QAFAC plans to boost MTBE production

Qatar Fuel Additives Company (QAFAC), a subsidiary of Industries Qatar, is planning to boost the production of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), a gasoline additive, in Mesaieed and Ras Laffan due to increasing demand for cleaner fuel.
“With the steadily growing demand for MTBE, QAFAC is working together with Qatar Petroleum in exploring the possibilities of expanding our MTBE production in Mesaieed and Ras Laffan,” Chairman Hamad Rashid al-Mohannadi said at the first-ever QAFAC MTBE Workshop.
MTBE is the most widely used oxygenate, following the global phase-out of lead as an octane enhancer in gasoline. QAFAC currently produces 1,830 tons of MTBE a day, according to its website.
“As the domestic and regional gasoline market continues to grow, and with the construction of a new gasoline refinery at Ras Laffan Industrial City, MTBE has an important role to play in the production of gasoline that meets the Euro 5 standards,” he said.