Saudi Arabia has signed a deal for a 2.6GW solar farm to be built in the Makkah Region.
The facility, which will be located near the holy city of Mecca, will supply electricity to Al Faisaliah city and the western parts of the country at times of peak demand, increasing grid reliability and flexibility.
The Middle Eastern oil giant’s Prince Khalid Al-Faisal signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, Khalid bin Abdul Aziz Al-Faleh, confirming the joint project between the Ministry of Energy and the Makkah Region Development Authority.
They say 600MW will be tendered through the Renewable Energy Projects Development Office (REPDO) with the remaining 2GW to be developed by the Public Investment Fund and selected partners.
Saudi Arabia is currently working towards a renewable energy target of 27.3GW by 2023 and 58.7GW by 2030.
Last year Saudi Arabia suspended plans to build a $200 billion (£153bn) solar power plant in collaboration with SoftBank Group.
Source: Energy Live News
