QatarEnergy has signed an agreement with Samsung C&T’s Engineering & Construction Group for the construction of a solar project in Dukhan, located around 80 kilometres west of Doha. The project will be developed in two phases and is expected to achieve a total generation capacity of 2,000 MW by mid-2029. The project will begin to supply its first 1,000 MW of power to the KAHRAMAA grid towards the end of 2028.
The project will use a solar tracker system and inverters designed to operate in high-temperatures. Furthermore, the project is expected to meet up to 30 per cent of the country’s peak electricity demand and offset about 4.7 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually. Once completed, it will double Qatar’s current solar generation capacity and contribute to its target of more than 4,000 MW renewable capacity by 2030.
Qatar is heavily dependent on oil and gas for meeting its energy requirements. In order to diversify its energy mix, it is now planning to produce large amounts of renewable energy. Further, it has plans to reduce 25 per cent of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Thus, the country is expected to witness many solar power projects in the future.
REGlobal’s Views: With this massive project, Samsung C&T has become an important EPC player in the country’s growing solar market. It had earlier received a large contract in 2022 from QatarEnergy to build two solar plants of a total 875 MW capacity as part of its industrial cities solar power project.