KSA taps the sun to meet a third of its energy needs

[Gufi]

Anyway the plans of KSA and the GCC are very ambitious and I hail them and I hope that the plans in regards to solar, wind and nuclear energy will succeed. The potential is endless. Truly efficient technology is all that matters.

Yes to be able to look away from fossil fuels when you are the world's biggest supplier is a great achievement. Diversifying the economy is something that is needed to maintain the high standard of life that the locals and expats are used to now. But to just buy and import is a trend that needs to change and it is being addressed but at a very slow rate which needs to be quickened. With energy production there needs to be a drive for energy saving, from out dated street lights to excessive amounts of energy wasted in house holds, there needs to be a broader out reach to make changes. But I digress from the topic at hand it seems.
Solar energy has great potential in Saudi and there should be subsidised panels that should be part of every roof top in the cities and schools should teach energy conservation at a primary level. Bulbs need to be banned in gradual steps and Leds need to be locally produced. There is massive potential for change and the government needs the people to contribute also.

Especially oil. Eventually when there will be no oil and gas left the planet will have to move towards renewable energy and alternative energy and we can hope that they will have developed efficient technology by then and that the environmental damages have not become too great.

KSA needs to move towards nuclear energy and from the reports and news I have read they are heading to that direction, a mix of fossil fuels, nuclear and renewable energy is needed in practicality to reduce dependence on any one source.

The fact that there are fewer resources left each year, increasing populations and most importantly increased consumption of resources should give us a lot to worry about.

The realiity is that people will adapt to changing times, the waste seen in these generations will have to give way and the constant deforestation and plunder of the earth to strip it will reach a breaking point and the population will decrease when famine and drought hit many water deprived areas of the world when they break a certain point.
Thank you for the meaningful post

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Yes to be able to look away from fossil fuels when you are the world's biggest supplier is a great achievement. Diversifying the economy is something that is needed to maintain the high standard of life that the locals and expats are used to now. But to just buy and import is a trend that needs to change and it is being addressed but at a very slow rate which needs to be quickened. With energy production there needs to be a drive for energy saving, from out dated street lights to excessive amounts of energy wasted in house holds, there needs to be a broader out reach to make changes. But I digress from the topic at hand it seems.
Solar energy has great potential in Saudi and there should be subsidised panels that should be part of every roof top in the cities and schools should teach energy conservation at a primary level. Bulbs need to be banned in gradual steps and Leds need to be locally produced. There is massive potential for change and the government needs the people to contribute also.

KSA needs to move towards nuclear energy and from the reports and news I have read they are heading to that direction, a mix of fossil fuels, nuclear and renewable energy is needed in practicality to reduce dependence on any one source.

The realiity is that people will adapt to changing times, the waste seen in these generations will have to give way and the constant deforestation and plunder of the earth to strip it will reach a breaking point and the population will decrease when famine and drought hit many water deprived areas of the world when they break a certain point.
Thank you for the meaningful post

It's economically the right thing to do as even a larger share of the oil could be used for export solely instead of local consumption.

The diversification of KSA's economy is a work in progress and will take some time but the big investments in education, the growing role of women in the workforce, investments in tourism etc. just to mention a few areas are all good signs.

Yes, wastefulness is a big problem that needs to be even more addressed. I agree with the rest.

Yes, the plan is to rely on fossils, nuclear energy, solar, wind and water desalination. The best combination if you ask me that technology currently makes possible.

Sure we humans are a unique species when it comes to adopting to challenges but at one point it will come at a huge cost as you gave some examples of. In any case it is a serious issue that most politicians of today ignore.

Well, no need to thank a post that was quickly written. Your post was very informative.

 

[Gufi]

The diversification of KSA's economy is a work in progress and will take some time but the big investments in education, the growing role of women in the workforce, investments in tourism etc. just to mention a few areas are all good signs.

