The President of Kahramaa Essa bin Hilal Al Kuwari touring the exhibition during the Qatar Alternative Energy Investors Summit at the St Regis Hotel in Doha, yesterday. Shaival Dalal
DOHA: Qatar will float tenders for its proposed 200MW solar energy project by the end of this year. The first phase of the project is scheduled to be launched early next year, Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) President Essa bin Hilal Al Kuwari said yesterday.
Talking on the sidelines of the 4th Qatar Alternative Energy Investors Summit here yesterday Al Kuwari said Kahramaa is planning to launch a pilot project which targets to generate 10MW power from solar energy. The pilot project would be launched early 2014, he told reporters.
Kahramaa announced the launch of a 220MW solar energy power project at Doha COP18/CMP8.
The initial phase of the project was originally expected to be tendered in the first quarter of 2013. The second phase was expected to be completed over the next eight years.
Earlier, formally opening the two-day summit, Al Kuwari said there exists a huge financing gap in terms of realising the global alternative energy dream. In order to close this gap, the mobilsiation of private investment and finance are crucial.
“Qatar electricity and water production market is open for private investors and will be very open for alternative energy investors... Kahramaa’s goal is to make alternative energies competitive and profitable; therefore Kahramaa is interested in the deployment of renewable energy, energy efficient and low-pollution technologies,” he said.
He said Kahramaa is keen to strengthen its partnership and collaboration with other stakeholders inside and outside Qatar.
The corporation has already signed MoUs with many leading Qatari institutions such as Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) in renewable sources grid connections, MoU with Qatar Solar Technology for cooperation in renewable energy, MoU with QEERI (Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute) for cooperation and carryout projects in CSP (concentrated solar power) and RO (renewable obligations) technologies and MoU with IBERDROLA Utility for cooperation in experience exchange and carryout pilot projects in smart grid applications.
As per the existing rate of growth, Al Kuwari noted, the global energy demand will be doubled by 2050 and expected electricity share will be around 120 exajoules per annum (EJ/annum).
He said solar PV (photovoltaics) grew the fastest of all renewable technologies during the period from end-2006 through 2011, with almost 30GW capacity added in 2011 increasing the total PV global capacities to 70GW, and wind power increased by 20 percent in 2011 increasing the total wind global capacities to 238 GW.
According to him global investment in renewable energy reached $257bn in 2011, more than six times the figure for 2004. The top investors were China, the US, Germany, Italy and India.
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