RIYADH: A 300-megawatt solar project awarded to TotalEnergies by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy highlights the company’s expanding renewable energy portfolio in the Kingdom, CEO says.
Patrick Pouyanne, who is also the firm’s chairman, announced the project during the Saudi Green Initiative Forum, adding that TotalEnergies is already constructing a 114 MW solar plant and has now been awarded a 300 MW facility in Saudi Arabia.
TotalEnergies’ push into renewable energy aligns with its broader global transition strategy, which currently includes 28 gigawatts of renewable capacity.
“Today, we will announce that we have been awarded by the Ministry of Energy a 300 MW solar plant. We are already building a 114 MW, another one 300 MW,” Pouyanne stated.
“Yes, we are investing today. TotalEnergies has around 28 GW of renewable capacity. So, you know, we are investing four periods per year. So it’s a serious business, including in the Kingdom,” he added.
However, he emphasized that meeting the demand for reliable, affordable energy remains a pressing priority, mainly as global populations grow and emerging markets seek a higher quality of life.
“Transitioning away in a just, orderly and equitable manner does not mean exiting tomorrow. It means that you have to find a way to meet the demand of today and as well, to prepare the future today,” he added.
In addition to renewables, TotalEnergies is heavily invested in Saudi Arabia’s petrochemical sector.
The company is currently working on an $11 billion petrochemical complex called Amiral in Jubail in partnership with Saudi Aramco.
“We are investing now $11 billion to build a huge petrochemical project, what Aramco called oil-to-chemicals. You know, we are part of it. We have already built 30 percent of it. So you have 7,000 workers on the ground in Jubail today to build this giant petrochemical and chemical complex,” Pouyanne said.
Pouyanne also addressed hydrogen as a critical enabler of the energy transition while highlighting the challenges associated with its implementation.
“Hydrogen is an important enabler for the transition. The issue is, it’s not only the cost of constructing projects for hydrogen, which we did the engineering for one big project, as I mentioned, it’s the transport, it’s the storage, it’s the distribution when it reaches its destination. Eighty percent of the cost is there, and 20 percent or 25 percent of the cost is in the construction,” he explained.
TotalEnergies’ activities in Saudi Arabia reflect the company’s integrated approach to energy development, balancing renewables with traditional sectors like refining and petrochemicals.
“We do in the Kingdom what we do in France, which means refining, petrochemicals and renewables,” Pouyanne said, reinforcing TotalEnergies’ commitment to advancing energy solutions that meet both current and future needs.
