QatarEnergy has awarded an EPC contract to Samsung C&T for its industrial cities solar power project (IC Solar) that includes 2 large scale PV solar power plants to be built in Mesaieed Industrial City (MIC) and Ras Laffan Industrial City (RLIC)
The plant is expected to start electricity production by the end of 2024.
The announcement was made at a special ceremony held in Doha on August 23 to sign the EPC contract between Samsung C&T and QatarEnergy Renewable Solutions, which is a wholly owned affiliate of QatarEnergy that is tasked with investing in renewable energy and sustainability projects and products in Qatar and across the globe.
HE Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs, president and CEO of QatarEnergy, witnessed the signing of the EPC contract. The signing ceremony was also attended by Sechul Oh, president and CEO of Samsung C&T Corp and other senior executives from both companies.
“This IC Solar project is a major step in the implementation of our strategy to diversify Qatar’s energy resources and to increase the reliance on high-efficiency renewable energy, which is a cornerstone for a sustainable future,” Al-Kaabi said.
He added that the project reaffirms the nation’s commitment to deliver on QatarEnergy’s Sustainability Strategy and its mid-term target of having 5 GW of solar generated power by 2035.
The project marks the first investment of QatarEnergy Renewable Solutions, which will invest in and hold Qatar’s renewables and other sustainable initiatives, moing forward.
Solar project to boost renewable energy generation capacity
The project is the second utility-scale solar project in Qatar. Combined with Al Kharsaa Solar PV Power Plant, which is currently under construction, the IC Solar project will increase Qatar’s renewable energy generation capacity to 1.675 GW by 2024.
The project will utilize high-efficiency bifacial modules mounted on single-axis trackers as well as cleaning robots that will operate daily to minimize losses due to soiling by removing dust from the PV modules. This will maximize the additional energy yield produced by the bifacial modules, according to QatarEnergy.
The project’s power generation capacity is distributed between the two main industrial cities in Qatar, MIC and RLIC. MIC will have a 417 MW plant and RLIC will have a 458 MW plant. The two plants will occupy a combined area of 10 square kilometers.
The approximately 2.3 billion Qatari Riyals IC Solar project will result in direct emissions reduction of more than 28 million tons of CO2 over its lifetime. The output of both plants will contribute to the reduction of QatarEnergy’s GHG footprints from its facilities in RLIC and MIC, most notable its NFE and NFS LNG expansion projects, in addition to expanding grid capacity in other locations.