There are good signs but some bad signs are being ignored which could weigh heavily. There is a real feeling of society dividing on many issues which include but are not limited to economic divide, joblessness and feeling of entitlement. Also the fact that only Saudis can own land will bar any real investments by companies who want to use the relatively tax free environment of Saudi as their hub.
But yes steps like the KAUST are what has given hope again that Saudi is serious in developing a base for science as well as the first private medical college having passed out successful batches who are now part of the work force. But there needs to be a change from the rating of people according to nationalities, the lack of will power to work oneself, and to live life building tall buildings while forgetting ones roots. The Arabs today are much richer then they were before but to really find the real Arab love one now needs to go to the desert and find old fashioned camel herders who treat you with care and love who ever you are.
There is a lot of good in Saudi Arabia but there is also bad which needs to be rooted out before it causes frictions in society taking away the peaceful life that people there are accustomed to. I am sorry for pointing out the bad, but seeing good is something easy, the bad is what needs to be corrected.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

There are good signs but some bad signs are being ignored which could weigh heavily. There is a real feeling of society dividing on many issues which include but are not limited to economic divide, joblessness and feeling of entitlement. Also the fact that only Saudis can own land will bar any real investments by companies who want to use the relatively tax free environment of Saudi as their hub.
But yes steps like the KAUST are what has given hope again that Saudi is serious in developing a base for science as well as the first private medical college having passed out successful batches who are now part of the work force. But there needs to be a change from the rating of people according to nationalities, the lack of will power to work oneself, and to live life building tall buildings while forgetting ones roots. The Arabs today are much richer then they were before but to really find the real Arab love one now needs to go to the desert and find old fashioned camel herders who treat you with care and love who ever you are.
There is a lot of good in Saudi Arabia but there is also bad which needs to be rooted out before it causes frictions in society taking away the peaceful life that people there are accustomed to. I am sorry for pointing out the bad, but seeing good is something easy, the bad is what needs to be corrected.

Obviously there are many ills like in any society and some of them are difficult to correct and tackle for various reasons but they are contrary to earlier periods being acknowledged more or less openly and there is a lively discourse about many of those ills and discussions regarding possible solutions to those problems.

Regarding the laws that ban foreigners from owning land then it has positives and negatives and I have not really thought about this much so can't comment.

Well, Bedouins are a very tiny amount of Arabs (1% of the 450 million Arabs) but they for sure are a historic and ancient group of people within the Arab world including KSA. You don't have to visit the desert to experience such people. They are found everywhere from the main cities, towns, mountain villages, fishing villages etc.

KAUST is obviously a very good step but KSA already has 5-6 universities in the top 400 in the world which is a very good achievement for a country of 32 million people and for a country located in the MENA region. Let alone the fact that Saudi Arabians have the highest amount of students at US universities in the world per capita. A lot of investments in science are yet to be done and will continue to be done. So I am hopeful about that.

In any case KSA is not a 200 million or even 100 million big nation so the population (Although it is the 40th largest in the world out of over 200 countries/states) creates certain limits.

In any case KSA has moved and improved on many fronts tremendously just in the past 10 years which is very encouraging.

Anyway we are a bit off-topic here.

 

[Gufi]

Well, Bedouins are a very tiny amount of Arabs (1% of the 450 million Arabs) but they for sure are a historic and ancient group of people within the Arab world including KSA. You don't have to visit the desert to experience such people. They are found everywhere from the main cities, towns, mountain villages, fishing villages etc.

Did I mention that I have stayed in Jeddah for nearly 2 decades and was born there and have friends who I am very close to still... I still visit from time to time and that is why I can clearly compare the area with other regions I have stayed in or visited, whether they be European or on the Asian Pacific. The differences are when you deal with certain people in certain ways. As far as property goes, imagine wanting to work in France and being denied property there. Kind of is a deal killer, it is a good place to have a house to vacation in and enjoy the culture. Bringing in capital is the way forward and Dubai has done it very well and their society stands even if they are no where near you in population ratios with expats.

KAUST is obviously a very good step but KSA already has 5-6 universities in the top 400 in the world which is a very good achievement for a country of 32 million people and for a country located in the MENA region. Let alone the fact that Saudi Arabians have the highest amount of students at US universities in the world per capita. A lot of investments in science are yet to be done and will continue to be done. So I am hopeful about that.

This university (KAUST) has many social and cultural experiments going on in terms of future laws being passed. Society modernisation is being run in trails in these areas and the suitability for the masses is being decided. Visit it and you will be surprised at how open it is and how different. I do not discount the Saudis drive to educating its youth, and it is one of the things which make me hopeful for a stronger Saudi in time whether it be more self reliant in industries or defence or Human resources. With the level of research as well as the policies towards education it is something which is very promising yet more needs to be done to reform the primary system of education. I hope soon we see the next generation of Saudis as innovators in the field of science.
And yes we are a lot of topic for which I apologize.
Solar panels are a good solution for power and the most dependable. Wind is something you can not really depend on and in a country like Saudi it would not be the best investment. I think personally nuclear power is the way forward mixed with more efficient use of the fossil fuels. As much as renewable energy is talked about, please do understand the limits of storing energy. I pray that the region prospers and Saudi acts more as a unifier of more then just the GCC.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Saudi Arabia May Become The Saudi Arabia Of Solar​

June 5th, 2015 by Dr. Karl-Friedrich Lenz

Originally published on the Lenz Blog

I recall that adviser of the Mongolian President Tsagaan called for Mongolia to become “the Saudi Arabia of renewable energy” a couple of years ago. I also expected at the time that Saudi Arabia might be interested in getting there first.

