DOHA, Qatar – European and Middle Eastern nations are set to collaborate and join the global race to scale up renewable powered desalination.
Sweden and Qatar have partnered to set up a wind and solar powered desalination project in the north of the country.
It’s anticipated that the desalination process would take 200 megawatts from solar and a further 200 megawatts from wind power, producing water at a cost of US$1 per cubic metre.
Qatari local source The Peninsula reported that Oscar Stenström, Swedish vice minister of trade said there would soon be technical workshops in Qatar to “fine tune some technical aspects” relating to a climate which is “rough with high temperature, sand, dust”.
Utility Kahramaa and production company Qatar Electricity and Water Company (QEWC) are expected to be involved in the project, as well as Swedish companies Monsson Energy AB and Sweco AB.
Qatar is one of Sweden’s priority markets for export, among 26 countries, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE. In 2016, Sweden exported goods worth QR500m to Qatar in 2016.
Historically, the majority of Qatar’s drinking water has been provided by large-scale thermal desalination plants. Earlier this month, an extension to one of the country’s largest power and water complexes marked the start of a transition to membrane-based desalination (read article).
The Swedish/Qatari renewable desalination project joins the list of small scale, renewable powered desalination projects in the region, with Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and Saudi Arabia having already put their hats into the ring.
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Read more
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Ras Al Khaimah late starter in Middle East solar desalination race
The Middle East: The new space race for renewable desalination
