Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman launched Geographical Survey Project for Renewable Energy Sites in Saudi Arabia in a ceremony held in Riyadh on Monday.
The contracts for the project were awarded to Saudi companies to install 1,200 stations for measuring solar and wind energy across all regions of the Kingdom.
Unprecedented Geographical Coverage
The Minister stated that the project, part of the National Renewable Energy Program, is globally unprecedented in its geographical coverage. It will encompass all regions of the Kingdom, covering over 850,000 square kilometers, sand dunes, and airspace restrictions. Moreover, this area is comparable to entire countries like the United Kingdom and France combined, or Germany and Spain combined. He emphasized that no other country has undertaken such a large-scale geographic survey before.
Identifying Optimal Sites
Prince Abdulaziz stated that the project will help identify optimal sites for renewable energy projects across Saudi Arabia. He highlighted that in the initial phase, stations will survey all regions to pinpoint suitable sites. Later, these stations will be relocated to provide ongoing precise data for implementing renewable energy projects.
The minister also explained that solar energy measurement stations, equipped with advanced devices at ground level, will record DNI, GHI, DHI, temperature, rainfall, humidity, and atmospheric pressure.
Wind energy measurement stations, installed at heights up to 120 meters, will record wind speed, direction, temperature, atmospheric pressure, and humidity. The minister emphasized that data collection will use state-of-the-art technologies and adhere to global quality standards and practices.
Prince Abdulaziz said the project involves setting up a Ministry of Energy platform to continuously monitor, record, and transmit measurement data. Furthermore, this data will use AI technologies to assess and rank sites for renewable energy projects.
Importance of Accurate Project Data
The Geographical Survey Project aims to achieve 50% renewable energy in the electricity mix by 2030 and reduce reliance on liquid fuels in power generation under the Liquid Fuel Displacement Program. Starting in 2024, the Kingdom plans to tender 20 is gigawatts of new renewable energy projects annually.
Prince Abdulaziz thanked King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their continuous support to the Ministry of Energy and its ecosystem. Furthermore this will enhance the efforts to achieve the goals of Vision 2030.
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