Now there is a headline about the Saudi oil minister wanting to talk about solar energy at the OPEC meeting in Vienna. The minister thinks that in the future Saudi Arabia will export lots of electricity instead of oil.

If so, Mongolia still is in a favorable position when delivering to the massive Chinese market. That’s because the distance is much shorter. That matters much more for electricity than for oil.

But anyway, the point I would like to make:

A country can’t choose how much fossil fuel reserves it has. That is a lottery where Saudi Arabia just happened to draw one of the winning tickets.

But a country can choose if they want to end up importing or rather exporting energy fifty years from now. That question is decided by a race on renewable deployment.

If the Japanese stick to their glorious goal of covering a whopping 1.7 percent of electricity(not energy) demand from wind in 2030, they will need to import more energy than if they had a goal of 20 or 30 percent wind energy.

If the present German government sticks to their strategy of slowing down renewable development because they want to help coal stay longer in the market, Germany will end up importing more energy fifty years from now than if a government with the Green party involved had kept up the aggressive deployment.

This is a race not only about how much CO2 gets into the atmosphere before the last fossil fuel is burned. It is also a race on how the renewable resources are distributed.

It is a race on which countries get to be the Saudi Arabia of renewable energy fifty years from now.

Both Germany and Japan don’t look like potential winners in this race.

Keep up to date with all the hottest cleantech news by subscribing to our (free) cleantech newsletter, or keep an eye on sector-specific news by getting our (also free) solar energy newsletter, electric vehicle newsletter, or wind energy newsletter.

Saudi Arabia May Become The Saudi Arabia Of Solar | CleanTechnica

Here is a typical British trash article in the most typical British tabloid manner about KSA's big ambitions and of trying to achieve a similar monopoly in the field of alternative energy like in terms of oil and that KSA is not doing it for the sake of nature alone. No shit sherlock. Will just post a link.

Saudi Arabia: an unlikely ally in the march towards renewable energy | Molly Scott Cato | Comment is free | The Guardian

Saudi Arabia will leave the oil in 2040 for renewable energy​

Evwind, News Menu, Other renewables, System Operator, Uncategorized, Wind Energy
May 22, 2015 reve

In a business and climate conference on Thursday, Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi ruled out the possibility of reducing reliance on fossil fuels in the short run. In recent times, environmentalists have expressed concerns regarding carbon emissions and are hence urging companies to use more environmental-friendly forms of energy.

​

According to Mr. Naimi, transitioning from fossil fuels to alternative energy right now does not make much economic sense. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, he stated: “You say decarbonize. Are you willing to have me go back home and shut all the oil wells? Can you afford that today? What will happen to the [oil] price if today I remove 10 million barrels per day of the market.”

Mr. Naimi indicated that with substantial developments in technology, renewable forms of energy -such as solar energy- would become more competitive, but in the long run. He also argued that Asian and African markets are not yet ready for this transition.

The ramped up crude production from US shale drilling, and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (OPEC) decision to maintain output at 30 million barrels per day, caused crude prices to plunge more than 50% in the second half of last year. On Friday, the US benchmark for crude at around 5:31 AM EDT was down 0.56% at $60.38 per barrel, while Brent was down 0.71% at $66.07 per barrel.

While Saudi Arabia has massive crude oil reserves, Mr. Naimi indicated the possibility of the country reverting towards solar and wind energy in the long run. As reported by the Financial Times, Mr.Naimi said: “In Saudi Arabia, we recognize that eventually, one of these days, we are not going to need fossil fuels. I don’t know when, in 2040, 2050 or thereafter.”

Saudi Arabia currently consumes 10 million barrels of oil per day, which is 25% of the global crude oil production. Its consumption alone is greater than the total US oil production. The major demand for Saudi Arabia’s crude oil has led analysts at Citigroup to believe the company will become a net importer of crude oil by 2030. The country is thus aiming to broaden its horizon and start exporting fossil fuels in the coming years.

