The energy future of Saudi Arabia: 60GW of renewable energy by 2030

The arabic country could install a total of 60GW of renewable energy, as has been known in an interview with the UAE state news agency, WAM

Dr. Khalid bin Saleh Al Sultan, President of the King Abdullah Atomic and Renewable Energy City, has granted an interview where the energy future of Saudi Arabia has been showed to the World. In the words of the Saudi authority, the country is studying a 40GW of solar and 20GW of a mix of wind and other clean energy solutions, plan that could be a reality by 2030.

This situation is the continuation of the renewable energy tenders, like the one of 700MW in 2017, that are becoming more and more common in the Saudi energy market.

The plan, that comes as part of a Saudi attempt to boost and integrate more renewable energy under the framework of the KSA Vision 2030 and the National Transformation 2020 Programme, the energy road map of the asian country, has shaken the market because of some substantial changes, like the “partners” that will collaborate with the Saudi Government.

If innitially the name associated to the energy future of Saudi Arabia was Softbank, now there is not anything sure in this issue, although there were announcements of a 200GW solar plan with the Japanese company. Annoucnements that, during the last months, have been desribed as “on hold” by some reports.

Huawei breakthroughs in the Saudi energy market

In addition to these news, during the last month some announcments of projects have been added on the table. The China-based firm Huawei had been chosen by Saudi firm ACWA Power as the sole inverter supplier for a new renewable energy proyect.

This proyect, Sakaka plant, the first large-scale solar project launched by Saudi Arabia, that will contribute with 300MW of clean energy to the Saudi grid, has been won with a record-low biy in early 2018.

In other words, Sakaka plant is estimated to generate enough clean energy that will be sufficient to power 45,000 households in Al Jouf region while offsetting over 430,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. Another renewable energy contribution to the energy future of Saudi Arabia.