Qatar set to announce 200MW solar tender - reports

(Photo by:solar micro inverter)
Qatar is close to opening a long-awaited tender for 200MW of solar power capacity, according to local media reports.The plant would be the very first step in the installation of 10GW of solar as part of the country’s Qatar National Vision 2030.The Al Sharq newspaper claimed the local distribution organization, Kahramma, had decided on the best way to pursue its longer term commitments under the 2030 vision.

The tender was also openly discussed in November 2014 at an industry summit.In late 2012 the country mentioned it was close to issuing a tender for 200MW of an 1800MW solar development, to become completed by 2020. The 200MW tender was pencilled in for Q1 2013 and eventually confirmed again in October 2013 without formally launching.Solar has begun making progress inside the Middle East in recent months, with Jordan, Egypt and the UAE among the notable countriesEgypt launched a 2.3GW solar tender that was twice over subscribed.

Dubai solicited the lowest ever bid for a PV plant in its own 100MW tender. The winning consortium, led by Saudi Arabian power engineering firm ACWA Energy, then negotiated a doubling of the project size to 200MW.Neighbouring Emirate Sharjah has now launch a build-own-operate tender for a 20MW project.Jordan agreed 200MW of power purchase agreements (PPAs) for solar in early 2014 but had to postpone a fresh tender in late 2014 as a result of grid constraints.