Currently, for renewable forms of energy to become a success would be a great challenge. According to the Financial Times, around one billion people worldwide do not have access to electricity, so strong demand for fossil fuels is expected to exist. Mr. Naimi believes a lot more work needs to be put in place to ensure fossil fuels are burnt in a more eco-friendly way.

Although Saudi Arabia has undertaken major solar-powered projects in the past, there are concerns that the recent plunge in crude oil prices will remain unattractive. However, Mr. Naimi has dismissed these concerns, and claims solar energy to be more feasible and economic despite the downward trend in the crude oil prices.

Nike Stern, author of the 2006 UK government report, shares Mr. Naimi’s view that adopting renewable energy would take a long time. He said each country individually would have to undertake operations to ramp up their climate actions in the future.

Saudi Arabia will leave the oil in 2040 for renewable energy | REVE

@azzo @Full Moon @JUBA @BLACKEAGLE @Ahmed Jo @Halimi @ebray @Indos @Falcon29 etc.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Is Saudi Arabia Going Solar?​

Posted by Star Energy Solar in Going Green, Solar News | 0 comments

Saudi Arabia is beginning the journey toward replacing oil exports with solar energy.
Image: Shutterstock​

As solar energy becomes more popular around the world, perhaps one of the most surprising (and exciting!) developments is the potential for Saudi Arabia, known to be a huge exporter of oil, to switch to solar. Could Saudi Arabia, in fact, become a “global power” in solar and wind energy by 2040?

“In Saudi Arabia, we recognize that eventually, one of these days, we’re not going to need fossil fuels,”said Ali Al-Naimi, Saudi Arabia’s oil minister, at a climate conference in Paris. “Hopefully…instead of exporting fossil fuels, we will be exporting gigawatts of electric power.” In particular, Naimi expressed an interest in solar, saying that he believes it will become even more economic than fossil fuels.

As Saudi Arabia goes, so go many other countries currently depending on oil production. “Saudi Arabia is sending a strong signal to all oil producers and companies they must plan for an energy transition,” says Mark Fulton, former head of climate research at Deutsche Bank and advisor to the Carbon Tracker Initiative.

Fulton’s coworker, CTI head of research James Legton, adds that Saudi Arabia’s shift toward solar could “change the fundamentals of the oil market.”

But how likely is the transition, and how long would it take? According to Naimi, fossil fuels are still likely to dominate the world’s energy supply through 2050. However, given that one billion people still lack access to electricity, it makes sense that governments would be working toward producing it in other ways.

Saudi Arabia sees itself as the potential builder of a massive solar energy network that could be exported to other countries. They have also announced a plan to become 100% powered by renewable and low-carbon energy, according to their royal family.

The timeframe for completion, however, is still pretty far out. Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud, founder of the King Faisal Foundation, has said he hopes to see his state powered entirely by low-carbon energy during his lifetime—he’s currently 67—but he suspects it will take longer than that.

But according to Joss Garman, political director of Greenpeace, the mere fact that many influential Saudis are talking in terms of promoting renewable energy is a positive sign, however. “It speaks volumes that a Saudi prince can see the benefits of switching to clean energy sources when [UK chancellor] George Osborne seemingly cannot.” However, Garman adds, “Saudi Arabia will only truly be a green economy when it leaves its fossil fuels in the ground.”

Ready to do your part to eliminate the use of fossil fuels? Get a solar quote today and start your own journey toward a cleaner planet!

Is Saudi Arabia Going Solar? - Star Energy Solar

Dubai firm developing hybrid diesel and solar technology in Saudi Arabia​

LeAnne Graves
July 19, 2015

A Dubai-based power company is developing a hybrid diesel and solarpower plant in Saudi Arabia amid declining fuel subsidies.

SES Smart Energy Solutions, based in Jebel Ali free zone, will develop what it says is the first on-field temporary hybrid plant that uses diesel and solar power in the kingdom.

“This will further enhance SES offering in the region, namely for remote sites where SES specialises in providing on demand short to medium-term energy solutions,” said Waleed Isaac, the firm’s managing director. The 14-megawatt plant will be completed this month under a five-year power purchasing agreement using technology supplied by the Italian firm Building Energy.

Demand for similar projects is expected to grow as the government cuts fuel subsidies.

Cornelius Matthes, Building Energy’s regional managing director, said Saudi Arabia had introduced a penalty for diesel power generation used above 270 litres per megawatt hour. Every litre used over the allotted amount is charged at market prices.

According to the kingdom’s electricity and cogeneration regulatory authority, diesel power costs users just under 70 US cents per million British thermal unit (Btu), compared to international prices at about $22. Any building that uses a diesel generator can add solar power to help save diesel fuel.

