Siemens wins $525 million contract to build power substations in Qatar

Qatar's state-owned utility company, Qatar General Water & Electricity Corporation (KAHRAMAA), recently awarded the German company Siemens a $525 million contract to build 18 power substations across the country.

The contract is part of the Gulf nation’s long-term plan to build up its energy infrastructure as part of the Qatar National Vision 2030 and in preparation for the upcoming FIFA World Cup set to kick off in 2022.

Siemens will design and build 18 turnkey substations, which will cater to the rapidly developing nation’s increased demands for electricity. The project is slated for completion in 2017.

"We are very proud that KAHRAMAA has chosen our field-proven and state-of-the-art products,” Wolfgang Braun, Siemens’ vice president for energy management in the Middle East, said. “We are working very closely to support the expansion of Qatar's power distribution network with appropriate equipment and solutions."

Braun said building the substations is no simple task as they demand highly complicated technology and special designs.

“They are also highly demanding in terms of project management, because several systems will have to be constructed in parallel within a very short time," Braun said.

It’s a challenge the German firm is ready to meet, as the company has installed more than 110 substations and nearly 900 miles worth of high-voltage cable since Qatar began building up power infrastructure in 2005.

Siemens has completed each of those projects on time, with contracts totaling more than $2.2 billion so far.