Qatar's commitment to clean energy solutions was once again highlighted as the Ministry of Transport and Communications announced yesterday that 25 percent of the public transit bus fleet in Qatar will be electric by 2022.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications is implementing the electric vehicle strategy it has developed in collaboration with the bodies concerned, which is part of the Ministry’s strategy for providing an integrated, world-class, multimodal transportation system that offers safe, reliable and eco-friendly services in line with the pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030 for social, economic and environmental development.
The electric vehicle strategy backs the country’s agenda for a greener future and contributes to striking an economic-environmental balance in a way that ensures transportation sector’s infrastructure projects sustainability, supporting economic growth and making the most out of the natural resources by increasing the revenues of oil and gas sectors and developing the means of transportation though deploying clean and alternative energy in accordance with latest universal eco-friendly systems to reduce carbon emissions and, therefore, create a clean, healthy and safe environment for generations to come.
The Ministry has also finalized developing standards and specifications for electric vehicles and have been endorsed by the Qatar General Organization for Standards and Metrology. Those standards and specifications will be shared with all stakeholders and bodies concerned. The country has taken many steps to promote the use of renewable energy.
Qatar, early this year, had signed agreements with leading giants for the construction of the first solar power station to produce electricity using the photovoltaic technology. With an estimated total cost of QR1.7bn, the large-scale solar PV power plant will be constructed at Al-Kharsaah area, west of Doha.
The plant is the first of its kind in Qatar with a total capacity of 800MW which equals about 10 percent of Qatar’s current peak electricity demand. The project is part of Qatar’s efforts to conserve energy and protect the environment in a manner that strikes a balance between the needs of the current generation and that of the future generations as stipulated by Qatar National Vision 2030.
Kahramaa had announced requests for bids to build Qatar’s first large-scale solar Photovoltaic (PV) power plant in the first half of 2019. In all, 16 international solar power developers were prequalified by Kahramaa.
The national program for conservation and energy efficiency ‘Tarsheed’ has set the target to reduce 1 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually until 2022.
The measures taken by authorities in Qatar will play a crucial role in reducing carbon emissions.
