Qatar Electricity and Water Corporation (QEWC) is all set to launch a number of multi-billion dollar projects, including joint ventures, to meet the country’s burgeoning power and water demands. QEWC will soon launch a 45 MIGD (million gallons per day) water desalination project at a cost of QR2.1bn. The project will be commissioned by mid-2009 and is likely to be funded in the proportion of 75 per cent debt and 25 per cent equity. QEWC is also undertaking expansion at Ras Abu Fontas-B stations, where it is setting up a 567 MW power plant and 29.9 MIGD water desalination plant. The project will have a capital outlay of about QR1.9bn, which is likely to be funded by 75 percent debt and 25 percent company funds. The project is likely to start operations soon, an Investment Update report released by Global Investment House, Kuwait, said yesterday. QEWC, along with the consortium partners, is all set to implement the largest power generation and water desalination project in Qatar. The facility will be owned and operated by Ras Girtas Power Company (RGPC). The project is estimated to cost around QR14bn and will have capacity of 2,730 MW of power generation and 63 MIGD of water. The project’s capacity base has been increased from the earlier envisaged 2,600 MW of power generation and 55 MIGD of water. The other joint venture project, according to the investment report, is a power project in Mesaieed Industrial City. A jointly controlled entity named Mesaieed Power Company Limited was incorporated in January 2007 for executing the project. The project is estimated to cost QR 7.28bn and will have power generation capacity of 2000 MW. In December 2007, the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) shut down its Ras Abu Aboud facility. QEWC was undertaking operations and maintenance of this power and water desalination plants of Kahramaa, which has a capacity of 210 MW of power and 11 MIGD of water. With the implementation of all these projects, Qatar's power capacity will increase to 9,179 MW and water desalination capacity to 343 MIGD by 2011. Quoting industry sources, the report says an annual growth rate of 17 percent is seen in the demand for electricity and 11 percent growth in the demand for water during the next five years in Qatar. The Pen

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