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AFP
Doha
Qatar signed a $470-million deal on Sunday to build its first solar energy plant, capable of meeting up to one-tenth of peak national power demand.
The Al-Kharsaah plant, near the capital, is a 10-square-kilometre (4-sq-mile) joint venture with French and Japanese partners due for completion in 2022 ahead of the football World Cup.
"Eight times the solar power pledged in the World Cup bid will be produced," Minister of State for Energy Affairs HE Saad Sherida al Kaabi told a media briefing in Doha.
The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, vowed at the United Nations last year that the tournament would be carbon neutral.
"Production capacity will be around 800 megawatts and 10 percent of peak demand," said Kaabi following a signing ceremony between Qatari state firms, France's Total and Japan's Marubeni.
"Eight-hundred megawatts will be the largest (solar power plant) built by Total," said the French energy giant's chief executive, Patrick Pouyanne.
The capital cost of the venture is QR1.7 billion, Kaabi said, with state firms taking a 60-percent stake and foreign investors 40 percent.
Marubeni will take 51 percent of the minority holding, while Total will have 49 percent.
"It's a pilot project, you have to assess how successful it is," added Kaabi.
Doha
Qatar signed a $470-million deal on Sunday to build its first solar energy plant, capable of meeting up to one-tenth of peak national power demand.
The Al-Kharsaah plant, near the capital, is a 10-square-kilometre (4-sq-mile) joint venture with French and Japanese partners due for completion in 2022 ahead of the football World Cup.
"Eight times the solar power pledged in the World Cup bid will be produced," Minister of State for Energy Affairs HE Saad Sherida al Kaabi told a media briefing in Doha.
The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, vowed at the United Nations last year that the tournament would be carbon neutral.
"Production capacity will be around 800 megawatts and 10 percent of peak demand," said Kaabi following a signing ceremony between Qatari state firms, France's Total and Japan's Marubeni.
"Eight-hundred megawatts will be the largest (solar power plant) built by Total," said the French energy giant's chief executive, Patrick Pouyanne.
The capital cost of the venture is QR1.7 billion, Kaabi said, with state firms taking a 60-percent stake and foreign investors 40 percent.
Marubeni will take 51 percent of the minority holding, while Total will have 49 percent.
"It's a pilot project, you have to assess how successful it is," added Kaabi.
