As the world is trending towards emission reduction, what is Bechtel’s strategy and initiatives in this regard?
Bechtel is committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050, and we are currently in the process of setting interim targets that align with the findings of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. To meet the world’s climate change agenda, our primary focus is on targeting and reducing emissions, rather than offsetting them, followed by carbon removal to counteract remaining emissions and get us closer to our net zero goal. Each project we build from now on has a role to play in our greater carbon footprint, so we align with our customers and work with our partners and suppliers to make sure we, and the industry, achieve sustainable results.

How can Bechtel help its customers and partners to realize their decarbonization targets?
We’re helping our partners deliver projects with a purpose that increase energy security and affordability, advance decarbonization targets, and lay the foundation of a net zero future. By integrating our knowledge and capabilities in engineering, technology, and construction, we develop innovative and sustainable solutions to turn ambitious concepts into real projects and help our partners achieve their goals.

Carbon capture, hydrogen, and circular economy solutions, including bioenergy, are helping our partners meet the growing demand for downstream products in a cleaner and more sustainable way, and our Bechtel Energy Technologies & Solutions team is continually focused on the application of proven and emerging technologies to lower carbon emissions.

We also help retrofit existing assets to make them more energy efficient or convert them to alternative power sources. Whether implementing new technology to convert gas to electric drives, adding carbon capture systems to existing fossil fuel plants, prolonging the life of nuclear power plants, or industrial-scale production of renewable fuel, our solutions help to deliver on our partners’ sustainability commitments.

Could you highlight your role in supporting Egypt’s decarbonization ambitions?
Bechtel is proud of our long association with Egypt and the surrounding regions – a partnership of more than 45 years in helping to create access and opportunity, shape the path toward net zero, protect people and the planet, and accelerate progress to connect communities to resources and opportunities.
Bechtel is leading a Coalition of Energy Transition companies to deliver a program to decarbonize onshore downstream facilities by proposing facility modifications that provide meaningful emissions reduction, energy efficiency, and operating cost savings. It started as an idea, using the Bechtel, Enppi, and Petrojet consortium to work on Energy Transition, and has now gained a lot of momentum and interest from other companies. This is a perfect example of private-public sector collaboration to tackle the climate challenge.

Furthermore, Bechtel has been designated as the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF) working group lead to develop the decarbonization of the East Mediterranean region report. The objective is to develop specific actionable recommendations for policies and regulations, financing, technologies, and capacities for harmonizing and developing a common unified regional East Mediterranean market promoting decarbonization.

As a leader of the Decarbonization Coalition to support Egypt’s climate change agenda, how successful is this agenda so far, and what challenges do you see?
The Coalition has developed an economically viable six-year master plan to decarbonize onshore downstream facilities across the country by implementing decarbonization modifications for gas plants, LNG plants, refineries, and petrochemicals. We identified the targeted facilities’ design information and studied and developed a precise list of modifications based on emerging technologies that bring emissions savings and, most importantly, bring operating cost savings to support funding of the modifications.
The Coalition has been awarded its first project, the “Idku Energy Hub” by Shell, Petronas, and EGAS to study a proposed unified power system between the onshore gas processing plant of the West Delta Deep Marine (WDDM) gas fields in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Egypt, and the Egyptian LNG export terminal (ELNG) in Idku, east of Alexandria.

The Idku Energy Hub project will explore the benefits of a One Power Hub concept, integrating the electrical power systems at the WDDM and ELNG, as opposed to having two separate systems. The main goal is to increase the power saving and greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement benefits of unifying the electrical power systems of the onshore plants. The synergies will include optimization of the number of running gas turbine generators, modeling the most efficient operating mode for both plants, reducing GHG emissions, and economizing the fuel consumption in the entire hub.
I am also happy to share that we are working with Shell and Egyptian LNG on the second Coalition project, which is to achieve zero routine flaring for the Egyptian LNG plant to support the Methane Global Pledge signed by H.E. President Al Sisi last June. We are hoping that there will be another announcement soon, confirming the award of this scope to the Coalition.

We have identified energy efficiency and flaring reduction as low-hanging fruit to achieve our energy transition goals. These projects are generally economically viable as they bring operational cost savings to their owners, which promotes their implementation.
Carbon capture and storage is a greater challenge to economic viability and financing, requiring policies, regulations, and carbon pricing schemes to be put in place.

