Renewables are set to account for a 25.9% share of Qatar‘s installed power capacity by 2035, compared to just 12% in 2025, according to a new report by GlobalData.
In its report, Qatar Power Market Trends and Analysis by Capacity, Generation, Transmission, Distribution, Regulations, Key Players and Forecast to 2035, GlobalData noted that Qatar’s commitment to solar expansion – which is set to grow at a CAGR of 12.4% over the ten-year period, will be the primary growth engine of its renewable energy shift.
‘Structured hybrid model’
“Qatar’s power sector is shifting from total reliance on natural gas toward a structured hybrid model,” commented Attaurrahman Ojindaram Saibasan, power analyst at GlobalData.
“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.”
Gas to remain ‘indispensable’
While the investment in renewables marks a shift from Qatar’s reliance on natural gas to a more hybrid electricity system, gas is likely to remain ‘indispensable’ to the country’s power and water infrastructure over the next decade – accounting for approximately 74% of Qatar’s cumulative installed power capacity in 2035.
Gas-fired combined-cycle turbines and cogeneration facilities will continue to provide dispatchable electricity, particularly during periods of high summer cooling demand.
“The cogeneration of potable water and power is a structural feature of Qatar’s utility system,” Saibasan added. “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 power strategy is guided by the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Third National Development Strategy. Recent initiatives undertaken by the Middle Eastern country include the Qatar National Renewable Energy Strategy, emissions-reduction commitments under its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), and net-billing regulations introduced by Kahramaa for distributed generation. Read more here.
