Doha and Houston–Sister Cities

March 31st, 2009 mhitchings

Congressional recognition, a proclamation and an inaugural non-stop flight from Doha, Qatar, to Houston, Texas – oh my.
After a year of planning and about 17 hours in the air, Qatari dignitaries and members of the media (and even a couple of people seeking medical attention at the world renowned medical facilities) landed in Houston about 5:18 p.m. yesterday to mark the first of daily Qatar Airways direct flights connecting the two energy cities.

Houston city officials, media and invited guests formed two lines, creating a pathway down which the delegates were expected to walk on their way to the press conference table and podium, but the “tunnel” actually collapsed into a horseshoe once they came through the airport doors to the awaiting audience.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al-Baker; Ali Al Rais, executive vice president, commercial, Qatar Airways; and Ali Bin Fahad Al-Hajri, ambassador to the Embassy of the State of Qatar, based in Washington, D.C., were on-hand to address those in attendance with a formal press conference, while many other delegates provided support.

Steve Smith, former news anchor for KHOU-TV, Channel 11, and City Controller Annise Parker welcomed the delegates to the city on behalf of Mayor Bill White and other city officials.

“Let’s begin by extending a giant Texas-size welcome to Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Mr. Akbar Al-Baker as well as the VIP delegation — Qatar Airways executives and media members who were this that flight,” Smith said.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony consisted of several pairs of what Smith described as “Texas-sized scissors” and delegates from both cities easily snipped through the fabric, officially kicking off the event.

It just makes sense

“Before this decision to come to Houston, Doha was one of the top unserved markets that we had identified for Houston,” said Rob Wiggington, Houston Airport System deputy director of marketing, communications and community affairs. “We have some natural synergies, natural reasons to fly closer together, to do business, and of course much of that has to do with the two cities and the two regions being major energy capitals of the world.”

Quoting some statistics to back up the affirmation of the business decision to become partners with Qatar Airways, Wiggington noted that Qatar is Houston’s sixth major trading partner in the Middle East. He also said that during the past six years, passenger traffic between the two cities has increased by 62%.

Parker, on behalf of the city, noted March 31 as Qatar Airways Day, presenting an official proclamation to the Qatari delegates.

“We now proudly add Qatar Airways to the list of outstanding international airlines contributing to Houston’s growth and economic strength,” Parker said, reading from the proclamation. “Qatar Airways will provide the quality air service that is now part of Houston’s greatness…This addition furthers Houston growth as the international gateway and gives Houston another opportunity to expand cultural and business ties.”

After delegates exchanged gifts, Al-Baker addressed the audience.

“We are here at last. Qatar Airways maiden flight from Doha to Houston has finally touched down in the city,” Al Baker said. “There is synergy between my country and Houston. My country is the home to the world’s third-largest natural gas reserves. It is also the world’s largest exporter of LNG [liquefied natural gas]. It’s one of the fastest growing economies in the world, with growth earmarked to be 9% in 2009 while most of the economies in the world are shrinking … in 2007, U.S. companies invested over US$7 billion in Qatar,” just to mention a few of the statistics that show Qatar as a growing world energy leader. While the population is only about 1.56 million, the local to expat residents ratio percentage is 20:80 with a large American-based community, he noted.

Al-Baker estimated the company’s growth to be 35% in 2008 and 2009, carrying more than 12 million passengers, “keeping in mind that in the whole of 1996, we only carried 400,000 passengers,” he said.

The new Boeing 777-200 Long Range aircraft, which was delivered to Qatar Airways last month, is reserved exclusively for the Houston-to-Doha trip. It has a 180-degree, 6-ft 4-in. flat bed for business class traveler, “keeping in mind the very tall Americans who travel with us,” Al-Baker said. “It is a greener and leaner aircraft, very fuel efficient, more environmentally friendly, and of course with lower carbon emissions of any airliner per seat kilometer.”

He also noted the airline will be launching a new product within the next year that will be “unimaginable in the luxury of air travel.”

Al-Hajri noted his pleasure with having the airlines flying to Houston, saying part of his job is to help bring  the United States and Qatar closer and improve relations. “I’m very happy today to see this flight come in here,” he said. “As Winston Churchill said, there are two kinds of speeches: one short and one long. The short is thank you, and the long is thank you very much.”

Environmental commitment

While noting the airplanes in Qatar Airways fleet are “greener and leaner,” Al-Baker outlined plans to move to a biofuel blend fuel as well as an effort to reduce its carbon impact.

