food security, the report noted urea fertiliser enhances agricultural yields and food production to address global food security.

As one of the world’s leading exporters of urea, QatarEnergy plans to significantly expand its production.

“In 2024, we announced the decision to build a new, world-scale urea production complex to boost our current annual urea production of 6mn tonnes to more than 12.4mn tonnes annually,” QatarEnergy said.

In respect of QatarEnergy’s contributions to UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), the report noted that there are 17 goals collectively providing a universal framework for addressing poverty, reducing inequalities, tackling climate change, fostering economic growth, and ensuring peace and prosperity for people and the planet.

QatarEnergy said it aims to align its activities, operations, and sustainability contributions with the UN SDGs.

“While we contribute directly and indirectly to all SDGs, we address the ones that are most relevant to our business activities, focusing on areas where we can potentially have the greatest impact,” QatarEnergy noted in its ‘Sustainability Report 2024’.