The Ministry of Communications affirmed support for the many steps taken by the state to address global environmental challenges and promote sustainable development goals through an integrated, safe and sustainable transport network in Qatar that maintains a clean environment by using the latest technologies in transport projects to be a true legacy for future generations, as part of its celebration. On the occasion of Earth Day, which falls on the twenty-second of April every year.
In this context, the Ministry of Transport indicated that it and its subsidiaries and companies have followed policies that preserve the environment and adopt the principles of sustainability when implementing various projects in recent years, which were confirmed by infrastructure projects for the transport sector, which were built according to the latest international systems and proved their efficiency during hosting the activities of the World Cup. the world in November and December. The efforts of the Ministry of Communications have varied in the various sectors of the transportation system in the country, foremost of which is the Doha metro network, which adopts the latest systems of sustainability and environmental preservation, and bus stations, of which 8 major buses were inaugurated last year, most of which depend on clean energy, and all of them were used during the World Cup, in addition to the renewal of the bus fleet and the use of Electric buses constitute a large percentage, the number of which was used during the World Cup exceeded 25% of the total buses within the ministry’s plan to completely shift by 100% to the use of electric energy in the transport sector by the year 2030, in which it has made great strides.
The metro provides the highest standards of sustainability
The Doha Metro is the main pillar of the public transport system in the State of Qatar and has been designed according to the highest standards of sustainability. It has an important role in supporting the country’s efforts in the field of sustainability in the transport sector and achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030. This, Qatar Railways Company “Rail” has promoted Sustainability by stopping the issuance of paper tickets and introducing a number of initiatives in the field of sustainability by activating partnerships with a number of concerned institutions, in addition to the metro’s contribution to reducing dependence on private cars, reducing traffic congestion and reducing carbon emissions resulting from that. Qatar Rail is looking forward to raising the standards of environmental construction management and adopting world-class environmental management during operations and setting standards for the Middle East on reducing carbon Doha Metro, pointing out that when the metro operates at full capacity in 2030, we expect 17,000 cars to stop walking on the streets daily. This means saving 107,000 kg of carbon emissions, and means saving enough energy to circle the plane 21 times around the world.
Metrolink electric buses
The Ministry of Transport, represented by Mowasalat Company «Karwa», has approved about 90 electric buses within the Metrolink fleet to meet the transport requirements in different residential areas. The buses operate with zero emissions, without any noise, and are fully designed to suit the nature of the weather in Doha. The fleet consists of 60 minibuses and 30 medium buses with a battery capacity of 163 kWh and 211 kWh, respectively. The introduction of electric buses to the Metrolink fleet is an essential step towards achieving Qatar National Vision 2030 by providing a sustainable and friendly means of transportation. for the environment. The Ministry of Transportation has completely modified the electric buses to suit the nature of the weather and roads in the State of Qatar, and has been equipped with batteries that are the latest and safest batteries in the vehicle industry, which can travel more than 200 kilometers on a single charge, stressing that the electric buses comply with the highest safety standards. It undergoes a local inspection process to ensure that the technical and operational aspects comply with all Qatari regulations.
650 electric charging equipment
The public transport bus infrastructure program in the State of Qatar is considered one of the most environmentally friendly programs in the world, as it establishes a complete transformation of a transportation system powered by clean, environmentally friendly electric energy instead of buses that run on conventional fuel.
The Ministry, in cooperation with national companies and executive authorities, has supplied and installed more than 650 electric charging equipment for buses, distributed in stations and depots of public transport buses that were opened during the past year, in addition to a number of locations of Doha Metro stations, and other locations located within the approved electric bus routes. Which serve public transportation operations in the country, which enhances Qatar’s leading position in the field of mass transportation of clean energy.
The largest electric bus stations in the world
Lusail Bus Station is one of the largest bus stations in the world, where the electricity needed to charge the buses will be generated using solar panel technology, which does not produce any harmful emissions to the environment to provide an integrated and sustainable network of public transport in the country covering all parts of the regions.
The Lusail bus depot is also the first bus depot in the Middle East that relies on solar energy sources, as it contains about 11,000 solar panels that generate 4 megawatts of energy per day to supply the depot buildings with the necessary energy, in line with the goals of the Qatar National Strategy for Environment and Climate Change. , and Qatar National Vision 2030. The Lusail bus depot covers an area of more than 400,000 square meters and includes 24 mixed-use buildings, as well as bus stops, service and recreational facilities, green spaces, and electrical substations. The warehouse also contains about 11,000 solar energy units that have been installed on a total area of more than 25,000 square meters, with the aim of generating 4 megawatts of energy to supply the buildings with the necessary energy.
The warehouse is divided into three sections, where the first section includes 478 bus stops equipped with 248 electric charging equipment to operate electric buses, in addition to a number of facilities for maintenance, rapid inspection, cleaning and drying, and electrical distribution substations.
The second section contains the residential buildings for the accommodation of the warehouse workers, which were developed according to international specifications. The capacity of these buildings reaches 1,400 workers, supported by all service facilities such as dining halls and a mosque, in addition to recreational and administrative facilities, and security and guarding facilities for the facility’s entrances.
It is worth noting that the public transport bus infrastructure program consists of 8 stations and 4 bus depots covering the regions of the country and is supported by more than 650 electric charging stations for the purpose of operating electric buses. Developing more than 2,300 bus stops distributed inside and outside the city of Doha, designed according to the highest international standards and the latest types of sustainable technology in line with the identity of public transport and the vision of the State of Qatar 2030.
