Desert Technologies, a Saudi provider of renewable energy solutions, recently held a workshop on “Renewable Energy and Smart Infrastructure in the MEA and Africa,” at its headquarters in Jeddah. The workshop was attended by a small number of professionals and interested persons, and was broadcasted live on the internet through the company’s social networking channels on Instagram and YouTube.
The workshop was hosted by Desert Technologies’ CIO and partner Khaled Ahmed Sharbatly. He said that through the goals and plans of Vision 2030, the Kingdom is focused on investing in solar energy, which is seen as a promising opportunity to comply with the increasing demand for energy. One of the most optimistic energy programs in the region, the National Renewable Energy Program, is a strategic initiative under Vision 2030, and is run by two main bodies, the Ministry of Energy’s Renewable Energy Project Development Office and the Public Investment Fund.
Sharbatly explained that the plan is to invest $200 billion in the renewables sector in Saudi Arabia by 2030. He said that so far, $7 billion worth of investment has been made, and that this number is expected to rise annually. Following this framework, a study for renewable energy sources sites was created, which acted as a basis for companies to make their investments. Desert Technologies won the bid for solar plants in Madinah and Rafha, which are currently under construction.
The plan is to invest $200 billion in the renewables sector in Saudi Arabia by 2030, and so far, $7 billion worth of investment has been made, and this number is expected to rise annually.
Khaled Sharbatly CIO and Partner, Desert Technologies
According to Sharbatly, there are many renewable energy programs in the MENA region due to an increase in demand for solar energy, driven by two forces: The mass production of solar panels led by China, and the increase in supplies and demand due to mass production resulting in a lesser price, making solar energy more feasible.
Khaled Sharbatly
The global solar installed capacity and investments were estimated at $180 billion in 2019 and are on the rise, despite COVID-19. Solar-powered generators are competing with diesel generators in terms of ease of installation, and investing in the former is considered to be profitable. With diesel generators, there is an ongoing cost for energy; however with solar-powered generators, enough energy is bought upfront to last up to 20 years.
At the end of the workshop, Sharbatly described the Sahara solar containers produced by Desert Technologies in its factories in Jeddah as the best solution for the issue of energy poverty in Africa, as they proved their effectiveness when launched in Africa as an ideal product for generating energy in small communities and villages that do not have electricity or are located off-grid. One container is sufficient to meet the basic needs of approximately 70 small homes and provide instant sustainable energy in remote areas. It represents the ideal alternative to traditional energy that is costly to implement and maintain.
