Kahramaa, WOQOD and Mowasalat are introducing more environmentally friendly transportation across the country. 

Following an agreement in January 2023 between Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) and Qatar Fuel (WOQOD), direct current (DC) power fast charging units will be installed at all WOQOD petrol stations operating across the country within two years. 

This follows a contract Kahramaa and WOQOD signed in November 2022 for the provision, installation, and maintenance of 37 DC fast charging units for electric vehicles (EV) at WOQOD petrol stations. Kahramaa has already started putting in EV charging stations at the WOQOD petrol stations in Bu Samra. 

This year, 150 charging stations will be installed in WOQOD petrol stations across the country to encourage more environmentally friendly transportation. 

This initiative comes within Qatar National Vision 2030 which aims to transform Qatar into a developed country that is able to achieve sustainable development, by enhancing the diversified economy that depends on reducing the reliance on hydrocarbons. Its investment is in the private sector which must be directed towards smart knowledge and technology.

There are two kinds of ‘fuels’ that can be used in electric vehicles: alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) power. The power that comes from the grid is always AC. However, batteries, like the one in an EV, can only store power as DC. That’s why most electronic devices have a converter built into the plug. Every time you are charging a device such as your smartphone, the plug is actually converting AC power to DC.

DC fast charging bypasses all of the limitations of the on-board charger and required conversion, instead providing DC power directly to the battery – charging speed has the potential to be greatly increased. Charging times are dependent on the battery size, the output of the dispenser and other factors, but many vehicles are capable of getting an 80% charge in about or under an hour using most currently available DC fast chargers.

DC fast charging is essential for high mileage/long distance driving and large fleets. The quick turnaround enables drivers to recharge during their day or on a small break as opposed to being plugged in overnight, or for many hours, for a full charge.

Lusail Bus Depot

The world’s largest electric bus depot, the Lusail Bus Depot, was inaugurated in October 2022.

Located in Lusail City, the Lusail Bus Depot has set a record in the Guinness World Records Book as the largest electric bus depot with a capacity of 478 bus bays. 

In addition to the nearly 500 bus bays, the depot has 248 sets of charging equipment to accommodate 1,002 Chinese-made Yutong buses. The vehicles are fitted with 350 kilowatt-hour (kWh) lithium batteries and have a range of 200 km. The technical infrastructure was supplied by Swiss company ABB.

The first in the Middle East to rely on solar power, the depot also features approximately 11,000 PV solar panels covering a total area of over 25,000 sq m to generate 4 megawatts of power to feed the depot’s buildings with the required power.

In addition, according to Minister of Transport HE Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, Qatar will be the first country in the world using a huge public transportation powered by clean energy. ‘We have clean energy of all types. Gas is clean energy 100%, but we opted to diversify the sources of energy, so this depot, equipped to generate 4 megawatts of solar power, has become the largest of this kind in the world,’ he said.

The depot was developed in an area of more than 400,000 sq m as part of the Ministry of Transport’s Public Bus Infrastructure Programme. It consists of 24 multipurpose buildings, in addition to staff accommodation buildings for 1,400 people, service and recreational facilities, green spaces, substations and bus bays. 

The depot has a special zone of 24 bays for the fast charging of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) e-buses, which is one of the newest mobility modes in Qatar. 

There are at least five bus depots in Qatar, including in Lusail City, Al Wakra, Al Soudan, Education City/
Al Rayyan and Industrial Area. At least three of these depots, including the Lusail Bus Depot, are dedicated to the zero emission buses. The Education City/Al Rayyan Bus Depot has space for 390 e-buses and 190 chargers.

The bus depots are being set up as part of the Public Bus Infrastructure Programme that MoTC is carrying out in collaboration with Public Works Authority (Ashghal). 

The facilities are being designed in accordance with Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS), the first performance-based system in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, developed for rating green buildings and infrastructures. The bus depots and stations have important design and operational considerations with three-star environmental quality for energy saving and environmental conservation.

Mowasalat e-buses

Approximately 900 Mowasalat (Karwa) electric buses (e-buses) were used to ferry spectators between stadiums during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, which took place from 20 November to 18 December 2022. A large number of the e-buses are now being used to operate local routes. 

According to Mowasalat, the official transportation provider in Qatar, all Metrolink services for the Doha Metro Gold Line are now using e-buses.

In line with Mowasalat’s values and Qatar’s mission for a green road transportation system, the e-buses are completely zero-emission and also have near-zero noise generation. The fleet is fully customised to the environment of Qatar, and comprises minibuses and medium-sized buses with battery capacities of 163kWh and 211kWh. The entire fleet is equipped with 360-degree cameras and sensors to ensure drivers get a full view of the vehicle’s surroundings. The buses are highly energy efficient with an inbuilt intelligent energy control system for the batteries to last longer and the interiors of the e-buses come equipped with changeable LED lighting. The e-buses are accessible to passengers with special needs.

Each bus is also equipped with an alarm system that sends a warning to the driver upon crossing the speed limit, in case a pedestrian crosses the street, and at lane departures. This makes the new fleet completely suitable for residential areas, also in terms of their turning radius and bus lengths.

Qatar has pledged to a completely green bus fleet over the next 10 years. mowasalat.com


By Ola Diab

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