The Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and H H Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned attended yesterday morning the opening ceremony of the South Hook Terminal for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) here. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Realms and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, also attended the event. The South Hook terminal represents a technological milestone as a part of the Qatargas 2 LNG value chain project that will make additional supplies of cleaner-burning natural gas available to the UK and the rest of Europe. Royal launch for South Hook LNG terminal: The Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani meeting Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom at the opening ceremony of the South Hook Terminal for Liquefied Natural Gas in ðWales, Britain, yesterday. The Emir and H H Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned were present for the opening of the terminal, which is part of the Qatargas 2 project. Sheikha Mozah also interacted with the local children who had gathered for the ceremony. He added that two of the storage tanks, each the size of London’s Albert Hall concert venue, are already operational. The third is expected to come into service in June, the fourth in October and the fifth before the end of the year. The ceremony was attended among others by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Industry H E Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, the Economy and Finance Minister H E Yousuf Hussein Kamal, and the Director of the Emir’s Office H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. “The inauguration of the terminal is a significant milestone in the Qatargas 2 project,” said the Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Industry. “ExxonMobil has been a strong partner of Qatar Petroleum, offering innovative technologies and expertise that have helped transform our regional gas resource into a global supply of clean-burning energy,” he added. Speaking on the occasion of the commissioning of Europe’s largest liquefied natural gas import terminal, the Emir welcomed Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and other guests in the Pembrokeshire district. In his speech, the Emir said what was impressive about the project was that despite being huge and complex, it is considered the world’s first fully integrated LNG venture chain and is viewed as a new source of energy diversification and export to the United Kingdom. “Our commitment towards you is considered as a clear-cut evidence of the deep ties between the two countries at all levels,” the Emir said, adding that he believed the establishment of the terminal will play a significant role in relations between the two countries. Addressing the plant’s staff, the Emir said it should be acknowledged that the integrated project would not have been completed without their efforts. “You made us come close to achieving our vision in Qatar,” he added. The Emir expressed pleasure over the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duke of York accepting his invitation “to join us in celebrating this historic occasion which is highly significant to our two countries.” Queen Elizabeth II, in her address, highlighted the importance of working together in bilateral partnership, saying such partnerships have many forms. She said what was being celebrated was a good example of partnership between the two countries which are working together to achieve common goals.She expressed confidence that Qataris will benefit from gaining access to the British energy market. Referring to the Duke of York’s attending the recent opening of Qatargas 2 project, she lauded the venture as another great achievement. The opening of the South Hook Terminal came to complete this chain, she said. The British Queen said Qatar and UK can achieve a lot through the partnership. The Emir, H H Sheikha Mozah and Queen Elizabeth II were briefed about the details of the project by South Hook Project Director Mohammed Abdul Aziz Al Noeimi. A documentary showing stages of the project—from infancy to completion — was also screened. The South Hook Terminal project is part of the Qatargas 2 integrated project, which is owned and developed by Qatar petroleum (QP), Exxon Mobil and French energy group Total. H H Sheikha Mozah and Queen Elizabeth toured the exhibition which displayed posters and images of the plant. The exhibits also showed the industrial and economic side of Qatar, along with the urban and educational achievements of the country. http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=May2009&file=Local_News2009051321218.xml

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