Under the patronage of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Energy Mix Affairs, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman inaugurated on Thursday the Sakaka solar power plant project with a production capacity of 300 MW.
The launching ceremony saw the signing of seven new solar power projects across the country.
Speaking on the occasion, the Saudi energy minister underlined “the great leadership role assumed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in empowering the energy sector, through his chairmanship of the Supreme Committee for Hydrocarbon Affairs and the Supreme Committee for Energy Mix Affairs and his directives that led to raising the level of our ambitions.”
“These projects represent a practical application of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which will contribute to reaching an optimal energy mix, and the shift from liquid fuels to gas and renewable energy,” he added.
The minister explained that the new projects were located in Medina, Sudair, Qurayyat, Shuaiba, Jeddah, Rabigh and Rafha, pointing to an important role of the private sector in the implementation process.
He also said that the development of the Sakaka project was carried out by ACWA Power, 50 percent of which is owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Addressing the ceremony, the Minister of Energy emphasized the importance of renewable energy projects as a practical step towards achieving a number of strategic goals within the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
The exploitation of renewable energy sources is an important part of the quest to reduce the consumption of liquid fuels in the production of electricity, and to reach an optimal energy mix, he stated.
According to Prince Abdulaziz, ongoing projects of hydrogen and ammonia production and the circular carbon economy, which was approved by the G20 summit based on a Saudi initiative, would all lead to achieving the goals pertaining to climate change and ensuring the creation of energy systems that are more sustainable and less costly.
“Those represent supportive and complementary elements for the ambitious goals set by the Green Saudi Initiative and the Green Middle East, he remarked.
