The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in early April to promote collaboration on the development and deployment of cost-effective and sustainable clean energy technologies, building on the historically strong ties between the United States and Qatar. Under the expanded partnership, the countries will exchange scientific and technical information and undertake joint research, development, and deployment initiatives that will help spur energy innovation, create new markets for clean energy, and support economic growth. The MOU was signed by U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman and Tidu Maini, the Executive Chair of QSTP.

“This partnership adds a new and exciting dimension to the already strong relationship between our two nations,” said Poneman. “By bringing our scientists and engineers together to pursue joint research, we’ll be able to develop the next generation of clean energy technologies more quickly. These innovations will help us to grow our economies and to build a more secure, prosperous, and sustainable clean energy future.”

Maini said, “We are pleased to have this MOU which is part our mission to build up strong partnerships with reputable agencies like ARPA-E [Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy]. This will offer a great opportunity to QSTP and its partners to collaborate with leading international laboratories in the United States, in technology areas that are a priority for QSTP’s future development. In turn QSTP will make available opportunities for ARPA to collaborate on technologies that are under development in Qatar.”

DOE, principally through ARPA-E, and QSTP will pursue cooperation in five key areas:

• ■ Advanced Cooling Technologies, including next-generation cooling technologies, systems integration and building controls;

• ■ Renewable Power Generation, for example, cost-effective integrated photovoltaic systems and coating technologies to reduce the effect of weather conditions;

• ■ Energy Storage, including high energy density electric storage and thermal storage for combined heat and power systems;

• ■ Carbon Capture and Sequestration, including improving the efficiency of existing and next-generation technologies and methods for the safe and efficient storage and transportation of high-pressure carbon dioxide; and

• ■ Water Treatment Systems, including efficient desalination techniques and effective water purification.

Over the next decade, the partners will work together and with the private sector to foster scientific exchanges and research on cutting-edge technologies, including utilizing Qatari facilities as test-beds for large-scale demonstrations of U.S. and Qatari technologies. The data collected from these demonstrations will help further refine the development of these innovative technologies and could provide the partners with new capabilities to meet their respective energy goals for the future.