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business version. "We are now well-positioned to catch substantial chances in Saudi Arabia along with in appealing markets globally, including utility-scale green

on further projects throughout India and also the Middle East." The win for Saudi Arabia comes also as LONGi sales in India have been badly interfered with by the 40%

Works on a 30-MW solar farm in the region of Haradh in eastern Saudi Arabia have actually been settled after numerous hold-ups, and also the plant will certainly begin delivering power to the National Agricultural Development Co (TADAWUL:6010), or NADEC, under a power acquisition contract (PPA).

Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy sector over the years can be best described as a roller coaster. Just when momentum seemed to be building, the ride came to a halt. Then it began to move, but never really gave potential investors the confidence needed for serious acceleration. Progress started to take shape in 2016 and has continued, showing that this time is different.   Yet, to understand how the country got to where it is today, it’s important to know where Saudi Arabia has been, and that stems all the way back to 1977.   Memory lane   Much like the creation of the national oil company Saudi Aramco — formed between the United States and Saudi Arabia — solar power has been explored as part of a bilateral partnership between the two countries. Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Science and Technology (now known as the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology or KACST) and the United States Department of Energy (DOE) struck a deal four decades ago for the Saudi Solar Village Project. The five-year agreement included $50 million from both countries and was extended for three more years. What resulted was a 350 kW solar PV system located 50 kilometers from Riyadh, as well as an additional 350 kW solar hydrogen demonstration plant.   The system operated well for its time, but the technology was nowhere near where it is today, which resulted in panel degradation of 20%. Operating temperatures were much higher than originally specified, and the heat sink insufficient for cooling.   From there continued a list of projects, including solar-powered water desalination, solar hydrogen utilization, solar water heating, and other PV research projects.   In 1990, the Persian Gulf War erupted and once again, Saudi Arabia saw solar power come via the United States. Solar panels were used to power GPS satellites, but just like the problem seen in the solar village, modules again quickly deteriorated in the harsh desert conditions.   There is little doubt that these observations helped shape the kingdom’s solar PV sector — and industry in general — but it would still take many years before substantial movement could be seen.   Broken promises   In April 2010, the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (K.A.CARE) was established to be the “driving force for making atomic and renewable energy an integral part of a national sustainable energy mix.”   K.A.CARE’s target was to have 41 GW of renewable energy by 2032, with 16 GW of solar PV. In 2011, a contract was signed to establish a polysilicon plant in Jubail, which would begin the production of solar cell materials. Polysilicon Technology, alongside Hyundai Engineering and KCC Engineering and Construction, announced that it would build a $380 million plant to produce 3,350 metric tons of solar-grade polysilicon, with future expansion plans. This was one of many announcements that failed to materialize, as developer Polysilicon Technology later went bankrupt, according to local sources.   K.A.CARE went a step further in February 2013, when it published a white paper that announced a new renewable energy target of 54 GW by 2032 (41 GW was to be solar). And in the first five years, it planned for 5.1 GW to be installed, with 23.9 GW by 2020. The white paper has since been removed from the organization’s website, and K.A.CARE’s renewable energy ambitions disappeared along with it, as it began to focus more on nuclear power.   The new crown prince   Volatility in oil prices began in 2014, and it forced the country to broadly rethink its economic policies.   As Saudi Arabia grappled with the new normal of low oil prices, then deputy crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, released a new economic vision for the country. The National Transformation Plan, part of the wider Vision 2030 agenda, was launched in 2016. It included a target to have 9.5 GW of solar and wind power feeding electricity into the national grid by 2023. It was understandable that the plan was met with leeriness, considering previous attempts to jump-start a renewable energy market in the country, but this time was different. This was the first time that Saudi Arabia had a government mandate to incorporate renewable energy into its overall energy mix.   In 2017, the Renewable Energy Project Development Office (REPDO) was created, featuring members from K.A.CARE, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Electricity Company, and the Electricity and Cogeneration Regulatory Authority. The new unit fell under the energy ministry’s oversight, and immediately began accepting applications from companies that were looking to participate in the development of 700 MW of solar and wind capacity projects.   