Massimo Teodori, Building Energy’s managing director of smart systems, said the hybrid diesel and solar technology could also be used to provide energy to rural areas without any initial investment required.

By partnering with SES, Building Energy is also hoping to gain a leg up on future projects in Dubai. “We are determined to help additional Mena countries, and we’re very bullish on Dubai,” said Mr Matthes. Building Energy expects to have its first project in the emirate by the end of the year.

“And in the mid-term, like five years, we hope to have several hundreds of megawatts of renewable energy projects throughout the Mena region,” he said.

Dubai firm developing hybrid diesel and solar technology in Saudi Arabia | The National

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Solar power prospects burn bright in Saudi Arabia​

Evwind, Other renewables
August 16, 2015 reve

When I wrote two weeks ago that Saudi Arabia is targeting 41-GW of solar electricity generation, a sceptical friend rightly asked me to check this number. I was quoting the American Energy Information Administration Country analysis report.

I know the number is staggering but it is achievable considering the consequences of not doing so. In 2011, over 50 per cent of Saudi electricity was produced by burning oil and the country cannot afford to go on like this.

The Saudi agency responsible for developing renewable energy — K.A. CARE — with a budget of $109 billion (Dh400.35 billion) confirmed the plan of 41-GW solar power by 2032 and added it would be composed of 25-GW of solar thermal and 16-GW of photovoltaics, starting from almost nothing in 2012. But in January last, it was announced the plan may now be achieved by 2040.

There is already 2,000-MW under construction. The country is going into solar panel manufacturing and production of polysilicon, a constituent of solar cells.

Saudi Aramco and Saudi Electricity are cooperating in setting up 10 solar projects around the country, thereby emphasising the interest of the oil industry in seeing the programme through. The Saudi oil minister said in Paris last May that the country planned to be a “global leader in solar and wind energy”. He added: “Hopefully, one of these days, instead of exporting fossil fuels, we will be exporting gigawatts of electric power.”

If you still think the Saudi numbers are staggering, then consider what the projections for China are. In 1999, China had 16-MW of solar power capacity installed, but by the end of June last, solar photovoltaics capacity reached almost 36-GW and 80.3 per cent of the world’s rooftop water heaters were installed in China.

Targets were often set modestly since 2007, but always revised and exceeded expectations such that the target for 2017 is now at 70-GW. The IEA in its ‘World Energy Outlook 2014’ expects China to add 126-GW of solar photovoltaic capacity by 2025 and another 143-GW by 2040 while there are estimates of even higher numbers.

In concentrated solar power (CSP), the country is supposed to add 4,000-MW with 12 projects across the country.

China is currently building a “giant” solar power station of 200MW in the Gobi desert — reported to power a million homes — as part of its initiative to reduce fossil fuels by 20 per cent by 2030. The plant — called Delingha — is a commercial venture jointly developed by Bright Source Energy from California and the Shanghai Electric Group.

Due to its heat storage of 15 hours, it can supply stable power round the clock. The plant will cover 260 square kilometres compared to the current largest Desert Sunlight plant in California, which is 16 square kilometres and produces 550MW. Delingha will save 4.26 million tonnes of coal every year.

In this entire programme, China is supported by a wide base of manufacturing facilities in solar panels, whereby it became the world’s leading supplier since 2008 and is expected to produce 51-GW of photovoltaic panels per year by 2017.

In the UAE, solar power has the potential to provide most of the country’s electricity demand and the country is taking steps in that direction. In 2013, Shams 1, a 100-MW concentrated solar power plant near Abu Dhabi started operations and two similar stages are to follow. Masdar City’s power is provided by a 10-MW solar photovoltaic and 1-MW of rooftop solar panels.

Dubai aims at 7 per cent of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030. The 13-MW plant in Seih Al Dahal — completed in 2013 — is the first phase of a 1,000-MW Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. The second phase is a 200-MW plant to be completed in 2017 and the third of 800-MW by 2020.

Concentrated solar power is to be considered and the entire site may eventually reach 3,000-MW. Dewa is to promote rooftop panels for homes and businesses. In Morocco, the first phase of the solar plant in Ouarzazate is expected to be operational this year at 160-MW to be followed by 200-MW and 150-MW. Ouarzazate is the first of five plants having a total capacity of 2000-MW by 2020 with an estimated cost of $9 billion (Dh33.06 billion).

