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State-owned QatarEnergy will build a 2 GW solar plant in the Dukhan region which will double the Gulf country’s solar capacity by 2030, according to a statement released earlier this week. No timeline or financial details were disclosed in the statement.
What we know: The solar power plant will “more than double our solar production capacity” to 4 GW by the end of the decade, Qatar’s Energy Minister and QatarEnergy CEO Saad Al Kaabi said in the statement. The set target will see solar represent 30% of the country’s total electricity production.
This has been in the works: A renewable energy strategy in April showed Qatar setting a target to reach a renewable power generation of 4 GW by 2030. The strategy identified that some USD 7.6 bn in capital expenditures will be needed by the end of the decade to achieve the set goal.
A glance at QatarEnergy’s solar capacity: The planned plant follows QatarEnergy’s inauguration of the 800 MW Al Kharsaah solar power plant in 2022. The company is also working on two solar plants in Ras Laffan and Mesaieed industrial cities with a total combined capacity of 875 MW. The solar plants in Ras Laffan and Mesaieed industrial cities are set to begin operations before the end of 2024, according to the statement.
What they said: “Developing solar power plants is one of Qatar’s most crucial initiatives to reduce CO2 emissions, develop sustainability projects, and diversify electricity production, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by more than 4.7 mn tons per annum,” Al Kaabi, who is also the CEO of QatarEnergy, said.
Solar is gaining traction in the country: Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) launched a new service last month allowing subscribers to install solar energy distribution systems and connect them to the national grid. The program is open to residential, agriculture, and industrial consumers.
