Saudi Arabia Commences Extensive Geographic Survey For Renewable Energy Development

In the presence of His Royal Highness, Prince AbdulAziz bin Salman bin AbdulAziz Al Saud, Minister of Energy, the Geographic Survey Project for Renewable Energy sites in the Kingdom was launched. The contracts for the project were awarded to Saudi companies to install 1,200 stations for measuring solar and wind energy across all regions of the Kingdom.

His Royal Highness emphasized that this project reaffirms the Kingdom's commitment to achieving its ambitious targets for producing and exporting renewable energy. It will optimize the utilization of renewable energy resources across the Kingdom, support the Kingdom's strategic position for exporting electricity generated from renewable resources, and promote the Kingdom's aim to produce clean hydrogen.

The Minister of Energy explained that solar energy measurement stations, equipped with advanced measurement devices at ground level, will record Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI), Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI), Diffuse Horizontal Irradiance (DHI), dust and pollutant deposition rates, ground-reflected radiation (albedo), ambient temperature, rainfall levels, relative humidity, and atmospheric pressure. Meanwhile, wind energy measurement stations will be installed at different heights, up to 120 meters, to record wind speed and direction, ambient temperature, atmospheric pressure, and relative humidity.

Regarding the comprehensiveness of the data the project will provide, His Royal Highness noted that in the first phase, the stations will survey the designated area spreading into all regions of the Kingdom to identify suitable sites for renewable energy projects. Subsequently, the project’s stations will be moved to these sites and installed there to continuously provide all required data for implementing renewable energy projects with high accuracy.

His Royal Highness indicated that data collection will be conducted using the latest technologies and applying the highest quality standards and global practices. HRH the Minister added that the project includes establishing a platform at the Ministry of Energy to monitor, record, and transmit measurement data around the clock. This data can be analyzed and processed digitally using artificial intelligence technologies to assess and rank sites based on their suitability for renewable energy projects.

The Minister added that this project will contribute to identifying the best sites for developing renewable energy projects in terms of resource size and development priority. He noted that no other country has previously conducted a geographic survey of this kind on such an area scale.

Economic Impact

In this context, the Minister noted that the accuracy and continuous updating of the project’s data make it financeable in accordance with local and international financial institutions' requirements. He added that this will contribute significantly to the immediate allocation of land lots for renewable energy projects and expedite project announcement and execution after coordination with relevant authorities. This eliminates the current waiting period of 18 to 24 months to obtain data.

He also noted that the availability of such data reduces risks related to renewable energy projects implementation. It increases such projects’ investment attractiveness and encourages investors to participate in developing and investing in renewable energy projects.

Future Prospects

The project will also primarily contribute to achieving optimal energy mix targets for electricity production. Renewable energy sources are expected to comprise about 50% of the energy mix by 2030. This aligns with achieving goals set by the Liquid Fuel Displacement Program by reducing dependence on liquid fuel in electricity generation.

His Royal Highness added that starting from this year, 2024, the Kingdom will tender new renewable energy projects with a capacity of 20 gigawatts annually. The aim is to reach between 100 and 130 gigawatts by 2030, depending on electricity demand growth.

Concluding his statement, His Royal Highness expressed his gratitude and appreciation to King Salman bin AbdulAziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin AbdulAziz Al Saud for their continuous support. Their assistance enhances the Ministry's capabilities and supports its efforts to achieve Vision 2030 goals.

With inputs from SPA