Largest solar power stations in Qatar
Top biggest solar photovoltaic power stations in Qatar.
(Updated October 2024)
Solar power stations, PV farms 2024 in Qatar
| Name | Location | State | Capacity MWp or MWAC (*) | Annual Output GWh | Land Size km² | On grid | Remarks | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Al-Shahaniya |
800 |
1000 ha |
2021 |
The 350MW first phase will be grid-connected by the first quarter of 2021 and the project is expected to be fully commissioned in April 2022 |
Siraj Energy, Total |
Solar power in Qatar
For ages, Qatar has totally relied on its massive gas resources to generate electricity. Today, power diversification by investing in photovoltaic (PV) solar resources is the cornerstone of the National Vision to obtain twenty percent clean energy by 2030.
The country's solar energy future seems bright. Its weather conditions with little cloud cover and on average 9.5 hours of sunshine daily along with a large area makes it suitable for enormous photovoltaic (PV) installations. Qatar has an annual worldwide horizontal irradiation of 2,140 kWh per m2, making it ideal for solar energy generation.
Qatar has ambitiously aimed to add a 2 percent clean energy share in the national energy mix by 2022. Solar energy has a number of benefits for Qatar, including increased energy security, improved air quality, lower gas emissions, and job opportunities, etc.
Owing to the rapidly growing population and mushrooming industrialization, the Qatari government formulated a plan to develop more effective and sustainable ways of energy production and proper conservation. This became one of the core elements of their 2030 National Vision and helped shape the proposition of the "carbon-neutral FIFA World Cup 2022".
Al Kharsaah solar power project
Al Kharsaah, Qatar's 1st large-scale solar project, will start providing sustainable, economical, and clean energy to enterprises, organizations, and citizens via the Qatari grid in 2021, with a 350 MWp capacity initially, before attaining maximum capacity in 2022. It will meet about 10% of Qatar's peak electricity consumption needs and will cut the country's CO2 emissions by 26 million tonnes over the project's lifetime. The solar facility will be constructed on more than 1000 hectares and will have two million bifacial solar modules with trackers, allowing for significant power enhancements and reaping the benefits of the region's high exposure to sunlight.
The project will cost 1.7 billion riyals ($467m). Siraj 1 SPV will develop the project at a site 80km west of Doha. It is a joint venture which is forty percent controlled by Total Solar International and Marubeni and sixty percent owned by Siraj Energy, jointly owned between QEWC (Qatar Electricity & Water Company, 60 percent ) and Qatar Petroleum (forty percent). The plant is supported by a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Kahramaa, the project's off-taker. As per Sungrow, the completion of this solar facility will make it the world's 3rd largest while Qatar's first largest solar plant.