Local company ACWA Power came in with the winning bid for the first utility-scale solar PV plant, Sakaka, at $0.0234/kWh. “PV is a no-brainer in our part of the world [to supply] a significant source of load,” said ACWA chief executive officer Paddy Padmanathan.   Yet what was also significant was how REPDO announced the winning bids, which was done via live stream. This showed a level of transparency that isn’t seen anywhere else in the region’s renewable energy sector.   In November 2018, Saudi Arabia’s first utility-scale solar PV project began construction, with more than 1.18 million modules and 1,200 new jobs. The Sakaka solar power plant began a new era in the kingdom, heralding a “more to come” drive with at least seven projects to be tendered in this year alone. And people started to believe it. In fact, Padmanathan said that throughout the region, more companies are jumping into the market — and they’re looking at Saudi Arabia. He estimates that over the past five years, there has been growth of 20% of new market players trying to get into the Middle East’s solar sector.   “Within the next five years, there will be a real race to deploy as much PV as possible throughout the region,” Padmanathan added.   And Saudi Arabia is a market mover for any sector, given its size and population of almost 33 million. So much so that many companies separate Saudi Arabia from their regional reports so that its size doesn’t skew results. The potential for the kingdom’s solar industry, coupled with its goal of creating a manufacturing hub, is enough to once again entice investors.   “We’ve been pushing anyone we’ve worked with for many years saying, ‘If you want to work with us and want to capture meaningful volumes — industrialize inside the kingdom,’” said Padmanathan.   Earlier this year, a Saudi consortium made up of the National Industrial Clusters Development Program and petrochemical giant SABIC, signed a memorandum of understanding with Longi Group and OCI for the development of a fully integrated solar manufacturing facility in the country. And such decisions may create momentum for others to move, particularly considering a potentially more favorable policy framework.   Gus Schellekens, a partner at the clean energy division of the consultancy EY, said that Saudi Arabia today is very different than pre-Vision 2030.   “New businesses are being set up that are very different to the old world that delivered success for the past 40 years,” Schellekens explained. Yet Saudi Arabia is still finding its footing. The head of REPDO, Turki Al Shehri, recently left the organization to join France’s Engie as the chief executive of Saudi Arabia. There has so far been no announcement about a replacement and sources have said that the energy ministry is instead looking to create a more centralized system.   It’s never an easy road when introducing a new model or system on a large scale, especially if people continue to focus on previous mistakes. “In the long run, there remains huge potential for Saudi Arabia, but it’s important to acknowledge practical challenges, and build on a robust plan that is integrated with other initiatives,” Schellekens concluded.   Author LeAnne Graves   List of solar energy projects executed by KACST Projects Location Years Applications 350 kW PV system Solar Village 1981-87 DC/AC electricity for remote village 350 kW PV hydrogen production plant Solar Village 1987-93 Demonstration plant for hydrogen production Solar cooling Saudi Universities 1981-87 Development of solar cooling laboratory 1 kW solar hydrogen generator Solar Village 1983-93 Hydrogen production, testing, measurement laboratory scale 2 kW solar hydrogen (50 kWh) KAU, Jeddah 1986-91 Testing electrode materials for solar hydrogen plant 3 kW PV test system Solar Village 1987-90 Demonstration of climactic effects 4 kW PV system South of Saudi Arabia 1996 DC/AC grid connected 6 kW PV system Solar Village 1996-97 Grid connection Water desalination with PV (0.6m3/hour) Sadous Village 1994-96 PV/RO interface PV in agriculture (4 kWp) Muzahmia 1996 DC/AC grid connected Long-term performance of PV (3 kW) Solar Village Since 1990 Performance evaluation Fuel cell development (100 – 1000 W) Solar Village 1993-95 Hydrogen utilization Internal combustion engine (ICE) Solar Village 1993-95 Hydrogen utilization Solar radiation measurement 12 stations 1994-95 Saudi Solar Atlas Wind energy measurement 5 stations 1994-95 Saudi Solar Atlas Geothermal power assessment Various locations 1995-96 Establishment of accurate resource data Solar dryers Al-Hassa, Latif 1988-93 Food dryers (dates / vegetables etc.) Solar thermal dishes (2×50 kW) Solar Village 1986-94 Advanced solar Sterling Engine Energy managment in buildings Dammam 1988-93 Energy efficiency Solar collector development Solar Village 1993-97 Domestic, industrial, agricultural

and renewable energy from solar and wind energy. Acwa is a key part of Saudi Arabia’s plans to neutralize its carbon emissions by 2060, but the company also

