QatarEnergy, Qatar Foundation sign solar energy co-operation MoUs

Siraj Energy (a JV between QatarEnergy (51%) and QEWC (49%) signed two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with Qatar Foundation and Woqod related to co-operation in photovoltaic (PV) energy and systems applications.

HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, and HE the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Saad bin Sherida al-Kaabi, also President and CEO of QatarEnergy, attended the signing event, which was held at Qatar Foundation. The first MoU, signed between Siraj Energy and Qatar Foundation, reflects a shared commitment to sustainability and to developing and implementing strategies that contribute toward shaping a sustainable future for Qatar. It will allow Siraj Energy to study and evaluate installation and utilisation of PV systems to power Sidra Medicine, Qatar Foundation’s women’s and children’s hospital and medical research centre. The study and evaluation will include the determination of most effective capacity to be cabled to existing systems by considering optimisation of available land areas, sustainability and efficiency. Siraj Energy targets to complete the study and evaluation by end of the second quarter of 2022. It was signed by Mohamed Yousef al-Harami, Siraj Energy CEO, and Ghanim Hassan al-Ibrahim, chief operations officer, Qatar Foundation. Siraj Energy and Woqod signed the second MoU, which facilitates Siraj Energy's investment in the installation of PV systems in Woqod stations (Rawdat Egdaim [347 kWp], and Golf Course [339 KWp] by utilising available spaces and help achieve efficiency and sustainability requirements. Siraj Energy will finance, engineer, construct, procure, test/commission, operate, and maintain the systems. Siraj Energy and Woqod are targeting to complete the projects during the second quarter of 2022. The MoU was signed by Mohamed Yousef al-Harami, and Saad Rashid al-Muhannadi, Woqod CEO. The new stations are expected to start operating in the middle of the third quarter of 2022, just before the inauguration of the FIFA World Cup 2022, which will be hosted in the fourth quarter of the same year.The two Woqod stations will be the first to have special units to charge electric cars as they will be provided with an average of 10 units in each of them. They will use the highest technical standards to provide fast charging for vehicles.Siraj Energy was established in 2017 for the purpose of development, financing, engineering, constructing, procurement, testing/commissioning, operation, and maintenance of PV systems and sale of PV plants output. Siraj Energy strives at gaining of experience and knowledge of PV technologies and applications. It is currently developing Al Kharsaah PV plant of 800 MWp, which is located at Al Kharsaah village on land area more than 10sq km. The project is Qatar’s initiative for carbon emission reduction, power generation diversification. The project will be completed before inception of FIFA World Cup 2022 in order to supply power to the event. Siraj Energy will continue co-operation and co-ordination with Woqod to develop further PV systems in future Woqod’s stations.