Saudi Arabia launches geographical survey project for renewable energy sites

Authorities also awarded contracts to Saudi companies to install 1,200 stations for measuring solar and wind energy across all regions of the country.

Prince AbdulAziz bin Salman bin AbdulAziz Al Saud, Minister of Energy, said the survey project is globally unprecedented in terms of its geographical coverage.

The project will include all regions of the Kingdom by surveying over 850,000 square kilometres, excluding populated areas, sand dune areas, and airspace restrictions, the minister said, SPA reported.

The minister also 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, which will be installed at different heights, up to 120 meters, will record wind speed and direction, ambient temperature, atmospheric pressure, and relative humidity.

Ministry of Energy launches the unprecedented geographical survey project for renewable energy sites across the Kingdom.

Read more:https://t.co/w4NWhLBLvk pic.twitter.com/uZn6250Ya9

— وزارة الطاقة (@MoEnergy_Saudi) June 24, 2024

The project is expected to primarily contribute to achieving the optimal energy mix targets for electricity production, with renewable energy sources comprising about 50 percent of the energy mix by 2030.

It will also lead to achieving the goals of the liquid fuel displacement programme by reducing dependence on liquid fuel in electricity generation.

The minister said starting this year, Saudi Arabia will tender new renewable energy projects with a capacity of 20 gigawatts annually, aiming to reach between 100 and 130 gigawatts by 2030, depending on electricity demand growth.