Draft:Solar power in Qatar

As of April 2025, Qatar has 1.7 gigawatts of installed solar power capacity, equivalent to 15% of the country's peak electricity demand.[1]

Qatar has an average global horizontal irradiance of 2,140 kWh/m2 per year.[2]

Projects

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Al-Kharsaah

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The Al-Kharsaah plant was commissioned in October 2022 as the first photovoltaic power plant in Qatar. It has a generation capacity of 800 MW[3] and covers 10 square kilometres (3.9 sq mi).[4]

Ras Laffan and Mesaieed

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The Ras Laffan and Mesaieed plants cover 20 square kilometres (7.7 sq mi) and were commissioned in April 2025.[5] The Ras Laffan plant has a capacity of 458 MW while the Mesaieed plant has a capacity of 417 MW.[6]

Dukhan

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The Dukhan plant was announced in 2024 and has a projected capacity of 2 GW.[7] It is scheduled to be commissioned in 2028 and 2029.[8][9] Samsung C&T Corporation has been contracted to build the plant.[10]

Air conditioning

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Qatar is known for its solar air conditioning technology.[11][12][13][14][15]

References

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  1. Casey, Jessica (30 April 2025). "Qatar inaugurates solar plants". Energy Global. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  2. Quilliam, Neil (31 October 2025). "Qatar's rooftop solar opportunity". Al Majalla. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  3. "Al Kharsaah Solar Power Project". Power Technology. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  4. "Qatar's solar energy projects: Green energy in the heart of desert". Qatar Tribune. 29 July 2025. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  5. "Solar Energy Investments in Qatar: A Model for Economic Transformation and Environmental Sustainability / Report/ (1)". Qatar News Agency. 27 April 2025. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  6. "Qatar's solar capacity doubles with inauguration of Ras Laffan and Mesaieed solar power plants". Energy Institute. 7 May 2025. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  7. Godfrey, Paul (4 September 2024). "New solar 'mega project' announced for Qatar". Middle East Construction News. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  8. "His Highness the Amir inaugurates Ras Laffan and Mesaieed Solar Power Plants". QatarEnergy. 28 April 2025. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  9. "Qatar Energy signs Dukhan Solar Power Plant Construction Contract with Samsung". Gulf International Forum. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  10. "QatarEnergy and Samsung sign agreement for Dukhan solar power plant". Power Technology. 17 September 2025. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  11. Al-Azba, Mohammed; Cen, Zhaohui; Abotaleb, Ahmed. "Solar Air Conditioning Case Studies for Qatar Climate Conditions". Journal of Engineering for Sustainable Buildings and Cities. doi:10.1115/1.4062840. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  12. Ismaen, Rabah; Kucukvar, Murat; El Mekkawy, Tarek Y.; Elomri, Adel (20 September 2023). "Optimization and enviro-economic assessment of solar-cooling systems towards sustainable development: A case study of Qatar". Journal of Cleaner Production. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138253. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  13. "FIFA World Cup 2022: Solar-cooled, 500-seat Showcase Stadium in Qatar". solarthermalworld.org. 27 October 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  14. "Qatar's 'Dr Cool' keeps Soccer World Cup stadiums chilly with solar-powered AC". News24. 20 May 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  15. Hart, Jeremy (1 December 2022). "Electric cars in the desert: the man behind Qatar's solar power revolution". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2 July 2026.