Policymakers worldwide have been increasingly initiating plans to develop renewable energy products to help lower global CO2 emissions and alleviate the negative effects of climate change. Hydro, solar, and wind, among others, are types of renewable resources that can not only be used for producing energy but also for reducing CO2 emissions.
In regards to energy generated by wind, China leads all nations in operational capacity and is the leader in planned wind farm projects with an additional 4.4 GW of capacity expected to be added through 15 new projects. In its Global Wind Report 2021, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) reported 2020 was a banner year for the global wind industry as it added 93 GW of installed capacity. Despite this, the GWEC notes the added capacity of wind power needs to increase threefold each year over the course of the next decade to achieve net zero emissions and mitigate the impact of climate change.
Behind China, the United States, Germany, India, and Spain are among the world leaders in wind energy capacity. In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has placed increased emphasis on green energy projects under the direction of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Through the Saudi Arabia Green Initiative, announced in April 2021, the crown prince intends to reduce emissions by 60 percent, plant 50 billion trees, and increase the amount of protected land in the kingdom.
As part of its green energy platform, Saudi Arabia recently developed its first wind farm about 900 kilometers north of Riyadh in the Al Jouf region. Construction began in 2019. The Dumat al-Jandal wind farm was 50 percent finished, but already connected to the grid and producing electricity, as of April 2021.
400 MW Project
The Dumat al-Jandal wind farm is not only the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia, but also the largest wind farm in the Middle East. It is expected to be 100 percent complete by 2022, at which point it will comprise 99 wind turbines with individual power output of 4.2 MW. Combined, these turbines will produce sufficient clean energy to power as many as 70,000 households per year. Moreover, the project will decrease Saudi Arabia’s annual CO2 emissions by nearly 1 million tonnes.
In addition to its environmental contributions, the Dumat al-Jandal wind farm added in excess of 600 local jobs during construction. The wind farm has a 20-year power purchase agreement with the Saudi Electricity Company subsidiary Saudi Power Procurement Company.
Developed by Leading Renewable Energy Companies
The project has been developed by a consortium involving two of the world’s premier renewable energy enterprises: Masdar and EDF Renewables. Masdar has developed several energy projects in the Middle East, including the Ghantoot Desalination Pilot Plant (United Arab Emirates), Red Sea Solar PV Plants (Egypt), Umm Al Zumul (United Arab Emirates), and Masdar City Solar Photovoltaic Plant (United Arab Emirates). It has also developed smaller wind farms in Oman, Serbia, Montenegro, and Jordan.
EDF Renewables, meanwhile, has powered more than 22 million homes via renewable energy installations and offset more than 191 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over the past 35 years. Its largest wind projects are Crane Creek Wind (99 MW) and Chanarambie Wind (97.5 MW) in the United States.
“It is an honor to contribute to the Kingdom’s energy transition with the start of the production of Dumat Al Jandal wind farm, the most powerful in the Middle East,” noted EDF Renewables Middle East CEO Olivier Bordes. “This major step clearly demonstrates our ability to deliver competitive, innovative, and low-carbon energy solutions and to support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 aiming to reduce the country’s carbon footprint.
“We are thriving to expand renewable energies in KSA and the GCC region to fight together the global climate change, in line with EDF’s CAP 2030 strategy aiming to double its net installed capacity from 28 GW to 60 GW between 2015 and 2030.”
Part of Vision 2030
Vision 2030 is a national strategic framework that includes a range of programs designed to improve the quality of life for all Saudi Arabia citizens and transform the kingdom’s economy. As it relates to renewable energy, the kingdom’s Ministry of Energy is seeking to increase the percentage of natural gas and renewable sources to 50 percent of its electricity production by 2030.
Other Notable Renewable Energy Projects in Saudi Arabia
While Dumat al-Jandal is the first wind farm in Saudi Arabia, it is far from the only major renewable energy project. The kingdom inaugurated its largest solar project, the 300-MW Sakaka PV plant, in 2020 and had several other projects in the pipeline that, combined, were expected to increase its solar PV capacity to 2.5 GW by the end of 2022.
Sudair Solar, a 1.5-GW PV plant expected to be operational by the second half of 2022, will be the largest of its kind in Saudi Arabia once complete. The government’s Public Investment Fund will hold a 25 percent share in the PV plant, while ACWA Power and Saudi Arabian oil giant Aramco will hold 35 and 30 percent, respectively.