(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Joelyn Baluyut |The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: Japan stands poised to contribute significantly to Qatar's renewable and clean energy market, leveraging its robust technological capabilities in the sector, according to Ambassador of Japan to Qatar, H E Satoshi Maeda.
“Japan has excellent technology in waste management and energy efficiency and conservation, and could contribute to Qatar's goals,” Ambassador Maeda stated.
Highlighting Japan's ongoing collaboration with Qatar in the renewable energy sector, the ambassador mentioned key partnerships between Japanese companies and Qatar.
“Marubeni participates in the Al Kharsaa power plant, the first large-scale solar power plant in Qatar. Additionally, the Mitsubishi Research Institute is conducting a study with the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change to help achieve the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” the envoy said during a recent media briefing.
Al Kharsaah is Qatar's first major solar energy plant, which commenced operations in October 2022. With over 1.8 million solar panels, it is expected to generate approximately 2 Terawatt-hour (TWh) of electricity per year.
Qatar has set ambitious targets, aiming to generate 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and achieve a carbon-zero footprint by 2050. This strategy has led to significant investment in renewable energy infrastructure, with a focus on solar energy and waste-to-energy sources.
According to a sectoral study by the Investment Promotion Agency Qatar (IPA Qatar), the country's dynamic and integrated cleantech value chain presents numerous investment opportunities. Qatar showcased its potential as an emerging leader in the cleantech industry during its delegation's participation at Hannover Messe 2023, the world's leading trade fair for industry.
The country's cleantech industry is driven by a dynamic, integrated value chain encompassing technology development, manufacturing, distribution, project development, and services, it explained.
Last year, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Qatar, affirming Japan's commitment to strengthening energy ties and economic cooperation with the major gas-producing country.
Moreover, Ambassador Maeda also said that“Japan is investing a huge amount of money to achieve carbon neutrality. In particular, many companies are working on hydrogen and ammonia as carbon-free energy. In the Middle East, we are also proceeding with initiatives such as demonstration tests for transportation aimed at reducing hydrogen supply costs.”
“I understand that efforts are underway in Qatar to expand exports of Direct Reduced Iron which can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 40% during steel manufacturing.”
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