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Qatar’s solar capacity doubles with inauguration of Ras Laffan and Mesaieed solar power plants
7/5/2025
News
QatarEnergy has inaugurated its Ras Laffan and Mesaieed solar PV power plants. With a combined capacity of 875 MW, the projects more than double Qatar’s solar energy production to 1,675 MW of renewable energy.
The 458 MW Ras Laffan solar farm is located in Ras Laffan Industrial City (RLIC) in north-east Qatar, while the 417 MW Mesaieed PV facility is located in Mesaieed Industrial City (MIC) on the east coast, south of the capital Doha. Both projects feature high-efficiency bifacial modules mounted on single-axis trackers, as well as cleaning robots.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in RLIC, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs and President and CEO of QatarEnergy, stressed that the start of operations at Ras Laffan and Mesaieed constituted an important step towards achieving the fourth pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030, which is managing the environment in a manner that balances economic and social development and environmental protection (the other pillars are human development, social development and economic development). He added that the projects will also help meet one of the goals of the company’s sustainability strategy which aims to generate more than 4,000 MW of renewable energy by 2030.
‘The construction of solar power plants is one of Qatar’s most important initiatives to reduce CO2 emissions, to develop sustainability projects and to diversify electricity generation sources,’ said Al-Kaabi. He noted that the Ras Laffan and Mesaieed solar projects are expected to reduce CO2 emissions by about 4.7mn tonnes annually. He also added that the two new plants, together with the operational Al-Kharsaah facility in western Qatar, will supply about 15% of Qatar’s total peak electricity demand. This share is expected rise to 30% with the commissioning of the 2,000 MW Dukhan solar power plant, also to the west of the country, by 2029.
‘We have moved beyond relying on the expertise of others for the construction, operation, and maintenance of solar power plants, and have begun implementing such projects using our own national expertise,’ Al-Kaabi concluded.
