Siemens announced today the signing of two major contracts with Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa) that will improve further the power infrastructure in and around Doha, and enable the monitoring and optimization of energy consumption in the capital.
Under the first contract, worth US$188 million, Siemens will supply to Kahramaa equipment for Phase 10 of the Qatar Power Transmission System Expansion project that will ensure uninterrupted power supplies to households, business centers, shopping malls, hospitals and schools throughout Doha. The equipment includes gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), power and earthing transformers, shunt reactors, protection relays, relay protection panels and substation control systems for substations located in and around the capital.
The Phase 10 project will be broken down into two stages, with Stage 1 consisting of six 66/11KV turnkey substations and Stage 2 comprising seven 132/66/11KV turnkey substations. Both stages are set to be completed over two years.
The second contract signed today, worth $13.3 million, includes the installation of approximately 17,000 smart meters and the supply of communication modules for 15,000 water meters. The purpose of the smart metering project is to test the environment, rules and regulations for managing customer demand during peak periods and improve the customer billing process. The project is the first of its kind in the Middle East, paving the way for the broader introduction of smart-grid solutions to the region.
The scope of the project, which covers three areas in Doha, includes delivering a communication network to connect the meters to an existing fiber-optic network at the 66 kV substations, integrate existing back-office systems to improve the billing process, provide GPS location information for all the meters/modules, and integrate the Itron-provided AMR (automatic meter reading) solution in the Pearl of Qatar. Kahramaa is the sole utility company responsible for transmission and distribution of electric power and water in Qatar.
“These projects are another positive step in the development of Qatar’s power industry and our relationship with Kahramaa. The expansion of Qatar is necessitating the growth of its infrastructure and Siemens has the portfolio of services to provide the specialist equipment, innovative solutions and support,” said Martin à Porta, CEO, Siemens WLL, Qatar.
“For Siemens, securing this innovative smart-grid solution represents a significant step forward in developing its global business. Successful implementation of this project will put Siemens in a strong position to secure additional smart metering business in the Middle East,” à Porta said.
“Qatar’s economy is witnessing rapid growth and undergoing a fundamental transformation, including in the power sector, which calls for the type of technological know-how, innovative products and smart solutions that Siemens has to offer. We are committed to supporting any necessary infrastructure that will need to be developed to support Qatar’s ongoing transformation in the future,” said Dietmar Siersdorfer, CEO, Siemens Energy, Middle East.
Siemens has built a substantial part of the Qatari power grid in recent years, having secured $3.07 billion worth of total orders for the expansion of the domestic electricity network. The latest deals with Kahramaa follow the recently announced strategic alliance between Siemens AG and Qatar Foundation, which includes setting up a regional center of competence in Qatar for the Siemens power transmission and distribution business.
