Saudi Arabia

Researchers at Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology have demonstrated a method they say could improve the stability of perovskite structures. The group found adding an organic dopant served to increase the strength of chemical bonds between organic and inorganic elements of a perovskite.

The latest study published by the International Renewable Energy Agency says the average solar electricity cost of $0.085/kWh produced by projects commissioned last year is set to fall to $0.048 next year, and $0.02-0.08 by 2030.

Renewables may be making encouraging advances in the south Asian nation but the natural gas infrastructure deal announced today by the Saudi power company at a stroke eclipses the 375 MW of solar capacity in Bangladesh and its 609 MW development pipeline.

Saudi Arabia is expanding the reach of its 105 billion riyal (US$28 billion) industrial fund to spur renewables through loans to component manufacturers, to independent power projects and to projects spearheaded by firms in other industries.

The Japanese multinational lender is making its second investment in the Swedish start-up. The funds will help the company ship its first products next year.

A ground-mounted solar project billed as Saudi Arabia’s largest to date has reached the finish line, and is now set to power the operations of a food and beverage conglomerate.

With a combination of scale, a growing population, outstanding irradiation, and available capital, solar PV should be a ‘no brainer’ for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. But early explorations of the technology have soured expectations, and progress has come in fits and starts.

Still a prototype, the machine could one day help curb electricity and freshwater shortages