Saudi Arabia today (June 24) launched the Geographic Survey Project for Renewable Energy sites and awarded contracts to Saudi companies for setting up 1,200 stations to measure solar and wind energy across all regions of the Kingdom, reported Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

 

The project will primarily contribute to achieving the optimal energy mix targets for electricity production, with renewable energy sources comprising about 50% of the energy mix by 2030, and to achieving the goals of the Liquid Fuel Displacement Programme by reducing dependence on liquid fuel in electricity generation.

 

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Prince AbdulAziz bin Salman bin AbdulAziz Al Saud, Minister of Energy, said this project, which is a part of the National Renewable Energy Programme, is globally unprecedented in terms of geographical coverage. 

 

"No other country in the world has previously conducted a geographic survey of this kind on such a massive scale. The project will include all regions of the Kingdom by surveying over 850,000 sq km, excluding populated areas, sand dune areas, and airspace restrictions," stated Prince AbdulAziz. 

 

He clarified that this area is equivalent to the land area of entire countries, such as approximately the areas of the UK and France combined, or Germany and Spain combined, he added.

 

Prince AbdulAziz said the 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 m, will record wind speed and direction, ambient temperature, atmospheric pressure, and relative humidity, added the minister.

 

Also starting this year, Saudi Arabia will start tendering 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.