Saudi Arabia to launch 2600 MW solar power plant

The Saudi Ministry of Energy has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Makkah Region Development Authority (MRDA) to undertake Al-Faisaliah solar power plant with a capacity of 2600 megawatts (MW), Saudi Press Agency has reported, citing a ministry's statement.

Saudi Arabia’s Renewable Energy Project Development Office (Repdo) will prepare the project's technical studies in line with the international standards Repdo will spearhead the development of 600 MW of the total capacity, with sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), to oversee the development of the remaining 2 GW of the project's capacity.

The project will fulfill the increasing demand for electricity and renewable energy.

The Kingdom revised its renewable energy targets in January, now aiming for a 27.3 GW of clean energy by 2024 and 58.7 GW by 2030. The 2024 target will include 20 GW of PV solar, with the 2030 target including PV solar capacity of 40 GW, according to earlier news reports.