To tap the full potential of renewable energy, Qatar signed agreements with leading giants for the construction of the first solar power station to produce electricity using the photovoltaic technology.
With an estimated total cost of QR1.7bn, the Large-Scale Solar PV Power Plant will be constructed at Al-Kharsaah area, west of Doha.
The plant is the first of its kind in Qatar with a total capacity of 800MW which equals about 10 percent of Qatar’s current peak electricity demand. The project is part of Qatar’s efforts to conserve energy and protect the environment in a manner that strikes a balance between the needs of the current generation and that of the future generations as stipulated by Qatar National Vision 2030.
H E Saad Sherida Al Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President and CEO of Qatar Petroleum, said: “The project comes as part of the energy sector’s contributions towards Qatar’s commitment to host the FIFA 2022 World Cup. It will generate about 8 times the size of the solar energy Qatar had pledged to build, helping the organization of a carbon neutral event.”
As part of the promotion of sustainable development, and the fight against climate change, the project will include application of the latest solutions and innovations in solar energy technology, including the use of dual panels, utilizing state-of-the-art automated systems to track the sun and the use of robots in the continuous cleaning of solar panels to ensure the continuity of production efficiency and reduce plant operating costs.
Kahramaa had announced requests for bids to build Qatar’s first large-scale solar Photovoltaic (PV) power plant in the first half of 2019. In all, 16 international solar power developers were prequalified by Kahramaa. Five competitive bids were received, reflecting the strength and attractiveness of Qatar’s electricity market and the global interest to invest in the country.
Despite the future strategy of generating electricity from natural gas as the best option for generating electricity, the generation of electricity from solar energy is deemed very important for diversification.
During the first phase of the project, 350MW will be connected to the grid by the first quarter of 2021 while the commercial commissioning of the total capacity is expected to start in the first quarter of 2022.
During the project’s life time, the plant will contribute to reducing 26 million tonnes of CO2, which aligns with the objectives of the national program for conservation and energy efficiency “Tarsheed” to reduce 1 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually until 2022.
