Kahramaa launches pilot project to store electrical energy using batteries

The Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) launched the first pilot project to store electrical energy using batteries in the State of Qatar, in cooperation with Al Attiyah Group and Tesla Incorporation, where the batteries were connected to a substation related to the local Nuaija station on a voltage of 11 kV, which is controlled by the control center of the electrical distribution network.

This project, the first of its kind in the State of Qatar to store energy using batteries, aims to secure production capacity at peak times, in order to raise energy efficiency and enhance sustainability. Energy storage units with a capacity of 1 MW / 4 MWh have been installed in the Nuaija station with the aim of storing energy outside peak times and using it at the maximum load of the station and it can also be used to improve the network voltage.

The implementation of the project took nearly a year, as Kahramaa succeeded in completing the project ahead of schedule and operating the project to benefit from it during the summer period, which is one of the highest periods of energy consumption in the State of Qatar compared to the rest of the year.

This project was implemented with high specifications, as Al Attiyah Group built and prepared the civil work and installed the equipment in the station in coordination with Kahramaa, while Tesla Inc. provided the energy storage system (batteries), and the total cost of the project reached about QR 10 million.

Kahramaa is proud that its young Qatari cadres have managed the project in all its stages, starting with designing and planning to implementation and operation. The work team has succeeded in overcoming many challenges it faced during the implementation, the most important of which is the operation and training of its cadres during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The use of energy storage systems in electricity grids (batteries) is one of the global systems to raise energy efficiency and enhance sustainability, as the importance of the success of this pilot project lies in opening the horizons for engaging in larger projects in the future by connecting them to some high-load stations in the network, and integrating them with the strategic projects of Kahramaa related to renewable energy projects, such as Al Kharsaah Solar Power Project.