Saudi Arabia’s New Renewables Energy Giant

[ArabianEmpires&Caliphates]

60GW of renewable energy is amazing. You guys are lucky to have such a forward looking leadership.
In Pakistan govt. policy is to profit by taxing, which obviously includes PV energy systems.

What is going brother?

Saudi Arabian company likely to invest $4bn in renewable energy sector
BY APP , (LAST UPDATED JANUARY 13, 2020)

ISLAMABAD: Power Division Minister Omar Ayub Khan on Monday informed the National Assembly (NA) that Saudi Arabian power producing company ACWA Power will invest around $4 billion in Pakistan’s renewable energy sector.

“ACWA Power will invest about $4 billion on the renewable energy sector in Balochistan,” the minister said in response to a query during question hour and added that the generation of cheap electricity that utilises indigenous renewable energy resources including wind, solar, waste that can be converted biomass energy was amongst the government’s top priorities.

He explained that the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) had been pursuing the development of alternative and renewable energy based power generation projects through private investors under the Renewable Energy Policy, 2006 on the Independent Power Producers (IPP) model.

“Significant progress has been made in exploiting the wind, solar and biomass/bagasse potential available in the country and a number of power generation projects based on these resources are operational while many are in the pipeline,” he said.

The minister apprised the NA that the government also formulated a new Alternative Renewal Energy Policy, 2019 that had already been approved by the federal cabinet and submitted for approval to the Council of Common Interests (CCI). This policy targets increasing the share of alternative energy in the available sources of energy up to 20pc by 2025 and 30pc by 2030.

“The scope of the policy also includes the development of waste-to-energy projects by utilising municipal solid waste,” he added.

In this regard, he said that international and local companies could install waste to energy projects.

The minister further said that the tariff had been modified in phases as determined by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) but the present government had protected the interest of domestic consumers by up to 300 units.

He said that the previous government had not taken any steps for enhancement of rates from 2016 as per the tariff structure which is why the present government was forced to increase tariffs to reduce the buildup of circular debt increasing at the rate of Rs30 billion per month. “It was now reduced to Rs21 billion per month until June 30 of the CFY. The government is determined to bring this down to zero by the end of the current year,” he added.

Omar also said that 80 per cent feeders across the country were currently free of load shedding while clarifying that load management was only being carried out in areas where line losses remain high.

It may be noted here that the present government had initiated a drive to improve recoveries and check power theft.

Moreover, Parliamentary Secretary for Petroleum Khial Zaman Orakzai while responding to a question related to his ministry said that petrol was reportedly being sold openly through unregistered fuel stations, especially in rural areas, which was illegal. However, he pointed out that Action against illegal petrol stations falls in the domain of chief inspector of explosives (CIE) along with Local and District Administrations under Petroleum Rules, 1937 read with Petroleum Act, 1934.

Orakzai said that Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) had reported that the company was ensuring uninterrupted gas supply and adequate pressures to Quetta, Mastung, and Kalat even though it continues to deal with thieves.

“The company repeatedly removed illegal connections from supply and distribution pipelines but people reconnected their illegal connections,” he lamented.

He added that in addition to gas theft, crude puncturing of the company’s main pipeline were leading to gas leakages whereas, in Kadkucha and Khaliq Abad, a constant battle continues between the company that undertakes pressure profiling on a daily basis and locals who continue to damage Pressure Regulator Stations.

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/20...ely-to-invest-4bn-in-renewable-energy-sector/

That "Saudi Arabian company" (thread title) is no other than ACWA.

I think that KSA has always been ready to invest. Maybe someone in Pakistan is delaying/preventing this deal? You know the inner power dynamics better than me. If ACWA can make similar investments in Uzbekistan, the Pakistani option should not really be a source of trouble. So I can only think that such a deal would face opposition from certain circles within Pakistan itself. Maybe you can elaborate on this more.

In short, I don't know what takes this long, KSA and Pakistan are supposed to be very close long-term allies and the relationship transcends whatever party/prime minister that is in power in Pakistan.

@Blacklight as well.

 

[vi-va]

We once had a few active Chinese members who used to update Sino-Arab developments but sadly most seem to have left @Chinese-Dragon @ChineseTiger1986 and even an Chinese Arabist who spoke fluent ARabic and had an amazing knowledge about the history of the Arab world (from Taiwan) called @Wholegrain, he unfortunately disappeared from PDF as well.

What I am interested in, aside from the official "Chinese Arab Policy Paper" (from what I am aware of China has no such official policy paper about any other region in the world) is whether or not Chinese media or officials have told anything in public about some of those key strategic projects that KSA and China are jointly involved in (those I mentioned previously) as KSA media is notoriously secretive and whatever leaks out, often leaks out/is told from the Chinese party.

The missile projects are widely covered in Chinese media. Although not much details, but I think any Chinese military fan knew it.

 

[ArabianEmpires&Caliphates]

The missile projects are widely covered in Chinese media. Although not much details, but I think any Chinese military fan knew it.

Any links in Mandarin that you could post whether it be news articles or military forums? It would be appreciated.

