Qatar is considering building one of the world's largest solar power complexes to help meet demand, which could increase four-fold over the next 30 years, according to a magazine report.

The solar complex would have capacity of 3,500 megawatts by 2013, the Middle East Economic Digest (MEED) magazine said citing Salah Hamza, senior business development planner at Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa).

'You can have up to 500MW in one place,' he said. 'Then you will need about seven sites because the total capacity needed at that time is 3,500 MW,' Hamza said adding that solar capacity could increase to 4,500 megawatts by 2036.

Gulf Arab states have about 30 per cent of the world's oil reserves and eight per cent of its gas, but an economic boom spurred by record crude prices is driving demand for power and water so rapidly that many are considering turning to alternative
energies including nuclear.

Qatar expects to add 16,260 megawatts of power to the national grid between 2011 to 2036, almost four times current capacity of 4,200 megawatts, he noted.

Hamza said the solar complex was part of a wider plan that could include construction of a nuclear power plant.-Reuters