Saudi Arabia launches geographical survey project for renewable energy sites

Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy launches a geographical survey project for renewable energy sites. Contracts have been awarded to Saudi companies to deploy 1,200 stations for measuring solar and wind energy across all regions of the country, according to Saudi financial news portal Argaam.com report.

During the signing ceremony, minister of energy Abdul Aziz Bin Salman highlighted the project's unprecedented global scale in geographical coverage.

The initiative will span over 850,000 square kilometers, excluding populated areas, sand dunes, and airspace restrictions. This vast area is comparable to the combined landmasses of countries like the UK and France, or Germany and Spain, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The project aims to identify optimal locations for developing renewable energy projects in Saudi Arabia based on resource size and development priority. It aligns with the country’s commitment to achieving ambitious goals in renewable energy production and export, leveraging its strategic geographical location for electricity exportation from renewable sources.

The initiative plays a pivotal role in achieving the country’s targets for renewable energy integration, with renewables projected to constitute around 50 per cent of the energy mix by 2030. It also supports Saudi Arabia’s move towards hydrogen production and reducing dependence on liquid fuels in electricity generation through the Liquid Fuel Displacement Programme.