With the Fifa 2022 World Cup just a few years away, Qatar is recruiting league leaders to ensure its preparedness for hosting the world’s biggest football tournement.
As part of getting ready to welcome fans and teams from around the globe, GE Energy Connections has been signed up on a contract to support the power supply of Qatar’s future smart city, the Lusail City mega-development that will also be the host venue of the World Cup.
The US firm’s Grid Solutions business team scored the deal with L&T for Lusail City to support seven 66/11kV substations with protection and automation systems that will provide the electricity needs for nearly 450,000 people who are expected to take up residence in Lusail City. The smart city is designed to incoroprate marinas, residential districts, island resorts, commercial districts, luxury shopping, leisure and entertainment centres and a golf course community in the man-made islands.
For World Cup football fans coming for the competition, the Lusail Iconic Stadium, with a capacity of more than 80,000 people, is set to host the opening and final matches.
“As the home venue of the Qatar 2022 Fifa World Cup, the mega-development is setting new benchmarks in infrastructure and amenities,” said Eng Essa M Kaldari, the chief executive of Lusail Real Estate Development Company. “With its proven expertise in supporting Qatar’s power sector, GE serves as an ideal partner to drive the electricity infrastructure for the development.”
Mohammed Mohaisen, the president and chief executive of Grid Solutions, Middle East and Central Asia, said: “GE has been a partner for the 2006 Asian Games, and now with our project for Lusail City, we are bringing our competencies to support another sporting spectacle hosted by the country. We will draw on our industrial internet strengths to deliver high levels of efficiency to the substations through advanced automated solutions.”
In addition to the Lusail deal, GE and Al Farraj Trading & Manufacturing Company (FTMC) have signed an agreement whereby FTMC will assemble and supply GE electrical equipment to five key Middle East countries: Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan.
FTMC is to build a manufacturing facility in Doha. The 7,000 square metre plant will produce electrical equipment used in the protection and distribution of electricity in residential, commercial and industrial applications. It will also create up to 150 new jobs in the country, the company said.
