Solar Energy: Saudi Launches 41 Gigawatt Program

Saudi Arabia has officially launched its solar energy program.  It’s very ambitious; 41 gigawatts in the next twenty years (over 2,000 megawatts per year).  This will result in billions of dollars in solar energy contracts.

The pie will be split as follows:

  • 16 gigawatts for photovoltaic (PV)
  • 25 gigawatts for Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)

King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (K.A.CARE) will look to CSP companies to help meet baseload demand while utility-scale PV projects will be launched to reduce peak-load demand.  KA-CARE also anticipates a sizable role for wind, geothermal, waste-to-energy, and nuclear power plants.

The first round of tenders will be launched in early 2013 with some two gigawatts divided into several projects up for grabs.  The tender will be preceded by a ‘stakeholder engagement’ and the publication of a white paper outlining in more details KA-CARE’s solar energy road map.

Companies interested in taking part in the ‘stakeholder engagement’ are invited to contact KA-CARE at developer-registry@energy.gov.sa to express their interest and provide following information:

  • Company name
  • Representative’s name
  • Technologies provided
  • Address
  • Phone
  • Fax
  • Website
  • Email

More Information: