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Satyendra Pathak
Doha
The QR11 billion Umm Al Houl Power plant will be completed and become fully operational from July this year, Minister of Energy and Industry HE Mohammed bin Saleh al Sada said on Monday.
Sada, who is also the chairman of Qatar Electricity and Water Company (QEWC), said the project has currently reached a completion of more than 98 percent.
One of the biggest power and desalination plants in the region, he said, the Umm Al Houl Power plant will be 100 percent complete by June and begin full operation from the following month.
Once fully operational, the minister said, the plant will have a total production capacity of 2,500 MW of power and 136 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD) of desalinated water meeting, 25 percent of the electricity and 30 percent of water needs in Qatar.
The minister said the timely completion of the project shows that the ongoing siege has not impacted the water and electricity sector of the country.
All the projects of QEWC are progressing in a very normal way and according to the specified schedules, he said.
The minister, who was addressing shareholders at the company's ordinary and extraordinary general assembly meeting, said the international companies that QEWC cooperates with have also shown keen interest in continuing to invest with the company both inside and outside Qatar.
On the contrary, Sada said,"The siege has contributed to the strengthening of solidarity and cooperation between producers, manufacturers and suppliers.
"It has raised the level of coordination reducing the negative effects of the siege."
Despite the siege, he said, the company managed to execute all its projects in order to meet the demand for electricity and water in the country.
"Additionally, the company is continuing to renew and replace plants such as Ras Abu Fontas A Plant, which is in phasing out stage now. The company has also started an integrated programme to build new plants after the decommissioning of old plants," Sada said.
Talking to Qatar Tribune on the sidelines of the meeting, QEWC Managing Director Fahad bin Hamad al Mohannadi said the Umm Al Houl Power plant would make up for the decommissioned plants.
Umm Al Houl Plant is one of the biggest power and desalination plants in the region with the participation of QEWC 60 percent, Qatar Petroleum 5 percent, Qatar Foundation 5 percent and a consortium of Japanese Companies Mitsubishi Corporation and TEPCO 30 percent.
In the context of achieving the objectives of the overall national strategic plan on renewable energy projects, Mohannadi said, QEWC arm Siraj Power Company is expected to start its first project this year and to start production by 30th April 2020 with an electricity production capacity of 500 MW. He said the company's international venture Nebras Energy would continue to look for investment opportunities in the international market.
"The investment through Nebras Energy is of great importance and is one of the pillars of financial support for QEWC in the future. It is expected that over the next 10-15 years, the net profit from investment in foreign projects through Nebras Power will constitute 40 percent of QEWC's profit," he said.
Earlier the general assembly approved the distribution of cash dividends of QR7.75 per share to shareholders.
