Amir inaugurates water security reservoirs project
His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani inaugurated the Water Security Mega Reservoirs Project yesterday during a ceremony held by Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) in Umm Salal Ali area.
HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, a number of ministers and senior officials in the energy, industry, electricity and water sectors were present.
Speaking on the occasion, HE the Minister of State for Energy Affairs Saad bin Sherida al-Kaabi described the project as the largest in the world and features a huge strategic reservoir that raises the country’s water storage to about 1,500mn gallons, an increase of 150%.
This giant project is worth QR14.5bn, he said, pointing out that the current phase of the project will ensure water security for Qatar until 2026, followed by future stages that will meet water demand even after the year 2036 by adding additional reservoirs.
“The project is a key component in achieving the country’s water security and a clear declaration of the ability and readiness of the water sector in Qatar to meet the development requirements in the present and future,” he added.
Kahramaa president Engineer Issa bin Hilal alKuwari said in his speech that the project has begun as a vision and a creative and innovative solution to achieve the water security of Qatar since 2007.
“With the inauguration of this massive project, several key issues will be achieved within Qatar’s water security strategy, including the increase of desalinated water storage to 2,400mn gallons per day, which is enough to meet the basic needs of the country for several months under different operating conditions.
The Water Security Mega Reservoirs Project allows Qatar to overcome difficulties and meet the challenges of freshwater shortages, President of the Public Works Authority (Ashghal), Dr Saad bin Ahmad al-Mohannadi said.
In a press statement on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Water Security Mega Reservoirs Project in Umm Slal Ali by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Ashghal president pointed out that the launch of the project demonstrates that the leadership takes into account the national security of the country by
providing the largest water reservoir in the world.
Managing Director & General Manager of Qatar Electricity and Water Company (QEWC), Fahad bin Hamad al-Mohannadi said that the Water Security Mega Reservoirs Project allows the production plants to carry out maintenance and rehabilitation of the stations, explaining that the huge quantities of water that will be stored in these reservoirs will give sufficient time for the production power plants to carry out maintenance and rehabilitation.
The strategic project of the mega reservoirs aims to increase Qatar’s strategic water storage till 2026. The project consists of 24 reservoirs at a total capacity of 2,300mn gallons. The project includes the installation of 650km pipelines with large diameters to form a spine joining all the key desalination plants together at the five specific reservoirs sites.
The capacity of each reservoir is 100mn gallons which is considered the largest concrete reservoir in the world. Each concrete reservoir will be 150m by 300m by 12m deep. The reservoirs are unique in type and design.
Each site consists of substantial pumping station and infrastructure to serve them.
The project was awarded in April 2015, while the foundation stone was laid in May 2015.