QSTP session explores role of AI in powering energy transition

Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) and its anchor partner, Qatar Shell Research and Technology Centre, recently hosted a panel discussion to underline the value of artificial intelligence (AI) in propelling the transition toward a low-carbon economy.
The session, which is part of QSTP’s ‘Meet the Expert’ series, gathered global industry experts to review various aspects of adopting AI-centred technologies to realise emission reduction targets and create a more sustainable world.
Dan Jeavons, vice-president of Computer Science and Digital Innovation Technology at Shell, opened the session emphasising the interplay between the energy transition and digital technology as two prominent forces shaping the world today.
Drawing attention to some key areas in which Shell has realised the advantages of AI, Jeavons said: “At the top is the immediate benefit from deploying smarter solutions to make our existing operations more effective and efficient.
“For example, we’ve deployed predictive AI models that are monitoring more than 16,000 pieces of equipment today, enabling us to predict failures. In addition to saving costs, time, and efforts, avoiding these failures also means a reduction in our CO2 emissions.”
AI is also crucially helping respond to the rapidly increasing customer demand for cleaner and sustainable solutions, pointed out Dr Marwa al-Ansary, general manager of Next Generation Breakthrough Research at Shell.
Referring to the stages of technology development, for example, discover, develop, demonstrate, and deploy, al-Ansary said AI aids in processing large amounts of energy data to generate predictive insights which then facilitates tech innovators to move between each stage relatively faster.
Dr Adnan Abu-Dayya, executive director at Qatar Mobility Innovations Centre, highlighted the centre’s focus on enabling sustainable, smart and safe living using emerging technologies like AI and Internet of Things (IoT) to develop and deploy homegrown solutions across various industries in Qatar.
Focusing on decarbonising the energy system, he said QMIC is working with local stakeholders to use its digital expertise and tools to realise new efficient cooling solutions. QMIC is also pursuing a number of use cases for utilizing AI to optimise safety operations and remote sensing applications.
Discussing some of the risks associated with AI integration in the energy sector, Dr Ashraf Aboulnaga, chief scientist at Qatar Computing Research Institute, said: “While AI applications range from text analysis to predictive maintenance to designing novel materials, we must recognise that this technology comes with its own set of risks and it is important that we manage these risks when adopting AI in industrial projects.”
He underlined that the most important issue is the need to tackle quality and trustworthiness of data when deploying AI in safety-critical applications. Another broader issue is that of AI sovereignty which means that when several players utilise the technology, and especially when it involves a third party, the associated risks such as privacy encroachments are much higher.
Participants also heard from Grant Totten, head of Cloud, Analytics, and Insights for Tasmu at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, who shared some insights on how AI technology is supporting the Tasmu platform to fuel partnerships across multiple entities and sectors and advancing its overarching mission to achieve smart city development.