DOHA: QatarEnergy has moved beyond relying on the expertise of others for the construction, operation, and maintenance of solar power plants, said Minister of State for Energy Affairs and President and CEO of QatarEnergy HE Eng Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Ras Laffan and Mesaieed Solar PV Power Plants, he said: "The construction of solar power plants is one of Qatar's most important initiatives to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, to develop sustainability projects, and to diversify electricity generation sources. These plants are expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 4.7 million tonnes annually. The two plants, along with the Al-Kharsaah plant, will play a significant role in meeting the country's electricity demand, contributing about 15% of the total peak electricity demand.
"This percentage will rise to 30%, with the operation of the world-scale 2,000 Megawatt Dukhan solar power plant by 2029."
The minister took pride in the achievements of national experts who began implementing the projects.
The two plants will double the solar power production capacity in the State of Qatar to 1,675 megawatts of renewable electricity - a fundamental step towards achieving the fourth pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030, which is environmental management to ensure harmony and consistency between economic and social development and environmental protection. It also achieves one of the goals of Qatar's energy sustainability strategy, which is to generate more than 4,000 megawatts of renewable energy by 2030.
The two plants reflect the scale of Qatar's economic transformation and environmental commitment and strengthen its position as a regional leader in renewable energy, especially as it continues to develop mega projects and adopt supportive policies and technological innovations in the field of renewable energy, putting it on track to achieving its ambitious sustainability goals and diversifying the national economy by 2030.
