Qatar turns to solar for power needs
The Qatari government this week announced plans to increase solar energy production to meet increasing demand for electricity and water.
"Qatar has solar energy potential that equals 1.5 million barrels of crude oil annually, and that is why the government is set on benefiting from this renewable energy resource," said Abdallah ben Hamad al Atia, head of Qatar's Administrative and Transparency Agency.
"The country has witnessed a steady increase in population in the past few years and this led to an increase in demand on power and water," he said.
"The Ministry of Energy and Industry will launch a number of solar power projects to generate 200 megawatts," and a large portion of the solar power will be used for desalination, Al Atia said.
"We aim at producing 20 percent of our energy from renewable sources by 2024, and we have also set a target of producing 1,800 megawatts by 2020," he said.
The projects include a solar complex, implemented by the Qatar National Food Program, which will produce energy exclusively for desalination plants.
The plan to take advantage of solar power comes within the context of Qatar's 2030 National Vision, which focuses on achieving sustainable development.
Qatari plans to invest $125 billion USD in the water and power sectors in the next five years. The government is investing around $4.1 billion USD in the power sector this year alone, and the state budget for 2013-2014 includes $60 billion USD for major infrastructure projects, about a third of which will go toward water, wastewater and energy projects.
The country is preparing to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022. Government officials said $200 billion USD would be invested in infrastructure projects in the next 11 years.