Qatar celebrates commissioning of first large solar PV plant
Qatar, Doha: Al-Kharsaah Solar PV Power Plant (KSPP), the first in Qatar, with 800 MW total capacity, has been inaugurated.
Image source: Energy & Utilities
Qatar, Doha: Al-Kharsaah Solar PV Power Plant (KSPP), the first in Qatar, with 800 MW total capacity, has been inaugurated.
The KSPP, now operating at full capacity, can provide the national grid with about 10 % of peak electricity demand. It started supplying electrical power to Qatar’s electricity grid last June, with the start up of a 400 MW first phase.
The plant stands on a 10 km2 land area with more than 1,800,000 solar panels utilizing tracking technology, robotic arms and treated water to clean the solar panels.
The power plant has been developed and is operated by Siraj 1, which is jointly owned 40 % by a consortium formed by TotalEnergies (49 %) and Marubeni (51 %), and 60 % by QatarEnergy Renewable Solutions.
The project includes a 25-year power purchase agreement between Siraj 1 and the power grid operator Kahramaa, according to a statement from a source.
“This giant project, which contributed to the sustainability roadmap of Qatar, demonstrates once again TotalEnergies’ ability to support producing countries in their energy transition by combining natural gas production and solar energy to meet the growing demand for electricity”, said Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TotalEnergies.
The inauguration follows QatarEnergy’s recent announcement of large-scale solar power plants to be developed at the Ras Laffan and Mesaieed industrial cities, amounting to nearly 900 MWp when operational in 2024 as planned.
The projects together will give Qatar some 1.675 GW renewable energy generation capacity. QatarEnergy wants to develop 5 GW of renewable power generation capacity by 2035 while reducing the carbon footprint of its facilities.
Source: Energy & Utilities
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