“Not forgetting all this growth, we also have corporate social responsibilities in mind. We want to fly Oryx green. We want to pioneer the next-generation fuel research, which we will be announcing in the not-too-distant future, but with all this, we would also be the first airliner in the world to be powered by GTL [gas-to-liquids], which will be a very fuel-efficient, very low-carbon emissions from our engines, and our real desire is to have a carbon neutral growth.”

Future destinations

During last night’s event, Al-Baker announced plans to expand to three new U.S. destinations — the airlines already flies direct to Doha from New York’s JFK International Airport, Washington state’s Dulles International Airport and Houston’s George W. Bush Intercontinental Airport — as well as three international locations (South Africa as well as expansions in China and Japan).

Previous coverage

Fuel for Thought covered the Qatar-based press conference in February about plans to connect the two energy cities.

The March issue of FUEL magazine also mentions the Doha trip in the editor in chief’s letter.

Related events

Cathay Pacific in the middle of March added Houston to its cargo service flight route.

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Houston: We Have a New Air Route; GTL as Possible Jet Fuel

January 9th, 2009 mhitchings Qatar Airways, one of the premier airlines servicing global destinations (London, Moscow, Shanghai, Singapore and more) connecting through Doha, is adding Houston to its route starting in March. Passengers traveling from one energy hub to the other will be able to do so daily on a nonstop 17-hour flight, rather than plane hopping as is currently the norm.

“We can’t be more pleased that Qatar chose Houston as a destination … We’re dynamic, the very first international city, and we are going to make it incredibly successful. Qatar is committed to making Houston successful; we’re just pleased and delighted,” said Kristian Anderson, Houston-based country manager for the southern United States with Qatar Airways.

“The natural synergy, the big catylst for this service, is the oil and gas business, because Doha and Houston are the two capitals in their different parts of the world. There was a natural synergy,” said Tony Hughes, senior vice president, Americas, Qatar Airways.

Like many other airlines, Qatar Airways is looking toward alternative sources of fuel for efficiency and environmental stewardship. While airlines such as Air New Zealand, Japan Airlines, Continental Airlines and Virgin Atlantic are experimenting with various biofuels blends, Qatar Airways is dedicated to exploring gas-to-liquids as a viable alternative fuel to jet fuel, which would make it the first gas-based fuel airlines.

“Qatar is home to the third-largest gas reserves. It is working in conjunction with Qatar Airways, with Shell, on how to leverage that and turn that into a more green-friendly-for-the-environment kind of travel for us,” said Rebecca Jelfo, marketing manager for Qatar Airways during a press conference yesterday. 

In a news release in fourth quarter 2008, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker expressed that the most sensitive issue facing the world is the need for increased environmental awareness and responsibility. That message has been carried into 2009.

“There is a huge movement lobbying for the reduction in carbon emissions to make for a cleaner and safer environment,” he said in the release. “Together with our partners, we will all work in close collaboration to study the use of synthetic jet fuels or GTL kerosene in our drive toward a cleaner and safer world. And we at Qatar Airways look onward to becoming the first airline in the world to power commercial aircraft with natural gas.”

Flight trials using GTL fuel will commence after the study’s completion with a consortium research group that will focus on the pros of the fuel’s use with emphasis on air quality improvement, reduced carbon emissions and fuel economy.

“Qatar Airways is already a major player in the International Air Transport Association’s ongoing fuel-saving campaign designed to reduce carbon emissions,” Al Baker said. 

 

 

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It’s in the Air

January 8th, 2009 mhitchings As the new year begins and crude prices continue on the low side but slowly on the rise, some are speculating once again the viability of biofuels. In 2008, alternative energies and fuels as well as environmentally friendly and efficient were the buzz words, but there are whispers of concern from some now that perhaps with the lower crude prices, alternative investment and usage may not be as big a priority as it once was.

The airline industry, however, is moving forward with its proposals to research alternative fuels and is putting biofuels to the test. Air New Zealand was the last in 2008 to make a flight with its successful late-December launch powered in part by vegetable oil. One engine was fueled with 50-50 blend of oil from jatropha plants and standard A1 jet fuel.

Continental kicks off 2009

Continental Airlines yesterday completed the first North American commercial carrier test flight using a biofuel blend that includes components deriving from algae and jatropha plants. These sustainable second-generation sources neither impact food crops, nor water resources nor contribute to deforestation, all of which have been points of contention with various organizations from farmers to environmentalists.

“This demonstration flight represents another step in Continental’s ongoing commitment to fuel efficiency and environmental responsibility,” said Continental Airlines Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Larry Kellner in a news release. “The technical knowledge we gain today will contribute to a wider understanding of the future for transportation fuels.”

