Doha, October 22 (QNA) – Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI) of Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU), in cooperation with Qatar’s Mowasalat (Karwa), has launched a lithium-ion battery cell testing project to improve the operating system of electric buses.
The project supports the research sector in the trial and testing of electric bus batteries that are actually used in the operations of Mowasalat (Karwa).
The company has started converting its public transport to electric buses earlier this year and is scheduled to operate a fleet of environmentally friendly electric buses to serve the public transport system during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
In addition to battery tests, the joint venture includes a number of different technical and operational aspects of the electric bus system, and the first step will be the formation of a comprehensive perception and analysis of the actual challenges resulting from similar international case studies in the field of electric bus operation technologies to meet these challenges and decision-making methods.
Based on practical experience, the Institute’s scientists will develop safety risk assessment criteria to provide a systematic approach to assessing the likelihood and severity of identified risks and their consequences, while identifying actions to address those risks.
The Institute will also study aspects related to the reliability of batteries at the cell level, determine the cycle and obsolescence of the operational life, and develop models to improve battery operations and reduce damage.
Mowasalat and its team of electrical engineers will contribute to the transportation process and provide other related data, in addition to providing battery cells actually used in electric cars and buses to support charging station tests conducted by QEERI for its own research projects. The Institute’s Energy Center will continue its research, development and innovation efforts to develop solutions that can increase the performance and longevity of car batteries in Qatar, which could extend to electric vehicles in the future.
QEERI’s Executive Director Dr. Marc Vermeersch explained that sustainable and green transport, with its transformation to environmentally friendly transport systems, plays an important role in Qatar’s long-term sustainability strategy, expressing his happiness that the expertise of the Institute’s scientists and its modern facilities will contribute to improving the fleet of electric buses for Mowasalat.
By supporting the efforts of important stakeholders, the Institute is aligning its research and innovations with the country’s goal of providing fully environmentally friendly public transport by 2030.
Chief Operating Officer of Mowasalat Eng. Ahmed Al-Obaidli highlighted the company’s commitment to providing modern and environmentally friendly transportation solutions using the latest technological innovations, expressing his pleasure to cooperate with QEERI to conduct this specialized scientific study.
He pointed out that the results of these efforts will play an important role in the legacy of sustainable development in the State of Qatar and contribute effectively to achieving the goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030.
Eng. Al-Obaidli added that the company is always keen to adopt the latest technologies and innovations at all stages to keep pace with the rapid development in the global transport sector, provide safe and sustainable means of transportation to serve Qatar and preserve the sustainability of the environment, pointing out that Mowasalat puts quality and safety at the forefront of its priorities, and also seeks to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2030.
For her part, QEERI’s Senior Research Director Dr. Veronica Bermudez said that the center is developing innovative technology for designing electric vehicle charging facilities and integrating them with the integrated energy storage system and the simultaneous use of local (photovoltaic solar) energy resources, in order to minimize negative impacts on the electricity grid in Qatar.
The aim is to address the key challenges facing the integration of EV charging networks in Qatar by exploiting synergies between innovative autonomous control schemes, actual network modeling and deep learning-based methods in order to adopt optimal charging or discharging scenarios. (QNA)
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