Qatari state-owned petroleum company QatarEnergy has unveiled plans to build a new 2GW solar power project in Qatar’s Dukhan area.
The initiative is expected to more than double Qatar’s solar energy production capacity, while significantly contributing to the nation’s lower carbon emissions.
The project will elevate Qatar’s photovoltaic (PV) solar power production capacity to 4GW, a report by power technology said.
Dukhan solar power plant, along with the existing Al-Kharsaah solar power plant, was inaugurated in 2022 with an 800MW capacity.
Two further upcoming projects in the Ras Laffan and Mesaieed industrial cities will bolster QatarEnergy’s solar power portfolio.
The Ras Laffan and Mesaieed projects, with a combined capacity of 875MW, are anticipated to commence production before the end of 2024.
With the Dukhan plant’s completion, QatarEnergy’s solar power projects within Qatar will have a total capacity of 4GW by 2030, representing almost 30% of the nation’s total electrical power production capacity.
The Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the president and CEO of QatarEnergy Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi stated: “I am pleased to announce that, in line with our sustainability strategy, we will more than double our solar power production capacity to about 4,000 megawatts by 2030 through the world-scale, 2,000-megawatt Dukhan solar power plant.”
“I would like to emphasise that developing solar power plants is one of Qatar’s most crucial initiatives to reduce CO₂ missions, develop sustainability projects and diversify electricity production, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by more than 4.7 million tons per annum.”
In August 2022, QatarEnergy awarded a QR2.3bn ($630.33m) contract to South Korea’s Samsung C&T for the construction of its industrial cities solar power project, IC Solar.
The contract covers the construction of two solar PV plants with a total clean power generation capacity of 875MW.
Samsung C&T will handle the engineering, procurement and construction of the solar power plants, which are scheduled to be commissioned by the end of 2024.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com