Qatar commissions Gulf's biggest gas fired plant

• 13 years ago (2011-05-31)
• Junior Isles

Middle East 326 North America 1021

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Qatar has formally dedicated the Ras Qartas Energy Plant, the biggest gas fired power plant in the country and the region.

The plant, located at Ras Laffan Industrial City, will produce 2730 MW of electricity, and 63 million gallons of desalinated water at a total cost of $4bn.

Vice-Chairman of Ras Qartas Energy Company’s Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer Faisal Obeid Al Siddiqi has said that the Qatari side owns 60 per cent of Ras Qartas strategic plant of which 45 per cent is owned by Qatar Electricity and Water Company and 15 per cent by Qatar Petroleum (QP).

He added that the plant will enhance Qatari economic development, and has a 25-year contract with Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) under the terms of which Ras Qartas will supply all its production to Kahramaa which in turn will use it to bolster the domestic power network.

Al Siddiqi also commended the ergonomic efficiency and use of technology at the plant, which he said made it possible to run a plant of this scale with a workforce not exceeding 95 staff members at present. He further pointed out that the previous generation of 600 MW plants systems needed a staff of about 1300 employees. “This significant reduction in spending was a result of the good employment of technology in modern plants,” he said.

On the company’s future expansion plans, Al Siddiqi said the company is intending to present a quotation related to future expansion in electricity and water production at the request of Kahramaa and “if the company’s offer succeeded, it will add to its production 550 MW of electricity and about 35 million gallons of desalinated water.’’