In your opinion, is it possible to achieve decarbonization targets while providing crucial energy needs for economic growth?
Achieving near-term energy security is fundamental, particularly at this moment with governments around the world committing to ambitious targets. At the same time, the energy transition is here to stay.
The Ministry of Petroleum, under Minister El Molla’s wise leadership, has welcomed and encouraged the private sector and Egyptian and international companies to partner in developing innovative solutions to decarbonize this key sector. With this strong commitment to public-private collaboration, we are moving ahead quickly and efficiently to assess the requirements to decarbonize the sector and develop effective solutions to address it. This example demonstrates how quickly we can move, if we do so in partnership, and it stands as a model that other governments, perhaps beginning with those across the East Mediterranean region, can emulate.
Energy plays a key role in promoting social and economic progress — and technological advancements have created new opportunities to improve how we bring energy to communities worldwide. Any transitions in the energy sector should be compatible with social needs while protecting the climate.
Our customers are accelerating their efforts to reduce carbon emissions and achieve a future of net zero emissions. Today, more than half of the global gross domestic product is produced in countries and regions that have committed to decarbonization targets.

How can Bechtel’s outstanding technologies help in accelerating the energy transition path?
Our Bechtel Energy Technologies & Solutions group provides technology and subject matter experts focused on delivering for our customers as they tackle the challenges of the energy transition. Bechtel delivers optimized solutions to help our customers realize lower capital costs, shorter time-to-market, and projects with lower carbon emissions.
Supported by world-renowned experts, our depth of technology experience and technology development capabilities, and a suite of in-house licensed technologies, we examine innovative solutions and identify the best solution for each customer’s needs. We evaluate the application of proven technologies, emerging technologies, and innovative combinations of both to lower carbon emissions for our customers.
We apply technology, economic analysis, and complex process systems analysis to the energy transition challenge including concept definition, emerging technology advice and selection services, feasibility studies, technology licensing, process design basis and pre-front-end engineering and design (FEED) services in olefins, chemicals, water treatment, advanced fuels, sulfur, carbon capture, and hydrogen.

We provide expert solutions for industrial facilities to become greener, smarter, and more resilient. Our green space focus includes: Advanced fuels and chemicals using renewable feedstocks and pathways to manufacture products more sustainably; Plastics circular economy including novel chemistries and processes to convert waste materials and emissions into valuable products; Carbon capture, utilization and storage; ThruPlus® Delayed Coking Unit Technology; Hydrogen production, storage and delivery systems; and Novel water technologies that provide valuable resource conservation and reduce cost.
We use new process technologies, improvements in process and energy efficiencies, and advanced digital methods to improve carbon reduction, energy, and plant performance.

International oil and gas companies will have a rare chance to showcase their environmental initiatives and latest technologies during COP27. Why do you think it’s important for companies to take part in the Decarbonization Day of COP27?
As leaders in the industry, accounting for almost 30% of global operated oil and gas production, IOCs aim to leverage their collective strength and expand the pace and scope of transitions to a low-carbon future, helping to achieve net zero emissions as early as possible. Major oil and gas companies have been barred from official involvement at the COP26 climate summit due to doubts over their claims of going ‘net zero’. This year at COP27, the Decarbonization Day will be the open window for industry leaders to showcase not only their commitment to the energy transition but also their ongoing efforts to meet their targets to provide more low-carbon energy.
Companies play a decisive role in accelerating climate action, both by decarbonizing their own operations and by developing and producing the next generation of technologies that can help prevent ongoing GHG emissions.
The oil and gas industry is not inherently sustainable, nor is it eco-friendly, but that doesn’t mean companies are not innovating their way toward longer-term sustainability. With the use of modern technology and smart software, the forward-looking oil companies are working towards a cleaner, greener, safer future.

How do you think the outcomes of COP27 can affect the activities of the oil and gas industry?
Egypt has already made an exceptional effort prior to COP27 to ensure that the oil and gas sector participates and has a significant role to play in the climate challenge. This has been achieved through the introduction of the Decarbonization Day at COP27 this year.

We anticipate the outcomes of COP27 to address the mobilization of finance, access to technology, and building the capacity to accelerate the energy transition, which are all key drivers for the role that oil and gas companies have to support the climate change challenge.
COP27 is seen by Egypt as an implementation COP, where we all come together to renew our determination and lay out a clear path toward turning pledges into tangible actions on the ground.