RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP: KACST Vice President Prince Turki S. Al-Saud and British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia William Patey exchange documents after signing the research agreement in Riyadh on Sunday. (AN photo)

RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and the British government yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding for joint research on the sources of methane emissions in the Kingdom and identifying the technology suitable for checking such emissions, according to a statement issued by KACST.

KACST Vice President Prince Turki S. Al-Saud and British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia William Patey signed the agreement in the presence of several senior officials from both sides at the KACST headquarters in Riyadh.

Methane is one of the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

The joint research project primarily aims to study ways of reducing the level of environmental pollution resulting from methane emissions in addition to locating its major sources and geographical distribution. The project will also help find the technology most suitable for checking emissions in the Saudi environment.

The agreement stipulates joint research to discover ways for the chemical’s safe use in the manufacture of value-added products.

The project is significant in the light of the fact that Saudi Arabia is a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its commitment to the Kyoto Protocol.

The 24-month-long project would be implemented in collaboration with a specialized research center in Britain.

The agreement comes under the framework of Saudi-British collaboration for research in environment matters and production of clean energy.

KACST had earlier signed agreements with Lotus Engineering UK for reducing effects of automobile industries on environment. It also signed agreements with some British universities for application of nanotechnology as well as membrane technology in water treatment and petrochemical industries.