Saudi Arabia targets 41 GW of solar by 2032

09. MAY 2012 | APPLICATIONS & INSTALLATIONS, GLOBAL PV MARKETS, MARKETS & TRENDS | BY:  BECKY STUART

Positioning itself to become one of the largest solar markets globally, the governments King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KA-CARE) has announced Saudi Arabia's ambitious plans to install 41 gigawatts (GW) worth of solar by 2032.

Planned Saudi energy mix over course of the year 2032.

KA-CARE 2012

The oil-rich country is planning to place more focus on renewable energy generation. In addition to more solar power, it intends to add wind, geothermal, waste-to-energy and nuclear plants to its energy mix in the future. The program, said to be worth tens of millions of dollars, aims to "catapult Saudi Arabia into the group of global leaders in renewable-energy development."

Of the 41 GW of solar, photovoltaics is expected to comprise 16 GW, while concentrated solar power (CSP) will encompass 25 GW. "The CSP plants, with their higher capacity factor than PV, are foreseen as a bridge between base-load technologies (including geothermal, waste-to-energy and nuclear) and PV, which will provide coverage for daytime demand," explained Apricum, a strategy consulting and transaction advisory firm specialized in renewable energy.

Read more: http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/saudi-arabia-targets-41-gw-of-solar-by-2032_100006719/#ixzz1uMtedA00