The GCC and the Middle East can play a vital role in monitoring air quality by adopting more artificial intelligence (AI) technology, according to a top expert.
Speaking yesterday at the opening of the three-day CEM Middle East Conference on Emissions and Air Quality Monitoring, at the Gulf Convention Centre in Manama, AI and Digitalisation Manager at US-based Adage Automation Private Limited Oindrilla Chatterjee encouraged countries in the region to adopt AI to monitor emissions.
She said that using Portable Emissions Measurement System (PEMS) could facilitate the process and save companies time and money in comparison to traditional methods.
“Combustion processes, especially in factories and power plants, require continuous measurement of various emissions to ensure compliance with environmental legislation,” said Ms Chatterjee.
“Today, most firms measure emissions with complex and expensive analysers that have about 10 per cent downtime on average, and have a capital expenditure of about $100,000 (approximately BD37,000) per year and an operating expense of $15,000 (approximately BD5,600) per year.
“By utilising AI in PEMS in co-ordination with traditional methods, the region can monitor emissions and air quality more reliably and efficiently.”
PEMS is a software-based sensor that calculates emissions in factories and plants and can be used in gas turbines, furnaces, boilers, heaters, flares and ships.
The software can either be built by using the knowledge of experts, known as design of experiments, or it can be built with AI.
In design of experiments, PEMS relies on experts and their knowledge in physics and chemistry. However, it tends to require a medium to high effort and limitations can include time and costs.
PEMS built by AI, however, can use new and unique techniques and can be regularly refined and updated with comparatively low effort and costs.
“AI can select relevant input data from models and can be regularly fine-tuned,” said Ms Chatterjee.
“You can train various models and select the best one, thus making it more robust.
“Additionally, it not only allows for self-optimisation by experts, but also conducts regular performance checks.
“Overall, if you can use PEMS AI in conjunction with traditional methods and already analysers in place, we can achieve results up to seven times better and for a fraction of the cost, potentially reducing capital expenditure by up to 70 per cent.”
The major regional conference is being organised by ILM Exhibitions with the support of the Supreme Council for Environment.
Since its inception in 1997, CEM conferences have been hosted by countries such as the UK, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and India. This is the first time the event is being hosted in the Middle East.
Yesterday’s opening ceremony was attended by Oil and Environment Minister and Special Envoy for Climate Affairs Dr Mohammed Bin Daina and Industry and Commerce Minister Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro.
During the ceremony, SCE Environmental Monitoring and Protection director Luma Almahroos highlighted the importance of hosting the conference for the first time in the Middle East.
“We are covering topics and lectures that are relevant to all of us,” she said.
“It is of critical importance to our small nation, whose geographic positioning leaves us vulnerable to sandstorms.
“Since the 1990s, the kingdom has strived to work on improving air quality.
“A few years ago, we only had three stations dedicated to monitoring air quality in Bahrain, now we have 13 throughout the four governorates.
“We also hope for the continued adoption of technology and encourage innovation in Bahrain to achieve a high level of air quality in the future.”
The first day of the conference reiterated the need for sustainable environmental technology and solutions in relation to air monitoring and emissions.
It highlighted the Middle East’s dependence on the oil and gas sector, which emits a significant amount of greenhouse gas.
A range of topics were discussed relating to air quality, air monitoring, clean energy, challenges, regulations, dust measurement and greenhouse gases.
Lectures were held throughout the day, including talks on ‘Industrial Emission Regulations’ by leading environmental solution provider Jurgen Reinmann and ‘Real Time Environmental Monitoring’ by environmental and sustainability professional Sanjeev Kanchan.
Today’s lectures will cover talks on ‘Emission Monitoring’ from technical expert Faisal Raza and Aramco control system professional Ali Aldossary.
Tomorrow’s will focus on topics such as ‘Greener and Smarter Gas Emission Monitoring by Drone Technology’, given by Aramco senior engineering consultant Soliman Alwalaie, and ‘Advanced Continuous Emissions Detection’ by optical gas imaging expert Stephen Beynon.
In a 2022 report by Swiss technology company IQAir, it was noted that Bahrain was among the five most polluted countries, with an output 13 times higher than World Health Organisation guidelines.
Last month, the GDN reported that Bahrain’s proactive approach to tackling air pollution was yielding results.
According to the 2024 report, Bahrain is now placed 18th, with a notable reduction of 18pc in pollutants.
The kingdom has committed to achieving the National Afforestation Plan’s goal of increasing greenery and doubling the number of trees by 2035. This includes quadrupling mangrove coverage and reaching carbon neutrality by 2060.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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