DFC in Cooperation with "Tarsheed" to Launch EV Charging Stations

Doha Festival City EV Charging Stations

Doha Festival City, Qatar’s one and only international mall of choice for shopping, dining, and entertainment, announced the completion of the first phase of its Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations in partnership with Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (KAHRAMAA), represented in the National Program for Conservation and Energy Efficiency “Tarsheed”. The initiative, undertaken under the mall’s sustainability efforts and Tarsheed’s guidance and regulations, has seen the completion of 23 stations, which are now all operational.

As part of its commitment to promoting the use of clean energy and reduce the carbon footprint from visitor’s vehicles, and in partnership with Tarsheed, Doha Festival City increased the number of its EV charging stations from 6 in September 2022 to 23 by the end of November this year. The Mall has further plans to install more charging stations in two phases in the coming 2 years to further promote energy efficiency.

The EV charging stations are now available for public use and can be found in 46 locations across the mall in the Lower Ground Floor, near Monoprix and Sacoor Brothers and on the first floor near the VIP valet area, Harvey Nichols, and VOX.

The introduction of EV charging stations brings many initiatives to Qatar and working with KAHRAMAA represented in Tarsheed to establish and expand the electric charging network for cars, in response to the strategy adopted by the Ministry of Transport in this regard.

On his Part, Eng. Rashid AL-Rahimi, Conservation and Energy Efficiency Department Manager in KAHRAMAA said “ The goal of these Electric Charging stations is to encourage people to use electric cars, which will reduce carbon emissions, as the means of transportation in the world in general represent a large proportion of carbon emissions and in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030 and its commitment to preserving the environment in the State of Qatar and switching to sustainable transport. Tarsheed has completed over 100 fast electric charging stations all over the State of Qatar till end of 2022. Expansion of the network is expected to reach 250 EV charging stations by end of 2023.”

Robert Hall, Doha Festival City’s General Manager, said: “As a sustainable Mall, Doha Festival City continues improving its operations by following the latest international sustainability best practices and standards. We have a firm commitment towards the environment, and we consider the completion of projects that contribute toward reducing our environmental impact at the top of our priorities. The completion of this first phase of the EV charging stations constitutes the first step on our journey toward providing the infrastructure that promotes the use of these vehicles, contributing to the reduction of the carbon footprint in Qatar and toward cleaner air for all the people in this country.”

“We greatly appreciate the partnership we have with KAHRAMAA and Tarsheed and we look forward to collaborating on more initiatives promoting safe and sustainable energy practices,” Robert concluded.

The Unity50 charging stations can charge electric vehicles with a power output of up to 50 kW and reduce charging times to less than 30 minutes. The stations are managed by the efficient “ChargeSphere – powered by Kostad” web-based control and management system to ensure cross connectivity and visibility. All stations will be monitored by Tarsheed Platform that connects all EV charging stations in the state of Qatar for a better user experience in 2023.

Doha Festival City is also at the forefront to install state-of-the-art systems and equipment that contribute to reducing its carbon footprint, including irrigation systems that use a timer to control water consumption and smart electric systems and solar panels to reduce its electricity usage.

As part of its #FestivalCares culture, Doha Festival City has a firm commitment toward sustainability and promoting environmental responsibility. Through its active network of local partners such as Tarsheed, the Mall supports environmental awareness programmes and initiatives on a variety of topics such as recycling, sustainability, and waste reduction. Moreover, the Mall celebrates international occasions that capitalize on environmental awareness, including World Water Day and Earth Hours.