Green Globe: Saudi Arabia to solicit 60 GW of clean energy over next decade

Saudi Arabia 60GW Renewable Energy Plan targets 40GW solar and 20GW wind and clean power under Vision 2030, featuring ACWA Power's Sakaka project with Huawei inverters and record-low bids for utility-scale photovoltaic capacity.

Saudi Arabia plans to install 60GW of renewable energy, widely viewed as the cheapest new electricity in many markets, by 2030, an official has said in an interview with the UAE state news agency WAM.

Dr. Khalid bin Saleh Al Sultan, president of the King Abdullah Atomic and Renewable Energy City, said the plans would include 40GW of solar and 20GW made up of wind and other forms of clean energy, reflecting Saudi plans to boost wind by over 6 GW in coming years. The move comes as part of a Saudi attempt to integrate more alternative energy sources under the framework of the KSA Vision 2030 and the National Transformation 2020 Programme, alongside IRENA-ADFD funding that bolsters regional projects.

Saudi Arabia and Japanese firm Softbank made headlines last year with their announcements of a 200GW solar plan, a scale that echoes how solar surge in oil-rich Alberta is reshaping other energy markets, and across the region Egypt's renewable capacity is set to reach 6.6 GW by year-end, but the Middle Eastern nation rejected later reports that the plans were on hold.

News emerged last week that China-based firm Huawei had been chosen by Saudi firm ACWA Power as the sole inverter supplier for the 300MW Sakaka plant, the first large-scale solar project Saudi Arabia, won with a record-low bid in early 2018, while in the wider Gulf utilities like DEWA's renewable initiatives are gaining attention and Dubai pursues solar-powered hydrogen production to complement such developments.

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