A study of Qatar’s Network Reliability During the Forthcoming FIFA 2022 World Cup

The effect of increased load, due to the use of eight air-conditioned football stadiums during the forthcoming FIFA 2022 world cup, on Qatar’s electricity network is investigated with the aid of PowerWorld simulator. The bowl areas of the stadiums currently under construction are estimated according to their seating capacity, and their air-conditioning loads are calculated using the air-conditioning requirement for a Qatari villa as a reference. Data regarding Qatar’s electricity network are compiled with the aid of three publicly available sources. Power flow studies and contingency analyses are performed with and without the stadiums’ load. An arbitrary correction factor is introduced to account for the uncertain nature of air-conditioning in open environment as well as cooling of other facilities. Results indicate that the addition of the stadiums’ load introduces supply security violations. These are identified and appropriate remedial actions (involving generation and static VAr control) are devised and implemented.