Qatar to house the world’s third-largest solar power plant

The massive project is expected to be fully operational before the 2022 World Cup.

Qatar’s 800 MWp Al Kharsaah project will be powered by the world’s most powerful inverters in a collaboration with Sungrow, a China-based high-tech company.

Sungrow, the global leading inverter solution supplier for renewables, will support Qatar’s solar power project with the much coveted 1500V string inverter SG250HX.

The 1500V string inverter SG250HX is resilient in harsh conditions given its protection capability and smart forced air-cooling technology.

“The Al Kharsaah project is a breakthrough in our track record and will lay the solid foundation for our robust partnership with Sungrow. High-performing products, reliable service, timely deliveries and speed of commissioning have made them a preferred partner for our growing list of assets,” said Yu Hao, Vice General Manager from Power China, the EPC of the project.

According to Sungrow, the project is expected to produce the world’s third-largest solar plant and the first utility-scale solar project in Qatar. The power plant is going to be fully operational before the 2022 World Cup, supporting Qatar National Vision 2030 by facilitating local economic decarbonization and sustainable development and help in achieving the aim of making Qatar 2022 the first carbon neutral World Cup in the tournament’s history.

The Al Kharsaah power plant is located 80 km west of Doha, covering 1000 hectares in a tropical desert, benefiting from a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to supply electricity to the project’s offtaker, Kahramaa. It will provide around 10% of Qatar’s electricity demand while reducing the country’s carbon dioxide emissions by 26 million tonnes during its lifetime.

“We are proud to pioneer the first utility-scale solar project in Qatar with the best of our expertise and prop up the national commitment towards a more sustainable society. We’d like to explore more competitive projects to unlock values for stakeholders in the Middle East,” said James Wu, Vice President of Sungrow.

Sustainability plays a crucial role in Qatar’s 2022 World Cup as it is one of the key components of hosting a successful sports event.

“The purpose of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Sustainability Strategy is to maximise the sustainability of the preparation, staging, and post-tournament activities of the FIFA World Cup 2022™ by fulfilling our obligations, managing risks and leveraging opportunities related to people’s rights and wellbeing, economic development and environmental protection,” said the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy in a report released in September.

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