Although the trip (the first of its kind to use a fuel partially derived from algae) was “experimental” and carried no passengers, it was a successful two-hour roundtrip flight from Houston’s George W. Bush Intercontinental Airport. The test was designed to emulate actual trip in-flight handling, such as power acceleration and deceleration, as well as rare maneuvers, including mid-flight shut engine shutdown and re-start.

“With our proven technology and the commitment of aviation leaders like Continental and Boeing, sustainable biofuels for aviation are a real near-term option. We believe that production levels could reach hundreds of million of gallons per year by 2012,” said Eric Bachelet, president and chief executive officer of CFM International in the same release.

One of the goals of increased biofuels use in the airline industry is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, a contributor of greenhouse gases.

Other airlines follow suit

Japan Airlines is planning a one-hour, passenger-less flight demonstration out of Haneda Airport, Tokyo, at the end of January using a sustainable biofuel component comprised of three second-generation biofuel feedstocks (camelina, 84%; jatropha, less than 16%; and algae, less than 1%).

Qatar Airways, based in Doha, is researching the benefits of using gas-to-liquids, which would make it the first airline to be powered by gas-based fuel. The airline has been joined by Qatar Petroleum, Shell, Airbus, Rolls Royce, Qatar Science and Technology Park and Woqod (Qatar Fuel Co.) to conduct a study during the next few years to analyze the pros of using synthetic jet fuels.

Virgin Atlantic in February 2008  tested a biofuels flight from London to Amsterdam by using a mix of coconut and babassu oil in one of its four main fuel tanks. Pilots and technicians were on that flight, but no passengers.

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Cooperation + Innovation=Happy Marriage?

November 5th, 2008 mhitchings The vehicle has continued to evolve to meet consumer, industry and world needs. Every 30 years, a change is inevitable, said Charles Morgan, director of design with Morgan Motor Co.

At Morgan, it’s about the vehicle and the consumer, pride in the creation and building of each vehicle, which, he noted, takes about 16 hours and is completely built by hand, no robots, no artificial means of compilation.

“I think it’s important to be open about what you do,” Morgan said. “I think it’s important for people to want to visit the factory and know that real people build the cars…new technology is great and we all need it, but there is an element of craftsmanship at Morgan that is important.” That being said, the company recognizes the need to keep up with energy efficiencies and listen to their customers. In an effort to reduce its environmental footprint, Morgan cars are about 30% lighter than those that are mass produced, he noted.

Morgan was one of three members of the production and supply chain innovation session starting this morning’s second day of the Altermobile Europe 2008 conference in Munich.

Phil Barker, chief engineer of hybrid and electric vehicle technologies with Lotus Engineering, discussed four key themes within the topic of production and supply chain innovation — developing new business models, innovation and design as a core business process, collaboration and cooperation, and internationalizing supply and production.

“The basic problem we are looking at is trying to run a country without oil,” said Amit Yudan, Europe Business Development with Better Place. One of the conference themes was to reduce, if not nullify, dependence on oil and conventional fuels and think more out of the box.

“The real market response is volatile,” said Andre Metzner with Roland Berger Strategy during his portion of the presentation, Cooperative Constellations in the New Auto Innovation Game. “No doubt there is a need to cooperate.”

Metzner discussed a variety of “cooperation,” noting most people are familiar with the “marriage” concept, which is planned for the longer time horizon, is formalized and usually has a low flexibility. He also noted a few other important types: club, syndicate, commune, party, forum and expedition.

“These types are not legal/business categories — they can serve more as conceptual reference points for designing or understanding cooperative constellations,” Metzner said in his presentation white paper. “From my experience, cooperative projects need both, a conceptual foundation and cooperative cultural embedding. The culture part should not be underestimated, especially in situations where fierce competitors cooperate or new ground needs to be (jointly) explored.”

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‘It’s Like Pushing a Pea up a Hill’

November 4th, 2008 mhitchings Can the oil and automotive industry continue to live quasi-harmoniously with the direction of the global economy, global warming and fuel costs?

The overall opinion is no, according to many of the speakers this morning during day one of the Altermobile Europe 2008 conference in Munich.

Iain Carson, business writer with The Economist and co-author of Zoom the Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future, set the scene with the oil and car industries — neither of which, he noted, would be able to exist without the other, but that neither can continue to operate at current levels.

“We are potentially heading for a divorce,” Carson noted of the marriage between the oil and car industries. “We can’t go on the way we have before. Why are we all here today? It’s the two words of the conference — we need to find alternatives for vehicles. We can’t do without cars, we desperately need them. The conclusion we came to is that cars aren’t the problem, it’s the oil,” he said, noting the thoughts of he and his co-author.

