Solar energy plants to be built in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE) has fairly recently revealed its projects to introduce solar plants in several Saudi provinces. The course of action was set at the behest of Saudi Electricity Co (SEC) and the collaboration between the two also produced reports on just how green power could be integrated with the present SEC structures. The first is to be constructed in Medina. Quotes for building contracts should enter their initial stages shortly.

This assignment is the foregone conclusion of the state’s growing attempts at moving closer to more sustainable power supplies. The KACARE was established to this purpose in 2010. Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud conveyed his hope of seeing a full separation from oil-based power plants within his lifetime but admitted that this is a bold endeavour.

There's also a fiscal motivation for this major reorientating of the nation's electricity sector. Saudi Arabia is at present producing an excess and is in a position to support its private essential needs. In spite of this, experts forsee that maximum energy needs might rise to 120 GW until 2028, almost thrice what it needed a mere 4 years ago. Should this keep to its upward trend The nation of Saudi Arabia may possibly find itself in a position to import fuel.

The KACARE’s critical evaluation reveals that, realistically, oil and other non-renewable fuels will persist as the key resource for power production for some time but they are trying to achieve their ambitions by the end of 2032. Only a few years back the solar power output was a mere 0.003 GW. Their fresh improvement ventures are expected to get the amount to 17 GW not to mention providing an extra 6 GW of wind turbine, geothermal and waste conversion electricity by 2020.

SEC is not unfamiliar with renewable campaigns either. Back in 2013 it agreed to a partnership with WorleyParsons (formerly owned by energy and mining magnate Fahad Al Tamimi) in an effort to build 2 more combined-cycle energy plants. A majority of these power plants often run using gas as opposed to fossil fuel and have been recently demonstrated by scientific studies to be a much cleaner solution when it comes to CO2, nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide emissions.

At this time, SEC is also involved in an atomic power plant development process soon to be started in the UK, where they are currently aiming to acquire a 15% share in the EDF funded program. The Hinkley Point site should be wholly functional by 2023 and produce up to 7% of the United Kingdom’s electricity output.