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Saudi Arabia to get its first off-grid hybrid solar plant

The G.E.T.S technology is especially handy in off-grid areas, as it can be easily installed and assembled. (Image source: Pixabay)

Italy?s Building Energy and UAE?s SES Smart Energy Solutions are set to install the first off-grid temporary hybrid solar plant in Saudi Arabia

The two companies will develop a 14MW diesel-solar plant in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The portable diesel-solar project is expected to produce 54MWh per year, save diesel fuel as well as reduce CO2 emissions.

The energy produced from the plant will be sold through a five year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).

In addition to being Saudi Arabia?s first off-grid temporary hybrid solar plant, the upcoming project is also Building Energy?s first Green Energy Temporary Solution (G.E.T.S) ? the Italian company?s proprietary solution, which is a modular and portable solution that employs renewable energy technologies to produce power temporarily in off-grid areas, especially rural parts of a country

Building Energy?s managing director for smart systems Massimo Teodori said, ?We are excited to implement, for the first time on field, Green Energy Temporary Solution. We believe that energy is crucial to secure basic human needs, such as access to clean water and healthcare. However, at present, there are more than 1.3bn people who still lack these services because they live in off-grid areas. G.E.T.S. could be an excellent solution to provide rural areas with energy access, thanks to its easy and fast installation and requiring no initial investment.?

The project is essentially pre-assembled, pre-wired, containerised and ready to be shipped where energy is needed. It can be quickly and easily installed with minimal environmental impact. This technology was developed to allow isolated energy-intensive industries, such as mines for example, to meet their temporary power needs, integrating green technologies even in rural areas, where no other energy infrastructures are available, said Building Energy.

For this specific project, the G.E.T.S technology will be integrated with diesel gensets provided by SES Smart Energy Solutions.

On its part, UAE?s SES Smart Energy Solutions specialises with providing on demand short to medium-term energy solutions and in line with IFC and World Bank Environmental policies, said its managing director Waleed Isaac.