Qatar Will Boost Middle East Solar with 800-MW Project
The post Qatar Will Boost Middle East Solar with 800-MW Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.
Qatar’s energy minister on Jan. 19 said the country will build an 800-MW solar power project that will push the country far beyond its announced goal for solar energy. That goal of 100 MW of solar generation was established when Qatar in December 2010 was awarded rights to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament.
France energy giant Total, along with Tokyo, Japan-based investment group Marubeni, signed an agreement with Qatar to build the Al Kharsaah plant near Doha, Qatar’s capital. The project’s cost is estimated at 1.7 billion riyals ($ 467 million). It’s the latest in a string of projects bringing solar power to the Middle East.
“Today is the commencement of the project itself and we expected by the first quarter of 2021 to have half of the [plant’s] capacity up and running,” said Saad al-Kaabi, Qatar’s energy minister, in a news conference Sunday.…