On May 11, Solum announced that it secured a contract on April 12 to implement the EV charger pilot project in collaboration with Chaevi, targeting the public sector of the Qatar Electricity Authority. Solum will supply one Chaevi third-generation 180kW fast charger utilizing its 30kW power module. A representative from Solum stated, "This is the first instance of a domestic EV charging company entering the Qatar Electricity Authority's public sector proof of concept (PoC)."
Qatar has set carbon footprint reduction and the electrification of public transport as key goals in its National Vision 2030. Member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are accelerating the expansion of EV infrastructure as part of their strategies to transition to a post-oil economy, with Qatar including the establishment of EV charging infrastructure as a major task in its national transportation strategy.
To support this initiative, the Qatar Electricity Authority (Kahramaa) is overseeing the installation and bidding for EV charging stations, with plans to gradually expand the charging infrastructure to 300 stations by the end of 2024, 600 by 2025, and 1,000 by 2030. Qatar is gaining recognition as a leading country in building EV infrastructure in the Middle East.
Kahramaa is the public agency responsible for managing Qatar's national power and water resources and plays a crucial role in implementing the country's energy infrastructure policies. Beyond merely supplying electricity, it is also a key demand source for national energy transition projects, including EV charging infrastructure.
Solum explained that securing this PoC was not a straightforward process. Through local business development activities led by Lee Chang-seop, Solum's head of Middle East operations, the company identified influential partners in Qatar and opened access channels to the public sector of the electricity authority.
Lee Chang-seop stated, "The pilot project with the Qatar Electricity Authority allows us to directly assess the high entry barriers in the Middle Eastern market and objectively validate the performance of our products. Based on this reference, we will deepen our collaboration with local partners and gradually establish a business model suitable for the GCC market."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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