There is no doubt about the high prospects of solar energy especially in locations similar to our region where sunlight intensity is supporting. With the advances in technology, accumulated experience and the fall in unit cost due to wide demand, solar energy is becoming more and more competitive with the traditional power generation technologies fuelled by oil or gas.

The current fall in oil and gas prices may slow growth temporarily, but government policies and the fall in costs will counter that.

By Saadallah Al Fathi, Special to Gulf News

Solar power prospects burn bright in Saudi Arabia | REVE

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Are “Palm Trees” The Next Step In Solar Energy’s Evolution?​

By Gaurav Agnihotri
Posted on Tue, 01 September 2015 21:29

Solar energy quickly gaining attention as the most attractive form of new electricity generation as there have been some substantial investments in the solar energy sector of late.

In fact, more than 50 percent of the total investments in new electricity generation around the world was made in renewable energy. A report made by PWC and the University of Cambridge for the national bank of Abu Dhabi stated that the world invested around $150 billion into solar energy in 2014. “As Government and utilities are driven to bring new generation capacity on stream, this new reality (Solar energy) presents a significant opportunity to make savings, reduce fuel cost risks, achieve climate ambitions and, at the same time, keep more oil and gas available for export,” said the report.

There have been some interesting innovations in the field of solar energy sector, such as the creation of ‘community solar gardens’ in the United States. In another interesting development, a Dubai based company called D Idea has recently launched a ‘smart palm’ solar tree that is providing free Wi-Fi, mobile charging docks and information through touch screen panels to the residents of Dubai, all through the power of sun.

The ‘smart-palm’ tree in the desert?

The ‘smart palm’ solar trees are nothing but tree shaped solar panels that are capable of generating close to 7.2 kWh per day of energy. The photovoltaic panels (with a leaf like shape) are capable of generating enough power to remain independent of the grid. As of now, the two smart palm trees have been installed at Dubai’s Zabeel Park and at a beach near Burj Al Arab hotel.

The solar trees may seem like a small contribution to the power sector, but new innovations could push the technology forward. The next generation of the solar palm will be 3D printed, an intriguing development that could allow for expanded manufacturing, although costs have not been disclosed.

D Idea claims that it has even better plans with its smart palm tree. “Subsequent Smart Palms will have ATM machines and utility bill payment services. Our team has also started to find new ways in which the Smart Palm can support other forms of sustainable generation, specifically through air and water purification modules," said the company’s CEO Victor Nelepa. Smart palm trees are designed to withstand more extreme climates, as they are made of concrete and fiber re-enforced plastic, which makes them extremely practical and user friendly for countries like UAE, Saudi Arabia, U.S., India etc.

Could we see this kind of a technology spreading?

It is technological advancements like the solar tree that are allowing some of the largest producers of oil and gas to achieve milestones in the renewable energy sector. In the year 2014, The Dubai Electricity and Water Board Authority created a new global benchmark for utility scale PV costs. It actually showed that its 200 MW solar PV plant was cheaper than oil, even at an extremely low price level of $10 per barrel. For gas, it was cheaper even at $5 MMBtu. This shows that solar energy costs are reducing at a tremendous pace.

D Idea now intends to install around 103 smart palm trees in Dubai in the coming 12 months. Obviously Dubai is a special case, but there are high chances that this kind of technology would quickly spread to other countries, especially in its Asian counterparts like Saudi Arabia, India and China.

Recent reports have suggested that Saudi Arabia is planning to add close to 40 GW of solar power by the year 2032. For a country which utilizes a huge quantity of oil for its domestic electricity generation, something as innovative as a ‘smart palm’ tree can be a practical option that can be implemented on a large scale. Even India and China’s solar sector stands to gain from this as the option of getting ‘free services’ can attract large number of masses towards the renewable energy sources.

By Gaurav Agnihotri of Oilprice.com

Are “Palm Trees” The Next Step In Solar Energy’s Evolution? | OilPrice.com

Major Saudi renewable energy strategy in the making​

Plan also seeks to raise efficiency of using traditional sources of power and slash the impact on the environment.

31/08/2015 2:11 pm EDT

Several Saudi government bodies are devising a major and long-term strategy to launch renewable energy projects to desalinate seawater and generate electricity.

A study is underway to estimate the kingdom’s future needs for water and energy, and come up with a plan to introduce a highly energy-efficient plan to produce desalinated water and generate electric power.

The plan also seeks to raise the efficiency of using traditional sources of power and slash the impact on the environment, in addition to the introduction of nuclear energy and various forms of clean and renewable power sources, Al-Eqtisadiah reports.

