Environment inspection students from Qatar University recently visited Qatar Petrochemical Company (Qapco), one the leading industrial powerhouses in the region, to learn more about the petrochemical industry.

Qapco specialises in the production of polyethylene, one of the most commonly used type of plastic. This production process happens by converting ethane, a saturated gas associated with gas production, to active unsaturated ethylene. Under pressure, heating and via passing through a compressor, the chemical reaction converts the gases into polyethylene, a statement from the company said.  

Light plastic bags, various plastic films or irrigation hoses for instance are produced from low-density polyethylene (LDPE), while hard plastic bottles are usually made from high density polyethylene (HDPE).

Chemists and experts emphasise that these plastic products are not harmful to health and are safe to use, therefore plastic is widely used in food packaging, water and juice bottles or milk packs. The reason is because ethylene, which has been cracked, is a unique combination of carbon, carbon hydrogen and hydrogen.

Qapco was founded in 1974 and has grown to be recognised as one of the region’s leading petrochemical companies. The company’s production capacity is 800 kilo tons per annum of ethylene, and 700 KTPA of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and has a 70 KTPA Sulfur processing plant, in addition to other offsite and auxiliary facilities.

QP provides the feedstock to Qapco through a 126km pipeline from Ras Laffan to Mesaieed.

Despite Qapco’s important production, the company is strictly complying with the most stringent environmental legislations to prevent pollution and preserve  the environment for a sustainable future, the statement said. – TradeArabia News Service