Qatar is accelerating utility-scale solar development to diversify its power mix, reduce domestic natural gas consumption and curb emissions, while maintaining gas-fired generation to ensure reliable electricity and water supplies, according to GlobalData.

The country’s renewable energy share of total power capacity is projected to rise from 12 per cent in 2025 to 25.9 per cent by 2035, with overall installed power capacity expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.2 per cent over the decade.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity is forecast to expand at a CAGR of 12.4 per cent, GlobalData said in its latest report.

Attaurrahman Saibasan, Power Analyst at GlobalData, said: “Qatar’s power sector is shifting from total reliance on natural gas toward a structured hybrid model. Driven by the Qatar National Renewable Energy Strategy, the build-out of major solar facilities such as Al Kharsaah and the recently commissioned plants at Ras Laffan and Mesaieed, alongside the large-scale Dukhan development demonstrate substantial momentum in deploying low-cost clean generation across the peninsula.”

Despite the expansion of renewables, natural gas will remain central to Qatar’s power and water infrastructure, accounting for approximately 74 per cent of total installed capacity in 2035.

Gas-fired combined-cycle turbines and cogeneration plants support the country’s Independent Water and Power Projects (IWPPs), providing reliable electricity during peak summer demand and the thermal energy required for seawater desalination.

Saibasan said: “The cogeneration of potable water and power is a structural feature of Qatar’s utility system. Gas-fired IWPP facilities provide critical firming capacity to absorb large influxes of solar energy during midday hours while securing baseload water desalination. Expanding flexible gas generation and modernising grid management are essential prerequisites for accommodating the planned 4GW renewable target by 2030 without compromising system security.”

Qatar’s energy transition is guided by the Qatar National Vision 2030, the Third National Development Strategy and the Qatar National Renewable Energy Strategy.

Additional measures include emissions-reduction commitments under its updated Nationally Determined Contribution and net-billing regulations introduced by Kahramaa to support distributed generation.

GlobalData said Qatar’s single-buyer electricity market, in which Kahramaa purchases power and desalinated water through long-term agreements, also helps reduce market risks for project developers.

Saibasan added: “Qatar is leveraging its world-class solar irradiance and robust balance sheet to free up valuable natural gas volumes for liquefied natural gas (LNG) export markets while decarbonising its domestic matrix. Sustaining this pace will require continuing to align renewable integration with IWPP offtake commitments, meeting growing industrial demand, and maintaining high transmission reliability across the National Control Centre and regional GCC interconnection links.” -OGN/TradeArabia News Service