Lusail bus depot is Middle East’s first to rely on solar power with around 11,000 PV panels

DOHA: Land transport has become a key enabler of Qatar s economy and a cornerstone of its growth. The Land Transport Sector continues its efforts to d...

DOHA: Land transport has become a key enabler of Qatar’s economy and a cornerstone of its growth. The Land Transport Sector continues its efforts to develop a state-of-the-art transport network in line with the goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030.

In a post on its X platform yesterday, the Ministry of Transport noted that Lusail Bus Depot is the first in the Middle East to rely on solar power to feed its buildings and highlighted various features of the depot.

Located in Lusail City, north of Doha, the depot is considered the largest electric bus depot worldwide, according to Guinness World Records, featuring state-of-the-art photovoltaic (PV) solar panels within the depot, which is developed over a total area of more than 400,000m².

It further said that the depot features approximately 11,000 PV solar panels covering a total area of more than 25,000m² to generate 4 megawatts (MW) of power to feed the depot’s buildings with needed power. It consists of bus bays, service facilities, recreational facilities, green spaces, substations and associated infrastructure.

The depot is divided into three zones. The first zone includes nearly 500 parking bays for e-buses equipped with 248 electric charging equipment, serving users 24/7. The second zone includes accommodations for all the depot staff with a capacity of 1400 people. It also includes administration, service, security, guardhouse buildings, mosques and commercial and recreational facilities. The third zone is a depot for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) e-buses. It includes 24 bays equipped with 24 electric charging devices.