Doha: Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa), represented by the National Program for Conservation and Energy Efficiency (Tarsheed), has installed eight electric car charging stations free-of-cost to encourage the motorists to adopt electric cars, said a Kahramaa official.
“The project which was launched in February 2018 under the Green Car Initiative is eyeing to help switch up to five percent of total cars into electric ones in Qatar by 2022 in a bid to cut the carbon footprint in a big way and protect the environment,” Mohamad Khalid Al Sharshini, Head of Tarsheed Technology Section at Kahramaa, told The Peninsula.
Al Sharshini was speaking on the sidelines of a programme organised by Kahramaa at Kahramaa Awareness Park (KAP) yesterday to observe ‘International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer’ which falls on September 16.
He said that Kahramaa targeted to install over 400 electric car charging stations at car parking areas of government buildings, major shopping complexes, malls, roadsides, stadiums and public parking areas.
“All eight charging stations are functional and they are available at Kahramaa Awareness Park, Kahramaa Headquarters, Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The St. Regis Doha, Al Fardan Towers, Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) and two stations at headquarters of Mowasalat Karwa,” said Al Al Sharshini.
“A photovoltaic (PV) charging station, which is integrated with a solar panel in a very unique way, is installed in Abu Hamour at a Kahramaa site as a prototype and will be spread all over the country,” said Al Sharshini adding that some fast-charging stations are also being installed to save the time of motorists.
The ‘Green Car Initiative’ was launched by Kahramaa in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Industry, the Ministry of Transport and Communications by signing an agreement to increase the number of electric cars in the country. Kahramaa President Essa bin Hilal Al Kuwari in a statement issued on the occasion of International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer said that Tarsheed by the end of first year of second period helped reduced 3.66 tonnes of carbon emissions.
He said that Kahramaa held several activities and programs to mark the Day which aimed at creating awareness among people about the importance of making efforts to achieve sustainable as per Qatar National Vision 2030.
Kahramaa President said that September 16 marks the anniversary of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and it celebrates the progress in protecting ozone layer and moves to phase out ozone depleting chemicals which are also potent greenhouse gases.
Addressing the program at Kahramma Awareness Park, a Kahramaa official said that Tarsheed helped reduced about 15 million tonnes of carbon footprint since its launch in 2012 till 2018. “We dedicated a section at Kahramma Awareness Park to create awareness about the issue of harmful carbon footprint,” the official added. A representative from the Ministry of Municipality and Environment gave presentation about cleanliness and protect the environment. Large number of school students participated the programme.
