Qatar to Build Solar Plant and Generate “Clean Energy”

Qatar is determined to utilize sustainable and renewable energy. In fact, it has recently approved several projects that lead to this direction, including the most recent awarding of a solar power plant.

This recently awarded solar project is known as the Al Kharsaah Large Scale Solar PV Power Plant. It aims to have a capacity of 800 MW, which can account for 10 percent of the maximum electricity demands of the country.

solar power plant

Qatar Spearheads Major Solar Power Plant for Clean Energy

According to the Gulf Times, the project, which will be located at Al Kharsaah in West Doha, is a long term one, consisting of several phases. The first phase is set to end by 2021 and aims to provide the country with 350 MW of power. The large scale solar power plant covers an area of 10 square kilometers and aims to utilize and benefit from the latest advancements in solar power technology.

Through this large scale project, Qatar aims to reduce its carbon emissions. In particular, experts believe this project will help Qatar reduce its carbon dioxide emission by as much as 26 mn tonnes. The solar power plant also helps the country diversify its source of energy. Saad bin Sherida al-Kaabi, HE the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, says that for Qatar to have a sustainable future, efficient and renewable energy is imperative.

Qatar, through Siraj Energy, will partner with two other countries, Japan and France, through Marubeni and Total, respectively. Siraj Energy will have a sixty percent stake in this major project. Furthermore, this project is in line with Qatar’s National Vision 2030. This National Vision is partly motivated by the fact that, while Qatar has mostly been relying on oil and gas to become the economic powerhouse that it is right now, it recognizes the finite nature of fossil fuel sources, and renewable free energy is the way to go for sustainability.

According to Mansoor bin Ebrahim al-Mahmoud, chief executive officer of the Qatar Investment Authority, the sovereign wealth of Qatar is shifting towards assets that are much greener than the current sources. He adds that a significant portion, 44 percent to be exact, of the funds for infrastructure projects are zero-emission ones.

Indeed, Qatar is truly focused on coming up with greener solutions to fight climate change. Through these cleaner and more efficient energy sources, Qatar is moving towards sustainable development and realizing its vision of becoming a leader in clean energy.