(MENAFN- The Peninsula) By Sanaullah Ataullah | The Peninsula
DOHA: Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) yesterday announced business opportunities worth about QR7bn to local companies for manufacturing basic materials and equipment required for infrastructure development projects during the next five years (2018- 2023), said Kahramaa Chief.
Eng Essa bin Hilal Al Kuwari, President of Kahramaa, was speaking at a ceremony held here to sign contracts with two local companies - Doha Cables and Qatar International Cables Company - for manufacturing and supplying of electric cables for a stretch of 10,000 kilometre at a total cost of about QR1.9bn.
'The business opportunities include manufacturing cables, transformers, switchgears, pipes, water pumps and other various equipment, said Eng Essa bin Hilal Al Kuwari. He said that electric sector is growing and Kahramaa is trying to attract more investors to invest in this field.
'Kahramaa gives priority to national products as per the priority rules and provides technical support to local factories to help them meet the standards required from suppliers. He said that Kahramaa is working to diversify its sources of importers and local suppliers to bring innovation in the economy and it encourages local companies by giving them priorities as per the state strategy to promote local sector.
Kahramaa signed two call-off agreements for supply of LV, 11 KV & pilot power cables with Doha Cables and Qatar International Cables Company (QICC) for two years at a total cost of QR1.9bn, yesterday. Under the call-off agreement, the supplier will provide materials to Kahramaa within two days of the order. The ceremony was attended by Eng Essa bin Hilal Al Kuwari, Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, Chairman of Doha Cables, Sheikh Fahd bin Hamad Al Thani of QICC, and a number of Kahramaa officials and suppliers.
The value of the contract Kahramaa signed with Doha Cables exceeds QR1.24bn while the contract with QICC values QR640m. The total cost for the two contracts is QR1.88bn. The total length of the cables is 10,000km. The agreements aim at meeting Kahramaa's needs of cables under the high electricity demand and the development of Qatar. Kahramaa floated the tender in August 2017, and awarded in January 2018. The two companies were selected as the best offers.
'The cables to be supplied by two companies will be used in coming phase of infrastructure development especially in providing electricity connection to the plots of land allotted to the citizens for housing purpose, new industrial areas and other projects, said Al Kuwari. 'The annual growth in the demand of cables in local market is recorded 12 percent, he added.
He said that Qatar is self-sufficient in the production of medium and low voltage cables adding that self-sufficiency in high voltage cables is yet to be achieved as local companies have promised to bring the technology from next year for the production of high voltage cables.
'Many manufactures have joined this business and soon we will be covering 100 percent requirements of all types of cables in local market and we will be looking for export the surplus production, Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, Chairman of Doha Cables Company said.
'Kahramaa had made similar contract with local companies for supplying medium voltage cables during past five year, Ahmed Nasser M Al Naser, Director of Technical Affairs Department at Kahramaa said.
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