One of the main aims of the project is to boost the conversion capacity of the company's refineries by means of converting heavy low-quality products into high-quality ones.
The products meet Euro-4/Euro-5 specifications. Therefore, the environmental impact is greatly reduced with much less content of SOx, NOx and other pollutants. For example, sulfur content in gasoline will be cut down from 500 ppm into 10 ppm, and in gasoil from 5,000 ppm into 10 ppm, he added.
Furthermore, the KNPC is now prepared to produce ship fuel oil (Bunker fuel), which contains 0.5 percent of sulfur, in line with the requirements of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) put in place in 2020, he elaborated.
On job opportunities created by the project, Al-Khurayif said the Clean Fuels Project is one of the strategic projects that serve Kuwait's 2035 vision by providing Kuwaiti nationals with job opportunities. Since it was launched, the project has now created around 800 jobs for Kuwaiti nationals, and developed their capabilities and skills, he added.
The project is also expected to create more jobs and promote local economic development, based on relevant mechanisms for maintenance and service contracts, he said, noting that nationals must make up at least 30 percent of workforce per contract.
Internal and external training courses were held for some 650 newly recruited employees, added the KNPC's Deputy CEO for Administrative and Commercial Affairs and Official Spokesman.
On the importance of the project to the national economy, he expounded that local spending was one of the key aspects of the project, with its contractors having spent a total KD 1.1 billion (around USD 3.57 billion) at the local market during all execution phases.
As for environmental significance, he said the company's products meet the strictest global environment specifications, and the project meets the local power plants' needs of clean low-sulfur fuel, thus reducing environmental hazards.
On major difficulties and challenges the project faced, he said the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic was a key challenge, given that it had hit the entire world at a time when the project was almost done.
