DOHA: Qatar will launch a preliminary study in two to three weeks to assess the viability of a nuclear power plant project.
The study is being conducted over six to eight months to basically identify an appropriate site for a nuclear power plant and find out if it can be linked to the grid in the country.
This was disclosed by Issa Al Ghanim, Vice-Chairman of utility distributors, Kharamaa, in remarks to The Peninsula yesterday. Ghanim is also Manager of Corporate Planning at Qatar Petroleum.
Ghanim said whether Qatar would eventually be able to boast of a nuclear power plant would depend on the findings of the preliminary study. He was speaking to this newspaper on the sidelines of a MENA (Middle East and North Africa) Nuclear Energy Forum at the Ritz-Carlton. The two-day event ended yesterday.
"These are the two pre-conditions (identifying a site and whether the existing power grid can bear nuclear power). If the study suggests the project is feasible, we may go ahead. We are looking at this option basically to produce electricity and water," said Ghanim.
According to him, if there are alternative sources of energy to produce the valuable utilities, the conventional energy used to fire the power and water plants can be exported.
Ghanim reiterated that Qatar had enough natural gas reserves in the North Field to meet its needs over the long-term, but was nevertheless exploring options of renewable as well as nuclear energy.
© The Peninsula 2008