It will also explore the best means and technologies to cut the cost of generating electric power using conventional fuel.

In a later stage of the strategy, the kingdom’s electric power will be liberalised to attract local and foreign investments to this key sector to boost competitiveness and production alike.

According to government figures, the nation’s current oil consumption stands at 4.2 million barrels per day, and it is forecast to surge to 9.5m by 2035.

- See more at: Major Saudi renewable energy strategy in the making - AMEInfo AMEInfo

 

[Saif al-Arab]

I am working for Aramco (Top oil producer in the world) and we use solar energy for electricity here in Dhahran HQ. Ironic lol

Saudi ARAMCO is one of the pioneers of solar energy in KSA and the region if not world. No surprise really.

I am especially looking forward to the 100 MW Solar Energy Project in Makkah. The commission date is 2018.

Check this report out below:

Future of solar energy in Saudi Arabia

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Saudia needs water , where fossil fuel are needed for the water cleaning plants

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Saudia needs water , where fossil fuel are needed for the water cleaning plants

KSA has one of the longest coastlines in the world. Significant water reserves as well. Not to say the most advanced seawater desalination plants in the world, bro.

Water supply and sanitation in Saudi Arabia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Read this article below as well:

Can Solar Panels Help Solve California's Drought? - Bloomberg Business

Population growth, unlike many other countries in the immediate region, is not a big challenge either given the current fertility rate which is a very healthy one. People have to learn how not to waste water though and the agricultural sector must modernize further. All manageable challenges.

 

[somebozo]

KSA has announced that if oil remains low..they will seek Solar Energy as an additional option to export.

KSA has one of the longest coastlines in the world. Significant water reserves as well. Not to say the most advanced seawater desalination plants in the world, bro.

Water supply and sanitation in Saudi Arabia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Read this article below as well:

Can Solar Panels Help Solve California's Drought? - Bloomberg Business

Population growth, unlike many other countries in the immediate region, is not a big challenge either given the current fertility rate which is a very healthy one. People have to learn how not to waste water though and the agricultural sector must modernize further. All manageable challenges.

Solar based desalination is the way to future...Solar collectors can be used to to evaporate sea water in towers and condense the steam to produce drinking water.

Also solar concentrated radiation can be use to evaporate pools of water for raising atmospheric humidity which can then be condensed to produce clean water...

 

[Saif al-Arab]

KSA has announced that if oil remains low..they will seek Solar Energy as an additional option to export.



Solar based desalination is the way to future...Solar collectors can be used to to evaporate sea water in towers and condense the steam to produce drinking water.

Also solar concentrated radiation can be use to evaporate pools of water for raising atmospheric humidity which can then be condensed to produce clean water...

See this great article about the topic below:

Solar Powered Water Desalination Heats Up in Chile - WaterWorld

Solar desalination - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Saudi Arabians Could Export Solar for the Next Twenty Centuries​

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Every square meter of Saudi Arabia produces an extraordinary 7 kilowatt hours of energy daily in each 12 hours of sun power. If the Saudis were to use up each days solar energy supply, or 12,425 TWh of electricity, it would be a 72 year supply.

Put another way, in just one day, enough solar energy hits Saudi sands to power the kingdom for 72 years, according to a study made by the World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology.

That is an extraordinary resource. It is significantly more than the rest of the world. For example: as a Californian who used a typical 15 kilowatt hours of energy a day, this means my entire home could have been fully solar powered by just 2 square meters – or about 3 feet by 6 feet – of solar panels in Saudi Arabia!

And Saudi Arabia has over 2 trillion square meters able to produce 14 trillion kilowatt hours of solar energy every sunny day – that is enough to power the world.

But of course, no country wants to be entirely devoted to energy production, least of all one that is still making good money from digging up oil, but it is indicative of the kind of money the Kingdom could be earning from solar exports rather than oil exports.

Just as it earns its vast income from oil now, it could equally well earn a similarly vast income from solar in the future. And for vast eons of time.

Transitioning to solar from oil would take an initial investment in the infrastructure, and then would yield an income stream regardless of fuel depletion, because solar is there for the long run, unlike the oil which is getting harder and harder to get out of the ground.

But it is Saudi Arabia itself which is in the best position in the world to make that transition and invest in a replacement for oil. With oil prices at $102 a barrel at today’s market price, the Saudis have over $30 trillion in underground assets.

With that much money in huge (but depleting) assets in petroleum and natural gas reserves, now is the time that Saudi Arabia should invest and become the world’s largest producer of green solar energy.

