Tribune News Network
DOHA
In acknowledgement of the green building credentials demonstrated during the design and construction stages, QTerminals Container Terminal 2 at Hamad Port has been awarded with internationally recognised sustainability certifications under the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS).
Awarded by the Gulf Organisation for Research & Development (GORD), the project has received GSAS Construction Management certification with a Class A rating. Within the terminal, QAS South Building has received GSAS 3 Stars Certificate under Design & Build, Offices Scheme. In addition, the terminal is undergoing GSAS Design & Build for the whole of the Phase 1 and 2 areas. An awarding ceremony was held to celebrate the achievement in the presence of senior leadership from GORD, the project consultants and QTerminals which is the terminal operator responsible for enabling Qatar’s imports and exports and its maritime trade flows.
Appreciating QTerminals’ efforts in materialising sustainability goals, Founding Chairman of GORD Dr Yousef Alhorr said, "In today’s globalised world, ports play an integral role in shaping the economic development of nations. At the same time, terminal operators are the ones that add value and streamline supply chains.
"QTerminals has an enormous responsibility to optimise and expand Hamad Port’s operational capacity to better connect Qatar with the international market. It is heartening to see that in delivering its operational goals, QTerminals has remained climate-conscious by opting for environmentally responsible practices in developing sustainable infrastructure projects such as Container Terminal 2.”
QTerminals Group CEO Neville Bissett said, "QTerminals is proud to be part of this great and forward-looking sustainability initiative in port operations. We understand the importance and the impact of new developments on the environment and we will continue to drive these initiatives in all our future projects.”
Demonstrating outstanding on-site practices during the construction management phase, Container Terminal 2 is the first project to receive GSAS Construction Management certificate under GSAS 2019, which represents a comprehensive sustainability assessment framework for rating onsite practices developed by contractors.
In evaluating the sustainability achievement of the project, construction activities across the entire area of Container Terminal 2 were considered for their environmental performance.
GSAS-CM Class A rating attained by Container Terminal 2 represents one of the highest levels awarded to projects that incorporate sustainability best practices during construction through land preservation mechanisms, efficient traffic management, energy and water conservation, waste management, dust control, responsible stockpiles management, recycling and reuse of materials, health and safety measures and worker conditions. To divert construction waste of 132,000m3 from landfills, Container Terminal 2 development reused 112,000m3 of the excavated material for backfilling on site and reused the surplus 20,000m3 to fill and level an adjacent plot, thereby saving tons of CO2 emissions that would have resulted from transport and disposal of excavated materials. Water resulting from dewatering activities was reused for dust control on site. Similarly, to ensure biodiversity preservation, surplus water from dewatering operations was treated before being discharged into the sea. This move was aimed at minimising the impact of construction activities on marine life.
A significant part of GSAS calculations rely on project’s performance in terms of water and energy conservation. In this context, Container Terminal 2 achieved water conservation through on-site practices that involved the installation of water meters to measure and monitor domestic water use; covering of stockpiles to eliminate the need of water sprays for dust suppression; educating workers on water saving practices and use of chemicals for concrete curing that otherwise requires water.