Qatar has the highest electricity reserve margin in the region and one of the best transmission networks in the Middle East. This is the result of massive investment in transmission projects stretching back. Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa) is estimated to have spent more than $15bn on power projects during 2000-12.

Much of this has been spent on the Qatar Transmission Project, an ongoing programme of upgrades to the electricity transmission infrastructure of the country, which is now in its eleventh phase. Electricity supply is being boosted to meet the needs of a rapidly expanding population and to satisfy the rising demand that comes from Qatar’s many planned projects, as the country gears up to host football’s Fifa World Cup in 2022.

The number of high-voltage substations in Qatar’s electricity network should rise 50 per cent by 2016

At the end of March 2012, Kahramaa awarded 10 electricity packages covering 34 substations, including 24 new stations, double-circuit, high-voltage underground cables nearly 400 kilometres long, and 100km of overhead lines. This work is scheduled to be completed in 2015. The number of high-voltage substations in Qatar’s electricity network should rise 50 per cent by 2016, compared with 2012 levels.

Phase 11 of the project, launched last year, should be worth about $4.6bn and primarily focuses on substation and cabling contracts. It will be executed in two phases. Overall, it includes the installation of about 70 substations.

In 2008, Qatar’s first 400kV power line was installed by France’s Nexans in consortium with Italy’s Prysmian, under the seventh phase of the transmission project.

The 16km line was divided in 33 sections of about 480m in length and comprised three cable circuits. The 400kV power line was installed to replace overhead pylons.