Saudi Arabia's largest wind energy project commences operations

Saudi Arabia's first and largest wind energy farm has been connected to the grid and has started producing carbon-free energy. According to credible sources, the ‘Dumat al-Jandal’ wind farm comprises of 99 turbines that are capable of generating electricity for up to 70,000 houses in the country.

The wind project is part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, an initiative aimed at diversifying the economy and weaning the country off its dependency on oil.

A consortium led by Masdar and EDF Renewables, two leading renewable energy firms globally, are developing the 400 MW (megawatt) utility-scale wind power project.

Olivier Marchand, project director of Dumat al-Jandal Wind Co. for Energy LLC, commented that “their teams and contractors' outstanding commitment to implementing the best health and safety standards, as well as full support provided by the Saudi Power Procurement Company [SPCC], Saudi Electricity Company [SEC], and Saudi Arabia Ministry of Energy, each contributed to the project's successful completion during this incredibly difficult pandemic period”.

He further stated that “they are now looking forward to commissioning the project at full capacity with their partners and contractors in the coming months”.

Osama al-Othman, Masdar's country representative, expressed his views by stating that “Masdar is honored to deliver the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's first wind farm, by utilizing its experience in renewable energy and by collaborating with its partners”.

“The project's successful connection to the power transmission system is a significant milestone for this historical project in the Kingdom and they look forward to its completion in the near future”.

According to a report, the project’s development phase began in September 2019, and the assembly of the wind turbines is nearing completion. The farm will save 988,000 tons of CO2 per year when it is finalized, helping Saudi Arabia meet its climate change mitigation goals.

Source Credit - https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/8/saudi-arabias-first-wind-farm-begins-electricity-production