Neom Plans Gradual Renewables Ramp-Up

1 Jul 2022 Issue: 65 / 26 By: Jamie Ingram

Saudi Arabia’s Neom is planned as a revolutionary 100% renewable-powered city. But initially it will rely on thermal-generated power from the Saudi grid. Meanwhile Europe is putting in place the requisite infrastructure to receive cargoes from Neom’s planned green ammonia plant.

Renewable energy is one of the pillars of Saudi Arabia’s planned Neom city in the north west of the kingdom. Its developers envision that 100% of Neom’s electricity will be generated by renewable energy. A bold ambition. And one which faces a multitude of technical challenges given continued concerns over renewable power’s intermittency and its impact on grid stability.

In some ways, Neom has an advantage as a brand-new city. “We are starting in a complete greenfield setting and we have very, very limited existing generation assets,” Thorsten Schwartz, Executive Director for Grid Technology & Projects at Neom told the Siemens Energy MEA Energy Week on 27 June. “We have no choice but to leapfrog into a system that starts with building up renewable generation,” Mr Schwartz added. (CONTINUED - 1038 WORDS)