 

[vi-va]

Any links in Mandarin that you could post whether it be news articles or military forums? It would be appreciated.

https://www.guancha.cn/military-affairs/2014_09_21_269327.shtml

guancha.cn is a famous political website in China.

 

[Bengal71]

KSA has the potential to become a renewables energy superpower. Solar and wind in particular. Nuclear energy is another field given that KSA has one of the largest uranium reserves (now jointly excavated with our Chinese partners) and plans to build a lot of nuclear power plants in the future.

For instance KSA did not use (until recently) to export its gas, even though KSA is 4th in terms of gas reserves, because it was used for local energy consumption.

In any case renewables are the long-term future and KSA is well positioned to take advantage of this greatly as an internal energy source and as an export. Already occurs. Most/many Arab states can say the same thing.

Old article from 2014 showing the sheer potential.

Saudi Arabians Could Export Solar for the Next Twenty Centuries​

​

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

How to export solar electricity? Transmission lines or in battery?

 

[Mithridates]

How to export solar electricity? Transmission lines or in battery?

transmission lines.

 

[Bengal71]

transmission lines.

How many thousands of kilometers can you transmit electricity with a manageable transmission loss yet making a profit? If KSA wants to export electricity for example, who can they export to without thousands of kilometers of lines? Nearly all the neighboring states of KSA receive similar amount of sunshine, why would they import electricity?

 

[Hiraa]

How many thousands of kilometers can you transmit electricity with a manageable transmission loss yet making a profit? If KSA wants to export electricity for example, who can they export to without thousands of kilometers of lines? Nearly all the neighboring states of KSA receive similar amount of sunshine, why would they import electricity?

Underwater transmisson to europe?

 

[Bengal71]

Underwater transmisson to europe?

It's not about above ground, underground or underwater. If you transmit electricity to a distance, there is transmission loss. If you transmit 1000km, how much will be the loss and whatever arrives on the other side, the sell price of that will be profitable or not? There will be a massive transmission infrastructure to be maintained.

 

[Mithridates]

How many thousands of kilometers can you transmit electricity with a manageable transmission loss yet making a profit? If KSA wants to export electricity for example, who can they export to without thousands of kilometers of lines? Nearly all the neighboring states of KSA receive similar amount of sunshine, why would they import electricity?

in transsmission phase voltage increases in very high levels so the current of line decreases so as the power loss. but you are right for KSA it is more logical to focus on it's neigbours.
regarding the sunshine, bro you should have a mechanism to turn that energy to electricity. solar panels are not cheap also it takes almost 3 years to balance your investment cost and your profit. so for unstable power grids it's better to use CHP power plant or hydro electric plants.

 

[MMM-E]

and early last year announced a new target of 27.3 GW of renewable energy by 2023 and 58.7 GW of renewable capacity by 2030. The 2030 target includes 40 GW from solar PV, 16 GW from wind, and 2.7 GW from CSP.

S.Arabia target 58.7 GW of renewable capacity by 2030
Turkey 63 GW of renewable capacity by 2024


the world's highest renewable energy capacity in 2024

1 .. China 1,219 GW
2 .. The US 411 GW
3 .. India 235 GW
4 .. Germany 166 GW
5 .. Brazil 156 GW
6 .. Japan 153 GW
7 .. Canada 107 GW
8 .. Spain 81 GW
9 .. France 80 GW
10 . Italy 73 GW
11. Turkey 63 GW

 

[vi-va]

It's not about above ground, underground or underwater. If you transmit electricity to a distance, there is transmission loss. If you transmit 1000km, how much will be the loss and whatever arrives on the other side, the sell price of that will be profitable or not? There will be a massive transmission infrastructure to be maintained.

transmision loss is not much if you use China high-voltage, direct current (HVDC) electric power transmission system.

" A 1,100 kV link in China was completed in 2019 over a distance of 3,300 km with a power of 12 GW. [5][6] With this dimension, intercontinental connections become possible which could help to deal with the fluctuations of wind power and photovoltaics."

The problem is cost vis-a-vis benefit. I think you are right. All surrounding countries has similar sun shine.

 

[313ghazi]

What is going brother?

Saudi Arabian company likely to invest $4bn in renewable energy sector
BY APP , (LAST UPDATED JANUARY 13, 2020)

ISLAMABAD: Power Division Minister Omar Ayub Khan on Monday informed the National Assembly (NA) that Saudi Arabian power producing company ACWA Power will invest around $4 billion in Pakistan’s renewable energy sector.

“ACWA Power will invest about $4 billion on the renewable energy sector in Balochistan,” the minister said in response to a query during question hour and added that the generation of cheap electricity that utilises indigenous renewable energy resources including wind, solar, waste that can be converted biomass energy was amongst the government’s top priorities.

He explained that the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) had been pursuing the development of alternative and renewable energy based power generation projects through private investors under the Renewable Energy Policy, 2006 on the Independent Power Producers (IPP) model.

“Significant progress has been made in exploiting the wind, solar and biomass/bagasse potential available in the country and a number of power generation projects based on these resources are operational while many are in the pipeline,” he said.

