Qatar’s 800 MW tender draws world record solar power price of $0.01567/kWh

Utility Kahramaa has revealed the winning consortium initially offered $0.01745/kWh with the price then reduced based on financial market indices.
Qatar has claimed a new world record low price for solar power. | Image: Juanedc/Flickr

The Qatar General Electricity and Water Corp (Kahramaa) has revealed the 800 MW solar tender concluded last week delivered a final price of QAR0.0571/kWh ($0.016/kWh) – the lowest winning bid ever registered in an auction for large scale renewable energy.

The utility said the winning consortium, formed by French oil giant Total and Japanese conglomerate Marubeni Corp, had initially submitted a bid of QAR0.0636/kWh.

“Kahramaa has signed the power purchase agreement (PPA) with the project company, with an aim to achieve financial close of the project in May 2020,” said the utility. “Kahramaa is pleased to note that based on current financial market indices, the equivalent LEC [levelized energy cost] is QAR0.0571/kWh ($0.01567/kWh), which is one of the world’s lowest for projects of this type.”

If the utility’s five-decimal-point calculation is correct, the bid beats the previous world record of €0.0147/kWh ($0.016) submitted by French developer Akuo Energy for 150 MW of solar generation capacity in Portugal’s first PV auction. Saudi energy giant ACWA Power bid $0.0169/kWh in the tender for the fifth phase of the huge Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai.

The project tendered by Kahramaa will be 60% owned by the Siraj Energy joint venture formed by Qatar Petroleum and the utility, and 40% by the winning consortium. The facility will provide the Qatari utility with electricity under a 25-year PPA.

This article was amended on 23/01/20 to render the bid price in Qatari riyal (QAR) rather than dirhams.

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JOHN PHILLIPS
Mar 26, 2020

Is there any energy storage in this bid?
Does the winning bid have to buy the land?
What solar panels are being used?
Are there tracking systems involved?
What financing is involved?
What is the total cost to build?

Vinod kumar
Feb 16, 2020

Is the quoted price sustainable ? If yes, then what impact will that effect on LNG Prices for power generation?

Michael Chitalu Mpomwa
Jan 24, 2020

How much could be the cost of a solar system equipment and associated costs that would even produce such power to be retailed at such an amount. We need such PPA investments in Zambia . WE HAVE A PROBLEM. Please come and invest here too

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