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LNG vessels can ferry fresh water back: Expert 

Web posted at: 3/11/2009 6:21:14, Source ::: The PENINSULA / by Mobin Pandit

DOHA: Qatar can access fresh water in bulk from European and other countries using the large fleet of liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels which ferry its natural gas to destinations around the world, says an LNG industry expert from Paris.

To carry fresh water back to Doha from LNG-receiving destinations, all Qatar needs to do is carry out minor modifications to the LNG vessels, said Damien Feger, Vice-President, LNG and Shipping, of ‘New Generation, Natural Gas’, a Paris-based company.

Feger said in remarks to The Peninsula yesterday on the sidelines of the ongoing natural gas conference here that considering that Doha would be exporting some 77 million tonnes per annum of LNG over the next few years, no less than 10 million tonnes of fresh water can be had a year using the gas-carrying ships.

“This would amount to an estimated one to two percent of the total water consumption in the country annually,” Feger said. Since the LNG ships return empty after making deliveries, their ballast tanks are filled with sea water. Instead of sea water, the tanks can carry fresh water. In European countries, for example, there is sufficient rainfall, so there is no dearth of fresh water, he suggested.

Earlier, presenting a paper on a similar subject at the post-lunch session of the 7th Doha Natural Gas Conference & Exhibition at the Doha Sheraton, Feger said that a significant share of the LNG route were towards countries with large resources of fresh water. “This would also ensure efficient maintenance of ballast tanks, no silting and increased safety,” Feger told the audience.

The peninsula