The Middle East Is Bracing for a Solar Energy Boom
With abundant sunlight available to produce vast amounts of clean energy, several countries across the Middle East are investing in giant solar power projects.
From Oman and Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, the future of Middle East energy is appearing increasingly green.
There has been a significant energy shift in the Middle East in recent years, as many governments in the region welcome the era of renewables – although many continue to see a future in fossil fuels too. Green energy is expected to outpace fossil fuel usage by 2040, according to a Rystad Energy report, with solar photovoltaic (PV) coming out on top. Solar PV is expected to contribute over half of the Middle East’s power supply by 2050, from just 2 percent in 2023. Renewable energy sources are expected to contribute around 70 percent of the region’s power generation mix by this time.
Power demand in the Middle East is expected to reach around 2,000 terawatt-hours (TWh) from 1,200 TWh at present. Fossil fuels currently contribute around 93 percent of the region’s power generation, and natural gas is seen as pivotal to mid-term energy security. However, several countries are investing heavily in green energy to eventually shift away from a reliance on fossil fuels. This goes hand in hand with the economic diversification highlighted in several of the region’s development strategies.
In Oman, the government aims to increase the contribution of renewable energy to the energy mix to 30 percent by 2030, between 60 and 70 percent by 2040, and 100 percent by 2050. This month, the government inaugurated the Manah 1 and Manah 2 solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants in the Wilayat of Manah in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate. Together, they have a production capacity of 1 GW and are the largest to date in Oman. They consist of over 2 million PV panels and almost 1,800 automated dry-cleaning robots, to boost efficiency and reduce water use. The plants should increase Oman’s renewable energy production from 6.6 percent to 11 percent and reduce carbon emissions by around 1.4 million tonnes a year, providing enough electricity to supply around 120,000 households.
In the UAE, the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 states a target of 75 percent clean energy by 2050 and Abu Dhabi’s Vision 2030 aims to achieve 30 percent renewable energy within five years. In January, the government opened a 24-hour solar power facility from renewable energy firm Masdar, which consists of 5.2 GW of solar capacity and 19 GWh of battery storage, allowing for the generation of 1 GW of renewable energy around the clock.
The Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Al Jaber stated, “For decades, the biggest barrier facing renewable energy has been intermittency — to be able to source uninterrupted clean power day and night.”
In September, QatarEnergy announced plans to develop a 2 GW solar power plant in Qatar, which could double the state’s solar capacity by the end of the decade. The state-owned oil company plans to build the facility in Qatar’s Dukhan area. QatarEnergy and TotalEnergies launched their first 800 MW Al-Kharsaah solar power plant in 2022 and QatarEnergy plans to develop two more projects, with a combined capacity of 875 MW, in the Ras Laffan and Mesaieed industrial cities. Expanding Qatar’s solar capacity to 4 GW by 2030 would contribute around 30 percent of the country’s power generation needs.
The Minister of State for Energy Affairs Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi stated that “Developing solar power plants is one of Qatar’s most crucial initiatives to reduce CO? missions, develop sustainability projects and diversify electricity production, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by more than 4.7 million tonnes per annum.”
In Saudi Arabia, the government signed agreements for 30 GW of domestic solar PV manufacturing. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) signed two solar PV manufacturing agreements with the Chinese manufacturers JinkoSolar and TCL Zhonghuan Renewable Energy; one for a 20 GW ingot and wafer solar photovoltaic manufacturing plant and another for the development of 10 GW of annual capacity for n-type solar cells and PV module manufacturing.
The Deputy Governor and Director of MENA Investments at PIF Yazeed Al-Humied stated, “The new agreements are part of PIF’s efforts to localise advanced technologies in the renewable sector in Saudi Arabia and deliver on commitments to increase the proportion of local content as well as well as how to contribute to localising the production of 75 percent of the components of Saudi Arabia’s renewable projects by 2030.”
In October, Saudi Power Procurement Co. (SPPC) announced the shortlist of bidders for the final phase of the fifth round of the government’s National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP). Projects include the 2 GW Al Sadawi plant located in the east of Saudi Arabia, the 1 GW Al Masa’a project located in the northern Hail province, the 400 MW Al Henakiyah 2 plant in the western Madinah province and the 300 MW Rabigh 2 project in the western Makkah province.