Global warming, energy security, safety and the debate of fuel and energy for automotive power were key topics among speakers. Nearly 100 representatives from car and design industries, financiers and investors as well as industry publications gathered to learn from each other how infrastructure and design will lead to automobile technology of the future.

Carson discussed peak oil and the thoughts of some pessimists that oil reserves in areas such as the North Slope are decreasing. On the flip side, he said, there are optimists who say we’re not really running out of oil, there’s plenty to go around. There are other sources to tap, such as tar sands, but Carson said these areas pose challenges because the oil is heavy, it’s tough to get out of the ground and its expensive.

“I think at the end of the day we will end up having more [oil] than we thought,” he said. “I think this concept of peak oil is like counting angels on a pinhead.”

Energy security, he said, is an obsession in America, because “not only is there a worry about scarcity of oil, it is concentrated in difficult and unstable parts of the world.” Carson noted that during the past 20 years, there have been two major wars in which the United States has been involved that revolve around oil.

Noting that about one-quarter of the man-made global emissions come from surface transportation, Carson said about 8% to 9% of that comes from private vehicles.

“We have this problem with global warming, and the only way industry can deal with it is with technology,” he said.

Christopher Borroni-Bird, director of advanced technology vehicle concepts for General Motors, noted that “vehicles of the future need to become a lot more intelligent and a lot more agile” — meaning they need to adapt to the way we live.

During his presentation, Borroni-Bird analyzed various regions and the way vehicle use impacts its residents. “In congested urban areas, 30% to 40% of total gasoline is used by cars looking for parking, and the average search time is about eight minutes,” he said. “Clearly there is much room for improvements to the customer’s parking…
“Cities are beginning to act like nation states driven by rapidly growing congestion, a broad resistance to urban highway construction and public financing of mass transport, and a desire to compete for business by marketing quality of life.”

Global transportation is the third-largest contributor to carbon dioxide emissions and global warming, and the second largest annually is land use, said Professor Julia King, vice chancellor with Aston University in Birmingham, U.K.
“The climate change challenge is to have a reasonable chance of restricting average global increases to close to two degrees and to avoid a significant probability of as much as four degrees. The developed world will need to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050,” King said.

Although King said she doesn’t believe the world is on track to meet these reductions within the given timeframe, she does believe the technology is there and that governments and policy holders can help.

“In the next 10 years, increased vehicle efficiency offers the largest opportunity for reducing CO2 — both through us as consumers, choosing more efficient vehicles and through improved technology,” she wrote in her white paper presentation. “Within 10 years, we could be driving equivalent cars to those we choose today, but emitting 30% less CO2. The technology is available. Moreover, the cost of the technology, likely to be reflected in increased car prices, is offset several times over by the fuel cost.

Traffic congestion in some places is increasing, even though many cars are becoming cleaner, Carson said. “It’s like pushing a pea up a hill…,” he said.

Climate change is not an issue that will easily be solved; it will take some time to get all parties aligned and address the challenges in the most productive manner with the most information available.

“…Climate change is a global problem, and effective solutions and policies must also, ultimately, be global. But we all have an individual role to play, which makes a difference, as citizens in electing governments and supporting legislation, and as consumers in the cars we choose and when and how we use them,” King said. “With strong, early action by governments, industry and individuals, car ownership and use can continue to drive economic growth and enhance quality of life around the world without destroying the planet.”

The world as we know it today is not the world of tomorrow.

“The world is changing, and in response to this there is a clear shift to electric drive. Electric drive could take vehicles out of the energy and environmental debate, but to solve all the personal urban mobility issues it will be necessary to tackle the network of vehicles, and this can only be addressed through connectivity: the goal is zero emissions and zero accidents,” Borroni-Bird said.

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Now Available — Commercial Lithium-ion Battery APS

September 2nd, 2008 mhitchings Reducing energy, saving fuel cost and emitting fewer nitrous oxides into the atmosphere are key items for large-fleet companies (in particular) to tick off their “to do” lists. Anti-idling technology, a seemingly small concept, has significant benefits, especially when layers of government (local, state and federal) are on the bandwagon to make it mandatory - and it’s catching on. 

Portland, Oregon-based Enertek Solutions Inc., which brought its anti-idling advanced Infini-Gen-Q hybrid auxiliary power system (APS) and battery-operated Infini-Gen APS prototype to the market during a May 15,000-mile  six-week roadshow across the United States as well as in Generator Reduces Need to Idle in the July issue of FUEL magazine, has released its first lithium-ion battery-powered commercial auxiliary power system for the heavy-duty transportation.

