Tatas to build solar power station in Qatar

Dubai, Oct 8: TCE Consulting Engineers, a subsidiary of the Indian conglomerate Tata Group, is planning to build a solar thermal power station in Doha as a pilot project for a bigger version.

This follows the company's decision to invest 12 million dollars over the next five years at the Qatar Science&Technology Park (QSTP) to develop engineering solutions for environmental challenges. A solar-thermal power station concentrates sunlight and produces steam as a power source, the Peninsula daily said.

At the outset, the centre will focus on software that makes it faster and easier to design 'green' buildings, and create a blueprint for a solar-thermal power station.

''Buildings account for 40 per cent of energy consumption worldwide, so with the right technology we can make a real difference in this area.

Meanwhile, most leading universities around the world are developing nano-particles, which have the potential to bring immense benefit to society. We want to take the experimental work to the field in close cooperation with Qatar researchers and businesses, said A P Mull, TCE CEO.

The centre also aims to turn university nanotechnology research from around the world into practical engineering application products such as nano-fibre building materials, wastewater filters and cladding windows with ultra-thin solar cells.

Dr Tidu Maini, QSTP Executive Chairman, said: ''Tata has some very exciting expertise in energy and the environment, two of QSTP's strategic focus areas.''

UNI