Saudi Arabia

A consortium led by Acwa Power, Water and Electricity Holding Co. (Badeel) and Saudi Aramco Power Co. has secured a $5.9 billion senior debt facility for seven Saudi Arabia renewable energy projects totaling 15 GW across solar and wind.

Researchers in the Middle East have developed a fuzzy logic controller that simultaneously optimizes the tilt angle of PV systems and performs maximum power point tracking (MPPT). Year-long simulations indicate that the proposed approach increases power generation by approximately 20%.

A Saudi–Egyptian research team investigated the effects of four types of dust on photovoltaic panels in arid coastal environments, finding that power losses can reach up to 48%.

Saudi Power Procurement Co. (SPPC) has concluded the sixth phase of the country’s National Renewable Energy Program by awarding four solar projects and one wind farm. They include the 1.4 GW Najran solar site, which has the second-lowest levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for solar energy to date.

Algerian researchers have built a single-stage solar and battery desalination system for brackish water that uses a hybrid spotted hyena optimizer and maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm to improve efficiency. Simulations and real-time tests showed high performance, steady water output, and low salinity under changing solar conditions.

Energy China has signed three EPC contracts worth $2.7 billion for 5 GW of wind and solar projects in Saudi Arabia with partners including PIF and Aramco Power.

Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have published a review that looks at polycarbonate sheets as an alternative to solar cover glass. Their findings indicate that this new materials have a combination of low weight, mechanical strength, optical transparency, and thermal resistance that is worthy of further investigation.

SoleFiori signed a deal to set up a 6 GW heterojunction (HJT) solar module plant in Saudi Arabia, supplying high-efficiency panels tailored for desert conditions.

An international team of researchers led by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology has fabricated a triple junction perovskite-perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell that achieved a world record efficiency for this cell architecture. The device incorporates stabilized perovskites that ensure improved performance and stability.

Saudi Power Procurement Co. (SPPC) has announced a request for qualification (RFQ) for 3.1 GW of solar capacity across four projects in the seventh round of Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy tender program.