QNFSP in pact with German firm for concentrating solar energy solutions

The Qatar National Food Security Programme (QNFSP) and the German Aerospace Centre – Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) have signed an agreement to mark DLR’s award of the “Solar Resource Assessment” project which intends to assess the areas most conducive to solar energy in Qatar.

QNFSP vice chairman Sheikh Hamad bin Ali al-Thani and DLR executive board member Professor Ulrich Wagner signed the agreement. “The data that will be generated from this project will be made accessible to all by the QNFSP for future solar endeavours in Qatar,” Sheikh Hamad al-Thani said.

The project entails satellite-based high-resolution solar resource mapping of Qatar as well as ground measurements of solar radiation to attain accurate mappings for the country.

The QNFSP together with local partners will identify and define potential Concentrated Solar- Power (CSP) and Photovoltaic (PV) solar power plant sites based on the solar resource assessment and the site ranking provided by DLR.

“We began our relationship with the QNFSP in 2008 to explore solar desalination and other solar-related solutions. We believe that this is a good field of co-operation between DLR and the QNFSP,”Prof Wagner said.

Leaders of Qatar’s energy sector such as Qatar Petroleum (QP), Kahramaa, Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP), Qatar Solar Technologies (QSTec) and Chevron-Green Gulf were present at the agreement signing ceremony.

During the event, an overview of the awarded project was presented to the key stakeholders attending the event, which concluded with an overview of current and forthcoming activities planned in the energy sector in Qatar.

The official event has come after the signing last year of a Memorandum of Understanding on scientific and technical co-operation in the areas of new and renewable energy between the Ministry of Energy and Industry in Qatar and the German Ministry of Economy and Technology.

“We are delighted to be working with a prestigious institute such as DLR, which has been a leader in solar and renewable technologies for over 30 years,” said Sheikh Hamad al-Thani.