Saudi Arabia could export solar for centuries either as electricity into the Desertec grid, or as hydrogen fuel, using its tankers and pipelines.

Desertec, which will be shipping billions of kilowatt hours of desert solar energy across to Europe in the near future is becoming a reality in more MENA region nations with the addition of Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt, but the Saudis are not members of the visionary project.

Even though; unlike its poorer neighbors, it has tremendous financial assets – enough to become a leader in the project along with the giant German energy companies RWE and E.On – because it could self-fund its own Desertec infrastructure investment.

With over 250 hours of sunshine each month, Saudi Arabia is ideally located to make the most of solar power.

It even has the infrastructure already in place to be a leader in the solar-powered hydrogen economy of the future. Increasingly hydrogen researchers are turning to sustainable long term sources – wind or solar – for hydrogen production.

Solar powered hydrogen could be transported in the same pipeline and tanker infrastructure that now moves our climate-destroying oil energy around the world.

Saudi Aramco – 100% owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – through its affiliate, Vela Marine International Ltd, owns and operates the world’s second largest tanker fleet to help transport its crude oil production, which amounted to 3 billion barrels a year. It is a world leader in exploration, producing, refining, distribution, shipping and marketing.

Most of this infrastructure and expertise could be repurposed to transform Saudi Arabia into a solar hydrogen economy.

This infrastructure could be re-engineered to become a gigantic carrier fleet for hydrogen made with sustainable solar energy and shipped worldwide. New solar infrastructure could be added, as it has begun to do in making polysilicon from its sand.

It is Saudi Arabia that holds the key, with its unique combination of natural and financial resources, to creating a huge long-term future for the world that is based on a sustainable permanent source of energy: our sun.

- See more at: Saudis Could Export Solar for the Next Twenty Centuries | Green Prophet

Saudi Arabia aims to be world’s largest renewable energy market​

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By 2032, Saudi Arabia strives to generate as much as a third of the country's energy demands using renewable energy.​

Saudi Arabia aims to become the world’s foremost market for renewable energy with an aggressive investment budget of $109 billion. By 2032, the country strives to generate as much as a third of the Kingdom’s energy demands using renewable energy (54 GW).
Following the publicity surrounding the country’s major investment drive, King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE) released a series of documents detailing the revised National Energy Plan. In addition to the 41 GW of solar power, 25 GW of CSP and 16 GW of PV, the Kingdom is aiming to generate 18 GW of nuclear energy, 3 GW of waste to energy, 1 GW of geothermal and an additional 9 GW of wind power, specifically for water desalination plants.
Impressive and noble though the country’s renewable energy goals maybe, the question remains how will the world’s largest exporter of oil, so dependent on conventional energy sources for their power demand, achieve such a transformation.
Establishing a time-line with long-term policies is at the top of the list.
According to Keisuke Sadamori, director of the energy markets and security directorate, International Energy Agency (IEA), "One of the key messages from the Medium Term Renewable Energy Market Report 2013 by the IEA is that policy uncertainty is the largest risk for renewable investment. Every country, including Saudi Arabia, should introduce long-term policies to provide a predictable and reliable framework to support renewable deployment."

Sadamori, alongside various other international and regional renewable energy experts, will be discussing the key challenges faced by Saudi Arabia and the steps toward overcoming them at the upcoming 3rd Annual Solar Arabia Summit. Taking place on Sept. 29-30 in Riyadh, the summit is hosting 35 experts who will each share their experience in the industry and discuss the latest market trends and policy development in the Kingdom.
Rasheed M. Alzahrani, CEO, Riyadh Valley Company, is also speaking at the summit to discuss joint ventures, partnerships and investments in renewable energy in the Kingdom.
He also acknowledges that "high level plans are already in place, but the major challenge in the Kingdom lies in the absence of a detailed time-line for a clear and gradual shift to renewable energy in the country and the slow adoption and advancement in renewable energy initiatives."
When asked about his company’s participation in the summit, Alzahrani said: "We intend to invest in this sector both in early and late stage opportunities that will add value to the local needs. We will use this platform to introduce RVC and its initiatives and to help foster the development of an energy ecosystem in KSA."
Alongside the summit’s conference agenda, 250 Saudi energy stakeholders are attending to have one-to-one business meetings with up to 40 international solution and service providers.
Confirmed participants include Schneider Electric, Total, Sterling and Wilson, SMA Technology and Trishe Renewables.

Saudi Arabia aims to be world’s largest renewable energy market | Arab News

Absolutely insane numbers right there.