In a major boost to strengthen infrastructure in the country's power sector, contracts for works to the tune of approximately QR8.30bn were awarded by the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa).
The awards, considered to be one of the largest ever in the history of Kahramaa, is part of the Phase 13 of the ambitious Qatar Power Transmission System Expansion plan.
Speaking at the ceremony, HE the Minister of Energy and Industry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada hoped the works to be executed as part of the latest contracts would accelerate the development in the country's power sector. It is expected that the latest works would be executed between 16 and 25 months from now.
The contracts would cover the construction of 77 sub-stations and laying of more than 450km of extra high voltage (EHV) cables in different areas of Qatar.
The works would cover several upcoming residential projects spanning across Doha and its neighbourhoods, the economic zones under Manateq, stadiums, business centres, hospital projects and schools.
Kahramaa president and senior engineer Essa Bin Hilal al- Kuwari, Kahramaa directors and managers and representatives of the companies which won the contracts were also present at the ceremony.
Al-Kuwari said the projects would contribute to improving the power infrastructure in and around Doha, and enable Kahramaa achieve the goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030.
Besides building new substations and laying cables, the works would also cover the upgrading of some of the existing substations, he said.
It is learnt that while laying new cables, approximately 36km would involve 400kV cables and 47.5km would cover 220kV cables.
Nearly 285.8km would involve 132kV cables and the remaining 84km would feature 66kV cables.
The contractors who signed the contracts for sub-stations are
Siemens AG & Siemens WLL consortium (Qatar), Larsen & Toubro (India), National Contracting Company (Saudi Arabia), Galfar & Misnad (Qatar), and Best & Betas Consortium (Turkey).
LS Cable and system (South Korea), Larsen & Toubro (India), Furukawa (Japan) and Elsewedy Cables (Qatar & Egypt) were awarded the contracts for laying the EHV cables.
Answering a query after the signing, Minister al-Sada stated the new projects would boost further the country's power infrastructure which is effectively meeting not only the requirements of the country's residents and industry but has also generated surplus electricity to meet the additional requirements in case of an emergency from anywhere within the country or from other Gulf countries.
He also informed that for the first time ever, a major contract was awarded to a local firm in the strengthening of the network's expansion. Earlier, Qatari firms were considered only along with their joint ventures with their international partners, he added.