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Al Kharsaah: a solar plant of 800 MW peak in Qatar
Al Kharsaah is the first utility-scale solar power plant in Qatar and will help reduce Qatar’s CO2 emissions while meeting its increasing electricity demand. The plant is expected to generate almost 2,000,000 MWh of electrical energy, the equivalent energy consumption of approximately 55,000 Qatari households, while avoiding 26 million metric tons of CO2 emissions over its lifespan.
Main project's drivers for reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Energy sobriety and resources
Energy decarbonization
Improved energy efficiency
Improved efficiency in the use of non-energy resources
Emission removal
Financing low-carbon issuers or disinvestment from carbon assets
Reduction of other greenhouse gases emission
Project objectives
Al Kharsaah project aims to produce clean and affordable energy using the latest cutting-edge technologies in the solar PV industry to reinforce Qatar’s National Vision 2030 for sustainable development. Additionally, the project will support the first carbon-neutral FIFA World Cup in November 2022.
Detailed project description
Located in Al Kharsaah, Qatar, this is the first large-scale solar power plant (800 MWp) in the country and one of the largest solar power plants in the world.
The plant will be the world’s largest solar power plant equipped with high-efficiency, half-cut bifacial modules. The plant will cover 10 square kilometers (the equivalent of 1,400 soccer fields) and will feature 2 million modules mounted on trackers, making it possible to achieve substantial power gains and take full advantage of the region’s exceptional sunshine.
The use of string inverters further increases the annual yield by enabling better tracking of the maximum power point at the string level. A total of 3,240 string inverters will be installed.
The plant has a full capacity of 800 MWp and is being built in two phases of 400 MWp each. The 800 MWp will be fully operational in the second half of 2022.
Emission scope(s)
on which the project has a significant impact
Scope 1
Direct emissions generated by the company's activity.
Scope 2
Indirect emissions associated with the company's electricity and heat consumption.
Scope 3
Emissions induced (upstream or downstream) by the company's activities, products and/or services in its value chain.
Emission Removal
Carbon sinks creation, (BECCS, CCU/S, …)
Avoided Emissions
Emissions avoided by the activities, products and/or services in charge of the project, or by the financing of emission reduction projects.
Avoided emissions : The Al Kharsaah solar PV power plant will provide decarbonized electricity that would otherwise have been produced from gas-fired power plants.
Quantification :
0.85 MtCO2e during the first year of operation
26 MtCO2e over the project’s lifespan
Pre-project situation:
At client’s level:
Units of energy generated by combined-cycle gas turbines: 1,949,141,000 kWh/year(1)
Units of energy imported from Solar PV Power Plant (Siraj 1): 0 kWh/year
CO2 emissions = 843,978 ktCO2e/year(2)
At Siraj1 level:
Units of energy supplied to client through Solar PV: 0 kWh/year
CO2 emissions = 0 tCO2e/year
Post-project situation:
At client’s level:
Units of energy generated by combined-cycle gas turbines: 0 kWh/year
Units of energy imported from Solar PV Power Plant (Siraj 1): 1,949,141 kWh/year(1)
CO2 emissions = 0 tCO2e/year
At Siraj1 level:
Units of energy supplied to client through Solar PV: 1,949,141 kWh/year(1)
CO2 emissions = 2 ktCO2e/year(3)
Avoided emissions: 842 ktCO2e/year
Notes:
- Year 1 estimated production of Al Kharsaah PV power plant
- Natural gas emissions factor= 433 gCO2e./kWhelec; project’s own calculation from “CO2 emission factor including upstream chain emissions” (UBA 2019, p.43) / “power plant efficiency”
- Project’s estimate of annual CO2 emissions for Operations & Maintenance
Key points
Invested amount
M€ 440
Starting date of the project
06/02/2020
Project localisation
Al-Kharsaah -Qatar
Project maturity level
Prototype laboratory test (TRL 7)
Real life testing (TRL 7-8)
Pre-commercial prototype (TRL 9)
Small-scale implementation
Medium to large scale implementation
Actual system proven in operational environment
Economic profitability of the project (ROI)
Short term (0-3 years)
Middle term (4-10 years)
Long term (> 10 years)
Illustrations of the project
SDG7: Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG9: Industries, Innovation, and Infrastructure
SDG13: Climate Action
800 MWp
Conditions of reproducibility: area with favorable sunlight conditions and the availability of land that is not in competition with other uses such as agriculture.
The project is being developed and operated by Siraj 1 SPV, jointly owned by the Consortium of TotalEnergies and Marubeni (40%), alongside Siraj Energy (60%), a Joint Venture between Qatar Energy (40%) and QEWC (Qatar Electricity & Water Company, 60%).
Contact the company carrying the project :
jeffrey.norman@totalenergies.com
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