India and Qatar held the 5th Round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC), focusing on advancing renewable energy partnerships between the two nations. The meeting, co-chaired by Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary (CPV & OIA) of India’s Ministry of External Affairs, and Ahmad Hassen Al-Hammadi, Secretary General of Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, talked about recent collaborative efforts in the renewable energy sector, including key projects and capacity targets.
India outlined its ongoing initiatives to boost solar and wind energy and introduced opportunities for Qatari investment in these areas. In turn, Qatar shared its advancements in solar energy projects as part of its National Vision 2030 and expressed interest in building capacity in clean energy alongside India.
A recent collaboration is Qatar’s investment in India’s Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Power Project in Madhya Pradesh. This project has a capacity of 750 megawatts (MW) and contributes to India’s target of reaching 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030.
Qatar also discussed its Al Kharsaah Solar Power Plant, which India has shown interest in supporting. Al Kharsaah, Qatar’s first large-scale solar power plant, is designed to generate 800 MW of power. The project, a collaboration with several international and regional partners, aims to meet around 10% of Qatar’s peak electricity demand upon completion. This plant, currently under expansion, could set the stage for further India-Qatar ventures in large-scale solar development.
In addition to solar, both countries are exploring green hydrogen projects. India proposed further investment in its National Hydrogen Mission, which targets the production of 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030. Qatar, recognizing the potential of hydrogen as a future fuel, expressed interest in co-developing hydrogen projects and sharing technical expertise. This includes joint research on hydrogen production, storage, and transportation, as well as potential infrastructure projects.
