In the Duhan region of western Qatar, a "blue ocean" consisting of 2.74 million photovoltaic panels covering an area of 27 square kilometers is unfolding in the desert - this is the largest single 2GW Duhan photovoltaic power station in the country. But problems also arise: the power station is built, but electricity cannot be delivered, and the old power grid simply cannot swallow this clean "giant current".

In 2026, Qatar General Electric Power Company (KAHRAMAA) officially awarded a power grid expansion contract worth 604 million US dollars (approximately 2.2 billion Qatari riyals), which was won by Egypt's El Suvidi Cable Qatar Branch in two EPC general contracts. This project is specifically designed to create a "power highway" for 2GW photovoltaic power plants.

Grid connection, stable supply, and strong network

The core objectives of this power grid expansion are threefold. Firstly, establish a 2GW photovoltaic grid connection channel. The Duhan Photovoltaic Power Station will be constructed in two phases - the first phase of 1GW will be put into operation by the end of 2028, and the second phase of 1GW will be fully put into operation in mid-2029. But the original western power grid had insufficient capacity to absorb intermittent high-power photovoltaic power. The project involves the construction of multiple 132kV underground cable corridors, along with supporting booster stations and intelligent monitoring systems, to ensure the stable integration of photovoltaics into the national backbone power grid.

Secondly, upgrade the power supply guarantee in the western oil and gas industrial zone. Duhan is a traditional onshore oil and gas production area in Qatar, with numerous oil fields and processing plants. After expansion, the reliability of regional power supply has been greatly improved, adapting to the new electricity load brought by the increase in production in northern oil fields.

Thirdly, enhance the resilience of the national power grid. The undergrounding of overhead power lines reduces faults caused by sandstorms and high temperatures, provides reactive power compensation and reserved energy storage interfaces, enhances the ability to cope with peak summer loads, and helps Qatar achieve its renewable energy installed capacity target of 4000MW by 2030.

Cable supply+high-voltage general contracting

This project is divided into two EPC contracts. Contract 1 covers the complete supply of cables of all voltage levels, including low voltage, medium voltage, and 132kV high voltage underground cables and accessories, covering the collection lines of the photovoltaic plant area and the incoming and outgoing lines of the substation. All cables are insulated with weather resistant cross-linked polyethylene and suitable for high temperature and high salt environments in deserts.

Contract 2 is the core EPC section of 132kV high-voltage cables, including the entire process of design, procurement, laying, civil engineering, installation, and commissioning: the construction of new underground cable corridors and supporting ditches, tunnels, and chambers; New or expanded photovoltaic dedicated booster station outgoing line spacing; Deploy digital systems such as intelligent monitoring, fault location, and online temperature measurement.

604 million and 851 million are advancing in parallel

This $604 million project focuses on the Duhan Photovoltaic 132kV cable transmission system. In the same period, another large-scale power grid project worth 851 million US dollars (3.1 billion Riyals) was awarded in May 2025. Four enterprises, including Elsovidi, Türkiye Voltage and South Korea Taihan, will bid for the construction of seven high-voltage substations and 212 km transmission lines. The policy requires that the share of local enterprises should reach 58.4%.

In terms of technology, the fully underground cable solution is suitable for desert climates; Configure reactive power compensation and energy storage interfaces to cope with photovoltaic fluctuations; Prioritize the procurement of local suppliers for civil engineering and materials; The contract comes with a multi-year warranty and maintenance service. This project is a necessary infrastructure for Qatar's energy transformation - without this expansion, the 2GW photovoltaic system cannot be connected to the grid on schedule. After all Duhan photovoltaics are put into operation, it is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 4.7 million tons per year, and grid expansion is a prerequisite for achieving this goal. Editor/Yang Beihua