Qatar to establish first solar plant by 2016

Qatar has announced country’s first solar power station in Duhail, which is expected to be functional by 2016.

Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) proclaimed this news during Solar Qatar Summit on Renewable Energy.

The work of the station would be tendered at the beginning of next year. The capacity of the project will be between 10 mw and 15 mw, which will initiate country’s plans to develop solar energy in coming years.

Recently, the Qatar power authorities had conducted detailed studies on the possibilities of tapping its renewable energy sources and about 60 locations have been identified for setting up stations.

Of those places, a number of them would be shortlisted before solar stations are developed at many of those locations, said, Saleh Hamad al-Marri, head, Renewable Energy Technologies, Kahramaa.

Though the initial overheads for setting up solar stations would be enormous compared to the other sources, in the long run solar power would not only be economical for the country but it would also go a long way in keeping the environs clean and green in line with the goals and objectives of the Qatar National Vision 2030.

The country’s has kept a target of 200 mw of solar energy to be achieved by 2020. Qatar has set an initial target of 2 to 3 percent of solar energy in its total annual power generation, explained, al-Marri.

The country has approximately 242,550 customers and its annual power peak load demand was about 6000 mw as per the 2013 figures, noted al-Marri.

The country was exploring possibilities of tapping its renewable energy sources for more than 8 years and works are currently underway to put Qatar among the global leaders in the area of solar power in line with the vision of HH The Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, explained, Salim Abbasi, CEO, Qatar Solar Energy.

The country is committed to not only generate adequate power through cost-effective means but also to provide it to the residents at affordable costs, pointed out Abbasi.

The Qatar Solar Energy (QSE) is will produce panels in collaboration with some of the best known agencies working in the field for several years.

Sabeena Wahid
[email protected]