Saudi Arabian Mining Company or MA'ADEN which is the country's nationwide mining champ has signed a MoU with the US based GlassPoint to establish the world's biggest solar procedure heat plant at MA'ADEN Alumina refinery. GlassPoint claims to be a leader in industrial solar steam. The official declaration of the companies holds that when full, the 1,500 MW solar steam facility will certainly assist MA'ADEN accomplish sustainability objectives by minimizing carbon emissions by over 600,000 tons annually. This represents more than 50% reduction of carbon impact in MA'ADEN Alumina refinery and also 4% of total carbon impact of MA'ADEN. The pact was checked in Riyadh by Riyadh Al Nassar, senior vice president of MA'ADEN aluminum company and also Rod MacGregor, chief executive officer and also creator of GlassPoint. MA'ADEN CEO Robert Wilts claimed, "As the 3rd column of the Saudi economic climate, we aspire to be a good example in ESG in the Kingdom. This considerable development will dramatically lower our carbon impact as well as bring us closer to our mandate of carbon neutrality by 2050. As the world moves in the direction of green aluminum, MA'ADEN intends to help blaze a trail in this shift." Riyadh Al Nassar stated, "The recommended new facility, a solar thermal plant known as MA'ADEN Solar 1, will be found in Ras al Khair, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as will certainly harness the power of the sun to create steam. The steam will be utilized to refine bauxite ore into alumina. Alumina is an important feedstock to Aluminum, which is just one of the world's most crucial steels for several worldwide markets entering into a future that is concentrated on atmosphere and sustainability." Rod MacGregor, chief executive officer as well as creator of GlassPoint, discussed, "This facility when built will be the largest industrial solar steam plant on the planet and the first released in both Saudi Arabia as well as in the aluminum supply chain. With this MOU, GlassPoint is going into a brand-new stage of growth to help decarbonize a series of industries seeking to lower their carbon impact." The pact of MA'ADEN as well as GlassPoint remains in line with the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) that advancements the battle of the country versus climate adjustment and help Saudi Arabia to end up being an international leader in sustainability. In 2021, the SGI unveiled a first wave of more than 60 initiatives, amounting to a $186 billion investment to accelerate the green economic climate in Saudi Arabia as well as past.

Our commitment to local production development in the different regions of Saudi Arabia has actually triggered us to open our very first production center in the

renewable energy projects that are being prepared by Saudi Arabia to supply electrical energy to the green hydrogen based ammonia plant in the city of NEOM show up to

has partnered with China's JZNEE to establish a 3-GW solar tracker factory in Saudi Arabia, with the potential to expand to 5 GW. The facility, located in Dammam, will

address the pressing challenges of climate change in line with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and Saudi Green Initiative. What Benefits Does

the guidance of our visionary management and also the Ministry of Energy, Saudi Arabia remains to accelerate its ambitious prepare for expanding its energy mix to

Fund (PIF) renewable energy program in the country, which aims to support Saudi Arabia's ongoing energy change and diversification, and to supply 70% of the nation's

PPA is for the $450m Ar Rass solar photovoltaic independent power plant in Saudi Arabia's Al Qassim province. Ar Rass is expected to reach economic enclose the

Cairo, Egypt experienced the celebration of the launch of a 5MW PV solar plant in Somabay Resort possessed by TAQA Arabia, which is the full-service power as well as utility supplier in Egypt.

led by Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have demonstrated a tandem cell based on an n-i-p perovskite piled on top of a