A special purpose company (SPC) formed by Japan’s Marubeni Corporation, France-based Total Solar International and Siraj Energy of Qatar has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (KAHRAMAA) to develop 800 MW of solar projects.

The collaboration has an equity holding of 20.4% by Marubeni Corporation, 19.6% by Total, and 60% by Siraj Energy. Siraj Energy is a joint venture between Qatar Petroleum (40%) and QEWC (Qatar Electricity & Water Company, 60%).

With an estimated cost of QR 1.7 billion (~$462.5 million), the large-scale solar power project will be constructed at Al-Kharsaah area west of Doha on a 10 square kilometer land and is expected to be equipped with 2 million bifacial solar modules with trackers. The special purpose company will develop, construct, and operate and maintain the solar PV project.

According to the statement, the commercial operation date has been tentatively scheduled for April 2022, at which time the facility will start producing power, which will be purchased by KAHRAMAA for 25 years. The project follows a Build, Own, Operate, and Transfer (BOOT) model.

This project is said to be the first large-scale solar project in Qatar. It is said to represent around 10% of the peak electricity demand of the country and reduce the carbon emissions of Qatar by 26 million tons during the life of the project.

His Excellency Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President and CEO of Qatar Petroleum, said, “This project also comes as part of the energy sector’s contributions towards Qatar’s commitment to host the FIFA 2022 World Cup. It will generate about eight times the size of the solar energy Qatar had pledged to build, helping the organization of a carbon-neutral event.”

In July 2019, Noor Abu Dhabi, the world’s largest single-site solar power project with an installed capacity of 1,177 MW at Sweihan, was successfully commissioned. The project is a joint venture between the government of Abu Dhabi and Marubeni Corporation and China’s Jinko Solar Holding. In this joint venture, Marubeni had an equity holding of 20%.

In November 2018, Mercom reported Petroleum Development Oman, a state-owned oil producer in Oman, announced that it allocated a 100 MW solar project to the Marubeni Consortium comprising the Marubeni Corporation as the lead founder.