Utilities
From The Report: Qatar 2014
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An efficient and reliable supply of water and electricity feeds Qatar’s expanding economy, while the country’s hydrocarbons resources finance its tremendous growth. Major investments in developing the power supply have resulted in excess capacity in the domestic market, but forecasts suggest demand will begin to outstrip supply by 2018 at current capacity. Though government agencies or government-controlled companies dominate the utilities sector, there is still broad scope for private sector participation in areas such as designing, building and operating water and electricity infrastructure. Enhanced regulation will likely be key to encouraging greater participation from the private sector going forward.
This chapter contains an interview with Essa bin Hilal Al Kuwari, President, KAHRAMAA.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Demand and opportunity: Moves towards conservation and reuse of limited resources
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An efficient and reliable supply of water and electricity feeds Qatar’s booming economy, while the country’s oil and gas resources finance its tremendous growth. The nation consumes almost twice as much power per capita as the average high-income OECD country. Only Kuwait consumes more within the GCC, with countries like Bahrain consuming less than two-thirds the amount. Qatar produces a total of around 31,000 GWh of electricity each year, the vast majority of which is generated with natural…

Interview

OBG talks to Essa bin Hilal Al Kuwari, President, KAHRAMAA (Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation)
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Interview:Essa bin Hilal Al Kuwari With investments of $22bn in the country’s water and electricity infrastructure, what steps are being taken to expand upon the existing electrical grid? ESSA BIN HILAL AL KUWARI: KAHRAMAA has completed 10 phases of the network expansion project, and we have started on the 11th phase. Other new expansionary phases are currently under study. KAHRAMAA has also started converting our existing grids into more flexible intelligent grids, allowing us to integrate…

Analysis

Investing in capacity: Expansion is under way at home and abroad
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To provide water and power services to its residents and companies, Qatar has invested heavily to build the production capacity needed. The Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation, known as KAHRAMAA, reports investing more than $9.6bn to upgrade the electricity network between 2000 and 2008. According to Drake & Scull, an international engineering firm, the government has a pipeline of investments worth over $125bn in the water and power sectors. The company’s recent report on the…

Analysis

Looking to the sun: Expanding production of solar power is a top priority
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With the aim of diversifying its economy, Qatar’s National Development Strategy states, “Sustaining prosperity over the long-term requires wise management of exhaustible resources to ensure that future generations inherit ample means to meet their aspirations.” The strategy calls for diversifying energy production to include renewable sources. Given the local climate, the country has identified solar power as a key technology for development, and the government is investing in building up capacity…