KUWAIT, May 1 (KUNA) -- The Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) has announced that its flare gas recovery project in Al-Ahmadi refinery was to get the certification and approval of the Clean Development Mechanism Board of the Kyoto Protocol on global warming.
"The Clean Development Mechanism Board has agreed, after review and study from accredited bodies, to certify the flare gas recovery project," KNPC Spokesman Mohammad Al-Mansour Al-Ajmi told KUNA.
He revealed that the move was taken on April 25 after nearly four months of Kuwait's application for the UN certification of the project, aimed at reducing carbon emmisions and lessening negative impacts on the environment.
Al-Ajmi pointed out that the purpose of the project is to recover gases that are currently flared at Mina Al-Ahmadi MAA Refinery.
"It aims to stop gas flaring through the RMP and FUP flare systems and to make use of the value represented by the components present in the flare gas. Recovered gas will be used as fuel for thermal energy generation," he said.
Al-Ajmi pointed out that the project has many privileges for Kuwait.
It will reduce the levels of CO2 emissions, limiting air pollution and other environmental impacts associated with the combustion of fossil fuel.
It will encourage more carbon emission reduction efforts in the country and prove the national capacity to handle such carbon emission reduction projects.
He noted that the projects will also generate revenues from the sales of certified emission reductions (CERs).
CER projects generate Certified Emission Reductions (CER), whereby one CER is the equivalent to one tonne of CO2 emissions that has been avoided.
These emission reduction certificates can be traded within the European emissions trading system and bought by companies or countries to help them achieve their reduction targets. The certificates are also suitable for voluntary offsetting.
The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), defined in Article 12 of the Protocol, allows a country with an emission-reduction or emission-limitation commitment under the Kyoto Protocol (Annex B Party) to implement an emission-reduction project in developing countries. Such projects can earn saleable certified emission reduction (CER) credits, each equivalent to one tonne of CO2, which can be counted towards meeting Kyoto targets.
The mechanism is seen by many as a trailblazer. It is the first global, environmental investment and credit scheme of its kind, providing a standardized emissions offset instrument, CERs.
The mechanism stimulates sustainable development and emission reductions, while giving industrialized countries some flexibility in how they meet their emission reduction or limitation targets. (end) asj.tb.ibi KUNA 011942 May 13NNNN