Renewables to meet rising power demand
Saudis move to accelerate sluggish renewables push
Riyadh’s ambitions to enter the green hydrogen sector sit uncomfortably with a slow renewables build-out
When state oil giant Saudi Aramco made its first foray into blue hydrogen last September, few were surprised. However, the launch two months earlier by government-affiliated Acwa Power of what would be one of the world’s largest green hydrogen projects generated considerably more fanfare—and not only for its size. Saudi Arabia is famously well-endowed with sunshine, but after some 11 years nominally committed to rolling out renewables, installed solar and wind capacity stood at just 413MW at the end of 2020. And domestical electricity requirements are vast. Riyadh is clearly cognisant of the gulf between stated ambition and results, and the renewables programme is accelerating to reflect a n
Also in this section
14 January 2025
Bioenergy will be a key part of the energy transition as the world decarbonises, and Brazil is set to be a major player in the sector
14 January 2025
The region has ample resources of both gas and renewable energy and developing both will be vital to the global effort to reduce emissions
13 January 2025
The region’s fast-growing economies stand at a pivotal juncture, with the opportunity to drive a sustainable growth strategy that will keep the world’s net-zero ambitions alive
10 January 2025
Global energy demand keeps rising, and digital technology will play a crucial role in both meeting that demand and doing so in a sustainable way
