DOHA, QATAR: Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (KAHRAMAA) and Siraj Energy have signed an agreement of Al-Kharsa’a Large-Scale Solar PV Power Plant, for power purchase and project company.

Under this agreement, KAHRAMAA in its capacity as the Transmission and Distribution System Owner and Operator (TDSOO) will buy electricity from Siraj1: the Project Company of Al-Kharsaah large-Scale Solar PV Power Plant as an Independent Power Provider (IPP). Siraj1 is owned by Siraj Energy the Strategic National Investor by 60% and the consortium of Marubeni Corporation (Japan) and Total Solar International (France) by 40%.

The Large-Scale Solar PV Power Plant will be constructed on the 10 km2 land plot at Al-Kharsaah area west of Doha which has been allocated to KAHRAMAA by the Amiri decree No. 19/2018. The project is based on Public – Private Partnership (PPP) concept for the encouragement of investment in large scale projects. The project is structured as Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) for 25 years, where the ownership will be transferred to KAHRAMAA after the end of the term. The estimated total cost of the project is Q.R. 1.7 billion.

At a ceremony held on this occasion, the agreement was signed by H.E. Eng. Essa bin Hilal Al-Kuwari the President of Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation “KAHRAMAA”, Mr. Fahad bin Hamad Al-Mohannadi, General Manager and Managing Director of Qatar Electricity and Water Company and member of the Board of Directors of Siraj Energy Company, Mr. Masumi Kakinoki, the President and CEO of Marubini Corporation, and Mr. Partic Pouyanné, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Total. The ceremony was attended by dignitaries, experts, diplomates, and senior officials of the signing parties.

On this occasion, H.E. Eng. Saad bin Sherida Al-Kaabi the Minister of State for Energy Affairs and the President & CEO of Qatar Petroleum said, “the agreement reflects Qatar endeavor to diversify energy resources and increase renewable energy efficiency to ensure sustainable future for the coming generations.”

Al-Kaabi added that the Plant is one of the largest Solar PV power projects in terms of production capacity and size and the first of its kind in Qatar with a total capacity of 800 MW which meet 10% of Peak demand for electricity.

“The Project comes within our efforts to save energy and preserve the environment to strike a balance between the needs of the current generation and that of the future generations as per QNV 2030 launched and supervised by HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the Amir of Qatar.” He concluded

KAHRAMAA President H.E. Eng. Essa bin Hilal Al-Kuwari said, “Monitoring the recent developments in solar panel manufacturing along with their decreasing costs, and studying the natural gas that can potentially be saved, and carbon emissions reduced, KAHRAMAA has decided to go forward with a utility-scale solar power plant.”

Al-Kuwari added that KAHRAMAA requested bids, attracted bidders, completed the prequalification of 16 leading international Solar Power Developers, evaluated the technical and commercial offers, and managed through effective negotiations to get a competitive unite price for electricity produced from solar PV power plant which is considered the lowest in the world for such projects,” he added.