Umm Al Houl Power Supports Comprehensive Development in Qatar

Doha, March 25 (QNA) - Umm Al Houl Power, the new energy megaproject, has been added to a long list of projects that Qatar has implemented to provide the necessary infrastructure for development and support the overall development process in the country. The new project is one of the most important energy projects in the country, not only for the great value it offers to the Qatari economy and its advanced technology but also for using the world's best environmental technology in the field of desalination, the reverse osmosis technology. This technology will contribute to supporting the state's efforts to reduce gas emissions as much as possible and raise the level of performance, which are important factors in the success of electricity and water production in Qatar. The Umm Al Houl Power, which has a production capacity of generating 2,520 megawatts of power and 136.5 million gallons drinking water per day, is particularly important for its production methods. It combines the efficiency of performance through the optimal utilization of natural gas and the diversity of water production mechanism through the optimal use of thermal energy and reverses osmosis filters, which is the most environmentally preferable. The project is in the economic zone, a strategic location that feeds Doha, Al Wakrah and the Industrial area, as well as its connection to the major reservoirs. At a press conference on the sidelines of the opening of the Umm Al Houl Power plant on Monday, Chief Executive Officer of Umm Al Houl Power Company Jamal Ali Al Khalaf said that the project has been built in several stages and the first phase took just 15 months, which is a record period. He added that following the completion of every stage, it operated directly and joined the production network. He stressed Umm Al Houl Power commitment to employ Qatari talent, noting that the Qatarization reached 9 percent. Al Khalaf pointed out that the plant relies on reverse osmosis technology, a modern technology that is used for the first time in the State of Qatar. This technology includes filters to remove impurities from seawater and is independent of the power plant, unlike most desalination plants in the state, he explained. He pointed out that the plant currently produces about 1000 megawatts, with the maximum production capacity of 2520 megawatts, and is scheduled to wait for the peak demand for electricity in the summer to see the performance of the plant during that period. Al Khalaf noted that there is a surplus for the production of electricity in the country, where the maximum load capacity is 8,500 megawatts compared to the production capacity of about 11,000 megawatts, and therefore there is surplus energy can be used in emergency circumstances. Mitsubishi officials also expressed pleasure to participate in the Umm Al Houl Power plant, stressing readiness to contribute to the development of the State of Qatar. Despite all challenges, the project has been completed on time and within the estimated cost amounted to about QR 11 billion, using the highest technical and international standards and taking into account the least impact on the environment, praising the importance attached by the management of Umm Al Houl Company to the security and safety of workers at the site, in which more than 14,000 workers were present at the same time. These efforts succeeded in cooperation with those of the company that implemented the project in the registration of 69 million hours without accidents. In a statement on the sidelines of the opening ceremony, Khalid Mohammed Jolo, CEO of Nebras Power Company and a member of the Board of Directors of Umm Al Houl, said that Umm Al Houl Power is one of the largest projects in the field of electricity and water production in the region and the largest in Qatar. He pointed out that there is a growth in power demand as a result of the great boom in Qatar and that this project will feed this demand for the next three years, adding there are other projects to be announced soon. The project has a purchase agreement with the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) for 25 years extendable, and the plant has been designed to last 35 years, he added. On the future projects of Nebras Power, he said that the company has future projects in Latin America, Australia and Africa; and it has reached advanced stages, and these projects will be announced soon. Umm Al Houl Power project was implemented with the best international specifications and environment friendly measures within the expected cost and time schedule. Japanese firms Mitsubishi and JERA, which have strong cooperation with the State of Qatar for more than 50 years in the field of oil and gas and in the construction of power plants and water desalination, participated in the implementation of the project. The presence of Japanese partners is an important testament to the attractiveness of the investment environment offered by Qatar to international companies in various economic and industrial sectors. The QR11bn Umm Al Houl Power project is one of the largest desalinations and power generation plants in the region. Its full production capacity will supply Qatar's 30 percent of electricity needs and 40 percent of water requirements. The project will generate a daily production capacity of 136m gallons of water and 2,520MW of electricity. Umm Al Houl Power project is a Joint Venture company with Qatar Electricity and Water Company holding 60 percent, K1 Energy (Mitsubishi Corporation and JERA J/V) holding 30 percent, and Qatar Petroleum and Qatar Foundation holding five percent each. The plant is in an important strategic location to secure the requirements of the economic and urban development witnessed by the State of Qatar thanks to the wise leadership as well as its keenness on the development and progress of the country. Its location in the economic zone serves many industrial and commercial projects in the country. (QNA)