The minister apprised the NA that the government also formulated a new Alternative Renewal Energy Policy, 2019 that had already been approved by the federal cabinet and submitted for approval to the Council of Common Interests (CCI). This policy targets increasing the share of alternative energy in the available sources of energy up to 20pc by 2025 and 30pc by 2030.

“The scope of the policy also includes the development of waste-to-energy projects by utilising municipal solid waste,” he added.

In this regard, he said that international and local companies could install waste to energy projects.

The minister further said that the tariff had been modified in phases as determined by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) but the present government had protected the interest of domestic consumers by up to 300 units.

He said that the previous government had not taken any steps for enhancement of rates from 2016 as per the tariff structure which is why the present government was forced to increase tariffs to reduce the buildup of circular debt increasing at the rate of Rs30 billion per month. “It was now reduced to Rs21 billion per month until June 30 of the CFY. The government is determined to bring this down to zero by the end of the current year,” he added.

Omar also said that 80 per cent feeders across the country were currently free of load shedding while clarifying that load management was only being carried out in areas where line losses remain high.

It may be noted here that the present government had initiated a drive to improve recoveries and check power theft.

Moreover, Parliamentary Secretary for Petroleum Khial Zaman Orakzai while responding to a question related to his ministry said that petrol was reportedly being sold openly through unregistered fuel stations, especially in rural areas, which was illegal. However, he pointed out that Action against illegal petrol stations falls in the domain of chief inspector of explosives (CIE) along with Local and District Administrations under Petroleum Rules, 1937 read with Petroleum Act, 1934.

Orakzai said that Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) had reported that the company was ensuring uninterrupted gas supply and adequate pressures to Quetta, Mastung, and Kalat even though it continues to deal with thieves.

“The company repeatedly removed illegal connections from supply and distribution pipelines but people reconnected their illegal connections,” he lamented.

He added that in addition to gas theft, crude puncturing of the company’s main pipeline were leading to gas leakages whereas, in Kadkucha and Khaliq Abad, a constant battle continues between the company that undertakes pressure profiling on a daily basis and locals who continue to damage Pressure Regulator Stations.

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/20...ely-to-invest-4bn-in-renewable-energy-sector/

That "Saudi Arabian company" (thread title) is no other than ACWA.

I think that KSA has always been ready to invest. Maybe someone in Pakistan is delaying/preventing this deal? You know the inner power dynamics better than me. If ACWA can make similar investments in Uzbekistan, the Pakistani option should not really be a source of trouble. So I can only think that such a deal would face opposition from certain circles within Pakistan itself. Maybe you can elaborate on this more.

In short, I don't know what takes this long, KSA and Pakistan are supposed to be very close long-term allies and the relationship transcends whatever party/prime minister that is in power in Pakistan.

@Blacklight as well.

We should be jumping all over this.

 

[Amun]

Yes, indeed ...!

Arab countries started to invest more in renewable energy sources..... and the Arab desert which were once supplying the world with Energy through Oil & Gas .... once more will supply the world with Energy through Solar Energy that is available all year long ( thanks god ).

As for Egypt ...
ACWA power ( the Saudi Renewable energy giant ) takes part of BENBAN Solar Park
Which is one of the largest world wide .... even you can see it from the space ...

https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/projects/benban-solar-park/

Egyptian Energy Giant ( Elsewedy Electric ) the main contributor in BENBAN Solar park.

Saudi ACWA power is a part of a new Solar Park in progress ( KOM Ombo Solar Park )

also there is a strong direction to invest in wind energy .... like the Giant project in RAS GHAREB in west of Gulf of Suez in the Red Sea ....

The thing here in increasing private sector investment mainly due to some regulatory laws and procedures that allowed private companies/ personnel to sell the produced energy to the government with a competitive prices .... even some Egyptian installed Solar energy plates on the roof of their homes and produce electricity and connect them to the National electricity network selling it to the government and get money instead

 

[MMM-E]

TURKEY

Renewable energy referred to as clean energy which produced from sources that do not deplete for examples solar, wind , geothermal and hydropower

The total investment cost of the investments realized by private sector is $85 billion and thanks to these projects, supply security is no longer a problem for TURKEY


-- TURKEY 1.500MW Central Anatolia Solar Plant ($1,5 billion) is one of the biggest solar power plant in the world with India 2.245MW Bhadla Solar Plant and China 1.500MW Tengger Desert Solar Plant

also Turkey 1.000 MW Karapınar Solar Power Plant ($1,3 billion) is the largest single-site Solar Plant in the world


-- TURKEY 1,200 MW offshore wind energy project is the largest in the world ( $2 billion )

-- TURKEY ranks 4th in global geothermal power after the US, Philippines and Indonesia

-- TURKEY 2.400MW ATATURK Dam hydroelectric power Plant is the biggest in Europe and in the Middle East

Turkey had started building dams on the Euphrates within the framework of a $32 billion GAP project launched in 1977 which is one of the world's largest and most comprehensive sustainable development projects