The Infini-Gen APS is designed as a plug-and-play system and takes as few as six hours to install on a standard Class 8 truck for local delivery and long-haul trucks. These systems provide heating, cooling and hotel-load power to the cab, which leverages advanced battery technology originally developed for the military. 

With this technology, gone are the days of sitting at truck stops for short- or long-periods of time, idling to keep the cab cool or warm and emitting harmful gases into the atmosphere that contribute to the already ominous status of climate change. Not to mention the needless burning of fuel (and thus the expense to refill the tank) and not getting any momentum for it.

The company, which has been focused primarily on the United States, is in late-stage negotiations with original equipment manufacturers overseas and aims to take this technology global. Several companies have placed beta test orders in advance of larger ones.

Perhaps one of the biggest benefits is that the all-electric battery systems do not require a diesel particulate filter, which is especially helpful in light of the newly enforced emissions regulations established by the California Air Resources Board for Class 8 trucks built in 2007 and later.       

 An additional tour showcasing the company’s advanced lithium-ion battery technology is in the works for later this year. The huge success of the road trip during the spring just begs the question — does it get any better than this? Is the rest of the unsuspecting (until now) population ready to have this new technology on the road again and (not) idling up to their parking lot and demonstration sites.

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Gas a Thing of the Past?

August 29th, 2008 mhitchings

Alternative energies, reduction of crude usage (and especially dependence on foreign oil) and a continuous quest for technologies that will reduce greenhouse gas and carbon emissions as well as the environmental footprint are among the most important items on the “to do” list for companies.

Crude prices have dropped more than US$20 in the past month and most experts (while others have differing views) expect it to go down a bit more and level off for awhile; although the new U.S. administration will determine how well these forecasts play out.

The refining industry has suffered with high crude prices and is expected to reduce new refinery production because of the cost, but refiners and their technology providers are conducting research and development to see what products are cleaner and greener and are looking to alternative fuels and energies to help.

Gas prices and the heavy dependence on crude to operate vehicles have led to some interesting developments in the automobile industry and thus a move away from convention fuel. This industry is moving at a fast pace as car manufacturers continue to crank out the latest fuel-efficient, compact vehicles running on various alternative fuels and with alternative technologies.

The international community is coming together (designed by a German, made with American parts and scheduled for assembly in Finland) to produce a vehicle with an advertised capacity to travel 100 miles (on the open road) without recharging.

With an $80,000 price tag and limited initial production to begin next year, the sleek Fisker Karma is touted as environmentally friendly.

But it doesn’t appear to be the family wagon you’d want to jump in with the kids and dog and go on a road trip. It’s a practical vehicle to toodle around town in, but taking it out on a real drive is tough without a practical place to plug in — and 100 miles is not far at all.

How many of you would (given no fund restrictions as the price may knock some people out of the buying arena) purchase this vehicle, and does your lifestyle match the limitations of the Fisker Karma?

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Alternative Vehicles — Necessary Evil?

August 17th, 2008 mhitchings Alternative vehicles, like alternative energy, are the way of the future — the move from traditional fueled vehicles such as diesel and gasoline, on which we’ve depended for years, to more environmentally friendly modes of transportation and fueling is inevitable, and is already being implemented. Popular alternative auto technologies on the road include hybrids, smart cars and plug-in vehicles.

The hardest part of the transition is not educating the public about the need to embrace the new world of sustainability - understanding the need to reduce carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions (we all get it) - it is breaking people of their silo-minded habits.

Everyone loves their car — how many times have you been stuck in traffic, creeping along, hearing vehicles puttering along, seeing them emit plumes of black smoke from tailpipes or smoke stacks, or seeing single-person after single-person vehicle?

Car-pooling is another initiative some have embraced since fuel prices began to skyrocket. However, we tend to be creatures of habit, familiarity and fans of comfort. A couple of people in my office car-pooled for awhile, but when fluctuating schedules required coming in early or staying late due to new project initiatives, sharing a car (and the costs) quickly became too much hassle.

What’s the hype about?

An interesting event, Altermobile Europe 2008, is scheduled to take place in Munich in November to help educate attendees (and you can bet we will be in attendance to update discussions along the way) about the importance - and dispel some rumors - of alternative vehicles and fuels and show they really are the wave of the future.

Manufacturers, journalists, think tanks, experts, professors and everyone in between as it relates to the auto industry will be on hand to discuss business models, fuel efficiency, sustainability initiatives and just learn about why it is so important we broaden our mind, think outside the box and really do our part to help save the environment and make the world a better place in which to live.

From the late-1700 steam-powered vehicle to gas to hybrids and electrics, the auto industry has continually been working to make better, more efficient transportation.

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