*Qatar Fertiliser Company (Qafco), which is celebrating its golden jubilee, has a total production capacity of 3.8mn tons of ammonia and 5.6mn tons of urea annually

Qatar Fertiliser Company (Qafco), which is celebrating its golden jubilee, has become the largest single-site producer of ammonia and urea in the world through six export-oriented integrated production lines, HE the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Saad Sherida al-Kaabi said Tuesday.
“The company has become a bright industrial face of the State of Qatar, starting production from its first factories in 1973 with a capacity of 900 tonnes of ammonia and 1,000 tons of urea per day, to become one of the largest producers of chemical fertilisers in the world, with a total production of 3.8mn tons of ammonia and 5.6mn tons of urea annually. This makes Qafco the world's largest producer of urea and ammonia from one location,” al-Kaabi said in his opening remarks at Qafco’s “50 years anniversary celebrations” at the Qatar National Convention Centre.


HE the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Saad Sherida al-Kaabi delivering keynote address at Qafco's golden jubilee celebrations at the Qatar National Convention Centre . PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil


HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani attended the Qafco golden jubilee celebrations in the presence of the Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon Magnus.
Al-Kaabi noted Qafco was the “first company established in Qatar on the principle of partnership with a foreign investor, and the first partnership model for many Qatari joint ventures with partners from around the world.”
The fertiliser major was the “first building block” of Mesaieed Industrial City, the first Qatari petrochemical manufacturer to export its products from Mesaieed ports to the world, and the first company to train and develop Qatari capabilities to work in and lead the petrochemical sector.
Qafco was also the “cornerstone” of the establishment of Industries Qatar, the largest listed company on the Qatari stock market. This listing has benefited the national economy.
Al-Kaabi said Qafco has also “maintained its unwavering commitment to environmental standards and developed new innovative products to enhance food production while minimising negative impacts on nature.
“This is a glimpse of our achievements over the past five decades, which we will work to strengthen over the coming decades to make Qafco a milestone on the global petrochemical map.
“We have built on this success by establishing multiple companies and joint ventures, such as Qatar Petrochemical Company (Qapco), Qatar Chemical Company (Q-Chem), Qatar Petroleum Additives Company (Qafac), Qatar Steel and others.”
Speaking of joint ventures, al-Kaabi said: “I would like to acknowledge Qatargas, a high-level liquefied natural gas giant, which plays a leading role in providing clean energy to consumers around the globe. We are also proud of our GTL industry through Oryx and Pearl GTL, the largest project of its kind in the world.
“I would like to point out that the role of joint ventures is not only to provide investment opportunities, expertise and resources, but also contributes significantly to achieving growth and sustainability, in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030 launched and sponsored by His Highness the Amir " .
This vision, he said “aims to transform Qatar by 2030 into a developed country capable of achieving sustainable development, playing a positive role at the global level and ensuring the continuation of a decent life for its people generation after generation. With this in mind, we place the highest priority on the development of Qatari citizens, good management of our hydrocarbon resources and thoughtful and diversified investment, and ensure that our projects are carried out in accordance with the highest environmental standards in recognition of the importance of the environmental factor for the whole world.”
“Our role in development and growth is not confined to internal projects, but we have also embarked on further horizons,” he said.
The recent years have seen the launch of several joint ventures with prominent partners in the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Congo, South Africa, Mexico, Morocco, Egypt, Kenya, and many other countries of the world, he noted.
“On this occasion, I have the honour to thank His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar for his wise leadership and guidance in the energy sector.”
Al-Kaabi also “thanked Qatar’s partner in the project - Yara, and all the employees Qafco since its establishment until now for their sincere efforts.”
Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry Torbjørn Røe Isaksen also spoke on the occasion.