Saudi Arabia will generate up to 60 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy by 2030, according to the president of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KA Care), one of the largest developers in the kingdom.
Dr Khalid bin Saleh Al Sultan added that of the total 60 GW, solar energy would account for 40 GW, while the remaining 20 GW would come from wind and other sources.
The KA Care president is attending the 9th General Assembly of International Renewable Energy Agency, also known as Irena. The assembly is being held as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2019, which is being held in the UAE capital on 12-19 January.
Saudi Arabia’s initial plans in the sector, launched in 2014, aimed to produce 27 GW of renewable energy, of which solar projects and wind sources would respectively contribute 20 GW and 7 GW.
Speaking to UAE state news agency, Wam, Al Sultan said that Saudi Arabia’s investments in renewable energy, and related projects and services, would also focus on Saudisation in the technology sector; human resources training; finding a “balanced mix of fossil and alternative energy”; and integrating alternative sources into the national energy network.
These investments come as part of Vision 2030 and Saudi Arabia’s National Transformation Program 2020, both of which seek to diversify the kingdom’s economy away from oil and pursue growth through alternative, future-focused industries.
